GREEN COMET MAKES CLOSEST APPROACH TO EARTH: Today, Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner ("21P" for short) is making its closest approach to Earth in 72 years--only 58 million km from our planet. The small but active comet is easy to see in small telescopes and binoculars shining like a 7th magnitude star in the constellation Auriga. For observing tips, read the full story. Browse: Comet Photo Gallery.
GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS: Right now, G1-class geomagnetic storms are sparking bright auroras around the Arctic Circle as Earth enters a fast-moving stream of solar wind. Anne Birgitte Fyhn sends this picture from Kvaløya island in Tromsø, Norway:
"The auroras were spectacular," she says. "They were moving so fast, I had to use a 0.6 second shutter speed at ISO 3600."
NOAA forecasters say the storm might intensify to category G2 on Sept. 11th. During G2-class storms, auroras can appear in the United States as far south as a line stretching from New York to Wisconsin to Washington state. Free: Aurora Alerts.
A JEDI IN THE STRATOSPHERE: "When 100,000 feet you reach, look as good you will not." –Yoda, 2018. Yoda has flown to the stratosphere. On Aug. 30, 2018, he hitched a ride on board an Earth to Sky Calculus helium balloon, traveling more than 101,362 feet above Earth's surface:
The students are selling these Jedi Christmas ornaments to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. You can have one for $97.95.
Each ornament comes with a unique gift card showing Yoda floating at the top of Earth's atmosphere. The interior of the card tells the story of the flight and confirms that the Jedi master has been to the edge of space and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education