Solar Wind Sparks Southern Lights

Solar Wind Sparks Southern Lights

Earth is passing through a high-speed stream of solar wind, and its gentle buffeting is sparking auroras around the poles. Over the weekend in New Zealand, sky watchers saw a rare summer apparition of aurora australis:

"Despite a bright horizon and twilight glow, the auroras sparkled over Otago Peninsula," says photographer Taichi Nakamura of Dunedin, New Zealand. "This is a beautiful spot where I love to chill out, day or night."
High-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras. NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of minor geomagnetic storms on Feb. 9th as the solar wind continues to blow.

From SpaceWeather.com