SOLAR MINIMUM CONDITIONS ARE IN EFFECT: Despite recent signs of life from Solar Cycle 25, solar activity remains low. The sun is blank (no sunspots), and the next stream of solar wind (a minor one) isn't expected until Jan. 20-21. In the nights ahead, auroras probably will be confined to regions very near the Arctic Circle. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
VENUS IS SO BRIGHT, IT CASTS SHADOWS: Tonight, when the sun goes down, step outside and look southwest. Venus is there, incredibly bright. You've surely seen Venus before. What you may not have seen, however, is behind your back. It's your Venus shadow. The second planet is bright enough to cast shadows, as shown in this photo taken by Noel Keating of County Donegal, Ireland, on Jan. 18th:
"This photo took quite a bit of effort and patience," says Keating. "It involved the use of three tripods, one white canvas, and a small telescope as subject. The shadow behind the telescope comes from another world - VENUS."
"We all are aware of shadows created by the Sun and Moon, but I bet most are unaware that a bright planet like Venus can create shadows, too, under the right conditions," he says,. "Pristine darkness is required for the Venus shadow to appear--and that's what I had. I was able to hold my hand in front of the canvas about 2 inches away and see the shadow of it as well - quite a moment to know that the light producing this was from that bright planet over my right shoulder."
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SPACEWEATHER.COM IS HEADING FOR SWEDEN: Next week, Spaceweather.com will be in Sweden. We're heading for the Arctic Circle with a small team of students from Earth to Sky Calculus. Our mission: To launch a series of cosmic ray balloons into the polar stratosphere, continuing our 5-year program of atmospheric radiation monitoring around the world.
The last time we visited the Arctic in March 2017 we measured very high levels of cosmic radiation in the stratosphere over Sweden and Norway. Repeat measurements next week will help us understand how radiation levels have changed with the recent deepening of Solar Minimum.
Bonus: The Arctic has recently experienced a colorful outbreak of polar stratospheric clouds, shown above in a photo from Peter Rosen of Kiruna, Sweden. If all goes well, we may be able to photograph these clouds from the inside. Our cosmic ray balloons reach the same altitudes as these clouds and our cameras could record them at point-blank range. Fingers crossed that the outbreak continues!
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INFINITY PENDANT FOR VALENTINE'S DAY: Valentine's Day is less than one month away. Nothing says "I Love You" like an Infinity Pendant from the edge of space. On Jan. 8, 2020, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon. This authentic Swarovski crystal pendant hitched a ride, traveling 113,209 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
You can have it for $179.95. The students are selling these pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. The glittering heart-shaped crystal is wrapped in a silver-embossed infinity clasp, symbolizing unending love. Each one comes with a romantic card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again.
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