There have been a number of M-flares and CMEs recently--the Sun is waking up. Some of the eruptions have Earth-directed components. I will summarize activity later today (busy with final exams this week)!
SPECTACULAR CME ongoing now from AR 4419 as it blasts off an M4.9 flare. Beautiful beautiful eruption, wow!
Happy Earth Day from my home under the aurora in Fairbanks, Alaska 💚🫶🌎
(Some highlights from the 2025-26 aurora season)
There are a few coronal holes facing Earth now which may deliver some minor geomagnetic storming in 3-4 days. They are relatively narrow and positive-polarity though, so I am not super hyped up about potential effects. Some minor mid-latitude auroral displays may be possible.
Happy Earth Day! Our planet is beautiful.
Watching an auroral corona develop right overhead is one of the most spectacular things you can see
Just a reminder that my 2027 aurora workshops will be open for signup on May 1... the date is coming up fast! You will need to be subscribed to my email list to get the notification and link to join: go.theauroraguy.com/workshop-sig...
Apparently, we are not quite done with winter here in Fairbanks, Alaska! This is my view going into UAF this morning.
One of the top moments from the aurora season this winter… a crazy aurora spiral dancing and swirling around.
Woah--here is the current view from Northern Minnesota. Check this out! Prolonged -Bz with solar wind speeds > 500 km/s are creating some mid-latitude displays for the northern tier of the U.S. tonight!
go.theauroraguy.com/webcams
Lol
Nice aurora this morning on this webcam near Lake Vermillion, MN.
This cam and more on my website: go.theauroraguy.com/webcams
TSA at JFK T8 was 80 min this morning
Two hard-boiled eggs and a Oikos triple zero at Hudson News for $6.99. My new go-to, and I can’t think of a better value breakfast at an airport.
This is how I know aurora season is coming to an end 😅 (my bedtimes getting progressively earlier and earlier because it’s not worth chasing)
We just bumped up to Kp 4 conditions after a small substorm pushed up some blue pillars in Maine. Here is a screenshot from a north-facing webcam.
go.theauroraguy.com/webcams
In case anyone was wondering, we did not experience an R3-level blackout in the last 24 hours. This is a current glitch on the NOAA SWPC page. R3 blackouts occur when the X-ray flux is between X1-X10 flare intensity. We have not breached even C-class in the last day…
Some chances for minor mid-latitude auroral displays along the U.S.-Canada border currently as Bz has taken a nosedive. Heads up for anyone still awake with a clear view to the north. Likely limited to those in southern Canada or border states, though.
When the aurora is bright enough, the ground can literally start glowing green from the reflecting light…
With Earth-facing activity fairly quiet, how does the farside look? Here is Solar Orbiter looking at the Sun mostly directly opposite our point of view... there's not a whole lot of action but there are a few regions... the Sun is not completely lifeless but is not too active, either.
From ~150 estimated sunspot number to < 50 currently, we have seen a fairly sharp decline in activity on the Earth-facing disk. AR 4419 has a 15% chance of producing an M-class flare in the next 24 hours and is directly facing Earth. Otherwise, nothing else notable...
The last 24 hours of geomagnetic activity as seen through the lens of the Hp 30 index... nice juice from the coronal hole currently affecting Earth now with some periods of Kp 5+ (G2) and mid-latitude auroral displays. More shows are possible tonight if Bz can remain steady southward.
ECAD weekend kick-off party! First time at the clubhouse.
Pretty favorable solar wind confusion currently now due to the effect of CH42-. Mid-latitude auroral displays may start to strengthen soon. If you’re above the 45th parallel, keep an eye on real-time data to monitor substorms and check webcams.
The solar wind is currently enhanced with Bt > 10 nT. However, looking at the phi angle (polarity) which is still positive, the source is likely the coronal hole (CH41+). We may not have seen the effects of the large lobster-claw CH42-. More is (probably) yet to come!
The lobster claw-shaped coronal hole is beginning to affect Earth now. Bt > 10 nT currently with marginally negative Bz. Mid-latitude auroras are possible tonight, especially along the U.S.-Canada border/northern tier of the U.S. Check webcams and real-time data to track.
The aurora is really one of the coolest things
Nice day in downtown Fairbanks today
Guess where I am this weekend!
