GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH--DOWNGRADED: The failure of any CMEs to strike Earth on Oct. 16th has prompted NOAA to downgrade today's geomagnetic storm watch from G2 (Moderate) to G1 (Minor). The incoming CMEs were probably off-target. A belated glancing-blow could still spark Arctic auroras on Oct. 17th. CME impact alerts: SMS Text.
THE CRAZY DYNAMIC TAIL OF COMET LEMMON: One thing astronomers have consistently noted about Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6) is the unusually high level of activity in its tail. Chunks, knots and whirls of gas are almost-constantly tumbling or rippling away from the nucleus. Here's an example captured on Oct. 14th by Rick Albrecht of Cumming, Georgia:
"I could see one prominent knot moving noticably in only 35 minutes," he marvels. "Even though I was taking brief 30 second exposures, features in the tail were changing too much to stack!"
This extreme degree of activity is probably a sign of two things: (1) Unstable jets and "hot spots" in the comet's core, and, (2) buffeting by the solar wind and CMEs. Whatever it is, it shows no signs of abating.
On Oct. 21st, Comet Lemmon will make its closest approach to Earth, approximately 0.6 AU away. At that time, it could become a naked-eye object at 3rd or 4th magnitude. Even cell phones with night-sky photo settings should be able to catch the comet's green core with a fraction of the tail. Point your optics low in the northwestern sky after sunset. Sky maps: Oct. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
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FOREVER ROSE FROM SPACE: This bloom will never wilt. The Forever Rose flew to the edge of space on Oct. 4, 2025, floating 101,875 feet above the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California.
You can have it for $98.95. The 3-dimensional rose is laser etched inside a 2.3-inch diameter premium K9 crystal ball. The word "forever" is inscribed beneath the rose to denote eternal love. The stand is included, and it comes with a unique gift card showing the crystal ball at the top of Earth’s atmosphere.
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