SOLAR WIND, INCOMING: A minor stream of solar wind is heading toward Earth. Estimated time of arrival: April 4-5. Geomagnetic unrest and Arctic auroras are possible when the gaseous material arrives. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
VENUS AND THE PLEIADES: If a supernova went off inside the Pleiades star cluster, what would it look like? Tonight, we find out. Venus and the Pleiades are having a rare conjunction, with supernova-bright Venus apparently inside the star cluster on April 3rd. Waldemar Skorupa sends this picture from Breckerfeld, Germany:
"This was the view through my 8-inch telescope," says Skorupa. "Really beautiful!"
Venus is about 1000 times brighter than the individual stars of the Pleiades. So, when you look at the conjunction with the unaided eye, you mainly see Venus. Try binoculars or a small telescope like Skorupa's. Even a small amount of magnification reveals the delicate star cluster surrounding the bright planet. There won't be another Venus-Pleiades conjunction this good for 8 years--so don't miss it! Sky maps: April 1, 2, 3.
Realtime Venus-Pleaides Photo Gallery
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MR. SPOCK IN THE STRATOSPHERE: If you would like to support the Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray ballooning program, there's a logical way to do it. Puchase this Mr. Spock collector's item. Here is the green-blooded science officer floating 32.2 km (112,200 ft) above Death Valley National Park in central California:
You can have him for $170.10. The price, in case you're wondering, is the serial number of the Enterprise, NCC1701, divided by 10. The students are selling Spock to buy more helium! He comes with a greeting card showing the high-quality resin bobblehead in flight and telling the story of his journey to the stratosphere and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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