THE SUN IS BLANK: Today, the sun looks like an orange billiard ball. It is blank, without sunspots, for the 4th day in a row. Young Solar Cycle 25 is still struggling to drag the sun out of a century-class Solar Minimum, so occasional spotless days are to be expected. A new sunspot might appear before the end of the week; it is coming from the farside of the sun. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
CHINA'S SPACE STATION IS VISIBLE FROM EARTH: China's new space station is just getting started, but it's already putting on a good show. "I've seen it twice this week," reports Mark A. Brown of Marion, Iowa. "The space station's Tianhe-1 module has been making brilliant passes across Middle America." Here it is rivaling the star Vega on May 4th:
"In the photo, I also caught the tumbling Long March 5B booster, which helped loft the module into orbit," says Brown. "The booster flares brilliantly (visual magnitude -1) in reflected sunlight as it tumbles along Tianhe-1's path. Both objects are easily seen with the naked eye."
China launched the Tianhe-1 module on April 29th. It is the first of three modules that will eventually join to create the Chinese Space Station (CSS), serving as living quarters for a three person crew. When the CSS is finished, it will be about as big as Russia's old Mir space station, roughly a quarter of the mass of the ISS.
On May 5th, Tianhe-1 flew over Manorville, New York, where Philip Smith photographed it through a 14-inch telescope:
"I was lucky to get this image," says Smith. "The module was already 56 degrees above the horizon when it popped out of Earth's shadow--so I didn't have much time. Less than a minute later it was at its maximum altitude of 76 degrees, and that's when I caught it."
Readers, you can see the new space station with your own eyes this week. Go to Heavens-Above.com and select flyby predictions for Tianhe-1. Go outside at least 10 minutes early; you might see the tumbling booster rocket, too.
EXTRA: The Long March 5B booster rocket is out of control. Forecasters expect it to re-enter Earth's atmosphere on May 8th or 9th, with pieces landing ... no one knows where. There is a 70% chance of an ocean splashdown, and experts say human injuries are unlikely.
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MOTHER'S DAY IS MAY 9TH: 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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