POSSIBLE CME IMPACT TODAY: NOAA analysts say there is a slight chance of a CME impact on Dec. 1st or 2nd. The storm cloud was launched into space by a major solar flare behind the sun's east limb on Nov. 29th. Earth is on the very edge of the strike zone, meaning any blow would be glancing, sparking at most minor geomagnetic storms. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
THE ARECIBO RADIO TELESCOPE HAS COLLAPSED: Earlier today, the great Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico collapsed. At 6:55 am local time, a key cable snapped, dropping a million-pound dome onto the antenna below. One of three skyscraper-tall towers that supported the dome broke about halfway up. Engineers are still piecing together the sequence of events.
Above: An aerial view of the Arecibo dish before the collapse.
The giant dish-shaped radio telescope was unlike any other: It sent messages to the stars, listened to the tick-tock of distant pulsars, helped keep Earth safe from asteroids, taught generations of graduate students how to be astronomers, and so much more. This is a major loss to astronomy.
To me, Dr. Tony Phillips, the loss is personal. I lived and worked at the observatory for more than 5 years in the 1990s while it was still operated by Cornell University. I ran around the dish thousands of times, logged hundreds of hours of observing time, climbed the cat walks and drove Jeeps across the jungle floor beneath the main antenna. The telescope's raw power attracted astronomers from around the world, including many Nobel Laureates; collaborating with them was a life-shaping experience. There may never be another telescope with the same mix of research chops and tropical personality. Good-bye, old friend.
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THIS LITTLE SUNSPOT DID WHAT? The sunspot responsible for Saturday's major solar flare has been revealed, and it's not as impressive as we expected. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed the ordinary-looking spot rounding the sun's eastern limb this morning:
Provisionally numbered AR2790, the sunspot's +/- magnetic polarity shows that it is a member of strengthening Solar Cycle 25. How did it produce such an intense solar flare? Even small sunspots can explode if their magnetic fields criss-cross and reconnect. Clearly, AR2790 is more potent than it appears. Instant solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
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GIFTS FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE: Christmas is less than one month away. Are you looking for a far-out gift? Check out the Earth to Sky Store. It's filled with unique items that have flown to the edge of space onboard cosmic ray research balloons. And, today only, they're 15% off:
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