100 DAYS OF SPOTLESSNESS: As of yesterday, Dec. 18th, the sun has been without spots for 100 days in 2017. The last time the sun crossed this threshold was in 2009 (260 spotless days) when the solar cycle was just beginning to rebound from a century-class Solar Minimum. This time we are entering a new Solar Minimum. In 2018 we can expect at least twice as many spotless days (200+) as blank suns once again become the norm. Free: Aurora Alerts.
SPACE STORM OVER NORWAY: On Dec. 18th in Kvaløya, Norway, the sky exploded in a spray of color. Aurora tour guide Marianne Bergli caught the outburst:
"Everyone was completely speechless," says Bergli. "Then they screamed: Look , WOW, Amazing! It was pink and green and white, is it like that every day?"
Indeed, these colors are somewhat unusual. Most auroras are green--a verdant glow caused by energetic particles from space hitting oxygen atoms 100 km to 300 km above Earth's surface. Seldom-seen pink appears when the energetic particles descend lower than usual, striking nitrogen molecules at the 100 km level and below. The ambient solar wind stream seems to be more penetrating than usual, creating an extra-colorful display for Arctic sky watchers.
FAR OUT CHRISTMAS GIFTS: Helium doesn't pay for itself. That's why the students of Earth to Sky Calculus fly cool things to the edge of space onboard their cosmic ray balloons--so you can buy them in our Christmas Store:
Crystal balls, solar eclipse pendants, pyramids, pickles and much more: they've all been to the edge of space and back, and they all make great holiday gifts. Every dollar spent in the store supports STEM education and high-altitude space weather research. Shop now!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All proceeds support hands-on STEM education
EMBERS OF A ROCK COMET: The Geminid meteor shower peaked on Dec. 14th when Earth passed through a gravelly stream of debris from rock comet 3200 Phaethon. Worldwide observers working with the International Meteor Organization counted as many as 160 meteors per hour. In the countryside near Portal, Arizona, Alan Dyer photographed dozens of them spraying from the constellation Gemini:
"This composite shows the 2017 Geminid meteors streaking from a radiant point in Gemini at upper left, above the blue-white star Castor," explains Dyer. "Two or three meteors are not Geminids. Their paths do not lead back to the radiant, but I have left them in as an illustration. This image also shows meteors appear shorter closer to the radiant and longer away from the radiant."
More scenes from the 2017 Geminid meteor shower may be found in our realtime photo gallery. Browse and enjoy!