CME IMPACT POSSIBLE THIS WEEK: On July 19th, a faint CME left the sun. NOAA analysts believe the plasma cloud could graze Earth's magnetic field on July 24th or 25th. A similar slow-moving CME hit Earth on July 13th, causing high-latitude auroras and a surprise visit from STEVE. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
TONIGHT! COMET NEOWISE'S CLOSEST APPROACH TO EARTH: Tonight could be your best chance to see Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) for the next 6,800 years. On July 23rd, the comet makes its closest approach to Earth--only 0.63 AU (103 million km) away. It's visible to the naked eye from dark sky sites, and an easy target for digital cameras. Here's where to look just below the Big Dipper:
More sky maps: July 22, July 23, July 24.
Urban sky watchers with light pollution might have trouble seeing the comet. If you're one of them, try using binoculars. Even a little magnification brings NEOWISE into view.
Short exposures with digital cameras reveal the comet's magnificent double tail. Petr Horálek sends this picture from Seč lake in the Czech Republic:
"I still cannot believe my eyes," says Horálek. "The comet's ion tail is truly long, extending more than 20 degrees into the bowl of the Big Dipper and beyond. When comet gets closest to Earth, the tail should be longest. Now I only hope for clear skies on July 23rd!"
For reference, Horálek's image is a stack of 11 photos--each one a 30 second exposure at ISO 1250. He used a Canon 6D digital camera with a Sigma 50mm lens (f2.2). First-time photographers should scan the Comet NEOWISE Photo Gallery. Many contributors share their photo settings in the image captions. Imitating is a good way to get started :)
And if you miss the comet ... no worries. It'll be back in 6,800 years. Sky maps: July 22, 23, 24.
Realtime Comet NEOWISE Photo Gallery
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A GIFT FOR STAR WARS FANS: A good bounty hunter will go just about anywhere. On Jun 13, 2020, the Mandalorian hitched a ride to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloon. Here he is, floating 113,189 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
You can have him for $114.95. The students of Earth to Sky are selling Mandalorian bobbleheads to raise money for their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each figurine comes with a greeting card showing the bounty hunter in flight and telling the story of his journey to the edge of space and back again. They make great gifts for Star Wars fans.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
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