NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites monitor low-pressure areas with a chance of becoming tropical depressions, storms, and hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. Tropical Depression 9 is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm, while System 96L has a high chance of becoming the tenth tropical depression of the season.
Hurricane Gordon was tracked for three days by NASA satellites, showing its strength and eye structure. The storm weakened to a tropical storm on August 20 with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph.
Tropical Storm Bolaven formed over August 18-19 in the western North Pacific and strengthened under NASA's monitoring. The storm took on a more rounded shape, with colder thunderstorm cloud-top temperatures indicating intensification.
Typhoon Tembin rapidly intensified over the past 24 hours, growing from a tropical depression to a powerful typhoon with maximum sustained winds near 95 knots. The storm is moving slowly north-northeast and is expected to track across Taiwan by August 23.
Tropical Depression 7's remnants are regaining strength in the warm waters of the Bay of Campeche, Mexico. The National Hurricane Center warns of a high chance (70%) of reformation into a tropical depression.
Tropical Storm Gordon's clouds became less symmetric due to southwesterly wind shear, indicating a shift in its circulation. The storm was moving eastward at 18 mph with sustained winds near 65 mph.
Astronomers using Hubble data observe two massive star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud that may be in early stages of merger. The discovery sheds light on the origin of large star clusters and helps scientists understand galaxy formation.
Tropical Depression 8 strengthened into Tropical Storm Gordon on August 15, after days of organization and development across the eastern Atlantic. The storm is expected to track east into the Atlantic, potentially affecting the Azores, with strengthening expected over warm waters.
Scientists study electron strahl, a stream of high-energy electrons from the sun, using five years of data. They found that widths vary, with some being much wider than expected, indicating an unknown scattering mechanism.
Tropical Storm Hector continues to weaken, while Tropical Depression 7's remnants move over Central America. Hector's small circulation is spinning off Mexico's western coast, with the remnants of TD7 producing showers and thunderstorms across parts of Central America and Mexico.
Scientists have detected helium in the tenuous atmosphere surrounding the Moon using NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spectrometer. The discovery complements earlier measurements and raises questions about the helium's origin, with possibilities including radioactive decay or an exterior source like the solar wind.
Tropical Storm Kai-tak continues to drop heavy rainfall and move toward a landfall in China, with NASA tracking its progress using infrared data from the Aqua satellite. Forecasters warn of potential intensification to typhoon strength before landfall near Hong Kong.
Tropical storm Kai-tak is causing more rain in the Philippines as it passes over northern Luzon, with Public storm warning signals in effect for several provinces. The storm has dropped extreme amounts of rainfall, including intense precipitation of over 100mm/hr, affecting the island of Luzon and neighboring areas.
Scientists used two jets to film sprites at 10,000 frames per second, capturing movies that shed light on this poorly understood phenomenon. The research aims to study the forces behind sprite formation and its connection to lightning and atmospheric energy exchange.
The TRMM satellite captured a small area of moderate to heavy rainfall around the center of Tropical Storm Hector, with rainfall rates reaching 2 inches per hour. However, wind shear from moderate east winds is expected to persist, preventing Hector from strengthening.
NASA's GOES Project provides a complete view of the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Ocean basins. As of August 13, the Atlantic tropics are quieter, with fewer low-pressure areas than the previous week. Tropical Storm Hector in the east Pacific is weakening due to wind shear.
Tropical Storm Kai-tak is affecting the northern Philippines with warnings in effect. The storm is expected to make landfall north of Hong Kong on August 16 and will pass through the Luzon Strait.
Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center recorded a coronal mass ejection traveling at unprecedented speeds using data from the STEREO spacecraft. The event produced a strong magnetic field and intense solar radiation, offering insights into the causes of space weather events.
Tropical Storm Gilma has maximum sustained winds near 65 mph, expected to weaken due to vertical wind shear. A low pressure area formerly known as Tropical storm Ernesto has a 60% chance of developing into a tropical depression in the Eastern Pacific.
NASA is monitoring four tropical systems across the Atlantic, including Tropical Depression Ernesto, which is generating heavy rainfall over Mexico's mountains. Meanwhile, the remnants of Tropical Storm Florence are lingering near Puerto Rico, while Tropical Depression 7 and System 93L may develop into new cyclones in the coming days.
NASA's Aqua satellite detected Tropical Storm Kirogi moving into sea surface temperatures below 25 Celsius, expected to weaken and transform into an extra-tropical cyclone. The storm is forecasted to track over cooler waters, helping to dissipate its warm core.
A new device developed by NASA measures formaldehyde levels at low and high altitudes, revealing that 30-40% of pollution is transported during storms. The instrument offers a factor-of-10 improvement in size, sensitivity, and complexity over existing devices.
Hurricane Gilma showed concentrated areas of very cold cloud tops with temperatures as low as -63F (-52C), indicating powerful thunderstorms. The storm is moving towards cooler waters, expected to weaken over the next day.
TRMM satellite data reveals areas of intense rainfall, with powerful convective thunderstorms dropping rain at a rate greater than 50mm/h, potentially intensifying the storm. Heavy rainfall is expected to cause flash floods and mudslides in affected regions, with up to 15 inches of rain predicted in some areas.
Heavy rainfall and high thunderstorms are expected from NASA's observations of Tropical Storm Ernesto, with estimated totals of 12 inches in isolated areas. The storm's center is surrounded by strong storms, producing cloud top temperatures as cold as -63F (-52C).
Tropical Storm Haikui made landfall in Zhejiang province, China, on August 8, bringing heavy rainfall with totals of up to 17 inches. The NASA Aqua satellite captured an image of the storm, showing an organized tropical storm with high thunderstorms casting shadows on surrounding clouds.
Tropical Storm Haikui is heading towards landfall in southeastern China, bringing strong winds, flooding, and coastal erosion. The storm's size and shape are being monitored by NASA's Aqua satellite, which captured a detailed image of its ragged eye.
Tropical Storm 13W is weakening due to rising cloud top temperatures, according to NASA's infrared imagery. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 35 knots on August 7, and it was moving northwest at 9 knots.
Tropical Storm Ernesto has its strongest thunderstorms on the eastern and northern sides of the storm. The area of strongest storms has expanded during the morning hours of August 7, wrapped around the center of circulation.
Tropical Storm Florence developed over the eastern Atlantic, strengthened briefly, and then weakened due to dry air and Saharan dust. NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared images of the storm on August 4 and 5, showing a larger spiraled storm with diminishing thunderstorms.
A new NASA study has found that the likelihood of experiencing an extreme summer heat wave has increased significantly since the middle of the 20th century. The researchers analyzed mean summer temperatures and found that 'extremely hot' summers, previously rare, have become routine in recent decades.
Tropical Storm 13W showed strong uplift and high cloud tops north and east of its center, indicating powerful atmosphere circulation. Forecasters expect the storm to maintain intensity while tracking into drier air, preventing further intensification.
Tropical Storm Ernesto is strengthening with NASA tracking its progress, revealing strong thunderstorms and deep convection on August 5. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph on August 5, and it continued to strengthen after passing over the Aqua satellite.
Typhoon Haikui is approaching mainland China, with NASA tracking its movement and intensity using visible and infrared light. The storm's strongest storms had cloud top temperatures near -63F, packing heavy rainfall.
Three tropical cyclones, Tropical Storms Damrey and Saola, and Tropical Depression Haikui, are active in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. AIRS data showed that cloud top temperatures in Damrey and Saola were warming, while Haikui had a large area of cooling cloud top temperatures, indicating strong storms and heavy rain.
NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of Tropical Storm Ernesto as it approached the Lesser Antilles on August 2, 2012. The storm brought maximum sustained winds near 45 mph and a wind gust in Saint Lucia during the morning of August 3.
Tropical Storm Saola and Typhoon Damrey appear to be interacting as they approach China, with both systems expected to dissipate within two days. NASA's Terra satellite captured images of the storm systems on August 2, showing Damrey developing an eye and Saola's eye closing due to land interaction.
Researchers have identified a QPO signal in a distant galaxy's black hole, revealing insights into the nature of compact objects. The detection extends the reach of relativity testing to smaller black holes, about 3.5 minutes apart.
A NASA satellite has spotted a developing Atlantic tropical low with strong, high thunderstorms indicating organization and strength. The system, System 99L, is forecast to have a 70% chance of becoming a tropical depression in the next two days.
Two tropical cyclones, Typhoon Saola and Typhoon Damrey, are forecast to make landfall in China. Saola is expected to strengthen before interacting with land, while Damrey will weaken due to cooler sea surface temperatures.
Tropical Storm Damrey is a compact storm system with strong thunderstorms and high cloud tops, expected to pass north of Iwo To, Japan. Forecasters predict the storm will track west-northwest over the next three days before making landfall near Shanghai, China.
Typhoon Saola is approaching Taiwan but stretches over the north and central Philippines, triggering warnings. The storm's huge extent has triggered public storm warning signals across several provinces.
A low-pressure system in the western North Pacific is showing signs of organization, with NASA's Terra satellite capturing an infrared image of the area on July 27. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center has given System 93W a high chance of becoming a tropical depression over the weekend of July 28-29.
NASA scientist Maxim Markevitch is investigating a novel technique to build low-cost X-ray mirrors using plastic tape rolled like Scotch tape. The goal is to capture high-energy photons and study cosmic rays, which could reveal more about the birth and evolution of the cosmos.
Researchers analyzed meteorite fragments from Tagish Lake in Canada and found large left-hand excesses of aspartic acid, an amino acid used by life, while alanine showed a much smaller excess. The team suggests that liquid water inside asteroids may favor the production of left-handed proteinogenic amino acids.
Researchers have observed a dramatic increase in Greenland's ice sheet surface melting, with nearly the entire ice cover experiencing melting. The melting event was linked to an unusually strong heat dome over Greenland, causing temperatures to hover above freezing for several hours.
NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite identified 'hot towers' in Typhoon Vicente, indicating rapid intensification. The storm intensified by 50 knots within six hours, with sustained winds reaching 120 knots.
NASA successfully tested a hypersonic inflatable heat shield, surviving re-entry at 7,600 mph. The Inflatable Reentry Vehicle Experiment (IRVE-3) demonstrated the technology's potential for planetary entry and descent or cargo return from the International Space Station.
Lola Fatoyinbo-Agueh, an environmental scientist at NASA Goddard, has been recognized for her exceptional achievement in merging scientific priorities with advanced technology to develop innovative remote-sensing instrumentation. Her research focused on mangrove forests, using data from multiple satellites and a remote sensing software...
A NASA satellite has been monitoring System 92W, a low-pressure system in the western North Pacific Ocean, indicating increased power and uplift as it strengthens. The storm is expected to move west-northwest past northern Luzon, bringing heavy rainfall and potentially localized flooding.