The Climate Wars Are Heating Up

So, apparently, the climate wars aren’t over quite yet. Thank goodness for that! That’s not us rekindling the battle, by the way, it’s the Greens’ ‘Treasury spokesman’ federal Senator Nick McKim who has discovered a new term of abuse: ‘ecocidal’…

Tornadoes hard to forecast, but predictions improving

Meteorologists are making improvements in forecasting tornadoes. New tools, such as drones and computer modeling, are aiding improvements.

The post Tornadoes hard to forecast, but predictions improving first appeared on EarthSky.

Icy rain from Saturn’s rings is heating the planet

A new discovery shows an icy rain from Saturn’s rings affects the planet’s atmosphere. This insight could help lead to the discovery of rings around exoplanets.

The post Icy rain from Saturn’s rings is heating the planet first appeared on EarthSky.

Meteor shower guide: Next up, the Lyrids

Your meteor shower guide for 2023. There are some good ones! Next up … the Lyrids in April. And then, the Eta Aquariids in May.

The post Meteor shower guide: Next up, the Lyrids first appeared on EarthSky.

Brightest gamma-ray burst of ‘all time’

The brightest gamma-ray burst of all time – or at least so far – blasted into the collective consciousness of earthly astronomers on October 9, 2022.

The post Brightest gamma-ray burst of ‘all time’ first appeared on EarthSky.

The Artemis program: NASA’s mission to return to the moon

The Artemis program aims to return humans to the moon. NASA will announce the astronauts for the Artemis II mission on April 3, 2023.

The post The Artemis program: NASA’s mission to return to the moon first appeared on EarthSky.

Here’s why rainbows have a curved or arcing shape

Rainbows have a curved shape because they’re made from light reflected after hitting spherical raindrops. Learn more about rainbows here.

The post Here’s why rainbows have a curved or arcing shape first appeared on EarthSky.

Terminator zones and the search for life

A new study shows that exoplanet terminator zones – regions on worlds with permanent day and night sides – might be able to support life.

The post Terminator zones and the search for life first appeared on EarthSky.

What is a neutron star? How do they form?

A neutron star is born from a supernova explosion. They contain a couple of times the mass of our sun, squeezed into a sphere the size of a city on Earth.

The post What is a neutron star? How do they form? first appeared on EarthSky.

Find Omega Centauri, using Spica as a guide

Omega Centauri is the largest globular star cluster visible to the eye alone. In the spring, the star Spica can lead you to the giant globular cluster.

The post Find Omega Centauri, using Spica as a guide first appeared on EarthSky.