SOLAR CYCLE 25 IS COMING TO LIFE: There's no longer any doubt. Solar Cycle 25 is coming to life. A new sunspot emerged on Monday, crackling with minor flares and adding to a string of new-cycle active regions spread across the face of the sun. Is Solar Minimum over? Find the answer here.
THE PERSEID METEOR SHOWER: Earth is entering a stream of debris from giant comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, source of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak about a week from now. As this composite image shows, a lot can happen between now and then:
"Here are 407 Perseid meteors I observed during 8 days leading up to the shower's peak in 2018," explains photographer Petr Horálek. "It took almost 2 years of work and 450 hours of postprocessing to create this ensemble photo. It was worth it!"
The image summarizes 51 hours of observing from the Kolonica Observatory in Slovakia. Highlights include a Moon-bright fireball on August 12, 2018; the drift of the shower's radiant from August 5th through 15th; and carefully calibrated colors that show the green glow of most Perseids--a hue caused by nickel in the disintegrating meteoroids. It's all visible in the full-sized image.
Right now, Earth is in the outskirts of Swift-Tuttle's debris stream. Only a few Perseids per hour are streaking across the night sky. As Earth plunges deeper into the stream, meteor rates will increase sharply, potentially reaching 100+ per hour on the nights of Aug. 11-12 and 12-13. Stay tuned for updates as the peak approaches.
Realtime Perseid Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
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 Apollo 11 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
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter