<div dir="ltr"><div><strong><font color="#ff0000">UNEXPECTED GEOMAGNETIC STORM:</font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#ff0000"> </font></strong></div><div>A strong <a href="http://legacy-www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales/index.html#GeomagneticStorms"><font color="#0066cc">G3-class</font></a> geomagnetic storm erupted during the early hours of Jan. 7th, sparking bright auroras around Earth's poles.</div><div> </div><div>What happened? The interplanetary magnetic field (<a href="http://spaceweather.com/glossary/flareclasses.html?PHPSESSID=ifb1l80koltqo8e89c250b3go6"><font color="#0066cc">IMF</font></a>) near our planet tipped south, opening <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2003/03dec_magneticcracks/"><font color="#0066cc">a crack</font></a> in Earth's magnetosphere. </div><div> </div><div>Solar wind poured in to fuel the strongest magnetic storm since Sept. 2014. NOAA analysts believe the fluctuation in IMF is related to the arrival of a CME originally expected to miss Earth. </div><div> </div><div>Browse the <a href="http://spaceweathergallery.com/aurora_gallery.html"><font color="#0066cc">aurora gallery</font></a> for pictures of the event. </div><div> </div><div><font color="#ff0000"><strong>Aurora alerts:</strong></font> <a href="http://spaceweathertext.com/"><font color="#0066cc">text</font></a>, <a href="http://spaceweatherphone.com/"><font color="#0066cc">voice</font></a></div><div> </div><div>Visit <a href="http://spaceweather.com/" target="_blank"><font color="#0066cc">http://spaceweather.com</font></a> for images and more information.</div><div> </div><div><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="990">
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