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

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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.
  • 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

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    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

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    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.

Mythology of the Polynesian islands

Visit the links to learn about the Polynesian myths related to objects in the sky, and aspects of their world.

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<a href="/mythology/planets/dwarf_planets/makemake.html&edu=elem">Makemake</a> was the creator of humanity and the god of fertility in the mythology of the South Pacific island of Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island). He was also the chief god of the bird-man cult, and was worshipped in the form of sea birds. This image shows a petroglyph of Makemake on Easter Island. In July 2008, a <a href="/our_solar_system/dwarf_planets/makemake.html&edu=elem">recently discovered dwarf planet</a> was named after Makemake.<p><small><em> Public domain image/Wikipedia Commons</em></small></p>

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Explore Mythology of the Polynesian islands

Maori: Papa

The Maori people of New Zealand believe that at the beginning of time the sky was so in love ...Read more

Maori: Tangaroa

Tangaroa was one of the children of the Sky Father, Rangi, and Mother Earth, Papa. He was ...Read more

Maori: Tawhiri

Tawhiri was very angry with his brothers. They disagreed about whether their parents, Rangi ...Read more

Maori: Rona

Rona was the daughter of the sea god Tangaroa. One night she was carrying a bucket with water ...Read more

Maori: Rangi

The Maori people of New Zealand believe that at the beginning of time the sky was so in love ...Read more

Hawaii: Pele

Pele is a fire goddess according to the people of Hawaii. She is savage and wrathful and resides ...Read more

Hawaii: Haumea

Haumea was a goddess in Hawaiian mythology. She was the goddess of childbirth. One of her children ...Read more

Maui

Maui was a hero of Polynesian mythology. For Maui and his mother the days were too short. Maui ...Read more

Rapa Nui: Makemake

In South Pacific mythology, Makemake was the creator of humanity and the god of fertility. ...Read more

Historical Events

5/24 Nicholas Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, died on this date in 1543 Details
5/30 7.5 magnitude quake hits Quetta, Pakistan in 1935
5/31 7.9 magnitude earthquake hits Peru in 1970

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xTurbidites : Turbidites are sea-bottom deposits formed by massive slope failures where rivers have deposited large deltas.

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Research Highlights

Marine Scientists, Students Find Widespread Floating Plastic Debris in North Atlantic Ocean

A team of researchers from the Sea Education Association (SEA), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the University of Hawaii (UH) has conducted a study of plastic debris in the ocean. Certain...Read more

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