UPDATE: TWO CMES ARE COMING: Active sunspot 4549 puffed another CME toward Earth on Oct 7th; it joins an earlier CME already en route. The latest NOAA forecast model shows two CMEs hitting Earth, the first on Oct. 9th, the second on Oct. 11th. This sets the stage for G1/G2-class geomagnetic storms and auroras over the weekend. CME impact alerts: SMS Text

THE DRACONID METEOR SHOWER PEAKS TONIGHT: There's something different about the Draconid meteor shower. You don't have to wake up at 3 a.m. to see it.

Most meteor showers are best before dawn. The Draconids are an evening shower--and this is the evening. Forecasters expect maximum activity around 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Oct. 8th. Western observers should look as soon as it gets dark.

Above: A Draconid meteor over Sheridan, Wyoming. Credit: Kevin Palmer

Don't get too excited. A typical Draconid display produces only 5 to 10 meteors per hour. They are beautiful, though, and the sky will be inky-dark. The Moon is almost New during the shower's peak.

Draconids come from Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which swoops through the inner solar system every 6.6 years, laying down fresh streams of dust. When Earth hits one dead-on, there can be an outburst. In 1933 and 1946, the Draconids erupted into storms with thousands of meteors per hour.

No storm is predicted for 2026, but the Draconids are notoriously unpredictable. In 2012, for example, meteor radars unexpectedly counted ~1000 Draconids per hour. Another outburst in 2018 produced more than 100 visible meteors per hour.

One more difference: Draconid meteors are unusually slow. They hit Earth's atmosphere at about 20 km/s--a third the speed of the Perseids. Some linger long enough for you to point them out to a friend.

Go outside after dark, face north, lie back and look up. You might see only a handful of meteors, but you'll be in bed by midnight.

Realtime Draconid Photo Gallery
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SHATTERED PLANETESIMAL METEORITE PENDANT: When meteorites land on Earth, they usually stay on Earth. This one went back to space. On Sept. 16, 2026, we flew this genuine iron meteorite pendant to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:

You can have it for $278.95. Thought to be the remnant of a shattered planetesimal, the original meteorite crashed to Earth in northern Sweden where it was preserved in glacial ice. Jewelers mounted this polished spherical fragment in a sterling silver "planetary rings" frame.

You can tell it's real just by looking. The surface of the sphere is covered with Widmanstätten patterns--interlocking crystals of iron-nickel alloy that grew inside the core of an ancient planetesimal as it cooled over millions of years.

The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space pendants to pay the helium bill for their high-altitude balloon program. Each one comes with a full-color greeting card showing the jewelry in flight.

Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education

Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SUNSPOT: Don't be surprised if there is a X-flare today. New sunspot 4549 is growing rapidly (it didn't even exist yesterday) and has developed a delta-class magnetic field that harbors energy for strong solar flares. The sunspot is directly facing Earth. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text

A CME IS COMING: Sunspot 4549 erupted this morning, producing a long-duration M2-class solar flare and a full-halo CME:

This CME is heading straight for Earth. NOAA and NASA models agree that it will arrive on Oct. 9th, delivering a blow that could spark a G2-class geomagnetic storm. The predicted timing of the strike is perfect for aurora photographers. A nearly new Moon will provide photo-quality dark skies in rural areas. CME impact alerts: SMS Text

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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SHATTERED PLANETESIMAL METEORITE PENDANT: When meteorites land on Earth, they usually stay on Earth. This one went back to space. On Sept. 16, 2026, we flew this genuine iron meteorite pendant to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:

You can have it for $278.95. Thought to be the remnant of a shattered planetesimal, the original meteorite crashed to Earth in northern Sweden where it was preserved in glacial ice. Jewelers mounted this polished spherical fragment in a sterling silver "planetary rings" frame.

You can tell it's real just by looking. The surface of the sphere is covered with Widmanstätten patterns--interlocking crystals of iron-nickel alloy that grew inside the core of an ancient planetesimal as it cooled over millions of years.

The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space pendants to pay the helium bill for their high-altitude balloon program. Each one comes with a full-color greeting card showing the jewelry in flight.

Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education

LUNAR OCCULTATION OF JUPITER: It was even better than coffee. Astronomers woke up before dawn on Oct. 6th to see a lunar occultation of Jupiter--essentially, an eclipse of the gas giant by the 20% crescent Moon. Marc Jobin watched the show from Montréal, Québec:

"These frames are about 90 seconds apart," says Jobin. "We were lucky to catch this rare phenomenon."

The occultation was visible from a wide band stretching across the USA and Canada. Outside of the occultation zone, it was merely a close encounter--still very pretty. Did you see it? Submit your pictures here.

Realtime Lunar Occultation Photo Gallery
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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