THE THUNDER MOON: There's a full Moon tonight and, according to folklore, it has a special name: The "Thunder Moon," named after the booming electrical storms of summer. It's also called the "Buck Moon" and/or "Salmon Moon" by different Native American tribes. Whichever name you prefer, enjoy the moonlight, and submit your photos here.
A SPARKLING SUNSPOT: Emerging sunspot 4136 is sparkling with dozens of compact explosions. Researchers call them "Ellerman Bombs." Philippe Tosi photographed the phenomenon from Nîmes, France:
Named after physicist Ferdinand Ellerman, who studied them in the early 20th century, Ellerman bombs are magnetic explosions about one-millionth as powerful as true solar flares. A single Ellerman bomb releases about 1026 ergs of energy--equal to about 100,000 World War II atomic bombs.
The sparkling action of Ellerman bombs is a sign of magnetic complexity in a sunspot. Opposite polarities bump together, reconnect, and--boom! A full-sized solar flare may not be far behind. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
THE ALIEN ABDUCTION CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT: "Turnabout is fair play," said the cow. You can't buy this on Amazon: The Alien Abduction Christmas Ornamant is only available from the Earth to Sky Store. On July 7, 2025, it flew to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $149.95. Hand-sculpted in the USA, this humorous ornament is intricately detailed, from the tied-up alien at the rear of the saucer to the cow at the helm. Durable polyresin construction makes it lightweight enough to hang on any tree, but sturdy enough to last for many Christmases to come--a guaranteed conversation starter!
The students are selling space ornaments to pay the helium bill for their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the ornament in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter