REFLECTED TSUNAMIS AND SPACE WEATHER: New research just published in the journal Space Weather shows that earthquakes and tsunamis can affect our planet's ionosphere as much as powerful X-class solar flares do, causing GPS receivers to completely lose lock. Reflected tsunamis are especially troublesome. Full Story.
HALLEY'S COMET VS. THE SUPERMOON: Earth is approaching a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, source of the annual eta Aquarid meteor shower. If forecasters are correct, the shower will peak on May 5th and 6th, producing one of the best meteor showers of the year. The question is, will anyone actually see it?
The 2020 eta Aquarid meteor shower has a problem: The Supermoon. Intense glare from one of the biggest full Moons of the year will reduce the number of visible meteors from the usual 40 per hour to no more than 10 or 15 per hour.
If you'd like to try, the best time to look is during the hours before sunrise when the constellation Aquarius climbs in the east. Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning are both good. Halley's debris stream is wide enough to spread the shower over two days.
Bonus: If you wake up early to see Halley's meteors, you'll see 3 planets, too: Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Sky maps: northern hemisphere, southern hemisphere.
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MOTHER'S DAY IS ONLY ONE WEEK 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!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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