Tropical Storm Toraji is expected to make landfall in Kyushu and move back over open waters in the Sea of Japan. Strong wind shear from the southwest and interaction with the land are not expected to intensify the storm before it makes landfall.
Tropical Storm Kiko formed on Sept. 1 and intensified quickly, with maximum sustained winds reaching near 70 mph. However, cooler waters and wind shear weakened the storm, leading to its dissipation by Sept. 4. Meanwhile, another low-pressure system is forming near Mexico's southwestern coast.
The Rim Fire has grown to become the fourth largest fire in California's history, spanning over 231,000 acres. Burnout operations have shown success on the northern and southern portions of the fire.
The Rim Fire is currently 35% contained, with a new containment date set for October 20, 2013. The fire has slowed down due to cooler temperatures and increased humidity, burning approximately 300 acres per hour on average.
Heavy rainfall was recorded in western Taiwan due to Tropical Storm Kong-Rey, with rates exceeding 205mm/hour. The storm passed through the region on August 28, causing widespread flooding and damage.
The Rim Fire has burned over 40,000 acres within Yosemite National Park, destroying at least 111 structures. Firefighters are optimistic that containment can be achieved by September 20, 2013, with the rate of spread slowing in recent days.
Tropical Depression Juliette weakened into a post-tropical cyclone, with its remnants producing showers over Baja California. Two low-pressure areas developed in the Eastern Pacific, one with a 20% chance of becoming a tropical depression and another with a 10% chance.
The Rim Fire in California has burned over 192,000 acres, with 30% containment achieved through aircraft and water/chemical dumping. Large burnout operations are planned for the southeastern edge of the fire in Yosemite National Park, hampered by remote terrain and extreme fire behavior.
Tropical Storm Juliette weakened near Mexico's Baja California on Aug 29, 2013, with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph/65 kph. Two other low-pressure areas in the Eastern Pacific were also being monitored for development.
Tropical cyclones rely on hundreds of thunderstorms with coldest cloud top temperatures to produce heavy rain. Infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite revealed that wind shear was pushing storm systems away from the center of Tropical Storm Kong-Rey.
Astronomers observe a unique protostar, IRAS 20324+4057, shaped like a cosmic caterpillar due to intense ultraviolet radiation. The star is still collecting material from its surrounding gas envelope, which is being eroded by nearby stars.
The Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity project uses Landsat data to quantify large fires nationwide, providing long-term burn severity maps. Researchers investigate fire behavior changes over years using the valuable data, revealing increasing fire activity in the western US.
Portugal's Serra da Estrela National Park was finally brought under control after 24 hours of fighting, but one firefighter killed and nine injured. The fires have destroyed over 31,000 hectares this year, according to Portugal's conservation institute.
A massive canyon hidden under a mile of ice has been discovered in Greenland, stretching over 460 miles and reaching depths of 2,600 feet. The feature is thought to be ancient, pre-dating the current ice sheet, and plays a crucial role in transporting sub-glacial meltwater.
The LLCD experiment aims to validate and build confidence in laser communications, allowing for 3-D High Definition video transmissions in deep space. The technology has incredible application possibilities, enabling the transmission of hundreds of millions of bits of data per second from the moon to Earth.
The Rim Fire has spread deeper into Yosemite National Park, destroying 111 buildings and threatening thousands of homes. The fire has a relatively flat path, making it difficult for firefighters to control, with almost all containment coming from the southwest edge.
Tropical Storm Fernand's heavy rain caused mudslides in Mexico, resulting in 13 deaths. NASA's TRMM satellite gathered data on the storm's precipitation, which was used to estimate TMPA rainfall totals and monitor damages across 19 municipalities.
Scientists have overturned previous notions of how the sun's writhing insides move from equator to pole and back again. The team found a double-layered circulation system with two cycles on top of each other, providing new opportunities for studying solar magnetism and cycles.
Tropical Storm Fernand's remnants are still streaming moisture over eastern Mexico, causing heavy rainfall and cloud cover in the region. The National Meteorological Service of Mexico expects intense and heavy rain to hit northeastern states, east and central Mexico, with a warning remaining in effect for heavy rainfall.
Fire crews worked to contain the Rim Fire in California, spotting across the line near Duckwall Ridge and expanding evacuations along Highway 108. NASA's Terra satellite captured images of the fire's spread, highlighting the need for heavy aircraft support to slow its progress.
Tropical Storm Kong-Rey is experiencing strong thunderstorms in its southern and western quadrants, while the northern quadrant shows weaker development due to northeasterly wind shear. The storm is expected to pass east of Taiwan before weakening in the next couple of days.
Deliberate forest fires in Indonesia set by palm oil companies are causing severe smog that threatens public health. The fires result in a pollution index of over 400, making it life-threatening to vulnerable populations.
Tropical Depression Pewa dissipated over the Pacific Ocean on August 26, 2013. NASA satellite data revealed a significant decrease in rainfall by August 25, indicating the storm's weakening. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasted this outcome, and further observations confirmed the depression's waning life.
Tropical Storm Kong-Rey has formed in the northwestern Pacific, with NASA's Aqua satellite capturing its strengthening circulation. The storm is expected to bring scattered to widespread rain showers and thunderstorms to eastern Luzon, with sustained winds of 32-39 mph/52-63 kph.
The Rim Fire continues to burn in northeastern California, affecting over 224 square miles of land. The fire's size and spread are hampered by inaccessible terrain and extreme weather conditions, making containment efforts challenging.
Tropical Storm Fernand formed rapidly over Mexico, with NASA's TRMM satellite detecting towering thunderstorms and heavy rainfall rates exceeding 2 inches per hour. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph at landfall, causing significant flooding and threatening life-threatening flash floods.
The Arctic sea ice cover is on track to reach its annual minimum, but it's unlikely to break records this year. The ice extent has been declining steadily over the last decade, with a sustained downward trend observed by NASA and other satellites. Antarctic sea ice, however, is expected to reach its largest extent on record.
The Rim Fire in California has grown to over 106,000 acres, largely due to dry conditions and challenging terrain. Despite efforts of over 2,000 firefighters, the fire remains only 2% contained.
The HS3 mission sampled the environment of Tropical Storm Erin and revealed an elevated dust layer overrunning the storm. The Saharan Air Layer's role in tropical storm formation and intensification is a focus of the study, which aims to understand its impact on hurricane intensity change.
Tropical Storm Ivo is expected to bring heavy surf and moderate to heavy rainfall to southern Baja California over the next couple of days. The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph/65 kph at its center.
Tropical Storm Pewa's wind shear has pushed precipitation away from its center, resulting in a weakening storm. Cloud top temperatures have warmed up, indicating the uplift in Pewa was waning by August 23.
Astronomers have created time-lapse movies of a jet of superheated gas emanating from a supermassive black hole at the center of galaxy M87. The research team analyzed Hubble data to study the details of this process in understanding galaxy formation and black hole physics.
Typhoon Trami made landfall in east China's Fujian Province with maximum sustained winds near 75 knots/86 mph. The storm's infrared view showed tightly wrapped powerful thunderstorms around the center during landfall, indicating strong uplift and potential heavy rainfall.
NASA detects hundreds of fires in central Africa on August 21, 2013, suggesting deliberate agricultural burning to manage land and clear unwanted plants. The fires produce smoke degrading air quality and pose threats to species extinction.
A Pacific-wide satellite view caught Tropical Storm Pewa moving westward, with a rounded circulation, near 23.6 north latitude and 169.3 west longitude. Another developing low-pressure area, System 94E, is also visible, with high chances of becoming a tropical depression.
A recent CME sent billions of particles into space, reaching Earth in one to three days, potentially causing geomagnetic storms and disruptions to communication signals and power grids.
Fermi's extended mission will enable deeper studies of gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, and supermassive black holes. The telescope has already revealed giant bubbles above and below our galaxy, shedding light on the universe's most extraordinary phenomena.
Typhoon Trami is expected to make landfall near Fuzhou, China, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to the region. The storm's maximum sustained winds are near 70 knots/80 mph, with tropical-storm-force winds extending out 100 nautical miles.
Landsat satellites analyze post-fire images to estimate burn severity, helping crews focus restoration efforts on high-risk areas. By analyzing maps created with Landsat data, teams can identify areas at risk of post-fire flooding and implement restoration projects to mitigate damage.
Fires in Idaho and Montana continue to burn, with the Gold Pan complex fire expanding to 27,000 acres. The Lolo Creek complex has grown to 8,600 acres in difficult terrain.
Tropical Storm Pewa has passed over Wake Island, located just north of the Marshall Islands. The storm was captured on NASA satellite imagery and is expected to intensify again while moving northwest, potentially becoming a typhoon over the next five days.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) struck Earth on August 20, 2013, affecting satellite systems and power grids. The CME's magnetic fields altered the shape of Earth's magnetosphere, causing geomagnetic storms that can degrade communication signals.
A third tropical depression has formed in the Central Pacific Ocean, with Tropical Depression 03C (TD03C) moving west-northwest at 16 mpg/26 kph. The system is expected to cross the International Dateline, falling under the forecast authority of the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Trami and monsoon rains caused severe flooding in the northern Philippines, including Manila, resulting in three deaths and two missing. The storms enhanced each other's rainfall, bringing heavy downpours to the region.
NASA's Operation IceBridge will now operate from McMurdo Station in Antarctica, expanding its reach and measuring previously inaccessible areas. The new setup aims to improve knowledge of the continent's ice mass balance.
Tropical Storm Pewa weakened temporarily due to adverse atmospheric conditions in the Northwestern Pacific. The storm's convection and thunderstorms have deepened, with cloud top temperatures reaching as low as -63F/-52C.
Fires on the Portuguese island of Madeira have destroyed up to eleven houses and forced evacuations, with another fire rekindling concerns in the area.
Wildfires in central and northern California continue to rage, with the American wildfire affecting over 13,000 acres. The Swedes Fire has grown to 1,995 acres and is expected to be fully contained by Thursday.
Typhoon Pewa strengthened into a powerful storm after passing over NASA's Aqua satellite, revealing a small eye surrounded by strong thunderstorms. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center predicts Pewa will continue to intensify as it moves northwest, passing far to the northeast of Wake Island on Aug. 21 and 22.
NASA has accepted its newest Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) into the network, replenishing an aging fleet essential for space exploration. The new satellite will provide critical real-time communication support for NASA's human spaceflights, International Space Station activities, and various science missions.