REDUCED CHANCE OF GEOMAGNETIC STORMS: NOAA forecasters have reduced the odds of a geomagnetic storm today from 60% to 40%. A stream of solar wind reached Earth on May 17th and it is now buffeting our planet's magnetic field. So far, however, the stream is slower and less potent than originally expected. Free: Aurora Alerts.
TEXAS-SIZED SPRITES: Technically, summer hasn't started yet in the USA, but summer thunderstorms are already rumbling across the Great Plains, bringing with them strange forms of upper atmospheric lightning. "Sprite season is definitely picking up here in Texas," reports Kevin Palivec, who operates an array of night-sky cameras in the town of Hawley. This week he has photographed a flurry of lightning-like forms including this Gigantic Jet shooting up from a thunderstorm in Oklahoma:
Click to view the full-length video
"The line of storms in Oklahoma was perfectly positioned for me to record these jets leaping over the cloudtops about 300 miles away," says Palivec. "I used a Watec 902h Ultimate black and white camera in a pan tilt weatherproof housing on a 20 foot tower."
Gigantic jets are like sprites on steroids. They are rare and far more powerful than their smaller red cousins. "I've been monitoring the skies here in Texas for 6 years. To date, I've only caught 5 gigantic jets--two of which have been studied in research papers. It is always exciting to see them."
On night later, on May 15th, "another line of storms moved through producing sprites to my north and south!" says Palivec.
Some researchers think that sprites and gigantic jets may be linked to cosmic rays: Subatomic particles from deep space strike the top of Earth's atmosphere, producing secondary electrons that trigger the upward bolts. If this is true, then sprites could multiply in the years ahead as cosmic rays intensify due to the decline of the solar cycle.
Although sprites have been seen for at least a century, most scientists did not believe they existed until after 1989 when sprites were photographed by cameras onboard the space shuttle. Now "sprite chasers" like Palivec routinely photograph sprites from their own homes. Give it a try!
A CRYSTAL BALL IN THE STRATOSPHERE: Father's Day is less than a month away. To get ready, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a crystal ball to the stratosphere. Watch the video as the crystal orb travels onboard a giant helium balloon 93,000 feet above Earth's surface, stretching, focusing, and inverting the incredible landscape of the Sierra Nevada mountains behind it:
The students are selling these crystal balls as a fundraiser, and you can have one for $229. The 800 gram sphere contains an embedded model of the Solar System, including the sun, eight planets and their moons. It makes an incredible gift for anyone interested in space. Dad-satisfaction guaranteed.
Each crystal ball comes with a unique gift card showing the item at the edge of space and telling the story of its flight. All proceeds support Earth to Sky Calculus and hands-on STEM research.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All proceeds support hands-on STEM education
SUPER CRESCENT MOON AND VENUS: Last night's crescent Moon was a "supermoon." It occurred at perigee--the side of the Moon's elliptical orbit closest to Earth. This made the crescent 5% wider and almost 11% brighter than average crescent Moons of the same phase. Marek Nikodem sends this picture from Szubin, Poland:
"The twilight sky was beautiful as the perigee crescent Moon appeared alongside Venus," says Nikodem.
Nikodem's photo also captured the Da Vinci Glow--a.k.a. "Earthshine." Sunlight reflected from Earth onto the dark lunar surface formed an image of the full Moon inside the arms of the crescent. In the northern hemisphere, Earthshine is extra visible in spring because springtime crescent Moons are high in the sky at sunset.
A springtime super crescent Moon with Earthshine and Venus? It doesn't get much better than that. Browse our photo gallery for more images from around the world.