GEOMAGNETIC STORM PREDICTED: NOAA forecasters say there is a 45% chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms on Jan. 13th when a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) hits Earth's magnetic field. CIRs are transition zones between slow- and fast-moving solar wind streams. They contain shock-like density gradients and enhanced magnetic fields that can do a good job sparking polar auroras. Free: Aurora Alerts.
THE CARBON MONOXIDE COMET: Astronomers are marveling at the wild blue color and even wilder dynamics of Comet PanSTARRS (C/2016 R2), now approaching the sun beyond the orbit of Mars. Every day, it seems, another cloud of dusty gas billows down the comet's tail as gaseous jets swivel around the comet's core. This is what the comet looked like on Jan. 10th:
Amateur astronomer Gerald Rhemann took the picture from his private observatory in Farm Tivoli, Namibia. "This is a 56 minute guided exposure through a 12-inch telescope," he explains.
The comet's extraordinary behavior can be traced to one key ingredient: carbon monoxide (CO). The comet's core is spewing 4.7 x 1028 CO molecules into space every second, according to recent measurements at the Arizona Radio Observatory's 10-m Submillimeter Telescope. This accounts for the comet's lovely color (because ionized CO glows blue) and its hyperactivity. Carbon monoxide is extremely volatile. CO can sublimate (change suddenly from solid to gas) at temperatures as low as -248 C (25 K). Only a little bit of sunlight is required to turn deposits of frozen CO into wild jets and billowing clouds.
Where did all this CO come from? Many readers have asked this question, assuming perhaps that carbon monoxide is rare. On the contrary, carbon monoxide is one of the most common molecules found in interstellar space. Only diatomic hydrogen (H2) is more abundant. A quick look at the most common elements in the cosmos explains why:
Carbon and oxygen are among the most abundant atoms, second only to hydrogen and helium. C and O are cooked up inside stars via nucleosynthesis and scattered throughout space by stellar explosions. These species naturally get together to form CO. Interstellar CO was first detected with radio telescopes in 1970, and it is now a commonly used tracer of molecular gas in distant galaxies. It is hardly surprising that we occasionally find stores of this material inside comets--in this case, Comet PanSTARRS.
What will this CO-rich comet look like tomorrow? Stay tuned!
GLOWING 3D PRINTED MOON GLOBE: Looking for an over-the-Moon Valentine's gift? Consider this: On Jan. 4, 2017, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew this 3D printed Moon globe to the stratosphere:
The surface of the sphere is an accurate topo-map of lunar terrain, tracing every major crater and mountain range. It is also a night light. A built-in USB-rechargeable battery provides up to 20 hours of romantic illumination.
A helium-filled space weather balloon lifted the globe to the stratosphere, reaching an altitude of 36.3 km (119,095 ft) above California's Sierra Nevada mountains. After the balloon exploded, as planned, the payload parachuted back to Earth. The Moon was still glowing when the student recovery team found it in the wilderness.
You can have one for $149.95. Each glowing orb comes with a greeting card showing the Moon in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space. Sales support the Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray ballooning program and hands-on STEM research.
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