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2013-05-17 20:45:23 (2 comments, 4 reshares, 24 +1s)

This video shows the coronal mass ejection (CME) that occurred on May 17, 2013 at 5:24 a.m. EDT. 

This is a combination of two satellite views, showing both the Sun and its atmosphere, the corona. The center image shows the sun in UV light, as captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO. 

The larger image in red and blue shows the area around the Sun, including the CME as an arch in the upper left. It was obtained from two chronographic instruments aboard ESA/NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.

Credit: NASA SDO / ESA/NASA SOHO

#NASA   #SDO   #ESA   #SOHO   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-17 16:33:20 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

There was a Coronal Mass Ejection associated with the latest M-class solar flare. If you look closely you can see the CME in this view at 193 angstroms. 

On 5:24 AM EDT on May 17, 2013, the Sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME, a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space that can reach Earth one to three days later and affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground. Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from NASA’s Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, show that the CME left the Sun at speeds of around 745 miles per second. The solar material in CMEs cannot pass through the atmosphere to affect humans on Earth.

Not to be confused with a solar flare, a CME can cause a space weather phenomenon called a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when they connect with the outside of the Earth'sma... more »

2013-05-17 15:35:29 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 6 +1s)

Kids inspire me! Their curious nature, their way of looking at our World and our Universe. Often times we loose that ability during the process of growing up. 

This is wonderful. Kids from Europe and from Africa performing "Can You Hear Me?" 

Hear what Galaxies are singing,
bring their sound to you and me.

http://youtu.be/sUbv4pRsKHQ

#Science   #STEM   #Europe   #Africa  

2013-05-17 14:39:23 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 12 +1s)

With all this X and M-class solar flare talk, what does it really mean?

Flares happen when the powerful magnetic fields in and around the sun reconnect. They're usually associated with active regions, often seen as Sun spots, where the magnetic fields are strongest. 

Flares are classified according to their strength. The smallest ones are B-class, followed by C, M and X, the largest. Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, each letter represents a ten-fold increase in energy output. So an X is 10 times an M and 100 times a C. Within each letter class, there is a finer scale from 1 to 9. C-class flares are too weak to noticeably affect Earth. M-class flares can cause brief radio blackouts at the poles and minor radiation storms that might endanger astronauts. Although X is the last letter, there are flares more than 10 times the power of an X1, so X-class flares can go higher... more »

2013-05-17 14:04:35 (3 comments, 8 reshares, 30 +1s)

After a day of more calm, the Active Region 1748 started to produce some stronger solar flares again. At 21:53 UT on May 16, 2013 it released a M1.3-class solar flare and at 08:57 UT on May 17, 2013 it, once again, flexed its muscle and produced a M3.2-class flare. 

Due to the Sun's rotation this active region has now moved towards the Earth facing side. 

While the entire active region is not very large, there are much larger ones on the Sun right now, this particular region has a very complex magnetic field. The lines are criss-crossing high above the sunspot and that can produce some strong solar flares. 

This image shows the M3.2-class solar flare from May 17, 2013. 

Credit: NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (Little SDO)

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather   #STEM  

2013-05-16 19:40:26 (2 comments, 6 reshares, 18 +1s)

I just had to share this. It actually made me smile. 

You know you have made an impact if somebody does a parody of yourself. +Chris Hadfield did an amazing job on the ISS by giving us an insight and "backstage, well, upstage" look at how it is in a zero gravity environment. 

Now that he is back on Earth this gentleman decided to show what those experiments would be like on Earth... Christ at Home! 

I did enjoy the nail-clipping one! 

http://jalopnik.com/this-great-chris-hadfield-at-home-parody-reminds-us-why-507574919

#Humor   #STEM   #Earth  

2013-05-16 15:38:01 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

This is a must watch! "Let There be Light: The Story of the James Webb Space Telescope". 

http://youtu.be/KaHzj_wYhcI

#NASA   #Astronomy   #JWST   #Telescope  

2013-05-15 15:09:53 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 22 +1s)

A more intimate look at the recent X-class solar flares, including a look at the Active Region 1748, which has been producing these flares. 

My favorite segment is the yellow 171 angstrom wavelength. It shows the magnetic field lines in this area of the Sun's atmosphere, the corona, and how they began to twist and kink, generating the hottest solar material – a charged gas called plasma. 

Enjoy this beautiful view of our Star. 

Credit: NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory 

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-15 13:47:22 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 16 +1s)

Solar activity continued on May 14, 2013, as the Sun emitted a fourth X-class flare from its upper left limb, peaking at 9:48 p.m. EDT. This flare is classified as an X1.2 flare and it is the 18th X-class flare of the current solar cycle. The flare caused a radio blackout – categorized as an R3, or strong, on NOAA’s space weather scales from R1 to R5 -- which has since subsided.

The flare was also associated with a non-Earth-directed CME. CMEs and flares are separate but related solar phenomena: solar flares are powerful bursts that send light and radiation into space; CMEs erupt with billions of tons of solar material. They often, but do not always, occur together. Any time we can see a solar flare from Earth’s view, than at least some of its light and radiation must be directed at Earth. CMEs on the other hand may or may not be Earth directed. NASA observes CMEs, however, even when theyare n... more »

2013-05-15 03:17:05 (12 comments, 24 reshares, 66 +1s)

And here is the fourth X-class solar flare; peaking at X1.2. There is also a coronal mass ejection associated with the flare. Just like the previous three this one is not yet Earth directed.

Credit: NASA SDO

2013-05-14 22:09:45 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

The two days I have been very "Sun" heavy on here - blame the Sun, not me! So here is some cool things I have come across this week and thought I would share with all of you. This way you can see I don't just have a Sun-obsession. 

2013-05-14 22:07:04 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

Not everyday do we get to see three X-class solar flares in less than 24 hours. And because we have never been able to observe the Sun with so many sophisticated instruments, we love sharing the various views. 

This is seen through the AIA 304 angstroms wavelength. This channel sees the chromosphere and lower transition region of the Sun in extreme ultraviolet. The temperatures seen here are approx. 90,000 F.

It starts off with the X1.7 flare, then the X2.8 and ends with the X3.2-class solar flare. 

Credit: NASA SDO

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun  

2013-05-14 15:09:31 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

The Sun emitted a third significant solar flare in under 24 hours, peaking at 9:11 p.m. EDT on May 13, 2013. This flare is classified as an X3.2 flare. This is the strongest X-class flare of 2013 so far, surpassing in strength the two X-class flares that occurred earlier in the 24-hour period.

The flare was also associated with a coronal mass ejection, or CME. The CME began at 9:30 p.m. EDT and was not Earth-directed. Experimental NASA research models show that the CME left the sun at approximately 1,400 miles per second, which is particularly fast for a CME. The models suggest that it will catch up to the two CMEs associated with the earlier flares. The merged cloud of solar material will pass by the Spitzer spacecraft and may give a glancing blow to the STEREO-B and Epoxi spacecraft. Their mission operators have been notified. If warranted, operators can put spacecraft into safe mode to protect... more »

2013-05-14 14:46:14 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 7 +1s)

A look at the three X-class solar flares through two different instruments on two different spacecrafts. 

The "green" Sun is seen through the AIA instrument at 131 angstroms. This channel sees very hot temperatures, at approx. 18 million F, and is great to study solar flares. 

The "red" view is from NASA/ESA's LASCO C2 instrument and shows us the outer region and how the ejected plasma (called a Coronal Mass Ejection or CME) is traveling away from the Sun. 

As you can see these three flares occurred to the left of the Sun and the CME is not traveling towards Earth. No planets are in the way of this fast traveling CME. However, the CMEs appear to be on course to hit NASA's Epoxi and Spitzer spacecrafts on May 15-16.

Credit: NASA SDO / NASA/ESA SOHO

#NASA   #SDO   #ESA   #SOHO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-14 02:43:18 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 13 +1s)

And a third X-class solar flare. At 01:11 UT on May 14, 2013 this flare peaked at X3.2. This marks the 3rd X-class flare in 24 hours. 

Just like the two before this one also happened over the eastern limb of the Sun and is not Earth directed. 

Credit: NASA SDO

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-13 21:53:25 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 12 +1s)

On May 12-13 the Sun erupted with an X1.7-class and an X2.8-class flare as well as two coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, off the upper left side of the Sun. 

Solar material also danced and blew off the sun in what's called a prominence eruption, both in that spot and on the lower right side of the sun. This movie compiles imagery of this activity from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and from the ESA/NASA Solar Heliospheric Observatory.

Credit: NASA SDO, NASA/ESA SOHO

Music: "Long Range Cruise" by Lars Leonhard, courtesy of the artist and BineMusic. www.lars-leonhard.de

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-13 18:07:20 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

A look at today's second X-class solar flare, measuring at X2.7. But what are the impacts of such strong solar flares?

Given a legitimate need to protect Earth from the most intense forms of space weather -- great bursts of electromagnetic energy and particles that can sometimes stream from the sun -- some people worry that a gigantic "killer solar flare" could hurl enough energy to destroy Earth, but this is not actually possible.

Solar activity is indeed currently ramping up toward what is known as solar maximum, something that occurs approximately every 11 years. However, this same solar cycle has occurred over millennia so anyone over the age of 11 has already lived through such a solar maximum with no harm.

This is not to say that space weather can't affect our planet. The explosive heat of a solar flare can't make it all the way to our globe, but... more »

2013-05-13 17:34:51 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

What is the Biggest Star in the Universe?

Here's another video explainer. This time, I investigate what is the biggest star in the Universe, the most massive star, and the limits of star size. This is based on an article I wrote a few years ago, which is now totally out of date and in need of a refresh.

http://www.universetoday.com/13507/what-is-the-biggest-star-in-the-universe/

Again, a big thanks to +Jason Harmer for helping me create these.

2013-05-13 16:50:47 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

On May 12, 2013, the Sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 10 p.m. EDT. This flare is classified as an X1.7, making it the first X-class flare of 2013. The flare was also associated with another solar phenomenon, called a coronal mass ejection (CME) that can send solar material out into space. This CME was not Earth-directed.

The May 12 flare was also associated with a coronal mass ejection, another solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space, which can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground. Experimental NASA research models show that the CME left the sun at 745 miles per second and is not Earth-directed, however its flank may pass by the STEREO-B and Spitzer spacecraft, and their mission operators have been notified. If warranted, operators can put spacecraft into safe mode to protect the instruments from solar material. There is... more »

2013-05-13 16:43:23 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 7 +1s)

The Coronal Mass Ejection associated with the first X-class solar flare today as seen by NASA / ESA's SOHO LASCO C2 instrument. 

The May 12 flare was also associated with a coronal mass ejection, another solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space, which can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground. Experimental NASA research models show that the CME left the sun at 745 miles per second and is not Earth-directed, however its flank may pass by the STEREO-B and Spitzer spacecraft, and their mission operators have been notified. If warranted, operators can put spacecraft into safe mode to protect the instruments from solar material. There is some particle radiation associated with this event, which is what can concern operators of interplanetary spacecraft since the particles can trip computer electronics on board. 

Credit: NASA/ESAS... more »

2013-05-13 16:20:25 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 14 +1s)

We are not done yet! A 2nd X-class solar flare in less than 24 hours. This one is even larger than the first one, measuring at X2.8. 

This one is also not Earth directed. 

Credit: NASA SDO

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-13 15:43:51 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

A look at some of the notable solar flares from May 1 through May 13, 2013 originating over the north eastern limb of the Sun. Most of these flares originated from different active regions, but looking through the SDO telescope, they appear to all be around the same area of the Sun. 

The Sun rotates and the region responsible for the May 1 solar flare, has moved over the eastern limb of the Sun and across the Earth facing side. While the active region from the May 12 and 13 events will move into view the next couple of days. 

Credit: NASA SDO

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-13 14:51:29 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Today 2 years ago, our BTS-1 capsule "Inspiration" was finally located. The Lake Sabine Fish and Wildlife Department assisted in the recovery efforts. Here is the actual footage. But to everyone's surprise, Skye Bleu, Fuzz Aldrin and I were not in or around the capsule! Where were we? The adventure continues... 

Recap: On May 8, 2011 us three mascots, Fuzz Aldrin (BearsOnPatrol.org), Skye Bleu (AIAA) and yours truly (NASA SDO) launched in a high altitude weather balloon to the Edge of Space. Thanks to the jet stream and great piloting skills by Fuzz, we avoided Lake Sabine and landed in the swamp of Louisiana. Our ground team tried to recover us on launch day, but that did not happen! In fact, it took 5 days to locate and reach our capsule. Why did we do this mission? Our goal was to inspire kids and adults to design similar missions to the edge of space and support STEM education!... more »

2013-05-13 13:54:16 (0 comments, 6 reshares, 15 +1s)

On May 12, 2013, the Sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 10 p.m. EDT. This flare is classified as an X1.7, making it the first X-class flare of 2013.

The flare was also associated with another solar phenomenon, called a coronal mass ejection (CME) that can send solar material out into space. This CME was not Earth-directed. 

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing – the radio blackout associated with this flare has since subsided. 

"X-class" denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength.An ... more »

2013-05-13 12:30:32 (1 comments, 5 reshares, 18 +1s)

Our 1st X-class solar flare of 2013! At 02:16 this flare peaked at X1.7 over the northeastern limb of the Sun. 

X-class flares are biggest explosions in our solar system; they are major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. The active region responsible for this flare has not yet come into view and therefore, this event is not Earth directed. 

Credit: NASA SDO 

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #Spaceweather  

2013-05-12 19:15:56 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Expedition 42 patch
One of those little things that makes it more real :-)
_

2013-05-12 15:44:22 (1 comments, 6 reshares, 20 +1s)

Enjoy your day, all of you! 

Credit: NASA SDO 

#MothersDay  

2013-05-12 15:15:31 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

Happy Mother's Day - here is today's Sun for you wonderful Mother's out there !

Celebrations of mothers and motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the clearest modern precedent for Mother’s Day is the early Christian festival known as “Mothering Sunday.” Once a major tradition in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, this celebration fell on the fourth Sunday in Lent and was originally seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church”—the main church in the vicinity of their home—for a special service. Over time the Mothering Sunday tradition shifted into a more secular holiday, and children would present their mothers with flowers and other tokens of appreciation. This custom eventually faded in popularity before merging with the American Mother’sDay in the 1930... more »

2013-05-10 18:29:16 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 17 +1s)

Solar Eclipse's Shadow on Earth
On May 10, 2013, the Sun experienced what's called an annular eclipse -- when the moon moves directly in front of the Sun, but doesn't obscure it completely. This leaves a thin, fiery ring, the annulus, visible around the outside. This eclipse was only visible from the South Pacific, along an approximately 100-mile-wide track that traverses Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and the Gilbert Islands. Other areas in Australia and Indonesia saw a partial eclipse, in which the moon blocks a much smaller region of the sun.

NASA's Terra satellite didn't observe the eclipse directly, but it did see the moon's shadow darkening the region northeast of Australia including the Solomon Islands. This image was captured by Terra's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on May 9, 2013, at 23:30 UTC (7:30 p.m. EDT).
... more »

2013-05-10 17:27:24 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

This version of SDO:Three Years in Three Minutes is extended and narrated by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center heliophysicist Alex Young. He highlights many interesting aspects of the video and points out several of the single-frame events that appear in it.

In the three years since it first provided images of the sun in the spring of 2010, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has had virtually unbroken coverage of the Sun's rise toward solar maximum, the peak of solar activity in its regular 11-year cycle. This video shows those three years of the Sun at a pace of two images per day. Each image is displayed for two frames at a 29.97 frame rate.

SDO's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) captures a shot of the Sun every 12 seconds in 10 different wavelengths. The images shown here are based on a wavelength of 171 Angstroms, which is in the extreme ultraviolet range... more »

2013-05-10 16:06:58 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 14 +1s)

So if "Three is a Charm" what would four be? 

The latest solar flare measured M1.3 and just like the previous three events over the northeastern limb, this one is also not Earth directed. 

Credit: NASA SDO

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-10 04:32:52 (2 comments, 11 reshares, 35 +1s)

Today's M-class solar flare (May 10, 2013 at 01:03 UT) marks the third M-class flare in almost the same location (eastern limb of the Sun) but all three were from different active regions. Interesting! 

Credit: NASA SDO

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-10 04:14:04 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Doesn't this look just too familiar already? Another M-class solar flare over the eastern limb of the Sun. This one measured M3.9 and shows the flare at 01:03 UT on May 10, 2013. 

Credit: NASA SDO

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun  SpaceWeather

2013-05-10 03:43:39 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

A dear friend of mine took this image of today's partial solar eclipse in Australia; Jeannette Lamb captured this just past maximum for her latitude. Imaged through thin cloud.

Credit: Jeannette Lamb

#Astronomy   #SolarEclipse   #Eclipse   #Sun   #Moon   #Australia  

2013-05-10 03:03:49 (2 comments, 9 reshares, 25 +1s)

Paul Haese captured an amazing image of today's partial solar eclipse in Australia.

He said: "Partial eclipse this morning. Trees and cloud had a bit to do with the occasion but that is nothing new for me with solar eclipses."

Thank you Paul! 

Credit: Paul Haese

#Astronomy   #Eclipse   #Australia   #Sun   #Moon  

2013-05-10 02:47:00 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

The Sunset Triangle - this triple conjunction of Venus, Jupiter and Mercury will be wonderful to see right after sunset. 

Credit: Science@NASA
http://youtu.be/-DlCeZw9RFw

#Astronomy   #Sunset  

2013-05-09 14:50:14 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 10 +1s)

The COR2 instrument on NASA's STEREO Ahead spacecraft shows us man Coronal Mass Ejections on the Sun between April 28 and May 4, 2013. 

How many do you count?

STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes program (STP). The mission, launched in October 2006, has provided a unique and revolutionary view of the Sun-Earth System. 

The two nearly identical observatories - one ahead of Earth in its orbit, the other trailing behind - have traced the flow of energy and matter from the Sun to Earth. STEREO has revealed the 3D structure of coronal mass ejections; violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt satellites and power grids, and help us understand why they happen. STEREO is a key addition to the fleet of space weather detection satellites by providing more accurate alerts for the arrival timeo... more »

2013-05-08 21:25:49 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Today 2 years ago, Mission Specialist Skye Bleu, Pilot Fuzz Aldrin and yours truly embarked on an amazing adventure. It was named "BTS-1", the Balloon Transport System, First Flight. Together we flew in a capsule labeled "Inspiration", propelled by a weather balloon and left downtown Houston. Ultimately we ended up in the swamp of Louisiana. There we spent 5 days before being rescued to only get lost again by FedEx... true story! 

This was our first time getting others inspired to do high altitude balloon missions. 

BTS-1 Launch Trailer

#STEM   #Balloon  

2013-05-07 18:46:23 (1 comments, 9 reshares, 10 +1s)

Ok, I am going to share this. Note that I am not endorsing any products in this video. Especially since I do not have a driver license (nor do I need one). 

However, this commercial is full of awesomeness on many levels. It's about Science, Technology, Engineering and I am sure there is some Math in there too! Actually, there is! Keep reading...

Oh, and there is +Stanford University 's Self-Driving Audi TTS called Shelley. This is true STEM right there! Shelley recently was zipping around on the Thunderhill track in Sacramento at 120 mph. 

The experience and data gathered by running Shelley around the track could one day lead to fully autonomous cars that safely drive you and your loved ones from Point A to Point B on public roads. In the nearer term, the technology could show up as a sort of onboard co-pilot that helps the driver steer out of a dangeroussi... more »

2013-05-07 18:19:30 (0 comments, 8 reshares, 27 +1s)

One Solar Event - Many Different Views! 

On May 1, 2013, a fleet of Sun observing spacecrafts watched as an active region just around the left edge of the Sun erupted with a huge cloud of solar material--a heated, charged gas called plasma. This eruption, called a coronal mass ejection, or CME, flung the plasma out through the solar system. 

Thanks to missions like NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (Little SDO), NASA/ESA SOHO and NASA STEREO we are receiving data and images telling us a much bigger story. 

Take a look at the various images. 

#NASA   #ESA   #SDO   #SOHO   #STEREO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-07 18:01:42 (5 comments, 4 reshares, 14 +1s)

On May 1, 2013, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) watched as an active region just around the left edge of the Sun erupted with a huge cloud of solar material--a heated, charged gas called plasma. This eruption, called a coronal mass ejection, or CME, flung the plasma out through the solar system. Viewing the Sun in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength of 304 angstroms, SDO provided a beautiful view of the initial arc as it left the solar surface.

Such eruptions soon leave SDO's field of view, but other satellites in NASA's solar-observing fleet can pick them up, tracking such space weather to determine if they are headed toward Earth or spacecraft near other planets. With advance warning, many space assets can move into safe mode and protect themselves from the ill effects of such particle radiation.

In addition to the images captured by SDO, the May 1, 2013 CME was... more »

2013-05-06 21:15:43 (0 comments, 4 reshares, 22 +1s)

Heliophysics research studies how energy and material from the sun affects Earth and the entire solar system. It’s a complex system that begins on the Sun when events on the Sun, such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections, travel out into space. These cause electromagnetic effects that drive space weather close to Earth -- from aurora to radio blackouts to changes in the radiation belts surrounding Earth. Scientists study the minutiae of how energy transfers from one event to the other and which electromagnetic waves create which conditions near Earth. Since space weather effects can disrupt satellites in space, scientists need to understand the system in even more detail. Watch the video to see how events on the sun affect Earth.

Suitable for all ages, this intro to space weather covers vocabulary like coronal mass ejection (CME), solar wind, and solar flare. It also outlines potentiale... more »

2013-05-06 21:08:43 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 8 +1s)

"North Country Dreamland" - an incredible time-lapse movie of 10K frames, 33 scenes of the night sky photographed entirely in northern Michigan including auroras, milky way, meteor showers, the comet, aurorae and lightning in one scene!

Credit: Shawn Malone/LakeSuperiorPhoto

#SpaceWeather   #Astronomy   #Aurora   #Meteor   #Comet   #Michigan  

2013-05-05 03:38:05 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 15 +1s)

Today is a special day - it's my very good friend +Karyn Traphagen Birthday and tomorrow she is doing the Rocketman Triathlon at NASA Kennedy Space Center. I was supposed to join her on her swim, bike ride and run. But unfortunately things came up; at least I will not slow down Karyn! :-) 

Happy Birthday! 

2013-05-03 19:59:25 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 29 +1s)

The Sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:32 pm EDT on May 3, 2013. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing, and the radio blackout for this flare has already subsided.

his flare is classified as an M5.7-class flare. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth. Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, as the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013.

Credit: NASA SDO

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-03 19:52:58 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

This morning I saw the Solar Impulse - Around the world in a solar airplane take off at NASA Ames Research Center for its journey across the US. This plane gets all of its needed energy from the Sun and it can fly day and night. Energy collected during the day is stored in batteries. What a great concept. 

But being airborne this long - how does the pilot go to the bathroom? Sometimes the solution just has to be simple. Lesson 1 of STEM: Simple is good! 

http://youtu.be/20x8FoArRF8

#SolarImpulse   #Energy   #STEM   #Fun  

2013-05-03 18:24:13 (4 comments, 7 reshares, 20 +1s)

It's like these two different active regions are competing for "Most Beautiful Eruption of early May 2013". 

Credit: NASA SDO 

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-03 18:05:44 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

How pretty! An Active Region still over the eastern limb of the Sun produced a M5-class solar flare. This 304 angstroms view shows the eruption of the solar plasma. This channel shows temperatures of approx. 90,000 F or 50,000 K. 

This region is to the side and this event is not Earth directed. 

Credit: NASA SDO 

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun   #SpaceWeather  

2013-05-03 16:04:15 (4 comments, 14 reshares, 33 +1s)

The dark blue looking area on today's Sun is a Coronal Hole. 

Coronal Holes are regions where the corona is dark. These features were discovered when X-ray telescopes were first flown above the earth's atmosphere to reveal the structure of the corona across the solar disc. Coronal Holes are associated with "open" magnetic field lines and are often found at the Sun's poles. The high-speed solar wind is known to originate in coronal holes. 

The solar wind escaping from there should arrive around May 6-8, 2013. 

This is a three wavelength composite image. 

Credit: NASA SDO

#NASA   #SDO   #Sun  

2013-05-03 14:32:50 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Look who made it onto the The Weather Channel - the smart students of Earth to Sky Calculus and yours truly. And the segment right next to mine is from my buddy NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (Little SDO). They called me a "sort of NASA celebrity"! Now how sweet is this?! 

http://www.weather.com/video/journey-to-the-edge-of-space-36515

#STEM   #Sun   #Weather