THE SUN IS BLANK: Today, there are no sunspots on the sun--only tiny pores and regions of magnetic froth called "plage". So far, 2021 has had 56 spotless days. That might sound like a lot, but it is in fact a sharp reduction from hundreds of spotless days observed in 2019 and 2020. Despite today's blank sun, solar activity is intensifying compared to previous years. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
SPOTLESS SOLAR FLARE: Who needs sunspots? On Friday, Aug. 13th (2108 UT), a spotless region near the center of the solar disk unleashed a C1-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:
The impulsive explosion created a mild wave of ionization over the Pacific Ocean (map), altering the propagation of radio transmissions below ~5 MHz. That may have been the only Earth-effect. No coronal mass ejection (CME) has emerged from the blast site, zeroing the chance of a geomagnetic storm. Solar Flare alerts: SMS Text.
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THIS MOONSTONE HAS TOUCHED SPACE: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Nothing says "I love you" like a moonstone from the edge of space. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew this one wrapped in a hand-crafted sterling silver Celtic love knot 35.1 km (115,158 feet) above Earth's surface:
You can have it for $179.95. The students are selling these pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space. All sales support the Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray ballooning program and hands-on STEM research.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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