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☆ 2024 is a big year for the sun. This Helio year, see a total eclipse, solar storms, and NASA almost landing on our star.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The sun has a big year in 2024, starting with a total solar eclipse across the US. NASA's Parker Solar Probe will fly closer to the sun than any spacecraft ever, almost landing on it. One of the main events this year will be a historically cool total solar eclipse crossing the US in April. AdvertisementIn a total solar eclipse, the moon passes in front of the sun as seen from Earth, darkening the sky. For example, NASA is launching three rockets during the April total solar eclipse, loaded with instruments to study how the sudden darkness changes our upper atmosphere.

Persons: NASA's Parker, —, It's, Rodrigo Garrido, Rune Stoltz Bertinussen, Kelly Korreck, Connie Moore, NASA's, Nour Raouafi, Johns Hopkins, Steve Gribben, Raouafi, That's Organizations: Probe, Service, American Geophysical Union, Reuters, NASA, Parker Locations: San Francisco, Northern, Arizona, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Tromso, Norway

☆ NASA says the solar eclipse cutting from Texas to Maine in April 2024 will be way cooler than any before it. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

If this sounds familiar, it's because in 2017, a 70-mile-wide band of the US saw a total solar eclipse, while many other areas saw a partial eclipse. But the total eclipse coming in April will be even cooler, excited NASA scientists told reporters at an American Geophysical Union meeting. Over 30 million people will be able to see the total solar eclipseA young woman looks through special eyewear to a solar eclipse. A map showing where the moon's shadow will cross the US during the 2023 annular solar eclipse (in yellow on the left) and 2024 total solar eclipse (in purple on the right). Sertac Kayar/ReutersThis will probably be the most observed total solar eclipse in history.

Persons: —, Kelly Korreck, Korreck, Huang Shan, Nour, Albert Einstein's, Sertac Kayar, It's Organizations: Service, Business, American Geophysical Union, NASA, Getty, Johns Hopkins University, Reuters Locations: planetariums, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, Mexico, Canada, Dallas, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, Diyarbakir, Turkey

☆ The Himalayan mountains are growing — but Tibet could be splitting apart in the process
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

As the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates slowly collide, the Himalayan mountains continue to rise. However a new study suggests the Indian plate may be peeling apart, causing a slab tear. AdvertisementAn eons-long collision that created the Himalayas, the world's tallest mountain range, may also be splitting Tibet apart into two pieces, new research suggests. The edge of the Eurasian plate crumpled upward as India pressed into it, thrusting the Himalayas into existence. But scientists haven't been sure where exactly the Indian plate was going.

Persons: —, Gongga, haven't, Stringer, van Hinsbergen, Utrecht University geodynamicist, Simon Klemperer, it's Organizations: Service, China News Service, Reuters, American Geophysical Union, Utrecht University, Stanford University, Science Locations: Tibet, India, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, Utrecht

☆ The 'solar wind,' which the sun is constantly blasting over the planets, suddenly disappeared and created a void around Mars
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-14 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Solar wind washes over the planets, but it briefly disappeared at Mars due to an event on the sun. Normally in our solar system, the sun is constantly spewing out a stream of charged particles and magnetic fields, called the solar wind. In December 2022, though, the solar wind suddenly disappeared around Mars, and the planet's atmosphere swelled by thousands of kilometers, as a result. An eruption on the sun swept away the solar windScientists determined that the sun had emitted a burst of high-speed solar wind, which swept away a region of the regular solar wind, leaving a void in its wake. To figure out if that's what happened, it helps to study the opposite extreme, when the solar wind vanishes.

Persons: Mars, Shannon Curry, MAVEN, Lacey Young, Curry, Owen Humphreys, NASA's MAVEN Organizations: MAVEN, Service, NASA, JPL, American Geophysical Union, Lacey Young NASA, Science, Space Station Locations: Mars, San Francisco

That has allowed forests to become four to seven times more densely wooded than they once were, Safford said. Fire scientists advocate more deliberate burning at low-to-moderate severity to clear vegetation that makes forests susceptible to big fires. Susan Britting, executive director of one of the groups, Sierra Forest Legacy, acknowledged any cutting triggers skepticism because loggers historically took the largest, most marketable trees. But she said thinning trees up to a certain diameter is acceptable, though she prefers prescribed burning. Homeowners are anxious prescribed fires will jump perimeters and destroy houses.

Persons: ” Hugh Safford, Davis, John Muir, What’s, Safford, “ We're, ”, Brandon Collins, Chad Hanson, there's, Hanson, Christy Brigham, ” John Muir, Jeffrey, “ John Muir, ” Safford, gesturing, “, it's, Weeks, Susan Britting, ” Britting, John Muir Project's Hanson, Safford —, that's, what’s Organizations: University of California, Eldorado National, Sierra, U.S ., American Geophysical Union, John Muir Project, Earth Island Institute, Sequoia, National Parks, National Park Service, U.S . Forest Service, Service, Forest Service, Infrastructure Law, Sierra Forest Locations: Calif, Lake, Eldorado, Sierra Nevada, U.S, California, . California, Yosemite, Sequoia, Canyon, —, Berkeley, Lake Tahoe, Safford, New, Sierra

☆ Congress's UFO hearing shows the hardest part of discovering alien life may be announcing it. Here's how NASA might break the news.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

An illustration of the CoLD scale for determining confidence in a detection of alien life. The discovery of extraterrestrial life is likely to be a slow build-up, rather than an explosive eureka moment. The president or other countries could be involved in announcing extraterrestrial life existsPresident Joe Biden speaks at Delaware State University. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesAnnouncing the existence of alien life would be an "administration-level" affair, Glaze said, referring to the US presidency. Needless to say, any discovery of alien life would likely lead to chaos — at least in public discourse.

Persons: NASA isn't, David Grusch, Randall Hill, UAPs, Elon Musk, John Locher, Karine Jean, Pierre, we've, Lori Glaze, Glaze, James Webb, Jean, Philippe Arles, It's, Aaron Gronstal, Mary Voytek, Joe Biden, Anna Moneymaker, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Stephen Hawking, I'm, we're Organizations: Service, NASA, Beijing, Reuters, Department of Defense, Associated Press, AP, White House, Navy, US Department of Defense, JPL, Caltech, Delaware State University Locations: Wall, Silicon, South Carolina, Surfside Beach , South Carolina, US, Alaska, Canada, Lake Huron, Rachel , Nevada, Bugarach, France

☆ Colorado River Basin has lost 10 trillion gallons -- enough water to fill Lake Mead, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Rising temperatures have sucked more than 10 trillion gallons of water out of the Colorado River Basin between 2000 and 2021 – a volume about the size of Lake Mead – according to a recent study. The Tier 1 shortage took effect in January 2022; a Tier 2 shortage – due to even lower water levels at Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir – was implemented in January 2023. Last summer in particular set off alarm bells when the water level in Lake Mead dropped an astonishing 20 feet over the course of four months. Mead, fed by the Colorado River, fell to its lowest level to-date in July 2022, with lake elevation of 1040 feet. “Even though there’s been a wet winter, there’s still going to be that 10% reduction in runoff.”The Colorado River flows through the Grand Canyon on the Hualapai reservation.

Persons: Lake Mead –, ” Benjamin Bass, “, John Locher, Lake Mead, Mead, ” Bass, Bass, there’s, Ethan Gutmann, ”, ” Gutmann Organizations: CNN, UCLA, Water Resources Research, AP State, National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Colorado, Lake, American, Lake Mead, snowier

☆ The UFO shoot-downs show the hardest part of discovering alien life may be announcing it. Here's how NASA might break the news.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Extraterrestrial life likely wouldn't show up as flying objects, but finding it could cause similar chaos. An illustration of the CoLD scale for determining confidence in a detection of alien life. The president or other countries could be involved in announcing extraterrestrial life existsPresident Joe Biden speaks at Delaware State University. Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesAnnouncing the existence of alien life would be an "administration-level" affair, Glaze said, referring to the US presidency. Needless to say, any discovery of alien life would likely lead to chaos — at least in public discourse.

☆ Photos from space show 11,000 beavers are wreaking havoc on the Alaskan tundra as savagely as wildfire
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Beavers are invading Alaska's Arctic tundra as it warms, transforming the landscape like wildfire. As the Arctic tundra warms, woody plants are growing along its rivers and streams, creating perfect habitats for beavers. The beaver ponds create lush oases that could increase biodiversity, but they also play a role in accelerating the climate crisis. All in all, satellites reveal more than 11,000 beaver ponds have appeared across the tundra. Environmental Research Letters/Imagery © DigitalGlobe"All of western Alaska is now really densely populated with beaver ponds," Tape said.

☆ 2 climate activists got kicked out of the world's biggest Earth-science conference for protesting, and one says the association is 'silencing scientists'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two climate scientists were kicked out of a major science conference in Chicago on Thursday. They told Insider the American Geophysical Union told them they'd be arrested if they returned. "I interpreted that as basically a threat — which I don't know if it was a hollow threat or not — to try and get us fired," Abramoff told Insider. "AGU Fall Meeting year after year provides a wide-open space for debate and discussion around all issues in Earth and space science. "I love the AGU fall meeting, and I'm really grateful that the AGU exists," Kalmus said.

☆ Rain could soon overtake snow in parts of the Arctic, top scientists warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Broken up sea ice is seen from the window of a NASA research flight above the east coast of Greenland. That's causing Arctic sea ice to diminish, the tundra to turn green with vegetation, and sea birds to starve to death in droves. Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesFor the first time this year, NOAA has determined that Arctic precipitation — either rain or snow — is increasing across all seasons. But in places like southwest Alaska, that means rain falling on top of snow, then freezing. Bhatt is part of a group of researchers assessing whether the Arctic tundra in southwest Alaska should be reclassified as sub-Arctic tundra.

☆ Mesmerizing new NASA image shows the lava on one of Jupiter's moons that helps form the massive planet's auroras
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

NASA's Juno spacecraft snapped an infrared image of Jupiter's moon Io. Io is our solar system's most volcanically-active body, and its surface is peppered with lava lakes. In the image, taken on July 5 and released on Wednesday, you can see the shapes of lava flows and lava lakes as bright red spots. After studying the gas giant, Juno flew by Jupiter's moon Ganymede in 2021 and by Europa earlier this year. Scientists hope to gather more data on the moon's volcanoes and its magnetism — which play a "tug of war" to form Jupiter's auroras — as they fly by.

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