NASA’s Earth Observatory spots newly birthed island in the Pacific
NASA has spotted a newly birthed island out in the Pacific Ocean. The island is the result of a series of eruptions from a volcano situated in the Home Reef, a seamount in the Central Tonga Islands. NASA says the seamount repeatedly oozed lava and ej.....»»
Promethium bound: New study uncovers rare earth element"s properties
Scientists have uncovered the properties of a rare earth element that was first discovered 80 years ago at the very same laboratory, opening a new pathway for the exploration of elements critical in modern technology, from medicine to space travel......»»
Using wobbling stellar material, astronomers measure the spin of a supermassive black hole for the first time
Astronomers at MIT, NASA, and elsewhere have a new way to measure how fast a black hole spins, by using the wobbly aftermath from its stellar feasting......»»
Excavation reveals "major" ancient migration to Timor Island
The discovery of thousands of stone artifacts and animal bones in a deep cave in Timor Island has led archaeologists to reassess the route that early humans took to reach Australia......»»
Study examines impacts of increased smoke on California lakes
As much as 70% of California was covered by wildfire smoke during parts of 2020 and 2021, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The study, published in the journal Communications: Earth & Environment, combined lake-based sens.....»»
The first crew launch of Boeing’s Starliner capsule is on hold indefinitely
"NASA will share more details once we have a clearer path forward." Enlarge / Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on the eve of the first crew launch attempt earlier this month. (credit: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Image.....»»
The habitable worlds observatory could see lunar and solar "exo-eclipses"
A future space observatory could use exo-eclipses to tease out exomoon populations......»»
NASA tool prepares to image faraway planets
The Roman Coronagraph Instrument on NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will help pave the way in the search for habitable worlds outside our solar system by testing new tools that block starlight, revealing planets hidden by the glare of their.....»»
Seychelles: Floating baby corals can help save damaged reefs, says new study
The Seychelles archipelago of 115 islands stretches across a vast area of the western Indian Ocean. Each island is fringed by coral reefs......»»
Daily Telescope: Black holes have been merging for a long, long time
Webb wows us again. Enlarge / Scientists have determined the system to be evidence of an ongoing merger of two galaxies and their massive black holes when the Universe was only 740 million years old. (credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA.....»»
Nova explosion visible to the naked eye expected any day now
Sometime between May and September, a white dwarf is expected to go thermonuclear. Enlarge / Aftermath of a nova at the star GK Persei. (credit: NASA/CXC/RIKEN/STScI/NRAO/VLA) When you look at the northern sky, you can f.....»»
An endemic island falcon that plays
An unusual falcon species has been added to the growing list of animals that play. A study published in the Journal of Raptor Research explains that Striated Caracaras (Phalcoboenus australis) in the Falkland Islands like to interact with various obj.....»»
Long-term ocean sampling in Narragansett Bay reveals plummeting plankton levels: Impact uncertain for local food web
University of Rhode Island (URI) researchers estimate that in Narragansett Bay, the level of tiny plantlike creatures called phytoplankton has dropped by half in the last half century, based on new analysis of a long-term time series study of the bay.....»»
Demise of rangelands "severely underestimated": Report
From camel drivers in the Sahara to nomads on the Mongolian steppe, traditional herders the world over rely on earth's wildest open spaces to support an ancient way of life......»»
Legacy of Indigenous stewardship of camas dates back more than 3,500 years, study finds
An Oregon State University study has found evidence that Indigenous groups in the Pacific Northwest were intentionally harvesting edible camas bulbs at optimal stages of the plant's maturation as far back as 3,500 years ago......»»
NASA study provides new look at orbital debris, potential solutions
New data analysis indicates that NASA and its partners could have more cost-effective methods for dealing with the growing issue of orbital debris than previously thought......»»
Increasing drought puts the resilience of the Amazon rainforest to the test
Since 2015, the Amazon has been slower to recover from increasing drought events, but, overall, the rainforest still shows a remarkable resilience. New international research led by KU Leuven Earth and environmental scientists shows that forest degra.....»»
Can coal mines be tapped for rare earth elements?
Deposits of designated critical minerals needed to transition the world's energy systems away from fossil fuels may, ironically enough, be co-located with coal deposits that have been mined to produce the fossil fuel most implicated in climate change.....»»
Alaska"s rusting waters: Pristine rivers and streams turning orange
Dozens of Alaska's most remote streams and rivers are turning from a crystal clear blue into a cloudy orange, and the staining could be the result of minerals exposed by thawing permafrost, finds new research in Communications Earth & Environment......»»
NASA, Sierra Space deliver Dream Chaser spaceplane to Florida for launch preparation
As part of NASA's efforts to expand commercial resupply in low Earth orbit, Sierra Space's uncrewed spaceplane arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of its first flight to the International Space Station......»»
Another short delay for Boeing Starliner, now targeting May 25
NASA and Boeing need more time to make sure a helium leak on its CST-100 Starliner is low enough risk to send humans into space......»»