SOLAR ECLIPSE THIS WEEKEND: The Moon is about to take a bite out of the sun. On Saturday, August 11th, there will be a partial solar eclipse visible from locations around the Arctic Circle and across much of Asia. During the 3+ hour event, as much as 73% of the solar disk will be covered.
Movie credit: Larry Koehn of ShadowandSubstance.com
Selected cities in the eclipse zone include Moscow (2.1% coverage), Oslo (4.8%), Raykjavik (20%), Tromso (29%), and Seoul (35%). The view from population centers in South Korea could be especially beautiful because the eclipse will occur late in the day, producing a "crescent sunset" effect.
Warning: Do not stare at the partially eclipsed sun or look at it through any kind of unfiltered optics. Even a sliver of exposed sun can be blindingly bright. If you're in the eclipse zone, read these observing tips.
Realtime Eclipse Photo Gallery
'COMMON' RED SPRITES: In the Czech Republic, photographer Daniel Ščerba has spent much of the summer training his cameras on passing thunderstorms, hoping to catch strange forms of upward-directed lightning. On August 7th he recorded a huge cluster of red sprites:
"They sprang up from a mesoscale convective system (MCS) that was passing through southern Austria," says Ščerba. "I observed 7 groups like these over a 35 minute period."
The instigating thunderstorm was located about 380 km from Ščerba's camera, denoted by a white star in this regional lightning map:
380 km may sound like a great distance, but a bit of separation helps when it comes to observing sprites over the tops of towering thunderheads. Here's why.
As spectacular as the display was, Ščerba says he has seen many like it this summer. "This is a common occurrence," he remarks. "I have taken many pictures of sprites like these."
Solar minimum (happening now) may be boosting sprites. During this phase of the solar cycle, cosmic rays from deep space penetrate the sun's weakening magnetic defenses and enter Earth's atmosphere in greater numbers than usual. Some researchers believe that cosmic rays may provide the ionizing "spark" that triggers many sprites. If so, stay tuned for more as solar minimum deepens.
FAR-OUT OPTICS EXPERIMENT: Last week, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew a cosmic ray balloon to the stratosphere. A 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. Play the video to see for yourself:
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
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery