CHANCE OF STORMS: Minor G1-class geomgnetic storms are possible on April 17th when a high-speed stream of solar wind reaches Earth. The gaseous material is flowing from a southern hole in the sun's atmosphere. Sky watchers around the Arctic Circle should be alert for auroras mixed with Spring twilight. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
A SUNSPOT IN TURMOIL: Sunspot AR2814 is in turmoil. The active region has nearly a dozen moon-sized dark cores scattered across a patch of sun 75,000 km wide.These cores are boiling in and out of existence as the sunspot transits the face of the sun. Here are 3 days of action recorded by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:
Sunspots are, essentially, islands of magnetism floating on the surface of the sun. AR2814 is more of an atoll--and a very unstable one. If its magnetic underpinnings continue to shape-shift, opposite polarities could clash, leading to a solar flare. Or not. Only one thing is certain: Tomorrow, AR2814 will probably look different than it did today. Stay tuned.
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SPEEDING COMET ATLAS: This morning, just before sunrise in Glasgow, Scotland, Brian Jobson pointed his telescope at the constellation Hercules and saw a green fuzzball speeding across the field of view. "It was Comet ATLAS (C/2020 R4)," he says.
Discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Hawaii, the comet is approaching Earth for a close encounter on April 23rd. On that date it will be 43 million miles away--a distance that is only "close" on the vast scale of the Solar System. There is no danger of a collision.
"Comet ATLAS as is currently moving at the rate of 4 degrees per day as it nears its closest approach," says Jobson. "This speed, plus its faintness at around mag +9.5, makes it a challenging object to image. Expose for longer than 90 seconds and the comet displays obvious trailing."
Tracked exposures by other astronomers show that the comet is round (about 100,000 km in diameter, similar to the planet Saturn), green, and sprouting a stubby tail. Astrophotographers, point your telescope at these coordinates and submit your photos here.
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YES, YOUR MOM LOVES SPACE: Are you looking for an out-of-this world Mother's Day gift? Consider this: Every time the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launch a cosmic ray balloon, they include something extra in the payload--something Mom will love:
Every item in the Earth to Sky Store has flown to the edge of space and comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight. The interior of the card tells the story of the gift's journey from launch to landing. Mom-satisfaction guaranteed!
Mother's Day Special: Use coupon code "SPACEMOM" at checkout for a 10% discount. Offer valid from now until Mother's Day (May 9, 2021) .
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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