On Oct. 5th, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) near Earth tipped south and temporarily punctured our planet's magnetosphere. Solar wind poured in and fueled this display over Greenland:
Image
© ICECAPS

Ed Stockard reports from the National Science Foundation's Summit Observatory, 11,000 feet atop the Greenland ice sheet: "We are experiencing clear skies and cooler temperatures here at the summit. These pictures were taken at our Mobile Science Facility where a project named ICECAPS has several instruments studying Arctic clouds. The experiment's lidars (green laser radars) may be seen lancing up into the auroras. The reds on the snow are reflections from a nearby beacon on a fifty meter tower."

"Did I mention cooler temps?" he adds. "The thermometer read -42 C."

Another display could be in the offing. A minor solar wind stream is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field on or about Oct. 9th, possibly sparking geomagnetic activity. Arctic researchers should stay warm and be alert for auroras.