Chris Hadfield: ‘Do you think it's a good idea that there are tourists on aeroplanes? It's exactly the same thing with space. It's just brand new'
Retirement hasn't stopped former International Space Station commander Chris Hadfield from shooting for the stars as an author, speaker and mentor
The summer of 1969 changed Chris Hadfield's life forever. At almost 10 years old, he watched Neil Armstrong and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin walk on the moon. The Canadian boy was mesmerised and it set him on his own space mission. As we all know, he went on to accomplish his childhood dream.
In his 21 years serving as an astronaut, Hadfield has flown three space missions, helped build two space stations and commanded the International Space Station (ISS). The longest period he was in space for was six months. 'It was very much a little boy's dream coming true my entire life but it was not accidental,' he says. 'It was the direct result of clear vision and purpose, and a relentless desire to improve and change who I was in order to improve my odds.'
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Irish Post
3 days ago
- Irish Post
Canadian wildfire smoke seen in Ireland and across Northern Europe
SMOKE from wildfires burning in central Canada has drifted thousands of miles across the Atlantic, arriving in Ireland and other parts of northwestern Europe, according to European climate researchers. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), an environmental agency under the European Union's Earth observation programme, has been tracking the movement of wildfire smoke since the start of May. Using satellite data, CAMS confirmed that a large plume originating from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario reached Ireland on Sunday, June 1. Additional plumes are expected to spread further into Europe later this week. 'Wildfires are a frequent occurrence in boreal forests from spring through summer,' said Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at CAMS. 'But the intensity of fires we've seen in Canada this year, particularly in central regions, is extraordinary.' CAMS analysis shows that while the smoke has visibly affected the sky, producing hazy skies and vibrant sunsets, the smoke is travelling at high altitudes, meaning they won't have a major effect on air quality in Europe. However, elsewhere the fires have already caused a lot of damage. More than 25,000 people in Canada have been forced to evacuate, prompting officials in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba to declare month-long states of emergency. U.S. states near the Canadian border have also experienced low air quality as the smoke drifts south. The fires are part of what experts warn could become an intense wildfire season in Canada, exacerbated by ongoing drought, that's also affecting northern Europe. Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service has facilities across all of Europe (Photo by CAMS) Similar wildfires are happening across Russia's Far Eastern Federal District, in the regions of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai near the borders with China and Mongolia. According to CAMS, carbon emissions from fires in that area have reached their highest levels for this time of year since 2018. Smoke from those Russian blazes has been detected as far away as northeastern China, northern Japan and even the Arctic. While current forecasts suggest only minor health risks from the smoke in Europe, Parrington claimed that the increasing reach of these wildfires add to growing concerns about the long-term effects of climate change and global air quality. Going into further detail Parrington said, "The fact that we can notice the impacts of the smoke in European skies is a reflection of the devastation of wildfires which have been burning in Canada, indicating the increased number of fires, intensity, and duration. A lot of smoke has to be generated in order for it to travel so far and be noticeable and shows how people on either side of the Atlantic are connected via the atmosphere." As we come up to the drier summer months, monitoring agencies like CAMS will continue to track these plumes across Ireland and northern Europe. See More: CAMS, Canada, Mark Parrington, Wilfire
The Journal
5 days ago
- The Journal
Smoke from Canada's wildfires is affecting how the sun looks over Ireland
DENSE SMOKE BILLOWING from dozens of deadly wildfires across Canada is having an impact on the atmosphere as far as Ireland, according to weather experts. The EU's Copernicus Atmosphere Montoring Service (CAMS) warned this week that several wildfires have been active in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario since May, resulting in the reported development of 'pyrocumulonimbus clouds' (pyroCb). The Canadian wildfires have been devastating, with several measuring between 100,000 and 300,000 hectares apiece, causing evacuations and the destruction of forests and homes. Wildfires in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo While wildfires in Saskatchewan typically begin to flare up in April and May, the situation in the province this year was exacerbated by moderate drought and strong winds in mid-May, CAMS warned. A similar situation was observed on the border between the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, with wildfire conditions driven by hot, dry, and windy conditions in the area. More smoky skies are expected as this week begins, with some of the more gigantic blazes delivering thick smoke that is spreading eastward towards Europe. A smoke map, showing that many of the wildfire plumes are heading eastward. ArcGIS ArcGIS Smoke first traveled across the Mediterranean on 18 May, with sightings reported in Greece and areas around the eastern Mediterranean. A second, more extensive plume crossed the Atlantic during the final week of May, reaching parts of northwestern Europe – including Ireland – on Sunday. Further smoke plumes are anticipated to arrive in Europe in the coming days. As a result, in recent days, the sun has appeared to display extra vibrant colours in Ireland, making for breathtaking sunsets across Ireland. Why is that? Advertisement Brighter sun It's a scientifically jargon-y answer that has to do with how sunlight interacts with the atmosphere – when there's smoke in the air, tiny particles scatter sunlight. Around 6am and the sun is an incredible red which my phone camera can't really show. It could be swirls of sands from Africa or something that @CarlowWeather might know why. Red sky in morning, shepherds take warning. — Zwartbles Ireland • Suzanna Crampton (@ZwartblesIE) May 31, 2025 As explained by science reporter Kenneth Chang , blue and green wavelengths scatter more easily and get redirected away from your eyes, while red and orange wavelengths pass through more directly. The thicker the smoke, the more blue light gets scattered or blocked – leaving the sun looking red or orange, especially near the horison. The higher-energy colours with shorter wavelengths – that is, blue light – scatter more readily, and as a result, the entire sky is suffused in blue. Wildfire smoke back over us again this morning as this is the view of the sun rising in the sky. The main band of rain has cleared with sunny spells but also scattered showers. — Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) June 3, 2025 Smoke particles also scatter light, and because they are larger than air molecules, they also scatter the orange and red colours. That results in far more red and orange in the sky than we are used to seeing during the daytime, imparting a surreal hue. 'Up to the beginning of June, our data is showing that central regions of Canada have experienced a very intense few weeks in terms of wildfire emissions,' CAMS Senior Scientist Mark Parrington said. 'This data, and the fact that we are able to observe the smoke in Europe, is a reflection of the scale of the fires and impacts they have been having.' PyroCb clouds, the clouds formed by the Canadian wildfires, typically form when a fire burns with exceptional heat and intensity, generating enough thermal energy to push smoke, ash and moisture high into the atmosphere from where powerful jet streams can transport the smoke over long distances. PyroCb smoke clouds are denser than regular clouds, CAMS says – meaning more light is scattered. Parrington said that the long-range transport of smoke caused by the fires 'is not unusual', but he added :'it is a clear reflection of the intensity of the fires that such high values of aerosol optical depth and other pollutants associated with the plume are so high as it reaches this side of the Atlantic'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
26-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Stunning photos of Milky Way dazzle in sensational space snap contest and wow judges
THERE'S some real stars quality in the nightscapes nominated for the annual Milky Way Photographer of the Year. Photos taken from space, Chile and the US are all in the running for the out-of-this-world picture prize. Advertisement 7 Taken from an ice hut on Austria's Dobratsch mountain with a Milky Way backdrop Credit: UroA� Fink/Milky Way Photographer of the Year/CMG 7 The Perseid Meteor Shower from the Eastern Sierra Nevada Credit: Mike Abramyan/Milky Way Photographer of the Year/CMG 7 A breath taking panorama of the Milky Way captured over Chile's remote Atacama Cactus Valley, famed for its dense cluster of towering cacti Credit: Pablo Ruiz/Milky Way Photographer of the Year/CMG Travel blog Capture The Atlas revealed the sensational photos that have wowed judges at this year's eighth annual competition. Photographer Uroš Fink, who took a snap from an Austrian ice hut, said: 'Undoubtedly my wildest location this winter – Austria's Dobratsch mountain! 'The sky was magnificent, with "In the foreground is the cabin, where I spent three freezing hours waiting for the perfect shot of the Milky Way's core. Advertisement READ MORE WORLD NEWS "It turned out exactly as I envisioned—a true winter fairytale.' 7 The heavens from Socotra, Yemen Credit: Benjamin Barakat/Milky Way Photographer of the Year/CMG 7 Guatemala's Volcan de Fuego against the Milky Way's backdrop Credit: Sergio Montúfar/Milky Way Photographer of the Year/CMG 7 Truly out of this world - the Milky Way from the International Space Station Credit: Don Pettit/Milky Way Photographer of the Year/CMG Advertisement 7 Capturing the Milky Way core from Otago, New Zealand Credit: Kavan Chay/Milky Way Photographer of the Year/CMG WHAT IS THE MILKY WAY The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System. It is a barred spiral galaxy, meaning it has a central bar-shaped structure composed of stars, and spiral arms that extend outward. Here are some key features: Galactic Centre : A densely packed area of stars and other matter, believed to contain a supermassive black hole known as Sagittarius A*. Bulge : Surrounding the galactic centre, the bulge is a roughly spherical region filled with older stars. Disk : This flat, rotating disk contains most of the galaxy's stars, gas, and dust, and includes the spiral arms. Halo : An extended, roughly spherical region surrounding the disk, containing older stars and globular clusters. Spiral Arms : These are regions of higher density that contain a lot of young stars, gas, and dust. Our galaxy is about 100,000 light-years in diameter and contains between 100 billion and 400 billion stars. The Sun is located roughly 27,000 light-years from the galactic center, in one of the spiral arms known as the Orion Arm or Orion Spur. The Milky Way rotates, with stars in the disk orbiting the galactic centre. The speed of rotation varies with distance from the centre. The Milky Way is part of a group of galaxies known as the Local Group, which also includes the Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and about 54 other smaller galaxies. From Earth, the Milky Way appears as a milky band of light stretching across the sky, which is the combined light of billions of distant stars that are too faint to be seen individually. Stunning clip of Milky Way captured in record-breaking detail - scientists say it 'changes view of our galaxy forever'
