CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A CME: A wave of relatively high density solar wind is washing over Earth's magnetosphere today. This could be the snowplow effect of a nearby CME--not a direct hit, just a close encounter. Multiple off-target CMEs left the sun earlier this week, especially on May 10th, and this might be one of them. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
LUNAR ECLIPSE THIS WEEKEND: On Sunday, May 15th, the full Moon will pass through the shadow of Earth, producing a total lunar eclipse. This NASA animation shows how the Moon will turn red for almost 85 minutes:
Other time zones: UT, EDT, CDT, MDT, PDT
The eclipse will be widely visible from the Americas on May 15th; and Africa and Europe on May 16th: visibility map.
There's a chance that this eclipse will be affected by the eruption of the Tonga volcano on January 15th. During a lunar eclipse, most of the light illuminating the Moon passes through Earth's stratosphere where it is reddened by scattering. Volcanic ash from Tonga reached an altitude of 30 kilometers, deep into the stratosphere, with a total mass of 400 million kilograms. The volcano's lingering exhaust could shade the eclipse, making it a deeper darker red than usual.
Realtime Lunar Eclipse Photo Gallery
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A DRAGONFLY IN THE STRATOSPHERE: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Sterling Silver 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
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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