Since 1992 online Pacific NW News Service

This year's flu season came early, before many people had time to get their annual flu shot. Already in Spokane County, more than 40 people have been hospitalized with the flu – 30 more than this time last year – but it's not too late to get some protection in place.

This year's flu season has been declared an epidemic by the CDC, with high flu activity reported in 22 states. With the flu vaccine less effective against this year's strain, flu-related hospitalizations are up.

In Milwaukee, for example, there have been more than 220 hospitalizations, which more than double the number at this time last year.

 A 4.2-magnitude earthquake that struck about eight miles north of Castaic on Saturday night and more than 20 aftershocks have not resulted in any reported damage or injuries in Los Angeles or Ventura counties, authorities said Sunday morning.

Shaking was widely felt in the San Fernando Valley and as far south as Long Beach during the earthquake at 7:18 p.m. Saturday, according to U.S. Geological Survey officials. The earthquake was preceded by a foreshock with a 3.0 magnitude at 6:58 p.m. and was followed by about 20 aftershocks, including a 2.5 magnitude one at 1 a.m. Sunday, said seismologist Lucy Jones, science advisor for risk reduction at the U.S. Geological Survey.

It’s “an ordinary level” of seismic activity, Jones said. “Southern California last year had eight earthquakes of this size or larger. It’s the size of earthquake we have once every month or two...This got felt by more people because it was closer to a lot of us. There were more people nearby so more people felt it.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared a national flu epidemic. Health officials are expected to release updated numbers on flu cases today. Health officials say 15 children have died from the illness and 36 states have seen large numbers of illness.
Doctors say this year's flu vaccine is only about 40 to 50 percent effective because the vaccine doesn't protect from the current strain. They recommend that people still get vaccinated as a precaution.

Ron Rattray

Shannon Zwanziger seemed perfectly healthy. She was an active 17-year-old who rarely got sick and hadn't been to a doctor in more than three years. Then one day, she came home with the flu. She died a week later. Shannon is part of grim new statistics released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that the flu has reached an epidemic level in the United States this year. 

 Foster Fanning

SOLAR WIND SPARKS NORTHERN LIGHTS: Earth is entering a stream of solar wind flowing from a coronal hole in the sun's southern hemisphere. The bulk of the stream is flowing south of our planet, but enough is making contact to spark bright Northern Lights. Rayann Elzein sends this picture from the Finnish Lapland:

The auroras started at about 3:45pm, just after the sky here became dark enough to see them (the sun will rise again only around 11 January).

Around 4:10pm I witnessed one of the most amazing, fast and bright displays that I have ever seen (1st photo). I was still inside, not properly dressed for the -20°C weather of the night, so it was really a point and shoot photo without too much of thinking (hence the electrical wire)

I have friends from France visiting me in Lapland, and I was very happy that they could see their first auroras ever in such conditions! Until approximately 7pm we could take many nice photos of some rather strong auroras.

Unfortunately afterwards the clouds took over the show. It was nevertheless an excellent first geomagnetic storm for this year 2015!

There was also a nice moon halo as a bonus.

Rick Price

"I was standing on top of Monte Rite (2,300 m) in the Italian Dolomites," says Giorgia Hofer. "The two planets were an easy target for my Nikon digital camera with a 3 second exposure."

As the week unfolds, the two planets will draw closer and closer together. On the date of closest approach, Jan. 10th, they will be a scant 0.7 degrees apart--a conjunction so tight you can block it out with the tip of your pinky finger held at arm's length.

Venus is the brighter of the two, by a factor of approximately 16. If you can't see Mercury with the naked eye, you might be looking too soon after sunset. Wait a while for the twilight to deepen. Or if you have binoculars, aim them at Venus to reel in Mercury.