January

Tonga Eruption Was Equivalent to ‘100s of Hiroshima Bombs’, Says NASA

by

The volcanic eruption in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga peaked on January 15 with more explosive force than 100 simultaneous Hiroshima bombs, NASA scientists reported on Monday 24 January.   Using a combination of satellite and surface-based surveys, researchers calculated the explosive power of the volcano based on the amount of rock that was removed during the blast from the … Read more

Dive Into a Writhing Swarm of Sardines With This Astounding Penguin Footage

by

Sardines scatter wildly as a smooth penguin head zooms through their tight swirling mass within blue-green waters of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s footage. One of those silver sardines becomes the penguin’s dinner on the second swoop through.   Taken in the Beagle Channel off Isla Martillo, Argentina, the penguin bodycam footage helped clarify the bird’s … Read more

Two Solar Flares Just Erupted on The Sun, Bringing Coronal Mass Ejections

by

After a series of eruptions on the Sun, Earth may be in for auroras over the next few days. A sunspot called AR2929 has emitted two solar flares, accompanied by coronal mass ejections. Although neither was directed at Earth, the ejections that are currently blasting through space may deliver glancing blows to our planet’s atmosphere that … Read more

You’ve Got a Rare Chance to See a Huge Asteroid Fly by Earth This Week. Here’s How

by

In a slow-moving universe, asteroids give us a rare chance to see things moving in real time. We have such a chance coming right up on the evening of Tuesday, January 18th, when 1.1-kilometer asteroid (7482) 1994 PC1 passes 1.23 million miles (1.98 million kilometers) from Earth.   This is about five times the distance … Read more

January full moon 2022: The ‘Wolf Moon’ rises with winter constellations

by

The full moon of January, called the Wolf Moon, will occur Monday, Jan. 17, at 6:48 p.m. EST (1148 GMT), according to NASA.  Moonrise in New York City is at 4:31 p.m. that afternoon, according to Time and Date. The moon will be in the constellation Virgo and rises about 24 minutes before sunset.  The … Read more

In a Truly Historic Milestone, JWST Has Been Successfully Deployed! Now What?

by

We can all let out a collective sigh of relief. With its primary mirror array fully unfolded, the major components of the beleaguered James Webb Space Telescope are now deployed, and it continues to calmly make its way to its destination.   The deployment, completed on 8 January 2022, marks a pretty important milestone for … Read more

A Giant Asteroid Bigger Than The Empire State Building Is About to Zip Past Earth

by

A large, rocky asteroid is going to fly by Earth next week. At 1 kilometer (3,280 feet) long, it’s roughly two and a half times the height of the Empire State Building, and it’s been classed a “Potentially Hazardous Asteroid” due to its size and its regular close visits to our planet.   But don’t … Read more

Mysterious Footprints Suggest Neanderthals Climbed a Volcano Right After It Erupted

by

According to legend, the devil once took a walk down the side of a volcano in southern Italy, each step preserved forever in solid rock. The tracks are known as the “Ciampate del Diavolo“‘ or “Devil’s Trail” – but details published in 2020 reveal a less diabolical yet far more interesting story on how they … Read more

50, 100 & 150 Years Ago: January 2022

by

1972 Molten Moonglow “Thermocouples placed in two holes drilled on the surface of the moon by the astronauts of Apollo 15 show that heat is flowing outward at about three times the rate that had been expected. The source of the heat is presumed to be the decay of radioactive elements and confirms the high … Read more