EMERGING BIG SUNSPOT: The source of yesterday's partially-eclipsed X-flare is emerging into full view over the sun's southeastern limb. It is a large sunspot, some 3 times wider than Earth, and is surrounded by a bright froth of magnetic tubulence. Since the May 16th eruption, it has been relatively quiet--gathering strength for the next eruption? Stay tuned. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
PARTIALLY ECLIPSED X-FLARE: Yesterday, May 16th, Earth-orbiting satellites detected an M9.6-class solar flare from a sunspot hiding behind the sun's southeastern limb. It was only percentage points away from being an X-flare. In fact, it probably was an X-flare partially eclipsed by the edge of the sun.
Although the underlying sunspot was hidden from view, it nevertheless managed to touch Earth. Radiation ionized the top of our planet's atmosphere, causing a deep shortwave radio blackout over North America: map.
"I knew something significant was happening on the sun today when all the normal radio stations I monitor suddenly faded," reports amateur radio astronomer Thomas Ashcraft of New Mexico. His shortwave radio telescope recorded the broadband event:
Horizontal lines in this dynamic spectrum are terrestrial radio stations. All of them sharply faded immediately after the flare. Loss of signal lasted 10 minutes at the top of the band (27 MHz) and more than 20 min at the bottom (16 MHz). This is typical of solar radio blackouts-- the lowest frequencies are hit hardest.
The source of this explosion may be the same farside sunspot we discussed on May 12th. If so, it could emerge over the eastern limb later today, with solar rotation turning it almost directly toward Earth this weekend. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
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MR. SPOCK BEER COZY (BEER NOT INCLUDED): Father's Day is coming, and this is the gift every Trekkie Dad needs: the Mr. Spock beer cozy. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $99.95. The students are selling beer cozies (beer not included) to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. They make great Father's Day and birthday gifts. Each one comes with greeting card showing the cozy in flight, and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
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