Earth & Space Weather

~Space Weather Update~ ISON, THE DAWN COMET

Lia's picture

Submitted by Lia on

ISON, THE DAWN COMET: Comet ISON is plunging toward the sun and brightening as it heads for a perilous close encounter on Nov. 28th. This morning, with the "final countdown" clock at T-7 days, Juan Carlos Casado photographed the sundiver over the Teide Observatory in the Canary Islands:

"The comet is over the distant island of Gran Canaria," he says, "while in the central cloud we can see the planet Mercury. ISON was at the limit of naked-eye visibility, but it was an easy target for my SLR camera with a small telephoto lens (85 mm focal length) on a static tripod and 6 seconds of exposure."

Because Comet ISON is moving into the rosy glow of dawn, it will soon be impossible for cameras on Earth to track it. NASA's fleet of solar spacecraft are about to take over. Later today, Comet ISON will enter the field of view of the STEREO-A spacecraft. The Heliospheric Imager on STEREO-A will pick up the comet just as Earth-bound telescopes begin to lose it. In the days that follow, STEREO-B, SOHO and the Solar Dynamics Observatory will join the hunt, providing continuous views of Comet ISON all the way to perihelion (closest approach to the sun) on Nov. 28th. Stay tuned!

Volcanic Eruption Creates New Island South of Japan

Silver's picture

Submitted by Silver on

By: Elaine Kurtenbach, 11/21/2013

TOKYO -- A volcanic eruption has raised an island in the seas to the far south of Tokyo, the Japanese coast guard and earthquake experts said. Advisories from the coast guard and the Japan Meteorological Agency said the islet is about 200 meters (660 feet) in diameter. It is just off the coast of Nishinoshima, a small, uninhabited island in the Ogasawara chain, which is also known as the Bonin Islands. The approximately 30 islands are 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) south of Tokyo, and along with the rest of Japan are part of the seismically active Pacific "Ring of Fire."

 

For more on this story visit www.wunderground.com

Eyes turn to skies as early monsoon trough forms over north-west

Silver's picture

Submitted by Silver on

By: ABC, 11/21/2013

image

The weather bureau says there is a high possibility of a cyclone forming in the Top End over the weekend. Forecasters say a tropical low is developing off the north-west Australian coast. The system is tracking first toward the Kimberley coast of Western Australia and is expected to reach the west coast of the Northern Territory in the next few days. Forecaster Graeme King says it is unusual to see this type of weather system so early in the wet season.

 

For more on this story visit www.weatherzone.com.au

Earthquake Report for 11/20/2013

Silver's picture

Submitted by Silver on

By: USGS

www.earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/

25 earthquakes

 

    3.2 14km SSE of Alberto Oviedo Mota, Mexico 2013-11-20 13:31:23 UTC-05:00 27.3 km

    3.5 4km ESE of Nelsonville, Ohio 2013-11-20 12:59:40 UTC-05:00 7.9 km

    2.6 66km SE of Homer, Alaska 2013-11-20 11:48:37 UTC-05:00 56.7 km

    4.8 151km NNE of Visokoi Island, 2013-11-20 10:54:45 UTC-05:00 35.0 km

    2.9 22km SSE of Bodfish, California 2013-11-20 10:48:43 UTC-05:00 9.4 km

    2.9 13km W of Anchor Point, Alaska 2013-11-20 09:42:55 UTC-05:00 61.5 km

    4.8 Scotia Sea 2013-11-20 09:01:31 UTC-05:00 10.0 km

    4.4 182km WNW of Kizukuri, Japan 2013-11-20 08:54:22 UTC-05:00 239.9 km

    4.6 North of Ascension Island 2013-11-20 08:52:13 UTC-05:00 10.0 km

~ Space Weather Update~ WOW~ COMET ISON PLUNGES TOWARD THE SUN

Lia's picture

Submitted by Lia on

COMET ISON PLUNGES TOWARD THE SUN: Comet ISON is plunging toward the sun at 140,000 mph (62 km/s). You can almost feel the velocity in this image taken on the morning of Nov. 20th by astronomers using the 0.4 meter telescope at the Observatorio de la Hita in La Puebla de Almoradiel, Toledo, Spain:

"The comet looked very bright," report the observing team. "The tail was not as well defined today because of the proximity of morning twilight...but still splendid!!"

The comet is brightening rapidly as it approaches the sun. Experienced observers put ISON's rising magnitude near +4.0, well above the threshold of naked-eye visibility. The problem is, the glare of the sun is brightening even faster. Amateur photography of the comet will be possible for a few more days and, soon, only NASA's fleet of solar observatories will be able to track the sundiver.

Arctic Blast Ahead; Montana Sees 40-Degree Temperature Drop in Two Hours

Silver's picture

Submitted by Silver on

By: Chris Dolce, 11/20/2013

Tuesday's Temperatures

Thermometers in the northern Montana city of Great Falls recorded an incredible temperature drop of nearly 40 degrees in just two hours. At 3:53 p.m., the temperature was 52 degrees, about 11 degrees above the average high for the day. During the next hour, the Arctic cold front pushed through and dropped the temperature to 19 degrees by 4:53 p.m. At 5:53 p.m., it was a frigid 13 degrees, completing the near 40-degree drop in two hours.

 

For more on this story visit www.wunderground.com

Rain to return to the Red Centre

Silver's picture

Submitted by Silver on

By: Ben McBurney, 11/20/2013

After a very dry and record warm August to October period, the red centre can finally look forward to some rain over the coming week. Australia's red centre has been parched since late in winter, with temperatures well above the long-term average. In fact, the August to October period for Alice Springs was the warmest on record with the average maximum a rounded 31 degrees, almost four degrees above average. The region has been parched too, with just 0.6mm falling since the start of August in Alice Springs, the third driest August to October period on record. So far this November, Alice Springs has also not seen any recordable rain, although some parts have got a little luckier with Yulara picking up 3mm.

 

For more on this story visit www.weatherzone.au

Earthquake Report for 11/19/2013

Silver's picture

Submitted by Silver on

By: USGS

www.earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/

32 earthquakes

 

    4.8 19km NW of Qitaihe, China 2013-11-19 13:57:30 UTC-05:00 14.4 km

    2.8 3km W of Azle, Texas 2013-11-19 13:03:36 UTC-05:00 5.0 km

    2.5 2km WSW of Reno, Texas 2013-11-19 12:57:19 UTC-05:00 5.0 km

    2.8 22km SSW of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska 2013-11-19 12:34:02 UTC-05:00 100.0 km

    2.7 17km WNW of Fishhook, Alaska 2013-11-19 12:27:53 UTC-05:00 11.7 km

    5.9 62km WSW of Agrihan, Northern Mariana Islands 2013-11-19 12:00:44 UTC-05:00 519.8 km

    5.8 79km SE of Yap, Micronesia 2013-11-19 10:16:48 UTC-05:00 10.0 km

    4.0 40km E of Yakutat, Alaska 2013-11-19 09:44:21 UTC-05:00 10.0 km

    4.6 210km E of Vostok, Russia 2013-11-19 09:18:25 UTC-05:00 238.5 km

    4.8 Central East Pacific Rise 2013-11-19 09:13:48 UTC-05:00 10.0 km

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - Earth & Space Weather