EARTH-DIRECTED SOLAR FLARE: Unstable sunspot AR3335 (described below) exploded today, producing an M2.5-class solar flare (movie) and a minor shortwave radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean (map). The explosion lasted long enough to lift a CME out of the sun's atmosphere. Confirmation awaits fresh images from SOHO coronagraphs, so stay tuned. CME alerts: SMS Text
UNSTABLE SUNSPOT: What are the odds of looking at the sun and catching a sunspot in mid-flare? Actually, the odds are pretty good when the sunspot is AR3335. The active region has an unstable 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that has it teetering on the edge of an eruption.
Yesterday, amateur astronomer Richard Schrantz of Nicholasville, Kentucky, experienced the phenomenon firsthand:
"I was able to see a flare rapidly develop from nothing to maximum in about 45 seconds," says Schrantz. "It was just a C4 but I thought it looked even bigger."
Indeed, bigger flares may be in the offing. The sunspot poses a threat for strong M-class eruptions. NOAA forecasters say there is a 30% chance of M-class flares on June 18th. Any flares from this sunspot will be geoeffective as it is almost directly facing Earth. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
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100 LIGHTNING BOLTS: When you see lightning, run! That’s what NOAA advises in lightning safety brochures. Photographer Uğur İkizler did not heed this warning on June 16th when a massive thunderhead rolled over Mudanya, Turkiye. Standing his ground, he captured an epic display:
"This merged view shows all of the lightning that occured during a 50 minute period just before local midnight," says İkizler.
There were more than 100 bolts -- cloud-to-cloud, cloud-to-ground, cloud-to-water -- strafing the shore and surrounding waters with surges of electricity measuring more than 30 thousand amps. Each bolt carved a scorching-hot path through the atmosphere, heating the air to 30,000 degrees Celsius, about 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.
Is it too late to run? Learn more about lightning from the National Severe Storms Laboratory.
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APOLLO 11 PROOF SILVER DOLLAR: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider this: On July 20, 2019 (the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing), the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew this rare proof silver dollar to the stratosphere:
The US Mint created Apollo 11 coins to celebrate the first Moon landing--but you can no longer buy them from the Mint. You can, however, get one from Earth to Sky Calculus. The students are selling the collector's item for $259.95 to support their cosmic ray ballooning program.
The silver dollar is curved and reproduces the helmet of astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Reflected in Buzz's visor are Neil Armstrong, the United States flag, and the lunar lander. The opposite side of the coin shows Neil's iconic footprint on the Moon. Included is a greeting card showing the coin in flight and a certificate of authenticity.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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