A CME IS COMING: Minor G1-class geomagnetic storms are possible on Jan. 19th when a CME is expected to graze Earth's magnetic field. The CME was hurled into space on Jan. 14th by a dramatic twisting eruption in the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR3182. High latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras when the CME arrives. CME alerts: SMS Text.
FALCON HEAVY LAUNCH: The second most powerful rocket in the world lifted off from Cape Canaveral last night, delivering national security payloads to orbit for the US military. Moments after launch, Pete Lardizabal photographed the Falcon Heavy roaring above St Johns, Florida:
"We had cool, clear skies for a beautiful view of this early evening launch," says Lardizabal.
The mission took off at 5:56 p.m. ET, marking the fifth successful flight of the rocket only recently dethroned by NASA's Space Launch System as the world’s most powerful. The first launch of a Falcon Heavy back in 2018 famously carried Elon Musk's cherry red Tesla Roadster into space. Last night's primary payload was a communications satellite for the US Space Force.
Two and a half minutes after launch, the Falcon Heavy's side-boosters detached themselves from the main rocket and reoriented to plunge back through Earth’s atmosphere. Lardizabal photographed that, too:
As the falling boosters neared the ground, they reignited their engines for a synchronized landing on ground pads. It’s a signature move for SpaceX, which routinely recovers and reuses rocket boosters to drive down costs.
more images: from Conrad Pope of Wilmington, North Carolina; from Dr. Gilbert Plumer of Rockledge, Florida; from Brent of Orlando, Florida;
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SO. MANY. SUNSPOTS. Yesterday morning in the Netherlands, Jan Koeman looked at the sun through a Mylar-filtered telescope, and this is what he saw:
"I can't remember seeing so many sunspots together through the eyepiece of my Celestron C8 in the last 10 years," says Koeman. "Amazing sight! It is winter in the Netherlands, that means plenty clouds and a sun low above the hedge in my backyard. But the sunspots were peeping through the clouds!"
Indeed, there are a lot of sunspots right now. If sunspot production continues apace for the rest of January, the monthly sunspot number will reach a 20-year high. Contrary to predictions, Solar Cycle 25 is shaping up to be a good one, after all. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
more images: from Martin Wise of Trenton, Florida; from Howard Eskildsen of Ocala, Florida; from Pepe Manteca of Begues, Catalunya, Spain; from the Association Astronomique de l'Indre of Le Poinçonnet, Centre-Val de Loire - France; from Dr. J. Wayne Wooten of Pensacola, Florida
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VALENTINE'S CRYSTAL BEAR AND ROSE: Valentine's Day is coming. Looking for a far-out gift? This Crystal Bear and Rose flew to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon on Dec. 17th:
You can have it for $129.95. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space bears to support their high-altitude ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the ursine astronaut in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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