MERCURY AND THE PLEIADES: When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and look west. Mercury is in conjunction with the Pleiades star cluster. Observers using a 589 nm sodium filter may also be able to photograph Mercury's comet-like tail, which is unusually bright right now. Sky maps: April 30, May 1, May 2
X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: So long, and thanks for the X-flares. Departing sunspot AR2994 unleashed another X1-class solar flare today, April 30th @ 1347UT, as it exited the Earthside of the sun. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded a spectacular plume of debris flying up and over the sun's northwestern limb:
Even with the sunspot completely hidden behind the edge of the sun, the explosion still produced enough radiation for a strong shortwave radio blackout over the mid-Atlantic Ocean and much of Europe: map. Signals below 30 MHz were attentuated for nearly an hour.
This flare almost certainly produced a coronal mass ejection (CME). Images from SOHO coronagraphs (when they become available) will likely confirm that the CME won't hit Earth--a result of the sunspot's farside location. Stay tuned. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
MORNING SKY SHOW: The finest conjunction of 2022 is underway. You just have to wake up at dawn to see it. This morning in Poland, Marek Nikodem photographed Venus and Jupiter side by side:
""Wow... what a great show," says Nikodem. "The view was amazing. My friend was a bit cold while posing, but she was happy anyway."
Tomorrow morning is a good time to look, too, as Venus and Jupiter remain less than a degree apart: sky map.
more images: from Martin Wise of Trenton, Florida; from Eliot Herman of Tucson, Arizona; from Felix Zai of Toronto, Canada; from Peter Lowenstein of Mutare, Zimbabwe
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MOTHER'S DAY IS MAY 8TH: Are you looking for an out-of-this world Mother's Day gift? Consider this: Every time the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launch a cosmic ray balloon, they include something extra in the payload--something Mom will love:
Every item in the Earth to Sky Store has flown to the edge of space and comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight. The interior of the card tells the story of the gift's journey from launch to landing. Mom-satisfaction guaranteed!
Mother's Day Special: Use coupon code "SPACEMOM" at checkout for a 10% discount. Offer valid from now until Mother's Day (May 8, 2022) .
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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