SOLAR FLARE AND POSSIBLE CME: Sunspot AR2792 unleashed a C4-class solar flare today, Dec. 14th at 1437 UT: movie. X-rays from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a minor shortwave radio bloackout over South America: map. First-look data suggest that the explosion also hurled a CME into space, with a possible Earth-directed component. Stay tuned for updates as more data arrive. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN: Despite heavy clouds and rain, many observers in southern Chile witnessed a total eclipse of the sun today. "I photographed it during a rainstorm," reports Rodrigo Alonso of Pucon, Chile, where the eclipse was intermittently visible through gaps in the clouds:
"Crowds cheered and shouted with joy as the landscape darkened under the Moon's shadow," says Alonso. "It was a wonderful experience despite the gloomy weather."
Got pictures? Submit them here.
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GEMINID METEOR SHOWER: The annual Geminid meteor shower is peaking today, Dec. 14th, as Earth passes through a stream of debris from rock comet 3200 Phaethon. Observers with the International Meteor Organization are now counting more than 100 meteors per hour. This one split the sky over Qingshui, Beijing, China:
"I was lucky to catch this fireball during the peak of the 2020 Geminid meteor shower," says photographer Steed Yu. "It zipped through my camera's field of view during a brief 6 second exposure."
The Geminid debris stream is broad, so the shower is likely to spill into the night of Dec. 14/15. The best time to look is during the hours between midnight and dawn when Gemini is high in the sky. Thanks to a perfectly-timed New Moon on Dec. 14th, rural skies will be velvety dark during the shower's peak. More: sky map, observing tips, photo gallery.
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GIFTS FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE: Christmas is less than two weeks 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. From now until Christmas, all gifts are 10% off:
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All items come with a greeting card showing the gifts in flight, and telling the story of their journey to the edge of space and back again. Don't forget to enter coupon code "SPACESANTA" at checkout for a 10% holiday discount!
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