CME SPARKS MINOR GEOMAGNETIC STORM: As expected, a coronal mass ejection (CME) struck Earth's magnetic field on May 26th (1250 UT). The CME was not fast, but it was dense, doubling the density of solar wind in its wake. The impact ultimately sparked a minor G1-class geomagnetic storm (1500-1800 UT), which is now subsiding. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE: There was a lunar eclipse earlier today. The full Moon passed through the shadow of Earth and, for 14 and a half minutes, became the color of a sunset. Christopher Go photographed totality from Cebu City, Philippines:
"This is how the Moon looked through my Stellarvue SV70 refractor," says Go. "It's the best totality I have ever captured!"
Browse the gallery for more views from around the world:
Realtime Eclipse Photo Gallery
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DUELING SPACE STATIONS: There's a new space station in Earth orbit: Tianhe-1, launched by China on April 29th. How does it compare to the International Space Station (ISS)? Philip Smith of Manorville, New York, decided to find out. The longtime photographer of Earth-orbiting spacecraft trained his 14-inch telescope on both, then placed the images side-by-side:
"This is how it would look if the two space stations were flying in tandem," says Smith. "I photographed the ISS on May 6th and Tianhe-1 on May 19th, both with the same setup. They were at approximately the same height, so this is a true comparison." (Bonus: Smith's video of Tianhe-1 is a must-see.)
The ISS dwarfs Tianhe-1, but the new space station will soon begin to catch up. Tianhe-1 is only the first of three modules that will eventually join to create the greater Chinese Space Station (CSS). When the CSS is finished, it will be about as big as Russia’s old Mir space station.Three astronauts will live onboard.
You can see Tianhe-1 with your unaided eye. It is typically as bright as a 1st magnitude star, and sometimes much brighter. Visit Heavens-Above.com and select flyby predictions for Tianhe-1.
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STERLING SILVER HUMMINGBIRD: This hummingbird has touched space. The sterling silver pendant hitched a ride to the stratosphere on Jan. 15, 2021, when the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon. Here it is, floating 111,202 feet above the snow-capped Sierra Nevada of central California:
You can have it for $142.95. The students are selling hummingbird pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the hummingbird in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space. It makes an out-of-this-world birthday, anniversary, or Christmas gift!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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