Astronomers have used X-ray reverberation mapping to map the flow of gas near a newly awakened black hole for the first time. The study provides insights into the 'killer' black hole's hidden structures, revealing high-energy X-rays originate from a compact region near the black hole.
Tropical Storm Danielle formed on June 20 and dissipated over eastern Mexico by June 21. NASA analyzed its rainfall rates and cloud top temperatures using the GPM mission core satellite and Aqua satellite.
A powerful electric wind can strip water from an atmosphere, stripping Venus of its oceans, and may have played a significant role in Earth's loss of oceans. The discovery was made by NASA-funded researchers using the ESA's Venus Express mission.
NASA and NOAA satellites detected Tropical Depression 4 developing into Tropical Storm Danielle off the Mexican coast. The storm strengthened into a tropical cyclone on June 20, bringing heavy rain to eastern Mexico.
Astronomers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and San Diego State University have discovered a new planet, Kepler-1647b, which orbits two stars and is the largest transiting circumbinary planet ever found. The planet, with a mass and radius similar to that of Jupiter, takes 3 years to orbit its host stars.
Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Colin led to widespread flooding in Florida and Georgia, with over 250 mm of rain recorded in some areas. NASA's IMERG data analysis showed Colin's heaviest precipitation occurred over central Florida, with extreme amounts exceeding 280 mm.
The remnants of Tropical Depression 1E dissipated over the southwestern coast of Mexico. The system's winds decreased from 25 mph to lower gusts, with minimum central pressure at 1008 millibars.
Post-Tropical Cyclone Colin is moving northeast at 40 mph, expected to weaken on Wednesday. The remnants of the storm are speeding off towards history, with a surface trough extending from Cuba to Bermuda.
The LISA Pathfinder mission has achieved remarkable results in testing a crucial technology for detecting gravitational waves from space. By flying around identical test masses and isolating them from external forces, scientists have successfully demonstrated advanced technologies needed for a full-scale observatory.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured images of Tropical Depression 1E over southwestern Mexico, revealing its slow movement and disorganization. The depression is expected to slow and turn northward, dissipating by June 8, 2016, with heavy rains affecting southern Mexico and western Guatemala.
Tropical Storm Colin made landfall in northwestern Florida on June 6, 2016, before moving northeast across northern Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. Satellite images captured by NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites showed the storm's cloud spread over Florida and its eventual movement into the Atlantic.
Operation IceBridge completed its eighth spring Arctic campaign, collecting data on key portions of the Greenland Ice Sheet and Arctic sea ice. The mission focused on measuring changes in sea ice extent, thickness, and elevation, with implications for predicting melt season patterns.
Tropical Depression Bonnie experienced heavy rainfall from organized thunderstorms, measuring up to 4.9 inches per hour. The system weakened due to increased vertical shear and colder sea surface temperatures.
A NASA study has found that nearly a third of the land cover in the Arctic is turning green, with western Alaska and Quebec experiencing significant changes between 1984 and 2012. The study used high-resolution Landsat data to track vegetation trends across a 4.1 million square-mile area.
Heavy rainfall totals of over 20 inches were reported in parts of southeastern Texas, with IMERG estimating 431 mm (17 inches) during a week of major flooding. Flooding resulted in at least 6 deaths and a state of disaster was declared in 31 Texas counties.
Tropical Depression Bonnie has redeveloped into a tropical depression, threatening eastern North Carolina with heavy rain. The storm's movement and intensity are expected to change, with slight strengthening possible in the next 24 hours.
Astronomers refine universe's expansion rate with unprecedented accuracy, reducing uncertainty to 2.4 percent. The new value of 73.2 kilometers per second per megaparsec indicates the distance between cosmic objects will double in 9.8 billion years.
Scientists discovered 39 unreported and significant sources of toxic sulfur dioxide emissions using a new satellite-based method. The data reveals that these sources account for about 12 percent of all human-made emissions, impacting regional air quality significantly.
NASA's RapidScat instrument measured surface wind speeds near 46.9 mph/75.6 kph northeast of the system's center in System 91L. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted that the system has a high chance, 90 percent, of becoming a tropical depression.
NASA's GPM satellite has detected a developing low-pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean between Bermuda and the Bahamas, which could potentially become a tropical or subtropical cyclone. Increasing shower activity near the center of the system suggests it may be on track to develop into a storm.
Severe air quality issues persist in Fort McMurray due to ongoing wildfires, with a Health Quality Index of 10+ reported in the region. The fire, covering over 522,892 hectares, remains out of control, prompting evacuation orders for multiple communities.
Researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center use computer models to study tropical storms and hurricanes. Improved models can lead to better predictions and warnings for natural disasters like flooding and property loss.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will study asteroid Bennu in detail, collecting a sample to be analyzed on Earth. Four top-level maps will guide the sample collection process, assessing safety, navigation, surface material, and scientific value.
The James Webb Space Telescope science instrument package was successfully installed into the telescope structure with precision engineering and teamwork. The team conducted rigorous training and testing before the critical mission operation, ensuring the instruments and mirrors are ready for launch.
A new study by NASA scientist Alexander Kashlinsky proposes that primordial black holes, formed in the universe's first second, could make up dark matter. If correct, this would mean all galaxies are embedded within a vast sphere of black holes with masses similar to the sun.
BARREL's observations showed the open-closed boundary moving within minutes, providing a map of its location. Scientists can now refine simulations of how magnetic fields change around Earth due to this precise mapping.
The image reveals details as small as 20 to 30 miles across, showcasing the planet's polar caps, clouds, and vivid rust-colored landscape. The Hubble view also highlights ancient features such as Syrtis Major Planitia and Hellas Planitia basin.
New observations from NASA's Van Allen Probes have revealed the ring current behaves differently than previously thought. The high-energy protons in the ring current change in a completely different way from the low-energy protons, indicating a persistent ring current around Earth even during non-storm times.
The KORUS-OC expedition will study the daily changes of the seas surrounding South Korea, focusing on phytoplankton and their role in Earth's carbon cycle. The research aims to better understand how oxygen and carbon flow between the ocean and atmosphere.
Roanu is intensifying with defined eye and broad storm surge potential, threatening widespread flooding in Bangladesh. The cyclone has already caused massive landslides and flooding in Sri Lanka and could reach hurricane strength, posing a significant threat to the region.
A developing tropical storm in the Bay of Bengal has caused massive landslides in south central Sri Lanka, burying three villages. The storm's heavy rainfall and intense rain bands have led to widespread flooding and mudslides, with hundreds feared buried.
The NASA-funded Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) captured striking images of Mercury during its May 9, 2016 transit across the sun. By observing this phenomenon, researchers can calibrate IRIS and gather data on the sun's lower atmosphere.
Tropical Cyclone 01B is intensifying with maximum sustained winds of 40 knots, displacing 134,000 persons in the path of the storm. The system has caused record-breaking rainfall in Sri Lanka since its inception on May 14.
The EVE sounding rocket will provide under-flight calibration for the SDO EVE spectrometers, supporting the calibration of other solar soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet spectrometers. This mission aims to gather data for a tune-up of satellite instruments, helping scientists understand degradation trends.
The SPB is testing and validating its technology for long-duration flights at mid-latitudes, with the goal of 100+ days. The balloon is carrying a gamma-ray telescope and infrasound instrument to study galactic positrons and black holes.
The MinXSS CubeSat was deployed from the ISS in 2016 to study solar flares and their effects on Earth's upper atmosphere. The mission aims to understand the physics behind these events, which can disrupt radio and GPS signals.
Fires continued to burn in the Fort McMurray area, forcing a total of 15 wildfires with three out of control, spanning over 284,214 hectares. Firefighters battled the fires using 1,919 personnel, 161 helicopters, and heavy equipment.
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured a striking image of the spiral galaxy NGC 6814, showcasing its luminous nucleus and sweeping arms. The galaxy's extremely bright center is believed to host a supermassive black hole with a mass about 18 million times that of the sun.
NASA's satellite measurements of sulfur dioxide can help identify volcanic clouds and provide more accurate forecasts for aviation safety. This technology has the potential to reduce airline cancellations and rerouting costs, as well as have long-term climate applications.
Astronomers observe a narrow, well-defined jet of dust ejected by the comet's icy nucleus, which appears to rotate like a water jet. The comet's close approach to Earth and sun results in large amounts of dust and gas being ejected, creating a dynamic spectacle.
NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale mission has observed the first direct measurements of magnetic reconnection, a key driver of space radiation. The research reveals that electrons dominate this process, shedding light on its mysteries.
Heavy rainfall caused catastrophic flooding in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, resulting in four deaths and thousands displaced. NASA's GPM satellite data revealed intense storms with precipitation rates exceeding 300 mm/h along a line of heavy rainfall on May 8, 2016.
Researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center have found that the slow solar wind originates from magnetic reconnection in the sun's hot atmosphere. The team used newly processed observations to determine the source of the slow wind, which is important for understanding space weather around Earth.
The Fort McMurray wildfire is burning out of control, covering an area of 161,000 hectares, with extreme fire conditions due to low humidity and high temperatures. Residents are advised not to return home until it is safe to do so, while firefighters, including 1,500 employees at the Syncrude facility, work to contain the blaze.
The Fort McMurray wildfire in Alberta, Canada, is still burning intensely, with smoke and heat detectable by satellite. Suomi NPP's VIIRS instrument captured daytime images on May 5, showing hotspots indicating the location of fires, while nighttime images on May 6 revealed the fire at night, with smoke appearing light gray.
The Suomi NPP satellite captured images of the Fort McMurray wildfire, revealing its spread and impact on nearby communities. The fire forced over 88,000 people to flee, destroying 1,600 homes and buildings, and scorching over 18,500 acres.
LAGEOS, launched in 1976, revolutionized the study of Earth's tectonic plates, rotation, and gravitational field. The satellite achieved accuracies of less than half an inch, enabling precise measurements of plate movement and subtle changes in Earth's center of mass.
Two NASA sounding-rocket missions aim to investigate coronal nanoflares and oxygen atom escape into Earth's magnetosphere. FOXSI-3 will study hard X-ray imager/spectrometer signatures of tiny energy releases, while VISIONS-2 will observe outflowing ions from Earth's upper atmosphere.
A new NASA analysis of satellite data suggests that the expansion of the tropics is causing high altitude clouds to shift towards the poles. This shift affects Earth's climate by altering the amount of sunlight reaching the surface.
NASA has successfully miniaturized passive thermal-control technology for CubeSats, overcoming challenges of regulating temperature in smaller satellites. The new device, tested through various cycles, will be flight-tested on the Dellingr spacecraft and enables longer-term space exploration missions.