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Space Weather, Solar Flares & Sun Storms: Latest News
See our amazing collection of stories and features about the increasingly important topic of space weather (aka solar storms).
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A wave of solar particles from the sun may amp up the northern lights displays on Earth Monday night (Oct. 8).
Painterly auroras occur when charged particles from the sun get caught in our planets magnetic field and pulled down near one of our poles. The variety of colors are the result of different electromagnetic reactions with oxygen and nitrogen.
Far from Earth and the inner solar system two massive gas giants patrol the outer reaches of our solar system; Uranus knocked on its axis and Neptune, wrapped in a cobalt blue atmosphere of inexplicably fast winds.
NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission (RBSP) captured radio waves emitted by energetic particles in the magnetosphere. The 'chorus' phenomenon is well known by scientists and is also known as 'Earthsong'.
A series of active regions lined up on the Sun as they rotated into the view of the Solar Dynamics Observatory over a 3 day span (September 22-24, 2012).
By far the most massive planet in our solar system, Jupiter features giant hurricanes, auroras, abstract artistic cloudswirls, and maybe even a solid core. It also protects Earth by gravitationally clearing the solar system of asteroids and comets.
NASA's RBSP spacecraft produced the clearest-ever recording of choruses in Earth's magnetosphere.
Primary Section: science
Northern Lights photographer Chad Blakely (lightsoverlapland.com) captured amazing imagery over Abisko National Park on Sept. 19th, 2012. He told his Facebook audience: 'After tonight there is no doubt in my mind that the solar maximum has arrived'
Energetic particles in the magnetosphere emit radio waves that are audible to humans. The NASA Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission's (RBSP) instrumentation captured an instance of the event. The 'chorus' phenomenon is well known by scientists.
Researchers are zeroing in on these mysterious, croissant-shaped solar structures.
The fall equinox marks changing seasons this weekend, with a chance of seeing auroras.
The peak in solar activity is predicted for early to mid 2013. The space-based X-Ray Telescope (XRT) aka Hinode mission has been fixated on the Sun for years and the increase in activity is truly stunning.
See amazing photos of auroras taken in September 2012.
A string-like line of plasma was ejected from the sun Aug. 31.
NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) caught a M1.6 flare erupting from the sun just as the probe's eclipse season begins. For the month of September, the Earth will cross the SDO's line of sight, creating eclipses like the one in the video.
See spectacular photos of the giant solar prominence of Aug. 31, 2012, during a massive sun eruption.
A massive solar eruption provided a treat for skywatchers.
See photos of NASA's new twin spacecraft, the Radiation Storm Belt Probes, launching on Aug. 30, 2012.
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