"EXTENSIVE DAMAGE" TO SDO DATA SERVERS: For the rest of the year, Daily Sun images on Spaceweather.com will look a little different. Normally, we share full-disk images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). However, a broken pipe and subsequent flood at Stanford University's Joint Science Operations Center has caused extensive damage to many SDO data servers. Repairs won't be complete until 2025. Now for the good news: Our readers are filling in the gap. Daily images of the sun are routinely taken by many skilled amateur astronomers around the world. We will be sharing their results right here.
SUB-SUNDOGS OVER TEXAS: Thanksgiving is the biggest travel holiday of the year. It's also a sky watching opportunity. "On Nov. 29th, we were flying 37,000 feet above several layers of ice crystals," says air traveler Ken Skillern. "I photographed this amazingly beautiful sundog using my iPhone 14 Pro."
Make that a sub-sundog. Ordinary sundogs appear to the left and right of the sun. The ones Skillern saw were below the sun.
The key to this atmospheric optics phenomenon is the subsun--a dazzling reflection of the sun in the clouds. This subsun acts like a miniature sun, shining through ice crystals to create sub-sundogs and more.
The window seat of an airplane is a great place to see "sub-parhelia." If you're flying home today, take a look!
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BLACK FRIDAY AT THE EDGE OF SPACE: Christmas is coming. Are you looking for a far-out gift? Check out the Earth to Sky Store. It's filled with unique items that have flown to the edge of space onboard cosmic ray research balloons.
Carried aloft by giant helium balloons, these unique gifts have flown above 99.7% of Earth's atmosphere, experiencing space-like blasts of cosmic rays, extreme cold, and a wild ride parachuting back to Earth after the balloon explodes. Even Amazon doesn't carry items this far out.
Don't forget to enter coupon code "BLACKCAT" at checkout for a 10% holiday discount.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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