CO-ROTATING INTERACTION REGION: A co-rotating interaction region (CIR) is expected to hit Earth on Sept. 6th, potentially sparking a G1-class geomagnetic storm. CIRs are transition zones between fast and slow streams of solar wind. They're a bit like mini-CMEs, containing shock waves and strong magnetic fields that can ignite high-latitude auroras. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
THE BLUE TAIL OF COMET 3I/ATLAS: The tail of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is faint, faraway, and notoriously difficult to photograph. Amateur astronomer Michael Jaeger has discovered the trick: "Use a blue filter," he says. On Aug. 28th, he and colleague Gerald Rhemann captured a movie showing the comet’s tadpole-like tail pointing almost directly toward the sun.
This is the first time amateurs have made such a clear detection. The idea came after reports that 3I/ATLAS is unusually rich in CO2, much like Comet C/2016 R2 from our own Solar System. “Blue filters had proven very successful with C/2016 R2, which had a similar composition, so we tried the same with 3I/ATLAS,” explains Jaeger.
Comets with a lot of carbon dioxide tend to have blue tails because of photochemistry. Solar ultraviolet radiation breaks CO2 into CO+, which emits blue light. That explains the color, but not the direction. Normal comet tails are blown away from the sun by solar wind and radiation pressure. 3I/ATLAS’s tail points toward the sun--a twist that astronomers don't fully understand.
The comet’s quirks such as its blue anti-tail and freakishly high abundance of CO2 have added to online speculation that it's a space probe. More likely, it’s exactly what it looks like: a comet, just a very strange one. Stay tuned for updates!
Realtime Comet ATLAS Photo Gallery
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YOUR OWN FULL MOON FROM SPACE: On Aug. 22nd, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon to the stratosphere. This laser-etched Moon cube went along for the ride, ascending to an altitude of 101,140 feet:
You can have it for $129.95. The students are selling these cubes as a fund-raiser for their cosmic ray ballooning program. It's an authentic representation of the Moon, with all of the craters, mountains and lava plains accurately portrayed. Put it on your desk, carry it in your backpack, or give it as a far-out gift!
The Moon-cube comes with a unique gift card showing the item floating at the top of Earth's atmosphere. The interior of the card tells the story of the flight and confirms that this gift has been to the edge of space and back again.
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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