Many thanks to SpaceWeather.com for the alert on the following, regarding purple sun (and other colors, too) on the West Coast, resulting from smoke generated by all of the wildfires, and regarding the International Space Station (ISS) flybys that are underway in North America! (Photo courtesy of Christopher Calubaquib and SpaceWeather.com)
"LAVENDER SUN: Ignited by lightning, hundreds of wildfires are burning in California, smothering the northern half of the state with thick plumes of smoke. The unusually widespread haze is causing a rare atmospheric optics phenomenon--the lavender sun. Many Californians report seeing the sun, when viewed through the smoke, turn a bright shade of purple. Today's edition of http://spaceweather.com
ISS AT DAWN: A new batch of ISS flybys is underway. For the next two weeks, Europeans and North Americans can see the International Space Station flying overhead just before dawn. Recent additions to the station have made it bigger and brighter than ever, and if you haven't seen the ISS in a while, you might be surprised by its increased luminosity. Some sky watchers have spotted it in broad daylight. Check our Simple Flybys page to find out when to look: http://spaceweather.com/flybys " features pictures of the phenomenon and an explanation.
I keep SpaceWeather.com bookmarked and visit it daily ... always something new each day ...those noctilucent clouds seem a bit eerie... anyone in NH see them? ....or anyone in New England for that matter?
Posted by: DennyInNH | Tuesday, July 01, 2008 at 11:27 AM