The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has observed the remains of a star that exploded as a supernova around 600 years ago. The wispy gas structure, known as SNR B0519-69.0, is located in the Large Magellanic Cloud and features a striking blood-red color.
Astronomers detected a record-breaking gamma-ray burst from a dying star in a distant galaxy, producing the highest-energy light ever recorded. The GRB, GRB 130427A, lasted for hours and was detectable by multiple telescopes on the ground and space-based observations.
A NASA-led modeling study projects that global warming will lead to an increase in heavy rainfall and a decrease in moderate rainfall worldwide. The study suggests that regions around the equator, such as the Pacific Ocean and Asian monsoon areas, will experience significant increases in heavy precipitation.
Hundreds of deliberate fires were detected in Guerrero, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco regions. The fires are managed by farmers to clear land and enhance crops, but also produce smoke degrading air quality.
The 2012-2013 first place team in the NASA RealWorld-InWorld Engineering Design Challenge consists of five high school juniors and seniors who developed innovative engineering designs for the James Webb Space Telescope. The winning team will present their design concept to Dr. John Mather at a VIP event at NASA Goddard.
Agricultural fires are a common occurrence in eastern Russia, particularly during the planting season. The Russian military uses specially equipped transport airplanes to put out over 90 fires, highlighting the need for monitoring and intervention.
The Springs Fire has reached the beach in Ventura County and is pushing toward the upscale city of Malibu due to howling Santa Ana winds and dry vegetation. As of early Friday morning, the fire had grown to 10,000 acres and was 10% contained, with over 2,000 homes under threat.
A mid-level solar flare with an M5.7-class rating was detected by NASA on May 3, 2013, affecting GPS and communication signals. The flare caused a temporary disruption to radio signals before subsiding.
Hundreds of deliberate fires were detected in West Africa by NASA's MODIS satellite on May 01, 2013. The fires were likely set to manage land for farming and crop rotation, but also produce smoke degrading air quality during the region's agricultural burning season.
Controlled fires in southern Australia are being used to clear dry underbrush and debris, reducing the risk of devastating bushfires. NASA's satellite imagery shows a mix of planned and spontaneous fires, with most currently under control.
Cyclone Zane is a disorganized storm with strongest rain northwest of the center. NASA's TRMM satellite measured light to moderate rainfall within the storm, with an area northwest of the center showing a high rainfall rate of around 2 inches/50 mm per hour.
A fast-moving brush fire broke out in Riverside County, forcing the evacuation of several communities and destroying one home. Over 400 firefighters have been working to contain the nearly 3,000-acre Summit Fire.
The Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS) will monitor extreme solar energy output from the sun, disrupting telecommunications, air travel, and power grids. The GOES-R satellite is expected to launch in 2015, providing more advanced capabilities and frequent images.
GROVER will collect measurements to study how snow accumulates on the ice sheet, adding layer upon layer over time. The robot carries a ground-penetrating radar to detect the layer of the ice sheet formed after an extreme melt event.
A prescribed burn is being conducted on the 22,000-acre Otis Air National Guard installation to manage habitat and reduce wildfire risk. The burn aims to eliminate dead wood and debris that can act as fuel for wildfires.
Fermi's spacecraft dodged a catastrophic 1.5-ton bullet from the defunct spy satellite Cosmos 1805, avoiding an extremely close encounter. The successful maneuver was executed after NASA's CARA team predicted the potential collision just one week in advance.
Cyclone Zane is forecasted to make landfall in northeastern Queensland on May 2, bringing strong winds and tropical storm conditions. The cyclone's maximum sustained winds were near 55 knots (63.2 mph) on May 1, with a brief weakening expected before landfall.
IceBridge team measures sea ice, maps sub-ice bedrock, and gathers data on Greenland's glaciers, improving computer models of sea and land ice. The campaign aims to collect as much data as possible to understand the changing state of Arctic sea ice.
Infrared data captured by NASA's AIRS instrument revealed the rapid development of Tropical Storm Zane in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean. The storm is expected to make landfall in northeastern Queensland on May 1 at cyclone strength, bringing warnings and watches for coastal areas.
A NASA-University of Iowa collaboration uses ground instruments and satellite observations to improve flood forecasting. The study evaluates the accuracy of NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement mission satellite rainfall data.
NASA's MODIS satellite detected dozens of fires in Western Australia and the Northern Territory on April 28, 2013. The worst time for fire is late in the dry season, when vegetation has dried to tinder and blazes tend to be uncontrollable.
In eastern Russia, fires are set to clear land for planting and renew pastures. Fire is used globally as a tool for managing resources, mitigating larger wildfires.
Two CMEs sent by the sun are hurtling towards Mercury at speeds of approximately 500 miles per second. These solar phenomena may pose a risk to NASA's Messenger and STEREO-A spacecraft due to potential particle radiation effects.
The EVEX mission aims to better understand and predict electrical storms in Earth's upper atmosphere, which can interfere with satellite communication and global positioning signals. By launching two rockets through the equatorial ionosphere, scientists will gather data on electric fields and charged particles to develop a warning syst...
Experimental NASA research models show that three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have erupted from the sun, with speeds of up to 625 miles per second. The CMEs may pass by NASA's Messenger and STEREO-A satellites, posing a risk of particle radiation to interplanetary spacecraft.
The HyspIRI airborne campaign collects data on California's diverse regions, revealing the unique spectral signature of each pixel. Scientists aim to understand ecosystem diversity and function using this technology, which will also be used for detecting land types and processes like fire and drought.
The NASA Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) satellite uses its Thermal Infrared Sensor to measure the temperature of the Salton Sea, detecting cooler areas as dark and warm areas as bright.
The iconic Horsehead Nebula is seen in a new infrared image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, showcasing its ethereal and transparent appearance at this wavelength. The nebula, located about 1,500 light-years away, is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud and is being formed by massive stars.
Early season prescribed burns, such as those conducted by the NASA-backed Ecofire program, are more effective at containing fires and reducing long-term damage. By mimicking traditional Aboriginal fire practices, these early-season burns can help reestablish vegetation and prevent the formation of extensive burn scars.
Cyclone Imelda's weakening is attributed to strong wind shear in the Southern Indian Ocean. The storm's precipitation has been pushed southeast of its center, exposing the low-level circulation center.
Three unusually long-lasting stellar explosions discovered by NASA's Swift satellite represent a previously unrecognized class of gamma-ray bursts. Dying supergiant stars hundreds of times larger than the sun are likely the cause, producing powerful jets that propel matter at nearly the speed of light.
The NASA Wind spacecraft has detected 'SLAMS' waves in the region between the Earth's magnetosphere and the sun, showing that these structures may accelerate narrow jets of charged particles. The discovery provides new insights into how radiation and energy from the sun can cross the magnetosphere and impact near-Earth space.
Nepal and India experience widespread agricultural fires, burning in the April 13, 2013 image from NASA's MODIS satellite. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) detected actively burning areas, which are outlined in red.
Cyclone Imelda's eye appeared clearly on visible imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite on April 14, but closed by April 15 due to cloud coverage. The storm was also elongated from west to east, with weakening convection around its low-level center.
Widespread fires were observed in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras in a NASA satellite image taken on April 11, 2013. The fires may be caused by the region's dry season or deliberate actions by farmers to clear old crops.
Cyclone Victoria was torn apart by strong wind shear, with TRMM spotting limited rainfall areas. The storm dissipated due to interaction with cool waters.
New NASA satellite imagery shows Cyclone Imelda's strongest thunderstorms and precipitation located east of the storm's center. An upper-level trough is causing subsidence, preventing clouds from forming as air sinks to the surface.
Dozens of fires have been detected in the Yucatan Peninsula, with many believed to be deliberately set for agriculture purposes. The region is experiencing its dry season, which often leads to an increase in fires.
A mid-level solar flare, classified as an M6.5 flare, was detected by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on April 11, 2013, producing a radio blackout. The flare disrupted radio signals for hours and is the strongest seen in 2013 so far.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured images of Cyclone Imelda on April 11, revealing a well-developed storm with tightly-curved bands of thunderstorms. The storm turned to the south due to wind shear, with powerful thunderstorms dropping heavy rainfall and having cloud top temperatures colder than -63 Fahrenheit.
Dozens of agricultural fires have been set in India and Nepal, with the NASA MODIS satellite capturing their extent. The fires are outlined in red on this natural-color image from April 06, 2013.
Fires in Southeast Asia are ongoing, with crop burning identified as a primary cause. NASA images capture the extent of these fires, which can have devastating environmental impacts.
Cyclone Imelda continues to strengthen with powerful convection throughout the storm. Infrared satellite imagery captures cloud top temperatures indicating stronger uplift and higher thunderstorm development. The cyclone is moving west-southwest at 4 knots, influenced by a high-pressure ridge and a low-pressure trough.
A new ice cloud has appeared over Titan's south pole, marking the onset of a global air circulation reversal. The cloud is composed of an unknown ice type and appears to be building rapidly, while its northern counterpart is slowly fading.
Thousands of wildfires are burning across the southeastern United States, with many prescribed fires also taking place to manage undergrowth and agricultural purposes. The National Interagency Fire Center reports 17 large fires, including three uncontained ones.
A powerful M6.5 solar flare was detected by NASA on April 11, 2013, which also triggered an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME caused a geomagnetic storm, potentially affecting electronic systems in satellites and on the ground.
Cyclone Victoria appears as a 'J' shape due to thunderstorms wrapping around the eastern side of the storm. The cyclone is weakening rapidly due to wind shear and dropping sea surface temperatures.
Cyclone Victoria intensified overnight with a tighter storm circulation and possible eye formation, according to NASA imagery from April 10, 2013. The cyclone is located near Australia, moving south-southeast at 8 knots, and is in an area of low wind shear but will face increased wind shear as it heads further south.
NASA's Aqua satellite captured smoke and heat signatures from fires in Victoria's national parks on April 9, 2013. The affected areas include Snowy River, Errinundra, and Coopracamba National Parks.
Astronomers analyzed X-ray observations from the Suzaku satellite to understand the composition of Kepler's supernova, finding it held roughly three times the amount of metals as the sun. This discovery will aid in fine-tuning knowledge of the universe beyond our galaxy.