Last weekend [
http://www.spacewea… gallery_31mar01.html ] skygazers at middle and high latitudes around the globe were treated to expansive auroral displays as a magnetic storm raged around planet Earth [
http://www-istp.gsf… ]. The storm was triggered by a solar coronal mass ejection [
http://antwrp.gsfc.… ] associated with the giant sunspot group cataloged as active region number 9393 [
http://www.spacewea… ]. For example, pictured here in the early morning hours of April 1, the skies over New Zealand [
http://antwrp.gsfc.… ] are alive with "southern lights [
http://antwrp.gsfc.… ]". In the wide-angle time exposure, a towering red aurora is visible suspended above the foreground of a well lit lumber yard, train station, church steeple and buildings of the city of Dunedin. On April 2, the largest solar flare [
http://sohowww.nasc… ] of the last 25 years also erupted near active region 9393, but because of its position near the Sun's edge the effects were largely directed away from our fair planet [
http://rsd.gsfc.nas… index.html ]. However, all the recent solar activity underscores the fact that the solar maximum [
http://antwrp.gsfc.… ] is still with us [
http://www.spacewea… ].
explanation
Last weekend [ http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/ gallery_31mar01.html ] skygazers at middle and high latitudes around the globe were treated to expansive auroral displays as a magnetic storm raged around planet Earth [ http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/istp/outreach/geospace.html ]. The storm was triggered by a solar coronal mass ejection [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000309.html ] associated with the giant sunspot group cataloged as active region number 9393 [ http://www.spaceweather.com/sunspots/history.html ]. For example, pictured here in the early morning hours of April 1, the skies over New Zealand [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000826.html ] are alive with "southern lights [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010210.html ]". In the wide-angle time exposure, a towering red aurora is visible suspended above the foreground of a well lit lumber yard, train station, church steeple and buildings of the city of Dunedin. On April 2, the largest solar flare [ http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/X17/ ] of the last 25 years also erupted near active region 9393, but because of its position near the Sun's edge the effects were largely directed away from our fair planet [ http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/rsd/bluemarble/ index.html ]. However, all the recent solar activity underscores the fact that the solar maximum [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010301.html ] is still with us [ http://www.spaceweather.com/ ].
Explanation
false