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 morexIrish 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 morexEF-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 morexAtmospheric 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.
Myths about Mars
Mars was the son of Jupiter and Juno, and was the Roman god of war. Mars was the lover of Venus and the father of the famous Roman heroes Romulus and Remus, who were said to have founded the city of Rome. For that reason, Mars was believed to come to the aid of Romans in times of crisis. He was widely worshiped by Roman legions. The month of March is named after him.
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Explore Myths about Mars
Roman: Mars
Ares was the Greek god of war, was identified with the Roman god, Mars. He always acted like ...Read more
Hindu: Mangala
In Hindu mythology, the planet Mars is known as Mangala. The planet of Mars is identified ...Read more
Maya: Mars
Mayans were sophisticated observers of the sky. Mayans used their astronomical knowledge to ...Read moreExplore Myths about other nearby planets
Roman: Venus
Venus was the goddess of love and beauty. To her perfect figure and pure features she added ...Read more
Aztec: Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli
Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli was an Aztec god whose symbols were the planet Venus and the feathered ...Read more
Roman: Jupiter
In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the king of heaven and Earth and of all the Olympian gods. ...Read more
Roman: Ganymede
Ganymede was a son of Tros, first king of the classical land known as Troy. One day Jupiter ...Read more
Roman: Io
Io was a priestess of the Greek goddess Hera. Hera was the jealous wife of Zeus, the king of ...Read more
Roman: Europa
Europa was the beautiful daughter of the king of Tyre, Agenor. Zeus (Jupiter), the King of ...Read moreHistorical Events
6/25 Hermann Oberth,a Romanian and German physicist, was born on this date in 1894 Details
6/28 Maria Mitchell, an American astronomer, died on this date in 1889 Details
6/29 George Hale, an American astronomer, was born on this date in 1869 Details
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7/20 Galileo Looks Beyond to Other Worlds
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Do you know how the Doppler Effect works?Did you know that North America and the Antarctic may have been connected?
Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day
Do you know what this word or phrase means?Plate tectonics
xPlate tectonics : The theory supported by a wide range of evidence that considers the Earth's crust and upper mantle to be composed of several large, thin, relatively rigid plates that move relative to one another.
Click on the word to find out!
Research Highlights
“Missing” Heat May Affect Future Climate Change
As greenhouse gases build up in the atmosphere, more of the energy that gets to Earth from the Sun sticks around the planet. This means that the amount of energy coming to Earth is greater than the amount...Read more
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