Current Events

  • Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather
    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong corr...Read more

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    Irish Chronicles Document Links Between Volcanoes and Weather

    A study of over 40,000 written entries in Irish Annals and ice core measurements shows a strong correlation between the occurrence of volcanic eruptions and extreme cold weather in Ireland over a 1200 year period. Data analyzed in this study cover the period from 431 to 1649, during which time up to 48 volcanic eruptions are identified in Greenland ice core records through deposition of volcanic sulfate in annual layers of ice. You can find the study (open access), published on 6 June 2013 in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, at http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024035/article. Find out more about how volcanoes can influence climate.
  • EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US
    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, acco...Read more

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    EF-5 Tornado in El Reno, Oklahoma Widest Ever Recorded in US

    The EF-5 tornado that hit El Reno, Oklahoma on May 31st was the widest ever recorded in the US, according to the National Weather Service in Norman Oklahoma. The tornado, which remained on the ground for 40 minutes and reached 2.6 miles across (4.2 km), took the lives of 18 people including storm chasers Tim Samaras, Paul Samaras and Carl Young. For more information on the tornado, visit http://ow.ly/i/2hfDG.
  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.

Poetry

The following is a brief collection of poetry that relates to space and/or mythology.
We hope to expand this collection in the future.

Brainard, John. The Lost Pleiad.
From Poems of John Brainard / by John Brainard [electronic text]
Brainard, John G. C. (John Gardiner Calkins), 1796-1828

Brainard, John. To the Moon.
From Poems of John Brainard / by John Brainard [electronic text]
Brainard, John G. C. (John Gardiner Calkins), 1796-1828

Braithwaite, William Stanley. Distances.
From Lyrics of life and love / by William Stanley Braithwaite [electronic text]
Braithwaite, William Stanley, 1878-1962.

Branch, Anna Hempstead. Selene.
From Rose of the wind and other poems / Anna Hempstead Branch [electronic text]
Branch, Anna Hempstead, 1875-1937

Branch, Anna Hempstead. A Sonnet for the Earth.
From Shoes that danced and other poems / Anna Hempstead Branch [electronic text]
Branch, Anna Hempstead, 1875-1937

Bryant, William Cullen. The Conjunction of Jupiter and Venus.
From Poems / William Cullen Bryant [electronic text]
Bryant, William Cullen, 1794-1878

Bryant, William Cullen. Hymn to the North Star.
From Poems / William Cullen Bryant [electronic text]
Bryant, William Cullen, 1794-1878

Bryant, William Cullen. Song of the Stars.
From Poems / William Cullen Bryant [electronic text]
Bryant, William Cullen, 1794-1878

Carman, Bliss. XXXI .
From Songs of the sea children / Bliss Carman [electronic text]
Carman, Bliss, 1861-1929

Carman, Bliss. XXXVII.
From Songs of the sea children / Bliss Carman [electronic text]
Carman, Bliss, 1861-1929

Carman, Bliss. LXIX.
From Songs of the sea children / Bliss Carman [electronic text]
Carman, Bliss, 1861-1929

Davidson, Lucretia Maria. To a Star.
From Poetical remains of the late Lucretia Maria Davidson [electronic text]
Davidson, Lucretia Maria, 1808-1825

Elias, Peter. The Carbon Connection.
Submitted by Windows to the Universe user, Peter Elias

Elias, Peter. Our Dear Sun.
Submitted by Windows to the Universe user, Peter Elias

Elias, Peter. Our Moon.
Submitted by Windows to the Universe user, Peter Elias

Elias, Peter. The Rain.
Submitted by Windows to the Universe user, Peter Elias

Elias, Peter. Snow in Winter.
Submitted by Windows to the Universe user, Peter Elias

Elias, Peter. The Traveling Earth.
Submitted by Windows to the Universe user, Peter Elias

Elias, Peter. Vancouver.
Submitted by Windows to the Universe user, Peter Elias

Elias, Peter. Water.
Submitted by Windows to the Universe user, Peter Elias

Excerpts from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
The Dead Man Ariseth and Singeth a Hymn to the Sun.
He Maketh Himself One with Osiris.

Macumber, Justin. Spanish Sky.
Submitted by Windows to the Universe user, Justin Macumber

Merivale, John Hermann. The Storm.

Shelley, Percy Bysshe. Hymn to Selene.

Walcott, Derek. Europa.

Yeats, William Butler. Leda and the Swan.

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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation and NASA, our Founding Partners (the American Geophysical Union and American Geosciences Institute) as well as through Institutional, Contributing, and Affiliate Partners, individual memberships and generous donors. Thank you for your support! NASA AGU AGI NSF