GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH: NOAA forecasters say there is a chance of minor G1-class geomagnetic storms on Oct. 22-23 when a high-speed stream of solar wind hits Earth's magnetic field. The gaseous material is flowing from a northern hole in the sun's atmosphere. Bright auroras may be seen in Alaska, Canada, and the countries of Scandinavia. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
EXTREME LUNAR LIBRATION: One of the most beautiful landmarks on the Moon is almost completely invisible from Earth. Mare Orientale, located on the extreme western edge of the Moon, is a cosmic bullseye 600 miles wide. Usually you have to be in lunar orbit to photograph the dramatic impact basin. On Oct. 11th, amateur astronomer Howard Eskildsen did it from Ocala, Florida:
"It is a rare privilege to see this much of Orientale basin," says Eskildsen. "I was able to do it thanks to an extreme episode of lunar libration."
Most of us learned in school that the same side of the Moon always faces Earth. That's not entirely true. The Moon actually wobbles back and forth, rocking and rolling as it elliptically orbits Earth. These lunar librations allow us to "peek around the edges." Over time, up to 59% of the lunar surface can be observed from Earth.
"A libration big enough to reveal this much of Mare Orientale in sunlight occurs only a few times every 5-10 years," says Eskildsen. "Another favorable libration occurs on November 29, 2021. After that, the libration shifts to other areas of the Moon and Orientale is not favorably librated again until around September of 2026."
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CAPT. KIRK BOBBLEHEAD (COLLECTOR'S ITEM): To support their crowdfunded research program, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus have launched James T. Kirk to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray balloon. Note the moon over Kirk's shoulder in this photo taken 36 km (118,100 ft) above Earth's surface:
You can have him for $170.10. The price is the serial number of the Enterprise, NCC1701, divided by 10. The students are selling Kirk to buy more helium! He comes with a greeting card showing the high-quality resin bobblehead in flight and telling the story of his journey to the stratosphere and back again.
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