BIG SUNSPOT ALERT: When the weekend began, sunspot 4366 didn't exist. Now it is a behemoth almost 10 times wider than Earth. The sunspot's rapid growth is making it unstable and susceptible to flares. Indeed, it has already unleashed a triple-peaked M7-X1-M6 flare described below. More flares are in the offing. Get your alerts here!
POWERFUL SOLAR FLARES IN PROGRESS: New sunspot 4366 has an unstable 'delta-class' magnetic field that is crackling with strong solar flares. Earlier today it produced a M7-X1-M6 flare that collectively lasted more than 6 hours. X marks the spot in this snapshot from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:
Extreme ultraviolet radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere. This, in turn, caused a shortwave radio blackout centered on the South Atlantic, touching the edges of South America and Africa: map. Ham radio operators may have experienced loss of signal below 20 MHz for hours around 1230 UTC.
Is a CME heading for Earth? The jury's still out. First-look data suggest "no," but this conclusion may be overturned by fresh data from NOAA and SOHO coronagraphs. Stay tuned. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
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"BEST WIFE EVER" TEA CUP FOR VALENTINE'S DAY: Tell your wife what you think of her with the "Best Wife Ever" Tea Cup from Space. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $134.95. The crystal glass cup is decorated with 3D pink and purple daisies. There's also a matching teaspoon! This romantic Valentine's gift comes with a greeting card showing the cup in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere. See also: The High Tea Cup.
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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