GEOMAGNETIC UNREST PREDICTED: A shallow hole in the sun's atmosphere is facing Earth, spewing a minor stream of solar wind toward our planet. Polar geomagnetic unrest is likely when the gaseous material arrives on Dec. 16th. This event will probably not rise to the level of a geomagnetic storm, but could spark Arctic auroras anyway. Free: Aurora Alerts.
COMET STREAKS PAST EARTH THIS WEEKEND: Comet 46P/Wirtanen is approaching Earth for an historic encounter on Dec. 16th--one of the 10 closest comet flybys of the Space Age. Where should you look? Face in the same direction as the windmill:
Andy Horstmanshoff took the picture outside Lovelock, Nevada, on Dec. 14th. "Comet 46P/Wirtanen is the green blob in front of the windmill," he says. "The stars of Orion and Taurus framed the comet beautifully in the crystal clear sky of Nevada's high desert."
You might expect such a nearby comet to be very bright. It's not. 46P/Wirtanen is a small comet and, thus, barely visible to the unaided eye despite its proximity. Rural observers describe it as a faint misty cloud about the size of a full Moon, best seen using averted vision. Urban sky watchers have almost no chance of seeing it through city lights.
It is, nevertheless, an easy target for digital cameras. Even a short exposure reveals the comet's spherical form and emerald green hue. "My picture is a 20s exposure," says Horstmanshoff. "I used a Canon 5D MK III camera set at 5000 ISO."
This weekend, Comet 46P/Wirtanen may be found in the constellation Taurus shooting the gap between the Pleiades and Aldebaran. A good time to look is just before midnight when the Bull is climbing high in the southern sky. Finder charts: Dec. 14, Dec. 15, Dec. 16
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
CHRISTMAS GIFTS FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE: So far in 2018, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus have launched 42 space weather balloons to the stratosphere, measuring cosmic rays over 3 continents, 2 hemispheres, and 7 different US states. You can help them pay their helium bill by purchasing a Christmas gift from the edge of space:
Every item in the Earth to Sky Store has flown to the stratosphere alongside an array of cosmic ray sensors. Carried aloft by giant balloons, these unique gifts travel above 99.7% of Earth's atmosphere, experiencing space-like blasts of cosmic rays, extreme cold, and a wild ride parachuting back to Earth after the balloon explodes. Even Amazon doesn't carry items this far out!
Don't forget to enter coupon code "SPACESANTA" at checkout for a 10% holiday discount.
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