WAITING FOR THE CME: A CME expected to sideswipe Earth's magnetic field on July 23rd did not arrive on time. It might have missed, or it may yet deliver a glancing blow later today. There is a slight chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms in response to a tardy arrival on July 24th. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
LONG DURATION SOLAR FLARE: Today began with an explosion on the sun. Minutes after UT midnight, sunspot AR2849 erupted, producing a long-duration C4-class flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the ultraviolet flash:
An hour-long pulse of X-rays and ultraviolet radiation ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, disrupting the usual propagation of radio waves over the Pacific Ocean. Mariners, aviators, and ham radio operators may have noticed sudden drops in signal strength at frequencies below 20 MHz: blackout map.
The explosion also hurled a CME into space: movie. The cloud does not appear to be heading for Earth. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
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MIDNIGHT BLACK PEARL: Space is black--and so is this pearl. On July 22, 2021, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched the Midnight Pearl to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. Here it is floating 96,785 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
You can have it for $179.95--earrings included! Matching pearl earrings flew inside the payload among the cosmic ray sensors.
The students are selling space pearls to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Wrapped in a sterling silver infinity twist, each Midnight Pearl comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its trip to the edge of space.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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