Satellite

Striking satellite photo captures Mount Vesuvius peering through a hole in the clouds

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In this image captured Jan. 2 by the Landsat 8 satellite Mount Vesuvius is clearly visible through a circular hole in the clouds. (Image credit: Joshua Stevens/Landsat/NASA Earth Observatory) One of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes, Mount Vesuvius, appears to “peer up” into the sky through an eerily circular hole in the clouds in this … Read more

Tonga volcano: Massive eruption was a once-in-a-millennium event

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The underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption has already triggered a tsunami, a sonic boom and thousands of lightning bolts, and could now lead to acid rain Earth 17 January 2022 By Alice Klein Satellite photo of the eruption CIRA/NOAA/Handout via REUTERS The massive explosion of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in Tonga on Saturday was its … Read more

Huge Tonga underwater volcano eruption captured in stunning satellite video

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A powerful underwater volcano eruption in Tonga on Saturday (Jan. 15) was captured as it happened in stunning images from an Earth-watching satellite, showing the sheer power for the explosive event in the South Pacific.  The volcano eruption on the island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai is visible as a spectacular explosion in views from the … Read more

Explosive underwater volcano eruption in Tonga spotted from space in satellite images

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Satellites orbiting Earth captured a powerful undersea volcanic eruption from space on Thursday (Jan. 13). In the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga, which is made up of over 170 islands, the (mostly) underwater volcano on the island Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted, sending plumes up to 12 miles (20 kilometers) into the air, the Tonga Geological … Read more

New NASA chief scientist pledges a plan to renew agency’s Earth satellite fleet

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NASA’s newly appointed science and Earth science lead says there is “more to plan” when it comes to figuring out next priorities for the agency’s aging satellite fleet. Katherine Calvin is the first NASA chief scientist to also act as the agency’s senior climate advisor, a role created in February 2021. Calvin is serving in … Read more

Powerful European Earth-observation satellite suffers anomaly in orbit

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One of humanity’s most powerful Earth-observing satellites is having some problems in orbit. The Sentinel-1B radar satellite, part of the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation program, hasn’t beamed home any data since suffering an anomaly on Dec. 23. And the problem appears to be relatively serious. “Following the previous news on the Sentinel-1B anomaly that … Read more

Starlink: SpaceX’s satellite internet project

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Starlink is the name of a satellite network developed by the private spaceflight company SpaceX to provide low-cost internet to remote locations. SpaceX eventually hopes to have as many as 42,000 satellites in this so-called megaconstellation.  The size and scale of the project flusters astronomers, who fear that the bright, orbiting objects will interfere with … Read more

Satellite images show epic snowstorm that shut down part of Interstate 95

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A band of snow blankets the United States northeast in a new satellite photo showing the huge storm stranding motorists on Interstate 95 in Virginia. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on NASA’s Terra satellite captured the storm, which dumped more than 14 inches (36 centimeters) of snow on parts of southern Virginia and southern Maryland. Motorists … Read more