THE SOLAR WIND IS COMING: Later today, a high-speed stream of solar wind is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. Flowing from an equatorial hole in the sun's atmosphere, wind speeds could top 500 km/s. Full-fledged geomagnetic storms are unlikely, but lesser geomagnetic unrest could spark high latitude auroras. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
AURORA SURPRISE: There were no auroras in the forecast yesterday, July 10th. MaryBeth Kiczenski saw them anyway. She was on a boat just off Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula when the sky turned red:
"Some friends and I were out there to shoot the stars with that waterfall," explains Kiczenski. "I was so excited and thrilled when the auroras appeared. They were not easy to see with the naked eye, but clear as day on the back of the camera."
What happened? Unexpectedly, a crack opened in Earth's magnetic field, not for long, only ~30 minutes. The timing was perfect for Kiczenski's trip to the falls. Solar wind rushed through the gap to fuel the display.
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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"DAMMIT JIM, I'M A DOCTOR NOT A COFFEE CUP": There's nothing like morning coffee in a cup from space. On June 25, 2021, this rare ceramic Dr. McCoy mug flew to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray research balloon. At the apex of the flight, it floated 95,254 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
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
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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