TWO SOLAR CYCLES ARE ACTIVE AT ONCE: You don't see this every day. There are two sunspots on the sun, and each one comes from a different 11-year solar cycle. This rare event is actually a normal part of the transition between solar cycles, and it suggests that new Solar Cycle 25 is gaining strength. FULL STORY.
BIG ASTEROID FLYBY: Here it comes. Tomorrow, April 29th, asteroid 1998 OR2 will fly past Earth 4 million miles away--about 16 times farther than the Moon. This radar image from Arecibo, taken April 18th, shows that the asteroid is approximately spherical and measures ~1 mile across:
There is no danger of a collision with Earth. However, the flyby is near enough for amateur astronomers to see the space rock through backyard telescopes. At closest approach on April 29th around 5:56 a.m. EDT (09:56 UTC), 1998 OR2 will shine like a 10th or 11th magnitude star as it glides through the constellation Hydra.
Would you like to observe 1998 OR2? Sky & Telescope has created detailed sky maps for the flyby. Or, if you have a GOTO telescope, point your optics using this ephemeris generator from JPL. Submit your images here.
Amateur images: from Gianluca Masi of Ceccano (FR), Italy; from Marian Urbaník of Čadca, Slovak republic; from George Ionas of Palmerston North, New Zealand;
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MOTHER'S DAY IS ONLY TWO WEEKS AWAY! Are you looking for an out-of-this world Mother's Day gift? Consider this: Every time the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launch a cosmic ray balloon, they include something extra in the payload--something Mom will love:
Every item in the Earth to Sky Store has flown to the edge of space and comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight. The interior of the card tells the story of the gift's journey from launch to landing. Mom-satisfaction guaranteed!
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