SOLAR WIND APPROACHES EARTH: NOAA forecasters say there is a 25% chance of polar geomagnetic activity on June 18-19 when a stream of solar wind is expected to hit Earth. The gaseous material is flowing from a hole in the sun's atmosphere. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras, especially in the southern hemisphere where winter darkness favors visibility. Free: Aurora Alerts.
SPRITES OVER NEW ZEALAND: Summer is the season for sprites. The upward directed bolts grow out of intense thunderstorms, which happen most often during the warmest months of the year. Not so, last night, however. Larryn Rae photographed a bunch of sprites rising over Te Arai Beach in New Zealand where winter is only days away:
"I was shooting a time lapse of an amazing thunder and lightning storm in Auckland," says Rae. "It wasn't until I checked the images later that I noticed the red sprites. From what people have been telling me I am the first to ever capture sprites over New Zealand! Amazing!"
Spaceweather.com regularly receives photos of sprites from all around the world. In our gallery of images stretching back 5 years, this is indeed the first submission from New Zealand. Congratulations, Larryn!
In fact, winter thunderstorms are not unusual in Auckland. Maybe winter sprites are not unusual there either. Local photographers are encouraged to keep an eye out for sprites whenever the horizon starts to flash. Here's how.
ONE RING TO RULE THE STRATOSPHERE: The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are about to fly from California to New Zealand to launch a trio of cosmic ray balloons over Earth's 8th continent. To get ready, on June 12th they launched a ring of power to the stratosphere. Here it is floating 33 km above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
You can have one for $119.95. The students are selling these Tolkien-inspired rings as a fundraiser for their trip. They are made of golden-colored tungsten and inscribed with the authentic Mordor script of the One Ring.
Buy one now, and we will fly it again for you over Hobbiton, located in the North Island of New Zealand where our cosmic ray balloons will be released. Just note "Please fly it again!" in the comments section at checkout.
Each golden ring comes with a greeting card showing the ring 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.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All proceeds support hands-on STEM education