CHANCE OF FLARES TODAY: NOAA forecasters say there is a 75% chance of M-class solar flares today, April 19th, and a 25% chance of powerful X-flares. The most likely source would be sunspot complex AR2993-94, which is crackling with flares as it turns toward Earth. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
SUNSPOT SUNSETS: Solar Cycle 25 is changing the way sunsets look. It is adding some spots. "Active sunspot complex AR2993-94 was visible yesterday at sunset," says Marek Nikodem, who sends this picture from Szubin, Poland:
"Distance to the city visible on the horizon: 24 kilometers," says Nikodem. "Distance to sunspots: 150 million kilometers. Such is the scale of the Solar System! Unfortunately, the sky turned out to be partially cloudy, which made it impossible to photograph the full sun disc. Still, it was a stunning sight."
A note of caution: Photographing the sun is dangerous. Even a brief glimpse of magnified sunlight can damage your eyes. In Nikodem's case, the sun was dimmed enough for photography by haze and low clouds. Even so, he pointed his camera safely using an electronic viewscreen; looking through an old-fashioned optical viewfinder is *not* recommended.
more images: from Piotr Wieczorek of Kcynia, Poland; from Paolo Bardelli of Sumirago (Varese), Italy
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MORNING PLANETS: On April 15th, Peter Lowenstein of Mutare, Zimbabwe, woke up early, looked out the window, and saw the backbone of the Solar System. "Clear skies at dawn on Good Friday provided an uninterrupted view of four planets in near vertical alignment," says Lowenstein.
Right now, Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn are lined up in the morning sky, tracing the ecliptic plane--a.k.a. "the backbone of the Solar System." It's a striking display that will get even better as April comes to an end. Venus and Jupiter are converging for the finest conjunction of 2022. On April 30th and May 1st, naked-eye observers may think Venus and Jupiter merged into a single bright point of light as they pass in the colorful dawn sky.
Between now and then, the planets will continue their alignment, every morning shifting to new configurations of increasing beauty. Set your alarm and enjoy the show! Sky maps: April 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, May 1.
ARCTIC WOLF SPACE PENDANT: This wolf glows in the dark--and it's been to the edge of space. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched the lupine pendant to the stratosphere on board a cosmic ray research balloon. The payload of radiation sensors and jewelry traveled 107,611 feet above Earth's surface:
You can have it for $99.95. The students are selling these pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the wolf in flight and describing its journey to the stratosphere and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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