THE RETURN OF AN OLD SUNSPOT: Old sunspot AR2936 is about to return over the sun's northeastern limb. During its 2-week trip around the farside of the sun it produced a huge explosion. Is it still a threat for strong flares? Maybe. It just launched a narrow CME over the edge of the sun, propelled by a C5+ solar flare. Stay tuned for updates. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
SOLAR WIND SPARKS GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field during the early UT hours of Feb. 20th, sparking a G1-class geomagnetic storm. The timing was right for auroras over Canada. John David McKinnon sends this picture from northern Alberta:
"The auroras were beautiful, dancing over the moonrise at Four Mile Lake," McKinnon reports.
The storm has subsided, but Earth is still inside the stream, which is flowing from a southern hole in the sun's atmosphere. High-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras after local nightfall. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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THE BEST LUNAR TRANSIT EVER: On Feb. 18th, a winged shape flitted across the Moon. Thierry Legault photographed it from Bourges, France:
"It was the International Space Station (ISS)," says Legault. "I am virtually sure this is the most detailed ISS lunar transit to date. Many modules and spacecraft are visible, in particular the SpaceX Crew-3 Dragon."
The space station's silhouette crossed the lunar disk in only 0.55s. To catch the split-second transit "I had to drive 250 km from home to find a remote place in the countryside in the center of the transit path," says Legault. "I took the photo in the middle of the night between blankets of fog."
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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A DRAGONFLY IN THE STRATOSPHERE: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Sterling Silver Space Dragonfly. On Jan 12th, this winged pendant flew 113,451 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, hitching a ride onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloon:
You can have it for $172.95. The dragonfly's heart is a Celtic love knot, and its wings are decorated with blue marquise crystals--all plated with 14k white gold. It's an exquisite ensemble for birthdays, anniversaries or any other romantic occasion.
The students are selling dragonfly pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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