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SOLAR ACTIVITY:
The sun is coming to life. There are several new-cycle active
regions scattered across the solar disk and the limb of
the sun has some
very
photogenic
prominences.
Readers with solar
telescopes should dust off their optics and take a look.
SPACESHIP SIGHTINGS:
Space shuttle Atlantis is docked to the International
Space Station (ISS) and together the two spacecraft are putting
on a good show in the night sky. On Nov. 19th, Tamas Ladanyi
caught the pair arcing over Balatonaliga, Hungary:
"I took the picture using a Canon
450D and a fisheye lens," he says. "In the full-sized
photo you can see Jupiter peeking through the branches
of the tree and the Moon setting in the distance. It was a
beautiful autumn night at Lake Balaton."
On Nov. 25th, Atlantis will undock from the
ISS. At that time, the brilliant streak shown above will split
in two and double flybys will commence for a couple of nights
while Atlantis prepares to land on Earth. Monitor the Simple
Satellite Tracker for sighting opportunities.
more images: from
Nicolas Biver of Versailles, France; from
Jiri Srba of Valasske Mezirici, Czech Republic; from
Pawel Warchal of Cracow, Poland; from
Dewey Vanderhoff of Cody Wyoming; from
Michał Nyklewicz of Poland; from
Janusz Krysiak of Koluszki, Poland
NORTHERN LIGHTS:
A solar wind stream is buffeting Earth's magnetic field and
causing bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. On Nov. 19th
in Tromsø, Norway, sky watcher Thomas Hagen looked up and
saw this:
"It was stunning!" he says. "I photographed
the display using a Canon
40D set at ISO 800 for 4 seconds."
Arctic people should take note of those settings. The solar
wind is still blowing and the auroras could return tonight.
NOAA forecasters estimate a 20% chance of high-latitude geomagnetic
activity.
November
Northern Lights Gallery
[previous Novembers: 2008,
2007, 2006,
2004, 2003,
2002, 2001]
2009
Leonid Meteor Gallery
[previous Leonids: 1998,
2001,
2002,
2006]
Explore
the Sunspot Cycle |
