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.

Myths about Jupiter and its Moons

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. It is also one of the brighter objects in the night sky. No one knows for sure who discovered Jupiter, but it was known in ancient times. The Roman god Jupiter is associated with the Greek god, Zeus. There are many interesting myths about Jupiter's Moons, too, which were named after mythological beings associated with Jupiter/Zeus.
"Temple of Jupiter" by Giovanni Battista Cipriani. In Roman mythology, Jupiter (Zeus in Greek mythology) was the king of heaven and Earth and of all the Olympian gods. He was also known as the god of justice.<p><small><em> Image courtesy of Corel Corporation.</em></small></p>

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Explore Myths about Jupiter and its Moons

Roman: Jupiter

In Roman mythology, Jupiter was the king of heaven and Earth and of all the Olympian gods. ...Read more

Roman: Callisto

Callisto was a river goddess, descended from the river god Inachus. Callisto was the favorite ...Read more

Roman: Europa

Europa was the beautiful daughter of the king of Tyre, Agenor. Zeus (Jupiter), the King of ...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: Leda

For the ancient Greeks, the constellation Cygnus, which means "swan", was related to the myth ...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

Explore Myths about other nearby planets

Greek:Cronus

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

Hindu: Sani

In Hindu mythology, Sani was identified with the planet Saturn. Sani's parents were the Sun ...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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Did you know?

Did you know that many cultures have had myths about the Sun?

Did you know that the footprints left on the Moon’s surface by astronauts will last for centuries, because there is no wind on the Moon?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Scree slope
xScree slope : An accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags or mountain cliffs

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Research Highlights

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

Scientists have learned that microbes that live in the soil, like fungi and bacteria, don't produce more carbon dioxide when the climate is warmer. In fact, at first these microbes will produce more carbon...Read more


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