DOUBLE STARLINK LAUNCH ON FRIDAY THE 13TH: On Friday morning, March 13th, SpaceX will attempt to launch two Falcon 9 rockets only an hour apart--the first (Starlink 10-48) from Cape Canaveral in Florida (6:00 a.m. EDT) and the second (Starlink 17-31) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California (3:58 a.m. PDT). If you see either of these launches, please submit photos here.
SUNDIVING COMET UPDATE: It could become a daylight comet in April. For now, though, Comet MAPS (C/2026 A1) is just a faint green blob in the constellation Cetus. Dan Bartlett photographed the sundiver on March 8th from June Lake, California:
"Our skies were crystal clear," says Bartlett. "I was able to grab twenty-six 90 second exposures using my C14 hyperstar with an APS-C sensor. The comet's color and tail were easily viewable on my computer screen in each 90 second exposure."
Comet MAPS may be faint now, but it won't remain so. In the few nights since Bartlett took this photo, the comet has more than doubled in brightness to magnitude +10. By the time it swoops only 160,000 km above the sun's surface on April 4th, it could blossom into a magnitude -4 object rivaling Venus.
In 2011, another comet skimmed the sun at about the same distance and survived. Its name was "Comet Lovejoy" and it became a spectacular sight for weeks. We can't be certain the same thing will happen to Comet MAPS, but it is an object worth monitoring. Point your optics here.
Did you miss Comet Lovejoy? See what happened fifteen years ago in the 2011 Space Weather Archive: Dec. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.
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STERLING SILVER "ALWAYS AND FOREVER" PENDANT: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Always and Forever Pendent. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the top of Earth's atmosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
It's yours for $299.95. Engraved with the words "I love you always and forever," this sterling silver pendant features a heart-shaped citrine crystal surrounded by a ring of glittering 5A cubic zirconia nuggets. It comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its journey to space.
Every single item in the Earth to Sky Store has been to the edge of space--floating above 99.7% of Earth's atmosphere, experiencing space-like blasts of cosmic rays, extreme cold, and a wild ride parachuting back to Earth. 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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