MINOR GEOMAGNETIC STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS WEEK: Minor G1-class geomagnetic storms are possible later this week as Earth enters a stream of solar wind flowing from a large hole in the sun's atmosphere. If a storm occurs, it will most likely happen on May 23rd when a glancing-blow CME arrives, adding its power to that of the solar wind stream. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
SOLAR PLASMA FOREST: If trees were five times taller than our entire planet and made of hot plasma, this is what the forest would look like:
This is an 8-hour movie recorded yesterday by David Wilson using a backyard solar telescope in Inverness, Scotland. It shows a massive solar prominence twisting and turning over the western limb of the sun. The limbs and trunks of these "trees" are made of magnetic fields, while the woody flesh is actually ionized hydrogen gas.
"It is still there today (May 21st)," says Wilson. Solar photographers, take a look!
more images: from Alain Malfait of Esterel, France; from Michael Jaeger of AZM Martinsberg Austria
A FATA MORGANA IN OHIO: Last Thursday morning at Edgewater Beach, Ohio, photographer Tyler Penland witnessed something strange on the Lake Erie horizon. A massive tanker ship appeared to hover above the water—its form stretched and distorted, as if suspended in midair:
"I took my first trip to the Great Lakes and was treated to also my first Fata Morgana," Penland said. "It was a very cool effect with this ship on the horizon."
Fata Morgana is a rare type of mirage caused by layers of air at different temperatures. When warm air rests above a cooler surface—like the still-chilly waters of Lake Erie in spring—light rays bend in unusual ways. Distant objects, such as ships, can appear to float, stretch, or even flip upside down.
This mirage is most often seen in polar or desert regions, but the Great Lakes can produce them, too, when conditions are just right. Cold lake water, calm air, and a warming sky created the perfect setup for the Lake Erie optical illusion.
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JALAPEñO PEPPERS FROM SPACE: These are the first Jalapeño seeds ever flown to the edge of space. On May 14, 2025, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched them onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. They spent 3 hours in the stratosphere exposed to Mars-like temperatures (-62 C) and cosmic rays:
You can have them for $99.95. Also included are packets of Cayenne, Cubanelle, Orange Habanero ... 10 varieties in all. These seeds make a great DIY science project. Each space-flown packet of seeds comes with an identical control packet, which remained on Earth during the flight. Plant them side by side to discover the difference space travel makes.
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