GEOMAGNETIC OUTLOOK: Earth's magnetic field is expected to be mostly undisturbed for the first three days of March. Geomagnetic activity might increase, however, on March 4th when solar wind flowing from a northern hole in the sun's atmosphere grazes our planet. Arctic sky watchers should be alert for auroras at that time. Free: Aurora Alerts
SAUCER CLOUDS IN BRAZIL: Yesterday, as the sun was setting over Brazil, "we saw a Big Show in the sky of Brasília," reports local resident Leo Caldas. "Giant saucer shaped clouds appeared, and they were filled with iridescent color."
These are pileus clouds. On warm summer afternoons, cumulus clouds boil upwards, pushing layers of moist air above them even higher where they cool and condense to form cloud caps ('pileus'). Because pileus clouds form very quickly, their internal water droplets tend to be all the same size--the perfect condition for iridescence. Uniform droplets diffract passing sunlight into vivid pastel hues.
The saucer shape of these pileus clouds is due to a layer of wind above the cumulus, which sculpted the colorful clouds into starship-sized waves. Says Caldas, "it was a great way to end the day."
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
MARCH HAS TWO FULL MOONS: Most months only have one full Moon. This month has two: March 2nd and March 31st. According to modern folklore, the second is a Blue Moon. Don't expect the Moon to turn blue, however. A Blue Moon is the second full Moon in a calendar month and, except on rare occasions, it looks as pale-gray as any other lunar disk:
Above: The Blue Moon of Jan. 31 2018 with the ISS flying by. Credit: Andrzej Sienko of Old Bridge, NJ
If this is giving you a sense of déjà vu, that's because you heard the same news in January 2018. January also had two full Moons, punctuated by a Blue Moon. Two Blue Moons in three months? The last time this happened was almost 20 years ago. In 1999, January and March had two full Moons, separated by a February with no full Moons at all--just like 2018.
Enjoy the full Moon on March 2nd. But if you miss it, don't worry, March will give you a second chance.
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:
This pendant, and others like it, have touched the edge of space. We fly them to the stratosphere alongside our cosmic ray sensors for fundraising.
You can have one for $199.95. With a sterling silver backface that says "I Love You to the Moon and Back," these blue jewels make great Valentine's, Mother's Day, and birthday gifts. All sales 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