Geomagnetic Storm Update

A geomagnetic storm that sparked auroras around the Arctic Circle and sent Northern Lights spilling over the Canadian border into the United States on April 12th is subsiding.

GEOMAGNETIC STORM

A G1-class geomagnetic storm is in progress, sparked by a high-speed solar wind stream which is buffeting Earth's magnetic field.
To read more, Click Here

Japan; One Month Later

It is hard to imagine the amount of strength and composer the citizens of Japan are going through.
One moth ago they suffered that devastating earthquake followed by the tsunami and then a nuclear crises. This is unbelievable, a true end of the world feeling they must have.
I really would not know where to start if this were to have happen to me, as much as I prepare myself and family for such an emergency, are we truly ready? I know it is tough enough to lose electricity for 3-4 days.
Dear Lord, I pray for the country of Japan and those effected. Please Lord, ease their burden and help them through this, for you know there needs. Amen.
Here is a large group of photos. Click Here.

It's a Horseshoe; No, It's an ASTEROID

Astronomers from the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland have found that recently-discovered asteroid 2010 SO16 has been following Earth around the Sun for more than 250,000 years. Relative to our planet, the asteroid describes a horseshoe-shaped path in space.
Click Here for more.

Special Event Station; Yuri Gagarin

Yuri Gagarin Special Event Stations

Many special event stations will be active around the world this week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first human space flight

Special event stations R50YG and R50SK are active from Baikonur until April 14 and the special call R50KEDR will be on the air on April 12 from 0507 to 0655z to commemorate the 108 minutes of Gagarin's first flight.

Ari OH3KAV has posted this list of Russian stations that will be active:

R50YG "Yuri Gagarin"
R50SK "Sergey Korolev"
RG50D
RG50K
RG50F Star City training center
RG50C Landing Site
RG50G
R1961G
U5ARTEK/A
R3K Energija Space Flight Control Center

Clint Bradford K6LCS has posted this collection of Yuri Gagarin links

Transcriptions of the Vostok 1 flight audio
http://www.cosmoworld.ru/spaceencycl...tml?doc10.html
http://epizodsspace.airbase.ru/bibl/i_tsk/zv-reis.html

Audio recordings made during the Vostok 1 flight
http://rgantd.ru/gag70_cd/data/audio.htm
http://www.cosmoworld.ru/spaceencycl...l?index_g.html
http://rgantd.ru/vzal/korolev/razdel6.htm#p7

Russian government archive of scientific and technical documentation (RGANTG)
http://www.rgantd.ru/
http://rgantd.ru/ecfilm/catalog.htm

Miscellaneous recordings from space - including Vostok 1 launch phase
http://www.svengrahn.pp.se/sounds/sounds.htm

Gagarin photos, films
http://hochu.vkosmos.ru/?p=493
http://www.net-film.ru/ru/films-find...ок
http://rus-uk.livejournal.com/10187.html
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=42518
http://allerleiten.livejournal.com/750652.htm
http://www.windmillbooks.net/space.c...51317998421477
http://www.spacevideo.ru
http://www.net-film.ru/ru/films-find...ИН
http://www.net-film.ru/ru/films-find...ок

ARISSat-1 to be activated on the ISS this Monday
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/apr...ation_0804.htm

Listen to the podcast with Dave Jordan, AA4KN, on the air talking
about ARISSat-1 on NPR's "Science Friday" program. (at the 4 min: 40
sec point)
http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201104083

Celebrate Yuri's Night
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/apr...brate_yuri.htm

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CME on the way?

Newly-arriving data from NASA's STEREO probes suggest that a coronal mass ejection (CME) might be heading toward Earth. The source of the cloud appears to be sunspot complex 1185-1186, which experienced an episode of magnetic instability during the early hours of April 9th. Stay tuned for updates to this preliminary analysis.
CME movies: STEREO-A, STEREO-B.
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KD8BIG

The last 5 weeks have been rough for me, two ambulance rides and 3 visits to the Emergency Room. I have lots of health issues at the moment and I am hoping this all slows down soon.
Mean while, as I stated the other week I hope to get into the swing of things soon. Thanks all for your e-mails and visits.
73,
de KD8BIG

Yaesu, Kenwood & Icom Japan Plant Shutdowns

I have received several e-mails asking if I have heard anything in regards to the Amateur Radio Manufacturing Plants on Shutdown in Japan due to last months Earthquake/ Tsunami.

This is what I found from their web-sites;

YAESU
Click HERE for a message from the Yaesu CEO/President

KENWOOD
Kenwood Updates Current Status Of Company Operations In Japan
Click Here

ICOM
Read about Icom and the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan
Click Here

KD8BIG & Articles of Interest

The last few weeks I have not been feeling to well. Many health issues along with two ambulance rides to the hospital. I am hoping to get back into the swing of things over the next few days.

de KD8BIG
KD8BIG Twitter

Articles of Interest
Ham radios find place in high-tech wor
Girl, 8, parents band together as ham radio operators
Amateur radio balloon video
Ham radio operators concerned about losing band
Local hobbyists riding the waves‎
ULM students earn amateur radio licenses‎

This Weekends Contest

NCCC Sprint	Apr 1
SOC Hank Kohl Memorial CW Bash	Apr 2
LZ Open 40m Sprint Contest	Apr 2
ARCI Spring QSO Party	Apr 2-3
SP DX Contest	Apr 2-3
EA RTTY Contest	Apr 2-3
QCWA Spring QSO Party	Apr 2-3
Missouri QSO Party	Apr 2-3
RSGB RoPoCo SSB	Apr 3
RSGB 80m Club Championship, CW	Apr 4

Aurora Borealis

I remember back in 1998 we loaded up the motor home and took our first major family trip to the Great White North. Although it was in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, we saw the aurora borealis. It was amazing, I only wish that in those days we had the technology we do now and I would have been able to take photos with our digital camera. Maybe our next trip that way.

NORTHERN LIGHTS VIDEO: Oh to be in Norway! Norwegian photographer Ole C. Salomonsen has sorted through more than 50,000 images of the aurora borealis he took during the past six months and assembled the best ones to create a must-see video entitled Land of the Northern Lights. Click here to watch--and then call your travel agent.

Supermoon; Incredible video!

Watch video of the "Supermoon," which could be seen on March 19, 2011. It was the closest the moon has been to Earth since 1993.

BIG Trouble on the Way?

A big sunspot is emerging over the sun's southeastern limb, and it is crackling with activity. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded a surge of extreme ultraviolet radiation from the sunspot's magnetic canopy on March 21st.
This appears to be the return of old sunspot 1165, last seen in early March when it formed on the sun's southwestern limb. Since then it has been transiting the far side of the sun, apparently growing in size and restlessness. The potential for trouble will become more clear in the hours ahead as the active region emerges in full. Stay tuned.

Tsunami Climbing: Ship heading into wave in Japan

The Japanese Coast Guard released footage of a ship in the ocean during the tsunami.

PRESTO ALERT

Rare event 03 21 2011 0957 UTC: Proton flux increased; storm threshold not reached. Back-sided plasma cloud came into view of STEREO B COR2 @ 0254 UTC maybe associated w/proton levels. Earth is magnetically connected w/source site behind Sun. Parker spiral has bended magnetic field lines that guide the electrically charged protons. Earth is near such field lines along which these protons travel. This is a rare event.

SIDC - Solar Influences Data Analysis Center - Homepage

PRESTO Alert

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival Special Event Station

Amateur Radio at Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival
Moray Firth Amateur Radio Society is celebrating the Spirit of Speyside Whiskey Festival by running three Special Event stations, one located at Strathisla distillery in Keith (call-sign GB3SWF) another located at the Craigellachie Distillery (call-sign GB2SWF) and a third at Glenfarclas Distillery (probably GB4SWF).

The objective of this exercise is to contact as many amateur radio stations as possible, worldwide, to promote Scotland’s iconic dram – malt whiskey. Each station will operate on the Shortwave (HF) bands, principally 80m, 40m and 20m SSB, and also on VHF when possible.

A commemorative QSL card will be sent to all stations that contact the club during the weekend and the station with the most confirmed number of contacts will also win a bottle of malt whiskey. There will be prizes of miniature bottles of malt whiskey sent to the top listed stations in the countries of the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, & Northern Ireland).

The Spirit of Speyside Whiskey Festival is held each year during the first long weekend in May (28 April to 2 May 2011), it creates an opportunity for visitors to enjoy a visit to Speyside before the start of the main tourism season.

The Festival invites visitors to celebrate Scotland’s national drink through an inventive and wide-ranging program of whiskey-inspired events – some educational, all of them fun.
Further details can be found on their website www.spiritofspeyside.com
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