They came from outer space--and you can have one! Genuine meteorites are now on sale in the Space Weather Store. | | |
CHANCE OF STORMS: NOAA forecasters estimate a 55% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Nov. 30th when a coronal mass ejection (CME) is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras. Geomagnetic storm alerts: text, voice.
FULL MOON AND JUPITER: When the sun went down last night, Nov. 28th, the full Moon and Jupiter rose in the east only a few degrees apart. The conjunction was so bright, it could be seen through clouds, city lights, and even inside coffee cups. SWx-reader Nancy sends this picture from Sterling, Alaska:
"It was 5 degrees below zero outside," says Nancy, "but [worth braving the cold to see this beautiful conjunction]."
Although the Moon and Jupiter are separating now, they are still in the same constellation: Taurus. Look for the pair by the horns of the Bull after sunset on Wednesday, Nov. 29th. Sky maps: Nov. 28, 29.
Realtime Conjunction Photo Gallery
ASPHALT RAINBOW: Usually rainbows are seen near storm clouds. A few days ago, Geoff Chester was riding his bike in Arlington, Virginia, when he looked down and found one in the asphalt. "Here's a picture from my cellphone camera," says Chester. "You can see the rainbow arc to the right."
According to atmospheric optics expert, this is not a rainbow, but rather a glass bead bow. He explains: "Crews marking paint lines on roads often scatter small glass beads onto the paint. The glass beads retro-reflect light and this enhances the visibility of the markings at night. The glass beads - if sufficiently spherical - also produce rainbows. The difference is that the refractive index of glass is greater than that of water and the bow is only about 21° in radius compared to the rainbow's 42°. The glow around the shadow of Geoff's head is an antisolar point phenomenon - a heigenschein - produced by refraction through the glass spheres."
"Looks like the mystery is solved," adds Chester. "Although technically the trail is closed dusk to dawn, I know of many folks who use it as a bike commuter route after dark, especially this time of year. The beads enhance visibility. I got plenty of strange looks from passersby as I was taking the pictures!"
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Realtime Eclipse Photo Gallery
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
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