Tag: Space Weather
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Aurora Watch: Canada Could See Northern Lights Thursday Night
What’s Lighting Up the Sky? If you’re hoping for a spectacular night sky, Thursday could deliver a modest, but memorable, northern lights display across parts of Canada. The event hinges on three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupting from the sun and racing toward Earth, a trio that space weather scientists say is unusually tightly timed.…
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Solar wind tears chunk from Comet Lemmon’s tail in stunning astrophotography
Impressive solar wind interaction captured Astrophotographer Brennan Gilmore has delivered a dramatic view of the solar wind sculpting the tail of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). The newly released images reveal a sizeable section of the comet’s tail being buffeted and torn away as Lemmon travels through the inner Solar System on its long, looping voyage.…
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Swarm Reveals Weak Spot in Earth’s Magnetic Field
Overview: A Growing Magnetic Weak Spot The European Space Agency’s Swarm mission has delivered a striking finding: the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), a region where Earth’s magnetic field is unusually weak, has expanded by nearly half the size of continental Europe since 2014. Using 11 years of magnetic field measurements from the Swarm satellite trio,…
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Swarm Reveals Growing Weak Spot in Earth’s Magnetic Field
Overview: A Shifting Shield Earth’s magnetic field is a dynamic, protective shield that deflects cosmic radiation and charged particles from the Sun. Using 11 years of precise measurements from the European Space Agency’s Swarm mission, scientists have traced a troubling trend: the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), a region of weakened field strength over the South…
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Wind Blows from the Milky Way’s Black Hole: Evidence Emerges
What the discovery suggests For decades, scientists have watched supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies both consume material and, on occasion, spew it back into space as powerful outflows. While some active galaxies proudly display dramatic jets, our Milky Way’s own Sagittarius A* has long appeared unusually quiet. The latest observations, however, hint…
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SWIFT: A Fleet of Sungazing Spacecraft to Spot Space Tornadoes Before They Reach Earth
Introduction: A Bold Step in Space Weather Forecasting As the Sun’s activity climbs in its 11-year cycle, solar eruptions—flares and coronal mass ejections—pose real risks to satellites, power grids, and critical infrastructure on Earth. A new study proposes a bold solution: a quartet of sentinel spacecraft, collectively named Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT), designed to…
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Space Weather Watch: A Sail-Powered SWIFT Net Could Detect Solar Tornadoes Faster
New idea: a sentinel fleet to spot space tornadoes before they strike Scientists are proposing a bold new way to monitor the Sun’s volatile tantrums: a small fleet of deep-space spacecraft named Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT). The plan envisions four spacecraft in a strategic arrangement to watch solar activity with unprecedented clarity and speed,…
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A Solar Sail and a Space ‘Pyramid’ Could Speed Up Warnings for Space Weather Tornadoes
Overview: A bold plan to accelerate space weather warnings Scientists have proposed a pioneering constellation—Space Weather Investigation Frontier (SWIFT)—designed to watch the sun more closely and deliver faster warnings about dangerous solar eruptions. The plan envisions four deep-space spacecraft working together, with three powered by conventional fuel and a fourth carrying a massive solar sail…
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Britain 3D MT Model Reveals Hidden Subsurface Geophysics
New 3D Electrical Map Sheds Light on Britain’s Deep Structure A milestone in terrestrial geophysics arrives with Montiel-Álvarez and colleagues’ first 3D electrical resistivity model of Britain. Built from long-period magnetotelluric (MT) data collected across the island, the model—named BERM-2024—provides a high-resolution view of how electrically conductive and resistive rocks are arranged beneath Britain’s surface.…
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New 3D Model Reveals Britain’s Subsurface Geophysical Structures
Unveiling Britain’s Hidden Architecture Magnetotelluric (MT) surveys, which measure natural electric and magnetic field variations at the Earth’s surface, offer a window into the subsurface by mapping electrical resistivity. Changes in resistivity help scientists identify geologic features such as igneous intrusions, sedimentary basins, and variations in crustal composition. A new 3D resistivity model, based on…