THE ORIONID METEOR SHOWER--UPDATE: This weekend, Earth is crossing through a stream of dust from Halley's Comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower.The shower is expected to peak on Sunday, Oct. 21st, with rates of ~20 meteors per hour. However, Halley's debris stream is broad and the shower could spill into Monday, Oct. 22nd, as well. The best time to look is during the hours before local sunrise when Orion is high in the sky and the waxing-full Moon is hanging low in the west. [sky map] [photo gallery]
AURORAS IGNORE SPACE WEATHER FORECAST: Last night's space weather forecast called for quiet conditions around the Arctic Circle. There was a scant 10% chance of geomagnetic storms. Nevertheless, when Alan Dyer looked up from the moonlit deck of the Norwegian cruise ship Trollfjord, this is what he saw:
"We were treated to a fine display of aurora borealis as we sailed across the Barents Sea along the Arctic coast of Norway ," says Dyer. "At the time, official Kp Index was 0! Yet, we had some wonderful auroras.
The Barents Sea is a special place where auroras can appear without strong solar activity. It is located beneath our planet's persistent auroral oval, a ring-shaped region surrounding the north pole where the geomagnetic field guides particles from space down onto the upper atmosphere. Inside this oval, sputtering auroras can suddenly blossom into magnificent sprays of green and purple light--no solar storms required.
"The Trollfjord is one of the Hurtigruten ferry ships that ply the Norwegian coast and provide wonderful sighting opportunities for the Northern Lights," adds Dyer. "Last night's display is an example of the auroras that are always present at high latitudes under the oval despite low solar activity." Free: Aurora Alerts.
BEAM ME UP ... TO THE STRATOSPHERE: Going where no high school kids have gone before, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus just 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.
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