Science
UAF Researchers Contribute to Global Glacier Study
Fairbanks, Alaska— Alaska’s melting glaciers remain one of the largest contributors to the world’s rising sea levels, say two University of Alaska Fairbanks geophysicists. ... Full story
Orion's Hidden Fiery Ribbon
Clouds of gas and interstellar dust are the raw materials from which stars are made. But these tiny dust grains block our view of what lies within and behind the clouds — at least at visible wavelengths — making it difficult to observe the processes of star formation. ... Full story
Carbon Dioxide at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory reaches new milestone: Tops 400 ppm
On May 9, the daily mean concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of Mauna Loa, Hawaii, surpassed 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time since measurements began in 1958. Independent measurements made by both NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have been approaching this level during the past week. ... Full story
Sun Emits M5.7 Solar Flare on Friday
May 3rd saw the sun emit a mid-level solar flare at 5:32 pm Alaska time. This powerful burst of radiation was classified as an M5.7 class flare. ... Full story
An Anarchic Region of Star Formation
The Danish 1.54-metre telescope located at ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile has captured a striking image of NGC 6559, an object that showcases the anarchy that reigns when stars form inside an interstellar cloud. ... Full story
What Happened to Dinosaurs' Predecessors After Earth's Largest Extinction 252 Million Years Ago?
Predecessors to dinosaurs missed the race to fill habitats emptied when nine out of 10 species disappeared during Earth's largest mass extinction 252 million years ago. ... Full story
Sun Spews Out Two Coronal Mass Ejections Last Night and Today
Two coronal mass ejections erupted from the sun on Wednesday night and Thursday morning as billions of tons of solar particles spewed from the fiery object in the center of our solar system at 5:30 pm Alaska time on Wednesday and 1:24 am Alaska time this morning. ... Full story
NASA Releases Image of 'Comet of the Century' as it Barrels Toward the Sun
The comet that will make its closest approach to the sun on November 28th, had its picture taken by the Hubble telescope on April 10th. ... Full story
Looking for Life by the Light of Dying Stars
Because it has no source of energy, a dead star — known as a white dwarf — will eventually cool down and fade away. But circumstantial evidence suggests that white dwarfs can still support habitable planets, says Prof. Dan Maoz of Tel Aviv University's School of Physics and Astronomy. ... Full story
Two Water Worlds for the Price of One
Cambridge, MA - In our solar system, only one planet is blessed with an ocean: Earth. Our home world is a rare, blue jewel compared to the deserts of Mercury, Venus and Mars. But what if our Sun had not one but two habitable ocean worlds? ... Full story
