NASA MAY HAVE TO BREAK RADIATION RULES TO GET TO MARS: As the sunspot cycle winds down, cosmic rays are intensifying throughout the solar system. If NASA wants to send astronauts to Mars through that thicket of radiation, the space agency may have to break some of its own safety rules. Get the full story from PBS/NOVA.
DISTURBANCES IN THE SOLAR WIND: As expected, a CME sideswiped Earth's magnetic field on April 14th. However, the impact was weak and it did not spark a full-fledged geomagnetic storm. A stream of solar wind following on the heels of the CME might be more effective. The gaseous material is flowing from a hole in the sun's atmosphere, shown in this extreme UV image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:
This is a coronal hole (CH)--a place where the sun's magnetic field peels back and allows solar wind to escape. A stream of solar wind emerging from this coronal hole should arrive during Easter weekend, possibly sparking polar auroras in the waxing Arctic twilight. The coronal hole is wide, so the solar wind it emits should influence our planet for several days. Free: Aurora Alerts.
SPOILER ALERT--SHE SAID "YES": Last week, longtime Spaceweather.com reader Erik Rasmussen proposed to his girlfriend Amy in a very special way. "I asked her to close her eyes, while I put an image on the TV set," he explains. "When that was ready, I got down on one knee with the ring in my hand, and said open your eyes." This is what she saw:
Erik's proposal--complete with a keepsake bear and Earth charm--had flown to the edge of space onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus space weather balloon.
"When the realization of what was going on started to kick in, I asked her to marry me," says Erik. "Let's just say she was very excited and impressed at the efforts all of us put into the proposal." And, by the way, she said "yes."
In collaboration with Spaceweather.com, student researchers launch these balloons almost weekly to monitor cosmic rays in the atmosphere. (They're intensifying.) Erik donated $500 to sponsor a flight on March 19th.
"As a son of scientists, and a fan of astronomy/space exploration, I felt that this was a great way to propose and that my sponsorship dollars would be put to good use supporting the next generation of scientists," says Erik. "Thank you Earth to Sky for being a part of this epic moment in our life," adds Amy.
Readers, would you like to buy your own ticket to space? There's one waiting for you in the Earth to Sky Store.