LYRID METEOR SHOWER: Earth is approaching a stream of debris from Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1), source of the annual Lyrid meteor shower. If forecasters are correct, the Lyrids will peak on the night of April 21-22 with as many as 15 meteors per hour. These meteors are best seen from the northern hemisphere where the radiant is high in the sky before dawn.

AURORAS MEET DAYLIGHT: As predicted, a solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field during the late hours of April 11th. The resulting auroras bumped into daylight over Reykjavik, Iceland:

"As summer approaches, daylight is slowly taking over the night sky," says photographer Sigurbergur Arnason. "There were colors from the sunset in the sky and daylight towards north west when the auroras appeared."

The solar wind is flowing from a southern hole in the sun's atmosphere. The emerging stream is wide enough to engulf Earth for another 24 hours. Arctic sky watchers should remain alert for auroras mixed with twilight. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.

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DIAMOND DUST SUN HALO: It may be springtime, but the air in Sweden is still filled with ice. On April 11th, the flying crystals caught the rays of the sun, bending them into a bright 22-degree halo. Göran Strand photographed the ring of light hovering over the mountains of Jämtland:

"Even the Parhelic Circle was visible," says Strand. "It was the perfect Easter present for me :-)"

The sharpness of this halo is a sign that the sun was shining through "diamond dust"--jewel-like ice crystals of exceptional purity that form in cold near-polar environments. Indeed, a close look at Strand's picture shows specks of light in the air. Those are the glittering crystals of diamond dust which make the halo so beautiful.

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A MOTHER'S DAY GIFT FROM THE STRATOSPHERE: Tell Mom how much you love her -- to the Moon and Back! On March 5th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched an array of cosmic ray sensors to the edge of space onboard a helium balloon. This Mother's Day pendant went along for the ride:

The silvery crescent declares "I love you to the Moon and Back" and surrounds a 14K gold plated heart labeled "Mom."

You can have it for $99.95. 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. Sales support the Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray ballooning program and hands-on STEM research.

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