GEOMAGNETIC STORM POSSIBLE TODAY: NOAA forecasters say there is a 65% chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms on Feb. 26th when a stream of solar wind is expected to hit Earth. The gaseous material is flowing from a canyon-like hole in the sun's atmosphere. Arctic sky watchers should be alert for auroras. Free: Aurora Alerts
SUNSPOT GENESIS: Interrupting a string of 9 spotless days, a new sunspot is breaking through the surface of the sun today. Click to see a video of sunspot genesis from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:
This unnumbered sunspot is developing rapidly. At the beginning of Feb. 26th it was invisible. Now it stretches across more than 40,000 km of the sun's surface and contains multiple Moon-sized dark cores. Amateur astronomers with backyard solar telescopes should have no trouble seeing this active region. Monitoring is encouraged.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
SMILEY FACE ON THE MOON: Have you ever seen the Moon smile? You have to know just when to look. Ron Wayman of Tampa Florida caught the Moon grinning back at him when he took this picture of Mare Crisium on Feb. 17th:
"I always try to look for this smiley face when Mare Crisium comes into view," says Wayman. Sunlight skimming over the mountainous edge of the Sea of Crises illuminates a curving ridge (the mouth) beneath two craters (the eyes) puncturing the mare's lava plains. The effect briefly transforms Mare Crisium into Mare Comedium.
Moon watchers, mark your calendar. On March 18th-19th, you can see the Moon smiling again when sunlight lances anew over the edge of Mare Crisium. The Moon will be a ~5% crescent not far from Venus and Mercury: sky map.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
CROWD-FUNDING SPACE WEATHER RESEARCH: Did you know that cosmic rays in Earth's atmosphere are intensifying? It's true, and we are monitoring the phenomenon with regular space weather balloon flights to the stratosphere. This student science program is not supported by any government grant or corporate sponsorship. Instead, we raise our research funds by selling these:
On Dec. 31, 2017, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew a payload-full of these heart-shaped pendants to the stratosphere, 35.1 km (115,158 feet) above Earth's surface. They make great birthday and Mother's Day gifts.
You can have one for $119.95. Each glittering pendant comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space. Sales of this pendant support the Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray ballooning program and hands-on STEM research.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All proceeds support hands-on STEM education