GEOMAGNETIC STORM PREDICTED: NOAA analysts predict a G1-class geomagnetic storm on July 24th when a stream of solar wind is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. The gaseous material is flowing from a large hole in the sun's atmosphere. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras. Free: Aurora Alerts.
UNPREDICTABLE GREEN COMET: On July 1st, Comet PANSTARRS (C/2017 S3) exploded. Its green atmosphere ballooned in size, large enough to swallow Jupiter twice, and its brightness increased 16-fold. Barely a week later, the comet fizzled, dimming almost as much as it had brightened. Then it exploded again! On July 15th Comet PanSTARRS regained all it had lost and more. Michael Jaeger of Jauerling, Austria, captured the comet's newly-formed tail on July 20th:
"The comet is already fading again, and it seems to have lost much of its tail on July 21st," Jaeger says.
Why is Comet PanSTARRS so unpredictable? Probably because it has never felt the heat of the sun before. The comet is arriving from the Oort cloud, a vast reservoir of fresh comets in the outermost solar system. This is its first time among the inner planets. Unfamiliar warmth is making veins of fresh ice pop and fizz as the comet approaches--an entirely unpredictable process.
Click to launch an interactive 3D visualization of the comet's orbit from JPL
At the moment, Comet PanSTARRS shines like a 7th or 8th magnitude star--just below the limit of naked-eye visibility. It is expected to brighten many-fold as it approaches the sun inside the orbit of Mercury in August. Experts suggest it will max out at magnitude +3, which will make it dimly visible to the unaided eye and a very nice target for backyard telescopes. However, stay tuned for the unexpected.
A MAGIC RING IN THE STRATOSPHERE: There are only a few left. Last month, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a space weather balloon to the stratosphere over New Zealand. In the payload, alongside cosmic ray sensors, were rings of power. Here's one flying 108,345 feet above Hobbiton, the movie set for the Lord of the Rings:
You can have one for $149.95. The ring is made of golden-colored tungsten and inscribed with the authentic Mordor script of the One Ring. This far out gift 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 sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery