Christopher Paolini’s epic new novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, is an hallucinatory space opera, perfect reading to help us ride out the current storms Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24733000-700-to-sleep-in-a-sea-of-stars-review-brilliant-sci-fi-from-eragon-author/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Tag: storms
5 active cyclones in the Atlantic
Satellite image shows 5 tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean at the same time for only 2nd time in history. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/5-active-cyclones-hurricanes-atlantic-satellite-image-sept2020…
A Supercomputer Analyzed COVID-19, and an Interesting New Hypothesis Has Emerged
Thelasko shares a report from Medium: Earlier this summer, the Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee set about crunching data on more than 40,000 genes from 17,000 genetic samples in an effort to better understand Covid-19. Summit is the second-fastest computer in the world, but the process — which involved analyzing 2.5 billion genetic combinations — still took…
Smoke-covered California, from space
The 2 largest fires this week both began with lightning strikes. Source: https://earthsky.org/todays-image/smoke-covered-california-from-space…
Hurricane Hanna shrinks Gulf of Mexico dead zone
The Gulf of Mexico dead zone was much smaller than usual this year because Hurricane Hanna stirred up the area of low-oxygen water. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/hurricane-hanna-shrinks-2020-gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone…
Amazing photos in Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter celebration
NASA has posted a sampling of some of the most awe-inspiring photos of Mars, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the launch of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. They are proof that Mars is a very photogenic world. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/mars-photos-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter-15th-anniversary…
Why some rain falls so hard
Some rainstorms drench you in a second, while others drop rain in a nice peaceful drizzle. A meteorologist explains how rainstorms can be so different. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/why-some-rain-falls-so-hard-downpours…
Sustained planetwide storms may have filled lakes, rivers on ancient Mars
A new study from The University of Texas at Austin is helping scientists piece together the ancient climate of Mars by revealing how much rainfall and snowmelt filled its lake beds and river valleys 3.5 billion to 4 billion years ago. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-08-sustained-planetwide-storms-lakes-rivers.html…
A method to study extreme space weather events
Scientists at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), together with international colleagues, have developed a method to study fast coronal mass ejections, powerful bursts of magnetized matter from the outer atmosphere of the sun. The results could improve the understanding and prediction of the most extreme space weather events and their potential to cause strong geomagnetic storms that directly affect…
What are lightning sprites?
Lightning sprites – aka red sprites – are electrical discharges taking place high in Earth’s atmosphere, above thunderstorms. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/definition-what-are-lightning-sprites…