QUIET WITH A CHANCE OF FLARES: Solar activity remains low for the 6th day in a row. The quiet is remarkable considering that there are a dozen sunspot groups on the solar disk. One of them's bound to blow eventually. NOAA forecasters say there is a 30% chance of M-class solar flares and a 5% chance of X-flares on Jan. 17th. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
UPSIDE DOWN RAINBOW: Yesterday, a bright rainbow-colored arc appeared high above Columbus, Nebraska. Tom Bryan photographed the display which, it turns out, was no rainbow:
This is a circumzenithal arc. While rainbows are formed by raindrops falling to Earth, circumzenithal arcs are formed by ice crystals floating in high clouds. There have been plenty of ice crystals this week, thanks to an Arctic air mass sitting over the central USA.
According to legendary atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley, "circumzenithal arcs are the most beautiful of all the ice halos. They are often described as 'upside down rainbows' by first timers."
This rare ice halo is easy to miss because it appears almost directly overhead. You have to crane your neck to see it. "I didn't notice the circumzenithal arc until I looked almost straight up," says Bryan.
If you see one this week, submit your photos here.
more images: from Anthony Kroes of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin; from Jacqui Hansen of West Jordan, Utah; from Dave Stirrup of London, England; from Abraham Holland of Rochester, Minnesota;
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VALENTINE'S CRYSTAL BEAR AND ROSE: Valentine's Day is coming. Looking for a far-out gift? This Crystal Bear and Rose flew to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon on Dec. 17th:
You can have it for $129.95. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space bears to support their high-altitude ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the ursine astronaut in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again.
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All sales support hands-on STEM education
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