THE CHILL OF SOLAR MINIMUM: The sun is entering a deep Solar Minimum, and Earth's upper atmosphere is responding. Data from NASA's TIMED satellite show that the thermosphere (the uppermost layer of air around our planet) is cooling and shrinking, literally decreasing the radius of the atmosphere. If current trends continue, the thermosphere could set a Space Age record for cold in the months ahead: full story.
WHO NEEDS A GEOMAGNETIC STORM? There was no geomagnetic storm in Alaska last night. This happened anyway:
"We had amazing auroras for over 3 hours non-stop," reports photographer and aurora tour guide Marketa Murray, who took the picture just outside Fairbanks. "It was a night to remember."
At the time of the display, there was no geomagnetic storm in progress. "The solar wind speed was relatively low (380 km/s) and the K-index was only 2," she notes. "But 'B sub Z' was -5 nT, so the auroras appeared."
B sub Z was - 5 nT? In other words, an equinox crack opened in Earth's magnetic field. Solar wind poured in to fuel the display. At this time of year, even weak streams of solar wind can spark bright auroras around the Arctic Circle--no geomagnetic storm required. Stay tuned for more as northern autumn unfolds. Free: Aurora Alerts.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
WHERE NO CRYSTAL SPACESHIP HAS GONE BEFORE: On Sept. 24, 2018, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched the starship Enterprise to the stratosphere. Riding onboard a high-altitude cosmic ray balloon, the laser-etched crystal spaceship traveled 34.7 km (113,845 feet) above Earth's surface:
You can have it for $149.95. The students are selling the Enterprise to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each starship comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space. Also included is a multi-colored LED illuminated stand (shown in the picture above). This creates a colorful visual effect and allows the Enterprise to be used as a far-out night light.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education