LOOK EAST AT SUNSET: When the sun goes down tonight, step outside, face East, and look up. Jupiter and the Moon are having a bright conjunction in the constellation Gemini. It's a beautiful way to end the day: sky map.
A METEOR STORM OVER MISSOURI? No, it's just SpaceX. Only one of these streaks in the night sky over Albany, Missouri, is a natural meteor:
"Shown here is a lonely bright meteor passing through the atmosphere on Feb. 23rd," says photographer Dan Bush. "Also seen are dozens of satellites whose paths crisscrossed the night sky during the ~10 minute integration time. Two or three lines along the horizon just above the trees are planes."
The majority of these streaks are Starlink satellites. At a conference in 2020, Elon Musk famously said "I am confident that we will not cause any (interference) in astronomical discoveries. Zero. We'll take corrective action if it's above zero." It might be time to start.
In only two days since Bush took this photo, SpaceX has launched 54 more Starlinks, bringing the 2026 total to 512. Altogether, there are now 9,833 Starlinks swarming our planet. Here's what that looks like.
With no end in sight for SpaceX launches, the "meteor storm" will continue for the foreseeable future. Submit your satellite interference photos here.
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18K GOLD "ALWAYS AND FOREVER" PENDANT: Are you looking for an unforgettable gift? Consider the Always and Forever Space Pendent. On Aug. 29, 2023, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $229.95. Engraved with the words "I love you always and forever", this 18K gold-plated sterling silver pendant has a heart-shaped ruby crystal in the middle surrounded by a ring of glittering 5A cubic zirconia nuggets. It is a visually striking premium pendant that makes a once-in-a-lifetime anniversary or birthday gift.
The students are selling space pendants to pay the helium bill for their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
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