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☆ Climate Change’s Effects Are Worsening Across U.S., but Solutions Are in Reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Raymond Zhong | More About Raymond Zhong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The report issued Tuesday, the National Climate Assessment, is the government’s premier compilation of scientific knowledge on what this means for the country and how Americans are responding. The new assessment, the fifth of its kind, shows “how climate change is affecting us here, in the places where we live, both now and in the future,” she said. Human-driven warming is intensifying wildfires in the West, droughts in the Great Plains and heat waves coast to coast. It is causing hurricanes to strengthen more quickly in the Atlantic and loading storms of all kinds with more rain. So far this year, the nation has experienced a record 25 billion-dollar weather disasters, many of them exacerbated by the hotter climate.

Persons: ”, Katharine Hayhoe Organizations: Texas Tech University Locations: United States, West, Great

☆ Israel used a weapon it never has before to stop a missile as its enemies put every layer of its air-defense system to the test
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Israel has confirmed the first operational use of its Arrow-3 system to intercept an enemy missile. AdvertisementAdvertisementIsrael has confirmed the first operational use of its Arrow-3 system to stop an inbound missile as the country's adversaries test the layers of its sophisticated air-defense network. An "Arrow 3" ballistic missile interceptor is seen during its test launch near Ashdod December 10, 2015. "The Arrow-3 system's capabilities enable longer range, higher altitude (exo-atmospheric), and more precise ballistic missile engagements," it adds. "For the first time, all the aerial defense systems are working simultaneously," the IDF said on Thursday.

Persons: Israel, —, Amir Cohen, It's Organizations: Service, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Hamas, Center for Strategic, International Studies, REUTERS, Arrow, Patriot, IDF Locations: Iran, Yemen, Israel, Gaza, Washington, Ashdod, Lebanon

Instead, ongoing exercises in Hawaii, which conclude Friday, highlight part of a new American approach to Pacific defense and deterrence, with a focus on small groups of mobile land forces operating from islands like those off China's coast. As part of its “Operation Pathways” revamp of Pacific defense set in motion nearly a decade ago, the U.S. has been increasing its number of exercises with partners in the Indo-Pacific. “And that helps the U.S. to overcome its numerical disadvantages as China's navy is continuing to expand. The exercises provide experience in technical and procedural interoperability and also build human bonds that can be critical in times of crisis. Austin’s travels overlap with Secretary of State Antony Blinken ’s own visits to Tokyo, Seoul and New Delhi.

Persons: ”, Marcus Evans, Euan Graham, ” Graham, Evans, ” Evans, Defense Lloyd Austin, Antony Blinken ’, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Graham Organizations: 25th Infantry Division, U.S . Air Force, Wheeler Army, U.S . Department of Defense, U.S . Navy, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, U.S, United States Army, Defense, ” Aircraft Locations: BANGKOK, Taiwan, U.S, Beijing, China, Israel, Iran, Hawaii, American, New Zealand, Indonesia, Thailand, Britain, Oahu, United States, Mariana Islands, Guam, Pacific, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Australia, India, Tokyo, Seoul, New Delhi, Solomon Islands, Washington

☆ Scientists detect oxygen in noxious atmosphere of Venus
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Data from NASA's Magellan spacecraft and Pioneer Venus Orbiter is used in an undated composite image of the planet Venus. Its thick and noxious atmosphere is dominated by carbon dioxide - 96.5% - with lesser amounts of nitrogen and trace gases. In fact, with Venus getting far less scientific attention than other planets such as Mars, the direct detection of its oxygen has remained difficult. They noted that this atomic oxygen, which consists of a single oxygen atom, differs from molecular oxygen, which consists of two oxygen atoms and is breathable. "The Venus atmosphere is very dense.

Persons: Heinz, Wilhelm Hübers, Hübers, Helmut Wiesemeyer, Max Planck, Wiesemeyer, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NASA, JPL, Caltech, Handout, REUTERS, Rights, Venus, Boeing, German Aerospace Center, Nature Communications, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Thomson Locations: SOFIA, Hawaii, Germany

☆ Homeowner insurance and climate have become major factors in real estate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Farmers Insurance deemed it too risky to continue insuring homes in Florida and pulled out of the market there entirely. The average cost for homeowners’ insurance in the United States is about $1,820, according to an analysis by NerdWallet, but there are many variables. As climate risks continue, a standoff has developed over who should pay the cost of insuring homes against ever-growing risks. And for many of the properties that are on the market you can’t obtain insurance? “We’ll have to see some creative solutions in the near term to create that competitive marketplace for insurance,” she said.

Persons: Michael Monaghan, Sellers, “, ’ ” Monaghan, ”, Monaghan, Will, Amy Bach, United, Hurricane Andrew, ” Bach, mitigations, Bach, Jennifer Branchini, Branchini Organizations: DC CNN, Coldwell, Allstate, . Farmers Insurance, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Hurricane, FAIR, California Department of Insurance, California Association of Realtors, State Farm, Farm, “ Locations: Washington, California, Bayside, ”, Florida, Monaghan, United States, “, San Francisco, “ Florida, Louisiana, WUI, Pleasanton

☆ Japanese scientists want to send a wooden satellite into space
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Murata wondered if he “could build a wooden house on the moon or Mars,” and decided to test the theory — by creating a wooden satellite. Wooden satellites would be better for the planet while still providing the same functionality as their metal counterparts, says Murata. Now, they are working with Japan’s space agency (JAXA) and NASA to send the prototype satellite, called LingoSat, into orbit early next year. Engineers at Kyoto University are building a wooden satellite that will be launched into space in a joint mission with JAXA and NASA. Finnish startup Arctic Astronautics designed the WISA Woodsat, a wooden satellite that was supposed to be launched into space in 2021.

Persons: that’s, Koji Murata, Murata, ”, It’s, Jari Mäkinen, ” Mäkinen, Yarjan Abdul Samad, Samad, Tatsuhito Fujita, Fujita Organizations: CNN, Kyoto University, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, “, JAXA, NASA, Murata, Engineers, Kyoto, NOAA, Astronautics, Khalifa University, United Arab Locations: Japan, East Asia, United Arab Emirates

☆ 2023 El Niño winter: New maps reveal who could see more snowfall
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

NOAA Climate.govThe map above depicts how much snow differs from average across all El Niño winters, regardless of El Niño’s strength. Snowfall during all stronger El Niño winters (January-March) compared to the 1991-2020 average (after the long-term trend has been removed). The number of years with below-average snowfall during the 13 moderate-to-strong El Niño winters (January-March average) since 1959. Red shows locations where more than half the years had below-average snowfall; gray shows locations where below-average snowfall happened in less than half the years studied. On the map above, darker reds indicate areas that have experienced more years of below-average snowfall during moderate-to-strong El Niño winters.

Persons: Niño, There’s, “ El Niño, ” Michelle L’Heureux, Jon Gottschalck, Snow, El Niño Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, El, Northeast Locations: El, California, Texas, Southwest, Washington, Baltimore, Northwest, Midwest, Northeast

☆ Canned tuna is a $40 billion industry. But it's facing some existential threats
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Darren Geeter | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Valued at an estimated $40 billion, the tuna industry is a significant player in the global food sector. The industry is dominated by multinational companies such as Thai Union Group , the owner of Chicken of the Sea, and it faces some challenges. However, Thai Union is now confronting rising costs due to inflation and the war between Russia and Ukraine. What's more, the company faces existential threats to the industry including sustainability, climate change and illegal fishing. Watch the video above to learn more about the $40 billion tuna industry.

Organizations: National Oceanic, Administration, Thai Union Group, Thai Union Locations: U.S, Thai Union, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Cheesemakers are pushing back against France's strict rules as some say climate change is making it impossible to meet the traditional standards
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hotter and drier summers are making it harder for French cheesemakers to meet traditional standards. Cheeses that carry an AOP label, such as Camembert de Normandie and Roquefort, have to meet certain standards and quality levels. Now some cheesemakers are arguing those rules may need to be changed, as hotter and drier summers are killing some pastures. Other cheesemakers are experimenting to see how they can produce the same quality product and still meet the traditional rules, despite changes in the environment. French cheese is only the latest beloved food product threatened by climate change, which is making global food systems more vulnerable.

Persons: cheesemakers, French cheesemakers, Simon Bouchet Organizations: Service, New York Times, Times, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Georgia, France, French, Normandie, Roquefort, Alaska

☆ Secretive Taiwanese power plant opens to public for the first time — as an art space
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Beigan, Taiwan CNN —In a sleepy Taiwanese island village just eight miles off the coast of mainland China, scooters whiz past an unassuming building that has stood here, largely overlooked, for decades. YI.ng Lighting DesignKnown locally as Jun Hun (or “Army Soul”), a nickname shared with the Taiwanese army division that built it, the Beigan Power Plant entered service in 1975 and became a linchpin of the local economy before closing in 2010. Art in the ‘heart’ of MatsuThe transformed Beigan Power Plant is the flagship venue of the Matsu Biennial, which runs through November 12 and features artworks exploring the outlying islands’ heritage, cultural identity and military past. “The power plant is the heart of Matsu that hasn’t stopped beating, and the generators are the essence of the power plant,” Liu said told CNN at the studio he shares with Chu. “I want to use sound to breathe new life into the deserted power plant, so that viewers can grasp what it was like when these generators were still running,” Wang told CNN at her studio.

Persons: Taiwan CNN —, —, Hun, ”, Mao Zedong’s, Matsu —, Matsu, Annie Chu, Liu Ping, hasn’t, ” Liu, Chu, Kinmen, Wang Yu, ” Wang, ” Chu Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Matsu, Taiwanese, Plant, Kuomintang, KMT, People’s Liberation Army, CNN, Visitors, Beigan, Matsu Biennial Locations: Beigan, Taiwan, China, Matsu, Taiwan’s, Taipei, Wang, Beijing

☆ America's cities are vying for a hot new title: best place to ride out the coming dystopia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Matthew E. Kahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

For decades, cities have duked it out for titles like "best city for business" or "healthiest city in America," but now they're starting to compete for a new title: best place to ride out dystopia. While Sun Belt cities are working to mitigate these challenges, the increased risks also create an opportunity for once forgotten cities. The declaration has been followed up with investments in key areas — climate resilience was one of the four pillars that made up the city's four-year strategic plan released at the start of 2023. And the cities that could become climate havens have their weather downsides — Buffalo will still have some harsh winters, too. If Buffalo, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and other cities succeed in their climate-resilience agendas, they will grow, attracting residents from more at-risk areas of the country.

Persons: Tesla, Byron Brown, Redfin, Matthew E, Kahn Organizations: Los Angeles, Fortune, Sun, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Association of Environmental, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FBI, Street Foundation, Pittsburgh, The New York Times, University of Southern, Hoover Institution Locations: America, West, Midwest, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Buffalo , New York, Detroit, USA, Florida, California, South, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Phoenix, Angeles County, Miami, Dade County, Lake Erie, Buffalo, Duluth , Minnesota, Grand Rapids , Michigan, Chicago, Northern, Pittsburgh, Rust, Los Angeles, University of Southern California

Nov 2 (Reuters) - Air pollution, a global scourge that kills millions of people a year, is shielding us from the full force of the sun. "It's this Catch-22," said Patricia Quinn, an atmospheric chemist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), speaking about cleaning up sulphur pollution globally. "If you implement technologies to reduce air pollution, this will accelerate – very significantly – global warming in the short term." The Chinese and Indian environment ministries didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on the effects of pollution unmasking. As the implications of the pollution unmasking become more apparent, experts are casting around for methods to counter the associated warming.

Persons: poring, Patricia Quinn, Paulo Artaxo, Xi Jinping, Xi, El, Yangyang Xu, Xu, unmasking, Laura Wilcox, COVID, Sergey Osipov, Michael Diamond, Jake Spring, David Stanway, Sakshi Dayal, Katy Daigle Organizations: U.S . National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Reuters, World Health Organization, U.S . Clean, National People's, China Meteorological Administration, El Nino, M University, Britain's University of Reading, India Meteorological Department, India, Clean, Programme, King Abdullah University of Science, Technology, Florida State University, Thomson Locations: India, China, Beijing, 10.34C, Texas, Chongqing, Wuhan, SO2, heatwaves, Xinjiang, INDIA, Europe, Northern China, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Sao Paulo, Singapore, New Delhi

Debates about its efficacy abound, with the United States, Europe and several environmental groups speaking out about the opportunities and risks. Research has been conducted into other potentially less dangerous SRM technologies, including marine cloud brightening, which involves the spraying of seawater from ships to make clouds more reflective. One group of 60 scientists launched a global initiative last year aimed at persuading governments to ban outdoor solar geoengineering experiments. "Once you've committed to it, you've got to keep doing it," said Laura Wilcox, a climate expert at Britain's University of Exeter. "If you stop, then you're going to see all of that warming that you've missed, essentially on climate timescales overnight.

Persons: Luke Iseman, SO2, Benjamin Sovacool, Andrea Hinwood, you've, Laura Wilcox, David Stanway, Jake Spring, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . National Academy of Sciences, Company, Reuters, Harvard University, Swedish Space Corporation, Research, Boston University, SRM, United Nations Environment Program, Britain's University of Exeter, Pravin Char, Thomson Locations: Baja California, Mexico, Handout, United States, Europe, China, England, Africa, Asia

Countries pledged in the 2015 Paris Agreement to hold global warming to within 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures but the new paper by a team of scientists, including from NASA and Columbia University, adds to evidence suggesting that this goal is already out of reach. Most emissions scenarios under the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) envision the world breaching 1.5C during the 2030s. EARTH SENSITIVITYThe study's findings, published in the journal Oxford Open Climate Change, result from two factors. The IPCC has given a best-guess estimate that the doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels would yield global warming of around 3C (5.4F). Cleaning the skies, while bringing health benefits and saving lives, accelerates climate change.

Persons: Thomas Peter, James Hansen of, Michael Mann, Pennsylvania's Mann, Klaus Hubacek, Katy Daigle, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, NASA, Columbia University, United Nations, James Hansen of Columbia, Earth Institute, University of Pennsylvania, IPCC, University of Gronigen, Thomson Locations: Gan, Nanchang, Jiangxi province, China, UN, Paris, 1.5C, heatwaves, Libya, Dubai, 4.8C

☆ Scientists predicted Earth's ozone hole would balloon in size this year, but now admit their calculations were wildly off the mark
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Seth Borenstein | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists predicted that we'd see a huge ozone hole over the Antarctic in 2023. From September to mid-October, the ozone hole this year averaged 8.9 million square miles (23.1 million square kilometers), which is the 16th largest since satellites started tracking in 1979. It peaked this year at 10 million square miles (26 million square kilometers), about the size of North America. The ozone hole and thinning ozone layer has improved a bit thanks to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, when countries in the world agreed to stop producing many of the chemicals that deplete ozone, Newman said. The ozone hole was at its biggest in 2000 at nearly 11.6 million square miles (29.9 million square kilometers), according to NASA data.

Persons: —, Paul Newman, Newman, NASA Goddard Organizations: Service, NASA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Goddard Flight, YouTube Locations: Tonga, North America, South America, Montreal

☆ Sea turtles laid a record 52,500 nests in Florida but 99% are female
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sea turtle nests hit record highs in Florida this year, tripling last year's numbers. Most new turtles are girls, because a turtle's sex depends on the temperature they sit in as an egg. Almost 99% of new turtles are female, which means future generations could be in trouble, Joel Cohen, the director of communication at the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, told Insider. How does this happen A newly-hatched baby sea turtle makes its way into the Mediterranean Sea for the first time. So in a world that continues warming, the ratios of female to male turtles could continue to skew.

Persons: Joel Cohen, It's, Cohen, NASA's, Lucy Hawkes, " Hawkes, it's Organizations: Service, Preservation Society, NASA's Kennedy Space Center, ABC News, University of Exeter, Reuters, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Florida's Miami South Beach, USA, Turtle Preservation, History, Carolinas Locations: Florida, Florida's Miami, Space

But within 12 hours, Lahaina was consumed. Robert ArconadoFROM GRASS FIRE TO INFERNOBefore the fire, a major forecast model used by the National Weather Service predicted a dire situation in Lahaina, according to data analyzed by The Times, with projected hurricane-force gusts of up to 76 miles per hour. OAHU MAUI Lahaina HAWAII OAHU MAUI Lahaina HAWAII Forecast wind gusts Aug. 8, 4 a.m. 0 76 m.p.h. Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationBut rather than highlighting the risks in Lahaina, the weather service issued a broad warning for all the Hawaiian islands, and that warning never made reference to the 76 m.p.h. Instead, the initial warning to the public said gusts could be over 65 m.p.h., and that number was later lowered to around 60 m.p.h.

Persons: Robert Arconado, Cliff Organizations: National Weather Service, The Times, University of Washington Locations: Lahaina, OAHU MAUI Lahaina HAWAII OAHU MAUI Lahaina HAWAII

☆ Haze lingers in Beijing as fog blankets parts of north China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Vehicles move on a street in Beijing's Central Business District (CBD) as the city is shrouded in smog, in China November 1, 2023. REUTER/Tingshu Wang Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Hazy weather hung over Beijing on Wednesday with conditions in other parts of north China possibly worsening, forecasters said, although cold air sweeping in from the northwest is expected to help dissipate the smog. Experts attributed the haze in Beijing, which has lasted for several days, to poor atmospheric diffusion because of unseasonably weak cold air currents from the north. Visibility in most parts of Beijing dropped to less than 500 metres (546 yards), the China Meteorological Administration said. But from Thursday night, cold air is expected to push temperatures lower, possibly to new lows.

Persons: REUTER, Tingshu Wang, Gao, We're, Liu, Liz Lee, Ethan Wang, Xiaoyu Yin, Robert Birsel Organizations: Business, Rights, Beijing, China Meteorological Administration, Thomson Locations: China, Rights BEIJING, Beijing, Hebei province, Tianjin, Hebei, Jinan, Zhengzhou, Shijiazhuang

Instead this year’s ozone hole was about average size for the last 20 years, even a bit smaller than 2022’s, according to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. From September to mid October, the ozone hole this year averaged 8.9 million square miles (23.1 million square kilometers), which is the 16th largest since satellites started tracking in 1979. It peaked this year at 10 million square miles (26 million square kilometers), about the size of North America. The ozone hole and thinning ozone layer has improved a bit thanks to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, when countries in the world agreed to stop producing many of the chemicals that deplete ozone, Newman said. The ozone hole was at its biggest in 2000 at nearly 11.6 million square miles (29.9 million square kilometers), according to NASA data.

Persons: ”, Paul Newman, ” Newman, Newman, “, Seth Borenstein Organizations: NASA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Goddard Flight, Twitter, AP Locations: North America, South America, Tonga, Montreal

☆ Hurricane Otis’ impact around Acapulco, Mexico remains unclear amid widespread communications outages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The outages have significantly limited authorities’ ability to survey or share the magnitude of Otis’ impact. Otis rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane – the area’s strongest storm on record – in just 12 hours. Residents survey damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis in Xaltianguis, Guerrero state, Mexico. The storm’s heavy rains are forecast to continue impacting the region through Thursday, possibly triggering flash flooding and mudslides, the National Hurricane Center said. Residents survey damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis in Xaltianguis, Guerrero state, Mexico.

Persons: Hurricane Otis ’, Otis, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Laura Velázquez, Hurricane Otis, Alejandro Cegarra, El, CNN’s Karol Suarez, CNN’s Taylor Ward, Mary Gilbert, Ana Melgar, Claudia Rebaza, Rachel Ramirez Organizations: CNN, CFE, Service, ”, Bloomberg, Getty, National Hurricane Center, Mexican National Guard personnel, Infrastructure, Communications, Transportation, Otis, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Hurricane, Acapulco, Mexico’s Guerrero, Xaltianguis, Guerrero, Mexico, Mexico City

On Tuesday morning, few meteorologists were talking about Tropical Storm Otis. At that time, forecast computer models didn’t show much to be concerned about. By Sunday evening, the computer forecast models were still not showing much. This is why meteorologists often preach that a computer model isn’t a forecast — forecasters create forecasts, they like to say. On Monday evening, with Otis still a tropical storm, satellite images revealed a little feature that could mean that the storm was about to intensify very quickly.

Persons: Tropical Storm Otis, Otis, Zach Levitt, Tomer, we’re, Eric Blake, Hurricane Otis Organizations: Tropical Storm, National, U.S, National Hurricane Center, Otis, Hurricane Locations: Mexico, Tomer Burg, Florida, @burgwx, Acapulco

☆ Why Hurricane Otis Caught Many By Surprise
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Tuesday morning, few meteorologists were talking about Tropical Storm Otis. At that time, forecast computer models didn’t show much to be concerned about. Forecasters with the U.S. National Hurricane Center said that morning that “some slight strengthening” was possible over the following days. By Sunday evening, the computer forecast models were still not showing much. A forecaster uses several tools to create a weather forecast, not just computer models.

Persons: Tropical Storm Otis, Otis, Tomer Organizations: Tropical Storm, U.S, National Hurricane Center Locations: Mexico, Tomer Burg

☆ James Webb Space Telescope discovers Jupiter has a jet stream whipping around the planet at 320 mph, twice as fast as Earth's fiercest hurricanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

NASA scientists were surprised to discover a high-speed jet stream near Jupiter's equator. Previous telescopes couldn't see Jupiter's atmosphere in such detail so they missed the fierce winds. AdvertisementAdvertisementNASA's James Webb Space Telescope has helped scientists discover that Jupiter has a thin jetstream whipping around the planet at 320 miles per hour — twice as fast as Earth's strongest hurricanes. The JWST's predecessor, Hubble, was not strong enough to clearly capture images of the hazier parts of Jupiter's atmosphere, NASA said in a press release detailing its findings. The JWST was only able to detect the jet stream when it looked at a particular band of infrared light, which revealed changes in atmospheric features at varying altitudes.

Persons: —, James Webb, Ricardo Hueso Organizations: NASA, Service, Telescope, Hubble

☆ Webb telescope spots never-before-seen jet stream in Jupiter’s atmosphere
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The astronomers spied a high-speed jet stream in Jupiter’s lower stratosphere, an atmospheric layer about 25 miles (40 kilometers) above the clouds. “What we have always seen as blurred hazes in Jupiter’s atmosphere now appear as crisp features that we can track along with the planet’s fast rotation,” he said. Jet stream revelationsResearchers compared winds detected by Webb at high altitudes with those within the lower layers picked up by Hubble and tracked changes in wind speed. Both space observatories were necessary to detect the jet stream, as Webb spotted small cloud features and Hubble provided a look at the equatorial atmosphere, including storms not related to the jet. Future observations of Jupiter using the Webb telescope may uncover more insights into the jet stream, such as whether its speed and altitude shift over time, as well as other surprises.

Persons: James Webb, Webb, ”, Ricardo Hueso, Cassini, Imke de Pater, Hubble, Michael Wong, “, Leigh Fletcher, — it’ll Organizations: CNN, James Webb Space, University of, Hubble, University of California, University of Leicester Locations: Basque, Bilbao, Spain, Berkeley, United Kingdom

☆ Hurricane Otis expected to make landfall near Acapulco, Mexico, as Category 5 storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Aya Elamroussi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Hurricane Otis is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning as a Category 5 storm near Acapulco in Mexico, threatening to lash the coastal region with destructive winds, heavy rainfall and potentially “catastrophic storm surge,” forecasters say. Landfall is expected by early Wednesday near or just west of the city, a beach resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast, the hurricane center said. The heavy rainfall could lead to flash and urban flooding as well as mudslides in higher terrain areas, the hurricane center warned. If Otis makes landfall as a Category 5 hurricane, it would be the first Category 5 landfall for the East Pacific, according to the NOAA Hurricane Database. The previous strongest landfall was Hurricane Patricia in 2015, which made landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane with winds of 150 mph.

Persons: Hurricane Otis, Otis, cnnweather Otis ’, Phil Klotzbach, Patricia Organizations: CNN, Hurricane, Punta Maldonado, Colorado State University, East, NOAA, Otis Locations: Acapulco, Mexico, Punta, Zihuatanejo, Lagunas, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo

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