CME IMPACT: Arriving a day later than expected, a minor CME hit Earth's magnetic field on June 6th at approximately 1000 UT: data. The impact did not spark a geomagnetic storm. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
SOLAR CYCLE 25 UPDATE: Once again, Solar Cycle 25 is exceeding predictions. Sunspot numbers in May 2022 were the highest in almost 8 years, more than doubling NOAA's official forecast:
Image credit: Helio4cast, a group of scientists based in Austria working on basic and applied space weather research.
There is no longer any doubt that Solar Cycle 25 is on track to outperform its predecessor, historically weak Solar Cycle 24, which peaked in 2014.
The plot, above, compares current sunspot numbers to a selection of benchmarks. The blue curve is the "official forecast" issued by NOAA's Solar Cycle Prediction Panel in 2019. At the time, panel members anticipated a cycle similar to weak Solar Cycle 24. Zooming in shows how much the sun is overshooting that target.
The green curve is the average of all solar cycles since 1750, and the slightly taller red curve is a new prediction based on the Termination Event. Current sunspot counts match both. Even if Solar Cycle 25 turns out to be merely average, it will still far exceed previously low expectations.
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JEDI WINE GLASS: Father's Day is less than two weeks away. Are you looking for a far out gift? Consider the Jedi Wine Glass. This one hitched a ride to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon on June 1, 2022:
You can have it for $99.95. The funny stemless wine glass spent 2 hours floating in the stratosphere while cosmic ray sensors gathered data. It experienced temperatures as low as -63C and a vacuum-like air pressure only 0.2% of sea level.
The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling Jedi wine glasses to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the glass 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
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