They’re watching us too

Hundreds gather to watch turtles on Poipu Beach in Kauai.

Overheard. In Hawaii:

“I was only following odors.”

“I didn’t catch his name. I think he said “Mahalo.”

Your next Aurora

From Spaceweather.com (slightly edited to explain stuff):

A NASA model predicts a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection from the Sun) will arrive on March 19th, mere hours before the northern vernal equinox (~10  AM EDST)

This is perfect timing because auroras love equinoxes. It’s called the “Russell-McPherron effect.” At this time of year, the magnetic field of Earth can link to the magnetic field of the sun, providing a superhighway for solar wind to enter our planet’s magnetosphere. Even a weak CME can can penetrate to spark mid-latitude auroras. NOAA is currently predicting a G2-class geomagnetic storm.

There’s more: A New Moon on March 19th will provide dark skies for long exposures. Even if you can’t see the auroras, you might be able to photograph them. Point your smartphone at the sky and take a nighttime exposure. You could be surprised by what appears on the screen.

Here in Hawaii, we’ll miss it. But we have Hawaii stuff, such as the big turtles.