THE STORM IS OVER: A geomagnetic storm that began with a CME impact on April 3rd is over. At its peak, the storm registered G3 (Strong) on NOAA storm scales with bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. Earth's magnetic field is now returning to a quiet state and the polar glow is subsiding. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
COMET MAPS WAS OBLITERATED (UPDATED): The solar system has one less comet. Yesterday, Comet MAPS (C/2026 A1) flew through the sun's atmosphere only 160,000 km above the sun's surface. The comet went in, but only a cloud of debris came out:
This is SOHO's C2 coronagraph. See also C3.
SOHO coronagraphs captured the death dive, which was invisible from Earth. In the movie, above, there's a sudden brightening between 0600 UTC and 0800 UTC. That was probably the comet's nucleus exploding due to thermal stress. The sudden brightening is better seen in this wider view.
While the comet was behind the coronagraph's occulting disk, the fragmented nucleus was apparently vaporized, leaving only a stream of dusty debris to exit on the other side. SOHO data are still coming in, so we'll see more of this debris in the hours ahead.
Astronomers had hoped for more. Comet MAPS was discovered last January farther from the sun than any sungrazer in history. It looked like it might be unusually big--perhaps big enough to survive and even become visible in broad daylight. Instead, RIP, Comet MAPS.
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THE MILKY WAY IN A CRYSTAL BALL: Are you looking for a big gift? How about the entire galaxy? Last Nov. 25th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched The Milky Way on a Crystal Ball onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. Here it is 113,517 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
You can have it for $119.95. The galaxy is laser etched inside a 60 mm crystal sphere. You can turn it in your hands, inspecting the spiral star system from any angle. The gift-boxed sphere comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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