HOLES IN THE SUN'S ATMOSPHERE: Two holes in the sun's atmosphere are turning to face Earth, each spewing a stream of solar wind toward our planet. Arctic auroras are likely on Oct. 4-5 and Oct. 7-8 when the gaseous material arrives. Free: Aurora Alerts.
THE PARENT OF THE DRACONID METEOR SHOWER: On Oct. 8th, Earth will pass through a stream of debris from Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, source of the annual Draconid meteor shower. Usually the shower is weak, producing no more than 5 or 10 meteors per hour. Could 2018 be better than usual? Maybe, because the comet itself is relatively nearby. José J. Chambó of Tenerife, Spain, photographed 21P/Giacobini-Zinner only 60 million km from Earth:
"I caught the comet as it was moving across the Milky Way between Gemini and Orion," says Chambó. "That's the Monkey Head Nebula (NGC 2174) near the top." His photo beautifully captures the comet's tail, spewing meteoroids which could one day become Draconid meteors in the atmosphere of Earth.
Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which swings through the inner solar system every 6.6 years, made its latest close approach to the sun (perihelion) on Sept. 10th. That's significant because years around perihelion sometimes bring an extra dose of Draconids. Forecasters don't expect such a surge this year, but surprises are possible from this notoriously bursty shower. The nearly new Moon will provide a velvety-dark backdrop for any meteors that do appear during the night of Oct. 8-9. On your calendar, mark those dates "Draconids!?"
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
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