CHANCE OF FLARES: NOAA forecasters say there is a 30% chance of M-class solar flares and a 10% chance of X-flares today, June 8th. The likely source would be sunspot AR3327, which has an unstable 'delta-class' magnetic field. Any explosions will be geoeffective as the sunspot is almost directly facing Earth. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
SUNSPOTS THROUGH THE SMOKE: Elon Musk wants to go to Mars. Canada is a lot closer. Smoke from Canadian wildfires is turning skies across northeastern provinces and US states the color of the Red Planet. One side effect of the rusty gloom is the sudden visibility of sunspots.
"Smoke has filtered the sun an eerie orange color on and off for weeks here along the East Coast," reports Neil Winston of Calvert County, Maryland. "As the sun dips low in the sky, it has made an opportunity to image the numerous sunspots without a solar filter."
"It is still not safe to view the sun directly, even through smoke, as the brightness remains a hazard," Winston cautions. "I took this picture with my mirrorless camera using the digital screen to view and focus." (Photo settings here.)
Wildfires in Canada and the western United States have become routine in recent summers. These, however, are unusual. “Outbreaks as widespread and numerous as these are virtually unheard of in late May into June," according to the Capital Weather Gang. "The amount of smoke pouring into the northeastern USA is thus also exceptional." More than 75 million people are under air-quality alerts as Martian skies are expected to continue throughout the weekend.
more images: from Joseph Golebieski of Lavallette, NJ; from Alan Friedman of Buffalo, NY; from Elaine Parker of Westover, Maryland; from Mike Schatz of Jarrettsville, MD;
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FAR OUT FATHER'S DAY GIFT: It's Capt. Kirk's favorite flask! Inscribed with the words "To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before," this sterling silver container flew to the stratosphere on June 4, 2023, onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $122.95. During the flight, the flask experienced temperatures as low as -59 C. It was still cold to the touch when students retrieved it 30 minutes after landing in Pine Creek Canyon in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Bishop CA.
The flask comes with a greeting card showing itself in flight, and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere and back again. It makes a great Father's Day gift for Trekkie dads!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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