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.

Myths about the Sky

Many early civilizations developed myths of sky gods or goddesses, to help them explain the sky and the stars. These deities were usually particularly important or powerful, associated with or the most powerful gods or goddesses in their pantheons. The stories below provide an overview of a few myths associated with sky gods and goddesses identified by early civilizations around the world.
For millennia, people have sought to understand the origin of the heavens, and the stars in the sky. This image, entitled "The Universe and Man", is based on an earlier 16th century graphic and was later published by French astronomer Camille Flammarion in L'Atmosphère: Météorologie Populaire (Paris, 1888).<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Photodisc, Inc. </em></small></p>

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Explore Myths about the Sky

Navajo: Ahsonnutli

Ahsonnutli was the sky father and chief deity of the Navajo Indians. He created heaven, Earth, ...Read more

Sumerian: An

According to the Sumerians, An was the sky god and symbolized heaven. In fact his name means ...Read more

Egyptian: Horus

Horus was a fierce and proud Egyptian god. He was the son of Osiris, the god of air and the ...Read more

Egyptian: Nut

Nut was the Egyptian sky goddess. She was depicted as a giant, naked woman who was supporting ...Read more

Maori: Rangi

According to the Maori people of New Zealand, Rangi was the Sky Father and his wife was the ...Read more

Norse: Tyr

In the early centuries after the birth of Christ, Tyr was not only the sky god but also the ...Read more

Norse: Odin

Odin was the prominent deity of the Norsemen. He was called the All-Father. Odin was depicted ...Read more

Hindu: Indra

In the Rig Veda, which is a collection of antique Hindu hymns, Indra is described as the king ...Read more

Greek: Zeus

In Greek mythology, Zeus (Jupiter in Roman mythology) was the king of heaven and Earth and ...Read more

Roman: Jupiter

In Roman mythology, Jupiter (Zeus in Greek mythology) was the king of heaven and Earth and ...Read more

More about Myths about the Sky

Historical Events

6/18 Florence Bascom, an American geologist, died on this date in 1945 Details
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

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Did you know?

Did you know that stars pulsate?

Did you know that Huizilopochtli was dressed with hummingbird feathers on his head?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

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

Click on the word to find out!

Research Highlights

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

Despite growing awareness of the problem of plastic pollution in the world's oceans, little solid scientific information has existed about the nature and scope of the issue. This week, a team of researchers...Read more

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Learn about planets outside our solar system through Exoplanets and Alien Solar Systems by Tahir Yaqoob, Ph.D., a book in our online store book collection.

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