THE SOLSTICE IS THIS WEEKEND: The annual December solstice occurs this Saturday, Dec. 21st, at 4:19 a.m. EST. It marks the beginning of winter in the northern hemisphere amd summer in the southern hemisphere. Wherever you live, Happy Solstice! Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
"MASSIVE" REENTRY OVER PUERTO RICO: That was no meteor. Last night in the Caribbean, sky watchers watched a bright fireball crawl across the night sky, disintegrating as it fell. "It was MASSIVE," says Desiree Marvin, who video-recorded the display from Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico:
"My video time-stamped the event at 11:26 pm local time on Dec. 19th (03:26 UT on Dec. 20th)," says Marvin. Other observers in the Virgin Islands and Grenadines saw the fireball at about the same time.
The timing and direction of the fireball are a good match for NORAD object 60467, a Chinese rocket expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere during the early hours of Dec. 20th.
If our identification is correct, this was the body of a Long March 4 rocket launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province on Aug. 16, 2024. The rocket's payload is shrouded in mystery. NORAD catalogued 10 objects from the launch (including the rocket that just decayed). The other nine may have been a mini-constellation of military Earth-observing satellites.
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CHRISTMAS GIFTS FROM 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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