GEOMAGNETIC STORM PREDICTED (G1-CLASS): NOAA forecasters estimate a 55% chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms on Nov. 29th when a CME is expected to sideswipe Earth's magnetic field. There's more: A fissure in the sun's atmosphere is spewing solar wind into space, and the stream of gaseous material could reach Earth on Nov. 29th as well. Polar auroras are likely in response to the combined effect of the CME and the solar wind. Free: Aurora Alerts.
THE STRANGE TAIL OF COMET PANSTARRS: Most comets have long curving tails, stretching gracefully into space. Comet PanSTARRS (C/2016 R2) is different. Approaching the sun just beyond the orbit of Mars, the tail of Comet PanSTARRS is interrupted by gaps, knots, and billowing clouds. The tail is so dynamic, it is changing visibly during a single observing session. Astrophotographer Michael Jäger of Gamlitz, Austria, has been monitoring the comet and he made this animation using frames spanning less than a few hours on Nov. 22nd:
The movie shows gaseous blobs moving away from the nucleus as well as apparent activity in the comet's inner jets. What's happening? Sunlight could be vaporizing fragile ices in the comet's core, exposing caverns of frozen gas which are puffing clouds into space. Or the comet might be experiencing a magnetic storm. Magnetic storms in comet tails have been observed before--most famously in 2007 when NASA's STEREO spacecraft watched a CME crash into Comet Encke. Encke's tail was ripped into forms akin to those Jäger is seeing in Comet PanSTARRS now.
The comet was discovered in August 2016 by the PanSTARRS telescope on the summit of the Haleakalā volcano in Maui. PanSTARRS's primary mission is to detect near-Earth asteroids that threaten our planet. In the process, it sweeps up variable stars, supernovas, and comets. When this comet was first discovered, it appeared to be quiet and ordinary; not anymore.
Comet PanSTARRS (C/2016 R2) is currently moving through the constellation Orion, shining with the integrated brightness of an 11th magnitude star. This means it is a suitable target for large backyard telescopes equipped with modern deep-sky cameras. Experienced observers like Jäger may be able to see more action in the nights ahead. Monitoring is encouraged.
THE CHRISTMAS SPACE PICKLE: The Christmas pickle is a holiday tradition in the United States. Make way for a new tradition: The Christmas Space Pickle! To raise money for their cosmic ray research, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus have flown a payload full of the glass pickle ornaments to the stratosphere, and you can have one for your own tree.
Priced at $79.95, each space-faring gherkin comes with a Christmas card showing your ornament in space. The inside flap tells the story of the pickle's flight and confirms that the pickle has traveled to the edge of space and back again. It also comes with a bonus photo of the pickle in the stratosphere. Hang it on your Christmas tree alongside the pickle itself to impress holiday visitors!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All proceeds support hands-on STEM education