GEOMAGETIC STORM WATCH--CANCELED: Two CMEs expected to graze Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 24th and 25th missed. Not even a ripple in the solar wind was detected when the CMEs were supposed to pass by. As a result, this weekend's geomagnetic storm watch has been canceled. CME impact alerts: SMS Text.
POLAR STRATOSPHERIC CLOUD ALERT: The Arctic Circle could soon be filled with Type II Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs)--widely regarded as the most beautiful clouds on Earth. This forecast is based on NASA's satellite-based MERRA2 climate model, which shows stratospheric temperatures dropping to record low values in the days ahead. Note the red arrow:
The air temperature of the polar stratosphere could soon drop to its lowest value in nearly 50 years, if the forecast holds. This sets the stage for intense PSCs.
Normally, Earth's stratosphere has no clouds at all. Only when the temperature drops to a staggeringly-low -85 C (188 K) can widely-spaced water molecules in the stratosphere assemble into Type II PSCs. With colors that rival auroras, these clouds are stunning to behold. Arctic sky watchers, if you see PSCs in the days ahead, please submit your photos here.
Realtime PSC Photo Gallery
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THE "HEADLESS WONDER" COMET ATLAS: "Last night, I had the chance to observe and photograph a scene of rare beauty," reports Daniele Gasparri from the Atacama desert in Chile. "Comet ATLAS (C/2024 G3) was perfectly visible to the naked eye, with its very long tail standing out against the colors of the sunset and extending all the way toward Venus."
"Between these two 'giants' of the sky, I also could see Saturn, the zodiacal light, and a thin greenish band of airglow," says Gasparri. "This image was taken with a Sony A7s camera. It is the mean of 11 exposures of 20 seconds each."
You might not guess from Gasparri's photo, but Comet ATLAS disintegrated more than a week ago. A close encounter with the sun in mid-January overheated the comet's nucleus, suddenly dumping a whole comet's worth of gas and dust into its flamboyant tail. Comet ATLAS is now a "headless wonder" visible from the southern hemisphere. Browse the Comet ATLAS photo gallery for the latest images.
Realtime Comet ATLAS Photo Gallery
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STRING OF HEARTS SNOOPY SCULPTURE: Valentine's Day is only 3 weeks away. Are you looking for a fun, romantic gift? Consider the String of Hearts Snoopy Sculpture. Here is the hand-painted figurine floating 112,505 feet above Earth's surface on Jan. 30, 2024:
You can have it for $142.95. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched this stone resin sculpture to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. It spent more than 2 hours floating at the top of Earth's atmosphere while cosmic ray sensors gathered data for the student's atmospheric radiation monitoring program.
This unique Valentine's gift comes with a greeting card showing the sculpture in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edges of space. All sales support hands-on STEM education and research.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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