Earth

The ‘cannibal’ coronal mass ejection that devoured ‘dark eruption’ from the sun will crash into Earth tomorrow (July 18)

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A coronal mass ejection (CME) launched by a solar flare (highlighted) on July 15. The CME subsequently cannibalized another previously launched CME on July 14 and is now heading straight for Earth. (Image credit: NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory) A “cannibal” coronal mass ejection (CME) born of multiple solar storms, including a surprise “dark eruption,” is currently … Read more

From nuclear fallout to microplastics, the Earth enters the Anthropocene

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From nuclear fallout to microplastics, the Earth enters the Anthropocene

Plutonium from nuclear weapons tests that began in 1945 have been found while drilling through the ice of glaciers. Paris, France: As scientists argue that humans have radically transformed the planet enough to account for our geological epoch, another question arises: Is there anything that hasn’t been touched by humanity’s presence? The soaring greenhouse gases, … Read more

Global temperature records continue to break. This is how we monitor a warming Earth.

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A world map shows surface air temperatures for June 2023 compared to established averages from 1991 to 2020.

World daily temperature records were broken this week, according to preliminary data. The modeling tools that produced these estimates can provide early warning of extreme heat events, even if they aren’t as accurate as the monthly and annual reports produced by major agencies, experts say. Who produces the data? The University of Maine has set … Read more

Earth reaches the hottest day on record for three days in a row

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record the temperature

It’s time to start taking the climate crisis more seriously. On Wednesday, the global average temperature hit its highest level since records began breaking a previously broken record on Monday and Tuesday this week. The global average temperature rose to 17.23 degrees Celsius, according to the University of Maine Climate Reanalyzer, a tool widely used … Read more

Astro-tourism in search of eclipses, meteor showers and dark skies elusive from Earth

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Astro-tourism in search of eclipses, meteor showers and dark skies elusive from Earth

For years, small groups of astronomy enthusiasts have traveled the world in pursuit of the rare solar eclipse. They’ve embarked on mid-ocean cruises, taken flights in the path of eclipses, and even traveled to Antarctica. In August 2017, millions of people in the United States witnessed a total solar eclipse visible from Oregon to South … Read more