DID AN ALIEN LIGHT SAIL VISIT THE SOLAR SYSTEM? It sounds like a tabloid headline, but in this case it could be real. Mainstream researchers from the Harvard Center for Astrophysics have made the case that interstellar asteroid 'Oumuamua could in fact be an alien light sail. Get the full story.
GEOMAGNETIC STORMS IN THE OFFING: A large hole in the sun's atmosphere is turning to face Earth, and it is spewing a stream of solar wind toward our planet. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed the structure on Nov. 7th:
This is a "coronal hole," a place where the sun's magnetic field opens up and allows solar wind to escape. It looks dark because the glowing hot plasma normally contained there is missing--in this case, en route to Earth. Estimated time of arrival: Nov. 10th.
A similar stream of solar wind hit Earth's magnetic field just a few days ago, sparking G1- and G2-class geomagnetic storms along with auroras over several northern-tier US states. A repeat performance is in the offing. Free: Aurora Alerts.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
CRYSTAL STARSHIP ENTERPRISE: Last month, 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