Having a pet around is a ton of fun for many people. Even if you're a busy working adult or a new-to-pets kid, there are plenty of low maintenance pets that will warm up your home.

That said, even the most low maintenance pet will require daily care. If you don't have time (or you're likely to forget) to spend at least 10 minutes a day with your pet, you might not be ready to provide that pet with a great home. Your low maintenance pet will still need a clean cage, fresh water, and fresh food (with the exception of some reptiles that eat less often) every day. Even fish, which many people think are easy to care for, actually require careful tank-cleaning and chemical monitoring of their water!

&nbsp;
<h2>What to Look for in a Low Maintenance Pet</h2>
It's important to get a pet that fits your lifestyle. I travel a lot and enjoy running, so for me, a dog is actually the best fit. My dog can come along on travels and join me for runs. A cat would be much harder for me to care for because I'd need a sitter many days a year! Small exotic pets or small mammals would pose the same problem. Plus, it can be harder to find a reliable sitter for many unusual pets.

The point is, everyone's definition of "easy" will vary based on their lifestyle.

Be honest with yourself about what you can reasonably provide for a pet. Be sure to consider:
<ul>
 	<li>Your schedule. Dogs require daily outdoor exercise that can be challenging for some people - but as I highlighted above, that same outdoor exercise need can actually fit nicely into the schedules for some people. If you choose a pet that needs daily care but you regularly travel, that might be a problem!</li>
 	<li>Your budget. Some low-maintenance pets are still pretty expensive. Feeding some reptiles gets pricey if you're unable to raise their food, and fish tank supplies quickly run up a bill.</li>
 	<li>Your space. Sure, a corn snake might not require a ton of love and attention every day. But their tank takes up a lot of space! Likewise, many small birds don't require a ton of time-consuming care or expensive gear, but their cages still take up a lot of room. It's always best to give your new pet as much space as you can put aside.</li>
 	<li>Your motivation and routine. If you're only halfheartedly excited about caring for a pet, perhaps now isn't the time to bring one home. But it's also important to consider what sort of routines you find easy to follow. I personally struggle to care for reptiles because I prefer animals that require daily repetitive tasks, rather than weekly or every-other-week sort of care.</li>
 	<li>Your expertise. Of course, most animals that fall under the "low maintenance" category shouldn't require much expertise to care for them. But many fish species often end up on lists of easy to care for pets - even though this can be very far from the truth!</li>
 	<li>Your long-term plans. I strongly recommend staying away from budgies, tortoises, and other long-lived species for new pet owners. Many reptiles and birds can live dozens of years! It's just too hard to predict where you'll end up in 10, 20, or even 50 years. Even a budgie can live 15 years and leopard geckos can live 20!</li>
</ul>
Keep all of these factors in mind as you decide which pet you want to bring home. Even better, see if you can foster your chosen species with a rescue or watch one while their owner is out of town. This will really allow you to get to know the pet's needs.

&nbsp;
<h2>Top 3 Low Maintenance Pets</h2>
All of that said, there are some pets that are consistently easy to care for. Check out our picks below!

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1868328 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/guinea-pig-208438_1280-1024x682.jpg" alt="guinea pig low maintenance pet" width="1024" height="682" />
<h2>#1: Guinea Pigs, Gerbils, Mice, Rats, Hamsters, and Other Small Mammals</h2>
These small mammals or "pocket pets" require daily care and clean cages. Otherwise, though, many of them are relatively tough and self-sufficient. Young children will need to learn how to handle them gently in order to keep them safe. All of the species of small mammals can be quite friendly and cuddly, especially if they're handled gently and frequently. Hand feeding these pets and being very patient will help gain their trust.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/gallery/5-easiest-pets-on-the-planet/4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Guinea pigs</a> or rats are generally the sturdiest and friendliest of this group, and both can be quite social. Guinea pigs have the added bonus of being diurnal (active during the day), whereas most small mammals are most active once you're asleep.

Most small mammals do well in a cage that will fit on top of a dresser, but guinea pigs and rats may need more space. You often can find suitable cages used for under $20.

Be sure to research the specific feeding needs of each of these small mammals. Many need to gnaw and chew in order to survive, meaning it's important to bring home the right sort of food pellets!

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1868327 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/gecko-1373165_1280-1024x731.jpg" alt="pet gecko" width="1024" height="731" />
<h2>#2 Leopard Geckos, Anoles, and Other Small Lizards</h2>
Small lizards don't need much social interaction from you, their owners. Many of them thrive in vertical environments, meaning they take up a bit less shelf space. In other words, they are pretty great low maintenance pets if you're not hoping for a cuddle!

That said, it's a myth that lizards and <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/lined-day-gecko-phelsuma-lineata/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">geckos</a> don't need any care from you. These lizards need careful monitoring of temperature and humidity, and their cages can have expensive start-up costs. Since they don't need much from you socially, it's important to ensure that their cage is spacious and interesting for them.

Small lizards are generally considered easy to care for - but there are two major downsides to these low maintenance pets. Almost all lizard species need to eat live prey, preferably a variety of it. This means you'll need to make regular trips to the pet store to purchase food (sometimes more than twice per week), or you'll have to start breeding and raising your own crickets and mealworms. Not so easy! The other downside to these easy pets is that they can live a long time. Sure, it's easy to care for these guys on any given day - but over the course of 20 years, these animals are a pretty big commitment.

&nbsp;

<img class="alignnone wp-image-1868330 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/red-factor-canary-3153848_1280-1024x656.jpg" alt="finch pet canary low maintenance" width="1024" height="656" />
<h2>#3 Finches, Canaries, and Other Small Birds</h2>
Many birds are loud, friendly, and very pretty. They can be a lot of work! But <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/star-finch-neochmia-ruficauda/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">finches</a>, canaries, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/caribbean-dove-leptotila-jamaicensis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">doves</a> are generally a lot easier to care for. They tend to be a bit skittish of handling, so they do best with another birdie friend. Like with the other animals on this list, you should always try to get them the biggest cage you can fit and can afford.

Don't expect a lot of social interaction from your small birds, but you can expect cute chirps and pretty trills from many of them!

Be sure to carefully consider how long your small bird may live. Birds need a lot of space to fly, plenty of mental enrichment (feeder puzzle toys are a great option), and long-term care. Their cages and food tend to be affordable, but you need to be ready to be a pet owner for the long haul!

What low maintenance pet fits best into your lifestyle? We'd love to hear your input!

&nbsp;

Top 3 Low Maintenance Pets: Easy and Budget Friendly

Having a pet around is a ton of fun for...

&nbsp;

Mountaintops, the Arctic region, and Antarctica are home to some very unique species of animals. These areas are all part of a biome (habitat type) called the Tundra, which is a lot like a frozen desert. There are many unique tundra animals.

&nbsp;

[caption id="attachment_1867715" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-1867715 size-medium" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Tundra_on_the_Kola_Peninsula_Russia-300x206.jpg" alt="Photo of tundra showing redish hills with patches of white snow and a cloudy sky in the background." width="300" height="206" /> Kola Peninsula, Russia[/caption]

&nbsp;

The tundra is a biome characterized by <a href="http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss5/biome/tundra.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extreme cold, lack of rainfall, short growing season and lack of nutrients</a>. The tundra has a permanently frozen layer of soil called permafrost. This frozen expanse may seem lifeless, but the animals that live in the tundra remain active despite these harsh conditions.

The extremes of the tundra force animals to adapt. Because of this, the tundra is home to many interesting and unique species. Read about a few of our favorites below.

&nbsp;
<div class="mceTemp"></div>
<h2>American Pika <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/american-pika-ochotona-princeps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> (Ochotona princeps)</a></h2>
[caption id="attachment_1867719" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-1867719" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Pika-300x200.jpg" alt="Pika with a bundle of small plants in its mouth sitting on a rock with a blurry background." width="300" height="200" /> This pika has quite the harvest. Hopefully it doesn't get stolen![/caption]

These small mammals look a lot like obese mice, but are actually more closely related to rabbits! They live in the alpine tundra <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/animals-that-live-in-the-tundra.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(at the peaks of mountains over 6000 feet)</a>.

Pikas may be extremely cute, but they have a tough side too. They are known to participate in “kleptoparasitism” which is just a fancy word for stealing food. <a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Ochotonidae/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pikas will raid their neighbors stashes of grass </a>and chow down for themselves.

Their cute little faces are hiding this sneaky secret. In the harsh winters of the tundra, it’s every pika for itself. This adaptation means only the sneakiest pikas have enough to eat.

As the climate changes, pikas are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/american-pikas-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the lucky species that has been able to adapt with it</a>. There were concerns that rising temperatures would destroy essential pika habitat. However, a recent study has shown that pikas are expanding to new regions.

These cute little animals have to be careful when they explore. They provide an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tibetan-sand-fox/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">essential food source to arctic foxes </a>in the sparse tundra.

&nbsp;
<h2>Gyrfalcon<a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/gyr-falcon-falco-rusticolus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> (Falco rusticolus)</a></h2>
[caption id="attachment_1867720" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-1867720" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/gyrfalcon-300x203.jpg" alt="A gyrfalcon in the air with wings extended on a blue gray sky." width="300" height="203" /> The gyrfalcon is one of the fastest animals in the world.[/caption]

The gyrfalcon is the <a href="https://www.foxsumo.com/amazing-tundra-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">largest falcon in the world</a>. These magnificent birds breed on the arctic tundra during the summer. During the cold winters, <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gyrfalcon/id" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they migrate south from the arctic circle </a>to warmer climes.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/4-fastest-birds-of-prey/">Nothing can outrun this formidable hunter.</a> The gyrfalcon can reach speeds of up to 209 km/h (130mph). On average they fly 80-110km/h (50-68mph). This makes them one of the fastest animals in the world and certainly the fastest animal in the arctic tundra.

These falcons primarily hunt other birds. It’s most common pray is the <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/ptarmigan-lagopus-muta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ptarmigan</a>. They will also eat small mammals such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/arctic-ground-squirrel-spermophilus-parryii/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arctic ground squirrels</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/arctic-hare-lepus-arcticus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arctic hares</a>.

&nbsp;
<div class="mceTemp"></div>
<h2>Musk Ox<a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/muskox-ovibos-moschatus/"> (Ovibos moschatus)</a></h2>
[caption id="attachment_1867721" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-1867721" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/640px-Adult_musk_ox_bulls_animals-300x207.jpg" alt="Adult musk oxen in a group on snow. One musk ox looks at the camera." width="300" height="207" /> These musk ox are adapted to the harsh tundra.[/caption]

The musk ox (or musk oxen) are enormous arctic mammals that live in large herds. Weighing 440-900 pounds at adulthood, these enormous beasts are about the size of a VW bug. They are known for their long beards, bony heads, and their distinctive, musky odor.

Musk oxen have long <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/m/musk-ox/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shaggy hair with a short, soft undercoat </a>that helps them keep their body heat in during the cold Arctic winters.

Herds of Musk ox can be made of over <a href="https://animalcorner.co.uk/animals/musk-ox/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">70 individuals, both male and female.</a> Though they are large and strong animals, the young are hunted by wolves, polar bears, and grizzly bears. These large packs will protect their young by keeping them near the center of the pack. Fully grown Musk ox provide protection to the pack.

The tundra is a harsh biome that encompasses places as remote as the North Pole and Antarctica. These locations seem desolate and uninhabitable but are surprisingly full of life. The animals of the Arctic must survive harsh conditions. Evolution adapts to these extremes with some interesting and unique adaptations.

&nbsp;

3 Unique Tundra Animals

&nbsp; Mountaintops, the Arctic region, and Antarctica are home to...

&nbsp;

Watching birds zip across the sky is a breathtaking experience - However, how fast can some birds of prey go - and how do they do it? Let’s look at the five fastest birds of prey. 

<a href="http://www.birdsleuth.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/BirdWingTypes-Handout-Sept2014.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wing shape</a> is a major factor in how fast a bird can fly - and not all wing shapes are created equal.The long, thin, pointy wings that are perfect for high-speed flight aren’t well-suited to soaring on thermals, hovering, or maintaining a high constant speed. because of speed isn't always the number one goal of a given bird species, many bird species evolved to have other wing shapes that are well-suited to their niche.

There are many incredibly fast birds out there. The White Throated Needletail, a tiny swift from the mountains of Asia, clocks speeds of up to 105 miles per hour - the fastest flapping speed of any bird out there. <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/magnificent-frigatebird-fregata-magnificens/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frigatebirds</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/antipodean-albatross-diomedea-antipodensis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">albatrosses</a>, and other seabirds can also hit nearly 100 miles per hour when they catch the right wind currents.

But today, we’re almost focusing on birds of prey - and that means we’re primarily looking at the diving speeds of these formidable predators.

&nbsp;
<h2><a href="https://www.earth.com/endangered-species/falco-peregrinus-peregrinus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus</a></h2>
&nbsp;
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Native to: North America</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Top Airspeed: 389 km/h (242 mph) in a stoop</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Average Horizontal Speed: 65–90 km/h (40-56 mph)</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">About: This bird lives primarily along mountain ranges and river valleys, though the species is also adapting to thrive in cities. There are several subspecies with a range of sizes. They hunt other birds, sometimes as large as ducks. They are highly prized in falconry thanks to their exciting stoop (dive) and the relative ease with which they can be trained . Measuring the top speed of 389km/h took some seriously cool bird training and a Cessna plane - <a href="https://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/falling-with-the-falcon-7491768/?c=y&amp;page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read about that here</a>.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/golden-eagles-migrate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golden Eagle, Aquila chrysaetos</a></h2>
&nbsp;
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Native to: Most of the Northern Hemisphere, including Eurasia, North America, and northern Africa.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Top Airspeed: 320 km/h (200 mph) in a stoop</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Average Horizontal Speed: 45-51 km/hr (28-32 mph)</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">About: This massive eagle is one of the most widespread Accipiters in the world. They’re also relatively rare. Renowned for their hunting prowess, this bird is well-studied and revered as a falconry bird. They known to hunt foxes, waterfowl,</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2><a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/gyr-falcon-falco-rusticolus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus</a></h2>
&nbsp;
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Native to: Arctic coast and tundra, including northern islands in North America, Europe, and Asia. Adults sometimes are found further south in the winter.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Top Airspeed: 209 km/h (130 mph)</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Average Horizontal Speed: 80-110 km/h (50-68 mph)</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">About: The gyrfalcon is the largest falcon species. They hunt ptarmigan and waterfowl. Hybrids between the gyrfalcon and peregrine falcons are commonly used for falconry, as the larger size allows falconers to hunt more quarry. </li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<h2><a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/eurasian-hobby-falco-subbuteo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eurasian Hobby, Falco subbuteo</a></h2>
&nbsp;
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Native to: Africa, Asia, and Europe</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Top Airspeed: 159 km/h (99mph)</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Average Horizontal Speed: unknown</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">About: This bird thrives in open grassland and is fast enough to catch swallows and swifts mid-flight. It prefers to hunt around dawn and dusk. They are astonishingly agile, and part of their courtship ritual involves passing off food at high speeds.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Flight speed is just one of many ways that birds can gain a competitive - and evolutionary - advantage. While most fast birds of prey primarily use their speed to capture prey, some also use their speed to harass rivals or get away from even bigger predators!

&nbsp;

4 Fastest Birds of Prey

&nbsp; Watching birds zip across the sky is a breathtaking...

The 12 Endangered Birds Most At Risk of Extinction

There are roughly 18,000 species of birds in the world,...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...