ALL QUIET: For those of you who don't wish to be disturbed by space weather on a holiday, we have good news: Conditions are quiet. Sunspots AR2794 and AR2795 are both stable and unlikely to flare; and the solar wind is ebbing, with almost no chance of a geomagnetic storm on Dec. 25th. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
SANTA SIGHTING: Last night, P-M Hedén went outside to photograph a loose conjunction of the Moon and Mars over Vallentuna, Sweden. He ran into a bearded man searching through a bag of toys:
"Bearded man, or bearded elf?" wonders Hedén. "Apparently there was no lockdown for Santa. Very busy times! He was finding his way by the light of the Moon and Mars. Merry Christmas!"
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"SO LONG, AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH": This is a great gift for fans of Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. On Nov. 28, 2020, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a pod of laser-etched dolphins to the stratosphere. Riding onboard a cosmic ray research balloon, they traveled 34.7 km (113,845 feet) above Earth's surface:
You can have them for $99.95. The students are selling this and other edge of space gifts to support their cosmic ray monitoring program.The crystal sphere comes with a unique gift card showing the dolphins in flight and telling the story of their journey to the edge of space. Also included is a multi-colored LED illuminated stand. This creates a colorful visual effect and allows the orb to be used as a far-out night light.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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