SOLAR WIND TO GRAZE EARTH: Minor geomagnetic storms and polar auroras are possible on May 28th when a stream of solar wind is expected to graze Earth's magnetic field. The gaseous material is flowing from a northern hole in the sun's atmosphere. Free: Aurora Alerts.
WEEKEND CONJUNCTION: When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and face southeast. The waxing gibbous Moon is approaching Jupiter for a conjunction in the constellation Libra:
The Moon and Jupiter will be beautifully close together all weekend long, rising together at sunset and crossing the southern sky as midnight unfolds. Take a careful look at Jupiter. Do you see a star next to the giant planet? That's Zubenelgenubli (pronounced "zoo-BEN-al-je-NEW-bee"), the brightest star in the constellation Libra. Sky maps: May 26, 27.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
JELLYFISH SPRITES OVER OKLAHOMA: On May 24th, a swarm of luminous jellyfish appeared over Oklahoma. "A swarm of jellyfish sprites, that is," says Paul Smith, who photographed them rising above an intense thunderstorm near Oklahoma City:
"The sprites were about 80 miles away from me," says Smith. "At that distance I could see over the tops of the storm cells where the jellyfish appear. I've photographed many sprites from 200 to 300 miles away. These, however, were unusually nearby, and they are my best pictures yet."
Sprites are an exotic form of upward directed lightning. Although the forms have been seen for at least a century, many scientists did not believe they existed until after 1989 when sprites were photographed by cameras onboard the space shuttle. Now "sprite chasers" like Smith routinely photograph them from their own homes.
"I have been recording sprites since last summer when I accidentally caught a few during the Perseid meteor shower," says Smith. "I have a couple of hundred events on camera now and I am out almost every night there are storms in my vicinity. This month I have driven for five hours some nights trying to find a clear view over active cells."
The blue pushpin is Smith's location; the arrow points to the sprites he saw on May 24, 2018.
Oklahoma is the epicenter of a region that we call "Sprite Alley"--a corridor stretching across the US Great Plains where intense thunderstorms produce lots of upward directed lightning. Already this year we have received reports of sprites and their stronger cousins, Gigantic Jets, from Texas to Nebraska. And summer thunderstorm season isn't even fully underway yet.
Some researchers think that sprites 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 months and years ahead as cosmic rays intensify due to the decline of the solar cycle. More sprite images may be found on Paul Smith's Facebook page.
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