POSSIBLE FARSIDE SUNSPOTS: NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft is monitoring a pair of ultraviolet hotspots behind the sun's eastern limb. These may be active sunspots. We'll find out for sure this weekend when the sun's rotation turns them toward Earth. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
BE ALERT FOR ZODIACAL LIGHTS: It's one of the most delicate and beautiful things in the night sky, yet most people have never seen it. We're talking about Zodiacal Lights. "Now is the time to look," says astrophotographer Petr Horálek, who created this image to whet your appetite:
"This composite shows Zodiacal Light from both hemispheres," explains Horálek. "My friend, great TWAN photographer Juan Carlos Casado, took the northern photo from the IAC La Palma Observatory in Feb. 2020. I took the southern photo from ESO's La Silla Observatory in April 2016. Stitched together they show the entire night sky using Earth's horizon to block the bright sun."
See the pale triangles of light at the center? Those are Zodiacal Lights.
For centuries, astronomers wondered what they were. Now we know: Zodiacal Light comes from Mars. Giant dust storms on the Red Planet leak into space, filling the plane of the Solar System with tiny grains. We can see this Marsdust because it scatters sunlight, producing a triangular glow.
February, March and April are among the best months to see Zodiacal Lights because the plane of the Solar System juts over the horizon almost vertically, putting the triangle on full display. But you have to have a very dark sky; New Moons are recommended.
"New Moon dates close to the equinox are when Zodiacal Lights are best seen all around the world," says Horálek. "In the northern hemisphere, visibility is best in the evening after sunset (look west). In the southern hemisphere, visibility is best in the morning before sunrise (look east)."
The next New Moon: March 2nd. Mark your calendar and enjoy the show.
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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
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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