Are the northern lights caused by "particles from the Sun"? Not exactly
What a spectacle a big aurora is, its shimmering curtains and colorful rays of light illuminating a dark sky. Many people refer to aurora as the northern lights (the aurora borealis), but there are southern lights too (the aurora australis). Either w.....»»
Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
Flash flooding in popular Thai tourist hotspot Chiang Mai has killed three people, a health official said Sunday, as visitors evacuated hotels through knee-high muddy water and shops closed in the city center......»»
Asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs may have led to the invention of "ant agriculture"
The event that wiped out the dinosaurs wasn't all bad. The low-light environment caused by the meteor impact some 66 million years ago favored the spread of fungi that feed on organic matter, which was abundant at the time as plants and animals were.....»»
One of the best football movies ever made just turned 20. Here’s why it still scores
On the film's 20th anniversary, here's why Friday Night Lights is the best football movie of the 21st century......»»
Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
Two elephants drowned during flash flooding in popular Thai tourist hotspot Chiang Mai, their sanctuary said Sunday, as local authorities evacuated visitors from their hotels and shops closed in the city center......»»
The sun unleashes its strongest flare this cycle
Yesterday the sun released a huge solar flare, and it's heading toward Earth. It's nothing to worry about since it's nowhere near as large as the Carrington Event of 1859, but it is large enough to give us some amazing aurora......»»
How to view the Northern Lights in the U.S. this weekend
The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, will be visible this weekend in the U.S. Here's how to get the best view. The Northern Lights are set to make another appearance over the next few days, bathing the sky over the U.S.-Canadian border in a.....»»
The true global impact of species-loss caused by humans is far greater than expected, study reveals
The extinction of hundreds of bird species caused by humans over the last 130,000 years has led to substantial reductions in avian functional diversity—a measure of the range of different roles and functions that birds undertake within the environm.....»»
A new era of solar observation: International team produces global maps of coronal magnetic field
For the first time, scientists have taken near-daily measurements of the sun's global coronal magnetic field, a region of the sun that has only been observed irregularly in the past. The resulting observations are providing valuable insights into the.....»»
Engineers create a chip-based tractor beam for biological particles
MIT researchers have developed a miniature, chip-based "tractor beam," like the one that captures the Millennium Falcon in the film "Star Wars," that could someday help biologists and clinicians study DNA, classify cells, and investigate the mechanis.....»»
There were more black holes in the early universe than we thought, research finds
Supermassive black holes are some of the most impressive (and scary) objects in the universe—with masses around 1 billion times more than that of the sun. And we know they've been around for a long time......»»
Geological surveys shed light on the formation mystery of Uruguay"s amethyst geodes
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz that has been used as a gemstone for many centuries and is a key economic resource in northern Uruguay. Geodes are hollow rock formations often with quartz crystals, such as amethyst, inside......»»
Why are so many historically rare storms hitting the Carolinas?
Hurricane Helene caused deadly and destructive flooding when it swept through the Southeast on Sept. 26–29, 2024. Across a broad swath of western North Carolina, where the worst flooding occurred, the amount of rainfall exceeded levels that would b.....»»
Plant pathologists spearhead Fusarium head blight research on hemp
Extension faculty at the University of Kentucky (UK) Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment are advancing the fight against Fusarium head blight (FHB) in hemp. This disease, caused by multiple species of the Fusarium fungus, threa.....»»
New triple star system sets shortest orbital period record
Professional and amateur astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery with the help of artificial intelligence, identifying a unique triple star system named TIC 290061484. This stellar trio was uncovered through cosmic "strobe lights" observed b.....»»
Webb telescope detects unusual gas jets from Centaur 29P
Inspired by the half-human, half-horse creatures that are part of Ancient Greek mythology, the field of astronomy has its own kind of centaurs: distant objects orbiting the sun between Jupiter and Neptune. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has mapped.....»»
Surprising amount and variety of gamma radiation is produced in large tropical thunderstorms, observations reveal
In the 1990s, NASA satellites built to spot high-energy particles coming from supernovas and other celestial-sized objects discovered a surprise—high energy gamma radiation bursts coming from right here on Earth......»»
Q&A: Extreme weather is disrupting lives in southern Africa—new policies are needed to keep the peace
Over the past decades, heavy and more frequent rainfall and dry spells in southern Africa have caused loss and damage to agriculture, livestock, the energy sector, food security and nutrition......»»
Madagascar"s mining rush has caused no more deforestation than farming, study finds
If tens of thousands of miners turned up in the middle of a protected rainforest to mine for sapphires, you might expect that to cause lots of deforestation and harm local wildlife......»»
Scientists discover planet orbiting closest single star to our sun
Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT), astronomers have discovered an exoplanet orbiting Barnard's star, the closest single star to our sun. On this newly discovered exoplanet, which has at least half the mass of.....»»
One tap unlocks a merry, dazzling holiday: Govee’s all-in-one light experience
Set up your home and have a dazzling holiday with a Govee magic lighting show. Use any Govee smart lighting products from permanent outdoor lights to LEDs......»»