CME TO STRIKE VENUS AND MARS: A CME launched into space by today's X-flare (described below) may not strike Earth, however, it will hit Venus and Mars, according to a NASA model. The strike on Venus (June 22nd) will probably erode a small amount of the planet's upper atmosphere, while the strike on Mars (June 25th) could spark auroras visible to MAVEN and other satellites.
X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: New sunspot AR3341 erupted on June 20th, producing an X1.1-class solar flare (1709 UT). NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the extreme ultraviolet flash:
Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere. This caused a deep shortwave radio blackout over North America: map. Aviators and ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below 30 MHz for as much as 20 minutes after the flare.
SOHO coronagraphs have since detected a CME emerging from the blast site. It appears to be bright and fast. Type II solar radio emissions detected by the US Air Force suggest an expansion velocity faster than 1000 km/s (2.2 million mph). Earth is probably not in the strike zone of this fast CME. Confirmation awaits modeling by NOAA analysts. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
SUMMER ICE HALO: Rayann Elzein works in Utsjoki, Finland, as an aurora tour guide. This week he photographed something more rare than auroras. "We had an exceptional display of ice halos despite the fact that we're in the middle of summer!" he says.
All of the luminous forms in this picture are caused by sunlight shining through ice crystals in the clouds. "The parhelic circle was visible all around the sky--a full 360°," he says. "There was also a faint 46° halo and a super rare Wegener arc!"
"Normally I don't look for halos in summer," says Elzein, "but while having my morning coffee on June 18th, I saw a rainbow-looking shape way too close to the sun to be an actual rainbow. It was a beautiful and bright infralateral arc! I rushed outside to photograph the entire display."
"There are no auroras up here at 70°N during these summer months, but nature never ceases to amaze us," he says.
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COMET ATLAS IS UP ALL NIGHT: If you can find the North Star, you can find Comet ATLAS (C/2023 E1). This week, the comet is approaching Polaris, which means it is up all night for northern astronomers. Michael Jaeger photographed it gliding among the stars of Ursa Minor on June 18th:
This comet was discovered on March 1st by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in South Africa. At first it appeared to be an asteroid, but when a tail appeared astronomers quickly realized they had found a comet. Falling toward the sun, Comet ATLAS has since brightened 1000-fold in response to increasing solar heat.
A peak brightness of magnitude +9 is expected around July 1st when Comet ATLAS reaches perihelion (closest approach to the sun). The comet will still be close to the North Star then, up all night and begging for a nice long expsosure. Take a look!
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THE SHOOTING STAR PENDANT: The Earth to Sky Store sells a lot of space pendants. This one is special. The Shooting Star Pendant contains a hidden chamber, which you may fill with the ashes of a loved one or anything else you wish to keep close to your heart.
You can have it for $119.95. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with greeting card showing the item 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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