James Webb Space Telescope Amazing View Of Protostar Explained By NASA
Travel to James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam and MIRI instrument views of protostar L1527. The protostar is about 100,000 years old. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Paul Morris: Lead Producer Thaddeus Cesari: Script Dr. Michelle Thaller: Narrator Music Credit: "Looking to the Future" by Carl David Harms [IMRO] via BBC Production Music [PRS], and Universal Production Music.
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
For 9 Days, Earth Was Sending Out Mysterious Signals. Now We Know What They Were.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Strange signals coming from the Arctic in 2023 were assumed to be a seiche (trapped water with waves sloshing back and forth), but this was never confirmed. Previous instruments used to measure seismic weather phenomena were not able to pick up enough information, but NASA's SWOT satellite eventually found that the signal actually was from a seiche caused by a landslide. Reconstructions of what the weather was like during the days SWOT picked up the signal also show that it couldn't have been anything but a seiche. As fascinating as bizarre signals from other planets can be—teaching us about earthquakes on Mars or auroras in the skies of Jupiter—sometimes even weirder signals come from weather extremes happening right here on Earth. For nine days in 2023, an unknown seismic pulse was generated by the Earth every 90 seconds. It first appeared that September, vanished, and then returned in October. The signals began after a landslide triggered by a megatsunami in Dickson Fjord, Greenland, and was thought to have been produced by a seiche, or standing wave. This wave had probably been stirred up by the tsunami and then trapped by ice in the fjord—but there was no way to prove it. Satellite observations were able to document avalanches and the tsunamis they caused, and scientists collected further data in a research station. There was just one problem—the hypothesized seiche was eluding detection. It remained a mystery, even though studies at the time found seismic data that seemed to align with the sloshing motions of standing waves. So, researcher Thomas Monahan of Oxford University decided to take a closer look. Using data from the KaRIn (Ka-band Radar Interferometer) instrument on board NASA's Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite—an international collaboration capable of high-resolution measurements that extended into Dickson fjord—Monahan and his team finally found evidence for a seiche whose waves were slowly losing intensity. 'Based on the seismic attribution, and systematic ruling out of other dynamic phenomena, we conclude that the observed variability in the SWOT data is consistent with that of a slowly decaying seiche,' the team wrote in a study recently published in Nature Communications. Seiches can occur in lakes and other enclosed (or partially enclosed) bodies of water. The tsunami unleashed in Dickson Fjord had enough strength to leave powerful winds and sudden atmospheric pressure shifts in its wake, pushing water from one end of the enclosure to the other. The water then sloshed back and forth, oscillating for anywhere from hours to days after winds ceased. Tsunamis are often seismic phenomena, and the very long period (VLP) seismic signal that came from the fjord was the aftermath of a tsunamigenic landslide. Previous attempts at recording evidence for this particular seiche had been thwarted by the limitations of satellite altimeters, which did not pick up data during extended gaps between observations. They were also not able to record the differences in the height of waves beyond the area directly under the satellite. They were, however, able to get an especially accurate read on the water below. The landslides in Dickson Fjord happened right when SWOT was transitioning to its Science phase, during which it would orbit and survey most of the planet's surface from an altitude of 890 km (553 miles) for 21 days. This orbit was purposely out of sync with the Sun to lower the chances of misidentifying signal frequencies. The researchers went through the data from every pass the satellite made over the region for the weeks in September and October and used this data to create maps of the fjord, modeling it how would have behaved during different times after the landslide and the height differences between waves (which reached up to two meters, or about 6.5 feet). Reconstructions of weather conditions ruled out all other possible causes behind the signal, and convinced scientists that it could only have been caused by a seiche. 'This study shows how we can leverage the next generation of satellite earth observation technologies to study these processes,' Monahan said in a recent press release. 'SWOT is a game changer for studying oceanic processes in regions such as fjords which previous satellites struggled to see into.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Northern Lights Alert: Aurora Borealis May Appear In These 8 States Tuesday
A selection of states in the northern U.S. may have an opportunity to view the northern lights Tuesday, as auroral activity is expected to be calmer through the week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Auroral activity will likely be calmer through the week, forecasters said. Auroral activity is forecast with a Kp index of three on a scale of nine for Tuesday night, indicating the northern lights will be visible farther from the poles and could be 'quite pleasing to look at' for anyone in the right areas. No geomagnetic storms or increased solar radiation are expected through Thursday night, NOAA's projections suggest, after earlier coronal mass ejections created 'minor' storms that pulled the northern lights to more states. Tuesday night's forecast is the strongest over the next two days, with a maximum Kp index of two projected for Wednesday and Thursday, according to NOAA's three-day forecast. A view line marking a minimal opportunity of viewing the aurora borealis is forecast just south of the Canadian border, with a lesser chance projected for parts of northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Most of Canada and Alaska have a higher chance. (See map below.) Tuesday's view line. NOAA suggests traveling between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time to an unobstructed, north-facing and high vantage point away from light pollution to see the northern lights. NASA recommends enabling night mode, disabling flash and selecting a slower shutter speed if using a smartphone. With a regular camera, the agency suggests using a tripod to stabilize the image, a wide-angle lens, an aperture or F-stop of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting. More people in the U.S. have had opportunities to see the aurora borealis over the last year, after activity on the sun's surface reached a 'solar maximum.' This peak, which marks an increase in solar events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections, occurs periodically during the sun's 11-year cycle. Electrons from these events are responsible for the northern lights, as they release energy in the form of colorful, swirling lights after colliding with oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Sonic boom rattles Southern California as SpaceX Dragon streaks across sky before landing
Sonic boom rattles Southern California as SpaceX Dragon streaks across sky before landing A SpaceX vehicle that has spent about a month docked at the International Space Station on a resupply mission triggered a sonic boom as it made landing off the coast of California on Saturday night, after many reported seeing the craft streak across the sky. NASA provided live coverage as the uncrewed spacecraft began its return voyage Thursday, May 22. The Dragon capsule, developed by Elon Musk's commercial spaceflight company to deliver cargo and crews to the orbital outpost, embarked on a long voyage ending with a splashdown landing Saturday, May 24 off the coast of California. The vehicle arrived in April with plenty of food, equipment and other supplies for the seven astronauts currently living aboard the station. And it didn't leave emptyhanded: It was loaded up with scientific research samples and hardware. Here's what to know about the resupply mission: What is the International Space Station? For 25 years, the International Space Station has been stationed in low-Earth orbit, typically about 250 miles high, where it has been home to astronauts from all over the world. The orbital laboratory is operated through a global partnership of space agencies, including NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). More than 280 spacefarers from 23 countries have visited the International Space Station, including 169 from the United States alone, according to NASA. Bigger than a six-bedroom house, the outpost has six sleeping quarters, two bathrooms, a gym and a 360-degree view bay window. As of now, seven members of Expedition 73, including three Americans, are living aboard the ISS – conducting scientific research and working to maintain the station. Social media was flooded with comments in reaction to the sonic boom, and many reported seeing the Dragon as it streaked across the sky as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Valley. Dragon will also announce its arrival with a brief sonic boom prior to splashing down in the Pacific Ocean — SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 25, 2025 Here is some great video caught it coming thru OC. — Drone Daddy News, OC (@BPW_SERVICES714) May 25, 2025 SpaceX Dragon's departure from ISS The crew members aboard the station spent time Wednesday, May 21, loading and securing a variety of cargo inside the Dragon spacecraft ahead of its scheduled departure. The Dragon has spent 30 days docked to the Harmony module, a port and passageway onto the station facing away from Earth, after arriving April 22 with nearly 6,700 pounds of supplies. The spacecraft launched April 21 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida, for SpaceX's 32nd commercial resupply services mission. Standing nearly 27 feet tall and about 13 feet wide, the Dragon is one of four cargo spacecraft that deliver science experiments and other cargo to the space station on a regular basis. Dragon capsules can also carry up to seven astronauts into orbit, though most of SpaceX's Crew missions, which are contracted with NASA, feature a contingent of four. The Dragon's departure was under command by SpaceX's Mission Control in Hawthorne, California. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
