A METEOR OUTBURST MIGHT HAPPEN TONIGHT: Yes, debris from Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 might actually be approaching Earth. Last Friday, a camera operated by the Spanish Meteor and Fireball Network caught a piece of the broken comet disintegrating over Europe. The fireball they saw could herald a larger cloud of debris following close behind. If it exists, the approaching cloud could cause a meteor outburst over North America on the night of May 30-31. That's tonight! Probably nothing will happen, but for enthusiasts it's worth a look.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1530619943322017794
https://twitter.com/i/status/1530619943322017794
Twitter
Red de Investigación Bólidos y Meteoritos (SPMN)
¡PRIMER BÓLIDO TAU HERCÚLIDA #SPMN270522H! Registrado ayer viernes sobre #Aragón por Antonio Lasala @AntonioLG1 a las 23h57m46s TUC. Ojalá sea el anuncio de muchos más fragmentos del cometa #73P #SW3 en las próximas noches. ¿Preparados para la campaña? 🤩…
EXPLODING COMET DEBRIS: Have you ever seen a piece of a comet explode? Francis Murphy did on Monday night in Thorndale, Pennsylvania:
https://spaceweathergallery.com/submissions/pics/f/Francis-Murphy-May_31st_2022_Meteor_Chart_1654037263.gif
The tau Herculid meteor shower was underway as debris from Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 peppered the top of Earth's atmosphere. This piece of the broken comet disintegrated 90 km above above the ground, spreading its remains across the edge of space.
"The meteor's trail twisted and turned in high altitude winds," says Murphy. "It was the brightest of 10 to 15 tau Herculids we saw during a 3-hour observing session."
In Mormon Lake, Arizona, astronomer David Blanchard saw the same thing--twice. This video shows two tau Herculids disintegrating in a star field with satellites and airplanes whizzing by.
https://spaceweathergallery.com/submissions/pics/f/Francis-Murphy-May_31st_2022_Meteor_Chart_1654037263.gif
The tau Herculid meteor shower was underway as debris from Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 peppered the top of Earth's atmosphere. This piece of the broken comet disintegrated 90 km above above the ground, spreading its remains across the edge of space.
"The meteor's trail twisted and turned in high altitude winds," says Murphy. "It was the brightest of 10 to 15 tau Herculids we saw during a 3-hour observing session."
In Mormon Lake, Arizona, astronomer David Blanchard saw the same thing--twice. This video shows two tau Herculids disintegrating in a star field with satellites and airplanes whizzing by.
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FARSIDE SUNSPOTS: Right now, there are sunspots on the farside of the sun so big they are affecting the way the sun vibrates.
Helioseismologists have detected their echoes in the latest farside map from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. Don't be surprised if we see CMEs billowing away from the farside of the sun in the days ahead.
Helioseismologists have detected their echoes in the latest farside map from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. Don't be surprised if we see CMEs billowing away from the farside of the sun in the days ahead.
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POSSIBLE WEAK CME IMPACT PREDICTED: Yesterday, a magnetic filament on the sun erupted (movie), hurling a faint CME into space. NOAA forecasters say it could hit Earth's magnetic field on June 5th or 6th. Even weak CME strikes can cause geomagnetic storms, so there is a chance of minor G1-class storms when the CME arrives.
https://www.spaceweather.com/images2022/01jun22/erupting_filament.gif
https://www.spaceweather.com/images2022/01jun22/erupting_filament.gif
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