http://www.spaceweather.com
http://www.spaceweather.com/images2012/15aug12/slinky_strip2.jpgSLIGHT CHANCE OF STORMS: NOAA forecasters estimate a 15% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on August 17th in response to the possible impact of a minor CME. Arctic and Antarctic sky watchers should be alert for auroras. Storm alerts: text, phone.
SOLAR SLINKY: Solar activity is low this week. Nevertheless, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spotted something interesting happening on the sun's southwestern limb. Click to view the "solar slinky" in action:
The loops in the movie are made of magnetism, glowing red-hot because they are filled with 80,000 K solar plasma. They move with slinky-action as they are buffeted by winds in the sun's atmosphere and jostled by minor explosions on the stellar surface below. Of course they are much bigger than a terrestrial slinky. The entire Earth could fit through any of the loops with room to spare.
