ISS MEDICAL EVACUATION BEGINS TODAY: A medical problem with an unidentified member of Crew 11 on the International Space Station has prompted a return to Earth for the entire 4-person crew. NASA and SpaceX are targeting 5:05 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 14th, for undocking of the return capsule. Live coverage will stream on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the space agency’s YouTube channel.
AN ACTIVE SUNSPOT IS EMERGING: Solar activity is poised to increase with the emergence of a large and potentially explosive sunspot over the sun's southeastern limb. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is watching the sunspot group rotate over the edge of the solar disk:
We know this sunspot is active because it produced two significant CMEs in the past week: #1, #2. Both explosions occured while the sunspot was on the farside of the sun, so the flares and CMEs did not affect our planet.
Earth is now entering the strike zone, so future flares will be geoeffective. Stay tuned. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
more images: from Eliot Herman of Tucson, Arizona; from Michael Borman of Evansville, Indiana
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VALENTINE'S CRYSTAL BEAR CRUSH: Valentine’s Day is coming. Do you have a truly far-out gift? Consider the Crystal Bear Crush. On Jan. 2nd, it flew to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $129.95. The two bears, plus heart and flower, are made of genuine high-quality K9 crystal, which shines beautifully in high-altitude sunlight. You'll also receive a unique keepsake card showing the bears at the top of Earth's atmosphere. Inside, the card tells the story of the flight and certifies that the item 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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