MOON-VENUS CONJUNCTION: When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and look west. The crescent Moon is passing by Venus, forming a tight conjunction in the sunset sky. Try to catch them before the sky fades to black. A Venus-Moon conjunction framed by twilight blue is extra-beautiful. Sky maps: July 14, 15. Browse: Photo Gallery.
GREEN FLASH ON THE SUN: For seaside photographers, nothing beats a green flash--that sudden pulse of verdant light at sunset as the sun vanishes beneath the ocean waves. James Young was on a beach in Oregon on July 11th when captured a green flash. But it didn't come from the ocean waves. It came from the top of a cloud:
This is a rare cloud-top green flash, sometimes seen as the sun's rays graze a distant cloud bank. They are not well understood. Ordinary green flashes require a temperature inversion layer near the sea surface. Similar inversions may sometimes occur at the top of marine stratus clouds, giving rise to the type of ragged cloudy flash Young witnessed.
"It was very bright--a beautiful mystery to end the day," he says.
Realtime Green Flash Photo Gallery
MARS IN A SKILLET: As Mars approaches Earth for a 15-year close encounter on July 27th, it is brightening to a luminosity rarely seen from the Red Planet. How bright is it? Mars is almost 3 times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. It is 30% brighter than Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. Mars is so bright, you can see it in a skillet:
"I was cleaning up my outdoor gas grill last night after having a barbeque when I noticed a bright reflection in my skillet. I then looked up, and it was Mars," says Frankie Lucena of Puerto Rico.
"I went inside to get my camera and took this photo," he adds. "It is the best photo of Mars that I have been able to take so far this season. Maybe the vegetable oil in the skillet helped to bring out its colors."
Readers, if you have not yet seen Mars with your own eyes this month, please do. You can't miss it shining brightly in the southern sky at midnight. The planet's color, accurately shown in Lucena's skillet, is amazing. [sky map]
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
FLY ME TO THE MOONSTONE: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Nothing says "I love you" like a moonstone from the edge of space. On June 12th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew this moonstone wrapped in a sterling silver Celtic love knot 34.1 km (111,877 feet) above Earth's surface:
You can have it for $119.95. The students are selling these pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the item 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 sales support hands-on STEM education