-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightNASA Space Weather Satellite Set to Launch Tonight, Finally
NASA is ready to launch its space weather-measuring satellite tonight, following two years of delays. The Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, will measure the highest region of the atmosphere where Earth weather interacts with space weather. Initially scheduled to go up Wednesday, it’s now set to launch Thursday from a Pegasus XL rocket dropped from … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightTraces of Giant, 2,700-Year-Old Solar Storm Detected in Greenland Ice
Evidence of an unusually strong solar storm that hit Earth in 660 BCE has been detected in Greenland ice cores—a finding which shows we still have lots to learn about these disruptive events. An extreme form of solar storm, known as a solar proton event (SPE), struck our planet 2,679 years ago, according to new … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
‘Wet Sidewalk Effect’ Solves Mystery of Rain on Saturn’s Moon Titan
Scientists have found evidence of seasons on the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan, thanks to observations akin to sunlight reflecting off of wet pavement. We already knew that Titan experienced methane rainstorms on its south pole, making it the only astronomical object we know of where it rains onto the surface. The moon tilts on … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightListen to the Creepy Noises Picked Up at a Space Weather Station in Antarctica
Scientists often detect weird sounds in Antarctica, from the groans of melting glaciers to seismic waves rippling through ice shelves. But a space weather station run by the British Antarctic Survey may hold the most diverse selection of acoustic oddities collected on the frozen continent to date. Now, thanks to BAS researcher Nigel Meredith, these … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
EartherEarth Science
This New NASA Mission Could Unlock Secrets of the Northern Lights
The aurora borealis is one of the most spectacular light shows Earth’s skies have to offer—but it’s much more than that. The energy that drives the northern lights could also power upwelling in our planet’s upper atmosphere. Weather permitting, two NASA-funded sounding rockets are launching from Norway this month to probe that mysterious connection. That … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
An Earth-Sized Space Shield to Protect Us From Solar Storms Is Less Crazy Than It Sounds
Every 100 years or so, our Sun gives off a great big belch that sends an intense wave of charged particles towards Earth. This wasn’t a problem in the past, but our high-tech civilization is now disturbingly vulnerable to these solar storms. A new study quantifies the economic risks posed by these extreme solar storms, … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
Why Has Our Sun Been Freaking Out So Much Lately?
Since early last week, the Sun has belched out a steady stream of solar flares, including the most powerful burst recorded in the star’s current 11-year cycle. It sounds very alarming, but scientists say this is simply what stars do every now and then, and that there’s nothing to be concerned about. Solar flares are … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
Huge Solar Flare Disrupts GPS Satellites
The Sun’s impact on weather here on Earth is clear: It makes it hot or cold, it powers air currents, it causes water to evaporate making rain, et cetera. But with our increasing reliance on satellites and electronics, you can’t forget its more insidious effects—and some satellites got a taste of those yesterday. Around 5:10 … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
Proposed Trump Budget Would Kill Program That Monitors Debilitating Solar Storms
The idea that a huge solar storm could wreak havoc here on Earth isn’t just a sci-fi plot, it’s a situation that countries and power grids around the world actively prepare for. But the Trump Administration’s latest 2017 budget proposal would completely eliminate the program that keeps the continental US under 24/7 protection from this … Continued
Bryson Masse
