TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE THIS WEEKEND: For more than an hour on Sept. 7th, the full Moon will pass through Earth's shadow, turning the lunar disk blood red. It's a total lunar eclipse. No one in the Americas will be able to see it, but everyone else can. The zone of visibility includes Asia, Australia, Africa, and most of Europe. Maximum eclipse occurs at 1811 UTC. Submit your photos here.
A SIGMOID ERUPTION ON THE SUN: When you see an "S" on the sun, it usually means something is about to explode. On Sept. 4th, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded a textbook sigmoid eruption:
Researchers have long known that sigmoid structures in the sun's atmosphere herald strong explosions. Their magnetic field lines are twisted like a slinky. When enough tension builds up, they un-twist explosively.
This sigmoid hurled a dark plume of plasma more than 700,000 km long into space. The plume is dark because the plasma inside is relatively cool and dense--two qualities that can make potent CMEs.
The explosion hurled a CME directly toward Earth. NOAA and NASA models agree that it will reach our planet on Sept. 7th. The impact could spark a G1 to G2-class geomagnetic storm with high-latitude auroras visible during the lunar eclipse. CME impact alerts: SMS Text
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SOLAR SYSTEM EARRINGS FROM SPACE: These earrings have flown to the edge of space--and all eight planets are included! On May 21, 2025, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched the Solar System Stud Earrings to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. At the apex of the flight, they floated 104,655 feet high:
You can have the complete set for $99.95. Only Pluto is omitted from the collection; the dwarf planet was too small for human earlobes. The earrings come with a greeting card showing the studs in flight and telling the story of their journey to the stratosphere and back again.
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