On the night from Friday to Saturday, it is worth looking at the sky, because it may be illuminated by the aurora borealis. As Karol Wójcicki, popularizer of astronomy, author of the blog “Z głowy w gwiazdach” informed, the unusual phenomenon is to be visible shortly after dusk. In addition, it will be possible to see the passage of the ACS3 solar sail.
The aurora borealis may illuminate the sky over Poland on the night from Friday to Saturday.
“Current solar wind parameters give great hope for the possibility of the appearance of the aurora borealis shortly after dusk,” wrote Karol Wójcicki, an astronomy popularizer and author of the blog “Z głowy w gwiazdach” on social media. He added that it is worth observing the northern horizon. “Cameras will have a greater chance of capturing the aurora borealis, but you never know… Stay alert!” he emphasized.
Will the weather be favorable for observations?
The weather should be favorable for observations, as light and moderate cloud cover is forecast for the night, with only periods of heavy cloud cover in the west and north, and occasional rain there as well. Check the detailed forecast for tonight and Saturday.
Solar sail over Poland
That night you will also be able to see the ACS3 solar sail fly over Poland.
“The ACS3 (Advanced Composite Solar Sail System) solar sail is an innovative project developed by NASA that uses the pressure of solar radiation as a drive, without the need for traditional chemical fuel. It is part of research into alternative methods of propulsion in space, which could revolutionize the way we move around the Solar System,” wrote Karol Wójcicki. He added that the satellite was launched into orbit in April this year, but only recently deployed its huge sail. Its surface area is 80 square meters.
The satellite's flyby will take place at 21.11-21.25. “It will take it almost 15 minutes to fly across the entire sky! For comparison, the ISS needs 'only' about 7-8 minutes,” added the astronomy popularizer.
Aurora Borealis – what is it and how is it created?
The aurora borealis is a light phenomenon that occurs mainly in the vicinity of the North and South Poles. The scientific name aurora borealis this aurora borealis (within the North Pole) and aurora australis (near the South Pole) – comes from the name of the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora.
The aurora is created when energized gas particles sent by the Sun hit the upper layer of the Earth's atmosphere at high speeds (up to 72 million kilometers per hour). The planet is protected from the “attack” by the magnetic field. It redirects the particles toward the North and South Poles, and the particles interact with the gases in our atmosphere.
“With your head in the stars”, tvnmeteo.pl
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