10/08/2024
We got a blast of solar plasma last night but as always, Earth's magnetic field deflected it to the North Pole. You might know this phenomena, as the Aurora or more specifically the Northern Lights.
This is not a common occurance this far south, especially during the last 4 of the 11-year-long cycles our Sun's energy output has been lower than average. But if the Sun's activity is truly going to increase to normal levels in this next cycle, Aurora will be more common again. At least for all who make the effort to escape the light pollution of civilization.
It's too bad we didn't take the climate crisis more seriously when our Sun was giving us a break huh? And yet, we can expect the denialists will nevertheless twist their logic and integrity into pretzels to say it's always only been our Sun's fault. "Really? All the warming for the last 45 years was also the Sun's fault, while the Sun was cooling?" Bless their hearts...
Anyway, these beautiful events are especially memorable for those who spend most of their time in the lower lattitudes. What's more we Dark Rangers like to take a moment between snapping photographs of the aurora to remind ourselves and any others who stay out with us past 11pm (which is when aurora is most active), how "Whew! We almost all died!"
That would be the extreme consequences of living above ground, during such an event if not for the protection of our planet's wonderful, but fragile atmosphere and our hopefully venerable magnetic field.
