Science

What is Dark Matter? | Space

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Roughly 80% of the mass of the universe is made up of material that scientists cannot directly observe. Known as dark matter, this bizarre ingredient does not emit light or energy. So why do scientists think it dominates? Since at least the 1920s, astronomers have hypothesized that the universe contains more matter than seen by … Read more

Most COVID-19 ICU Survivors Still Experience Symptoms a Year After Admission

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Efforts to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control while still returning to some sort of normal life are delicately balanced – and new research suggests more attention needs to be paid to the long-term effects of the virus for those patients who required placement in intensive care units (ICUs).   An analysis of 246 patients … Read more

See Mars shine very close to moon in Saturday’s pre-dawn sky. Here’s where to look.

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Mars and Venus will shine close to the crescent moon 45 minutes before sunrise on Jan. 29, 2022. Look to the southeast on the horizon to see them, weather permitting. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) There’s a cool “close encounter” of worlds happening right against the horizon at sunrise Saturday (Jan. 29). Provided you can see low … Read more

Signs of an Unknown Solar ‘Tsunami’ Have Been Discovered Deep Inside Earth’s Ice

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Deep beneath the ice in Greenland and Antarctica, researchers have found signs of an enormous solar ‘tsunami‘ that once crashed against Earth’s atmosphere more than 9,000 years ago.   This ancient superstorm was triggered by a wave of hot plasma and magnetism from the Sun, and it is significantly larger than anything we have recorded … Read more

What is a Bomb Cyclone?

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The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. A bomb cyclone is a large, intense midlatitude storm that has low pressure at its center, weather fronts and an array of associated weather, from blizzards to severe thunderstorms to heavy precipitation. It becomes a bomb when its … Read more

Arctic ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse of 2021 changed southern auroras. Here’s how.

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A solar eclipse on one side of Earth stimulated aurora displays on the opposite side of our planet, according to a new study. The “ring of fire” or annular solar eclipse of June 10, 2021, passed over sparsely-populated regions near and within the Arctic Circle in Canada, Greenland and Russia, and appeared as a partial … Read more

How a Record-Breaking Heat Wave Fueled Climate Anxiety

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As a record-breaking heat wave roasted the Pacific Northwest last summer, anxiety rose with the temperatures. Surveys of residents in British Columbia—where the heat in some places soared above 120 degrees Fahrenheit—suggest the disaster caused a spike in negative mental health related to climate change. The results of the surveys, recently published in The Journal of Climate Change … Read more

For NASA, a somber ‘Day of Remembrance’ casts spotlight on astronaut safety to avoid tragedies

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NASA leaders emphasized the importance of safety and having an inclusive culture in a discussion held during the agency’s annual Day of Remembrance to honor fallen astronauts. The televised safety panel on Thursday (Jan. 27) ran after a series of commemorative events at NASA centers across the country. Participants included NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy … Read more