What's Up in Space -- 12 Apr 2003
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AURORA WATCH: Earth remains inside a solar wind stream flowing from a large coronal hole on the Sun. Although geomagnetic activity was low on April 11th, sky watchers should continue to be alert for auroras. The best viewing sites will be at high latitudes: e.g., New Zealand, southern Australia, northern Europe, Canada, Alaska and other northern US states like Wisconsin and Michigan ... and, of course, the ISS. Right: These colorful auroras appeared over Menominee, Michigan, just before sunrise on April 10th. Photo credit: Duane Clausen.

SOLAR TEA CUP: The Sun briefly resembled a tea cup on April 11th when a giant magnetic loop erupted over the star's western limb. Astronomers call such handle-like structures prominences. This one, photographed by the orbiting Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), spanned about 35 Earth-diameters from the base to the top of the loop.