NEW SUNSPOT ALERT: A new sunspot is emerging over the sun's eastern limb, right here. It is about the size of Earth, making it an easy target for backyard solar telescopes. Provisionally numbered AR2783, the sunspot's magnetic field appears to be uncomplicated and stable; as a result, it does not pose a threat for strong solar flares. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
AMAZING 3D IMAGES OF MARS: Can you cross your eyes? Then get ready to see something amazing. A team of astronomers led by François Colas of the Paris Observatory has spent much of the past month photographing Mars, and they've assembled the images into an unparalleled 3D animation of the Red Planet. Hit play and follow the instructions in the video:
Tips: If you have trouble seeing the 3D animation, try hitting the full screen button in the lower right corner of the video. Also, make sure you're using full HD resolution.
"We think this is the best map of Mars ever taken from the ground," says renowned astrophotographer Thierry Legault, a member of the imaging team. "The animation shows a complete rotation of the planet."
What makes these images so amazing? Two things: (1) The team used the historic 1 meter telescope atop Pic du Midi in the French Pyrenees. Situated in a Dark Sky Reserve with excellent seeing at 9400 ft elevation, the telescope routinely takes some of the best pictures of Mars this side of the Hubble Space Telescope. (2) During their photo campaign (Oct. 8th - Nov. 1st), Mars made a decade-class close approach to Earth, swelling in size to almost twice its average apparent diameter. The Red Planet won't come so close again until Sept. 2035, making these perhaps the best ground-based images for some time to come.
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BLUE STAR MEETS GREEN COMET: Over the weekend, green Comet ATLAS (C/2020 M3) passed by the blue star Bellatrix in Orion. Amateur astronomer Bum-Suk Yeom photographed the close encounter on Nov. 15th from Namwon, South Korea:
"The juxtaposition of blue and green against the black velvet background of space was really quite striking," says Yeom.
Bellatrix is blue because it is hot. Almost 10 times as massive and 10,000 times more luminous than the sun, Bellatrix has a surface temperature of 22,000 K. The juggernaut produces most of its starlight in the form of blue and UV photons. Comet ATLAS is green because it is cold and carbonaceous. The icy comet, slightly warmed by the rays of the distant sun, spews diatomic carbon (C2) into space--a substance that glows green in the frigid vacuum of space.
It was a beautiful mixture of dissimilar things. More photos of the Bellatrix-ATLAS conjunction may be found here, here and here.
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ROSE QUARTZ ECLIPSE PENDANT: On Aug. 21, 2017, during the Great American Solar Eclipse, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched 11 space weather balloons from the path of totality. They aimed to photograph the Moon's shadow from the stratosphere--and they succeeded. As a fundraiser, some of the balloons carried jewelry. Here is a rose quartz crystal pendant entering the Moon's shadow more than 90,000 feet above the Malheur National Forest in eastern Oregon:
During the 2.5 hour flight, the pendants were wrapped in the Moon's shadow for more than two minutes, experiencing a spooky darkness colder than -50 C.
You can have one for $169.95. Each crystal pendant comes with a unique gift card showing the jewelry passing through the Moon's shadow and 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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