Astronomers have found the farthest Type Ia supernova, named SN Wilson, with a distance of over 13.8 billion years ago. This discovery provides insights into how these stars explode and test theories about dark energy.
Scientists found a systematic eastward offset between observed and predicted volcano locations on Io, suggesting a faster rotation or internal structure. A global subsurface magma ocean scenario is also possible to explain the anomaly, with potential implications for life in icy moons like Europa and Enceladus.
The Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS) instrument has been successfully integrated to the MAVEN spacecraft, enabling measurements of Mars' upper atmosphere composition. NGIMS will analyze neutral and ionized gases, providing insights into atmospheric chemistry and potential microbial life.
The 2013 Arctic sea ice winter extent was the fifth lowest in the past 35 years, reaching 5.82 million square miles. This decline is part of a long-term trend and is associated with increasing greenhouse gases, which affect the radiation type during Arctic winter.
Astronomers use NASA's Swift satellite to estimate the size of comet ISON's icy nucleus based on water and dust production rates. The team finds that the comet is shedding large amounts of dust but relatively little water, indicating that other volatile materials are fueling its activity.
The MAVEN magnetometer will study the planet's magnetic field to infer how the atmosphere evolved, helping answer why Mars became a frozen desert. By measuring sections of the planet's magnetic field, scientists can create a bigger picture of the overall atmosphere and understand its interactions with solar wind.
The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) has released its first images of Earth, revealing stunning natural-color scenes and thermal infrared bands. The new data will aid in water management by detecting temperature differences across the land surface.
The James Webb Space Telescope will feature 18 individual mirror segments that require precise alignment at extremely cold temperatures in space. The telescope's backplane is a truss structure made of lightweight but stiff tubes, holding the mirror segments together.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) observed GRAIL's intentional crash into a lunar mountain, kicking up dust and gas to reveal mercury and hydrogen in the plume. The findings provide insight into the moon's volatile material transport around the lunar poles.
Researchers found a new class of dust motion on the moon, where charged particles swarm like bees around partially shaded regions. This phenomenon creates oscillations over 1-10 meter-sized shaded regions, with dust bouncing back and forth between sunlit areas.
A solar storm was triggered by a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) approaching Earth, causing a mild geomagnetic storm with weak power grid fluctuations and minor impact on satellite operations. Aurora may be visible at high latitudes in northern US states such as Michigan and Maine.
The remnants of ex-cyclone Tim are drifting west towards the Queensland coast, causing rough to very rough seas and moderate south to southeasterly swell. NASA's infrared satellite imagery shows the weakening storm with significantly warmed cloud top temperatures and strongest thunderstorms appearing in a small area offshore.
Astronomers have discovered a young supernova remnant, G306.3.9, located in the central regions of the Milky Way galaxy, estimated to be around 2,500 years old. The Swift and Chandra X-ray satellites detected the object, which is one of the 20 youngest known remnants identified.
A NASA research model revealed that a coronal mass ejection (CME) left the sun at speeds of around 900 miles per second, causing mild to moderate effects on Earth. The CME may also pass by the Spitzer and Messenger spacecraft, with only minor particle radiation associated.
The James Webb Space Telescope's primary mirror backplane support structure is nearing completion with the recent assembly of its wings. The complex wing assemblies feature 900 separate parts made of lightweight graphite composite materials.
Scientists have found that Jupiter's hot spots are created by a Rossby wave pattern, which glides up and down through layers of the atmosphere. The researchers mapped wind speeds and tracked small cloud movements to tease out individual motions, revealing the wave's true nature.
Cyclone Tim has matured into Tropical Storm Tim over the Coral Sea, with NASA tracking its movement and predicting intensification. The storm is expected to pass east of Willis Island and then head toward Queensland Australia's east coast.
The Particles and Fields Package has been integrated onto the MAVEN spacecraft, which will study the solar wind and ionosphere of Mars. The package includes six science instruments that can process up to one million events per second, measuring properties such as solar ultraviolet flux and energetic particles produced in solar storms.
The Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) mission will demonstrate laser communications from lunar orbit to Earth at six times the rate of modern-day radio systems. The system uses a highly reliable infrared laser and sophisticated pointing technology to accurately target ground stations across distances of up to 238,900 miles.
Two CMEs were emitted by the sun on March 12-13, 2013, traveling at speeds of around 400 miles per second. These events are expected to have a minimal impact on Earth, with no particle radiation and limited geomagnetic storm effects.
NASA's TRMM satellite detected a significant drop in rainfall intensity of Cyclone Sandra from March 11 to 13, with the heaviest rain falling south of the storm's center. The weakening tropical cyclone moved into an area of high wind shear and cold sea surface temperatures, expected to transform it into a cold-core system.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observed two transits: an Earth transit from March 2-3 and a lunar transit from March 11. The eclipses showed distinct features due to Earth's atmosphere and the moon's curved shape.
A new NASA study reveals that extreme cold, man-made chemicals, and a stagnant atmosphere contributed to the 2011 Arctic ozone hole. The Arctic's ozone levels were about 20% lower than its late winter average due to unusual atmospheric conditions.
A NASA-funded study reveals that higher northern latitudes are getting warmer, leading to a shift in the growing season and changes in vegetation growth. Temperatures at northern latitudes now resemble those found 250-430 miles south, with large patches of vigorously productive vegetation spanning over 3.5 million square miles.
Cyclone Sandra is intensifying in the Southern Pacific Ocean, with NASA's Aqua satellite capturing infrared data showing cloud top temperatures growing colder and thunderstorms strengthening around its center.
A powerful Nor'easter merged two low-pressure areas on March 6, bringing winter weather advisories to the Mid-Atlantic. NASA provided satellite views of the storm's power and movement, showing the heaviest precipitation over New Jersey and Maryland.
Astronomers used NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to determine the age of the oldest known star, HD 140283, which could be as old as 14.5 billion years. The new age estimate reduces measurement uncertainty, overlapping with the universe's age, and provides a precise calculation of the star's intrinsic brightness.
Heavy rainfall rates of 2 inches/50 mm per hour were observed around the center of circulation, with powerful thunderstorms reaching heights of 9.3 miles (15 kilometers). The tropical storm strengthened and moved east-northeast at 11 knots (12.6 mph/20.3 kph), affecting New Caledonia by March 11.
Astronomers have captured a striking image of a spiral galaxy distorted by gravitational lensing, resembling an alien from the classic computer game 'Space Invaders'. The foreground cluster of galaxies acts as a natural lens to magnify and brighten light from background galaxies, creating this surreal landscape.
Hurricane Sandy caused significant damage to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, removing protective berm and beach erosion. The facility is now working to conduct an out-of-cycle beach replenishment and repair the damaged berm.
Suomi NPP, a partnership between NASA and NOAA, supports Earth science research and weather forecasting by providing critical data for global change science and improving short-term weather forecasts. The satellite's observations help advance science and increase the accuracy of meteorological predictions.
At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, researchers create ultrathin layers of amorphous ice to replicate extreme chemistry found in space. They find that water helps amino acids last longer when exposed to cosmic radiation, producing new chemical byproducts.
The GOES-R satellite will detect lightning inside storm clouds, enabling more accurate tornado detection and severe weather warnings. The new technology aboard GOES-R is expected to improve lead time for warnings by providing earlier detection for storms, regardless of the season or time of day.
The Van Allen Probes have discovered a surprise third radiation belt extending out into space, offering scientists new insights into the region. The discovery provides a unique opportunity for researchers to study the dynamics of the belts and shed light on the complex interactions between solar energy and magnetic waves.
The Aquarius instrument captures the first full year of surface salinity data, revealing rapid evolutions of salt patterns in the tropics. Salinity variations drive ocean circulation and provide valuable insights into global climate change.
The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope's complex motion is visualized as a Spirograph-like pattern from the pulsar Vela. The pattern captures the spacecraft's 95-minute orbit around Earth and its precession, a slow circuit every 54 days. This data also shows the LAT's nodding pattern to capture the entire sky.
Paulo Oemig, a NASA Goddard educator fellow, has been chosen as the new teacher liaison for space education. He will use Space Foundation-provided training and resources to integrate space principles into the classroom.
NASA's Aqua satellite data reveals Tropical Cyclone 18S continues to experience wind shear, pushing precipitation away from its center. The storm's main convection is being hindered by strong easterly vertical wind shear, affecting its ability to consolidate and intensify.
Cyclone Rusty intensified as it approached landfall in Western Australia, with NASA satellites observing increased power and cloud height. The storm's slow movement meant more rainfall, flooding potential, and rough surf along the Pilbara coast.
Cyclone Haruna is being blown apart several hundred miles away from La Reunion Island due to increasing wind shear. The storm's eye has elongated as a result of wind shear, causing the main precipitation to be pushed south of the center.
Tropical Storm 18S formed over the weekend of Feb. 23-24 with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph) and powerful thunderstorms around its core. The storm is currently headed in a similar direction to Cyclone Rusty, which is nearing landfall in northwestern West Australia.
Cyclone Rusty is a large tropical cyclone approaching Western Australia, causing warnings and alerts for residents. The storm's slow movement will result in higher than usual rainfall and flooding, as well as very rough surf and coastal erosion.
Cyclone Haruna made landfall near Manombo, Madagascar on February 22, with its eye becoming cloud-filled. The storm's maximum sustained winds dropped to 80 knots after interacting with land, but it will continue to weaken due to friction and wind shear.
On July 19, 2012, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) detected a rare event: coronal rain. This phenomenon occurs when hot plasma in the sun's corona cools and condenses along strong magnetic fields. The SDO's footage shows the plasma as it slowly falls back to the solar surface, outlining the magnetic fields.
A giant sunspot formed on the sun's surface over Feb. 19-20, 2013, with rapid growth to six Earth diameters across in under 48 hours. The spot's delta region exhibited unstable magnetic fields, potentially leading to solar flares.
Cyclone Haruna strengthened into a cyclone with a wide-eyed eye visible on NASA's Aqua satellite. Heavy rainfall was detected by TRMM satellite, with cloud top temperatures colder than -63F (-52C). The storm is expected to make a brief landfall near Androka in Madagascar as it moves southeast into the southern Indian Ocean.
Tropical Storm Haruna formed on Feb. 19 after four days of organization, with maximum sustained winds near 35 knots. NASA satellites provided visible and infrared imagery that helped forecasters track the system's development.
Tropical Depression 02W formed in the northwestern Pacific Ocean and is currently soaking provinces in Mindanao and Palawan. The storm's low-level circulation center appears disorganized, but forecasters predict it will become more organized once it moves into the South China Sea.
The James Webb Space Telescope will be displayed life-size at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, featuring exhibits and educational activities for all ages. The telescope model weighs 12,000 lbs. and is being assembled at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
CREPT will measure energetic electrons and protons in Van Allen Belts, gaining a better understanding of electron microbursts. The instrument demonstrates two new technologies that make it four times faster than its predecessor.