Current Events

  • 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

    x

    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.
  • Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read more

    x

    Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley

    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report.
  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

    x

    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.

Myths about Neptune and its Moons

Neptune, which was discovered in 1846, was unknown in ancient times. Astronomers decided to continue the practice of naming planets after deities in Greek and Roman mythology, so named this new planet after the Roman god Neptune (Greek Poseidon). Neptune was the god of the waters and was a son of Chronos and a brother of Jupiter (Zeus) and of Pluto (Hades).
"Neptune Calming the Tempest" by Peter Paul Rubens (1635).<p><small><em>Image credit: (c)1996 President and Fellows of Harvard College, Harvard University Art Museums, Courtesy of the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University Art Museums Alpheus Hyatt Fund. To be reproduced only by permission of the Harvard University Art Museums, </em></small></p>

Windows to the Universe Community

News

Opportunities

Upcoming W2U Events
Join Today - Benefits,
No Ads!
Special Offers for Teachers
Member Benefits
Teacher Newsletter
Partnership Opportunities

Explore Myths about Neptune and its Moons

Roman: Neptune

Neptune was the name that ancient Romans gave to the Greek god of the sea and earthquakes, ...Read more

Greek: Galatea

Galatea, whose name means "milk-white," was a sea nymph, one of the Nereids, who lived in the ...Read more

Explore Myths about other nearby planets

Roman: Atlas

In Roman mythology, the giant Atlas was the leader of the Titans who fought against the gods, ...Read more

Greek: Pan

Pan is the Greek god of wild nature. He protected shepherds, sheep, and goats. Pan's name is ...Read more

Hindu: Sani

In Hindu mythology, Sani is identified with the inauspicious planet Saturn and its Regent, ...Read more

Greek: Cronus

In Greek mythology, Cronus was the son of Uranus and Gaea.He lead his brothers and sisters, ...Read more

Greek: Uranus

Uranus, which was discovered by William Herschel in 1781, was unknown in ancient times. Astronomers ...Read more

Roman: Pluto

Following the defeat of the Titans by the Jovian gods, Pluto obtained the kingdom of the underworld. ...Read more

Historical Events

5/30 7.5 magnitude quake hits Quetta, Pakistan in 1935
5/31 7.9 magnitude earthquake hits Peru in 1970
6/8 Giovanni Cassini, an Italian-French astronomer, was born on this date in 1625 Details

Full Earth and Space Science    History Calendar (Members only)

Teacher Opportunities

Full Teacher Events Calendar (Educator Members only)

Did you know?

Do you know what the Cairns of Clava and Newgrange have in common?

Did you know that different cultures imagined different constellations, based on their own cultural context?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Eutrophication
xEutrophication : Accumulation of nutrients that supports dense growth of algae which decays and depletes the water of oxygen

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

Soil Microbes Produce Less Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Than Expected With Global Warming

In dark, rich soils on every continent, microbes dealing with the effects of climate change aren't accelerating global warming the way scientists had predicted, a study by researchers at the University...Read more

Shop Windows to the Universe

The Winter 2010 issue of The Earth Scientist includes a variety of educational resources, ranging from astronomy to glaciers. Check out the other publications and classroom materials in our online store.

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