Autumn
is here, and it's a wonderful time for stargazing. Find
out what's up from Spaceweather
PHONE.
COMET
SWAN:
Where is Comet
Swan? Look northwest after sunset, and the handle
of the Big Dipper will guide you right to it: sky
map. Although the comet is too dim to see with the
unaided eye, it is an easy target for backyard telescopes.
The comet's pretty emerald color shows that it is rich
in cyanogen (CN), a poisonous gas, and diatomic carbon
(C2). Both glow green when exposed to sunlight:
photo.
SOLAR
ACTIVITY:
Yes, solar observing is an art form. Inspired
by what he saw through his sun-filtered
telescope, Mark
Seibold made this spirited pastel sketch of today's
arched prominence:
Rendered
in pastel: the view through a SolarMax40
solar telescope.
Although
the scene is frozen in time, it gives a distinct impression
of movement. Indeed, says Mark, "I made the sketch
while watching the prominence change dynamically for 20
minutes."
more
drawings: from
Les Cowley of the United Kingdom; from
Erika Rix of Zanesville, Ohio.
WHITE
RAINBOW:
On Oct. 8th, a ghostly white rainbow materialized at the
Pacifica Pier in Pacifica, California. "The fisherman
couldn't care less," says photographer Mila
Zinkova, "but I couldn't stop taking pictures."
Photo credit: Mila Zinkova
in Pacifica, California.
The
correct name of this phenomenon is "fogbow."
Atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley explains: "Always
look for fogbows
when a low sun starts to shine through mist or fog. They
are almost colorless and sparkle and shimmer in the misty
light. Fogbows are formed
like rainbows, with tiny fog
droplets taking the place of much larger raindrops.
The light waves squeezed inside the small drops interfere
to produce the broad diffuse bow."
SPACE WEATHER
SPACE WEATHER
