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Aurora alert: Possible geomagnetic storm could see northern lights alongside Perseid meteor shower this weekend
August 8, 2024
What's better than one dazzling night sky phenomenon? Two of course!
Lucky stargazers this weekend might be in for a real treat as heightened solar activity has prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a geomagnetic storm watch for Aug. 9 and Aug. 10, coinciding more or less with the peak of the Perseid meteor shower (around Aug. 11 and before dawn on Aug. 12.)
If the predicted moderate G2 conditions are met, auroras might be visible as low as New York and Idaho, according to NOAA.
Though geomagnetic storm warnings of this level are not uncommon, they are enough to trigger some impressive northern lights displays.
For example, a recent G1 storm — weaker than a G2 storm — still managed to spark magnificent auroras across the U.S. and Canada.
Even if geomagnetic storm conditions are not reached, a strong enough solar substorm can also create impressive auroras.
Geomagnetic storms are classified by NOAA using a G-scale to measure the intensity of geomagnetic storms.
They range from G5, the most extreme class to G1 minor class storms. The recent geomagnetic storm watch issued by NOAA is currently classified as a G2-class.
The culprits behind the issuance of the recent storm watch are two plumes of plasma and magnetic field known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that erupted from the sun on Aug. 7 and are now barreling toward Earth.
The two CMEs are predicted to arrive late on Aug. 9 through Aug. 10, according to NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center's forecast discussion.
However, it should be noted that predicting the exact time of the CMEs' arrival is incredibly difficult as space weather, like weather on Earth, is a fickle creature and challenging to forecast.
Keep in mind that even if a CME hits Earth, the impact on auroras depends on the magnetic field alignment within the CME.
If the alignment allows it to connect with Earth's magnetosphere, it could result in spectacular northern lights displays.
However, if Earth's magnetosphere "closes the door" on the CME, aurora chasers might be left disappointed.
When checking space weather data from resources like Space Weather Live, pay close attention to the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF), especially the Bz value, which indicates the north-south direction of the IMF.
For a strong connection to Earth's northward-pointing magnetosphere, the Bz needs to be oriented southward, according to Space Weather Live.
Should we experience favorable geomagnetic conditions, the incoming CME could trigger impressive mid-latitude auroras. CMEs carry electrically charged atoms called ions.
When CMEs collide with Earth's magnetosphere, they can trigger geomagnetic storms. During these storms, the ions interact with gases in Earth's atmosphere, releasing energy as light.
This phenomenon is known as the northern lights, or aurora borealis, in the Northern Hemisphere, and the southern lights, or aurora australis, in the Southern Hemisphere.
To keep up to date with the latest space weather alerts and forecast check out NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
I also recommend checking out space weather physicist Tamitha Skov's account on X and YouTube channel for detailed space weather reports and valuable aurora hunting information.
https://www.space.com/auroras-northern-lights-perseid-meteor-shower-weekend
Japan got hit again today too
7.1-Magnitude Japan Earthquake Prompts Tsunami Advisory; 9 Hurt
August 8, 2024
A​ strong earthquake struck near Japan's Kyushu Island on Thursday, prompting a tsunami advisory for multiple islands.
T​he U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 7.1 tremor struck southeast of Miyazaki, where broken windows at the city's airport were reported, according to the Associated Press.
Officials said nine people were injured on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu, but the injuries were mostly minor, there were no reports of serious damage and tsunami advisories for the quake were later lifted.
Before it was canceled, t​he tsunami advisory warned that waves up to 3.3 feet were possible for the southern coast of Kyushu and also nearby Shikoku. The Japan Meteorological Agency said waves as big as 1.6 feet were confirmed along the southern Kyushu coast and Shikoku Island about 30 minutes after the quake.
A​ccording to the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center, there was no threat to Hawaii or the U.S. West Coast. Seismologists were holding an emergency meeting to analyze whether the quake had affected the nearby Nankai Trough, the source of past devastating earthquakes.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said nine people were injured, most of them slightly when falling down or hit by objects in Thursday's quake in Miyazaki and neighboring Kagoshima.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said all 12 nuclear reactors, including three that are currently operating, on Kyushu and Shikoku remained safe.
Earthquakes in areas with nuclear power plants have been a major concern since a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean, and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. An earthquake on Jan. 1 struck near the Noto Peninsula and left widespread damage, killing more than 300 people.
https://weather.com/news/news/2024-08-08-japan-earthquake-tsunami-advisory-kyushu
Oxford Space Systems shares Yagi antenna deployment
August 7, 2024
Oxford Space Systems announced the successful deployment Aug. 7 of its Yagi very high frequency, high gain antenna.
The U.K. company released images showing Yagi deploy on the Ymir-1 maritime communications satellite.
“This is a major step for us in demonstrating our deployable technology and increasing the credibility of our solutions,” Juan Castillo, Oxford Space Systems business development manager, told SpaceNews.
“This antenna enables ship tracking and communication from low-cost platforms.”
AAC Clyde Space, Saab and Orbcomm collaborated on the Ymir-1 mission.
The mission is focused on enhancing maritime communication through the VHF Data Exchange System.
“The successful deployment of the Yagi antenna on Ymir-1 marks a significant step forward in our mission to enhance maritime communications,” Luis Gomes, CEO of AAC Clyde Space, said in a statement.
“This collaboration with Oxford Space Systems is a testament to the innovation and partnership that drive our industry forward.”
Compact Stowage
Oxford Space Systems designed and manufactured the Yagi antenna with proprietary materials and techniques.
The antennas can be stowed within a one-unit cubesat, which measures 10 centimeters on a side.
When deployed, the antenna operates from the 156.5 megahertz to 162.5 megahertz band.
“We are thrilled to see our Yagi antenna successfully deployed on the Ymir-1 satellite,” said Sean Sutcliffe, Oxford Space Systems CEO, said in a statement.
“This achievement not only demonstrates our expertise in deployable antenna technology but also highlights the importance of collaboration in advancing global maritime communication.”
https://spacenews.com/oxford-space-systems-shares-yagi-antenna-deployment/
Leaf Space deploys first ground antenna with high-speed Ka-band
August 6, 2024
TAMPA, Fla. — Italian ground segment service provider Leaf Space has deployed its first ground station with a Ka-band link to meet demand for higher data rate applications.
Leaf Space said the triband Ka, X and S-band antenna at its Blönduós, Iceland facility entered service in June following successful tests with a remote sensing customer, which is using the Ka-band link to download larger amounts of data from orbit.
Leaf Space’s previous 26 antennas only provide services in the S, X and, in a limited number of locations, ultra high frequency (UHF) bands, supporting missions such as Earth observation and monitoring to communications with orbital transfer vehicles.
While X-band enables remote sensing downlinks with data rates up to 1.2 gigabits per second, the Ka-band antenna currently supports data rates up to 6 Gbps, meaning operators can download larger amounts of data per satellite pass.
Jonata Puglia, Leaf Space’s CEO, said current and potential customers are demanding faster speeds to downlink increasingly larger amounts of data generated in orbit.
“The remote sensing market is slowly but surely moving towards high data rate applications,” Puglia said, “even if the Ka-band satellite radios are not yet widely available, expensive and power-hungry.”
Leaf Space chose Iceland for its first triband Ka, X and S-band antenna because the country’s northern location provides optimal revisit times and coverage for customers most interested in Ka-band.
Puglia said Leaf Space also recently commenced operations with two antennas in Punta Arenas, Chile.
The decade-old company plans to install 10 more antennas before the end of the year, including two additional Ka-band antennas.
The expansion plan follows a $22 million Series B funding round last year for Leaf Space, which supports more than 100 satellites with a ground network spanning 18 locations worldwide.
Leaf Space customers include Canada-based connectivity provider Kepler Communications, hyperspectral Earth observation operator Pixxel of India and AST SpaceMobile, a venture developing a direct-to-smartphone network out of Texas.
https://spacenews.com/leaf-space-deploys-first-ground-antenna-with-high-speed-ka-band/
STARCOM, Delta 10, holds change of command at Patrick SFB
Aug. 7, 2024
Space Training and Readiness Command Guardians have a new home at Florida's Space Coast.
STARCOM's unit, Space Delta 10, charged with developing doctrine, tactics, wargaming, and lessons learned, was welcomed to Patrick Space Force Base with a change of command – and location – Aug. 7.
Col. Jack D. Fulmer II relinquished command of Delta 10, paving the way for Col. Shannon DaSilva to take the helm at Patrick SFB.
Maj. Gen. Timothy Sejba, STARCOM commander, praised Fulmer's leadership, stating, “When Jay took command in September 2021, he faced limited resources in terms of personnel, facilities, and equipment.
Despite these challenges, he exceeded all expectations and established a solid foundation for Delta 10, laying the cornerstone for the Space Force.
We are deeply grateful for Jay and his team’s accomplishments.”
DaSilva, a distinguished ROTC graduate at Purdue University, began her career in the Air Force in 2003, serving in various roles, including missile operations, range control, and mission flight control.
She transferred to the Space Force in October 2020.
Before assuming command of Delta 10, DaSilva was the deputy director of operations at Space Systems Command and supported the Assured Access to Space mission at Patrick SFB, overseeing enterprise integration, space access and future operations.
“Our Guardians are in excellent hands,” Sejba said. “Shannon was already a strong partner to STARCOM in her previous assignment and we are eager to see her lead Delta 10 in a new way. It will be a big challenge, but I know she is up for it.”
In her inaugural address as commander, DaSilva expressed enthusiasm for the new role and the future of Delta 10.
“It is an absolute honor to follow the inaugural commander, Colonel Fulmer, as the next leader of Space Delta 10,” DaSilva said.
“I’m humbled and grateful for the opportunity to join this talented team of professionals as we put down roots at Patrick Space Force Base.
I look forward to partnering with the talent in the Florida modeling and simulation community to lead the Space Force’s wargames, lessons learned, and doctrine, tactics and concept development into the future to make a difference for our service and our nation in the era of Great Power Competition.”
In his farewell remarks, Fulmer reflected on his time leading Delta 10 and expressed confidence in its future under DaSilva's command.
“Leading this unit has been the honor of my career. Our journey has been one of innovation, resilience, and unwavering commitment to the Guardians of our service,” Fulmer said.
“No one is more qualified to assume command than Colonel DaSilva, and I’m confident that her fresh perspective is exactly what Delta 10 needs to continue its rise to the next level and beyond.”
STARCOM, established in 2021, comprises five subordinate Space Deltas: Delta 1, Delta 10, Delta 11, Delta 12 and Delta 13.
The command is responsible for developing U.S. Space Force Guardians and validating capabilities and concepts to ensure Space Force combat effectiveness.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3865071/starcom-delta-10-holds-change-of-command-at-patrick-sfb/
UFO crashed in Arizona and 'was stolen by officials in cover-up', leaked government documents claim
Updated13:12 ET, AUG 8 2024
A UFO crashed in Arizona, leaked documents claim. The US seized a UFO in May 1953 that crashed outside Kingman, near Route 66, according to a conversation between government officials.
The visitors came tumbling down from the sky and slammed into the desert just east of Kingman, according to UFO researchers. Author Preston Dennett believes it's more than just a story.
He's been investigating UFOs since 1986 and is one of many who have looked at this alleged particular UFO crash, calling it the "Paradise Valley Crash" or "Kingman Crash".
The incident is not well known to those outside of Kingman and is not as famous as the 1947 Roswell Crash, but Dennett believes it to be in the top five of known UFO crashes.
"It's very rare to have multiple witnesses, multiple sources of information, confirming an incident like this," Dennett told 12news. Researchers have several differing theories as to what brought the UFO down.
These include nuclear tests taking place in the area, unstable gravitational field lines or powerful radars being tested around Kingman to combat foreign aircraft.
At the research center at the Mohave Museum of History and Arts right off Route 66, there's a section dedicated to the UFO crash. Some redacted government documents allegedly detail the crash from those who were there.
Fritz Werner is a name that kept coming up, who Dennett now knowns him to be Arthur Stansel. Werner was a pseudonym Stansel reportedly used when he talked about what happened in Kingman.
Stansel was an Air Force Engineer who studied the impact nuclear blasts had on homes and buildings, documents claim. He was one of 40 people taken to the crash scene in a blacked-out bus so passengers wouldn't know their surroundings.
They were told this was part of a secret project, according to the redacted documents.
The reports claim they saw a UFO measuring 14 feet high and 30 feet in diameter upon arrival. It was made out of an unfamiliar metal that was plunged about 20 inches into the ground but was not damaged from the impact.
"It was [Stansel's] job to basically determine the speed of this object as it came down, based upon the gouge it made in the soil, and he estimated it was about 1200 miles per hour," Dennett said.
Next to the UFO, documents claim, was the reported dead body of a man, understood to be the pilot, who was described as being about four feet tall and wearing a silver metallic suit.
The workers conducted their studies on the aircraft. When they piled back on the bus, the document claims an Air Force Colonel who was heading up the operation made them take an oath to keep the mission a secret.
Around two decades later, Stansel signed an affidavit reportedly confirming what he saw. Fifty years after that, claims began circulating that investigators didn't just investigate the crash but took it.
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Christopher Mellon released a redacted conversation between him and a person he called a senior U.S. government member whose name was not disclosed.
It claimed people would be "slack-jawed" if word got out about what they knew—writing that the federal government seized the Kingman UFO.
"These craft are scooped up, taken to various Air Force bases, scientific labs, and studied intensely, intently to figure out exactly what we can figure out about how they work," Dennett said.
Dennett believes we will never truly know if what happened in Kingman is true unless the US Government admits to it. He added that this is unlikely.
https://www.irishstar.com/news/us-news/ufo-crashed-arizona-was-stolen-33425102