NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS ARE SPREADING SOUTH: Noctilucent clouds (NLCs) have descended to their lowest latitude of the 2020 season: +44 N in Bend, Oregon. "I woke up at 3:30 am on June 18th to a very bright sky shining through the shades," reports Bend resident Roy Reynolds, who photographed the glowing clouds. NLCs usually descend even lower after the summer solstice--that is, after today. So be alert for electric blue.
'RING OF FIRE' SOLAR ECLIPSE: The sun is about to turn into a "ring of fire." On June 21st, the Moon will pass directly in front of the sun, producing an annular solar eclipse over Earth's eastern hemisphere. Graphic artist Larry Koehn created this animated preview:
Annular eclipses are not total. Only about 99% of the solar disk will be covered. The remainder juts out around the Moon, creating a "ring of fire." The narrow path of annularity stretches from east Africa to the Pacific Ocean, with greatest coverage occurring over the Himalaya of northern India at 06:41 UT.
A partial eclipse, in which a smaller fraction of the sun is covered, can be seen across a much wider area including parts of Europe, the Middle East, India, almost all of Asia, and northernmost Australia. Observers, be careful! A partially eclipsed sun is still dangerously bright and should not be looked at through magnifying optics. Try projection techniques instead.
Because annular eclipses are not, technically, total, they are sometimes considered to be lesser events. Decide for yourself ... after watching this video of an annular eclipse at sunrise over western Australia on May 10, 2013:
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many eclipse chasers are "grounded" for this event. However, it is still possible to watch the eclipse thanks to a number of live webcasts: #1, #2, #3.
Photographers in the eastern hemisphere, if you have images of the eclipse, please submit them here!
Realtime Eclipse Photo Gallery
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RARE TRIPLE CONJUNCTION: Yesterday morning (June 19th) in Europe, the crescent Moon eclipsed Venus in broad daylight. About an hour before the occultation began, astronomer Thierry Legault photographed something even more unusual. "The International Space Station (ISS) flew by , creating a 'triple conjunction' with the Moon and Venus," he says.
A resident of France, Legault traveled almost 1000 km to Parma, Italy, to record this rare event. The results were worth the trip. More rare view of the occultation may be found in the Realtime Photo Gallery.
Realtime Venus Photo Gallery
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APOLLO 11 PROOF SILVER DOLLAR (COLLECTOR'S ITEM): Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider this: On July 20, 2019 (the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing), the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew this rare proof silver dollar to the stratosphere:
The US Mint created the coins to celebrate the first Moon landing--but you can no longer buy them from the Mint. You can, however, get one from Earth to Sky Calculus. The students are selling the collector's item for $229.95 to support their cosmic ray ballooning program.
The silver dollar is curved and reproduces the helmet of astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Reflected in Buzz's visor are Neil Armstrong, the United States flag, and the lunar lander. The opposite side of the coin shows Neil's iconic footprint on the Moon. Included is a greeting card showing the coin in flight and a certificate of authenticity.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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