ALL QUIET ALERT: A CME expected to hit Earth on July 23rd or 24th has missed. Our planet's magnetic field is quiet and should remain so until July 28th when a new stream of solar wind arrives. The gaseous material is flowing from a sinuous hole in the sun's atmosphere. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
ACTIVE STARSCAPE: July 2021 has been a good month for solar activity. Solar Cycle 25 crossed multiple thresholds, including its first X-flare and 6 active regions on the solar disk. The last time so many sunspots were seen at the same time was Sept. 6, 2017. One farside CME was so strong it affected Earth despite being on the wrong side of the sun.
Against this backdrop of activity, on Friday "the sun sat still long enough for me to take its portrait," reports Alan Friedman of Buffalo, New York. Click on this image to see the entire active starscape:
"There were multiple active regions, prominences and a long, undulating filament of hydrogen plasma," says Friedman. "Lots to enjoy!" 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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