THE SOLAR WIND HAS ARRIVED: A G1-class geomagnetic storm is underway on Dec. 17th as Earth moves into a stream of solar wind moving faster than 600 km/s. The gaseous material is flowing from a hole in the sun's atmosphere. G1-class storms are relatively minor and have little effect on power grids and satellites. However, they can confuse migratory animals that navigate using magnetism at high latitudes and, moreover, may spark bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. Free: Aurora Alerts.
At 2:30 Sunday morning in Kakwa, Alberta, Canada, Catalin Tapardel decided to take the garbage out before bed. Perfect timing. The solar wind had just arrived:
"The lights started slowly to build up and at apex of the show the lights were so bright that the ground turned green," says Tapardel.
BUY A TICKET TO THE EDGE OF SPACE: Christmas shopping for a young scientist? Consider this: For the holiday season only, we're reducing the cost of payload space on Earth to Sky Calculus balloons from $500 to only $299. Buy a ticket to space before Dec. 25th and your student can send an experiment, photo, or keepsake item to the stratosphere, completely supported by an Earth to Sky Calculus launch and recovery team.
This is not only a great Christmas gift, but also a good kickstarter for science fair projects. Experiments will be flown and returned along with video footage, GPS tracking, temperature, pressure, altimetry and radiation data.
To take advantage of the discounted rate, payment must be received before Dec. 25th. However, the flight can take place at any time in the next 12 months.
Conditions: No mammals. Plants and non-pathogenic microbes are allowed. Generally speaking, experiments should weigh less than a few hundred grams and occupy a volume less than that of a school lunchbox. A brainstorming session is included with each certificate. Dr. Tony Phillips and other members of the Earth to Sky team will chat with recipients to help them craft an experiment that will work in the harsh environment of the stratosphere.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All proceeds support hands-on STEM education
HEAVENLY GEMINIDS: The Geminid meteor shower peaked on Dec. 14th with as many as 140 meteors per hour, according to the International Meteor Organization. The shower was rich in fireballs (meteors brighter than Venus). NASA's network of all-sky meteor cameras captured more than 400 fireballs over the USA alone. In Japan, astrophotographer "Kagaya" set up his camera at the Oarai Isosaki-jinja Shrine in Ibaraki and caught a Geminid disintegrating brilliantly behind one of the shrine's iconic Torii gates:
In the Shinto religion, Torii gates are considered portals to the sacred. In this case, it led to a heavenly Geminid. "I waited by the gate 4 hours to catch a meteor in just the right position for a good photo--well worth it for a fireball of this magnitude," says Kagaya. "Note that you can see the meteor's reflection in the water," he points out.
More scenes from the 2017 Geminid meteor shower may be found in our realtime photo gallery. Browse and enjoy!