SpaceWeather.com Archive — Wed, Jun 12, 2019

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LOW-LATITUDE NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS: The record-setting outburst of June 8th and 9th has subsided, but low latitude observers continue to report noctilucent clouds. The latest sightings come from Ohio and Indiana on June 11th. Because noctilucent clouds are mostly unpredictable, we can't say when the next outburst might occur. Advice: Keep an eye on the western horizon 30 to 60 minutes after sunset. If you see electric blue ripples in the twilight, you might have caught a noctilucent cloud. Diagram.

SPRITE STORM OVER CHINA: Every night, the Chinese Meteor Monitoring Organization (CMMO) runs an automated camera in Shandong Province, monitoring meteor activity above the Yellow Sea. On June 9th, meteors were the least of what the optics recorded. "It's crazy," says Wang Lei of the CMMO. "We picked up a spectacular outbreak of red sprites."

Sprites are an exotic form of lightning. Unlike normal lightning bolts, which zig-zag down to the ground, sprites shoot up.

"Our cameras caught the sprites flashing alongside a number of meteors," says Lei. "I can't express in words our amazement." The image, above, stacks all of the meteors and sprites captured during the several-hour storm. There are many overlapping events.

Here is a cluster of sprites singled-out for inspection:

"This type pf sprite is a 'jellyfish' with a halo from which short, bright elements grow down nicely branched tentacles," says lightning scientist Oscar van der Velde of the Technical University of Catalonia, Spain. "These are produced by stronger, more impulsive lightning strikes."

Solar Minimum may be boosting sprites. During this phase of the solar cycle, cosmic rays from deep space penetrate the sun's weakening magnetic defenses and enter Earth's atmosphere in greater numbers than usual. Some researchers believe that cosmic rays may provide the ionizing "spark" that triggers many sprites. If so, stay tuned for more as Solar Minimum deepens.

Realtime Sprite Photo Gallery
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APOLLO 11 PROOF SILVER DOLLAR: To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, the United States Mint has created a commemorative 2019 Proof Silver Dollar. We decided to celebrate even more by flying the coins to the edge of space. On June 8th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched this 99.9% silver dollar 111,222 feet above Earth's surface:

You can have it for $179.95. The students are selling the coins to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. The silver dollar is curved and reproduces the helmet of astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Reflected in Buzz's visor are Neil Armstrong, the United States flag, and the lunar lander. The opposite side of the coin shows Neil's first footprint on the Moon. Each of these coins comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight and a certificate of authenticity.