SOMETHING FLARE-Y THIS WAY COMES: An active sunspot hiding just behind the sun's northeastern limb is crackling with C- and M-class solar flares. Later today it will rotate into view, commencing a 2-week trip across the Earthside of the sun. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
LUNAR ECLIPSE TONIGHT: Tonight, the full Moon will pass through the shadow of Earth, producing a total lunar eclipse. Totality begins at 11:29 pm EDT on May 15th (03:29 UT on May 16th). The Moon will turn red for almost 85 minutes:
Other time zones: UT, EDT, CDT, MDT, PDT
This eclipse might be darker red than other recent lunar eclipses. Blame the Tonga volcano. During a lunar eclipse, most of the light illuminating the Moon passes through Earth's stratosphere where it is reddened by scattering. When the Tonga volcano erupted on Jan. 15, 2022, it hurled 400 million kilograms of ash and fumes deep into the stratosphere. The volcano's lingering exhaust could shade the eclipse, making it a deeper darker red than usual.
The eclipse will be widely visible from the Americas on the evening of May 15th; and Africa and Europe on the morning of May 16th. This map created by Michael Zeiler of GreatAmericanEclipse.com shows who is favored:
Watch: The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is hosting a live lunar eclipse watching party starting on May 15th at 7:30 pm PDT.
Realtime Lunar Eclipse Photo Gallery
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MR. SPOCK IN THE STRATOSPHERE (COLLECTOR'S ITEM): If you would like to support the Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray ballooning program, there's a logical way to do it. Puchase this Mr. Spock collector's item. Here is the green-blooded science officer floating 32.2 km (112,200 ft) above Death Valley National Park in central California:
You can have him for $170.10. The price, in case you're wondering, is the serial number of the Enterprise, NGC1701, divided by 10. The students are selling Spock to buy more helium! He comes with a greeting card showing the high-quality resin bobblehead in flight and telling the story of his journey 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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