THE SOLAR WIND HAS ARRIVED: Earth is entering a stream of high-speed solar wind flowing from a southern hole in the sun's atmosphere. The action of the stream could spark a minor G1-class geomagnetic storm on June 7th or 8th. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras, especially in the southern hemisphere where autumn darkness favors visibility. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
SUNRISE SOLAR ECLIPSE: Sunrise has never been so beautiful ... or weird. On Thursday, June 10th, dawn will break over the northeastern USA and Canada with a solar eclipse in progress. This map from GreatAmericanEclipse.com shows who can see it:
Beach communities up and down the Atlantic Coast will have a great view of the sun rising over ocean waves. If you're in New York City, find a tall building with an unobstructed view of the eastern horizon; an eclipse over the cityscape is a great photo-op. Later, after the eclipsed sun climbs into the morning sky, iconic landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty can be framed next to the fiery crescent.
This is not a total eclipse. It's annular; the Moon is a fraction too small to cover the entire solar disk. Even when the Moon is dead-center in front of the sun, a little bit of sun will stick out around the Moon's circumference, forming the fabled "ring of fire." Only a few people in the northern reaches of Canada, Greenland and Russia will see it: visibility map.
For most people, the sun will look like a crescent. Dennis Put of Maasvlakte, the Netherlands, photographed a similar eclipse on Jan. 4, 2011:
"The eclipse was absolutely stunning!" recalls Put. "At first some clouds threatened to hide the event--an eclipse of the eclipse! I was very pleased to see the two peaks of the crescent sun finally emerging from the morning clouds."
Similar scenes will play out on June 10th over urban population centers such as New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Montreal and Toronto. Much of the action occurs at the crack of dawn, so plan to wake up early. Larry Koehn of Shadowand Substance.com has posted a good discussion of viewing times.
Warning: Even during an eclipse, the sun can damage your eyes. Always use safe solar filters and ISO-approved eclipse viewing glasses.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
THE SPACE WRENCH FOR FATHER'S DAY: It's the Father's Day gift for the dad who has everything: The Space Wrench. This unique tool has just returned to Earth after a flight to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloon. Here it is floating 101,243 feet above Mono Lake on June 3rd:
You can have it for $97.95. Made of chrome vanadium steel, this wench is tough enough to parachute from the edge of space and still tighten a nut more than an inch wide. Imperial and metric scales allow it to be used by mechanics in the Klingon Empire and the Federation.
Each wrench comes with a greeting card showing the tool in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter