Strong solar storm reaches Earth & Mars crosses the Beehive Cluster - Space News (Oct 11, 2026)

Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Lindy is your ultimate AI assistant that proactively manages your inbox - https://try.lindy.ai/tad - Prezi: Create AI presentations fast - https://try.prezi.com/automated_daily - Consensus: AI for Research. Get a free month - https://get.consensus.app/automated_daily Support The Automated Daily directly: Buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theautomateddaily Today's topics: Strong solar storm reaches Earth - A solar eruption reached Earth on October 10 and drove a strong geomagnetic storm. Forecasters expect a continuing chance of auroras on October 11, though conditions should generally ease. [286][264] Mars crosses the Beehive Cluster - Before dawn on October 11, Mars appeared among the stars of the Beehive Cluster. The striking pairing was a line-of-sight effect, not a visit by Mars to the distant cluster. [181][189] Photographer completes the Messier collection - A newly published feature showcases Cornelis van Zuilen’s photographic collage of all 110 Messier objects. His project brings together galaxies, nebulae and star clusters photographed over hundreds of hours. [196] Episode Transcript Strong solar storm reaches Earth A cloud of material thrown off the Sun reached Earth yesterday afternoon, and the response was stronger than a casual glance at a storm watch might suggest. The U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center says the eruption arrived at about 14:34 UTC on October 10. A few hours later, Earth’s magnetic field reached G3, the agency’s strong-storm category. That is an observed result, not merely a forecast. [286] The distinction matters today. Britain’s Met Office says minor storm conditions remain likely on October 11, with a chance of moderate intervals, but it expects activity to ease later unless another eruption arrives. Auroras may be visible from Scotland, northern England and southern New Zealand where skies are clear; a possibility, not a promise for every location. The same forecast leaves open a slight chance of another strong interval. [264] Solar storms are more than a light show. They remind us that events at the Sun can reach the space around our planet and affect the environment in which satellites operate. For skywatchers, this is a good night to check an up-to-date local aurora forecast rather than assume yesterday’s strongest conditions are still in place. [293][264] Mars crosses the Beehive Cluster From activity above Earth to a sight in the sky: before dawn today, Mars appeared to pass through the Beehive Cluster, a loose gathering of stars in the constellation Cancer. The planet’s warm orange color made a vivid contrast with the cluster’s fainter stars. Under dark skies, the Beehive can look like a small misty patch without equipment; binoculars reveal much more of the scene. [181] Mars was not travelling through the cluster itself. It was much closer to us, moving across the same patch of sky from our point of view. That difference in distance is part of what makes the sight so good: a familiar planet briefly becomes a bright foreground marker against a faraway star field. [189] The closest-looking part of the encounter was a predawn event, so it is one for early risers rather than this evening’s observers. If you missed it, the broader passage extends across several mor