This week has been filled by a confluence of celestial events! First, we had a set of solar storms hitting late on August 11. Then, on August 12, a total solar eclipse graced the northern hemisphere. This was either a photographer’s best dream or worst nightmare– catching a total solar eclipse and aurora on the same day (August 12). Throw in the peak of the Perseid meteor shower that is peaking now in the northeast sky just before dawn, and you can forget about sleeping until after the 13th. Since the moon will be new, the coming solar storm should give us a decent show, even if it will be on the weak side. Aurora photographers at mid-latitudes, be prepared to chase substorms at times, but conditions are such that the shows could linger for longer than expected, thanks to a weak pocket of fast solar wind that will come on the heels of the storm. Amateur radio operators and GPS users should expect mild to moderate disturbances in the northern hemisphere and anywhere near the path of totality. The solar storms will exacerbate conditions slightly, but the risk for radio blackouts on the dayside of Earth will remain low through the end of the work week. That being said, the noise on the dayside radio bands is expected to rise slowly as the week progresses due to some new regions emerging on the east limb as well as several regions rotating into view from the Sun’s farside. So enjoy the quiet conditions while you can. Conditions may get more noisy as we move into next week.