GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH: NOAA forecasters say that G1-class geomagnetic storms are possible on July 7th when a partial halo CME is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. It was hurled in our direction yesterday by an explosion in the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR3359. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
RADIO AMATEURS 'HACK' A NASA SPACECRAFT: Ham radio operators are picking up a strong signal from space. It's NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft returning home after 17 years.
"I'm having fun with STEREO-A," reports Scott Tilley (VE7TIL) of Roberts Creek, British Columbia. "The spacecraft is coming close to Earth this summer, and I can now receive its signal using a small 26-inch dish in my backyard." Here is what he picked up on July 2nd:
See also an animated version of these data. The X-flare is right here.
"We caught an X-flare in progress," Tilley says. "Naked-eye sunspot AR3354 was really crackling."
STEREO-A left Earth on Oct. 26, 2006, launched from Cape Canaveral with its sister ship STEREO-B. Both spacecraft were on a mission to the farside of the sun. Over the years, they would circle behind behind the sun, beaming images back to Earth so scientists could make 3D models of solar activity. In 2014, STEREO-B failed and was not heard from again. STEREO-A kept going, and now it is on its way back.
Earlier this summer, Tilley began hearing rumors that other radio operators were picking up signals from STEREO-A at 8443.580 MHz. He decided to check it out. "The central carrier is very loud, almost 30dB above the noise," he says. "I also noticed data sidebands, which are unusual to see on such a distant object for my small antenna."
Right: STEREO-A coronagraph images of Mercury passing the sun, eavesdropped by Scott Tilley.
At first, the signal was indecipherable. But Tilley found lots of information about its format posted by NASA on public websites; it wasn't a secret. Using a program called "SatDump" written by Alan Antoine (F4LAU), he successfully demodulated the data. Now Tilley is monitoring data streams from almost all of STEREO-A's science instruments including its extreme ultraviolet imager (EUVI), two coronagraphs (COR1 and COR2), the heliospheric imager (HI) and a solar radio burst receiver (S/WAVES).
At closest approach on August 17th, STEREO-A will be only 0.05 AU (7.5 million km) from Earth. By then, signals from the spacecraft will have more than doubled in strength, making it even easier to "hack."
"What started out as a passing curiosity is now turning into a summer pastime," says Tilley. "This is a unique time to play with STEREO-A."
Hams, would you like to monitor STEREO-A? A technical blog post just published by Tilley explains exactly how to do it.
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LASER-ETCHED MOON CUBE: Last week, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon to the stratosphere. This unique laser-etched Moon cube went along for the ride, ascending to an altitude of 101,140 feet:
You can have it for $119.95. The students are selling these cubes as a fund-raiser for their cosmic ray ballooning program. It's an authentic representation of the Moon, with all of the craters, mountains and lava plains accurately portrayed.
The Moon-cube comes with a unique gift card showing the item floating at the top of Earth's atmosphere. The interior of the card tells the story of the flight and confirms that this gift has been to the edge of space and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
FARSIDE SUNSPOT: There is a sunspot on the farside of the sun so big it is affecting the way the whole sun vibrates. Helioseismic images pinpoint it just behind the sun's eastern limb:
Before the end of this week, the region will rotate onto the Earthside of the sun, replacing giant sunspot AR3354, which is departing. If the sunspot number drops, it won't remain low for long. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
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