PINK AURORAS: Earth is exiting a stream of solar wind that produced some remarkable episodes of pink auroras around the Arctic Circle on Jan. 5th, 6th and 7th. Such auroras are caused by energetic particles that penetrate unusually deeply in Earth's atmosphere, exciting the pink glow of molecular nitrogen. Subscribe: Aurora Alerts, SWx Newsletter.
ASTEROID FLYING BY EARTH HAS A MOON: On Monday, Jan. 7th, near-Earth asteroid 2016 AZ8 flew past the Earth-Moon system only 2.8 million miles away. Astronomers at the giant Arecibo radar in Puerto Rico pinged the space rock as it approached. Using a pulsed beam of radio energy at 2380 MHz, they found that 2016 AZ8 has a moon:
The radar team says the primary is nearly spherical with a diameter of 430 meters, while the asteroid's moon is more elongated, shaped like a cigar measuring 180 meters on its long axis.
Binary asteroids are not as rare as you might suppose. Studies show that about 15% of the near-Earth asteroid population has a moon. In the geological past, these systems have struck Earth, creating double impact craters such as the twin crater in Jämtland, Sweden. Ultimately, space agencies may need to deflect or destroy an asteroid hurtling toward us. Knowing the properties of binary systems such as 2016 AZ8 could prove crucial to future planetary defense.
OUT OF THIS WORLD VALENTINE'S GIFT: Valentine's Day is only 5 weeks away. Need a far-out gift? Consider the Valentine's Space Rose. This one flew 96,000 feet above the snow-capped Sierras of California on Jan. 3rd:
You can have it for $149.95. The rose is laser-etched into a block of optical-quality borosilicate crystal with the words "I Love You" curving around the stem. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling these to support their cosmic ray ballooning program.
Each rose 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 rotating LED stand that fills the bloom with 4 luminous colors.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education