SOLAR MINIMUM CONDITIONS ARE IN EFFECT: The sun has been blank (no sunspots) for 55 of the past 60 days. This is a sign that Solar Minimum is underway. During this phase of the solar cycle, sunspots and solar flares are rare, but we get plenty of holes in the sun's atmosphere and lots of extra cosmic rays. Solar Minimum conditions are expected to continue mostly uninterrupted for the remainder of 2019. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
A GREEN FLASH AT SUNSET: For seaside photographers, nothing beats a green flash--that sudden pulse of verdant light at sunset as the sun vanishes beneath the ocean waves. Earlier this week, James W. Young was vacationing in Seaside, Oregon, so naturally he tried to catch the elusive flash. "Got it!" he says.
"At sunset from Ecola Park on the north coast of Oregon, a substantial green flash developed as the sun set into the Pacific Ocean," says Young. "I caught it just beyond the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse using a telephoto lens and my Canon 1Dx Mark II camera."
The Oregon coast is a good place to find green flashes at this time of year. Warm summer air overlying cold ocean water creates a temperature gradient in the coastal atmosphere. This gradient can have a magnifying effect on the usual prismatic action of the atmosphere, amplifying the green component of the sun's rays into an eye-catching flash.
THE EDGE OF DARKNESS: There are many simple ways to prove to yourself that the Earth is round. One of the best: Observe a lunar eclipse. When the shadow of our planet falls across the full Moon, its dark outline is circular. György Soponyai sends this evidence from Budapest, Hungary:
"I call this image 'The Edge of Darkness'," says Soponyai. "I created it by assembling 15 successive photos I took during the partial lunar eclipse of July 16th."
The ensemble shows the shape of our planet's shadow--and thus the shape of the planet itself. Doubters should mark their calendar: May 26, 2021, when the edge of darkness will once again be on display. See for yourself.
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STERLING SILVER MOONSTONE PENDANT: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Nothing says "I love you" like a moonstone from the edge of space. On Jan 27th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew this moonstone wrapped in a hand-crafted sterling silver Celtic love knot 35.1 km (115,158 feet) above Earth's surface:
You can have it for $179.95. The students are selling these pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space. All sales support the Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray ballooning program and hands-on STEM research.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education