Tag: sun

‘Danger behind the beauty’: more solar storms could be heading our way

By Daniel Lawler PARIS, May 18, 2024 (AFP) – Tourists normally have to pay big money and brave cold climates for a chance to see an aurora, but last weekend many people around the world simply had to look up to see these colourful displays dance across the sky. Usually banished to the poles of Earth, the auroras strayed as far as Mexico, southern Europe and South Africa on the evening of May 10, delighting […]

Third time could prove lucky for aurora viewers around the world

By Issam AHMED with AFP bureaus around the world WASHINGTON, May 13, 2024 (AFP) – Anyone who missed the dazzling auroras dancing across night skies earlier this weekend will get another chance Sunday evening, as the powerful geomagnetic storm hitting the Earth is expected to intensify yet again. “Several intense Coronal Mass Ejections are still anticipated to reach the Earth’s outer atmosphere by later today,” the US National Weather Service said. Those ejections — expulsions […]

Second night of auroras seen ‘extreme’ solar storm

  By Lucie AUBOURG with AFP bureaus around the world WASHINGTON, May 12, 2024 (AFP) – Auroras lit up skies across swaths of the planet for the second night in a row on Saturday, after already dazzling Earthlings from the United States to Tasmania to the Bahamas the day before. A powerful solar storm — which could continue into Sunday — has triggered spectacular celestial shows usually confined to the far northern reaches of the […]

First ‘extreme’ solar storm in 20 years brings spectacular auroras

By Issam AHMED WASHINGTON, May 11, 2024 (AFP) – The most powerful solar storm in more than two decades struck Earth on Friday, triggering spectacular celestial light shows in skies from Tasmania to Britain — and threatening possible disruptions to satellites and power grids as it persists into the weekend. The first of several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun — came just after 1600 GMT, according […]

From the Moon to the Sun: India launches next space mission

SRIHARIKOTA, India, Sept 2, 2023 (AFP) – The latest mission in India’s ambitious space programme blasted off Saturday on a voyage towards the centre of the solar system, a week after the country’s successful unmanned Moon landing. Aditya-L1 launched shortly before midday, with a live broadcast showing hundreds of spectators cheering wildly against the deafening noise of the rocket’s ascent. “Congratulations to our scientists and engineers,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X, formerly known […]

Total solar eclipse plunges Antarctica into darkness

A total solar eclipse plunged Antarctica from summer into darkness early Saturday in a rare astronomical spectacle witnessed by a handful of scientists and thrill-seekers — and countless penguins. “The visibility was excellent,” said Raul Cordero of the University of Santiago de Chile (USACH), who was on site to witness “totality” at 0746 GMT, with the “ring of fire” phase lasting just over 40 seconds. Solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes between the Sun […]

Massive “solar tsunami” observed after sunspot eruption; solar flare, coronal mass ejection observed

Solar storm cloud “appears to be heading for earth” says space weather monitoring site   (Eagle News) – Space weather observers noted a “massive solar tsunami” across the sun caused by the eruption of a sunspot that happened on Thursday, Aug. 26, according to a website monitoring the sun’s activity. Spaceweather.com said that this solar tsunami could cause a coronal mass ejection (CME). In fact, coronagraphs of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), already detected […]

“High-speed stream of solar wind” forecast to hit Earth’s magnetic field

Solar activity could spark “minor geomagnetic storms,” “high latitude auroras,” says space weather forecast   (Eagle News) – A “high-speed stream of solar wind” is expected to hit Earth’s magnetic field Monday, July 12, according to the latest space weather forecast. The solar wind on July 12, 2021 has a speed of 303.9 kilometers per second, according to spaceweather.com in its update as of 1101 UT (Editor’s note: 7:01 p.m. Philippine Time). Spaceweather.com provides “news […]

Comet ‘most pristine’ object from outer space seen in Solar System

    by Marlowe HOOD / Patrick GALEY Agence France Presse A newly observed interstellar comet is the most pristine visitor from outer space ever seen in our Solar System, according to a pair of studies released Tuesday detailing its unique characteristics. Pristine, in astronomical terms, describes a comet that has never passed close enough to a star to be transformed by its searing heat. 2I/Borisov was discovered in 2019 by Ukrainian astrophysicist Gennady Borisov […]

Suns’ Booker to replace Lakers’ Davis in All-Star Game

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker will replace injured Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis in the NBA All-Star Game, league commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday. With starters and reserves determined, Silver has the task of naming replacements for injured All-Stars for the mid-season exhibition set for March 7 in Atlanta. Davis was voted an All-Star reserve by NBA coaches, but he will miss the event as he continues to […]

Solar Orbiter gives scientists unprecedented look at Sun

by Patrick GALEY PARIS, France (AFP) — Scientists said Thursday they had obtained the closest ever images taken of the Sun as part of a pan-European mission to study solar winds and flares that could have far-reaching impacts back on Earth. The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter blasted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral in February and completed its first fly by of our star last month, sending back unprecedented images of phenomena close to its […]

‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse thrills skywatchers on longest day

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Skywatchers along a narrow band from west Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, India and the Far East witnessed a dramatic “ring of fire” solar eclipse Sunday. So-called annular eclipses occur when the Moon — passing between Earth and the Sun — is not quite close enough to our planet to completely obscure sunlight, leaving a thin ring of the solar disc visible. They happen every year or two, and can […]