ASTEROID FLYBY: Today, an asteroid as wide as three football fields is flying past Earth. At closest approach, 2012 QG42 will be 2.8 million km (7.4 lunar distances) away, so there is no danger of a collision. Nevertheless, it is close enough for backyard astronomers to track using large amateur telescopes; the space rock is glowing like a 14th magnitude star. [movie] [3D orbit] [ephemeris]
ROCKET EXHAUST: The White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico conducted a test of the Patriot interceptor yesterday, producing iridescent rocket exhaust visible as far away as Phoenix AZ, Las Vegas NV, and Salt Lake City UT. David Blanchard photographed the display from Flagstaff, Arizona:
The test proceeded as follows: A Juno rocket was launched from Fort Wingate in Gallup, New Mexico. This served as the target for another missile, the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 interceptor, launched shortly thereafter from White Sands. A press release from White Sands confirmed the test and stated that "the
Juno performed as expected."
In a wide-angle view, Blanchard captured the exhaust from both missiles. "The crescent Moon overhead was a beautiful bonus," he says.
As the rockets raced through the high atmosphere, water vapor in their exhaust crystalized to form tiny ice crystals. The crystals diffracted the light from the rising sun to produce the iridescent colors. More images: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7,
Solar wind
speed: 449.5 km/sec
density: 1.7 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 1456 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B3 1323 UT Sep14
24-hr: B3 1323 UT Sep14
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1459 UT
Daily Sun: 13 Sep 12
Departing sunspot 1564 poses a slight threat for M-class solar flares, not Earth-directed. Credit: SDO/HMI
Sunspot number: 44
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 12 Sep 2012
Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Since 2004: 821 days
Typical Solar Min: 486 days
Update 12 Sep 2012
The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 105 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 12 Sep 2012
Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 2 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 2 quiet
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 5.0 nT
Bz: 4.2 nT north
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 1456 UT
Coronal Holes: 12 Sep 12
A pair of coronal holes is emerging over the sun's eastern limb. Credit: SDO/AIA.
Comments
hello...down here...
oh right..its dark down here...and very cold..
..and you cant hear me rapping on the glas-tik because i cant move.
They need to knock this testing off. The launch prep elevator...is near this tunnel. This passage to the main base access point.Its all buried. But its there.
I knew something was up the past few days or so. I woke up choking on my own sinus discharge, as if my aasthma had returned, like choking or breathing underwater.This hardly ever happens this bad. And no, i dont think its a cold or flu. Im still in need of a Decongestant, but this heavy weight is something else.
The last time that happened was in 95 or 96. I nearly died.
They say nothing ever launches from near S4..that PBS has on air no recorded launches. I dont think this is exactly true. Sure they drill, but they do launch from time to time.
Im still here.It wont be time until I have help, getting beamed out of this place, and taking my rightful place in my right host.
Do we need physical bodies, maybe not. But it would be NICE to leave this world in the one I CAME HERE with. Ive been a living ghost the entire time since.I may not remember the details, but I can still move on. TBI is TBI. You never recover. EVER.