SOLAR FLARE ACTIVITY RESUMES (UPDATED): After a weekend of relative quiet, sunspot AR2661 is flaring again, producing two C-flares and multiple lesser explosions on June 5th. The sunspot is now facing Earth, so any CMEs it produces should be geoeffective. So far, however, no Earth-directed CMEs have been observed. Free Solar Flare Alerts
TWO SPACECRAFT CHASING THE ISS: Last night, veteran satellite observer Marco Langbroek went outside at sunset to see the ISS soar over his backyard in Leiden, the Netherlands. It was no ordinary flyby. About 25 seconds after the ISS appeared, a second spacecraft followed it. And a minute after that, a third. Langbroek photographed all three:
"The two extra spacecraft were supply ships, the Orbital ATK Cygnus OA-7 (also known as the S.S. John Glenn) and the SpaceX Dragon CRS-11," explains Langbroek. "They were all clearly visible in late twilight with some cirrus in the sky."
The S.S. John Glenn was docked to the ISS as recently as the morning of June 4th. In a surprise move, however, NASA undocked the vessel about a month earlier than originally announced. The John Glenn will now perform an experiment in spacecraft fires called SAFFIRE III before reentering Earth's atmosphere and disintegrating on Sunday, 11 June.
The Dragon CRS-11 left Earth on June 3rd, making history as SpaceX launched its first re-used Dragon spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. It will dock with the ISS on June 5th to deliver some 6,000 pounds of research equipment, cargo and other supplies.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
THE SPACE HAMMER FOR FATHER'S DAY: Just in time for Father's Day: The Space Hammer. On June 2nd, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew a payload of hammers to the edge of space, 35.0 km (115,000 feet) above Earth's surface on board a high altitude helium balloon. You can have one for $99.95:
These compact 8 oz. hammers are light enough to fly on a balloon yet dense enough to deliver a powerful blow. The magnetic head holds a nail for one-handed starting, and the stubby 6 in. length is perfect for tight work areas.
Each space hammer comes with a unique gift card showing the tool floating at the top of Earth's atmosphere. The interior of the card tells the story of the flight and confirms that this gift has been to the edge of space and back again.
More edge of space Father's Day gifts may be found in the Earth to Sky Store.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All proceeds support hands-on STEM education
RED SPRITES OVER EUROPE: High above thunderstorms in Europe, red sprites are dancing across the cloudtops. Martin Popek of Nýdek, Czech republic, photographed these specimens on June 1st:
"The transient forms were shooting up from a storm in Slovenia," says Popek.
Reaching up to the edge of space, sprites are a true space weather phenomenon. Some researchers believe they are linked to cosmic rays: subatomic particles from deep space striking the top of Earth's atmosphere produce secondary electrons that, in turn, provide the spark that triggers sprites. If this is true, then sprites could multiply in the years ahead as cosmic rays intensify due to the decline of the solar cycle.
Although sprites have been seen for at least a century, most scientists did not believe they existed until after 1989 when sprites were photographed by cameras onboard the space shuttle. Now "sprite chasers" routinely photograph sprites from their own homes. "I used up a Watec 910HX security camera with UFOCapture software to catch my sprites," says Popek. Give it a try!
diagram: How to Look for Sprites
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery