Tropical Cyclone Chapala strengthened into a hurricane on October 29 after developing an eye feature, with maximum sustained winds reaching 65 knots (75 mph). The storm is expected to intensify and make landfall in northeast Yemen on November 2 as it passes Socotra island.
The 2015 Antarctic ozone hole was the fourth largest on record, peaking at 28.2 million square kilometers, and formed later than usual due to unusually cold temperatures and weak dynamics in the stratosphere. The large size of this year's ozone hole will likely result in increases of harmful ultraviolet rays at Earth's surface.
The upgraded McMurdo TDRSS Relay System (MTRS) is transmitting terabytes of data at 200 megabits per second, enabling the production of global maps and enhancing natural hazard monitoring. The system's performance has improved data flow and will eventually support other polar-orbiting spacecraft.
Astronomers suggest that large spiral patterns in circumstellar disks around young stars may indicate the presence of giant unseen planets. Computer simulations support this idea by showing how gas-and-dust disks evolve and how planets can modify disk structures, revealing their mass and position.
A new NASA study uses GRACE satellite data to track droughts in Brazil, revealing an average loss of 15 trillion gallons of water per year from 2012 to 2015. The findings show the worst drought in 35 years has desiccated major cities across southeastern Brazil.
NASA's RapidScat instrument captured windy conditions in the Mid-Atlantic region, fueled by remnant moisture from Hurricane Patricia and Gulf of Mexico moisture. The National Weather Service predicted widespread rainfall across the eastern third of the US, with heaviest amounts expected along the I-95 corridor.
Research found that southwest Greenland Ice Sheet movement decreased by 12% between 2007 and 2014, despite increasing surface melt. The study suggests that further increases in melting may not speed up the ice sheet's flow due to drainage channels established at its base.
The James Webb Space Telescope's Integrated Science Instrument Module has begun its final cryogenic test at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The test, which will last several months, aims to ensure the instruments are ready for flight and can withstand the extreme temperatures they will encounter in space.
A NASA team analyzed seven Apollo samples and found amino acids at low concentrations, likely from terrestrial sources. Isotopic analysis and molecular orientation revealed a stronger connection to Earth than previously thought, ruling out the solar wind and lunar module exhaust as sources.
Researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are studying cooling techniques for 3-D integrated circuits, which will be stacked on top of each other like skyscrapers. The team aims to develop methods that can efficiently remove heat from these tightly packed chips, which is essential for space-based applications.
The Global Precipitation Measurement mission tracked rainfall within Storm Olaf, revealing high storm tops and sparse rain on the western side. The post-tropical cyclone weakened over cooler waters, eventually dissipating by October 28, 2015.
NASA's RapidScat detected moderately high winds over a broad area in the Gulf of Mexico, with sustained winds near 40 mph/64 kph, just south of Louisiana. The hybrid system's cloud cover extended from Florida to Louisiana and into the Mid-Atlantic States.
NASA's RapidScat instrument gathered wind speed and direction data on the storm's remnants over the western Gulf of Mexico. The data showed strongest sustained winds near 80.5 mph/129.6 kph north and west of the center, contributing to heavy rainfall and flash flooding in Texas and other Gulf Coast states.
Tropical Storm Olaf is returning to its birthplace in the Eastern Pacific Ocean after leaving the Central Pacific. The storm, which formed on October 14, has been weakening and is expected to continue moving eastward.
RapidScat data revealed strong winds in the remnants of Typhoon Champi near Alaska, with wind speeds reaching up to 80.5 mph/129.6 kph. The storm's effects brought rain, gusty winds, and warmer than normal temperatures to the region.
A new survey using Japan's Suzaku X-ray satellite reveals that the elements necessary for stars, planets, and people were evenly distributed across the Virgo galaxy cluster at a scale of millions of light-years. This discovery suggests that the chemical makeup of the universe is well mixed, with little variation on the largest scales.
Hurricane Patricia broke records as the strongest eastern North Pacific hurricane on record, with a minimum central pressure of 880 millibars and maximum sustained winds near 200 mph. The storm is expected to produce catastrophic impacts in southwestern Mexico, including life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.
Hurricane Olaf remains a major hurricane with sustained winds near 115 mph, moving northward towards the Hawaiian Islands. Swells generated by the storm will produce life-threatening surf along east-facing shores.
Typhoon Champi is experiencing vertical wind shear, resulting in its elongation. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center predicts the storm will weaken and transition to an extra-tropical system on October 24.
Hurricane Patricia intensified rapidly off Mexico's southwestern coast, breaking records for the strongest Eastern North Pacific hurricane. NASA satellites and instruments tracked its rapid intensification, revealing frigid cloud top temperatures that enabled heavy rainfall.
Tropical Depression 26W was experiencing wind shear and speeding up as it transitioned from a tropical to an extra-tropical cyclone. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects the storm to continue weakening over open waters of the western North Pacific Ocean.
Comet Lovejoy released large amounts of ethyl alcohol and glycolaldehyde into space, adding to evidence that comets could be a source of complex organic molecules necessary for life. The discovery supports the idea that comets carried sophisticated chemistry to Earth during its early stages.
A NASA study shows that widely used chemical coolants known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) contribute to ozone depletion. The study found that HFC emissions cause increased warming of the stratosphere, speeding up chemical reactions that destroy ozone molecules.
RapidScat measured sustained winds of over 80 mph near the center of Hurricane Olaf, with tropical storm force winds extending up to 155 miles from the center. The hurricane is forecast to move slowly northward, bringing life-threatening surf to Hawaiian Islands
The 26th Northwestern Pacific Tropical Depression formed on October 22, 2015, near Wake Island. It had maximum sustained winds of 28.7 mph and was moving north-northeast at 23.0 mph.
Tropical Storm Patricia produced lopsided heavy rains along the Mexican coast, with the western side receiving most of the moderate to heavy rainfall. The storm intensified into a hurricane on October 22, bringing warnings and watches for several states.
Typhoon Champi features a 36-nautical-mile-wide eye that was visible from NASA's Aqua satellite on October 22, 2015. The eye's cloud top temperatures exceeded minus 63F, indicating strong storms with heavy rainfall potential.
A NASA-developed laser communication system has demonstrated record-breaking data download and upload speeds to the moon, as well as highly precise distance and speed measurements. The Space Optical Communication and Navigation System can provide micrometer-level accuracy over a 622 megabits-per-second laser communication link.
Typhoon Champi remained a powerful storm after passing over NASA's GPM satellite on October 21, 2015. The storm displayed a large eye with heavy rainfall and high winds near 86mph.
The Eastern Pacific Ocean's twentieth tropical depression of the season developed into Tropical Storm Patricia, with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph. The storm is forecast to approach the Mexican coast on Friday, bringing life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.
The Global Precipitation Measurement mission (GPM) analyzed rainfall rates in Category 4 Hurricane Olaf, with rain falling at over 71.5 mm/hour in the eye wall and 56.8 mm/hour in scattered rain bands on the western side.
Typhoon Koppu brought extreme heavy rainfall to the Philippines, causing deadly flooding and mudslides. The GPM satellite data showed most of Luzon received over 300mm of rain, with some areas reaching 760mm.
The IBEX mission has created the first global maps of how our heliosphere interacts with interstellar space, revealing significant changes over time. The mission also directly measures interstellar neutral atoms flowing into the solar system.
Hurricane Olaf strengthened to a Category four hurricane on October 20 with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph. The storm is expected to remain major for the next couple of days before curving northeast and away from Hawaii by Friday, October 23.
Typhoon Champi's maximum sustained winds dropped to 80 knots from 90 knots as it weakened, with rough seas and wave heights reaching 9.1 meters.
A new theoretical study suggests that only eight percent of potentially habitable planets will ever form in the universe, while the bulk of those planets - 92 percent - have yet to be born. This conclusion is based on an assessment of data collected by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the Kepler space observatory.
NASA has launched a new website featuring daily color images of Earth taken by the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) EPIC camera, providing insights into global variations in vegetation, ozone, and cloud height. The images are available for public viewing on the NASA website.
Hurricane Olaf has strengthened into a major hurricane with maximum sustained winds reaching near 115 mph, forecast to cross into the Central Pacific basin tonight. The storm is expected to curve northwest and move parallel from Hawaii, posing potential threat to the region.
Typhoon Koppu made landfall in eastern Luzon on Oct. 17, with NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite capturing powerful thunderstorms and cloud top temperatures as cold as -81F. The RapidScat instrument revealed sustained winds around the eye at 40 meters per second before weakening to a tropical storm over the South China Sea.
Scientists will analyze the current El Niño event using NASA's suite of orbiting Earth-observing missions, providing insights into its global impacts. The study aims to better understand the connections between El Niño and extreme weather patterns, such as fires and floods.
Typhoon Champi generated heavy rainfall with rain rates exceeding 114.8 mm/h due to GPM's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar. The storm's strongest winds were found in its northern quadrant, with winds reaching 89.4 mph.
NASA's GPM satellite analyzed Koppu's intensifying storm system on October 15, revealing an eye forming near its center. Rainfall rates reached over 133 mm per hour in intense thunderstorms just southwest of the storm's center.
Tropical Storm Champi was over Guam and the Marianas Islands when NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of the storm. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument showed strongest thunderstorms in its western quadrant and over Guam.
Tropical Depression 19E continues to move through the Eastern Pacific Ocean, with poorly organized cloud patterns and a small area of deep convection. The depression is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm later this week.
Tropical Storm 02P formed 300 miles from Fiji with NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite capturing visible images of the storm on October 16. The storm is moving south-southwest at 10 knots, with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots.
The Pathfinder telescope has completed its first super-cold optical test, achieving significant breakthroughs in cryogenic alignment and testing of primary mirror segments. This test demonstrated the ability to optically test and align the telescope at -400 degrees Fahrenheit, simulating operating temperatures for the L2 Lagrange point.
Tropical Storm Champi affects the Northwestern Pacific Ocean with strongest thunderstorms east-southeast of its low-level center. The storm is about 218 nautical miles northeast of Saipan, moving west at 16 knots, with maximum sustained winds near 50 knots.
Tropical Depression 19E is showing signs of organization in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, with a large area of convection near its center. The depression is forecast to become a tropical storm later today and a hurricane over the weekend.
Tropical Storm Koppu is expected to make landfall in eastern Luzon, Philippines as a typhoon on October 17. The system's maximum sustained winds reached near 60 knots (69 mph/111 kph) on October 15.
The 2015 Antarctic maximum sea ice extent is the 22nd lowest on record, breaking a streak of record highs. The strong El Niño event had an impact on the sea ice distribution in west Antarctica, causing it to be 513,000 square miles below the previous record high.