A)
SOLAR MAX IS BOOSTING AIRGLOW: A dramatic display of green lights over Colorado last week tricked observers into thinking they were witnessing auroras. In fact, it was something completely different. The approach of Solar Maximum is boosting a phenomenon called "airglow" that can appear anywhere on Earth at any time.
" Aaron Watson photographed the dramatic display from the West Elk Mountains:
"I woke up around midnight to crystal clear skies," says Watson. "I noticed some wispy rays and, at first, I thought maybe it was noctilucent clouds. Upon closer inspection there was an intense green glow rippling across the entire sky."
Although this looks a lot like aurora borealis, it is something completely different:
airglow. Cameras with nighttime exposure settings can pick up the faint emission from
anywhere on Earth even when geomagnetic activity is low. All that's required is a very dark sky.
"Airglow is produced by photochemistry in Earth's upper atmosphere," says space scientist Scott Bailey of Virginia Tech. "And it is very interesting photochemistry." "
B) For today, June 28, 2023
"
NAKED-EYE SUNSPOT: If you have
eclipse glasses, put them on and look at the sun. There's a naked-eye sunspot today (AR3354). South Korean astronomer Bum-Suk Yeom saw it this morning and created this infographic:
The sunspot is seven times wider than Earth itself, covering an area of the sun equal to ~25% of the historical
Carrington sunspot. These dimensions mean it can be seen with the human eye (no magnification required) if the sun is properly filtered.
The amazing thing is, this sunspot didn't exist two days ago. It has grown with remarkable rapidity. Such a fast-changing active region can hardly be stable. Indeed, it is
seething with activity and could soon produce a significant flare. "
CAUTION (added by the OP): DO NOT look at the Sun WITHOUT Solar Eclipse Glasses OR Equivalent protection !!! "Naked eye" here basically means that no magnification is necessary. EYE PROTECTION from the Sun is IMPORTANT though. However, and in any case, EVEN WITH PROPER PROTECTION, do not look at the event for extended time. I suggest
Max only 30sec to 1min duration (and perhaps repeat a couple of times with breaks in between). This is important for your eye protection. Solar Radiation (including non-visible) around the center of observation is increased & intensified, and even with eclipse glasses or similar protection it may be potentially dangerous for the eyes if observing straight to the Sun for extended time ... .
([Unless,] One may use a diverted or slit/hole projection chamber, which makes it of course less dangerous ...)
S.K.
