NASA's RapidScat instrument identified the storm's strongest winds north of the center, which were near 36 meters per second/80.5 mph/129.6 kph on Dec. 13, 2015. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) captured a visible image of Typhoon Melor as it made landfall in eastern Visayas and Bicol regions.
Tropical Storm Annabelle formed on Nov. 21 with NASA's Terra satellite capturing its development, intensified winds reaching up to 67 mph/108 kph. The storm weakened on Nov. 23 as cloud tops warmed, indicating a decrease in convection and tropospheric height.
Data from NASA's GPM core satellite showed Tropical Storm In-fa becoming better organized over the previous 24 hours, with rainfall rates reaching up to 55 mm/h. The storm is expected to intensify through the weekend, bringing maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.
NASA is conducting a field campaign in the Pacific Northwest to verify rainfall and snowfall observations made by the Global Precipitation Measurement satellite mission. The region's frequent winter rain and snowfall make it an ideal location for studying precipitation patterns.
Tropical Storm Kate forms in Atlantic Ocean near Bahamas, with NASA tracking its development and movement. The storm is expected to strengthen over the next two days, bringing potential heavy rain to the region.
NASA analyzed rainfall data from Tropical Cyclone Chapala in the Arabian Sea, revealing light to moderate precipitation near its center. The storm is forecast to strengthen into a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds expected to reach 140 knots.
Researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are studying cooling techniques for 3-D integrated circuits, which will be stacked on top of each other like skyscrapers. The team aims to develop methods that can efficiently remove heat from these tightly packed chips, which is essential for space-based applications.
NASA's RapidScat instrument gathered wind speed and direction data on the storm's remnants over the western Gulf of Mexico. The data showed strongest sustained winds near 80.5 mph/129.6 kph north and west of the center, contributing to heavy rainfall and flash flooding in Texas and other Gulf Coast states.
Hurricane Patricia intensified rapidly off Mexico's southwestern coast, breaking records for the strongest Eastern North Pacific hurricane. NASA satellites and instruments tracked its rapid intensification, revealing frigid cloud top temperatures that enabled heavy rainfall.
A NASA-developed laser communication system has demonstrated record-breaking data download and upload speeds to the moon, as well as highly precise distance and speed measurements. The Space Optical Communication and Navigation System can provide micrometer-level accuracy over a 622 megabits-per-second laser communication link.
NASA has launched a new website featuring daily color images of Earth taken by the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) EPIC camera, providing insights into global variations in vegetation, ozone, and cloud height. The images are available for public viewing on the NASA website.
Typhoon Koppu made landfall in eastern Luzon on Oct. 17, with NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite capturing powerful thunderstorms and cloud top temperatures as cold as -81F. The RapidScat instrument revealed sustained winds around the eye at 40 meters per second before weakening to a tropical storm over the South China Sea.
Scientists will analyze the current El Niño event using NASA's suite of orbiting Earth-observing missions, providing insights into its global impacts. The study aims to better understand the connections between El Niño and extreme weather patterns, such as fires and floods.
NASA used AIRS instrument to track Hurricane Joaquin's movement from October 1-6, showing its intense rainfall and flooding in South Carolina. The storm's cloud tops reached temperatures as low as -81F/-63C/210K, producing heavy rain.
NASA and NOAA satellites tracked Hurricane Joaquin's movement through the northern Atlantic, revealing powerful thunderstorms and cloud top temperatures of -63F/-53C. Swells generated by the storm will continue to affect Bermuda and the US Northeast coast.
NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites captured infrared data on October 5, revealing powerful thunderstorms with cold cloud tops near Hurricane Joaquin. The storm maintained its comma shape as it brought heavy rains and strong winds to Bermuda.
Hurricane Joaquin strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane on October 1, with satellite imagery showing powerful thunderstorms and cloud top temperatures over -63F. The National Hurricane Center forecasted the storm's track, predicting it will impact the central Bahamas and possibly Long Island, New York.
NASA satellites tracked Hurricane Joaquin's internal precipitation structure and heavy rainfall patterns, providing valuable data for forecasters. The storm reached Category 3 status on October 1, with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph and a minimum central pressure of 942 millibars.
Typhoon Dujuan approached Taiwan with sustained winds near 100 mph and cloud top temperatures of -81F, generating heavy rainfall. NASA satellites provided detailed data on the storm's clouds and winds, helping forecasters track its movement and expected landfall in southeastern China.
Tropical Depression 9 developed in the central Atlantic on September 16, 2015, with tropical-storm-force winds detected by NASA's RapidScat instrument. The depression was already affected by wind shear, according to infrared data from NASA's Aqua satellite.
Twin tropical cyclones brought catastrophic rainfall to Japan, causing widespread flooding, landslides, and over one million evacuations. NASA's GPM Core satellite provided critical rainfall data, showing Honshu received over 100mm of rain, with extraordinary totals near the south-central coast.
NASA's GPM and NOAA's GOES satellites provide insights into Tropical Storm Erika's rainfall patterns and cloud structure. The storm is expected to approach the Leeward Islands on Wednesday night, prompting a Tropical Storm Watch for several Caribbean islands.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center collaborates with YYESIT LLC to develop a product offering innovative monitoring, interpreting, and reporting capabilities for healthcare safety and quality protocols. The partnership aims to advance NASA's work in image processing, computer vision, intelligent decision-making, and optimization.
The sunshield on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is the largest part of the observatory, separating a warm sun-facing side from a cold environment to protect sensitive infrared instruments. The precise unfolding of the five-layer sunshield must be accurate within a few centimeters to maintain alignment and operate effectively.
Tropical Depression Molave was characterized by strongest winds of near 24 meters per second (53.6 mph/86.4 kph) in its southeastern quadrant on August 8, but these have since weakened. On August 9, NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible-light image showing the depression winding down about 400 miles away from Japan.
A NASA camera aboard the DSCOVR satellite captured a unique view of the moon as it moved in front of the sunlit side of Earth. The images show the fully illuminated
Typhoon Soudelor was characterized by intense rainfall and towering thunderstorms. NASA satellites detected sustained winds of up to 121 mph near the storm's center.
Tropical Depression 12W intensified into a tropical storm after NASA's Terra satellite captured an organized storm with better circulation. The storm is forecast to weaken under Typhoon Halola's influence, moving slowly at 5 knots (5.7 mph/9.2 kph) towards the north.
The NASA satellite camera has returned its first view of the entire sunlit side of Earth, generating color images using a combination of narrowband filters. The images show effects of sunlight scattered by air molecules, giving them a characteristic bluish tint.
NASA has developed a new technology to protect the James Webb Space Telescope from contamination, using Molecular Adsorber Coating (MAC) panels. The MAC panels capture outgassed molecular contaminants in the vacuum chamber, preventing them from affecting sensitive instrument components.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Depression Bill's remnants over the central United States on June 18. The storm is expected to bring significant rainfall and flash flooding to the eastern two-thirds of the US, including sections of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, and Texas.
Tropical Depression Bill moved north-northeast through the southern U.S., affecting eastern Texas and Oklahoma. NASA satellites provided infrared, visible, and rainfall estimates for the storm's progression, while NWS forecasts heavy rain accumulations of 4-12 inches across several states.
Tropical Storm Bill is expected to bring heavy rain and flash flooding to parts of Texas, particularly eastern Texas and Louisiana. The storm's center was located near latitude 28.2 North, longitude 96.4 West at 10 a.m. CDT on June 16.
Tropical cyclone Ashobaa made landfall in Oman on June 12, 2015, bringing tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rainfall. The NASA Terra satellite provided key imagery of the storm's progression, including false-colored infrared data and a visible image after it passed Masirah Island.
NASA satellites tracked Tropical Cyclone Ashobaa's powerful storms, with rainfall rates exceeding 70.5 mm per hour and storm heights reaching up to 21 km. The cyclone is strengthening despite high wind shear, but is expected to weaken after landfall on June 12.
The start of India's monsoon season was marked by increased rainfall in southern India, with data from NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission indicating above-average precipitation. Heavy showers dropped over 120 millimeters of rain in the week preceding June 8, 2015.
NASA has released a collection of scientific animations exploring hurricanes using satellite data. The animations cover various storms, including Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, providing valuable insights into the storms' characteristics.
NASA's Aqua and Global Precipitation Measurement mission core satellite tracked Tropical Storm Andres' intensification, revealing powerful convective storms near the center. The storm's rainfall rates reached over 60 mm per hour, and thunderstorms stretched up to 15 km high.
A CU-Boulder instrument, SUDA, has been selected for a NASA mission to Jupiter's icy moon Europa to measure surface particles and study the moon's hidden ocean. The mission aims to understand the prerequisites of life in the solar system.
Scientists used NASA's ISS-RapidScat to measure the winds of Tropical Storm Ana in May 2015. The instrument provided accurate data on wind speed and direction near the ocean surface.
Severe thunderstorms swept through central Texas on April 26, 2015, generating heavy rainfall and large hail. The GPM Core Observatory satellite captured a 3D view of the storms, revealing some reaching altitudes above 7.7 miles.
Cyclone Ikola formed quickly and strengthened to hurricane-force in the Southern Indian Ocean. NASA's MODIS instrument captured an image showing an eye with thunderstorms wrapping into the center, indicating high, strong storms with potential for heavy rainfall.
Tropical Cyclone Nathan moved from Queensland to the Gulf Carpentaria and now crosses The Top End of Northern Territory. NASA's MODIS instrument captured images showing Nathan's western movement and second landfall near Arnheim Land.
Tropical Cyclone Pam is a powerful storm in the Southern Pacific Ocean, with hurricane-force winds affecting several provinces in Vanuatu. The storm's eye was captured by NASA's Aqua satellite, showing a 15 nautical mile wide eye just east of Vanuatu.
A recent study using NASA's Aqua satellite data shows that temperatures in the western third of the US have been warmer than normal over the past two months. The 'Ridiculously Resilient Ridge' pattern of the polar jet stream has led to this anomaly, with surface temperatures ranging from 62.3F to 80.3F.
Tropical Cyclone Lam made landfall in Australia's Northern Territory, with NASA satellites and instruments gathering data on the storm's structure and behavior before and after landfall. The storm was characterized by sustained winds of up to 90 knots (103.6 mph) and heavy rainfall rates of almost 55 mm per hour.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data on Tropical Cyclone Lam, revealing a large area of strong thunderstorms circling the center of the storm. The system is expected to intensify to Category one hurricane status, bringing heavy rainfall and powerful winds to northern Australia.
Tropical Cyclone Lam formed in the northern Gulf of Carpentaria on Feb. 17, with NASA satellites capturing its cloud extent and rainfall rates. The storm is expected to intensify and make landfall into Arnhem Land before weakening.
A NASA scientist is developing a new laser instrument sensitive to methane, another potent greenhouse gas. The Methane Sounder will provide high-resolution, accurate, and around-the-clock global measurements, which could help understand current trends and mitigate its effects.
Tropical Cyclone Eunice was spinning in the Southern Indian Ocean when NASA's Terra satellite captured its transition to an extra-tropical cyclone. The storm's warm core became a cold core, characteristic of mid-latitude low pressure areas.
Tropical Cyclone Niko was spotted moving southeast through the Society Islands by NASA's Aqua satellite on January 21. The storm remains compact but strengthening, with maximum sustained winds near 50 knots on January 22.
NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission combined with satellite data revealed an area of maximum rainfall centered over Samar, resulting in extreme totals greater than 600mm. The analysis also found that much of the heavy rainfall from Mekkhala fell over the same area devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
Tropical Storm Mekkhala made landfall in the Philippines and tracked north, weakening to a remnant circulation northeast of the islands. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured images of the storm's remnants on January 18 and 20, showing an open circulation center with some clouds and no precipitation.
The study reveals that 2014 was the warmest year globally since 1880, with a temperature increase of about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the past century.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Bansi, revealing clouds wrapping into its eye. Forecasters expect the storm to re-strengthen and peak at 115 knots.
A five-year, $30 million NASA mission will measure atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases in the eastern United States. The study aims to improve detection and quantification of carbon sources and sinks using airborne, satellite, and ground-based observations.
NASA's RapidScat instrument captured high winds in the Gulf of Mexico while Mississippi experienced tornadoes late on Dec. 23. An animation of NOAA's GOES-East satellite data showed the movement of severe weather systems from Canada to South America.
The 2014-2015 Antarctic Scientific Balloon Campaign launched NASA's ANITA-III payload to detect ultra-high energy cosmogenic neutrino fluxes. The campaign also includes the launch of COSI, a gamma-ray telescope to study astrophysical sources of nuclear line emission.
Holiday lights in major US cities increase by 20-50% during Christmas and New Year's, while in some Middle Eastern cities they shine up to 100% brighter during Ramadan. Satellite data from NASA's Suomi NPP satellite reveals patterns of urban energy use and cultural variation.
The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Bakung persist in the Southern Indian Ocean, with NOAA-NASA's Suomi NPP satellite monitoring its possible re-development. Fragmented thunderstorms were detected southeast and northwest of the storm's center, indicating unstable conditions.