TAU HERCULID FIREBALL: Yes, debris from Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 might actually be approaching Earth. A camera operated by the Spanish Meteor and Fireball Network caught a piece of the broken comet disintegrating over Zaragoza on May 27th: watch the movie. This is a hopeful sign that a larger cloud of debris hypothosized by researchers may be following not far behind, and might produce a tau Herculid meteor outburst on May 30-31. If the outburst occurs--a big IF--sky watchers in North America will be favored to see it. [full story] [sky map]
SOUTHERN LIGHTS: A co-rotating interaction region (CIR) hit Earth's magnetic field on May 27th. The impact sparked 12 hours of geomagnetic storming (G1-class) and a rare display of Southern Lights. Minoru Yoneto sends this deep-sky exposure from Queenstown, New Zealand:
"Here in the South Island of New Zealand, where the leaves have fallen and the ski slopes will open next month, the temperature outside was already below 3 degrees Celsius when I left home," says Yoneta. "I took all the precautions I could to keep warm!"
CIRs are transition zones between fast- and slow-moving streams of solar wind; they contain shock waves and enhanced magnetic fields that can spark bright auroras. This one certainly did. The display was also seen in the northern hemisphere as far south as Michigan and Wisconsin. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
more images: from Marybeth Kiczenski of Mackinaw City, Michigan; from Brian Larmay of Pembine Wisconsin; from Rodrigo Roesch of Kewaunee, Wisconsin; from Tim Wieland of Charlevoix, Michigan; from Shayne Smith of Manistique, Michigan;
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LUNAR OCCULTATION OF VENUS: For almost 5 hours on May 27th, the planet Venus disappeared. It was hiding behind the Moon. Quentin Gineys photographed the lunar occultation from Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean:
"To observe the occultation, I used an 11-inch Celestron telescope," says Gineys. "The phenomenon was very low, only 10 degrees above the horizon. I had to prepare my shooting location well, between roofs, a relay antenna and many palm trees."
The occultation was not visible everywhere. To see it, you had to be inside a narrow path stretching from southeast Asia to the Indian Ocean. Elsewhere, the Moon-Venus encounter was a beautiful near miss.
more images: from Shahrin Ahmad of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; from Hari Kumar of Trivandrum, India; from Andreas Walker of Rorschacherberg, Switzerland; from Gadi Eidelheit of Givat Shmuel, Israel; from Michal Lachký of Chynorany, Slovakia
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"I LOVE YOU FOREVER" MOONSTONE PENDANT: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the "I Love You Forever" Moonstone. This one hitched a ride to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research ballooin on May 13, 2022:
You can have it for $162.95. The moonstone's sterling silver infinity wrap is inscribed with the words "I love you forever." It makes a great anniversary or birthday gift. The moonstone comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight, telling the story of its trip to the edge of space and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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