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Two CMEs are heading for
Earth. The plasma clouds were expelled from the sun on August 20-21 by a pair
of erupting magnetic filaments. NOAA forecasters expect the CMEs to arrive on
August 23-24, possibly sparking geomagnetic storms around the poles.
ANOTHER CME IS ON THE WAY: As
Earth passes through the wake of one CME, which did little to stir geomagnetic
activity on Aug. 20th, another CME is on the way. NOAA forecasters expect a
coronal mass ejection hurled into space yesterday by an erupting magnetic filament
to deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Aug. 23rd -- 24th.
High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras.
ANOTHER SUNDIVING COMET: Here
we go again. Another comet is diving into the sun, the second one this week.
Coronagraphs onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) are
monitoring the death plunge:
The icy comet, which probably
measures a few 10s of meters wide, is vaporizing furiously and is not expected
to survive much longer.
Like the comet that came
before it, this one is a member of the Kreutz family. Kreutz sungrazers are
fragments from the breakup of a single giant comet many centuries ago. They get
their name from 19th century German astronomer Heinrich Kreutz, who studied
them in detail.
Because of their common
parentage, sungrazers often come in clusters. After today's sungrazer
evaporates, it wouldn't be surprising to find yet another in the offing. Stay
tuned.
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