THE SOLAR WIND HAS ARRIVED: As predicted, Earth is entering a high-speed stream of solar wind on Dec. 24th, and this is causing magnetic unrest and auroras around the Arctic Circle. Frank Olsen photographed the growing display from Sortland, Norway:
"Santa paid us a visit, saying 'Merry Christmas' to all Aurora chasers," reports Olsen. "With a great weather forecast for Dec. 25th, we are ready to chase the lights again on Christmas Day."
The solar wind is flowing from a sprawling hole in the sun's atmosphere. Our planet should remain inside the gaseous stream for at least 24 more hours. Arctic sky watchers may therefore expect auroras throughout the holiday. Free: Aurora alerts.
STUDENT CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: 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
ROCK COMET RADAR: On Dec. 16th, the strange parent of the Geminids meteor shower, rock comet 3200 Phaethon, made a close approach to Earth--only 10 million km away. Astronomers at the giant Arecibo radar in Puerto Rico took advantage of the flyby, pinging the space rock with powerful pulses of radio energy. Now we know what a rock comet looks like:
The new radar images show that 3200 Phaethon is roughly ball-shaped, like a miniature planet, and it is a bit larger than previously thought. The rock comet has a diameter of about 6 km -- roughly 1 km larger than earlier estimates. There is also a large concavity, or depression, at least several hundred meters in extent near its equator, and a conspicuous dark, circular feature near one of the poles (marked by an arrow).
These images are a significant achievement for Arecibo, the most powerful astronomical radar system on Earth. On Sept. 20, Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricane Maria. The great radar dish suffered only minor structural damage, but it couldn't return to normal operations while the island around it was in distress. Arecibo served as a base for relief efforts to surrounding communities. Radar observations, which require high power and diesel fuel for generators at the site, resumed operations in early December -- just in time for the rock comet flyby -- after commercial power returned to the observatory and the generators could then be used exclusively for the radar.