A SUNSPOT VISIBLE FROM MARS: There is a sunspot on the farside of the sun so large it is visible from Mars. Perseverance saw it yesterday during a routine check of the sun. The rover monitors the brightness of the sun over Jezero crater as a way of detecting Martian dust stoms. The sunspot will turn toward Earth early next week. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
EARTH-DIRECTED CME (UPDATED): A CME *is* heading for Earth following the eruption of a magnetic filament during the late hours of July 28th. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the liftoff:
Shortly after the eruption, SOHO coronagraphs saw a faint, lopsided-halo CME emerging from the sun's southern hemisphere. A NOAA model of the CME shows it hitting Earth on August 1st. The impact could cause G1 (Minor) to G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storms with high-latitude auroras. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
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PROTONS ARE HITTING EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE: Yesterday, a magnificent eruption near the sun's northwestern limb hurled a cloud of energetic protons toward Earth. They are hitting our planet today, causing an S1-class solar radiation storm. The main effect of the storm is a Polar Cap Absorption (PCA) event:
Red zones in this global map show where shortwave transmissions are being absorbed. Frequencies below 15 MHz are almost completely blacked out, while anything below 35 MHz is being attentuated, at least a little.
What's causing this? It's all those protons. Earth's magnetic field funnels the particles toward the poles where their ionizing effect causes the absorption of shortwave radio. The PCA is intensifying; you can can monitor its progress here.
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STERLING SILVER STARCAT: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Introducing the Sterling SIlver StarCat Pendant. On July 14th, it hitched a ride to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $159.95. The silver feline form is wrapped around a genuine moonstone with a matching 18 inch Italian sterling silver chain. It is 100% hypoallergenic.
The students of Earth to Sky are selling space pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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