THE SOLAR WIND HAS ARRIVED: Earth is entering a high-speed stream of solar wind flowing from the Big Butterfly coronal hole. Magnetic fields within the stream are linking to Earth's magnetosphere, setting the stage for G1-class geomagnetic storms on Sept. 14-15. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
COMET SWAN25B AND SPICA: Looking for Comet SWAN25B? Pro tip: Point your telescope toward Spica. There's a gaseous plume below the 1st magnitude star that leads straight to the comet. On Sept. 14th, Ujvárosi Beáta followed these instructions, and this is what he saw:
"Using a remote-controlled telescope in Namibia, I took a quick image hoping to catch all of the tail of this newly-discovered comet," says Beáta. "The FSQ106 telescope has a huge field of view (3° 54' x 2° 38'), but still, it looks like the tail is too long to fit into the image (see inset)."
Comet SWAN25B surprised astronomers last week when it emerged from hiding behind the sun. On Sept. 11th, amateur astronomer Vladimir Bezugly noticed it in online images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory's SWAN camera. SWAN is a special camera that maps hydrogen in the solar wind, which suggests this comet may be rich in the element.
In only a few days, the comet has tripled in brightness. It is now near 6th magnitude, at the threshold of naked-eye visibility. The comet's orbit is still being determined. Initial astrometry suggests it might make a close approach to Earth (0.25 AU) in mid-to-late October. Stay tuned!
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LASER-ETCHED CRYSTAL SPACE ROSE: This rose will last forever, and it comes from space. On Jan. 19th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched the Crystal Space Rose to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $127.95. The bloom is laser-etched into a block of optical-quality borosilicate crystal with the words "I Love You" curving below the stem. It comes with an LED base that transforms the rose into a romantic night light.
The students are selling space roses to support their cosmic ray monitoring program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the rose 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
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