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☆ Razor-thin solar panels could be ‘ink-jetted’ onto your backpack or phone for cheap clean energy
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-09 | by ( Kara Fox | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Today’s solar panels that use silicon cells, by comparison, typically covert up to 22% of sunlight into power. Another important factor fueling solar’s rise is its growing efficiency in converting the sun’s energy. But Wang noted that the research group is not advocating for the end of solar farms. “I wouldn’t say we want to eliminate solar farms because obviously we need lots of areas or surfaces to generate sufficient amount of solar energy,” he told CNN. Some coatings in lab settings have dissolved or broken down over short periods of time, so are regarded as less durable than today’s solar panels.

Persons: aren’t, Junke Wang, Martin Small, Wood Mackenzie, Wang, ”, Henry Snaith, Snaith Organizations: CNN, Oxford, Oxford University's Physics, Oxford University Physics Locations: Germany

☆ How Xs and Cs spotted in the ionosphere could disrupt life on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Earth’s electric and magnetic fields and gravity cause charged particles in the ionosphere to flow away from Earth’s magnetic equator. Typically, plasma bubbles are long and straight because they form along Earth’s magnetic field lines. GOLD observations captured C-shaped and reverse C-shaped plasma bubbles close together in the ionosphere on October 12, 2020, and December 26, 2021. So far, GOLD has only observed two instances of the close pairings, but the C-shaped bubbles have the potential to disrupt communications. “Due to such wide view and continuous measurements, GOLD has allowed us to observe these mysteries within the ionosphere,” Karan said.

Persons: Jeffrey Klenzing, “, it’s, ”, NASA SVS, Fazlul Laskar, —, Laskar, ” Klenzing, Karan et, Deepak Karan, Karan, ” Karan, John Deere, Tim Marquis, ” Laskar Organizations: CNN, International Space Station, NASA SVS, Goddard Space Flight, NASA, of Geophysical Research, University of Colorado’s Laboratory, Atmospheric Locations: Tonga, Greenbelt , Maryland, Baltimore, Boston

☆ This Scientist Wants to Block the Sun to Cool the Earth
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( David Gelles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

David Keith was a graduate student in 1991 when a volcano erupted in the Philippines, sending a cloud of ash toward the edge of space. Seventeen million tons of sulfur dioxide released from Mount Pinatubo spread across the stratosphere, reflecting some of the sun’s energy away from Earth. The result was a drop in average temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere by roughly one degree Fahrenheit in the year that followed. Global temperatures have hit record highs for 13 months in a row, unleashing violent weather, deadly heat waves and raising sea levels. The main driver of the warming, the burning of fossil fuels, continues more or less unabated.

Persons: David Keith, Keith Locations: Philippines, Mount Pinatubo, Northern

☆ Solar storm watch fuels hope of aurora sightings
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Katie Hunt | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The northern lights could grace skies farther south than usual this week because of a solar storm that may affect Earth, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. The center issued a strong geomagnetic storm watch, known as a G3 — the third highest level out of five — for July 29 to July 31. Strong geomagnetic storms are infrequent, the Space Weather Prediction Center said, but they’re more common than the G5, or extreme, geomagnetic storm that occurred on May 10 and May 11. If the predicted G3 conditions occur, auroras could be visible as far south as Illinois and Oregon, the Space Weather Prediction Center said. Alerts issued by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center and other agencies help the operators of power grids and commercial satellites to mitigate potential negative impacts from a solar storm.

Persons: Aurorasaurus Organizations: CNN, Oceanic, Prediction, NOAA, Met, Meteorology, NASA Locations: Illinois, Oregon, United Kingdom, Scotland, Australia, Southern, India, Sweden, South Africa

☆ The Moon’s Most Shadowy Places Can’t Hide From NASA’s New Camera
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Kenneth Chang | More About Kenneth Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

When a NASA spacecraft passes over Shackleton Crater on the moon and peers in, it sees this: a sea of blackness and nothing more. This 13-mile-wide crater lies close to the moon’s south pole. Here, the sun never rises high above the horizon, and the rim of Shackleton blocks the sun’s rays from ever shining directly onto the crater floor. Scientists have now figured out how to, in essence, flip on the light switch. Here is what the inside of Shackleton Crater looks like.

Persons: Shackleton Organizations: NASA Locations: Shackleton

☆ Picture Books That See Shadows in a New Light
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Leigh Ann Henion | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Which is why it’s so refreshing to find two picture books that present shadows for what they are: the non-nefarious interplay of light and dark. Ultimately, her shadow is joined in a meadow by those of two other children and a dog (the four of them now “friendly” shadows). It is in the presence of harsh light — rather than the depths of darkness — that the story turns somber. It was a thinking shadow, a shadow you could feel but not see. Feng’s soft-lined illustrations visually articulate the essence of Handy’s “stretching shadows,” easing day into night.

Persons: Bruce Handy, Lisk Feng

☆ Wimbledon recap day 7: Carlos Alcaraz’s highlight reel and Lulu Sun’s story
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-07 | by ( Charlie Eccleshare | Matthew Futterman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament. On day seven of Wimbledon 2024, Carlos Alcaraz showed off his tennis diet, Lulu Sun kept building her story, and Daniil Medvedev set up a rematch. To really feel good on a tennis court, Carlos Alcaraz needs to play points that get the crowd off their seats. He lost the third set 6-1 and went on a run of losing four service games in a row. Even in an international sport like tennis, Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Sun has quite some heritage.

Persons: Carlos Alcaraz, Lulu Sun, Daniil Medvedev, Ugo Humbert, Alcaraz, Humbert, Spaniard, Tommy Paul, — Charlie Eccleshare, Emma Raducanu, Sun, She’s, Julian Finney, Donna Vekic, Zhu Lin, Charlie Eccleshare Will Daniil Medvedev, Jannik, hadn’t, We’ll, Sinner, Medvedev, Adam Pretty, Grigor Dimitrov, Ben Shelton, he’ll, — Charlie Eccleshare Will Jasmine Paolini’s, Keys, Rob Newell, Camerasport, Paolini, Emma Navarro, — James Hansen, Paula Badosa’s, 🇷 F., Paul, 🇸 P., 🇪, 🇷 M., 7 🇦🇷 F, Dani e, C. O, A. T, 🇸 J. Muna, Du, L. N, J, 🇵 Y, Cobo, Mun, i tz 🇩, 🇧 F. J, Ker, B., C. Tau, Carl e, 🇸, Fernandez, 🇳 10 O. J, Golub, Boult e r 7 7 🇩, Mari, 🇴, eva, 🇷, 🇿 26, 🇷 16 E. J, Maia, 🇿, Wang, 🇧 E. R, ina, LL, odon, K, M., D., 🇸 19 E., Coll, Ry Organizations: Wimbledon, Getty, Madison Keys, Shelton, 🇬, Monfils, rgs, Walton, 🇰, 🇺, 🇸, Alcaraz 6, 🇷, 🇱 A. Rus, Navarro Locations: —, Croatian, New Zealand, Switzerland, Devon, Melbourne

☆ The world’s future energy wars will be fought under the sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The technology to store renewable energy for long periods hasn’t quite been mastered, either. The interconnector would send renewable energy both east and west, taking advantage of the sun’s diurnal journey across the sky. The transatlantic interconnector is still a proposal, but networks of green energy cables are starting to sprawl across the world’s sea beds. They are fast becoming part of a global climate solution, transmitting large amounts of renewable energy to countries struggling to make the green transition alone. Not all of them carry renewable power exclusively — that’s sometimes determined by what makes up each country’s energy grid — but new ones are typically being built for a green energy future.

Persons: there’s, ”, Simon Ludlam, “ We’ve, we’ve, Fadel Senna, Paul Ellis, Biden, Laurent Segalen, Energy’s Ludlam, “, you’ve, you’re, Trump, Dmitry Peskov, George Dyson, Dyson, Morten Kruger, Frank Schneider, Alberto Rizzi, ” Rizzi Organizations: London CNN, Etchea Energy, Getty, Burbo, Sun Cable, Initiative, NATO, European Council, Foreign Relations, United, European Union Locations: New York, California, Britain, Europe, North America, Canada, France, East Coast, United States, Paris, Belgium, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Morocco, Moroccan, Ouarzazate, AFP, English, New Brighton, Australia, Singapore, India, Saudi Arabia, Asia, East, Beijing, London, Russia, China, Germany, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Baltic, Western Europe, North, Russian, Aqaba, Jordan, Taba, Egypt, Red, America, EU

☆ New satellite will do double duty monitoring Earth and space weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Forecasters will soon be able to see real-time mapping of lightning activity on Earth and keep a closer eye on solar storms unleashed by the sun thanks to a new weather satellite. The weather satellite lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:26 p.m. What sets GOES-U apart from other satellites is that it’s carrying a new capability to keep an eye on space weather. The coronagraph will provide continuous observations of the solar corona, or the hot outer layer of the sun’s atmosphere, which is where space weather events originate, said Elsayed Talaat, director of NOAA’s Office of Space Weather Observations. The instrument’s capabilities will allow NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center to issue warnings and watches one to four days in advance and “mark a new chapter in space weather observatoions,” Talaat said.

Persons: ”, Ken Graham, Elsayed Talaat, ” Talaat, Steve Volz, ” Graham, Sullivan, Pam Sullivan Organizations: CNN, NASA, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Environmental, SpaceX, Kennedy Space Center, NOAA, National Weather Service, YouTube, GOES, Atmospheric Imaging, NOAA’s, Service Locations: Florida, Africa, New Zealand, Central, South America, Caribbean

☆ Stay safe while hiking in the heat by following this advice from experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Melanie Radzicki Mcmanus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Earlier in June, a young couple was rescued on a hiking trail in the California desert after running out of water and becoming dehydrated. Prepare for a hot hike ahead of timeWhether it’s hot or cool, you should be in reasonable shape before tackling any hike. You can do so by taking short, easy hikes in warm weather, progressing up to longer, more difficult hikes in hot weather. You should carry plenty of water when hiking no matter the season, but especially during hot weather. When in doubt, turn around“If you start your hike and think it’s too hot, it’s too hot,” Martinez said.

Persons: Dr, Floris Wardenaar, ” Wardenaar, ” Martinez, ”, Teresa Ana Martinez, Abe Christian, ” Christian, Martinez, you’re, ‘ I’ve, ’ ” Melanie Radzicki McManus Organizations: CNN, KTLA, Big, Arizona State University, Coalition, FG, Florida Trail Association, Skin Cancer, CNN’s Locations: California, Los Angeles, Texas, Gulch, Phoenix, Mexico, Canada, New Mexico, Florida, Fort Pickens, “

☆ Conan O’Brien Doesn’t Matter*
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Jason Zinoman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

After hosting talk shows for nearly three decades, Conan O’Brien has come to believe that longevity is overrated. “We don’t matter.”Since leaving late-night television in 2021, Conan O’Brien, 61, has become more reflective about life (and death), given to philosophical flights of fancy that he compulsively alternates with comic tangents. O’Brien famously champions the intersection between smart and stupid, but in conversation, what stands out is how quickly he moves between light and heavy. “Being contented comes in little moments, here and there.”The only thing trickier than being a late-night talk show host is being a former one. Since he started writing for “Saturday Night Live” in the 1980s, Conan O’Brien has built one of the most consequential careers in comedy.

Persons: Conan O’Brien, O’Brien, “, ”, Jon Stewart, Johnny Carson, Craig Kilborn, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Bill Hader, Eric André, Nikki Glaser Locations: New York, Los Angeles

☆ India heatwave: Brutal nighttime temperatures give Delhi residents little respite
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Esha Mitra | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New Delhi CNN —Nights are getting uncomfortably and dangerously hotter in India’s capital as people in the world’s most populous nation feel little respite from unrelenting temperatures. Northern India has endured a scorching summer — with one part of the capital of Delhi recording the country’s highest-ever temperature 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 degrees Fahrenheit) earlier this month. Bicycle rickshaw driver Sagar Mandal told CNN that he’s been getting fewer passengers because people opt for air-conditioned taxis over open-air transport. Outdoor workers like Nikhil Kumar find no respite as the heat lingers on even at night. Residents fill their containers with water supplied by a municipal tanker in New Delhi on 19 June, 2024.

Persons: Sagar, he’s, “, ”, Nikhil Kumar, Esha Mitra, “ We’ve, Kalyani Saha, hasn’t, ” Saha, Saha, Money Sharma, Ajay Chauhan, Ram Manohar Lohiya, ” Chauhan, Chauhan, “ that’s, Sarita Kumari, ” Kumari Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Centre for Science, Environment, Sagar Mandal, CNN, Getty, Ministry of Health, NGO Centre, Health Development India Locations: New Delhi, Northern India, Delhi, United States, Mandal, Australian, Lajpat Nagar, India

☆ ‘It’s frightening:’ How social media distorts the truth about sun exposure
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-21 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“Stop wearing sunscreen,” says a TikTok influencer with 1.6 million followers and 36 million likes. “The sun does not cause skin cancer,” insists a TikTok pundit with 76,000 followers in a post that has been bookmarked nearly 4,000 times. “Vitamin D can still be generated when you’re wearing sunscreen,” Andrews said. “Since sunscreen came out, the rise of skin cancer has only gone up and up,” says one TikTok influencer. So the driving force is exposure years and years ago, not the increased use of sunscreen today.”Many social media posters use a nugget of truth and then twist it, experts say.

Persons: ”, I’ll, It’s, Kathleen Suozzi, “ It’s, ” Suozzi, “ You’ll, you’ll, Gen, David Andrews, ” Andrews, today’s, Kelly Olino, we’d, ’, Connie Chen, CNN That’s, ” Olino, “, Suozzi, Andrews, overexposure, it’s, dermatologists, That’s, influencer, you’d, ” EWG’s Andrews Organizations: CNN, Skin Cancer Foundation, Yale School of Medicine, US Centers for Disease Control, Environmental, Yale Cancer Center, Social Locations: New Haven , Connecticut, melanomas

☆ Voyager 1 resumes study of uncharted cosmic territory after computer glitch
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Currently the farthest spacecraft from Earth, Voyager 1 stopped communicating coherently with mission control in November 2023. However, data from Voyager 1’s four science instruments, which study plasma waves, magnetic fields and particles, remained elusive. On May 19, the Voyager team sent a command to the spacecraft to start returning science data. Now, all four instruments are beaming back usable science data, according to an update shared by NASA on June 13. )”Long-lived space missionsMeanwhile, Voyager 1 is back to doing what it does best: Sharing insights from uncharted cosmic territory.

Persons: “, ” Long, Suzanne Dodd, ” Dodd Organizations: CNN, NASA, Voyager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, Neptune Locations: Pasadena , California

☆ How the Christ Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro became the symbol of Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Perched on the Corcovado – a 2,300-foot-high granite outcrop looming above the city – the Cristo Redentor (Christ Redeemer) statue sweeps its arms out in a warm embrace, welcoming visitors to the city of samba. “It is he who finds me when I arrive in Rio.”For over a century, the statue has been a symbol of Rio de Janeiro. Christ Redeemer bags are his top sellers, tied with those sporting the Sugarloaf Mountain. Deemed one of the seven modern wonders of the world, the Christ Redeemer is Rio’s most visited attraction, says tour guide Cristina Arroio. Maybe that’s the ultimate miracle of the Christ Redeemer.

Persons: ”, Gilson Martins, Michelle Obama, Heitor da Silva Costa, Jesus teetering, Paulo Vidal, it’s, Vidal, Instituto Moreira Salles, Jesus Christ, Da Silva Costa –, –, Carlos Oswald, Paul Landowski, Da Silva Costa, Soapstone, Márcia Braga, Work, IPHAN, It’s, Matthew Stockman, Gilson Martins Braga –, “, Braga, ” Gilson Martins, ’, Emmanuele, Tom Jobin, “ Da, O, que lindo, ” Martins, ’ ”, Francesco Perrotta, Lina Bo Bardi, Corcovado, Mauro Pimentel, Cristina Arroio Organizations: CNN, Instituto, Nacional, Historical, Heritage, UNESCO, “, Guanabara ”, cariocas, Bosch, Getty Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Rio, Brazil, Calvary, Polish, Latin America, steatite, Minas Gerais, Braga, Ipanema, Guanabara, ” Rio de Janeiro, AFP

☆ Solar storm hits Mars, creating planet-engulfing auroras, NASA says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —When the sun unleashed an extreme solar storm and hit Mars in May, it engulfed the red planet with auroras and an influx of charged particles and radiation, according to NASA. Solar radiation hits MarsThe most extreme storm occurred on May 20 after an X12 flare released from the sun, according to data collected by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft currently studying the sun. The Curiosity rover, currently exploring Gale Crater just south of the Martian equator, took black-and-white images using its navigation cameras during the solar storm. But Mars lost its magnetic field billions of years ago, which means the planet has no shield from incoming energized solar particles. By tracing the data from multiple Martian missions, scientists were able to watch how the solar storm unfolded.

Persons: Gale, “, ”, Don Hassler, ” Auroras, Mars, Deborah Padgett, MAVEN, Christina Lee Organizations: CNN, NASA, Solar Orbiter, Goddard Space Flight, Mars, Caltech, JPL, Southwest Research, Exploration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, University of California, Space Sciences Laboratory Locations: Northern California, Alabama, Greenbelt , Maryland, Boulder , Colorado, Pasadena , California

☆ El Niño is dead. Here’s what to expect in the coming months
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —El Niño has officially come to an end and the ripples from its demise will shake up weather around the globe. With El Niño out of the spotlight, its opposite is preparing to take center stage later this summer: La Niña. For now, neither La Niña nor El Niño are present and a so-called neutral phase has begun, according to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. Here’s what a summer without El Niño and a budding La Niña could have in store. Luis Tato/AFP/Getty ImagesCalifornia and the western US also typically pick up more rain during El Niño, especially over the winter months.

Persons: CNN — El Niño, Niño, El Niño, Marcio Jose Sanchez, Luis Tato, Laura Paddison Organizations: CNN, El, Getty Images Locations: West, El, Beverly Crest, Los Angeles, California, South America, Africa, Africa’s, Kenya, Garissa, AFP, Getty Images California, US, West Coast

☆ Auroras could appear over the next week as solar activity increases
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The center, a division of the National Weather Service, issued a modern geomagnetic storm watch, known as a G2, for Friday and Saturday. Unlike the G5, or extreme geomagnetic storm, that occurred on May 10, moderate storm watches are not uncommon, according to the center. But the aurora-causing solar flares and coronal mass ejections currently spewing from the sun are a result of the same sunspots that triggered solar activity in May, according to Dr. Ryan French, solar physicist at the National Solar Observatory in Boulder, Colorado. “The frequency of things is decreasing, but you only need one to cause a large geomagnetic storm. The solar storm on May 10 was the most successfully mitigated space weather storm in history, Dahl said.

Persons: Ryan French, Lokman Vural, “ It’s, ”, Shawn Dahl, Dahl, ” Dahl, “, That’s, there’s Organizations: CNN, United, National Oceanic, Prediction, National Weather Service, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Solar Dynamics, auroras, ”, European Space Agency Locations: United States, Midwest, New York, Idaho, Boulder , Colorado, Rochester , New York, Sweden, South Africa

☆ Scientists a step closer to unraveling mystery of sun’s magnetic field
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In contrast to previous research that assumed the sun’s magnetic field originates from deep within the celestial body, they suspect the the source is much closer to the surface. This view of the sun's magnetic field was generated by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. NASA/GSFC/Solar Dynamics ObservaModeling the sun’s magnetic fieldIt’s difficult to see the sun’s magnetic field lines, which loop through the solar atmosphere to form a complicated web of magnetic structures far more complex than Earth’s magnetic field. To better grasp how the sun’s magnetic field works, scientists turn to mathematical models. Like the 11-year solar magnetic cycle, torsional oscillations also experience an 11-year cycle.

Persons: Galileo, ”, Daniel Lecoanet, ” Lecoanet, “, Lecoanet, Geoff Vasil, Ellen Zweibel, Zweibel Organizations: CNN, Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering, Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration, Research, Astrophysics, NASA's Solar Dynamics, NASA, Dynamics, University of Edinburgh, University of Wisconsin Locations: United Kingdom, Madison

☆ Rare lunar event may reveal Stonehenge’s link with the moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The lunar standstill is when the northernmost and southernmost moonrise and moonset are farthest apart. Stonehenge's station stones are thought by some to be aligned with the lunar standstill. Ruggles said that Stonehenge’s station stones, which form a rectangle around the circle, roughly align with the moon’s extreme positions during the lunar standstill. However, it’s much more difficult to say whether Stonehenge really has a connection to the lunar standstill. Amanda Bosh/Stephen LevineOther monuments with possible lunar linkStonehenge isn’t the only megalithic monument potentially linked to the lunar standstill.

Persons: Clive Ruggles, ”, Fabio Silva, ” Ruggles, Ruggles, Andre Pattenden, Silva, ” Silva, Amanda Bosh, Stephen Levine, Erica Ellingson, Ellington, Bradley Schaefer Organizations: CNN, archaeoastronomy, University of Leicester, Bournemouth University, University of Oxford, English Heritage, University of Colorado, Sun, Louisiana State University Locations: Salisbury, England, Rock , Colorado, United States, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado, Pueblo, Lewis, Scotland

☆ Supernova or Coronavirus: Can You Tell the Difference?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Katrina Miller | More About Katrina Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Can you tell the difference between microscopic and massive? Red whirls on this rabbit’s tongue are filiform papillae, which roughen the tongue and help move food around the mouth. Purple and white “spike” proteins on this popular model of the coronavirus help it attach to and enter our cells. These might remind you of …… the clumps of cosmic debris in Tycho’s supernova, a star that may have exploded at many points simultaneously. Its concentric rings resemble …… the raging vortex at Saturn’s north pole, where green, pink and blue correspond to clouds of increasing depth.

Persons: Kim Arcand, NASA’s Chandra, … Organizations: Smithsonian Astrophysical

☆ Sun releases the strongest flare in current cycle from the same region that triggered auroras this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Kaila Nichols | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —After causing the dazzling waves of aurora borealis this weekend, our Sun isn’t done yet: The strongest solar flare of the current solar cycle occurred Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. That storm was the most extreme geomagnetic storm since 2003, the center said. Solar flares usually take place in active regions of the Sun that include the presence of strong magnetic fields. “The Sun’s activity waxes and wanes over an 11-year period known as the solar cycle,” the Solar Dynamics Observatory said on X. Researchers have been seeing more intense solar flares as we inch closer to the cycle’s end.

Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Prediction, NASA’s Solar Dynamics, NASA, Space, Solar Dynamics

☆ Caitlin Clark scores 20 points and commits 10 turnovers in her first WNBA game as Indiana Fever loses to Connecticut Sun
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Kevin Dotson | Dalia Faheid | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

1 overall WNBA draft pick Caitlin Clark had mixed success in her regular season debut Tuesday night, scoring 20 points but committing 10 turnovers as her Indiana Fever lost to the Connecticut Sun 92-71. Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas looks to shoot against Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during Clark's first WNBA game in Uncasville, Connecticut on Tuesday, May 14. “Just learn from it and move on.”It took her a little while to settle into the game, Clark said. Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever dribbles against DiJonai Carrington of the Connecticut Sun during Clark's first WNBA game in Uncasville, Connecticut on May 14. Elsa/Getty ImagesClark’s WNBA debut was much-anticipatedThe WNBA season started with the league’s newest star taking center stage.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner, “, Maya Moore, Edna Campbell, Clark, Alyssa Thomas, Bonner, Clark's, Jessica Hill, she’s ‘, ’, would’ve, ” Clark, ”, DiJonai Carrington, Elsa Organizations: CNN, Indiana Fever, Connecticut Sun, NCAA, Suns, Midway, WNBA, Sun, Sun ., Sun . Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty, Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Iowa Hawkeyes, Atlanta, Fever, Mohegan Sun Arena Locations: Connecticut, Sun . Connecticut, Uncasville , Connecticut, Gainbridge, Indianapolis

Night skies in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere are expected to bloom again on Saturday night with the vivid colors of the northern lights, or aurora borealis, as a powerful geomagnetic storm caused by a hyperactive sun persists through the weekend. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors space weather, said in an update on Saturday that it continued to observe solar activity that could lead to periods of “severe-extreme” geomagnetic storms. Major power utilities had largely prepared their electrical grids for the solar storm, and their customers were unaffected. For most people, the solar storm was a gift: It caused ribbons of pink, purple and green light across night skies of much of the United States, Canada and Europe. Where evening skies are clear on Saturday, the lights can be expected again.

Organizations: Northern, Atmospheric Administration Locations: United States, Canada, Europe

☆ Solar storms could create rare aurora displays, impact communications on Earth this weekend
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

When the energized particles from coronal mass ejections reach Earth’s magnetic field, they interact with gases in the atmosphere to create different colored light in the sky. The Space Weather Prediction Center tracked multiple strong flares emitting from a large cluster of sunspots on the solar surface since Wednesday. Alex Kormann/Star Tribune/Getty ImagesThe effects of geomagnetic stormsWhen directed at Earth, these ejections can cause geomagnetic storms, or major disturbances of Earth’s magnetic field. So far, researchers have obseverd only three severe geomagnetic storms during the current solar cycle, which began in December 2019, according to the center. The storms also affect flight patterns of commercial airlines, which are instructed to stay away from Earth’s poles during geomagnetic storms due to loss of communication or navigation capabilities.

Persons: Wolf, Alex Kormann Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Prediction, National Weather Service, Star Tribune, Getty Locations: Alabama, Northern California, New Mexico , Missouri, North Carolina, California, United States, England, United Kingdom, Cloquet, Minnesota, Sweden, South Africa, Quebec

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