Did you sleep through the auroras of November? Next time get a wake-up call: Spaceweather PHONE.
WISCONSIN AURORAS: Last night, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) tilted south, opening a crack in Earth's magnetosphere. Solar wind poured in, fueling a display of green auroras seen as far south as Wisconsin: gallery.
3D TRANSIT OF MERCURY: Grab your 3D glasses! Astrophotographer Greg Piepol has combined a space-based image of the sun (credit: Hinode) with a close-up photo of Mercury (credit: Mariner 10) to create this stereo anaglyph of the Nov. 8th Transit of Mercury:
If you like the still image, you'll love the flash animation.
Piepol's creation is one of many new additions to the Transit of Mercury photo gallery. The winner of the photo contest will be announced on Friday, Dec. 1st. Stay tuned!
OUTSTANDING HALOS: When people in Washington D.C. stepped out for lunch on Monday, Nov. 27th, the ones who looked up witnessed a sensational display of luminous halos and arcs around the sun. "I was astounded by what I saw," says Jon Brook who stopped his car to take this picture:
The scene repeated itself in Maryland and Virginia. It was not only complex and beautiful, but also remarkably widespread.
"Outstanding halo displays need high quality ice crystals specially aligned in the sky," explains atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley. "This display has it all: random, plate, column, the rare Parry and the extremely rare and controversial Lowitz aligned crystals were present."
"Lowitz arcs were first sketched in 1790 but until even a few years ago, scientists doubted their existence. Now, thanks to digital cameras and the Internet, skywatching is popular and each year brings several Lowitz sightings. Have you seen your Lowitz arc yet? Check the simulation and search for them."
more images: from Jim Rosenstock of Washington DC; from James Willinghan of Elkidge, Maryland; from Jim Schuyler of Towson, Maryland;