NASA spacecraft take aim at nearby supernova
Astronomers plan observations of supernova SN 2014J with NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and other space missions. The event provides an opportunity to study how interstellar dust affects its light.
Astronomers plan observations of supernova SN 2014J with NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and other space missions. The event provides an opportunity to study how interstellar dust affects its light.
NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites continue to monitor the movement of System 94S, a stubborn tropical low pressure area affecting Western Australia. The system is expected to bring heavy rainfall, including flash flooding, to parts of the region.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected powerful thunderstorms and cloud top temperatures exceeding -63F/-52C, indicating strong uplift in the low pressure area. The storm consolidated and organized into Tropical Cyclone 09S, expected to strengthen and bring gusty winds and rainfall to Mozambique.
Tropical Cyclone Bruce is experiencing strong effects of wind shear and cooling ocean waters, leading to its rapid weakening. The NASA Aqua satellite captured images of the storm on December 24, showing a low-level center exposed to outside winds and rapidly decaying.
Tropical Cyclone Bruce's eye showed distinct features on December 21, but became cloud-filled two days later. The cyclone weakened rapidly due to wind shear and was expected to turn extra-tropical by December 25.
The final three of 18 primary mirrors for the James Webb Space Telescope have arrived at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The mirrors, built by Ball Aerospace, will form a 6.5-meter-diameter primary mirror when integrated with a stable structure.
Tropical Cyclone Madi made landfall in southeastern India as its strongest thunderstorms weakened after passing over NASA's Aqua satellite. The storm's interaction with dry air and increased wind shear led to its rapid weakening.
IceBridge collected data on many facets of Antarctic land and sea ice, including ice elevation and thickness. The mission also took measurements of sea ice in the Ross Sea, an area with comparatively little attention compared to other parts of the Southern Ocean.
New research by NASA scientists shows that signs of ozone hole recovery are not yet present, and temperature and winds continue to drive annual changes. The decline in chlorine levels has not yet led to a reduction in the size of the ozone hole.
Scientists used NASA's AIRS instrument to observe System 90L, a non-tropical low-pressure area in the Atlantic Ocean. The system struggled to organize into a subtropical or tropical cyclone, with only a 20% chance of development over the next five days.
System 90L has developed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data on the clouds, revealing strongest thunderstorms northeast of the center. The non-tropical low is generating tropical-storm-force winds but is expected to be affected by strong upper-level winds shear, likely preventing organization.
Three mass spectrometers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center conducted simultaneous experiments on the moon and Mars to analyze atmospheric and rock samples. This milestone demonstrates the value of these instruments for understanding planetary environments.
Tropical Depression 33W rapidly weakened, with only two isolated areas of heavy rainfall remaining. The depression was expected to move northeast and dissipate over the next day due to high vertical wind shear.
The Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) mission aims to demonstrate reliable optical services. It will conduct a two-year demonstration of optical relay services to collect long-term performance data and provide necessary knowledge for future mission-critical systems.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center researchers are part of a new virtual institute focusing on space science and human exploration. They will apply models to understand plasma interactions with asteroids, small bodies, and the effects of solar wind and radiation.
Tropical Cyclone Alessia made landfall in northern Australia as a weak storm, with NASA's TRMM satellite capturing mostly light rain and moderate rainfall. The cyclone dissipated quickly after crossing the Northern Territory coast, causing no damages or significant impacts.
Comet ISON, a time capsule from the solar system's formation, will be observed by NASA's solar observing fleet as it approaches the sun. The comet's journey will provide valuable insights into the solar wind and atmosphere.
Cyclone Helen made landfall in eastern India on November 22, with moderate rainfall expected from its northwestern edge. The storm is forecast to continue moving westward and dissipate over land within the next day or two.
The Total solar irradiance Calibration Transfer Experiment (TCTE) was launched by NASA using a combination of enthusiasm, spare parts, and resources. The instrument was assembled in just five months to fill a gap in the data record after an aging satellite's battery life expired.
NASA's Operation IceBridge is conducting a daily survey flight through Nov. 26, collecting data on Antarctic land and sea ice. The mission aims to track changes in polar ice, including the Siple Coast and Ross Sea areas.
NASA presents cutting-edge computational achievements, including insights into galaxy formation and climate modeling, as well as advancements in quantum computing and space launch system design. The agency's expertise is key to mission success, enabling research on oceanic climate change and space weather.
Ex-Tropical Depression 30W is attempting to re-form in the Indian Ocean after dissipating over Nov. 8-10. The storm's re-generation is considered medium-probability for the next few days, with slow westward movement predicted.
NASA satellites tracked Typhoon Haiyan's movement and provided rainfall data to help forecast its impact. The data showed the storm's flood potential increased significantly before its second landfall in northeastern Vietnam.
Cyclone 03A made landfall in east central Somalia on Nov. 11 with sustained winds of tropical-storm force, before moving inland where it is dissipating over eastern Ethiopia. NASA satellites captured images of the storm before and after landfall, showing concentrated thunderstorms around its center.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected warm sea surface temperatures and low wind shear, allowing Tropical Depression 30W to intensify into a tropical storm. The storm's maximum sustained winds reached 35 knots/40 mph on November 5.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected multiple bushfires in Wollemi National Park, located northwest of Sydney, on November 4. The MODIS instrument captured images showing a large area of smoke and heat from the fires.
Before hitting wind shear, NASA's TRMM Satellite observed heavy rainfall in Typhoon Krosa, with rain rates exceeding 116mm/hour. The storm weakened significantly over the South China Sea, making landfall far south of Vietnam on Nov. 5.
Typhoon Krosa strengthened after passing over northern Philippines and expanded its eye by 10 nautical miles. The storm's center moved into the South China Sea, where NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image revealing its 35-nautical-mile-wide eye.
NASA's infrared imagery reveals signs of organization and strengthening in Tropical Depression 29W over the Philippine Sea. The system is expected to move west and cross over Luzon as a tropical storm on October 31, potentially intensifying into a typhoon in the South China Sea.
Bushfires continued raging in New South Wales, with over 116,000 hectares burned. The MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite detected heat from the fires and showed a large area of smoke in the Wollemi National Park.
Typhoon Lekima's eye shrunk to just 4 nautical miles on Oct. 25, according to NASA data. Heavy rainfall was observed around the storm's eyewall, with rain rates reaching over 130mm/hour in the outer eyewall.
Typhoon Lekima's rainfall rates were found to be heavy, with rates over 2 inches per hour north and east of the center. The typhoon is forecast to continue on a northwesterly track before making a turn to the northeast as it reaches the island of Iwo To.
Typhoon Francisco is a large storm with a tightly wound center and small eye, approaching Japan with maximum sustained winds near 75 knots. The storm is expected to turn northeast in the next day or two and slowly weaken after passing southern Japan.
Typhoon Francisco is expected to make a brief landfall near Tokyo as it moves towards Japan. NASA satellites captured detailed data on the storm's structure and rainfall patterns, revealing extreme precipitation rates of over 207 mm per hour in violent storms southwest of its eye.
A NASA sounding rocket launch will support calibration of the EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite. The EVE instrument measures total extreme ultraviolet irradiance, and this under-flight calibration is crucial for validating long-term variations in solar radiation.
The 13th Atlantic tropical depression formed on Oct. 21 near Bermuda, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph/55 kph. The NOAA GOES-East satellite captured its development in a 29-second animation, showing strengthening thunderstorms and convection.
Typhoon Francisco is turning northwest, posing a threat to Guam with sustained tropical storm force winds expected, causing minor damage to poorly constructed homes and isolated power outages. The storm has maximum sustained winds near 85 knots and is located southwest of Guam.
Researchers claim NASA portrayed astronauts as pioneering cowboys in its images of the moon landing, promising a future that never materialized. The study analyzed over 400 memory cards from visitors to the National Space Centre and found half contained a reference to the moon landing as a glimpse into a future that never came true.
Ezgihan 'Izzy' Baydar, a UT Arlington aerospace engineering student, has been awarded a NASA fellowship to pursue her research on making air intakes more efficient in jet engines. The three-year fellowship includes $135,000 funding and summer internships at the NASA Glenn Research Center.
Typhoon Pabuk's eye shrunk to 25 nautical miles in diameter after high clouds covered the center, reducing visibility on NASA satellite imagery. The storm is expected to remain at sea and transition into an extra-tropical storm by Sept. 27.
Typhoon Pabuk strengthened as it moved north through the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with NASA's Aqua satellite capturing an infrared image that showed powerful thunderstorms east of its center. The storm was expected to turn northeast and bring rain and gusty winds to eastern Japan.
Super-Typhoon Usagi is a powerful storm that has affected the Philippines and Taiwan with heavy rain and strong winds. NASA's TRMM and Aqua satellites captured detailed images of the storm's eye and cloud structure, revealing strong thunderstorms and rainfall rates of over 5.5 inches per hour.
The NASA HS3 mission has revealed that Tropical Storm Humberto had a hybrid core structure, characterized by both warm and cold cores at different levels. This discovery provides new insights into the processes underlying hurricane formation and intensity change in the Atlantic Ocean basin.
Hurricane Manuel brought intense rainfall to northwestern Mexico, causing destruction, and its remnants streamed into southwestern Texas, bringing showers and thunderstorms. Rainfall rates reached up to 2 inches per hour, with potential for heavy rain and mudslides.
System 95L has a high chance of becoming a tropical depression as it moves west-northwestward at 5 to 10 mph. NASA's Global Hawk gathers data on this low-pressure area, which is expected to spread heavy rain over eastern and southern Mexico.
NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of Tropical Storm Humberto resembling the letter "A" due to a cloud-free southern quadrant. The storm has maximum sustained winds near 40 mph and is moving north-northwest with possible strengthening in the next 48 hours.
Tropical Storm Humberto re-formed over two days, with significant changes observed in rainfall patterns by NASA's TRMM satellite. The HS3 mission uses Global Hawk aircraft to investigate storm processes and gather data on the environment of the storm.
Tropical Storm Humberto regained strength after weakening to a remnant low pressure area due to wind shear. NASA's Global Hawk Aircraft gathered data on the environment of the storm, with findings to be analyzed as part of the HS3 hurricane mission.
Hundreds of fires burning in Mozambique and Madagascar were detected by NASA's MODIS satellite on September 11, 2013. The majority of the fires occurred in grass or cropland and are believed to be part of deliberate land management practices.
The Rim Fire remains active in multiple drainages and is expected to spread into Yosemite Wilderness areas. The fire is 80% contained over 255,000 acres affected, making it California's largest fire of the season.
Two NASA satellites, Aqua and TRMM, analyzed Hurricane Humberto's environment on Sept. 10, gathering data on cloud-top temperatures and rainfall rates. The heaviest rainfall was found west of the storm's center, with rates reaching up to 2 inches per hour.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected powerful thunderstorms with cloud-top temperatures of -63F/-52C, indicating strong uplift and potential for heavy rainfall. The Global Hawk unmanned aircraft is gathering data on the storm, which is expected to pass over or near Bermuda, producing rainfall amounts of 3-5 inches and a storm surge of 2-3 feet.
NASA's HS3 mission investigated Tropical Storm Gabrielle's remnants near the Bahamas, while Aqua satellite data showed strong thunderstorms strengthening Humberto. Humberto is expected to continue strengthening and potentially become a hurricane.
NASA's TRMM and Terra satellites monitored cloud extent and rainfall within Tropical Storm Gabrielle. System 99L shows potential to become a tropical storm near Mexico's east coast, while System 98L remains disorganized in Eastern Atlantic.
Data from NASA's Global Hawk aircraft assisted forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in analyzing Tropical Storm Gabrielle. The system showed a tilted structure with southerly to southwesterly vertical shear, and dry air in the mid-levels of the atmosphere.
NASA's TRMM satellite sees 'hot towers' in Tropical Depression 12E, suggesting intensification. The hot towers, which reach altitudes of up to 15 km, are associated with heavy rainfall and a higher likelihood of strengthening within six hours.
Tropical Storm Gabrielle has weakened to a depression by Sept. 5, while three other low pressure areas struggle to develop in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Heavy rainfall is expected in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 8 inches possible.
Extra-Tropical Storm Toraji brought heavy rainfall to Japan's big island, with coldest cloud top temperatures and strongest thunderstorms detected by NASA's AIRS instrument. The storm has increased in forward speed and is now being carried by a fast-moving frontal boundary across Japan.
Tropical cyclones rely on hundreds of thunderstorms with coldest cloud top temperatures to produce heavy rain. Infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite revealed that wind shear was pushing storm systems away from the center of Tropical Storm Kong-Rey.
The LLCD experiment aims to validate and build confidence in laser communications, allowing for 3-D High Definition video transmissions in deep space. The technology has incredible application possibilities, enabling the transmission of hundreds of millions of bits of data per second from the moon to Earth.