BIG FARSIDE SUNSPOT: Helioseismic maps of the farside of the sun continue to show a large hidden sunspot. Based on its current location, the active region will rotate onto the Earthside of the sun early next week. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
THIS COMET IS ABOUT TO BLOW: Ice volcanoes on Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks have erupted half a dozen times in 2023. Astronomers are starting to see a pattern. "The last few outbursts have been on a 15 day cadence," reports Nick James of the British Astronomical Association (BAA), "and we might be coming up to another one." James prepared this plot showing the clockwork quality of recent eruptions:
Inset: Comet 12P on Dec. 14th, date of the most recent outburst. Credit: Eliot Herman.
The last outburst took place sometime around Dec. 14th. That means the next one is due on Dec. 29th or 30th.
Why is the comet erupting every 15 days? Basically, it's because the comet spins with a 2 week period. Somewhere on the comet's surface there is a cryovolcanic vent that gets hit with sunlight with this same cadence.
"It's like 'Old Faithful'," explains Richard Miles of the BAA. "Comet 12P has a super cryogeyser, eruption of which is triggered after local sunrise at its location."
Amateur astronomers are encouraged to monitor 12P in the nights ahead. Precision timing of the next outburst could help astronomers pinpoint the location of the geyser on the comet's surface. Point your optics at the constellation Lyra, right here.
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AMBER DRAGONFLY SPACE PENDANT: This dragonfly has touched space. On Nov. 28th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon, 109,228 feet above California's Sierra Nevada:
You can have it for $179.95. Made of genuine Baltic Amber with a sterling silver exoskeleton, the pendant measures 1 1/4 inch and comes with a matching 18-inch sterling silver chain. The wings of the dragonfly include four pieces of natural amber colored Cognac, Olive Green and Honey Yellow.
The students are selling space pendants to pay the helium bill for their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
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