SLIGHT CHANCE OF STORMS TODAY: A high-speed stream of solar wind is expected to graze Earth's magnetic field on Sept. 17th. The gaseous material is flowing from a northern hole in the sun's atmosphere. There is a slight chance of minor G1-class geomagnetic storms when the windy stream arrives. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
SUNSPOT RESURRECTION: Just when you thought old sunspot AR3088 was dead, it's back. The decaying sunspot is growing again, adding more than 50% to its area over the past 24 hours:
This is the sunspot's second time around the sun. The first time in August it peppered Earth with dozens of solar flares, and later hammered Venus with one of the strongest farside radiation storms in decades. The sunspot reappeared on the Earthside of the sun a few days ago and was renumbered AR3102. It appeared to be in decay. Not so fast? Stay tuned. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
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MARTIAN COLD FRONT: Mars is approaching Earth for a close encounter in early December. Already the red planet is big enough to see in detail through backyard telescopes. Last week, amateur astronomer Tim Wilson watched a cold front spill out of the Martian north pole:
"The images show dust being raised behind the front," notes Wilson. Indeed, this is one way dust storms get started on Mars.
Bright and red, Mars can be found rising in the east around midnight. The planet will continue to grow and brighten throughout October and November until, by early December, it will be brighter than any star in the sky. Only Jupiter, Venus and the Moon will outshine it. Start watching now!
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THE SUNBURST X-PENDANT: It's the color of a sunburst: The Citrine X-Pendant. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched this one to the stratosphere onboard an cosmic ray research balloon. At the apex of the flight it floated 120,892 feet above Earth's surface--a record high for our 10-year ballooning program:
You can have it for $199.95. The citrine gemstone is framed in a 18K gold-plated swirl with a matching 16-inch chain. The students are selling these pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the necklace in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space.
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