NEW-CYCLE SUNSPOT ACTIVITY: A sunspot is emerging over the sun's northeastern limb, right here. Based on its high latitude, it is a likely member of new Solar Cycle 25. Right now, the sunspot looks small and faint, but the size of its magnetic canopy suggests that more might be revealed in the next ~24 hours. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
COMET NEOWISE AND THE AURORA BOREALIS: Embedded in a stream of solar wind, a camoflagued CME hit Earth's magnetic field on July 24th. The impact was weak and did not spark a full-fledged geomagnetic storm, but it did make a nice backdrop for this parting shot of Comet NEOWISE:
"Thanks to spaceweather.com, I knew this sneaky CME might be coming, so for several nights I kept an eye on the sky," says photographer Isaac Polanski. "I was at Wilderness State Park in northern Michigan when the auroras appeared. They were vibrant to the naked eye! Comet NEOWISE was still visible to the naked eye, and the mix of the comet and auroras was beautiful."
Comet NEOWISE has faded dramatically since its close approach to Earth on July 23rd, dimming nearly 25-fold. Polanski may have seen it on one of its last nights of naked-eye visibility--and what a night it was. "One of my best-ever astrophotography experiences!" he says.
Realtime Comet NEOWISE Photo Gallery
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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
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter