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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 10h

A faint arc is currently visible to the north from Isle Royale NP. A substorm could begin at any minute. Heads up northern tier U.S. keep your eyes peeled north and webcams opened along with GOES mag. go.theauroraguy.com/webcams

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 10h

This mockup shows the August page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar hanging on a wall. The calendar launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time, and the first 100 customers get 20% off: theauroraguy.com/products/awe...

The August 2027 page of the Awesome Auroras calendar, hanging as a spiral-bound wall calendar, square on a pale sage-green wall above a white desk, with a small potted succulent and a white cup of pens standing below it and a stack of white books to the right. The page shows the Mirrored aurora photo across the top, a written sidebar about chasing the aurora in Churchill, Manitoba, and the date grid with the moon phases, the Perseid meteor shower peak and the total solar eclipse, and the U.S. and Canadian holidays.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 10h

Here is what the Sun has been up to over the last seven days, as seen through its coronal holes, its sunspots, and Earth's geomagnetic activity:

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 13h

Check out the awesome auroral activity over Alaska last night. I put together this video showing what all-sky imagers in Fairbanks and Toolik Lake saw along with accompanying, relevant space weather data.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 15h

Could we see more mid-latitude aurora tonight (10/4-10/5)? It is certainly possible. The solar wind speed is still ripping over 600 km/s, and oscillating Bz will create conditions for substorm charging and releasing. The auroral oval is expanded currently.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 17h

Launching in just 5 days: my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar! It is all about practicality, and some months feature sidebar text that is all about planning a trip. For example, why March may be the best month in Fairbanks, what September is like, and why December's coldest nights are the clearest.

The number 5 and the words days until launch, then a lime bar reading the 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, then the line launching Friday, October 9 at 9 AM AKDT. Below them, a spiral-bound wall calendar showing the 2027 Awesome Auroras cover: purple, pink and green aurora rays over spruce trees and a snowy road. At the foot, a lime bar with the address theauroraguy.com/products/awesome-auroras-2027-calendar and the words see the 2027 calendar.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 18h

Hello everyone, here is your daily update on what the Sun is doing: (Paraphrased from NOAA SWPC's recent forecast discussion) Very low activity: the top flare was a B9.3 from region 4546. No Earth-directed CMEs detected. Chance for C-flares through Oct 6.

Two images of the Sun side by side from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, Sunday, October 4. Left, the Sun in visible light with 4 labeled sunspot regions. Right, the Sun in extreme ultraviolet with coronal holes outlined and numbered. Across the top: sunspot number 55, solar flux 93 solar flux units, flare probability C 35%, M 5%, X 1%. At right, NOAA's 3-day Kp forecast as bars colored by level, peaking at Kp 5.00 for 09-12 UT on October 4.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 19h

"Mirrored"—Churchill, Manitoba. This photo is the August page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, which launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time.

Brilliant green aurora filling the whole sky above a line of spruce trees near Churchill, Manitoba, reflected in a still pond with grassy banks in the foreground.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 21h

Incredible purple aurora happening now over Fairbanks, Alaska! Look at these colors! You can see the sunrise approaching from the northeast, wow! The aurora is shining through the early twilight right now.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 21h

Great show happening now down in Queenstown, New Zealand! Take a look at this live view right from the city. Who cares about light pollution? The aurora is shining right through! go.theauroraguy.com/webcams

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 21h

Face-ripper of a substorm last night in Fairbanks. Wait until you see that aurora surge south (top of ASI) during a quick growth phase, then the substorm sends the aurora shoots north (poleward expansion) during the substorm.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 22h

Stunning crimson red aurora happening now to the south in Fairbanks! I am heading up there tonight (wish I was there already), but this coronal hole has really packed a punch with multiple ripping substorms. Watch live: go.theauroraguy.com/webcams

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

If only the Bz were negative! Still with the high Bt some active high-latitude displays could occur. Otherwise we would be dealing with upper-G1 maybe even G2 conditions with the Bz mostly south.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This mockup shows the July page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar hanging on a wall. The calendar launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time, and the first 100 customers get 20% off: theauroraguy.com/products/awe...

The July 2027 page of the Awesome Auroras calendar, hanging as a spiral-bound wall calendar, square on a pale sage-green wall above a white desk, with a small potted succulent and a white cup of pens standing below it and a stack of white books to the right. The page shows the Kenosee STEVE aurora photo across the top, a written sidebar about STEVE, with Neil Zeller's own description of the night, and the date grid with the moon phases, the two meteor shower peaks on July 31, and the U.S. and Canadian holidays.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

If you want photos of yourself under the aurora in Fairbanks, you can have Maia Hartwigsen take care of the portraits. Maia is a guide and photographer who I partner with, and photos are included with her aurora tours.

A person stands on a snowy road with a green aurora band curving above the hills. Photo by Maia Hartwigsen.

A person stands with both arms outstretched beneath a green aurora band. Photo by Maia Hartwigsen.

Two people in red and grey jackets stand on packed snow under a faint green aurora and stars. Photo by Maia Hartwigsen.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

6 days to go. As a Ph.D. student studying Space Physics, I couldn't help it... some of the sidebars are pure science. For example, January explains the three phases of a substorm and why the expansion phase, when the aurora brightens, lasts only 15 to 30 minutes.

The number 6 and the words days until launch, then a lime bar reading the 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, then the line launching Friday, October 9 at 9 AM AKDT. Below them, a spiral-bound wall calendar showing the 2027 Awesome Auroras cover: purple, pink and green aurora rays over spruce trees and a snowy road. At the foot, a lime bar with the address theauroraguy.com/products/awesome-auroras-2027-calendar and the words see the 2027 calendar.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Hello everyone, here is your daily update on what the Sun is doing: (Paraphrased from NOAA SWPC's recent forecast discussion) Very low solar activity, with a chance of C-flares through Oct 5. A new region is rotating onto the east limb. No Earth-directed CMEs detected.

Two images of the Sun side by side from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, Saturday, October 3. Left, the Sun in visible light with 2 labeled sunspot regions. Right, the Sun in extreme ultraviolet with coronal holes outlined and numbered. Across the top: sunspot number 26, solar flux 92 solar flux units, flare probability C 25%, M 1%, X 1%. At right, NOAA's 3-day Kp forecast as bars colored by level, peaking at Kp 4.67 for 03-06 UT on October 4.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

"Kenosee STEVE"—Kenosee Lake, Saskatchewan. This photo is the July page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, which launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time.

A mauve ribbon of STEVE arcing across the sky over Kenosee Lake, Saskatchewan, with a row of short green vertical structures along its lower edge, reflected in the still water, and green airglow low on the horizon.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Tonight's aurora tour in Fairbanks! Beautiful aurora and... SNOW! Winter has set in for Fairbanks with a light layer of snow now coating everything around town, especially the hills. Temperatures hit 18*F last night! Who's ready for the cold, clear skies! They're here!

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

A small CME has impacted L1 satellites and will hit our magnetosphere soon. So far, it isn't much...

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

This mockup shows the June page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar hanging on a wall. The calendar launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time, and the first 100 customers get 20% off: theauroraguy.com/products/awe...

The June 2027 page of the Awesome Auroras calendar, hanging as a spiral-bound wall calendar, square on a pale sage-green wall above a white desk, with a small potted succulent and a white cup of pens standing below it and a stack of white books to the right. The page shows the Rainbow Magic aurora photo across the top, a written sidebar about the photo contest, with Lisa Lirones's own description of the night, and the date grid with the moon phases, the June solstice, and the U.S. and Canadian holidays.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

7 days until the 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar is available for purchase! A bit about where I captured some of the photos: two months were shot in Churchill, Manitoba. It sits farther north than Fairbanks in geomagnetic latitude, so it takes very little activity to get aurora overhead.

The number 7 and the words days until launch, then a lime bar reading the 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, then the line launching Friday, October 9 at 9 AM AKDT. Below them, a spiral-bound wall calendar showing the 2027 Awesome Auroras cover: purple, pink and green aurora rays over spruce trees and a snowy road. At the foot, a lime bar with the address theauroraguy.com/products/awesome-auroras-2027-calendar and the words see the 2027 calendar.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Hello everyone, here is your daily update on what the Sun is doing: (Paraphrased from NOAA SWPC's recent forecast discussion) Low activity: Region 4545 led with a C1.4 flare. No Earth-directed CMEs detected. Chance of C-flares, slight chance of an M-flare through Oct 4.

Two images of the Sun side by side from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, Friday, October 2. Left, the Sun in visible light with 2 labeled sunspot regions. Right, the Sun in extreme ultraviolet with coronal holes outlined and numbered. Across the top: sunspot number 23, solar flux 92 solar flux units, flare probability C 40%, M 10%, X 1%. At right, NOAA's 3-day Kp forecast as bars colored by level, peaking at Kp 4.67 for 18-21 UT on October 2.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

"Rainbow Magic"—Torch Lake, Michigan. This photo is the June page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, which launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time.

Magenta and green aurora in tall vertical pillars over Torch Lake, Michigan, mirrored in the calm water, with a dark wooded shoreline on the right and distant town lights across the lake.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The large coronal hole currently visible on the Sun is rotating away, but the fast solar wind should reach Earth in the next 24-48 hours. NOAA SWPC have issued a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm watch for Oct 4. The watch for Oct 2 (today) is for a possible minor CME impact.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This mockup shows the May page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar hanging on a wall. The calendar launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time, and the first 100 customers get 20% off: theauroraguy.com/products/awe...

The May 2027 page of the Awesome Auroras calendar, hanging as a spiral-bound wall calendar, square on a pale sage-green wall above a white desk, with a small potted succulent and a white cup of pens standing below it and a stack of white books to the right. The page shows the Twilight Season aurora photo across the top, a written sidebar about how far south the auroral oval reaches, and the date grid with the moon phases, the Eta Aquariid meteor shower peak, and the U.S. and Canadian holidays.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

If you'd like help understanding the aurora while you're visiting Fairbanks, I recommend a small-group tour with Maia Hartwigsen. Maia is a guide and photographer who runs tours with me, and her standard tours have a maximum of five guests.

Two people raise their arms under a green aurora band stretched over the spruce. Photo by Maia Hartwigsen.

Two people stand silhouetted while a bright green aurora fills the sky above them. Photo by Maia Hartwigsen.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

8. Days. Along with eclipses, meteor showers, and moon phases, the equinoxes and solstices are marked on the date grids as well. The March sidebar explains why the equinox months tend to run a little more active for aurora. Hint: it's because of something called the "Russell-McPherron effect!"

The number 8 and the words days until launch, then a lime bar reading the 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, then the line launching Friday, October 9 at 9 AM AKDT. Below them, a spiral-bound wall calendar showing the 2027 Awesome Auroras cover: purple, pink and green aurora rays over spruce trees and a snowy road. At the foot, a lime bar with the address theauroraguy.com/products/awesome-auroras-2027-calendar and the words see the 2027 calendar.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Hello everyone, here is your daily update on what the Sun is doing: (Paraphrased from NOAA SWPC's recent forecast discussion) Very low solar activity, no C-class or larger flares. Regions 4544 and 4535 decayed. No Earth-directed CMEs detected. Slight chance of an M flare.

Two images of the Sun side by side from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, Thursday, October 1. Left, the Sun in visible light with 2 labeled sunspot regions. Right, the Sun in extreme ultraviolet with coronal holes outlined and numbered. Across the top: sunspot number 27, solar flux 93 solar flux units, flare probability C 45%, M 15%, X 1%. At right, NOAA's 3-day Kp forecast as bars colored by level, peaking at Kp 4.67 for 15-18 UT on October 2.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"Twilight Season"—Churchill, Manitoba. This photo is the May page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, which launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time.

Pale green aurora rising in soft rays over flat open tundra near Churchill, Manitoba, with a weathered green industrial building and tower beside a dirt road and a band of orange twilight on the horizon.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

A coronal hole is directly facing Earth today. There is a chance for effects to get here as early as tomorrow with a G1 watch in effect for October 2. The 3-day Kp forecast (just used for context here) shows NOAA SWPC anticipates the most potent part of the structure to arrive Friday evening UT.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

This mockup shows the April page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar hanging on a wall. The calendar launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time, and the first 100 customers get 20% off: theauroraguy.com/products/awe...

The April 2027 page of the Awesome Auroras calendar, hanging as a spiral-bound wall calendar, square on a pale sage-green wall above a white desk, with a small potted succulent and a white cup of pens standing below it and a stack of white books to the right. The page shows the Solid Ground aurora photo across the top, a written sidebar about chasing the aurora from the frozen lakes along the Richardson Highway, and the date grid with the moon phases, the Lyrid meteor shower peak, and the U.S. and Canadian holidays.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I have added coastlines and also plotted key space weather data during the interval. The auroral oval was slightly expanded, and Earth was feeling the influence of some fast solar wind. There was a minor geomagnetic storm also occurring.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Wow! Check out this incredible new view of Earth. The first images from ESA's SMILE mission are out, and this ultraviolet footage shows an auroral substorm spreading around the entire northern auroral oval on July 24, seen from high above the North Pole. #heliophysics

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Incredible red aurora during a substorm over Fairbanks, Alaska. Imagine seeing this!

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

9 days to go until the calendar is ready to go. Did you know that next year there are FOUR eclipses, and they are all printed on the date grids? This includes the total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027 over North Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East. Who is traveling to see that one?

The number 9 and the words days until launch, then a lime bar reading the 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, then the line launching Friday, October 9 at 9 AM AKDT. Below them, a spiral-bound wall calendar showing the 2027 Awesome Auroras cover: purple, pink and green aurora rays over spruce trees and a snowy road. At the foot, a lime bar with the address theauroraguy.com/products/awesome-auroras-2027-calendar and the words see the 2027 calendar.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Hello everyone, here is your daily update on what the Sun is doing: (Paraphrased from NOAA SWPC's recent forecast discussion) Low activity. A long-duration C8.6 flare from Region 4535 came with a CME; early NOAA modeling hints at a weak glancing blow near Earth on Oct 4.

Two images of the Sun side by side from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, Wednesday, September 30. Left, the Sun in visible light with 2 labeled sunspot regions. Right, the Sun in extreme ultraviolet with coronal holes outlined and numbered. Across the top: sunspot number 29, solar flux 92 solar flux units, flare probability C 45%, M 15%, X 1%. At right, NOAA's 3-day Kp forecast as bars colored by level, peaking at Kp 4.67 for 15-18 UT on October 2.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

"Solid Ground"—Delta Junction, Alaska. This photo is the April page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, which launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time.

Bright green aurora spreading across the sky with deep red above it, seen over the far shore of a frozen lake near Delta Junction, Alaska, with a few distant lights along the treeline.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This mockup shows the March page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar hanging on a wall. The calendar launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time, and the first 100 customers get 20% off: theauroraguy.com/products/awe...

The March 2027 page of the Awesome Auroras calendar, hanging as a spiral-bound wall calendar, square on a pale sage-green wall above a white desk, with a small potted succulent and a white cup of pens standing below it and a stack of white books to the right. The page shows the Peak Season aurora photo across the top, a written sidebar about why March may be the best month to visit Fairbanks, and the date grid with the moon phases, the March equinox, and the U.S. and Canadian holidays.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

If you're bringing children to Fairbanks to see the aurora, I recommend looking at a private tour with Maia Hartwigsen. Maia is an aurora guide and photographer who I partner with, and her private tours welcome guests of all ages.

Two people, one in a yellow jacket, stand arm in arm on a snowy road under a green aurora. Photo by Maia Hartwigsen.

Two people face each other between snow berms, with green aurora rising above the spruce. Photo by Maia Hartwigsen.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Huge aurora from above the Arctic Circle in Alaska!

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

10 days to go! Thanks for getting hyped about my launch. I will be launching two editions of my calendar: a U.S. one with the holidays on the date grid, and an international one without them. The photos, sidebars and astronomy-centric annotations are identical.

The number 10 and the words days until launch, then a lime bar reading the 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, then the line launching Friday, October 9 at 9 AM AKDT. Below them, a spiral-bound wall calendar showing the 2027 Awesome Auroras cover: purple, pink and green aurora rays over spruce trees and a snowy road. At the foot, a lime bar with the address theauroraguy.com/products/awesome-auroras-2027-calendar and the words see the 2027 calendar.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Here it comes... the large coronal hole is almost directly facing Earth now, which means fast solar wind is 3-4 days away. In fact, NOAA SWPC has just issued a G1/minor storm watch for Oct 2. This means there are chances for mid-latitude auroral displays Thu and Fri nights. #heliophysics

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Hello everyone, here is your daily update on what the Sun is doing: (Paraphrased from NOAA SWPC's recent forecast discussion) Low activity: C2.5 and C1.1 flares from the NW limb, and Region 4535 decayed. A partial halo CME may give Earth a glancing blow on Oct 2.

Two images of the Sun side by side from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, Tuesday, September 29. Left, the Sun in visible light with 1 labeled sunspot region. Right, the Sun in extreme ultraviolet with coronal holes outlined and numbered. Across the top: sunspot number 16, solar flux 95 solar flux units, flare probability C 40%, M 10%, X 1%. At right, NOAA's 3-day Kp forecast as bars colored by level, peaking at Kp 2.00 for 00-03 UT on September 29.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

When will the positive-polarity coronal hole about to face Earth create geomagnetic activity and potential minor-moderate storming? Well, we can get an idea looking at the HUXt model in CorTom "mode" which seems to do a better job right now than the default WSA model for background solar wind.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

"Peak Season"—Paxson, Alaska. This photo is the March page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar, which launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time.

Green and magenta aurora in tall vertical rays over low snow-covered hills near Paxson, Alaska, with a person in a red jacket standing at a tripod beside a plowed highway in the foreground.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Here it comes... maybe! NOAA SWPC has weighed in on the Earth-directed CME which is currently predicted to impact around Oct 2 at 9 UT. This is a bit later than NASA M2M's prediction of 3 UT but still within the uncertainty of +/- 7 hr for these models. #heliophysics

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

This mockup shows the February page of my 2027 Awesome Auroras calendar hanging on a wall. The calendar launches on Friday, October 9 at 9 AM Alaska time, and the first 100 customers get 20% off: theauroraguy.com/products/awe...

The February 2027 page of the Awesome Auroras calendar, hanging as a spiral-bound wall calendar, square on a pale sage-green wall above a white desk, with a small potted succulent and a white cup of pens standing below it and a stack of white books to the right. The page shows the Full Spectrum aurora photo across the top, a written sidebar about where the aurora's colors come from, and the date grid with the moon phases, the annular solar eclipse and the penumbral lunar eclipse, and the U.S. and Canadian holidays.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

A partially Earth-directed CME Is on the way! We may see a glancing blow impact on Oct 2 at 3 UT. Doing the time-zone conversion, that's Oct 1 at 10 pm CDT, but all CME forecasts have uncertainty. +/- 7-10 hours is typical. So, we may see impact *at some point* Thursday evening-Friday morning.

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Vincent Ledvina @vincentledvina.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

A beautiful filament eruption occured earlier today and is mostly directed away from us, but Earth-based coronagraph imagery (bottom right) shows a partial halo. STEREO-A confirms the eruption is not really biased either north or south relative to the ecliptic plane.

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