A NASA study reveals that carbon dioxide plays a crucial role in regulating Earth's temperature, accounting for 25% of the greenhouse effect. The research demonstrates that without non-condensing greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor and clouds cannot sustain the planet's greenhouse effect.
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite is nearly ready for a December delivery to the Curiosity rover on NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Once deployed, SAM will become an automated laboratory, assessing whether Mars ever supported microbial life.
Otto intensified into the Atlantic Ocean's 8th hurricane on October 8, bringing heavy rainfall to the northern Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico. The storm is expected to strengthen due to light wind shear and warm waters but may weaken when it encounters cooler waters.
The James Webb Space Telescope's sunshield has successfully completed launch depressurization tests, validating its flight design. The tests, conducted in vacuum chambers, simulated the rapid change in air pressure during launch and proved that the stowed sunshield will retain its shape and allow trapped air to escape safely.
Researchers propose that Enceladus' libration, a slight wobble as it rotates, could be responsible for generating heat and keeping its ocean liquid. This finding is significant in the search for life, as it suggests that the moon's environment may be stable enough to support development.
Tropical Storm Otto formed over the Atlantic Ocean after two changes in less than 24 hours. NASA's TRMM and Aqua satellites detected cold, high thunderstorm cloud tops and heavy rainfall near the storm.
The NASA GRIP experiment gathered valuable data on Atlantic hurricanes Earl and Karl, capturing rapid intensification and storm development. Scientists analyzed the data to gain a better understanding of what causes hurricanes to form and strengthen.
The GOES-13 satellite has identified the 17th Atlantic subtropical depression as Subtropical Depression 17 (TD17), with a tight circulation and long tail of clouds. TD17 is forecast to move into a more favorable environment, potentially intensifying into a tropical depression or storm.
The sun uses its solar wind and ultraviolet radiation to strip Mars' atmosphere, making it cold and dry. MAVEN will examine the ways the sun loses the Martian atmosphere and measure hydrogen isotope ratios to discover how much water has been lost to space.
Tropical Depression 14W forms near Hainan Island, China, with strong thunderstorms and rapid wind shear detected by NASA's Aqua satellite. The depression's organization and punch are being weakened by wind shear, which is expected to make it turn north-northeast before making a brief landfall in southern China.
The MAVEN mission aims to investigate how Mars lost its atmosphere and gain insight into the Red Planet's history. The spacecraft will make definitive scientific measurements of present-day atmospheric loss, addressing fundamental science questions.
A low pressure area designated as System 97L has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next 48 hours. The system is expected to bring locally heavy rainfall to the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola in the coming days.
Researchers found that water and sulfur dioxide react as ice with surprising speed and high yield at temperatures hundreds of degrees below freezing. This unexpected reaction could revamp current thinking about Europa's chemistry and geology, potentially leading to new discoveries on the moon and other icy bodies.
Three NASA Goddard Space Flight Center employees, Matt Greenhouse, Randy Kimble, and Alexander Moiseev, received the 2010 Robert H. Goddard Award for Science for their outstanding work in sciences at NASA Goddard. The award recognizes their exceptional achievements in developing instrumentation and analysis methods for premier astronom...
Scientists have observed Alfvén waves in the solar wind that point perpendicular to the magnetic field, efficiently transferring energy to protons. These waves play a crucial role in heating protons and explaining the solar wind's temperature changes.
Tropical Storm Nicole brought heavy rain and flooding to the US East Coast, with rainfall totals reaching up to 550 mm in Jamaica and 500 mm in North Carolina. The storm caused significant damage and loss of life, with 4 deaths reported in North Carolina and 12 in Jamaica.
The Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) is being tested in a simulated environment at RAL to prepare for its delivery to NASA. The instrument will enable astronomers to study the first light of the early Universe and form planets around distant stars.
Tropical Storm Nicole's remnants combined with an upper-level low pressure system, dumping record rainfall on the US East Coast. Heavy rains fell across states from New England to North Carolina, breaking records at multiple airports and cities.
The summer of 2023 was the fourth-warmest on record, with June to August temperatures globally being warmer than previous years but not unprecedentedly so. Global warming has increased the frequency of extreme warm anomalies, making events like the Moscow heat wave more likely.
The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft has made significant discoveries about the interaction between the solar wind and interstellar space. The spacecraft has found that the strength of the interaction varies dramatically across the sky, with a long 'ribbon' and an intense hotspot detected in the heliosheath. These findi...
Tropical Storm Nicole has weakened into a remnant low pressure area off the Florida coast. A massive trough of low pressure over the eastern seaboard is streaming tropical moisture from Nicole's remnants, bringing heavy rainfall totals to the region.
Tropical Storm Nicole strengthened with NASA's satellite data revealing high thunderstorm clouds and heavy rainfall. The storm is expected to produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides over the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Cuba.
The ISIM structure passed extreme cryogenic temperature tests without cracking, with thermal contraction and distortion measured to be within the design requirement. The unique composite laminate and bonding technique used in its construction were successfully tested, ensuring the telescope's instruments remain in precise locations.
The Goddard team designed a one-of-a-kind structure made of never-before-manufactured composite material that withstood extreme cold temperatures. The structure survived temperatures as low as 27 Kelvin (-411 degrees Fahrenheit), exceeding design requirements.
Tropical Depression 16 has strengthened due to cold cloud top temperatures, indicating stronger thunderstorms. The storm is expected to bring heavy rains and squally conditions to the Caribbean before moving towards Florida.
NASA's Aqua and TRMM satellites detected increasing cloud top temperatures and heavy rainfall around Tropical Storm Matthew. The storm is expected to strengthen further, bringing hurricane conditions and potential flooding to the region.
Tropical Storm Lisa is currently a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds near 50 mph, forecast to weaken due to colder waters and strong wind shear, then become a remnant low pressure system in the eastern Atlantic by early next week.
NASA's CloudSat satellite observed a powerful heat engine in Typhoon Malakas, with strong convection and heavy rainfall reported. The storm had maximum winds of around 115 mph and a minimum central pressure of 965 millibars.
Tropical Storm Malakas is expected to strengthen as it approaches Iwo To due to cold cloud top temperatures. The storm's high sea levels and northward movement pose a threat to the island.
Tropical Depression Lisa is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm due to increased convection, but faces challenges from dry air and wind shear. The National Hurricane Center forecasts a 'triple header' threat for Lisa after Friday.
Tropical Depression 15 forms in the south-central Caribbean Sea with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph, prompting watches and warnings for Central America. The storm is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm possibly within the next day due to warm waters.
New supercomputer simulations show what the solar system might look like to alien astronomers searching for planets. The models also provide a glimpse of how this view might have changed as our planetary system matured.
Researchers created a long-term global map of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) using satellite data, providing a comprehensive view of health-sapping air pollution worldwide. The map shows high levels of PM2.5 in Africa and Asia, with over 80% of the world's population breathing polluted air.
The GOES-13 satellite has captured images of three tropical cyclones, including Tropical Storm Lisa in the eastern Atlantic and Tropical Storm Georgette in the eastern Pacific. Lisa is struggling to intensify due to wind shear and dry air, while Georgette is expected to produce heavy rainfall over western Mexico.
Hurricane Igor brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to Newfoundland, Canada, causing extensive flooding, power outages, and wind damage. The storm's circulation increased as it moved north, extending tropical-storm force winds up to 520 miles from its center.
Hurricane Igor is expanding in eastern Canada, prompting hurricane watches for the region. The storm's diameter has grown to 920 miles, with maximum sustained winds near 75 mph and heavy rainfall possible over Newfoundland.
Tropical Storm Lisa has strengthened into its third tropical storm due to low wind shear, allowing it to gain momentum. The storm's minimum central pressure is 1005 millibars and it is expected to turn north-northwest before heading west-northwest.
Tropical Storm Georgette formed rapidly south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with the GOES-11 satellite capturing its clouds extending over extreme southern Baja California. The storm is forecast to make landfall in western Mexico, bringing heavy rainfall and tropical storm-force winds.
NASA satellites and aircraft gathered crucial data on Hurricane Karl's maximum sustained winds of 115 mph as it moved into Mexico's rugged terrain. The storm caused widespread flooding and evacuations, resulting in over 40,000 people being evacuated and eight reported missing.
A new NASA study shows that increased dust in the Colorado River basin is causing snowmelt to occur earlier, reducing runoff and available water downstream. This results in a 35-billion cubic feet annual loss of water, enough to supply Los Angeles for 18 months.
Hurricane Igor underwent significant changes in shape and strength due to NASA's MODIS and AIRS instruments, which captured its transformation from a rounded storm to a comma-shaped storm over three days. The storm's cold cloud temperatures and cloud cover were also analyzed by the AIRS instrument.
Typhoon Fanapi brought very heavy rain to the Pacific Northwest Ocean, with rainfall rates exceeding 2 inches per hour. The storm made two landfalls, one in Taiwan and another in eastern China, causing significant flooding and damage.
Tropical Storm Julia is struggling to maintain its strength as it encounters massive Hurricane Igor's westerly wind shear. The National Hurricane Center predicts Julia will fade into a remnant low in a day or two, with some models suggesting it could be absorbed by Hurricane Igor's circulation.
The Firefly satellite, developed by University of Maryland students, will study Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) and their link to lightning. The mission aims to answer whether lightning triggers or is triggered by these high-energy flashes.
Typhoon Fanapi is approaching Taiwan with strong convection and a tight circulation center, reaching speeds of 97 mph. NASA's Aqua satellite data shows the typhoon consolidating, with a 11-mile-wide eye and a small gap in the eyewall.
Hurricane Karl's powerful thunderstorms featured very high icy cloud tops, while moderate to heavy rainfall was observed from the storm. The GRIP mission gathered valuable data on Karl's rapid intensification, which went from a tropical storm to a Category 3 hurricane overnight into Friday.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured visible image of Hurricane Julia, weakened by Hurricane Igor's outflow, breaking a record for the most intense hurricane east of the Azores. The storm is expected to move west-northwest then turn northeast, staying at sea.
Hurricane Julia has weakened to a Category 2 storm due to wind shear and cooler sea surface temperatures. The storm is being pulled northwest by mid-level winds, causing its main convection to shift away from the center, resulting in weakening.
The TRMM satellite provided a 3-D image of Hurricane Igor's cloud heights and rainfall rates, revealing towering clouds and heavy rainfall. The image showed the eye was still distinct but the southwestern portion had eroded, with heavy rainfall falling at 2 inches per hour.
Karl strengthened into a hurricane as it moved across the Gulf of Mexico, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to the region. The storm is forecast to make landfall in mainland Mexico late Friday or Friday night, with minimum central pressure at 983 millibars.