A GEOMAGNETIC STORM ON NEW YEAR'S DAY: 2026 could begin with a geomagnetic storm. NOAA forecast models predict a glancing blow from a CME on Jan. 1st. If the impact actually occurs, it could spark a G1-class storm with auroras around the Arctic Circle. CME impact alerts: SMS Text
IN OUR OWN BACKYARD: Most worlds in the Solar System are staggeringly far away. Tens, even hundreds of millions of miles separate us from them. Have you ever tried to see a crater on Mercury or a glacier on Pluto through a backyard telescope? Be prepared to use your imagination!
Not so, the Moon. It's the alien world in our own backyard, and the view through small telescopes is spectacular:
French amateur astronomer Philippe Tosi took this picture on Dec. 29th. Incredibly, it is less than 5% of what he saw. Click here to view the complete 20-image mosaic, and be sure to zoom in.
"The seeing was very good," says Tosi. His 9-inch telescope revealed towering mountains, lava plains and impact craters--and hundreds of sunrise shadows marching along the rugged terminator. With this kind of clarity, you might even spot a meteor crashing.
more images: from David Wilson of Inverness, Scotland
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WHY HASN'T THE NOVA EXPLODED? In the summer of 2024, NASA announced that a star named "T Coronae Borealis" (T CrB) was about to explode. "It’ll fuel the next generation of scientists," the space agency declared. Almost two years later, "our wait continues," says amateur astronomer Eric G David, who photographed the star's location on Dec. 30th:
"T CrB is still near minimum brightness, estimated to be between +9.5 and +10.0 on the morning of Dec 30th," says David.
T CrB is a "recurrent nova." That means it erupts not just once, but over and over again. Its explosion in 1866 was the first nova astronomers had ever seen in detail. No one knew what caused it. Another blast in 1946 established its period (79 or 80 years) and led researchers to the modern interpretation:
T CrB is a binary star system consisting of an ancient red giant circled by a hot white dwarf. Hydrogen from the red giant spills onto the surface of the white dwarf. It takes about 80 years to accumulate a critical mass, then–BOOM–a thermonuclear explosion occurs.
So, why hasn't the nova exploded? It might be as simple as this: NASA's announcement was a little premature. 80 years after the last explosion would be 2026! The New Year could bring an exploding star, after all.
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Earth to Sky gifts have flown above 99.7% of Earth's atmosphere, experiencing space-like blasts of cosmic rays, extreme cold, and a wild ride parachuting back to Earth after the balloon explodes. Even Amazon doesn't carry items this far out. And, best of all, all sales support student science projects and STEM education.
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