"Inverse energy cascade" may energize Jupiter's jet streamsOctober 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new analysis of Cassini observations of Jupiter shows that an "inverse energy cascade" mechanism could be supplying the energy that powers and maintains the intense jet streams that typically rip through Jupiter's atmosphere at the same speeds as much shorter-lived hurricanes and tornadoes do on Earth. Exactly what mechanism generates and perpetuates dozens of ferocious, relatively constant jet streams that have been observed on Jupiter over decades is a long-standing question, according to David Choi, a planetary sciences graduate student at the University of Arizona.
Cold ocean cyclones can reduce hurricane intensity and activitySeptember 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, a team of scientists has found that cool water upwellings occurring within ocean cyclones following alongside and behind hurricanes are sometimes strong enough to reduce the strength of hurricanes as they cross paths. The research was conducted by scientists at LSU's (Louisiana State University's) Earth Scan Laboratory, or ESL.
Solar wind may have stripped off water from VenusSeptember 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Observations by the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Venus Express mission have provided strong new evidence that the solar wind has stripped away significant quantities of water from Venus, which means the planet was more humid and Earth-like in the distant past. The SPICAV and VIRTIS instruments carried by the spacecraft have been used to measure concentrations of water vapor in the Venusian atmosphere at altitudes ranging from the lowest 10 km up to 110 km, high above the cloud tops.
Solar wind strips off water from VenusSeptember 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Observations by the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Venus Express mission have provided strong new evidence that the solar wind has stripped away significant quantities of water from Earth's twin planet Venus. The SPICAV and VIRTIS instruments carried by the spacecraft have been used to measure concentrations of water vapor in the Venusian atmosphere at altitudes ranging from the lowest 10 km up to 110 km, high above the cloud tops.
A cosmic but too hot place to stand: Astronomers find first rocky planet outside solar systemSeptember 16th, 2009 Found: Firm place to stand outside solar systemWASHINGTON — Astronomers have finally found a place outside our solar system where there's a firm place to stand — if only it weren't so broiling hot. As scientists search the skies for life elsewhere, they have found more than 300 planets outside our solar system.
NASA to provide web updates on objects approaching EarthJuly 31st, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is introducing a new Web site that will provide a centralized resource for information on near-Earth objects - those asteroids and comets that can approach Earth. The "Asteroid Watch" site also contains links for the interested public to sign up for NASA's new asteroid widget and Twitter account.
Hefner sued for $3B by woman claiming to be 'Venus Aphrodite Demilio'July 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner has been sued for three billion dollars by a woman who claims to be the reincarnation of "Venus Aphrodite Demilio". Sheri Allred, who claims that she is possessed by "the most beautifulest angel lusefer", has filed papers at the Los Angeles Superior Court.
Moon-Venus-Mars grouping to dazzle weekend sky showJune 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Get ready to witness a weekend sky show, with the Moon making a series of cosmic pit stops as it hovers near Venus and Mars, a famous star cluster, and finally Mercury in the predawn skies between Friday and Sunday, June 19 and 21. This chain of conjunctions-when objects appear to be close together in the sky-is not unusual, astronomers note.
Sun using Earth's solar defense to steal its atmosphereMay 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has suggested that the Sun is slowly stealing Earth's atmosphere, with our planet's main solar defense acting as a double agent, aiding and abetting the thievery. According to a report in National Geographic News, typically hailed as a protective buffer from the sun's brute power, Earth's magnetosphere is actually helping the sun's energized particles strip away a tiny fraction of Earth's atmosphere.
Scientists develop fast and cheap forecasting system for Mediterranean cyclonesMay 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new study, a team of Scientists has developed a fast and cheap forecasting system for Mediterranean cyclones. The study shows that analyses of atmospheric sensitivity are useful for designing "efficient" observation networks based in Europe, and strategies that can be adapted to "especially dangerous" events.
"Space tornadoes" cause Northern Lights, claim scientistsApril 24th, 2009 WASHINGTON - New observations by a suite of five NASA space probes has reportedly solved the mystery of the Northern Lights, attributing the cause of the natural phenomenon to powerful currents generated by giant electrical tornadoes in outer space. The probe cluster, called Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS), indicate that these "space tornadoes" span a volume as large as Earth and produce electrical currents exceeding 100,000 amperes.
Cyclones can feed global warming by spurting ice into stratosphereApril 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists at Harvard University, US, have found that tropical cyclones readily inject ice far into the stratosphere, possibly feeding global warming. The finding provides more evidence of the intertwining of severe weather and global warming by demonstrating a mechanism by which storms could drive climate change.
New NASA model to improve forecasting of deadly cyclonesApril 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - NASA has used satellite data and a new modeling approach that could improve weather forecasting and save more lives when future cyclones develop. About 15 percent of the world's tropical cyclones occur in the northern Indian Ocean, but because of high population densities along low-lying coastlines, the storms have caused nearly 80 percent of cyclone-related deaths around the world.
NASA approach to tracking deadliest cyclones before they strikeApril 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new NASA modelling approach could track the deadliest cyclones before they strike and save countless lives, besides predicting weather more accurately. About 15 percent of the world's tropical cyclones occur in the northern Indian Ocean, but because of high population densities along low-lying coastlines, the storms have caused nearly 80 percent of cyclone-related deaths around the world.
NASA twin spacecraft may reveal how our moon was bornApril 10th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Two identical NASA spacecraft are preparing to enter a point in the universe that may eventually answer the question of how our moon originated. The spacecraft duet, called Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, or Stereo, are nearing a zone known as the Lagrangian points.
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