ARCTIC AURORAS: A high-speed stream of solar wind is buffeting Earth's magnetic field, and this is sparking intermittent geomagnetic storms around the Arctic Circle. Last night in the Finnish Lapland, "the sky exploded into many colors," reports B.Art Braafhart, who sends this picture from the Salla ski resort:
"Winter is not yet over here in Salla," says Braafhart. "The temperature dropped to a nice cracking -7 C as the auroras danced across the sky."
Later today, a minor CME from sunspot AR2529 could deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field. Such an impact would add to the effect of the solar wind stream, already here. NOAA forecasters estimate a 70% chance of more G1-class geomagnetic storms on April 13th.
