Tag Archives: nasa

Natural Disasters

With Hurricane Earl approaching the East Coast, space station astronauts take pictures

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NASA Astronaut Douglas Wheelcock captured this image of Hurricane Earl on Monday. Click the image for a slideshow of hurricanes as seen from space. (NASA)
NASA Astronaut Douglas Wheelcock captured this image of Hurricane Earl on Monday. Click the image for a slideshow of hurricanes as seen from space. (NASA)

A slightly weakened but still powerful Hurricane Earl continues on its path drawing nearer to the United States East Coast. In recent days, astronauts aboard the International Space Station have been afforded stunning views of the storm from their 220 mile high perch.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Earl’s forecast path will bring it dangerous close to the East Coast from South Carolina through Maine. The center of the storm is expected to remain at sea however the centers “cone of uncertainty” includes much of the coast.

Astronaut Douglas Wheelcock is the commander of the Expedition 24 crew now on board the space station. The West Point graduate and Army colonel previously logged hundreds of hours aboard the Space Shuttle and is in the third month of a six-month stay commanding the ISS.

Like other recent visitors to the space station, Wheelcock is keeping the public up to date with the crew’s activities via Twitter. As the user ‘Astro_Wheels’, Wheelcock has used the messaging service to report on repairs to the station and ongoing experiments and now has posted extraordinary photos of Hurricane Earl.

The two images of the powerful hurricane span roughly 17 hours. The first, taken over the central Atlantic on Monday shows Earl when it was a Category 2 storm with loose, rotating bands. The second, taken this morning, shows how much more organized – and powerful – the storm has become.

The slideshow below contains the images taken by Colonel Wheelcock as well as images of previous hurricanes taken by International Space Station and Space Shuttle crews and NASA satellites.

Slideshow: Hurricanes as seen froom space.

Astronomy

Solar flare headed to Earth; Expected to light up the sky in some parts of the nation

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This X-ray photo of the Sun was taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) on Sunday morning, August 1st. The dark area near the top right edge is a filament of plasma being ejected, part of the coronal mass ejection (CME). The bright region on the left half is an unrelated flare. (NASA) Watch video of the ejection at the link below.
This X-ray photo of the Sun was taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) on Sunday morning, August 1st. The dark area near the top right edge is a filament of plasma being ejected, part of the coronal mass ejection (CME). The bright region on the left half is an unrelated flare. (NASA) Watch video of the ejection at the link below.

A large solar flare on Sunday is expected to strike the Earth tonight treating sky watchers in the northern United States to a display of aurorae. The increased activity is being monitored by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Boulder.

The ejection of charged particles from the sun follows a period of relative calm in terms of solar activity. What is being termed a “solar tsunami” – a wall of charged ion particles – is expected to trigger a geomagnetic storm visible in the northern latitudes.

The aurorae, normally only visible at extreme northern latitudes, are expected to put on a show for areas as far south as the northern contiguous United States the nights of August 3rd and 4th. 

Unfortunately for those in Colorado, the phenomena won’t be strong enough to reach the state. But, those in Oregon, Montana, North Dakota and other states further north should be able to witness the event.

You can get the rest of this story including seeing some amazing video of the eruption on the Denver Weather Examiner.
There's more to this story on Examiner.com!

National Weather, Natural Disasters

Latest NASA satellite image shows extensive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico

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The growing environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and leak will likely take years to recover from.  A new image released by NASA shows the extent of the oil slick as it continues to encroach on shoreline around the Gulf.

NASA satellite image of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico - June 7, 2010

From NASA:

Oil on water has many appearances. In this photo-image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on June 7, 2010, at least part of the oil slick is pale gray. A large area of oil is southeast of the Mississippi Delta, at the site of the leaking British Petroleum well. Traces of thick oil are also visible farther north.

Not all of the oil that is in the Gulf is visible here. The image shows regions of heavy oil where the oil smoothes the surface and reflects more light than the surrounding water. Lighter concentrations and streamers are not visible. The Deepwater Horizon Unified Response reported oil washing ashore and immediately offshore in eastern Alabama and northwestern Florida on June 7, and this oil is not visible in the image.

Several other features may mask the oil in the image. Pale white haze (possibly smoke from fires in Central America) hangs over the Gulf, partially obscuring the view of the oil slick. The oil slick also blends with sediment washing into the Gulf from the Mississippi River. The sediment plume is tan and green. Because the sediment also reflects more light than clear water, it may be masking the presence of oil in the water. West of the mouth of the Mississippi River, sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water (sunglint) turns the water silvery white. In this region, it is difficult to see sediment and oil, but NOAA maps of the extent of the oil spill on June 7 report oil throughout sunglint region.

The large image provided above is the highest-resolution version of the image available. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides twice-daily images of the Gulf of Mexico.

Local News

Thornton gets last chance to see the International Space Station and Space Shuttle Atlantis

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The Space Shuttle Atlantis launched yesterday bound for the International Space Station. This weekend affords a chance to see the pair above for the last time. (NASA)
The Space Shuttle Atlantis launched yesterday bound for the International Space Station. This weekend affords a chance to see the pair above for the last time. (NASA)

The Space Shuttle Atlantis rocketed from Kennedy Space Center yesterday on its way to its final rendezvous with the International Space Station. This will be Atlantis’ final flight as NASA prepares to retire the Space Shuttle fleet and it affords Earth-bound viewers their final chances to see the pair from the ground.

Good sighting opportunities to view the ISS and Atlantis will be available across much of the continental United States this weekend and they will occur at times in the late evening that will make it easy for everyone. The weekend and the first part of next week all hold chances for many areas if the skies are clear.

Here in Thornton, on Saturday night the two spacecraft will be at their highest elevation. However, we will unfortunately have a good deal of cloud cover at the appointed time making it difficult. If you can catch a glimpse tonight though, it will be interesting because the pair will not have docked yet and you will be able to see both flying separately overhead.

We have a better chance to see the ISS and Atlantis on Sunday. While they won’t be as high above the horizon, the skies should be a clearer. By then they will have docked and so you will see one bright unit as it moves across the nighttime sky.

To find out when to turn your gaze skyward and where to look, check out our ISS / Space Station viewing page.  For viewing opportunities in other places in the nation, visit this page on NASA’s website.

To see what the cloud cover will be at the viewing times, check out our Thornton point forecast graphics.

Climate Change

NASA releases photo album of the Earth on anniversary of Earth Day

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In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, NASA has released a collection of images of our globe as seen from space. Check out the complete set in the slideshow below.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, NASA has released a collection of images of our globe as seen from space. Check out the complete set in the slideshow below.

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, an event designed to bring awareness to environmental and climate concerns. In celebration of the event, NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies has released a ‘best of’ collection of images of the Earth.

Manned and robotic spaceflight has allowed us to see the planet as was never possible. Images of our “blue marble” have become commonplace and it is hard to believe it was only 50 years ago that the first images of Earth taken in space were shown on television.

Satellites, space stations, Space Shuttles, robotic probes and more have beamed back images of the globe from orbit, the moon and even Mars.

In their most common form, these images are used to help analyze and predict the weather and are even routinely included in our daily weather forecasts.  From monitoring the effects of climate change and the recent eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano amaze us today much as they did in 1960.

Below is a collection of images released today by NASA in honor of Earth Day 2010.

In pictures - NASA releases collection of Earth Day photos

National Weather

NASA satellite time lapse video shows February blizzards striking the northeast

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As seen from space, snow covers the Mid-Atlantic from Washington D.C. through Baltimore and Philadelphia to New York City. (NASA) Watch the amazing time lapse video below.
As seen from space, snow covers the Mid-Atlantic from Washington D.C. through Baltimore and Philadelphia to New York City. (NASA) Watch the amazing time lapse video below.

The northeastern United States has seen a winter of historical proportions as a seemingly endless stream of storms brought record setting levels of snowfall. NASA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) captured a series of these storms as they struck in February.

The amazing time lapse video released by NASA covers the period from February 1st to February 16th. During that time, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C. all saw major winter snowstorms that ranked in each city’s ‘top 10’ and gave way to terms like ‘Snowmageddon’ and ‘Snowpocalypse.’

Baltimore recorded an astounding 24.8 inches from February 5th to the 6th and 19.5 inches from February 10th to the 11th. The nation’s capital received 17.8 inches of snow during the February 5th / 6th snowstorm. The City of Brotherly Love was similarly buried under 28.5 inches from February 5th to the 6th and 15.8 inches from February 10th to the 11th.

The February storms added to already hefty seasonal snowfall totals across the northeastern United States that actually got a start in December. Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Atlantic City have all seen seasonal snowfall records.

In a statement accompanying the video which compressed 16 days into two minutes, NASA explains these “Nor’easters”. “The counter-clockwise circulation around a low pressure system on the Atlantic coast pushes moist sea air from the north-east into arctic air over the land. This windy mixture creates a very efficient snow-making machine from Boston to Washington,” the agency said.

Natural Disasters

Smoke and haze spotted by NASA satellite over Santiago, Chile

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Smoke and haze are clearly seen over Santiago, Chile after the earthquake in this image released by NASA. See larger before and after images below. (NASA)
Smoke and haze are clearly seen over Santiago, Chile after the earthquake in this image released by NASA. See larger before and after images below. (NASA)

A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chile this morning crumbling buildings, destroying bridges and causing an unknown number of deaths. The temblor struck near where the largest earthquake on history was recorded in 1960 and ties as the fifth largest since 1900.

The quake has caused tsunami warnings to be issued for most of the nations along the Pacific including Australia, Japan, Russia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In Hawaii, the tsunami arrived in recent hours and it appears the state will escape relatively unscathed.

In the aftermath, buildings in Chile’s capital of Santiago caught fire sending smoke into the sky. The temblor that shook the ground for nearly a full minute also sent a cloud of dust into the air. Click here for a slideshow of some of the first images after the quake.

NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the stricken area today and the agency released ‘before and after’ photos that clearly show the smoke and dust.  For complete coverage of the earthquakes, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.

Haze Over Santiago Following 8.8 Earthquake

After Image
NASA satellites capture smoke and haze over Santiago, Chile after earthquake - After image

Before image
NASA satellites capture smoke and haze over Santiago, Chile after earthquake - Before image

Haze lingered over the metropolitan area of Santiago, Chile, following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake on February 27, 2010. In an image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite at 14:25 UTC, black smoke hung over the northern part of the city, while light-colored haze (perhaps pollution and/or dust) covered the southern part of the city and filled a canyon that cuts eastward into the mountains. The lower image, acquired on February 23, shows the city and surroundings under clear-sky conditions.

NASA images provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.

National Weather

As seen from space – Second blizzard’s snow spread across the East Coast

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As seen from spance, snow covers the Mid-Atlantic from Washington D.C. through Baltimore and Philadelphia to New York City. (NASA) See a larger image below.
As seen from space, snow covers the Mid-Atlantic from Washington D.C. through Baltimore and Philadelphia to New York City. (NASA) See a larger image below.

Whether it is called ‘Snowmageddon’, ‘Snowpocalypse’ or any other array of the names, the amazing series of winter storms that have struck the Mid-Atlantic States has been nothing short of astounding. Two storms struck the region in less than a week and NASA satellites have captured images of what the scene looks like from space after the second storm struck.

Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Wilmington and Atlantic City have all set new records for seasonal snowfall. Baltimore has recorded nearly 7 feet of snow so far this winter eclipsing the previous record by more than 17 inches.

All of those cities have recorded more snow than ones in the Rocky Mountain region. That also led to the unusual event of 49 of the 50 states having snow on the ground on the same day.

The image to the right and below was taken by NASA’s Terra satellite on February 11, 2010 after the second blizzard struck.

Second Blizzard Strikes U.S. East Coast
As seen from spance, snow covers the Mid-Atlantic from Washington D.C. through Baltimore and Philadelphia to New York City. (NASA)

Colorado Weather

Massive winter storm as seen by NASA satellite

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Old Man Winter has steadily made his presence felt in recent days. California was the first to get struck this past weekend and as the storm moved west, few states have been spared. Widespread high wind events, Arctic cold and snow have marked the storms as they crossed the central United States.

Today the same system that gave us Arctic temperatures in Denver has moved to the east. As it does, Nebraska, Iowa and states along the Great Lakes are feeling its effects.

NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites moved over the western half of the nation and captured amazing imagery showing how widespread the winter weather was.

A severe winter storm blustered its way across the United States on December 7 and 8, 2009. The storm dumped heavy snow from California to the Great Plains, and fierce winds added to the hazardous conditions. The storm was predicted to continue eastward in midweek, and blizzard warnings were in effect for Great Lakes states as of December 9.

This image shows the blanket of snow laid down by the storm across the West, along with the thick swirl of storm clouds over the Great Plains from North Dakota to Oklahoma. The image is made from a combination of images captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors on NASA’s Terra (most of the left side of the image) and Aqua (most of the right side) satellites on December 8.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, based on individual images from the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.

Climate Change

Battle of the climate scientists part 3 – Gray attacks the science

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Hot or not? Are the global climate models accurate or are they full of hot air?
Hot or not? Are the global climate models accurate or are they full of hot air?

The science behind the theory of anthropogenic global warming (AGW), or manmade climate change, has been said to be ‘settled’.  The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Al Gore, and Dr. James Hansen make up a triumvirate of climate change advocates.  Wielding studies, computer models, and various charts and analyses, they believe man is heading down the road to self-destruction of we do not reverse course immediately and do everything and anything to stop what they believe is an unnaturally warming climate.

Last week we first brought to light a letter by Dr. William Gray, Professor Emeritus of Colorado State University, admonishing the American Meteorological Society’s decision to give its highest award to Dr. James Hansen.  Hansen is head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), an astronomer, and a very divisive figure in the global warming debate. 

We continue our analysis of not only the battle between Dr. William Gray and Dr. James Hansen but the larger issue of anthropogenic global warming.  In his letter Dr. Gray raises some very interesting arguments about Hansen’s research and about the science behind the theory of AGW.  Today we take a closer look at the science as Dr. Gray sees it.

Get all the details on Examiner.com!

For all the details, read the rest of this story on our Denver Weather Examiner page. Examiner.com - Get inside Denver weather