MINOR GEOMAGNETIC STORMS IN PROGRESS: Minor geomagnetic storming has resumed on Oct. 26th as the solar wind speed creeps up above 600 km/s. This is the continued influence of a large coronal hole. Sky watchers around the Arctic Circle should be alert for auroras. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.

DEEP SOLAR MINIMUM: Solar Minimum is here--and it's a deep one. In fact, 2019 just passed 2018 in the race to the bottom of the solar cycle. As of today, the sun has been blank (without sunspots) for 222 days in 2019. Last year racked up only 221 days.

And it's only October... If the sun is blank for 47 more days this year, it will capture the Space Age record for spotlessness previously set in 2008. You can monitor the daily counts right here on Spaceweather.com.

Many people think Solar Minimum is a bore. Yesterday's G2-class geomagnetic storm is a counterexample. During Solar Minimum, the sun's magnetic field weakens, allowing streams of solar wind to leak out of its atmosphere. Those streams lash Earth, sparking geomagnetic storms and auroras. Cosmic rays are another counterexample. The sun's weakening magnetic field allows extra cosmic rays into the solar system, exposing astronauts and air travelers to deep-space radiation.

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THE SUNFLOWER SPACE PENDANT: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the sunflower space pendant. On Oct. 18, 2019, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon to the stratosphere. This cheerful pendant went along for the ride, 109,923 feet high:

You can have it for $109.92 (its altitude divided by 1000). The students are selling these pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each rose gold-plated pendant comes with a greeting card showing the flower in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again. They make great birthday, anniversary and Christmas gifts.

Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education