WEAK CME IMPACT: An unexpected CME hit Earth's magnetic field today, Feb. 1st, at 18:54 UTC (data). This may have been one of many CMEs that left the sun in recent days (watch this movie) but which, initially, did not appear to be Earth directed. Minor G1-class geomagnetic storms are possible in response to the weak impact. Geomagnetic storm alerts: SMS Text.

COMET ZTF HAS ARRIVED: It only took 50,000 years. During the Stone Age, faraway Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) began falling toward the inner solar system. Today it finally reached Earth, only 0.28 AU away. This is what the comet looks like from point-blank range:

"There is a strong curved dust tail, a long blue ion tail, and a vivid green coma," says photographer Michael Jaeger of Weißenkirchen in der Wachau, Austria. "It's a beautiful comet."

The ensemble is now glowing with an integrated magnitude near +4.8. It is barely visible to the naked eye (at best, a faint smudge), but a terrific target for small telescopes. Northern observers are favored. The comet is racing through Camelopardalis (the Giraffe), a constellation near the Big Dipper and the North Star. The best time to look is during the dark hours between midnight and dawn after the Moon has set.

More: (1) finder charts; (2) photo gallery; (3) submit your images!

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LUNAR OCCULTATION OF MARS: On Monday night, Jan. 30th, the Moon passed directly in front of Mars, producing a lunar occultation visible from southern parts of the USA and all of central America. Juan José Ortiz photographed the event from Metepec, Mexico:

"I captured Mars rising over Mare Smythii as it was emerging from behind the Moon," says Ortiz. "What a view!"

The next good lunar occultation of Mars isn't until Jan. 13, 2025.

Until then, here are some more images: from Gregg Ruppel of Oro Valley Arizona; from Eliot Herman of Tucson AZ; from Dr. Gilbert Plumer of Rockledge, Florida; from Bob Beal of St. George, Utah; from John Ashley of Rio Rico, Arizona; from Andres Paez Joannis of Chihuahua, Chih. Mexico; from John Vertson of Clovis, CA;

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HOWLING WOLF HEART PENDANT: It's the perfect Valentine's gift for a Nature lover. On Jan. 6, 2023, this Howling Wolf Heart Pendant flew to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky cosmic ray research balloon, floating more than 105,546 ft above the snow-capped Sierras of central California:

You can have it for $99.95. The hypoallergenic heart-shaped pendant features a loving pair of howling Arctic wolves, a shooting star, the full Moon, and sheets of aurora borealis. It comes with a greeting card showing the pendent in flight and telling the story of its trip 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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