NAKED-EYE NOVA IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE: A star in the southern constellation Lupus exploded on June 12th and has rapidly brightened to naked-eye visibility. Dawid Moździerski photographed the nova this morning from the Atacama desert of Chile. He says "it is now at magnitude +5.7," or about 4 million times brighter than it was last week. Full story.
X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: Sunspots 4114 and 4115 erupted in quick succession on June 17th, together producing an X1.2-class solar flare (2149 UTC). NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the ultraviolet double flash:
The explosion caused a shortwave radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean centered on Hawaii. Ham radio operators in the area may have noticed a loss of signal at frequencies below 25 MHz.
So far, there is no evidence of a significant CME associated with this flare. The individual explosions were too brief to lift a cloud of debris out of the sun's atmosphere.
Another X-flare may be in the offing today. Sunspot 4114 is large and unstable, with a 'delta-class' magnetic field that harbors energy for strong explosions. Stay tuned! Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
more images: from Steve Lantz of Vancouver, WA
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CONSTELLATION CAT NIGHT LIGHT (CRYSTAL BALL): It's the most far-out feline night light ever--the Constellation Cat Crystal Ball. On April 23, 2025, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a giant helium balloon.
You can have it for $139.95. Outlined by stars in the style of an astronomical constellation, the laser-etched cat comes with an LED stand that produces a soothing glow for your bedside table. Also included: A unique greeting card shows the crystal ball in flight and tells the story of its journey to the edge of space.
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