COSMIC RAYS ARE NEARING A SPACE AGE RECORD: Cosmic rays penetrating Earth's atmosphere are nearing a Space Age record for dose rates. This is a result of Solar Minimum, a deep lull in solar activity that allows deep-space radiation to enter the solar system. Read the full story to see the data and find out when the record might be broken.
A SAHARA SUNSET ... IN FINLAND: This week, something strange has been happening to the air in Europe. Dust is blowing across the continent's landscape, coating cars, cities, and snow-capped mountain peaks with a layer of red grit. The Sahara desert is to blame. Unusual weather has carried plumes of North African dust across Europe, with some clouds reaching as far north as Finland. Yesterday, in the Finnish Lapland, Thomas Kast witnessed tendrils of dust in the sunset:
"I was driving north in late afternoon, when the sun started to be visible through what I thought at first to be thin clouds," says Kast. "Then I remembered an article about Sahara dust being in the skies of the Lapland. About 30 minutes before sunset, the solar disk was dark enough for me to see lines of the sand clouds in it. It was a magical sight, something I haven't seen before."
Dust forecast maps prepared by the University of Athens show the air clearing in Europe by April 27-28, albeit with some residual dustiness over Greenland. Crazy sunsets may continue there for some days to come.
As winds shift, the dust will move away from Europe and toward the Atlantic, blowing an even bigger plume toward South America. This is not, in fact, unusual. Every year more than 200 million tons of dust blow from Saharan Africa to the Americas. The dust helps build beaches in the Caribbean, fertilizes soils in the Amazon, and likely plays a role in the suppression of hurricanes.
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MOTHER'S DAY IS LESS THAN 3 WEEKS AWAY: Are you looking for an out-of-this world Mother's Day gift? Consider this: Every time the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launch a cosmic ray balloon, they include something extra in the payload--something mom will love:
Every item in the Earth to Sky Store has flown to the edge of space and comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight. The interior of the card tells the story of the gift's journey from launch to landing. Mom-satisfaction guaranteed!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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