INTER-PLANETARY SHOCKWAVE HITS EARTH An interplanetary shock wave hit Earth's magnetic field on April 19th around 23:50 UT. When the shock arrived, the density of the solar wind flowing around our planet abruptly quadrupled. Moreover, magnetic fields in the solar wind near Earth have since intensified 10-fold. These developments set the stage for possible geomagnetic storms in the hours ahead.
Auroras are now being reported in northern Michigan. S. Evans sends this picture from Big Bay, MI:
"The auroras are brightening after midnight on April 20th with some rays and beams, and good color," says Evans. What is an interplanetary shock wave? It is a supersonic disturbance in the gaseous material of the solar wind. These waves are frequently delivered by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Indeed, this one might have been a minor CME that left the sun unrecognized earlier this week. Or it might be an unusually sharp co-rotating interaction region (CIR). CIRs are transition zones b…
Auroras are now being reported in northern Michigan. S. Evans sends this picture from Big Bay, MI:
"The auroras are brightening after midnight on April 20th with some rays and beams, and good color," says Evans. What is an interplanetary shock wave? It is a supersonic disturbance in the gaseous material of the solar wind. These waves are frequently delivered by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Indeed, this one might have been a minor CME that left the sun unrecognized earlier this week. Or it might be an unusually sharp co-rotating interaction region (CIR). CIRs are transition zones b…