CRYOVOLCANIC ERUPTION ON A COMET: The British Astronomical Association (BAA) is reporting a new outburst of cryovolcanic comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann. On Nov. 22nd, amateur astronomer Patrick Wiggins watched 29P increase in brightness by more than 4 magnitudes. Other observers have since confirmed the outburst, which is the 2nd biggest in more than a decade. Observers, the active comet is currently located in the constellation Gemini. More information: MISSION 29P.
EXPLODING POLAR CROWN FILAMENT: A magnetic filament circling the sun's north pole became unstable and hurled a plume of plasma onto the sun's middle latitudes. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the eruption:
If this explosion hurls a CME into space, it won't hit Earth. The blast site is too far north. The event is of interest for another reason. The circular filament that erupted is called a "polar crown filament." Polar crown filaments encircle the sun's poles, and they close like a noose as the solar cycle progresses toward Solar Max. This process is underway now, nudged along by explosions like today's.
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BIG FARSIDE SUNSPOT: You might suppose that the farside of the sun is hidden from view. Not so. Researchers using a technique called "helioseismology" can make crude maps of the sun's hidden hemisphere. Their latest map reveals a huge farside active region:
The black blob is a sunspot group--a big one. In fact, only a handful of sunspot groups in the past 5 years have created a helioseismic echo this large. Don't be surprised if SOHO coronagraphs record a farside CME in the days ahead.
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AMBER BUMBLEBEE SPACE PENDANT: Bumblebees don't usually fly so high. On Oct 15, 2022, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched this one to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. Here it is floating 115,158 feet above California's Sierra Nevada:
You can have it for $179.95. This bee is made of genuine Baltic Amber with a sterling silver exoskeleton. The rich Cognac-colored pendant measures 3/4 inch and comes with a matching 18-inch sterling silver chain.
The students are selling these unique pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the bumblebee in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
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All sales support hands-on STEM education
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