MID-LATITUDE AURORAS: Last night, May 29-30, a dense and slow-moving stream of solar wind hit Earth's magnetic field. The impact sparked auroras over Canada. "After midnight, I was letting my cats out and I noticed a glow in the northern sky," says Yuichi Takasaka, who sends this picture from Lumby, British Columbia:
"I quickly grabbed my camera and shot some images," he says. "The display started out green then turned pink as the night wore on."
The display was boosted by a crack in Earth's magnetic field. The solar wind stream contained south-pointing magnetic fields that partially cancelled Earth's magnetic defenses. A crack formed, allowing solar wind to enter the magnetosphere and fuel the Northern Lights. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
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SOLAR MINIMUM, INTERRUPTED: Yesterday, in the pits of the deepest Solar Minimum of the Space Age, the sun unleashed a flurry of solar flares. One of them, an M1-class explosion, was the strongest flare in nearly 3 years. The source of the activity is now turning toward Earth as it rotates into view over the sun's northeastern limb:
The question now: What is it? Early views of the emerging active region suggest that it is a relatively small sunspot surrounded by a vast field of magnetic froth (plage). The magnetic polarity of the region marks it as a member of new Solar Cycle 25.
The sunspot might already be decaying. If so, the flares will subside just as the region turns toward Earth, and the quiet of Solar Minimum will resume. It is too soon to say for sure, however. Stay tuned for updates as the region emerges more fully in the hours ahead. Aurora alerts: SMS Texts.
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THE INFINITY BLACK PEARL: It came from Tahiti--and now it's been to the edge of space. On April 15, 2020, this genuine Black Tahitian South Sea Cultured Pearl flew to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloon, soaring 107,611 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
You can have it for $249.95. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling these exotic space pearls to fund their cosmic ray monitoring program.
Measuring 9 mm in diameter, the pearl is mounted on a 925 sterling silver infinity twist and suspended on a matching 17 inch long sterling silver chain. Each pearl comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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