CHANCE OF FLARES TODAY: Don't be surprised if there's an X-flare today. Big sunspot AR3712 has a mixed-polarity magnetic field with north (+) and south (-) poles bumping together. Magnetic reconnection could soon cause a strong explosion. The sunspot is directly facing Earth, so any flares will be geoeffective. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
FARSIDE CMEs TARGET MERCURY AND VENUS: Today, very close to the sun, Mercury and Venus are in conjunction less than 1 degree apart. The innermost planets are perfectly aligned for a double strike by farside CMEs. Click to set the scene in motion:
This movie shows two CMEs emerging from the farside of the sun. A NASA model suggests they will strike Mercury in Venus in quick succession. The impact on Mercury (June 18th) will pepper the planet's rocky surface with high energy electrons, igniting X-ray auroras at ground level. The impact on Venus (June 19th) will likely erode a small amount of the planet's upper atmosphere.
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HANDMADE TOTAL ECLIPSE PENDANT: On April 8, 2024, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray research balloon to the stratosphere. This handmade pendant went along for the ride. Floating more than 118,110 feet high, the it spent 3 minutes and 45 seconds wrapped in the shadow of the Moon:
You can have it for $179.95. Created by an artist in Texas where totality occured, the pendant displays a solar eclipse art print sealed under a smooth glass cover. It comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space during the total eclipse.
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