The 12th tropical depression of the 2015 Eastern Pacific hurricane season was born on August 25, 2015. NASA's Terra satellite gathered infrared data revealing a circulation center with maximum sustained winds near 35 mph, located approximately 1,610 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.
Danny degenerated into an elongated area of low pressure near the Windward Islands, producing 2-4 inches of rain over several islands. A second low-pressure system is developing in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, with potential for tropical depression or storm formation
Tropical Depression Danny was already affecting the Leeward Islands when NASA's Terra satellite passed overhead. The storm is expected to produce heavy rainfall over several islands in the region.
Smoke from western fires mixes with atmospheric particles to obscure landmasses in eastern states, altering sunset colors. Residents notice increased reddish hues due to filtering of shorter wavelength light by smaller smoke particles.
The OSIRIS-REx camera suite, consisting of PolyCam, MapCam, and SamCam, will enable the spacecraft to image and map Bennu, select a safe sampling site, and collect a sample. The mission is scheduled to launch in September 2016 and will return the largest sample from space since the Apollo lunar missions.
A mid-level solar flare, peaking at M5.6, occurred on Aug 24, 2015. The flare emitted powerful bursts of radiation, potentially affecting Earth's atmosphere and disrupting GPS and communications signals.
Researchers found a strong link between high wildfire risk in the Amazon basin and devastating hurricanes that ravage North Atlantic shorelines. This connection is crucial for developing better seasonal outlooks for drought and fire risk in the Amazon.
Tropical Storm Loke is strengthening in the Central Pacific, with NASA's Terra satellite gathering data on its powerful storms. The storm is expected to reach hurricane strength later today, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to affected areas.
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center collaborates with YYESIT LLC to develop a product offering innovative monitoring, interpreting, and reporting capabilities for healthcare safety and quality protocols. The partnership aims to advance NASA's work in image processing, computer vision, intelligent decision-making, and optimization.
Typhoon Goni is weakening due to increasing vertical wind shear and interaction with southern Japan's land. Forecasters predict the storm will make landfall in Kyushu, Japan on August 25 before moving north through the Sea of Japan.
NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission has detected heavy rainfall from Tropical Depression Kilo as it approaches Johnston Island. The tropical depression is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Tuesday, bringing strong winds and large surf to the area.
Tropical Storm Atsani was elongated with powerful thunderstorms in its quadrants, but its eastern quadrant showed almost no activity. The storm's interaction with westerlies and impending drop in sea surface temperatures indicate it may transition to an extra-tropical storm.
A new tropical depression formed in the Central Pacific Ocean on August 20, with NASA's Aqua satellite capturing its infrared image on August 21. The system is moving northwards and is expected to curve northwest by August 22.
During El Nino events, Indonesia experiences drier weather leading to an increase in forest fires on peat-rich land. These fires produce massive greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change.
Dr. Geronimo Luis Villanueva, a NASA Goddard scientist, has been awarded the 2015 Harold C. Urey Prize for his exceptional work in planetary research and spectroscopy. He is recognized for his contributions to understanding comets and Mars's atmosphere.
Hurricane Danny is a small Category 2 hurricane with hurricane-force winds extending only 15 miles from the eye. Satellite data indicates maximum sustained winds of near 105mph and an estimated minimum central pressure of 976 millibars.
Typhoon Atsani features a large 46 nautical-mile-wide eye captured by NASA's Aqua satellite. The storm is expected to transition to an extra-tropical system as it curves northeast, staying well south of Japan.
Wildfires have been raging in Washington State, Oregon's Malheur National Forest, and California's Golden State, burning over 390,000 acres and forcing evacuations. The blazes are fueled by strong winds and lightning strikes, with no imminent relief expected.
A new tropical storm, Kilo, has formed in the Central Pacific Ocean, with NASA's Aqua satellite capturing its development on August 20. The storm is expected to strengthen over the next couple of days, moving west-northwest at 16 mph.
NASA's Aqua satellite and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core satellite tracked Typhoon Goni as it affected the Philippines. The satellites provided detailed insights into the typhoon's inner eye wall, showing intense rainfall rates of over 88 inches in extreme areas.
Researchers have made strides in understanding inner-core processes and environmental factors that affect a hurricane's path and intensity. NASA satellites, computer modeling, instruments, aircraft, and field missions provide valuable information to help scientists better understand these storms.
Tropical Storm Danny formed in the central Atlantic on August 18 with a strong El Nino influence, leading to potential hurricane formation. The GPM satellite analyzed Danny's rainfall structure, revealing an asymmetric rain band with high rain rates.
CloudSat's cloud profiling radar captured the sloping nature of Super Typhoon Atsani's eyewall, revealing heavy rainfall and powerful thunderstorms. The satellite also detected deep convective cloud tops northwest and southeast of the eye, with winds extending over 60 nautical miles from the center.
NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP Satellite captured a visible image of Typhoon Goni on August 20, showing powerful thunderstorms spiraling around its eye. The storm was centered near the northeastern Philippines and had maximum sustained winds of 115 knots.
The 2015 Atlantic season's first hurricane, Danny, was detected by NASA as it intensified into a tropical cyclone. The storm is moving west-northwest at 12 mph with sustained winds of near 75 mph.
NASA's Aqua satellite provided visible and infrared data on Super Typhoon Atsani, revealing powerful thunderstorms around a wide-open eye. The storm's sea surface temperatures were warmer than 300 kelvin, supporting its intensification.
Typhoon Goni, a Category 4 hurricane, was analyzed by NASA's Aqua satellite on August 19, 2015, revealing cloud top temperatures as cold as -63.1F/-81.6C surrounding its eye.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data on Tropical Storm Danny, revealing cloud top temperatures near -63F/-52C and sea surface temperatures over 300 kelvin. The storm is expected to strengthen and potentially become a hurricane by August 23, with maximum sustained winds reaching 105 mph.
Typhoon Atsani intensified with heavy rainfall rates exceeding 90 mm/h, reaching 16.8 km in height. NASA's GPM analysis predicts it will become a super-typhoon by August 20, posing a threat to the Pacific Ocean.
The Suomi NPP satellite gathered infrared data on Typhoon Goni, showing the strongest thunderstorms in its eastern and southern quadrants. The storm maintained a convective signature despite weakening uplift, with winds near 115mph and a Category Three rating.
NASA's GOES-West satellite captured the final stages of Tropical Depression 11E as it weakened and degenerated into a remnant low pressure area. The post-tropical cyclone's maximum sustained winds were near 30 mph.
The fourth Atlantic Tropical Depression formed on August 18, 2015, with NASA's Terra satellite capturing its visible image. The depression is expected to gradually strengthen over the next 48 hours and become a tropical storm by August 21.
Typhoon Goni, a powerful storm, was tracked by NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission core satellite. The data revealed strong storms surrounding the eye dropping rain at over 65 mm/h and maximum sustained winds near 132.3 mph.
The 11th tropical depression of the season formed near latitude 16.8 North and longitude 113.5 West on August 13, moving northwest towards Baja California. Maximum sustained winds reached 35 mph before gradual weakening was expected.
Typhoon Atsani formed on August 14 as Tropical Depression 17W and strengthened into a typhoon on August 16. NASA's Terra satellite detected powerful thunderstorms around its eye on August 17, with cloud top temperatures reaching -63F/-53C.
The LADEE spacecraft has confirmed the presence of neon in the lunar atmosphere for the first time, finding it to be relatively abundant. The moon's thin atmosphere is composed mostly of helium and argon, with neon levels varying by time of day.
Tropical Depression 16W was born in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean when NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image on August 14. The depression had maximum sustained winds near 30 knots and was moving west at 5.7 mph, heading towards the Northern Marianas.
A NASA animation showcases Hurricane Hilda's weakening phase, from a hurricane to a low-pressure area, as it moves towards Hawaii. The storm encountered wind shear, leading to its dissipation.
Tropical Depression 17W was born in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean on August 14, with NASA's Aqua satellite capturing its formation. The depression is currently drifting north at 6 mph and is forecast to intensify into a tropical storm over the next few days.
Tropical Storm Hilda is weakening due to diminishing winds, with maximum sustained winds holding at 45mph. The storm is expected to move west-southwest and produce heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash floods across the Hawaiian Islands.
Scientists use archived data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to study 13 unusual exploding stars, known as supernovae. These young stars were ejected from their galaxies at high speeds, and astronomers believe that supermassive black holes in merging galaxies played a key role in their ejection.
Tropical Storm Molave was observed by NASA's Suomi NPP satellite on August 13, 2015, with a distinctive fan shape and strong winds near 40 knots. The storm was moving east-northeast at 15 knots and forecasters expect it to continue in that direction.
NASA satellite data revealed towering thunderstorms in Hurricane Hilda dropping heavy rainfall, with storms north of the eye releasing over 5.9 inches of rain per hour. The storm's cloud tops reached altitudes of over 10 miles, indicating powerful weather conditions.
The sunshield on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is the largest part of the observatory, separating a warm sun-facing side from a cold environment to protect sensitive infrared instruments. The precise unfolding of the five-layer sunshield must be accurate within a few centimeters to maintain alignment and operate effectively.
The Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Molave, revealing strong winds and clouds southeast of the storm's center. The satellite data showed that the strongest winds were in this quadrant, with forecasters predicting intensification over warm sea surface temperatures.
Typhoon Soudelor produced over two feet of rainfall when it made landfall in China and Taiwan, with the rugged terrain amplifying totals to 1320 mm (52 inches) in Taiwan. NASA estimated the rainfall using data from its Global Precipitation Measurement mission.
The Suomi NPP satellite captured a stunning night-time image of the Jerusalem Fire in California, revealing its massive size and location. The fire has covered over 12,000 acres and is being managed by Cal Fire.
Hurricane Hilda's strongest winds were detected by NASA's RapidScat instrument on the storm's northern side, reaching speeds of 73 mph. The center of the hurricane is expected to bring heavy rain, life-threatening flash floods, and large ocean swells to Hawaiian Islands over the next few days.
NASA's Terra satellite detected a surge in thunderstorm development on Molave, leading to its regaining of tropical storm status. The storm is intensifying as it moves northeast, expected to reach peak intensity of 60 knots (69 mph) before becoming extra-tropical.
The 2015 Alaska fire season has seen a record-breaking number of acres burned, surpassing 5 million, with eight smokejumpers dispatched to address increased activity. The fires have been monitored using NASA's Terra satellite, capturing detailed images of the affected areas.