A LARGE SUNSPOT IS FACING EARTH: Big sunspot AR3423 has doubled in size since Friday; the active region is now more than 100,000 km wide with four primary dark cores wider than Earth. The sunspot's magnetic poles are well separated, so it does not yet pose a threat for strong flares. If this changes, however, the sunspot is directly facing Earth, so any strong flares will be geoeffective. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
COMET NISHIMURA VS. THE SUN: Comet Nishimura (C/2023 P1) has just crossed the orbit of Mercury en route to the sun. This is making the comet hard to photograph in the morning sky as it is increasingly surrounded by the glare of dawn. Nevertheless, Georg Klingersberger did it this morning in Austria:
"This beautiful, energetic comet was a joy to see at dawn!" says Klingersberger. "It was a moving experience."
Currently, the comet is shining like a 4th magnitude star. If it were in the midnight sky, it would be easy to see with the unaided eye. Only the proximity of the rising sun challenges its visibility.
Every day for the next week Comet Nishimura will inch closer to the sun, culminating in a 0.22 AU close encounter on Sept. 17th. Point-blank solar heating witll further boost the comet's brightness while solar storms buffet the comet's tail, producing interesting structures and even outright breaks. Continued photography is encouraged.
Resources: observing tips, sky map, light curve, 3D orbit.
Realtime Comet Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
SOLAR SYSTEM CRYSTAL BALL: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Solar System Crystal Ball. Watch the video as the orb travels to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloon, stretching and inverting the incredible landscape of the Sierra Nevada mountains behind it:
You can have it for $229.95. The students are selling these crystal balls to pay for their cosmic ray ballooning program. The 800 gram sphere contains a model of the Solar System, including the sun, eight planets and their moons. It makes an incredible gift for anyone interested in space.
Each one comes with a unique gift card showing the item at the edge of space and telling the story of its flight. All proceeds support Earth to Sky Calculus and hands-on STEM research.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter