Have you checked the space weather report [ http://www.spacewea…] lately? With a coronal mass ejection (CME) headed our way and an immense sunspot group [ http://www.sec.noaa…200103281748_bulleti n.html ] tracking across the solar photosphere [ http://sohowww.nasc…smdi_igram_fd_200103 29_0136.gif ], skygazers should be on the alert. The interaction of clouds of energetic particles from the active Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] with planet Earth's magnetosphere [ http://www-istp.gsf…geospace.html ] often produces significant geomagnetic storms [ http://spacescience…ast07apr_2m.htm ] and auroral displays. In fact, just days ago [ http://www.spacewea…] on March 24, photographer Jan Curtis pointed his camera [ http://climate.gi.a…] straight up to captured this awesome auroral curtain towering in clear and very cold (-25F) skies over Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. Now, forecasts [ http://www.sec.noaa…] indicate that a recent Earth-directed CME may also trigger moderate geomagnetic storms over the next few days. Night sky aurora [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…], possibly extending to [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] middle latitudes, would be most likely on March 30-31.
