INCOMING SOLAR STORM CLOUD: A slow-moving coronal mass ejection (CME) is heading for Earth. Sort of. Most of the storm cloud will miss our planet, but the flanks of the CME could graze Earth's magnetic field on Nov. 1st, sparking geomagnetic storms and bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
SOMETHING FLARE-Y THIS WAY COMES: The biggest sunspots of new Solar Cycle 25 appeared this week (AR2778 and AR2779). They're about to have company. Two more active regions are poised to rotate over the sun's eastern limb, circled in this Oct. 30th image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:
What we're seeing here are plasma-filled magnetic arches of the type that often tower over sunspot groups. The sunspots themselves--if they exist--are still hidden behind the edge of the sun. Solar rotation will bring them into view this weekend. Amateur astronomers with safely-filtered telescopes are encouraged to monitor developments.
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RIO SUNSET: Don't worry. This is not a mushroom cloud. "It's the setting sun," reports Helio de Carvalho Vital of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "Air layers of different densities lying just above the sea surface off the coast of Rio severely distorted the sun's image."
Warm air, strong temperature gradients, and at least one temperature inversion sliced the image of the setting sun into multiple shape-shifting layers. Briefly, the sun assumed the form of a mushroom cloud, followed by a sequence of other shapes including a rectangle. Giant sunspot AR2778 (note the black streak, lower left, in the image above) was stretched, compressed, and ultimately obliterated. Watch the complete video.
"It was a strange, yet beautiful way to end the day.," says Vital.
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THE SPACE HAMMER: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Space Hammer. In May, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew a payload of hammers to the edge of space, 115,000 feet above Earth's surface onboard a high altitude helium balloon. You can have one for $97.95:
These compact 8 oz. hammers are light enough to fly on a balloon yet dense enough to deliver a powerful blow. The magnetic head holds a nail for one-handed starting, and the stubby 6 in. length is perfect for tight work areas.
Each space hammer comes with a unique gift card showing the tool floating at the top of Earth's atmosphere. The interior of the card tells the story of the flight and confirms that this gift has been to the edge of space and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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