Heaviest element yet detected in an exoplanet atmosphere
Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT), astronomers have discovered the heaviest element ever found in an exoplanet atmosphere—barium. They were surprised to discover barium at high altitudes in the atmospheres o.....»»
Using deep learning to image the Earth"s planetary boundary layer
Although the troposphere is often thought of as the closest layer of the atmosphere to the Earth's surface, the planetary boundary layer (PBL)—the lowest layer of the troposphere—is actually the part that most significantly influences weather nea.....»»
Slow recovery as Dubai airport, roads still plagued by floods
Dubai's airport, one of the world's busiest, witnessed major disruption for the third day in a row on Thursday after the heaviest rains on record drenched the desert United Arab Emirates......»»
The Rise of the Carbon Farmer
Farmers around the world are reigniting the less intensive agricultural practices of yesteryear—to improve soil health, raise yields, and trap carbon in the atmosphere back down in the soil......»»
Climate damages by 2050 will be 6 times the cost of limiting warming to 2°
Study tracks the past costs of climate events and projects them into the future. Enlarge (credit: Frame Studio) Almost from the start, arguments about mitigating climate change have included an element of cost-benefit an.....»»
Astronomers discover the most metal-poor extreme helium star
Using the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), astronomers have performed high-resolution observations of a recently detected extreme helium star designated EC 19529–4430. It turned out that EC 19529–4430 is the most metal deficient among the.....»»
NASA observations find what helps heat roots of "moss" on sun
Did you know the sun has moss? Due to its resemblance to the earthly plants, scientists have named a small-scale, bright, patchy structure made of plasma in the solar atmosphere "moss." This moss, which was first identified in 1999 by NASA's TRACE mi.....»»
Researchers find cryptic genetic element in the human gut that could serve as a sensitive biomarker
A component of the human intestinal flora that has been little studied to date is the focus of a new study from Germany. Plasmids are small extrachromosomal genetic elements that frequently occur in bacterial cells and can influence microbial lifesty.....»»
Why figuring out how potassium is destroyed in stars is important to understanding the universe
If you want to know where elements come from, look to the stars. Almost every element heavier than helium is formed through nuclear reactions in stars. But which stellar processes are responsible for these elements? Can we find patterns in how much o.....»»
Hydrogen recombination found to be most plausible explanation for high levels of energy in stellar superflares
Although their primary purpose is to look for exoplanets, observatories like the Kepler Space Telescope and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) have supplied a vast amount of data on stellar flares, detected with high-precision photometr.....»»
Video: Is there a quick fix for ocean acidification?
Acidification is threatening the ocean's ability to pull carbon dioxide out of our atmosphere, so scientists and startups are looking to ocean-sized antacids to raise its pH......»»
Pyrite may contain valuable lithium, a key element for green energy
There's a reason airlines won't let you put your laptop in your checked luggage; the lithium-ion battery poses a serious fire hazard. But why? Lithium is incredibly reactive. For instance, pure lithium violently interacts with seemingly innocuous wat.....»»
Stellar winds of three sun-like stars detected for the first time
An international research team led by a researcher from the University of Vienna has for the first time directly detected stellar winds from three sun-like stars by recording the X-ray emission from their astrospheres, and placed constraints on the m.....»»
NASA"s PACE data on ocean, atmosphere, climate now available
NASA is now publicly distributing science-quality data from its newest Earth-observing satellite, providing first-of-their-kind measurements of ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate......»»
Scientists discover first nitrogen-fixing organelle
Modern biology textbooks assert that only bacteria can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a form that is usable for life. Plants that fix nitrogen, such as legumes, do so by harboring symbiotic bacteria in root nodules. But a recen.....»»
Examining the blowtorch effect of satellite reentry through video
A reaction wheel—one of the heaviest parts of a space mission, its changing rotation used to shift a satellite's orientation—seen in a plasma wind tunnel belonging to the High Enthalpy Flow Diagnostics Group (HEFDiG) at the University of Stuttgar.....»»
How much of Venus"s atmosphere is coming from volcanoes?
There's a lot we don't know about the planet nearest to us. Venus is shrouded in clouds, making speculation about what's happening on its surface a parlor game for many planetary scientists for decades. But one idea that always seems to come up in th.....»»
HD 21997 is a high-frequency Delta Scuti pulsator, observations find
Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have observed a young star designated HD 21997. Results of the new observations indicate that the studied object is a high-frequency Delta Scuti pulsator. The finding was describe.....»»
New spectrometer helps identify alternative catalyst materials for affordable hydrogen fuel cells
Fuel cells are quickly becoming a viable, clean energy alternative to commonly used fossil fuels, such as gasoline, coal, and oil. Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy resources that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere......»»
Understanding the northward movement of the subtropical westerly jet in changing climates
The subtropical westerly jet is a high-altitude, fast-moving air current that flows from west to east in the subtropical region of the Earth's atmosphere. It's an important part of atmospheric circulation, influencing weather patterns and climate con.....»»
New young and warm Jupiter-like exoplanet detected
An international team of astronomers reports the detection of a new young and warm exoplanet orbiting a distant star. The newfound alien world, designated TOI-4862 b (or NGTS-30 b), is similar in size and mass to Jupiter. The finding was published Ap.....»»