METEORS FROM HALLEY'S COMET: Earth is entering a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, source of the annual eta Aquarid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on May 5th and 6th. Rates could be as high as 30 meteors per hour in the southern hemisphere, but only half that in the northern hemisphere. The best time to look is just before local sunrise when the constellation Aquarius is high in the sky. Browse: Meteor Photo Gallery.
STAR WARS DAY SOLAR FLARE: Today is Star Wars Day ("May the 4th be with you"). It began with a silent explosion. Earth-facing sunspot AR3004 erupted at 0859 UT, producing an M5-category flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the exteme ultraviolet flash:
Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a shortwave radio blackout over the Middle East and Africa: map. Signals below 20 MHz were attenuated for almost an hour.
This is *not* the same sunspot that produced an intense X-flare yesterday. AR3004 is a newcomer that has been growing rapidly in the past 24 hours:
Today's flare probably did not produce a CME. Albeit strong, it may have been too brief to lift significant material out of the sun's atmosphere. Fresh data from SOHO coronagraphs are required to confirm this diagnosis. Stay tuned. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
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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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