A SOLAR WIND STREAM APPROACHES: Minor geomagnetic unrest is possible on Aug. 6th and 7th when Earth passes through a stream of fast-moving solar wind. The gaseous material is flowing from a small hole in the sun's atmosphere. Wind speeds could top 500 km/s (1.1 million mph) according to NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft, which encountered the stream before Earth did. Free: Aurora alerts.
IS SOLAR MINIMUM BOOSTING NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS? Anecdotal evidence is mounting: Something unusual may be happening to noctilucent clouds (NLCs). Normally, NLCs begin to fade in August as weather conditions in the mesosphere turn against the formation of meteor-seeded ice crystals. This August, however, NLCs are going strong. Consider this photo taken on August 3rd, not from the Arctic Circle where NLCs hang on longest, but instead from a thousand miles south in Schiffdorf, Germany:
"This is the first time I have ever seen noctilucent clouds in August," says photographer Michael Theusner. "It was a surprisingly bright display so late in the season!"
Even further south in Kraków, Poland, veteran observer Tomasz Adam saw them too. "Until now I have never seen NLCs in August," says Adam. "The last time I saw them almost this late in the season was on July 28, 2008, during a very deep solar minimum."
Indeed, solar minimum may be the key to this mystery. Previous studies have shown that NLCs sometimes intensify during solar minimum. Why? Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) rays from the sun dim during solar minimum. This creates a more favorable environment for water molecules, because EUV splits H2O apart. More water in the mesosphere means more noctilucent clouds.
Solar minimum conditions are in effect now as the sun has been without spots for 33 of the past 36 days. Perhaps noctilucent clouds are thriving as a result. Stay tuned for updates as August unfolds.
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
CRYSTAL EARTH GLOBE AT THE EDGE OF SPACE: On August 2, 2018, art met science 101,534 feet above Earth's surface. Here's what happened:
The students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew a cosmic ray balloon to the stratosphere, and this crystal globe went along for the ride. The young scientists wanted to see what Earth looked like when viewed through the spherical lens ... of Earth. Answer: very cool.
You can have this globe for $149.95. The students are selling them to support their high-altitude balloon program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the crystal sphere in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space. All 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