A CME IS COMING--MAYBE TWO: A G1 geomagnetic storm watch is in effect as one and maybe two CMEs approach Earth. The first CME is almost a sure thing. It will probably deliver a glancing blow on Oct. 2nd. The second CME is less certain. It is faint and less well aimed, but could make itself felt on Oct. 4th. Stay tuned for high-latitude auroras during the first week of October. CME Impact Alerts: SMS Text
METEOROID STRIKES ON SATURN'S RINGS: Something is marring the rings of Saturn. On Sept. 27th, Gabriele Vanin photographed a cluster of dark blemishes on the planet's B ring from Feltre, Italy:
"Saturn displayed spokes of unusual size," says Vanin.
"Spokes" are dark smudges that stretch across the rings like the spokes of a wheel. Discovered by Voyager 1 in 1980, they appear, rotate with the rings, and fade away again in a matter of hours. A leading theory holds that they are caused by meteoroids.
Saturn's rings are constantly peppered by space debris. When a meteoroid strikes the rings, the impact vaporizes ice and creates a puff of electrically charged gas and dust. Electric forces lift the ejecta off the rings, and Saturn's magnetic field sweeps it into a dark-looking streak that can stretch more than 10,000 km.
This is a good time to look for spokes. Saturn is approaching opposition on Oct. 4th--its closest approach to Earth for the year. The ringed planet is big, bright, and up all night long.
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THE ALIEN MIND SCULPTURE: The brains of octopuses are so different from ours, they're often called "alien minds." That makes the Alien Mind Sculpture more than a blown-glass paperweight -- it’s a fascinating conversation piece inspired by one of nature’s strangest and smartest creatures. Bonus: It has been to space:
You can have it for $149.95. On July 30, 2026, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched this sculpture onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. For 3 hours, it floated more than 105,000 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California while cosmic ray sensors inside the payload gathered data for our radiation monitoring program.
It comes with a full-color gift card showing the octopus floating at the top of Earth's atmosphere. The interior of the card tells the story of the flight and where it landed.
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All sales support hands-on STEM education
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