LYRID METEORS VS. THE MOON: Earth is entering a stream of debris from Comet Thatcher, source of the annual Lyrid meteor shower. Peak night is expected on April 21-22. Normally, the Lyrids produce 10 to 20 meteors per hour. This year, however, bright moonlight will overwhelm all but the brightest meteors, limiting visible rates to just a few per hour. 2019 is not a good year for the Lyrids. [sky map] [photo gallery]
TWO SPACECRAFT IN FRONT OF THE SUN: On April 19th, Northrop-Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station, where it was grappled by the station's robotic Canadarm2. Shortly thereafter, the two spacecraft sped over France at 28,000 km/h. "It is at this precise moment that I took a photo of their transit in front of the sun," reports astrophotographer Thierry Legault who sends this image from the port city of Calais:
"Timing was critical for this exposure," says Legault. "The entire transit lasted only 0.8 seconds, and I used Calsky.com to plan my observation. The silhouette clearly shows the cargo ship near the ISS."
Cygnus has since been bolted onto the space station's docking port where it can disgorge 7,600 pounds of supplies and experiments. Among its science payloads are mice and free-flying robots. Astronauts have been busily setting up habitats for the rodents, which will help with research into how the immune system responds to microgravity. The crew will also test the ability of their new tiny, autonomous robots to provide assistance with routine space chores.
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SOLAR WIND, INCOMING: A southern hole in the sun's atmosphere is facing Earth and spewing a stream of solar wind in our direction. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory took this extreme ultraviolet image of the opening on April 21st:
This is a "coronal hole," a region where magnetic fields peel back and allow solar wind to escape. The gaseous material is emerging at speeds near 500 km/s (1.1 million mph), and should reach Earth on April 23-24. Minor geomagnetic unrest and polar auroras are possible on those dates. Aurora Alerts: SMS Text.
MOTHER'S DAY IS LESS THAN ONE MONTH AWAY: Nothing says "I Love You" like a heart-shaped pendant from the edge of space. On Dec. 31st, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew an array of cosmic ray sensors to the stratosphere onboard a giant helium balloon. This pendant went along for the ride:
You can have it for $129.95. The students are selling these pendants as a fund-raiser for their cosmic ray monitoring program--and they make great Mother's Day gifts. All proceeds support atmospheric radiation measurements and hands-on STEM education.
Each pendant comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere and back again. Mom-satisfaction guaranteed.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education