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 Saturn and its Moons

Saturn is one of the five planets known since ancient times, and no one knows who first observed it. The planet was named after the Roman god, Saturn, the god of agriculture and the harvest. He is frequently shown holding a sickle in his left hand and wheat in his right hand. In Roman mythology, his mother was Terra (Gaea) and his father was Caelus (Uranus). There are also interesting myths about Saturn's Moons, including Pan, the Greek god protector of shepherds, sheep, and goats.
Saturn, the god of agriculture and the harvest. A sketch by Polidoro Caldara da Caravaggio (1495-1543) held at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam<p><small><em>Image is in the public domain.</em></small></p>

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Explore Myths about Saturn and its Moons

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

Roman: Atlas

Ancient Romans Atlas was the leader of the giant Titans who fought a war against the gods. ...Read more

Greek: Pan

Pan is the Greek god protector of shepherds, sheep, and goats. According to an account of his ...Read more

Explore Myths about other nearby planets

Roman: Callisto

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

Roman: Leda

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

Roman: Jupiter

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

Greek: Uranus

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

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Do you know why and where earthquakes happen? Check our our expanded content on earthquakes!

Did you know that scientists have found rock eating bacteria at the bottom of the sea?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

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Lahar
xLahar : A mudflow or landslide composed of pyroclastic material and water that flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley. Lahars can be huge, fast, and deadly.

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Research Highlights

Scientists Study "Glaciovolcanoes," Mountains of Fire and Ice

In the spring of 2010, the eruption of a volcano called Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland cancelled many flights in Europe. Eyjafjallajökull is a glaciovolcano, which means it's a volcano that is covered by...Read more

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