From frank at mclc908.org Wed Dec 2 20:28:50 2015 From: frank at mclc908.org (Frank) Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2015 20:28:50 -0500 Subject: [MIham] Space Weather News for Dec. 2, 2015 Message-ID: <565F9AD2.8070507@mclc908.org> *Space Weather News for Dec. 2, 2015* http://spaceweather.com *SPACECRAFT TO BUZZ EARTH:* Japan's Hayabasa 2 spacecraft will buzz Earth on Dec. 3rd in a slingshot maneuver designed to propel it to Asteroid Ryugu. Hayabasa 2 is an amazing mission which, if all goes as planned, will drop as many as four landers on the asteroid and return samples of the space rock to Earth for analysis. The mission, and observing tips for amateur astronomers, are highlighted on today's edition of Spaceweather.com . *QUIET SUN: *Solar activity is low, and likely to remain so for the next 3 days. NOAA forecasters estimate a scant 5% chance of M-class flares on Dec. 2nd/3rd waning to no more than 1% on Dec. 4th. Stay tuned for quiet. From frank at mclc908.org Sun Dec 13 14:31:29 2015 From: frank at mclc908.org (Frank) Date: Sun, 13 Dec 2015 14:31:29 -0500 Subject: [MIham] Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight In-Reply-To: <0c5fce34d5ca05f64a13d085d7020769562.20151213173136@mail98.atl11.rsgsv.net> References: <0c5fce34d5ca05f64a13d085d7020769562.20151213173136@mail98.atl11.rsgsv.net> Message-ID: <566DC791.90909@mclc908.org> *Space Weather News for Dec. 13, 2015* http://spaceweather.com *GEMINID METEOR SHOWER:* The annual Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight, Dec. 13-14, as Earth passes through a stream of gravelly debris from "rock comet" 3200 Phaethon. Dark-sky observers in both hemispheres could see as many as 120 meteors per hour during the dark hours between local midnight and sunrise on Dec. 14th. Last night, Dec. 12-13, NASA's all-sky meteor network detected 15 Geminid fireballs over the USA. That number will surely increase tonight when the shower peaks. Visit Spaceweather.com for more information. *MAGNETIC STORM ON A COMET: *Earth isn't the only place with geomagnetic storms. Comets can have them, too. Such a storm appears to be underway in the sinuous blue ion tail of Comet Catalina (C/2013 US10). Observers with backyard telescopes are monitoring the event with photos highlighted on today's edition of Spaceweather.com From frank at mclc908.org Thu Dec 31 22:01:50 2015 From: frank at mclc908.org (Frank) Date: Thu, 31 Dec 2015 22:01:50 -0500 Subject: [MIham] First Auroras of 2016 In-Reply-To: <0c5fce34d5ca05f64a13d085d7020769562.20160101025823@mail86.atl71.mcdlv.net> References: <0c5fce34d5ca05f64a13d085d7020769562.20160101025823@mail86.atl71.mcdlv.net> Message-ID: <5685EC1E.5080504@mclc908.org> *Space Weather News for Jan. 1, 2016* http://spaceweather.com *FIRST AURORAS OF THE NEW YEAR:* A CME strike on New Year's Eve has sparked a moderately strong geomagnetic storm (happening now) and the first auroras of 2016. High-latitude sky watchers are reporting bright auroras in both hemispheres as Earth moves through the strongly magnetized wake of the CME. NOAA forecasters say there is a 75% chance that the storms will continue through Jan. 1st, subsiding to 45% on Jan. 2nd. Visit Spaceweather.com for images and updates.