Metallic photos of the sun by renowned photographer Greg Piepol bring together the best of art and science. Buy one or a whole set. They make a stellar gift. | | |
SOLAR STORM HEATS UP EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE: A flurry of solar activity in early March dumped enough heat in Earth's upper atmosphere to power every residence in New York City for two years. The heat has since dissipated, but there's more to come as the solar cycle intensifies. [full story] [video]
SUNSET SKY SHOW, AGAIN: A month ago, Venus, Jupiter and the crescent Moon aligned beautifully for evening sky watchers around the world. It's about to happen again. On March 24th, 25th and 26th, the trio will appear side by side in the western sky at sunset. Observing tip: Catch them before the sky fades completely black. These bright objects are extra-beautiful when they are framed by twilight blue. Sky maps: March 24, 25, 26.
Looking for something to do while you're waiting for the Moon to arrive? Try juggling:
"Thanks to my girlfriend for helping me me create these planet action shots on March 22nd," says photographer Kiss Csongor of Derecske, Hungary.
more images: from Danny Ratcliffe of Scarborough, Queensland, Australia; from Johnathan A. Esper of Lake Durant, Adirondack Park, New York; from Petr Horálek of Ústupky, Seč reservoir, Czech republic; from Ahmed Al Ali of Sharjah Desert Park, United Arab Emirates; from Veerayen of Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia; from Jean-Baptiste Feldmann of France; from John Stetson of Sebago Lake, Maine
SPRING GREEN: Northern Lights continue to flicker around the Arctic Circle despite waning solar wind speeds. What's keeping them going? Answer: It's springtime. For reasons that are still not fully understood, equinoxes favor auroras. Nenne Åman photographed this splash of Spring-green over Arjeplog, Northern Sweden on March 22nd:
"The sky went all green for a few minutes," says Åman. "It was very beautiful and a nice goodbye gift for some friends who were visiting us from Italy!"
NOAA forecasters estimate a 15% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on March 23nd. Considering the season, however, a full-fledged storm might not be necessary. Stay tuned for auroras. Aurora alerts: text, phone.
more images: from B.Art Braafhart of Salla, Finnish Lapland; from Rob Stammes of Laukvik, Lofoten, Norway
February 2012 Aurora Gallery
[previous Februaries: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002]