THE SOLAR WIND HAS ARRIVED: Earth is entering a fast-moving (~500 km/s) stream of solar wind, and this is causing geomagnetic unrest around the poles. The gaseous material is flowing from a northern hole in the sun's atmosphere. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras on Aug. 2-3 as Earth passes through the stream. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
NLCs BEGIN THEIR LATE-SUMMER FADE: Northern sky watchers are starting to see fewer noctilucent clouds (NLCs). New data from NASA's AIM spacecraft explain why. This month-long animation of NLCs from the spacecraft's CIPS instrument shows the clouds in retreat, withdrawing toward polar latitudes at the end of July:
This is normal. NLCs form when summertime wisps of water vapor rise to the edge of space, crystallizing around specks of meteor smoke. The clouds are always strongest in June and July, then naturally begin to fade in late summer.
Good-bye NLCs? Not quite yet. 2020 has been an unusually good year for NLCs, and they are not fading as quickly as usual. High-latitude sky watchers can expect to see them for another two weeks at least.
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
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A STORM TROOPER IN THE STRATOSPHERE: It's the ultimate gift for a Star Wars fan--a Storm Trooper bobblehead from the edge of space. On July 23rd, this minion of the Emperor hitched a ride to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloon. Here he is floating 117,454 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of California:
You can have him for $109.95. The students of Earth to Sky are selling Storm Troopers to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each bobblehead comes with a card showing it floating through the stratosphere, and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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Realtime Comet NEOWISE Photo Gallery
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