THE SOLAR WIND HAS ARRIVED: As predicted, a stream of solar wind has enveloped Earth on July 24th with wind speeds near 600 km/s. First contact with the stream sparked a brief outburst of summertime auroras over Canada. An anticipated G1-class geomagnetic storm has yet to materialize, but it is too soon to rule out such a storm. The gaseous material is flowing from a broad hole in the sun's atmosphere--so broad that Earth will remain inside the stream for 2 or 3 more days. Free: Aurora Alerts.
LUNAR ECLIPSE AND MARTIAN CONJUNCTION: Friday, July 27th, is a big night for astronomy. Three beautiful things will be happening almost simultaneously. First, Mars will be at opposition--directly opposite the sun and making a 15-year close approach to Earth. Second, Mars and the full Moon will be in conjunction--less than 10 degrees apart. Third, the Moon will pass through the shadow of Earth, producing the longest lunar eclipse in a century:
Graphic artist Larry Koehn of ShadowandSubstance.com created this animation of the eclipse.
Almost everyone on Earth (except North Americans) can see the eclipse as the sunset-colored shadow of our planet swallows the Moon for almost 2 hours. During totality, the Moon will turn almost the same red color as Mars right beside it--an incredible sight. [eclipse visibility map]
Because Mars is opposite the sun, it will rise at sunset and stay up all night long. The best time to look is around midnight when the Moon-Mars pair will be at their highest in the sky. Burnt-orange Mars will have no trouble being seen through the glare of the Moon because Mars itself is so bright--almost three times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star in the sky.
People in North America will not be able to see the eclipse. The shadow play happens mostly on the opposite side of the world. They can, however, witness the conjunction. Swinging a backyard telescope between the Moon and Mars in quick succession will reveal the dusty-red martian disk alongside lunar mountains and craters. It's a special night. Enjoy the show!
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
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery