Hurricane Darby weakened to a tropical storm on July 20 as it approached the Central Pacific Ocean. The storm was about 1,000 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds decreasing to near 60 mph.
Scientists studied Tropical Cyclone Abela using satellite data, which provided insights into its rainfall rates and cloud heights. The cyclone's low-level center was exposed due to wind shear, causing convective storms to form southeast of the center.
Tropical Storm Estelle has a circular storm with two areas of strongest convection, indicating rising air that forms thunderstorms. The storm is strong and almost symmetrical but is being slowed by dry air in the mid-levels.
Tropical Cyclone Abela continues to weaken, with two areas of strong convection remaining: one west and one southeast. The JTWC predicts Abela will dissipate by July 20 as it tracks towards northeastern Madagascar.
Hurricane Darby's strength is decreasing due to warming cloud tops, indicating a weakening circulation with strong convection. The storm is expected to become a tropical storm later today, with maximum sustained winds remaining near 75mph.
A new tool is being developed by NASA to assure picometer-level stability, a feat not yet accomplished. The instrument will measure tiny changes in mirror segments and other supporting telescope structure during environmental testing.
Tropical Cyclone Abela formed on July 16 in the Southern Indian Ocean, with NASA's RapidScat instrument measuring winds of up to 67 mph near its center. The cyclone is forecast to move west-southwest towards Madagascar and weaken due to adverse atmospheric conditions.
A satellite image captured by GOES-West showed an open circulation with clouds to the northeast of the remnant low center. The surface low, ex-Tropical Cyclone Celia, was centered about 300 miles northeast of Honolulu on July 18 and moving west at 10 mph.
NASA's RapidScat instrument revealed a cloud-filled eye in Hurricane Darby, with sustained winds exceeding 67 mph. The storm is expected to weaken further over the next 48 hours, becoming a tropical storm later today.
Tropical Storm Estelle is strengthening in the Eastern Pacific Ocean with NASA satellite imagery showing a developing eye surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. The storm's cloud tops are near minus 80 Celsius, indicating strong convection and potential hurricane formation.
The sixth tropical depression of the Eastern Pacific Ocean formed on July 15 and was captured by NOAA's GOES-West satellite. The system has acquired a well-defined circulation and convective banding, classifying it as a tropical cyclone.
Hurricane Darby's eye features powerful thunderstorms and a ragged 25 nautical mile-wide center. The storm is expected to weaken due to cooler sea surface temperatures.
Tropical Storm Celia has weakened to near 45 mph winds as it moves into the central Pacific Ocean. The storm is expected to gradually spin down and become a post-tropical cyclone by tonight due to cooler sea surface temperatures and stable air masses.
Tropical Storm Celia weakened in the Eastern Pacific Ocean with NASA data showing strongest winds and storms shifted north of the center. The Global Precipitation Measurement satellite found rain falling at over 164 mm per hour within a feeder band, indicating significant convective activity.
NASA's RapidScat instrument measured strong winds in Hurricane Darby reaching 67 mph near its center, with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 150 miles from the center.
NASA's RapidScat instrument measured surface wind speeds exceeding 30 meters per second, while the GPM core satellite detected rainfall rates of up to 33 mm/h near Hurricane Celia's eye wall. The storm weakened to a tropical storm on July 13, with forecasted weakening continuing over the next 48 hours.
Tropical Storm Darby strengthened rapidly, with maximum sustained winds reaching 70 mph and gusts exceeding 110 kph. NASA used satellite imagery to estimate the storm's minimum central pressure at 998 millibars.
Typhoon Nepartak brought severe problems when it moved ashore, causing thousands of home destructions in China and at least three deaths in Taiwan. NASA's IMERG estimated totals indicated over 500 mm (19.7 inches) in some areas, with even greater rainfall calculated in non-affected regions.
The tiny radiation-resistant chips play a crucial role in the Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instrument (JEDI), measuring particle speed, energy, and position with time accuracy down to a fraction of a billionth of a second. Without these microchips, satellite electronics would be much heavier and require more shielding and power.
Tropical Depression 4 formed in the Eastern Pacific, strengthening into a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph. The storm is expected to track over cold water kicked up from Hurricanes Blas and Celia, affecting its strength.
A team of NASA scientists is developing a compact, low-cost telescope for CubeSats that will utilize a mirror made of carbon nanotubes in an epoxy resin. The technology aims to provide a sensitive instrument for quick exploratory missions or as part of a constellation of similar CubeSats.
Hurricane Celia is currently in the Eastern Pacific Ocean but will issue warnings once it passes west of 140 degrees west longitude. NASA satellites capture images showing a cloud-filled eye and powerful thunderstorms wrapping around the low-level center.
A NASA camera aboard the DSCOVR satellite captured a view of the moon as it moved in front of the sunlit side of Earth for the second time in a year. The images were taken using NASA's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) and show the moon crossing over the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Hurricane Celia has strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph. The storm is expected to move towards the west-northwest with decreasing speed, potentially weakening by Tuesday.
Nepartak made landfall in eastern China as a minimal tropical storm after landfall in Taiwan. The MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of the storm on July 9, showing its center had moved inland over southeastern China.
Tropical Cyclone Blas weakened to a tropical depression before strengthening into Tropical Cyclone Celia, according to a NASA satellite animation. The post-tropical cyclone dissipated in the Eastern Pacific Ocean within days of its weakening.
The Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image showing Hurricane Blas' eye filled with high clouds, while infrared imagery revealed a pinhole eye. The storm was weakening rapidly, with maximum sustained winds decreasing to near 105 mph.
Typhoon Nepartak's cloud top temperatures were as cold as minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating strong storms. Rainfall totals compiled by Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau confirmed high amounts, with some areas receiving over 500 mm of rain.
Scientists with NASA's Dawn mission have identified permanently shadowed regions on the dwarf planet Ceres, which are likely cold enough to trap water ice for a billion years. The regions, occupying about 695 square miles of the northern hemisphere, may be colder than those on Mercury or the moon.
Tropical Depression 4E intensified into Tropical Storm Celia, with a better-organized cloud pattern and increased winds. The storm is expected to pass near an area of cooler sea surface temperatures, slowing its intensification before potentially strengthening into a hurricane by Sunday.
A recent study projects that approximately 30% of current Adélie colonies may decline by 2060 and 60% of the present population may dwindle by 2099. The penguins at more southerly sites in Antarctica are less affected by climate change.
The Crab Nebula is home to a spinning neutron star with a 'heartbeat' radiation signature, emitting clock-like pulses of energy. The neutron star is surrounded by expanding debris and glowing gas, revealing the intricate details of this cosmic object.
Tropical Depression 4E formed in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph. The depression is expected to become a tropical storm in three days and potentially reach hurricane status.
NASA satellites are gathering data on wind, temperature, rainfall, and cloud extent of Super Typhoon Nepartak as it approaches Taiwan. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 140 knots (161.1 mph/259.3 kph) with a weakening trend expected.
Hurricane Blas continues to hold a Category 3 status with a large eye and powerful thunderstorms. The storm is expected to weaken over the next two days, potentially becoming a tropical storm by Friday night.
The Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) mission surveys the atmosphere over oceans for the first time, measuring pollutants and climate gases. The DC-8 aircraft will document interactions between air masses, understanding where pollutants originate and how quickly they react chemically.
Satellites captured a developing eye in Hurricane Blas, showing a cloud-filled and wide storm system. The hurricane is moving west-northwest at 12 mph and has maximum sustained winds of near 125 mph.
NASA's GPM core satellite analyzed rainfall rates, while RapidScat measured wind speeds near or above 30 meters per second around the center of the storm. The typhoon intensified over warm sea surface temperatures with minimal wind shear and good outflow, eventually reaching Category 5 hurricane status.
NASA's Terra satellite captured visible light images of Tropical Storm Agatha, which formed on July 1 as a tropical depression and strengthened into a storm with maximum sustained winds near 45 mph. The storm weakened over the July 4th weekend and became a remnant low-pressure area by July 6.
The first hurricane of the Eastern Pacific season, Blas, was analyzed by NASA on July 5. Powerful thunderstorms with very cold cloud top temperatures were detected in infrared light. The storm's surface winds were also monitored using the RapidScat instrument, which showed strong winds east of the center.
Typhoon Nepartak strengthened rapidly after forming on July 3, becoming a major hurricane/typhoon with maximum sustained winds near 120 knots. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center attributed its intensification to favorable conditions, including warm water and low wind shear.
A powerful tropical depression was weakening over the Arabian Sea, with maximum sustained winds near 30 knots. Heavy rainfall rates of over 8.2 inches per hour were recorded southwest of the storm's center, indicating a severe weather system.
Reduced rainfall during El Niño events leads to severe drought conditions, increasing the risk of fires during the dry season. The Amazon fire forecast uses climate and active fire detection data to predict fire severity.
The OSIRIS-REx mission will generate detailed maps of asteroid Bennu using data from its five instruments, enabling the selection of a suitable sampling site. The team will also develop a new 3D shape model capturing the asteroid's irregular shape and create routine operation maps for navigation and sampling.
Tropical Cyclone 02A was affected by wind shear, elongating from a tropical easterly jet stream. The storm's trajectory shifted eastward on June 28, with a forecasted dissipation date due to unfavorable vertical wind shear conditions.
NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data revealed extreme rainfall in West Virginia during June 20-26, 2016, with 12.6 inches reported in affected areas., The IMERG analysis also showed heavy rain producing thunderstorms, causing flash flooding in the region.
Tropical Cyclone 02A is consolidating in the Arabian Sea, with cold cloud tops indicating strong uplift and heavy rain potential. The system is forecasted to reach peak intensity of 50 knots within a day or so before dissipating around June 30.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured a video of twisting solar material on the sun's surface, showcasing turbulence caused by combative magnetic forces. The footage reveals a dark filament suspended above the sun's surface.
The sunshield consists of five layers of Kapton material, each coated with aluminum and doped-silicon for optimal thermal insulation. The unique kite-like shape and precise layer separation direct heat away from the optics, allowing the telescope to reach required temperatures.
NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission tracked Tropical Storm Danielle as it made landfall north of Tuxpan, Mexico. Heavy rainfall rates were measured at moderate to heavy levels, with some areas experiencing precipitation at rates over 41 mm/h, indicating a rapid weakening of the storm.