A solar wind stream hit Earth’s magnetic field

A solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field during the early hours of August 24th, sparking geomagnetic activity around the Arctic Circle. "Bright, fast-moving auroras lit up the sky just after midnight," reports Sean M. Scully, who sends this picture from Akureyri, Iceland:

Hours after impact, the solar wind is still blowing at high speed (500+ km/s) but the density of the wind is declining rapidly. This diminishes its ability to rattle Earth's magnetic field and thus produce Northern Lights. Neverthelesss, polar skies could turn green again tonight; NOAA forecasters estimate a 15% chance of continued geomagnetic activity.   (SpaceWeather)

Solar wind
speed: 533.3 km/sec
density: 0.0 protons/cm³

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 1 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 4 unsettled

Chillymanjaro

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