MARCH IS THE BEST MONTH OF THE YEAR FOR AURORAS: Did you know that March is the best month of the year for auroras? It's true. A 75-year study shows that March has more geomagnetically active days than any other month of the year. (October is a close second.) This is due to the Russell-McPherron effect. In short, cracks tend to form in Earth's magnetosphere during weeks around equinoxes, allowing solar wind to spark Northern Lights. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
CME ARRIVES, SPARKS GEOMAGNETIC STORM: An overdue CME struck Earth's magnetic field on March 3rd. The impact sparked a G2-class geomagnetic storm with bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. Peter Rosén photographed the display from Abisko, Sweden:
Rosén was in the perfect place to see the outburst. Located just inside the Arctic Circle, Abisko sits beneath a persistant 'blue hole' in the cloud cover that reveals auroras even when surrounding towns are overcast. "I had heard rumors about the microclimate in Abisko, but having Northern Lights 5 nights in a row was an unexpected gift," says Rosén.
The CME was hurled into space on Feb. 28th when a magnetic filament connected to sunspot AR3592 erupted. It was not aimed directly at Earth, and forecasters were unsure if it would deliver even a glancing blow; however, the impact was stronger than expected. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
more images: from Zelda Gilbert aboard the Viking Venus on the Norwegian Sea; from Rick D of Wasilla, Alaska; from Dmitry Savin of Moscow, Russia; from Märt Varatu of Kiia küla, Estonia.
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COMET 12P IS COMING TO LIFE: With a new ice-geyser outburst on Feb. 29th, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks has crossed the threshold of binocular visibility. "It is now a 6th-magnitude object," reports Michael Jaeger, who made this 1-hour animation on March 2nd:
"It was easy to see in my 6x30 viewfinder," he says. "The view reminded me of galaxy M13 with a 0.5° tail."
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is "cryovolcanic." Its surface is dotted with geysers which spew a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons and dissolved gasses when they are warmed by sunlight. There have been at least 6 significant eruptions since last December, one of them an incredible 5 magnitudes: light curve.
Right now, 12P is approaching the sun for a close encounter in April. Between now and then, forecasters expect 12P to brighten 10- to 15-fold, making it a naked-eye object at 3rd to 4th magnitude. This would be true even without any special geyser activity; the whole comet is sizzling as it approaches the sun. If any geysers do erupt in the weeks ahead, it could push the comet to even greater brightness.
more images: from Georg Klingersberger of Kobernaußen, Austria; from Gerald Rhemann of Nerpio, Spain; from the Association Astronomique de l'Indre of Le Poinconnet, Indre, Centre Val de Loire, France; from Chris Schur of Happy Jack, AZ; from José J. Chambó of Nerpio, Spain; from Glen Wurden of Los Alamos, New Mexico; from Michael Fleenor on February 1, 2024 @ Los Alamos, NM
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18K GOLD "LOVE YOU TO THE MOON" LOCKET: This is a very special locket. It's heart-shaped, plated with 18K gold, and we will fly it again during this year's total eclipse of the sun. Keep reading...
On Jan. 26, 2024, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched this locket to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. At the apex of the flight, it floated 111,535 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
Buy it now for $149.95, and we'll fly it again--FOR FREE--during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The students will be launching multiple balloons from the path of totality in Texas. Your pendant will go along for the ride, touching the shadow of the Moon at the edge of space. (Simply type "FLY IT AGAIN" in the comments box at checkout.)
The locket, which opens to hold a personal photo or other small item, comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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