SpaceWeather.com Archive — Tue, Aug 27, 2024

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CME IMPACT--BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: A CME expected to graze Earth's magnetic field on Aug. 26th arrived later than expected. It struck on Aug. 27th around 0800 UT. So far, the weak impact has not caused a geomagnetic storm, although minor storms are possible later today as Earth passes through the CME's magnetized wake. CME impact alerts: SMS Tex t

INCOMING 'DAYLIGHT COMET' IS STILL ALIVE: Amateur astronomers have been wondering how Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) is doing. NASA has an answer: "It's still alive." The incoming comet, which could become visible in broad daylight in October, was spotted this month by NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft apparently in good health on the other side of the sun. Click to set the scene in motion:

Note: Can't find the comet? It's inside the red ellipse.

Astronomers on Earth have not been able to track the comet for weeks because of the sun's glare. STEREO-A's movie is reassurance that the comet has not broken apart despite predictions to the contrary.

Astronomer Qicheng Zhang of the Lowell Observatory is optimistic about the comet's chances:"It continues to brighten steadily, and is now up to magnitude 7," he says. "It also continues to display a very robust ion tail. There are zero signs that the nucleus is disintegrating."

This is good news for sky watchers. If Tsuchinshan-ATLAS can hold itself together just a little longer, it will become a naked-eye object in late Sept. and October. Zhang predicts "the comet will brighten to magnitude +4 ± 1 at perihelion on Sept. 27th, to a daylight peak of -3 ± 1 near inferior conjunction on Oct. 9th, and subsequently produce a quite possibly 20+ degree dust tail visible under dark skies (Oct ~19) before fading away."

Comet Arend-Roland in 1957 may be "very similar" to Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in 2024

"It reminds me of the very similar Comet Arend-Roland in 1957, whose combined tails extended several tens of degrees for a few days," notes Zhang. "I consider a comparable display to be by far the most likely scenario for mid-October."

The comet will re-emerge from sunlight in mid-September, becoming visible to telescopes in the southern hemisphere. How will it be doing then? Stay tuned!

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LASER-ETCHED MOON CRYSTAL: On Aug. 16th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon to the stratosphere. This laser-etched Moon cube went along for the ride, floating in the stratosphere for more than 3 hours at an altitude of 103,130 feet:

You can have it for $129.95. Inside the crystal cube, a laser has etched authentic lunar topography with all major craters, mountains and lava plains accurately portrayed. This gift comes with a unique gift card showing the cube in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again.