Ring of Fire is Actually Solar Eclipse

Next week, some exciting things are happening in the sky and if you live in certain parts of the United States or Asia, you just might get to see them. Sunday May 20 will be the date of an annular solar eclipse, which is what happens when the moon passes directly in front of the sun. Since the moon is not quite wide enough to cover the entire sun, it appears as a glowing, fiery ring in the sky.

This map shows parts of the United States that will be able to see all of or at least part of the eclipse. While this is an exciting sight to behold, it's important to remember that we must take care to observe eclipses correctly or else we risk serious and permanent eye damage, including blindness.

Never look directly at the sun. To safely observe the May 20 annular eclipse, you can buy special solar filters to wear or No. 14 welder's glasses. This video explains more about the eclipse and ways you can protect your eyes while viewing it.

Nature and space are amazing things and here at Janet's Planet Space Log blog, we are excited to experience and witness some of the spectacular events together. We're so glad you stopped by and hope you'll let us know if you were able to view the eclipse!

It's Heating Up

{image via Inhabitat}

The south is in the midst of a killer heatwave, with a forecast of 19 consecutive days of temperatures hitting 90 degrees or higher. This week also saw a unique space happening that was pretty hot. On Tuesday, the sun released a medium sized solar flare which caused particles to erupt in the shape of a mushroom and then fall back down and appear to cover almost half the solar surface.

{image via NASA}

NASA defines a solar flare as "an intense burst of radiation" that comes from "the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots." Did you know flares are the largest explosive events that take place in our solar system? They can last anywhere from just a few minutes to hours. Flares can be seen by the light they release and scientists monitor them using x-rays and optical light.

If you'd like to learn more about solar flares or watch some video footage of the one that took place this week, hop over here. As always, the internet is a great tool, but make sure you use it with an adult's permission or assistance. Keep cool friend!

Staying Safe in All Weather

{Credit: NASA , Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using USGS Landsat data}

The south is still in recovery mode after the storms that ripped through the area in the last few weeks. Some NASA images taken via Landsatellite are helping scientists understand the paths of the tornadoes. You might have heard your parents talking about the storms, or maybe you even live near where they took place. Storms that involve tornadoes should be taken seriously, so it's good to be informed about what to do just in case. If you hear grown-ups talking about a tornado watch, this just means that the current weather conditions are right to possibly produce a tornado. Think of it like this...during a tornado watch, the weather services are just on the lookout for tornadoes, watching for a possible one.

{Credit: NASA MODIS Rapid Response Team, Jeff Schmaltz}

If you hear that a tornado warning has been issued, this means an actual tornado has been spotted in the area. This is when it's time to head to a safe room, maybe a basement or bathroom with no windows. Anything unknown can seem scary, but with the right information and awareness, we can all take the necessary precautions and stay safe.

For more information about staying safe and informed about weather and storms, visit this site and become a Disaster Action Kid! Stay safe friends!

Rainbows & Weather

Have you ever woken up after a stormy night to see a beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky? When the Sun shines on droplets of moisture in the Earth’s atmosphere, it causes us to see a rainbow. These colorful arcs are unusual and remarkable things. Did you know that rainbows caused by sunlight always appear in the section of sky directly opposite from the sun?

Scientists have recently discovered that rainbows could help them to learn more about particles in the air called aerosols which have huge effects on our climate. There are all different kinds of aerosols: small, big, non-spherical, ice particles, and cloud droplets. The way that NASA scientists figure out which kind is present is by using a method called polarization.

Sometimes the reflected light from the Sun is so bright, rainbows just aren’t visible. But this doesn’t mean that they aren’t there. Using polarization, scientists can view the sky and actually see a rainbow, in order to measure it. Measuring rainbows can help them to learn exactly how big the water droplets are and how close they are together. Understanding these things will help scientists to better understand how clouds form in the first place and clouds are the building blocks of our weather.

A Closer Look at Snow

{a reverse image of snowflakes (NASA/Walt Petersen)}

Even though the groundhog may have seen his shadow yesterday, many parts of the United States are still experiencing harsh winter conditions of freezing temperatures, snow and ice. Did you know that scientists can use space technology to learn more about the weather and help communities prepare for blizzards to save resources and lives?

Huntsville, Alabama is known for its blazing hot summers and mild winters, but this past January, the residents of Huntsville received a large amount of snow. Several inches of snow fell on Jan. 9, but what was even more unusual was the occurrence of an event called a “thundersnow.” A “thundersnow” is a rare type of thunderstorm where snow falls instead of rain.

The “thundersnow” in Huntsville gave scientists at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center a chance to collect the most detailed snowfall information on record for this part of the United States. Scientists used laser imaging systems to measure individual snowflakes and how fast they were falling. The NASA team was able to follow the path of each flash of lightning to learn more about the electrical processes of thunderstorms.

Learning more about what is behind the weather helps us to be ready for big storms when they happen. How has the weather this winter affected your city or town? Did your school close because of snow and ice?

Read more at http://www.nasa.gov/topics/nasalife/features/thundersnow.html