A SUNSPOT FROM THE NEXT SOLAR CYCLE: Sunspot AR2759 is crossing the face of the sun this weekend. It's special because it belongs to the next solar cycle. The magnetic polarity of AR2759 marks it as a member of Solar Cycle 25. So far this year, 80% of all numbered sunspots have come from new Solar Cycle 25, and only 20% from old Solar Cycle 24--a sign that Solar Minimum won't last forever. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
THE NITROGEN FRINGE: For weeks, aurora tour guide Rayann Elzein of Utsjoki, Finland has dreaded the end of aurora season. If this was it, it was a doozy. "I have almost no words to describe what I saw tonight!" he says. "There was a crazy, fast and bright aurora show, with many pink fringes, almost nonstop for 45 minutes."
This is a "nitrogen fringe." Most auroras are green--the color of oxygen atoms struck by energetic particles from space between 100 km and 300 km above Earth's surface. Pink appears when energetic particles descend lower than usual, striking nitrogen molecules at the 100 km level and below.
"I hiked up a fell here in Utsjoki in the Finnish Lapland, and while standing on the summit, I felt as if I could almost touch the aurora. This was a very special moment for me. Wow, what a night, almost at the very end of our aurora season!"
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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VENUS IN THE PLEAIDES: Last night, in a rare conjunction that happens only once every 8 years, Venus passed through the Pleiades star cluster. Steven Rosenow send sthis picture from Shelton, Washington:
"Venus danced wonderfully across the Pleiades open star cluster tonight," says Rosenow. "Clear skies this evening across the Puget Sound area afforded skywatchers and astronomers alike a great chance to witness this once-in-eight-year event." See more images from around the world in our realtime photo gallery:
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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