Sunday, October 19, 2014
Big Sunspot Produces X-Flare
Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 19, 2014: http://spaceweather.com
X-FLARE: Solar activity increased sharply on Oct. 19th when huge sunspot AR2192 unleashed an X1-class solar flare. The blast produced an HF radio blackout on the dayside of Earth and it likely hurled a CME into space.
Check http://spaceweather.com for pictures of the flare and more information about possible Earth-effects.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Orionid Meteor Shower
Source - NASA Science News for October 17, 2014
Earth is entering a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, parent of the annual Orionid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Tuesday, Oct. 21st.
The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/
Sunset Solar Eclipse
Source - NASA Science News for October 17, 2014
On October 23rd, the Moon will pass in front of the sun, off-center, producing a partial solar eclipse visible in most of the United States.
The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/
A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
License: Standard YouTube License
Friday, October 17, 2014
A Big Sunspot Emerges
Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 17, 2014: http://spaceweather.com
A large and active sunspot is emerging over the sun's southeastern limb. Only two to three days ago, this active region unleashed multiple flares and hurled a massive CME over the edge of the sun. If these eruptions continue apace, solar activity could sharply increase in the days ahead as the sunspot turns to face Earth.
Visit http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Comet Siding Spring is about to buzz Mars
Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 16, 2014: http://spaceweather.com
MARS COMET: This weekend, Comet Siding Spring (C/2013 A1) will make a historically close approach to Mars. Satellites and rovers will get an eye-full as the green comet passes less than 140,000 km above the Red Planet's surface. No one knows what will happen. Possible side-effects of the flyby include a Martian meteor shower and auroras.
More information and amateur images of the comet approaching Mars may be found on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com .
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
The Cloudy Future of Arctic Sea Ice
Source - NASA Science News for October 15, 2014
As climate change continues to hammer Arctic sea ice, pushing back its summertime boundaries to record-high latitudes, NASA is flying an innovative airborne mission to find out how these developments will affect worldwide weather.
The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/
A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
License: Standard YouTube License
Monday, October 13, 2014
Evidence for Young Lunar Volcanism
Source - NASA Science News for October 13, 2014
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has found strong evidence of geologically young volcanic activity on the moon. Some deposits appear to be less than 100 million years old, corresponding to Earth's Cretaceous period, the heyday of dinosaurs.
The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Big Picture Science for Monday 13 October 2014 - Who's Controlling Whom?
Big Picture Science - Who's Controlling Whom?
A single ant isn’t very brainy. But a group of ants can do remarkable things. Biological swarm behavior is one model for the next generation of tiny robots. Of course, biology can get hijacked: a fungus can seize control of an ant’s brain, for example. So will humans always remain the boss of super-smart, swarming machines?
We discuss the biology of zombie ants and how to build robots that self-assemble and work together. Also, how to guarantee the moral behavior of future ‘bots.
And, do you crave cupcakes? Research suggests that gut bacteria control what we eat and how we feel.
Guests:
- David Hughes – Biologist, entomologist, Penn State University
- Mike Rubenstein – Roboticist, Self-Organizing Systems Research Group, Harvard University
- Wendell Wallach – Bioethicist, chair, Technology and Ethics Study Group, Yale University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics
- Athena Aktipis – Cooperation theorist, Arizona State University and director of Human and Social Evolution, Center for Evolution and Cancer, University of California, San Francisco
Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Who_s_Controlling_Whom_
You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
First Light for MAVEN
Source - NASA Science News for October 10, 2014
NASA's MAVEN spacecraft has reached Mars and it is beaming back "First Light" images of the Red Planet's upper atmosphere. The data could help researchers understand what transformed Mars from a hospitable planet billions of years ago into a desiccated wasteland today.
The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/
A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
License: Standard YouTube License
NASA Science Fleet Prepares for Mars Comet
Source - NASA Science News for October 9, 2014
NASA spacecraft and rovers are gearing up to observe a once-in-a-lifetime comet flyby of Mars on Sunday, Oct. 19.
The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/
A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
License: Standard YouTube License
Thursday, October 09, 2014
U.S. Methane 'Hot Spot' Bigger than Expected
Source - NASA Science News for October 9, 2014
According to a new study of satellite data, the largest concentration of methane over the USA is located in a single 'hot spot' near the Four Corners intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. As revealed from Earth orbit, the concentration of this greenhouse gas more than triples standard ground-based estimates.
The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/
Tuesday, October 07, 2014
Total Lunar Eclipse!
Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 7, 2014: http://spaceweather.com
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE MOON: The Moon is about to pass through the shadow of Earth, producing a colorful lunar eclipse. Sky watchers in the Americas, Australia, Pacific islands and parts of Asia can expect to see the full Moon turn beautiful shades of red and turquoise for nearly an hour on Wednesday morning, Oct. 8th.
Check http://spaceweather.com for viewing times and observing tips.
LIVE WEBCAST: Got clouds? No problem. The eclipse will be broadcast live on the web by the Coca-Cola Science Center: http://www.ccssc.org/webcast.
Monday, October 06, 2014
Study Finds Earth's Ocean Abyss Has Not Warmed
Source - NASA Science News for October 6, 2014
The cold waters of Earth's deep ocean have not warmed measurably since 2005, according to a new NASA study, leaving unsolved the mystery of why global warming appears to have slowed in recent years.
The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/
Sunday, October 05, 2014
Big Picture Science for Monday 06 October 2014 - What's the Difference?
Big Picture Science - What's the Difference?
We make split second decisions about others – someone is male or female, black or white, us or them. But sometimes the degrees of separation are incredibly few. A mere handful of genes determine skin color, for example.
Find out why race is almost non-existent from a biological perspective, and how the snippet of DNA that is the Y chromosome came to separate male from female.
Plus, why we’re wired to categorize. And, a groundbreaking court case proposes to erase the dividing line between species: lawyers argue to grant personhood status to our chimpanzee cousins.
Guests:
- David Page – Biologist and geneticist, at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Stephen Stearns – Evolutionary biologist, Yale University
- John Dovidio – Social psychologist at Yale University
- Steven M. Wise – Lawyer, Nonhuman Rights Project
Permalink: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/What_s_the_Difference_
You can listen to this and other episodes at http://radio.seti.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.
Friday, October 03, 2014
Stratospheric Radiation Rebounds Following CME Strike
Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 3, 2014: http://spaceweather.com
STRATOSPHERIC RADIATION: Stratospheric radiation levels are returning to normal, according to a Space Weather Buoy launched on Sept. 28th by students in California. This follows a mid-September drop in ionizing radiation caused, ironically, by a strong solar storm and CME strike.
Data and a discussion of the phenomenon may be found on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.
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