Latest news with #southernhemisphere
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
A chance to spot rare and mysterious noctilucent clouds
It's time to watch for the beautiful cloud formations known as noctilucent clouds. Latin for 'night shining', noctilucent clouds are seasonal and become visible in the northern hemisphere from late spring/early summer. Although unpredictable, when they do appear they will be seen in the western sky about half an hour after the sun sets. As the sky darkens into night, they will shine with an extraordinary electric blue colour. Part of the appeal of these rare clouds is that their origins are still mysterious. They are the highest known clouds in Earth's atmosphere, condensing at an altitude of about 80km (50 miles). This is virtually the edge of space. Their extreme altitude is what allows them to catch the last rays of the setting sun, even when Earth's surface beneath them is already in darkness. Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the clouds is that there are no recorded sightings of them before 1885. Some suggest the clouds are therefore caused by industrial pollutants to which water vapour freezes, or by the rise of the greenhouse gas methane in the atmosphere, which promotes water vapour production in the upper atmosphere. In the southern hemisphere, the noctilucent cloud season begins around October.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
A chance to spot rare and mysterious noctilucent clouds
It's time to watch for the beautiful cloud formations known as noctilucent clouds. Latin for 'night shining', noctilucent clouds are seasonal and become visible in the northern hemisphere from late spring/early summer. Although unpredictable, when they do appear they will be seen in the western sky about half an hour after the sun sets. As the sky darkens into night, they will shine with an extraordinary electric blue colour. Part of the appeal of these rare clouds is that their origins are still mysterious. They are the highest known clouds in Earth's atmosphere, condensing at an altitude of about 80km (50 miles). This is virtually the edge of space. Their extreme altitude is what allows them to catch the last rays of the setting sun, even when Earth's surface beneath them is already in darkness. Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of the clouds is that there are no recorded sightings of them before 1885. Some suggest the clouds are therefore caused by industrial pollutants to which water vapour freezes, or by the rise of the greenhouse gas methane in the atmosphere, which promotes water vapour production in the upper atmosphere. In the southern hemisphere, the noctilucent cloud season begins around October.
The Independent
7 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Penguin poop is creating more clouds. Here's how
There is no shortage of penguin poop in Antarctica. In fact, you can see it from space, if you know where to look. Researchers often use satellite observations to study Adélie penguin populations and changes in their diet. The most widespread penguin species, there are currently an estimated 10 million Adélie penguins, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The penguins themselves are too small to see from above, but their excrement is not. Also known as guano, the old bird poop builds up on rocky and icy surfaces over time. It can be seen in shades of white, red, and pink. The color that is expelled depends on what these flightless birds eat. With a krill diet, for example, turns it out pinker. Whereas, a largely fishy diet turns their poop whiter. But, the color isn't the only magic associated with Adélie penguin poop. Researchers say that ammonia released from the guano could help to protect them from the increasingly dangerous effects of human-caused climate change. The sea ice Adélie penguins rely on to survive is dwindling, as it is increasingly threatened by climate change. However, ammonia released from their poop may be contributing to increased regional cloud formation that halts ice loss and protects their habitat. 'There are connections between things that happen on our natural planet that we just don't necessarily expect,' Matthew Boyer, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Helsinki, told The Washington Post. 'And this is one of them.' Boyer was the lead author of the related research, which was recently published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. Ammonia, which is a naturally occurring chemical compound often used in disinfecting products, can ramp up cloud formation when it chemically interacts with gases that contain the smelly element sulphur. This reaction increases the creation of particles in the air that give water vapor — water in its gaseous form — a surface to condense upon: changing it into a liquid. That's how clouds are formed. Ammonia clouds have been found on Jupiter, and over Southeast Asia. The resulting clouds can serve as insulating layers in the atmosphere, as well as help to reduce surface temperatures and keep the surrounding sea ice from melting. Last year, the sea ice extent in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica was the second smallest on record. This March saw Antarctic sea ice plunge, as well. The sea ice, which is more reflective than water, plays a significant role in keeping polar regions cool. 'We can hypothesize that there will be a cooling effect from the clouds because, in general, that is the most prominent effect of clouds in the atmosphere,' Boyer explained. To reach their conclusions, Boyer and his colleagues measured the concentration of ammonia in the air at a site near Marambio Base in the winter of 2023. They were downwind of the colony of 60,000 Adélie penguins, and their poop. When the wind blew from that direction, they found the concentration of ammonia in the air increased to more than 1,000 times higher than the baseline level. Furthermore, it was still more than 100 times higher than the baseline after the penguins had migrated from the area by the end of February. To confirm that this was the direct result of the guano's ammonia, they took several additional atmospheric measurements on a single day, finding that the number and size of particles at the site sharply increased when the wind blew from the colony. Just three hours later, they observed a period of fog that they say was likely the result of the increased particles. Although the specific interaction between penguins and the Antarctic climate is currently poorly understood, Antarctic ecosystems are facing significant pressures because of human-driven climate change that is driving sea ice loss as global warming continues. Warmer waters may mean less of the phytoplankton that krill and fish eat, reducing the penguins' food supply. The researchers say that their conclusions emphasize the importance of protecting penguins, which play a vital role in balancing their ecosystems. Although these birds may only be just over two feet tall, their contribution may be massive. 'The oceans and the penguins are influencing the atmosphere and actually influencing the local climate in Antarctica,' said Boyer. 'The local changes in Antarctica will have an impact on global climate.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Starwatch: Venus will be unmistakably brilliant in the predawn sky this week
Venus will reach maximum western elongation from the sun on 31 May. Maximum elongation means that it appears as far from the sun as it can, making it the most easily visible. The fact that it is to the sun's west means that it is visible in the morning sky. From the UK, Venus rises at about 03.15 BST, giving an observing window of about an hour from 03.30 BST. The sun rises at about 04.45 BST, and no observations should be undertaken once the sun is in the sky because permanent eye damage can occur from looking at its fiery surface. Venus will be unmistakably brilliant in the predawn eastern sky, making it easy to observe even from urban locations so long as the view to the east is not blocked by buildings. From the southern hemisphere, Venus will appear higher in the sky and so will be even easier to see. Additionally, there is another planet in the sky that morning which will be visible to the naked eye. Rising in the south-eastern sky at about 02.30 BST from the UK, Saturn is much dimmer than Venus but will reveal itself as a steady, ochre-coloured point of light.
RNZ News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
US wants to launch more satellites from NZ
The US has been ken to diversify launches into clear southern hemisphere skies for several years. File photo. Photo: Joel Kowsky / NASA via Getty Images The US military is holding talks with New Zealand about launching more satellites from this country. The US Space Force is moving to deploy hundreds more satellites that will - among other things - support America's nuclear command-control-and-communications (NC3) system. It is not known what types of satellite it might wish to launch from here, but the Pentagon has signalled for several years its interest in diversifying launches into clear southern hemisphere skies, and elsewhere outside the US. Congress ordered a report two years ago on the benefits of using partner countries' spaceports for rapid launch in a war or other crisis. RNZ's efforts to get the report through the US embassy have failed. There are now new talks, with US Space Force General Brigadier Kristin Panzenhagen at the forefront. US Space Force General Brigadier Kristin Panzenhagen Photo: Supplied "We are looking at international partnerships as potential ways to get our satellites to orbit," she said in an interview with the Mitchell Institute thinktank. Talks were in their very early stages. "So we've been talking to some of our allies and partners about their launch capability, whether it's existing capability - so for example, you know, Japan has existing capability, Rocket Lab is launching out of New Zealand, Ariane Space out of French Guyana." The US wanted to "see what we may be able to do for enhancing each other's resiliency". She said Sweden and Britain were also in the talks. The UK has no working spaceports, but is trying to build six of them. The Pentagon has repeatedly told lawmakers - in pleas for more space funding - that it was in a race against China to achieve space superiority by 2027. The US could end up helping design new spaceports offshore, so its launches would not face technical barriers, Panzenhagen added. The 2023 report to Congress aimed to assess launch capability and "the shared costs and technology between the United States and allies, including if investments from the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and the European Deterrence Initiative could be considered for allied spaceports". As the US pivots away from Europe and more towards the Indo-Pacific, it is pouring billions more into the Pacific Deterrence Initiative for the likes of missiles in Guam, drone experiments, and "military construction", documents showed. Launches out of Mahia for the Pentagon and US space spy agency NRO have been mostly for experimental missions so far. But the US relies on its two spaceports at home - at Cape Canaveral in Florida, and at Vandenberg base in California - for actual missions, including 'cannot fail' operations. Retired Space Force colonel Charles Galbreath, now a senior fellow at the Mitchell institute, interviewed the general on Youtube last week, and spelled out why accelerating launches mattered so much. "Launch, and the assured access to space that it represents, is foundational to space superiority and leveraging the unique benefits of the space domain. "If you can't get to space, you can't control it," Galbreath said. Space Force is not only diversifying, but speeding up. In its latest exercise, a launch that once took two years was down to just 10 weeks, Galbreath heard. International diversification is being paired with bringing more companies on board, often smaller ones, rather than the usual massive 'primes' like Lockheed. For instance, Rocket Lab US has just been elevated into a fast-lane of its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) programme. New Zealand is also linked in through its space research within the Five Eyes intelligence group, including a role in current tests of satellite comms to ships. This comes under the umbrella of what US media calls the "Pentagon's global meta-network" - or CJADC2 - or combined joint all-domain command and control - essentially, a satellite-linked network for faster shooting. The New Zealand Defence Force has recently been going to more US-led CJADC2 exercises or taking a bigger role, including in ones that build "kill chains" and "kill webs" . The head of US nuclear forces Admiral Charles Richard underlined the link between JADC2 (now called CJADC2) when he spoke to Congress in 2022. "A subset of what JADC2 is doing is for nuclear command and control," Richard said. "The two systems have to be overlapped to a great extent so that we can have integration." US Admiral Charles Richard Photo: AFP / DREW ANGERER Both CJADC2 and nuclear command-control-and-comms expect to benefit from the launch of hundreds of satellites into low-orbit, to get away from reliance on a handful of large, hugely expensive and vulnerable large satellites in higher orbit, according to official US documents. A big CJADC2-linked exercise in Australia in August - Talisman Sabre - aims to advance how 19 countries including New Zealand share communications through a single system, which occurred for the first time last year. Defence and Space Minister Judith Collins talked up the commercial opportunities for New Zealand firms to help out the Pentagon last year. But last week's survey of the space industry that Collins released - which covered its potential to double by 2030 to be worth $5 billion a year - barely mentioned defence. Collins told RNZ: "I have not engaged directly with the Space Force on launching from New Zealand." Company leaders in the defence industry praised her appearance at an industry event last Friday. "Judith Collins is a rock star," said one online. "Capable of doing the work publicly and behind closed doors," said another. RNZ asked if it could attend the event to hear her speak, but was declined. Launches are checked and approved by national security officials and National Security and Intelligence Minister Christopher Luxon. But Luxon diverted RNZ's questions about NC3 to the Defence Ministry. RNZ has approached Collins for comment. The US Embassy said it had "nothing further to provide". Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
