A new very active sunspot sent a coronal mass ejection Earthward which interacts with our magnetosphere to produce bright auroras.
In Finland, a photographer captured the aurora’s glow over snow-tufted conifers to produce this wonderful picture that looks like it was staged to become the front of a Christmas card. (Click on the image to see a larger version.)
From SpaceWeather.com:
AURORA WATCH: Sky watchers, be alert for auroras. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is expected to brush past Earth tonight, sparking a mild geomagnetic storm. The display will probably favor high latitudes–e.g., Scandinavia, Canada and Alaska–but it could descend as well to northern-tier US states such as Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. (continued below)
The source of the CME is sunspot 930, which has been exploding regularly since it first appeared on Dec. 5th. The “angry sunspot” is slowly turning to face Earth. As it does, it might send more CMEs our way, and they would hit head-on rather than merely brushing past. By next week, Northern Lights could reach deep into the United States. Stay tuned. (And keep your fingers crossed.)
Picture: Auroras over Finland on Dec. 8th. Credit: Vesa Särkelä
Visit the December 2006 Aurora Gallery for more beautiful pictures.