With a whisper, middle Alaska is undergoing its biggest change of the year. Billions of snowflakes waft to the dark, wet ground, linking their spiky, broken arms as they collide, settling into a white cushion. The great albedo change of 2019 might be here. Snow is covering this part of Alaska that gets coldest in […]
Parker Solar Probe now holds the record for closest approach to the Sun by a human-made object. The spacecraft passed the current record of 26.55 million miles from the Sun’s surface on Oct. 29, 2018, at about 1:04 p.m. EDT, as calculated by the Parker Solar Probe team. The previous record for closest solar approach […]
Dear Editor, In response to the recently published article entitled “Thawing Permafrost Microbiomes Fuel Climate Change,” it is increasingly evident that a bold and swift transition to renewable energy, and away from fossil fuels, is essential for maintaining a livable planet. Unforeseen variables, such as thawing permafrost carbon sinks, are only accelerating the rate of […]
Researchers have pinpointed the date of what could be the oldest solar eclipse yet recorded. The event, which occurred on 30 October 1207 BC, is mentioned in the Bible and could have consequences for the chronology of the ancient world. Using a combination of the biblical text and an ancient Egyptian text, the researchers were […]
For most viewers, the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse will last less than two and half minutes. But for one team of NASA-funded scientists, the eclipse will last over seven minutes. Their secret? Following the shadow of the Moon in two retrofitted WB-57F jet planes. Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center For most viewers, […]
In a rare cosmic occurrence, Mercury has begun to move across the sun. It’s called the transit of Mercury, and it started at around 7 a.m. local time in Washington. During the event, the smallest planet will move across the sun for about 7.5 hours. The last transit was in 2006, and the next one […]
Among the most feared events in space physics are solar eruptions, massive explosions that hurl millions of tons of plasma gas and radiation into space. These outbursts can be deadly: if the first moon-landing mission had encountered one, the intense radiation could have been fatal to the astronauts. And when eruptions reach the magnetic field […]
A giant active region on the sun erupted on Oct. 26, 2014, with its sixth substantial flare since Oct. 19. This flare was classified as an X2-class flare and it peaked at 6:56 a.m. EDT. This is the third X-class flare in 48 hours, erupting from the largest active region seen on the sun in 24 […]