THE WEEKEND FORECAST WAS WRONG: Over the weekend, two CMEs were supposed to hit Earth's magnetic field, sparking geomagnetic storms. None of those things happened. It's a reminder that space weather forecasting still lags Earth weather forecasting by decades. Only a handful of spacecraft observe the sun with in situ measurements of CMEs and the solar wind. It's like trying to predict worldwide weather with only a few ocean buoys and a weather balloon. Sometimes, being wrong comes with the territory. CME impact alerts: SMS Text
THE PERILS OF AI-ASSISTED PHOTOGRAPHY: Philip Smith of Manorville, New York, is a longtime photographer of space stations--both Chinese and ISS. His high-resolution images are among the best amateur astronomers capture from Earth. Last week, he decided to try something new.
"I used the free test option of an AI software called Repairit from Wondershare," says Smith. "I then selected the tool option called Remove Scratches and Colorize, and let it do its thing." It did a lot more than remove scratches:
For comparison, here are the original photos. "The transformation was amazing," says Smith. "But is it real?"
Two world-class photographers, Thierry Legault and Damian Peach, contacted Smith to weigh in.
"Philip, there is no miracle. Those 'images' show details that you have not recorded," cautioned Legault. "The AI application uses closeups of the stations taken from space and/or 3D models, [and combines them with your photos]."
Peach agreed: "The AI result looks extremely convincing. Sadly, this kind of 'photography' will be easy to produce, and 99% of people will not be able to tell that this was not actually taken by the observer."
"Clearly, AI software can produce misleading structures," says Smith. "It was interesting to see how it interpreted my original monochromatic image and gave it false color and shapes. I hope you like the fact that I took the time to share my test results."
We do, indeed. Thank you, Philip! And, to everyone else, beware AI.
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IRON HEART VALENTINE'S GIFT: Valentine’s Day is coming. Do you have a truly far-out gift? The Iron Heart Valentine’s Swing celebrates a love that is strong, steady, and enduring. On Nov. 13, 2025, it flew to the edge of space, floating 100,895 feet above the Sierra Nevada Mountains of central California:
You can have it for $159.95. The gift-boxed swing includes a unique keepsake card featuring the Iron Heart at the top of Earth's atmosphere. Inside, the card tells the story of the flight and certifies that this swing has been to the edge of space.
Earth to Sky Valentine's 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.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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