COMET NEOWISE IS APPROACHING THE SUN: Some comets like it hot. Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) is plunging toward the sun for a close encounter near the orbit of Mercury on July 3rd. The comet has just entered the field of view of SOHO's C3 coronagraph, which, for the next week, will monitor how the comet reacts to the sun's intensifying heat. Stay tuned for updates.
SUMMER NIGHTS ARE ELECTRIC BLUE: The weeks after summer solstice are usually the best times of the year to see noctilucent clouds (NLCs). In this respect, summer is off to a good start. Gunjan Sinha photographed an all-night display over Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on June 21st:
"There is no better way to spend the summer solstice night than watching bright noctilucent clouds," says Sinha. "They appeared at 11pm, when it got dark enough, and continued until 3:30am as the day started to break."
NLCs are Earth's highest clouds. Seeded by meteoroids, they float at the edge of space 83 km above the ground. The clouds form when summertime wisps of water vapor rise up to the mesosphere, allowing water to crystallize around specks of meteor smoke. Because NLCs form most easily around the poles, they are usually seen at high latitudes.
Recently, NLCs have been spreading. Sinha's sighting was at latitude +52o N. Just last week they were spotted over Bend, Oregon, at +44o N; and last year the clouds descended all the way to Joshua Tree, California, at +34o N. Sky watchers at all northern latitudes should therefore be alert for electric blue. It is summer, after all.
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
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SOLSTICE SOLAR ECLIPSE: The first day of summer was a hot one in Hong Kong. It was the perfect time for a solar eclipse:
"On a hot and humid day, the Moon sheltered Hong Kong with a partial solar eclipse," reports photographer Kam Kong Chan. "The sky became dimmer and a cool breeze blew to ease the heat on this busy street."
With as much as 99% of the sun covered, people around Earth's almost-entire eastern hemisphere experienced a brief reduction in temperature on June 21st. Greatest relief occured in a narrow "path of annularity" stretching from east Africa to the Pacific where the New Moon passed directly across the solar disk.
Photographers in the eastern hemisphere, if you have images of the eclipse, please submit them here!
Realtime Eclipse 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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