WEAK IMPACT: A minor interplanetary shock wave jolted Earth's magnetic field on July 5th: data. The weak impact did not spark a geomagnetic storm, but it has nevertheless set the stage for possible high-latitude auroras tonight. The origin of the shock is uncertain. It might be a nearly-invisible CME that NASA spacecraft caught leaving the sun on June 29th. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS SWEEP ACROSS EUROPE: It has happened so often this summer, it hardly feels like news anymore. But it is. On July 4th, noctilucent clouds (NLCs) swept across Europe. There was "a large display" in Belgium, and a "stunning, amazing" show in Germany. In Slovakia, the clouds lingered so long that photographer Matej Sekeráš had time to pose his nieces in front of them:
"It was the first time we witnessed these incredible clouds," says Sekeráš. "The electric-blue ripples were visible for nearly an hour."
At the apex of the display, NLCs descended all the way to northern Italy. "I saw them from Sumirago at latitude +45N," reports Paolo Bardelli. "Another emotional night!"
NLCs are Earth's highest clouds. They form when summertime wisps of water vapor rise up to the edge of space (~83 km high) and crystalize around disintegrated meteoroids. When you see one, you're literally seeing a cloud of frosted meteor smoke. The best time to look is during the hours before dawn or just after sunset.
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WHERE NO MUG HAS GONE BEFORE: Admit it. You've always wanted to have coffee with Lt. Uhura, chief communications officer on the starship Enterprise. Now you can. On June 20, 2021, this rare 16 oz. ceramic mug flew to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $170.10. That's the serial number of the Enterprise divided by 10. The students are selling Star Trek mugs to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one holds 16 oz. of steaming hot Raktajino (Klingon coffee) and comes with a greeting card showing the collector's item in flight.
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