NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS ARE MISSING: Something strange is happening 50 miles above Antarctica. Or rather, not happening. Noctilucent clouds (NLCs), which normally blanket the frozen continent in December, are almost completely missing. Click here to fiind out why.
FULL MOON CACTUS: There's a full Moon tonight and, in South America, moon cactuses are responding. Francisco Javier Tovar sends this picture from Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil:
"Today I learned for the first time that there is a synchronization between flowering and Moon phases in certain species of cactus," says Tovar. "I caught this one blooming on the night of Dec. 28th. It was oriented toward the bright Moon overhead."
Moon cactuses are known for large, fragrant, night-blooming white flowers. Often lasting only a single night, the moonlit pedals attract insects and bats for pollination. A popular indoor variety is called the Princess of the Night. The one Tovar photographed appears to be a Selenicereus undatus--a.k.a. the "Honolulu Queen."
Moon flowers: Another reason to go out and experience the full Moon.
Realtime Spaceweather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
A BLACK PEARL AT THE EDGE OF SPACE: It came from Tahiti--and now it's been to the edge of space. On Feb. 27, 2020, this genuine Black Tahitian South Sea Cultured Pearl flew to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloon, soaring more than 100,000 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
You can have it for $229.95. The students are selling these exotic space pearls to fund their cosmic ray monitoring program. Measuring 10 mm in diameter, the pearl has an 18K white gold clasp and is suspended from a matching 925 Sterling Silver chain. Each pearl comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter