Latest news with #Knutson
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Mars astronauts would be able to see colorful aurora lights during solar storms, scientists prove
For the first time, scientists know what aurora light displays on Mars could look like for Martian explorers. On Earth, the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are created when energized particles from the Sun interact with our planet's magnetic field. While Mars is also blasted with the same space weather, the Red Planet lacks a magnetic field, creating a different phenomenon known as solar energetic particle (SEP) auroras. These were first discovered by NASA's MAVEN spacecraft more than a decade ago. SEPs happen when energized particles crash into the Martian atmosphere, causing the atmosphere to glow. However, until now, it hasn't been documented if these lights appear in the colors we see on Earth. The most common color of auroras on Earth is green, caused by oxygen atoms emitting light at a wavelength of 557.7 nanometers. According to NASA, scientists theorized that green-light auroras could also occur on the Red Planet but might be fainter than on Earth. What Is A Geomagnetic Storm? During the strong to extreme solar storms last spring and summer, University of Oslo researcher Elise Knutsen waited for the perfect conditions to try and prove this theory. First, Knutson's team figured out how NASA's Perseverance rover's SuperCam spectrometer and Mastcam-Z camera would need to be angled to capture an SEP aurora in visible light. Then they just had to figure out the timing for when a coronal mass ejection from the Sun might trigger such a display. They needed a strong CME that would send a lot of charged particles into the Martian atmosphere. Similar to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), which issues forecasts for space weather impacts on Earth, NASA has dedicated teams at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland tracking solar activity for possible impacts on NASA missions operating in space. See The Impacts An Epic Solar Storm Had On The Red Planet On May 15, 2024, the Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office sent out an alert for a coronal mass ejection that could produce a solar storm on Mars. A few days later, the CME arrived at Mars, creating the auroras seen in the photos from Perseverance above. According to the research team, the lights were exactly at an emission wavelength of 557.7 nm, producing green aurora. "This exciting discovery opens up new possibilities for auroral research and confirms that auroras could be visible to future astronauts on Mars' surface," Knutsen said in a news release. Data from MAVEN and the European Space Agency's Mars Express mission also corroborated the SEP seen by the rover. The space agency said this multi-mission collaboration is a new way to study space weather on Mars. NASA said it's likely that if astronauts had been on the surface of Mars near the rover, they would have been able to see the glowing green article source: Mars astronauts would be able to see colorful aurora lights during solar storms, scientists prove
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Longtime Agweek reporter Jonathan Knutson has died
Apr. 28—GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Longtime Agweek reporter Jonathan Knutson died Friday, April 25, 2025, under the care of hospice. He was 65. Knutson was a respected and renowned agriculture journalist and a past president of the North American Agricultural Journalists. "Jon was one of the best. A great reporter and writer, sure, but he also was a great mentor — both down and up. If we had a new reporter or a new editor on the team, he went out of his way to share his knowledge, which was unmatched. He made everyone around him better," said Kirsten Stromsodt, executive editor for Forum Communications who formerly served as director of content for Agweek. "Jon was a stellar reporter and an even better person," said Jenny Schlecht, director of content for Agweek. "He was an important part of the fabric of Agweek, providing steady, thorough reporting and insightful commentary, straight from someone who knew the world of agriculture personally. We're all better for having worked with him and learned from his experiences." Knutson always described himself as a "farm kid." He grew up on his family farm near McVille, North Dakota. He graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, with a bachelor's degree, then received a master's degree in international management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Arizona. Knutson spent five years at the Bismarck (North Dakota) Tribune. He first came to Agweek in 1989. He spent two years there before moving on to The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead in February 1991, where he covered agriculture and business. Knutson returned to Agweek on April Fools' Day in 2010. Knutson was a big piece of the beginning of AgweekTV , which launched in January 2015. While a print reporter at heart, Knutson became adept at appearing on television, giving his reporting a new audience. He became a fixture on the program for years and helped bring accurate agriculture information into the living rooms of the region. After his retirement in August 2021, Knutson still regularly wrote his popular "Plain Living" column for Agweek and Forum Communications. Throughout his career, Knutson wrote many stories important to agriculture, agriculture policy and ag business, along with many insightful profiles on the agriculture community of the region. When he retired, he chose "five fairly representative stories of which I'm proud" and provided comments on them: 1. A long, wet ag disaster : "Many Agweek readers remember the long rise of Devils Lake adjacent to the North Dakota city bearing the same name. This story, which took first place in the annual North American Agricultural Journalists writing contest, examined how farmers were affected." 2. The man from Moccasin, Mont. : "I've had the great, good fortune to write many personality stories, or feature stories on individuals. This one involved a trip to Great Falls, Mont. — a long drive that proves Agweek's commitment to serving the region — to profile a wheat farmer and national commodity leader whom I dubbed 'the Man from Moccasin, Mont.' " 3. Cultured meat: Good or bad, promise or peril? "I'd like to think I've always written fair, balanced stories. Even though I grew up on a ranch and once owned cattle, this award-winning story, which looked at the pros and cons, friends and foes of cultured meat (aka cell-based meat) fairly reflected the cell-based industry's point of view, or so an industry official told me after the story ran." 4. Flood control creates tough times for farmers, ranchers : "This is the longest story I ever wrote. It looked at disastrous flooding around Towner, North Dakota. I received a second-place in the annual NAAJ writing contest; the first-place winner that year visited China for his story, the third-place winner went to New Zealand. Ah, well, Towner was fine by me; nice town, nice people." 5. 'Arrogant journalists' not found in Upper Midwest ag : "My "Plain Living" columns typically focus on the joys and challenges of modern agriculture. This one looks at the joys and challenges of being an ag journalist. A private graveside service for Knutson is planned for later this year. In lieu of memorials, his family believes the best way to honor his memory is to schedule a cancer screening, especially for colon cancer. To read his full obituary, visit
CBS News
27-03-2025
- CBS News
Amtrak adjusts service for Borealis line from St. Paul to Chicago after corrosion found in several railcars
The Amtrak Borealis line from St. Paul to Chicago saw more than 100,000 riders in its first five-and-a-half months. But for now, those train wheels are temporarily replaced with rubber. "We were hoping to avoid the drive to Chicago and back, but that's what we're going to be doing now," Rick Knutson, an Amtrak customer from Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, said. "They would put us on a bus, and we would bus to Chicago, and if we would have wanted to take a bus, we would have gotten a bus ticket." Corrosion was found in several railcars used on Amtrak's Borealis — the 7-hour and 24-minute train line from the Twin Cities to the Windy City. The Borealis line debuted service in May of last year and the Minnesota Department of Transportation contributed $10 million to the development of the line. In a statement, Amtrak tells WCCO the decision was about safety. But Knutson, who previously worked in the industry for BNSF, says the trip won't stop them from riding the rail in the future. "I'm sure it's not just us, but a lot of people book with Amtak. The Borealis is a very successful service," Knutson said. "We'll get our ride on Borealis one of these days". Amtrak is providing refunds to customers who chose not to accept their alternative service.
CNN
16-03-2025
- Automotive
- CNN
As Tesla stock rebounds, protesters ramp up efforts to hurt Elon Musk
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered nationwide outside Tesla showrooms Saturday amid heightened criticism against CEO Elon Musk's federal cost-cutting role in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and after Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to crack down on vandalism against Tesla. The demonstrations are part of the 'Tesla Takedown' movement, a boycott that began on February 15 against Musk's electric vehicle company. The campaign was started by Hollywood actor and filmmaker Alex Winter, and Joan Donovan, an assistant professor of Journalism and Emerging Media Studies at Boston University. DOGE has slashed thousands of government jobs, and this week it proposed a dramatic downsizing of the IRS that would result in a nearly 20% reduction of its workforce by May 15. More than 80 demonstrations are slated for Saturday and more than 70 are planned through the end of April, according to the Tesla Takedown website. The movement wants people to 'sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines.' Tesla did not respond to CNN's request for comment. In the Boston suburb of Dedham, about 100 demonstrators gathered outside a Tesla showroom. The Philadelphia suburb of West Chester had a similar turnout. Baltimore saw one of the biggest turnouts with at least 300 demonstrators In Washington, DC, more than 50 demonstrators had gathered by noon outside a Tesla showroom, holding signs and dancing to songs by Beyoncé and Daft Punk as passing drivers honked their horns in support. The number of demonstrators on the gloomy and chilly day was a sharp uptick from the turnout about two weeks ago at the same Georgetown location. Sara Steffens, a former journalist and policy advocate, said she paired up with Melissa Knutson, who is self-employed, to turn the demonstration into a dance party. Knutson said she wanted to replicate the musical atmosphere she saw at a demonstration in Maryland. 'We need to have joy because this is a long haul, and we need to grow our movement against this authoritarianism,' Knutson told CNN. Police departments across the United States are investigating a wave of attacks on Tesla showrooms, charging stations and vehicles. On March 3, seven charging stations in a mall outside of Boston were set on fire. Five days later in New York City, six protesters were arrested for occupying a showroom. In Colorado, a woman was accused of throwing Molotov cocktails and vandalizing vehicles and a showroom. Bondi said Friday she had opened an investigation into vandalism against Tesla vehicles and showrooms. 'If you're going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we're coming after you. And if you're funding this, we're coming after you. We're going to find out who you are,' Bondi said on Fox Business. And on Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Musk made an appearance on the South Lawn of the White House, where five Tesla vehicles were showcased. Trump called the vehicles 'beautiful' and said he hoped the event would boost Tesla sales. 'It's like the Super Bowl, where it's just mass exposure,' Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at automotive site Edmunds, told CNN about the media scene on the South Lawn. Caldwell thinks the attention Tesla received from Trump helps the automaker in the short term but is unsure if the efforts will 'convert most people' who otherwise may not be interested in buying a Tesla. Musk, the world's richest man, owns about 411 million shares of Tesla, or about 13%, and has lost most of the gains the company saw in December. Shares of Tesla (TSLA), which closed at $249.98 on Friday, have shed about 48% of their value since peaking at $479.86 on December 17 and are down about 30% since the start of the demonstrations last month. 'We have to think about not in just what's the stock price from one day to the next, but keeping pressure on over the long term,' said Steffens at the demonstration in Washington, DC. Knutson said Tesla Takedown is not against Tesla drivers or the cars themselves. 'We are specifically targeting Elon Musk, trying to bring his value down and to extract as much pain from him as we can,' she said. Meanwhile, more than 800 anti-Musk bumper stickers — most of which are intended to be placed on Tesla vehicles — have been sold on Amazon in the past month. Negative opinions of Musk will damage Tesla's reputation, according to Caldwell. She noted the negative attention could also get consumers to do more research and consider other EV options aside from Tesla. Caldwell said Tesla's market share was weakened before these protests, as a slew of automakers have introduced new EVs to the market. 'I imagine some (Tesla investors) are hoping that this is a short-term blip and things will eventually get a bit smoother,' she said. 'It's hard to say at this point.' And it's too soon to tell if Tesla owners are willing to sell their vehicles because of the criticism of Musk. 'Not everybody can afford to make those decisions,' she said. CNN's Chris Isidore contributed to this report.
CNN
15-03-2025
- Automotive
- CNN
As Tesla stock rebounds, protesters ramp up efforts to hurt Elon Musk
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered nationwide outside Tesla showrooms Saturday amid heightened criticism against CEO Elon Musk's federal cost-cutting role in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and after Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed to crack down on vandalism against Tesla. The demonstrations are part of the 'Tesla Takedown' movement, a boycott that began on February 15 against Musk's electric vehicle company. The campaign was started by Hollywood actor and filmmaker Alex Winter, and Joan Donovan, an assistant professor of Journalism and Emerging Media Studies at Boston University. DOGE has slashed thousands of government jobs, and this week it proposed a dramatic downsizing of the IRS that would result in a nearly 20% reduction of its workforce by May 15. More than 80 demonstrations are slated for Saturday and more than 70 are planned through the end of April, according to the Tesla Takedown website. The movement wants people to 'sell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines.' Tesla did not respond to CNN's request for comment. In the Boston suburb of Dedham, about 100 demonstrators gathered outside a Tesla showroom. The Philadelphia suburb of West Chester had a similar turnout. Baltimore saw one of the biggest turnouts with at least 300 demonstrators In Washington, DC, more than 50 demonstrators had gathered by noon outside a Tesla showroom, holding signs and dancing to songs by Beyoncé and Daft Punk as passing drivers honked their horns in support. The number of demonstrators on the gloomy and chilly day was a sharp uptick from the turnout about two weeks ago at the same Georgetown location. Sara Steffens, a former journalist and policy advocate, said she paired up with Melissa Knutson, who is self-employed, to turn the demonstration into a dance party. Knutson said she wanted to replicate the musical atmosphere she saw at a demonstration in Maryland. 'We need to have joy because this is a long haul, and we need to grow our movement against this authoritarianism,' Knutson told CNN. Police departments across the United States are investigating a wave of attacks on Tesla showrooms, charging stations and vehicles. On March 3, seven charging stations in a mall outside of Boston were set on fire. Five days later in New York City, six protesters were arrested for occupying a showroom. In Colorado, a woman was accused of throwing Molotov cocktails and vandalizing vehicles and a showroom. Bondi said Friday she had opened an investigation into vandalism against Tesla vehicles and showrooms. 'If you're going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, do anything, you better watch out because we're coming after you. And if you're funding this, we're coming after you. We're going to find out who you are,' Bondi said on Fox Business. And on Tuesday, President Donald Trump and Musk made an appearance on the South Lawn of the White House, where five Tesla vehicles were showcased. Trump called the vehicles 'beautiful' and said he hoped the event would boost Tesla sales. 'It's like the Super Bowl, where it's just mass exposure,' Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at automotive site Edmunds, told CNN about the media scene on the South Lawn. Caldwell thinks the attention Tesla received from Trump helps the automaker in the short term but is unsure if the efforts will 'convert most people' who otherwise may not be interested in buying a Tesla. Musk, the world's richest man, owns about 411 million shares of Tesla, or about 13%, and has lost most of the gains the company saw in December. Shares of Tesla (TSLA), which closed at $249.98 on Friday, have shed about 48% of their value since peaking at $479.86 on December 17 and are down about 30% since the start of the demonstrations last month. 'We have to think about not in just what's the stock price from one day to the next, but keeping pressure on over the long term,' said Steffens at the demonstration in Washington, DC. Knutson said Tesla Takedown is not against Tesla drivers or the cars themselves. 'We are specifically targeting Elon Musk, trying to bring his value down and to extract as much pain from him as we can,' she said. Meanwhile, more than 800 anti-Musk bumper stickers — most of which are intended to be placed on Tesla vehicles — have been sold on Amazon in the past month. Negative opinions of Musk will damage Tesla's reputation, according to Caldwell. She noted the negative attention could also get consumers to do more research and consider other EV options aside from Tesla. Caldwell said Tesla's market share was weakened before these protests, as a slew of automakers have introduced new EVs to the market. 'I imagine some (Tesla investors) are hoping that this is a short-term blip and things will eventually get a bit smoother,' she said. 'It's hard to say at this point.' And it's too soon to tell if Tesla owners are willing to sell their vehicles because of the criticism of Musk. 'Not everybody can afford to make those decisions,' she said. CNN's Chris Isidore contributed to this report.
