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SOUTH
PACIFIC ECLIPSE: Yearning to visit the South
Pacific? Now is the time to set sail. On July 11th, the Moon
will pass directly in front off the sun, producing a total
solar eclipse. The path
of totality stretches across the south Pacific Ocean,
making landfall in only a few places: Mangaia in the Cook
Islands, Easter Island, and the southern
tip of South America. Get the
details from NASA.
HERE
COMES TROUBLE? The northeastern limb of the
sun is literally bursting with activity. Click on the image
to set the scene in motion:
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the flare during
the early hours of July 8th. It heralds the approach of a
sunspot--possibly a big one--that has been erupting on the
far side of the sun for days. A notable blast on July 5th
hurled a
bright CME over the limb. Soon the active region will
turn to face Earth and its eruptions could become geo-effective.
Stay tuned for space weather.
WHITE
RAINBOW, GOOD OMEN: Waking up early on a foggy
morning can have surprising rewards. Consider the tale of
Artur T. Grodz of
Elblag, Poland: "July 4th was election day in Poland,
and I woke up early to get to my polling station. I was pedalling
my bike along the Vistula river when I witnessed an extraordinary
white rainbow."
Actually, it's a fogbow,
caused by sunlight reflected from tiny
droplets of fog hanging by the river's edge. They're often
called "white rainbows" because of their rainbow-shape
and pale colors, but rain is not involved.
"As I was stood contemplating the phenomenon, I noticed
the broad arc setting as the sun rose behind me," recalls
Grodz. "The show was over! It was so beautiful, I took
it as a good omen for my presidental candidate." (Indeed,
it proved to be so, becase his candidate won.)
Readers, to see your own white rainbow, follow these instructions:
Wake up early, find some morning fog, face away from the low-hanging
sun. Apparently, it's a lucky way to begin the day.
May
2010 Aurora Gallery
[previous Mays: 2008,
2005, 2004,
2003, 2002]
[aurora alerts]
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