Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the spiral galaxy IC 5332, which is located over 29 million light-years away from Earth.



The galaxy spans approximately 66,000 light-years in diameter. This makes it notably smaller than our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-amount-of-dark-matter-may-be-missing-from-the-milky-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>, which is just over 100,000 light-years in diameter. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unprecedented-look-at-ic-5332">Unprecedented look at IC 5332</h2>



In a stunning photo release by NASA and ESA in 2022, the spiral galaxy IC 5332 was presented in an unprecedented level of detail. The images were captured by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/james-webb-captures-incredible-new-image-of-uranus/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Webb Space Telescope</a>.



This feat was made possible through the use of the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), which captures images in the mid-infrared spectrum.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unique-perspective-from-earth">Unique perspective from Earth</h2>



One of the most striking features of IC 5332, as revealed by these observations, is its almost perfect face-on orientation relative to Earth.&nbsp;



This unique perspective allows astronomers to clearly observe and admire the symmetrical arrangement of its spiral arms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-unveils-ic-5332-in-new-light">Webb unveils IC 5332 in new light</h2>



The clarity of these images represents a significant advancement over previous observations made by the Hubble Space Telescope, which imaged IC 5332 in ultraviolet and visible light.&nbsp;



While Hubble’s images revealed the galaxy’s symmetrical spiral arms, James Webb’s MIRI has unveiled these structures as a complex web of gas that emits infrared light at various temperatures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-miri-instrument-on-james-webb-nbsp">The MIRI instrument on James Webb&nbsp;</h2>



Capturing this range of infrared light is no simple task. It requires highly specialized instruments that must be maintained at extremely cold temperatures.&nbsp;



The MIRI instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope is specifically designed for this purpose and performs exceptionally well. Its capabilities allow astronomers to see aspects of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/james-webb-captures-galaxies-that-are-too-old-to-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> that are otherwise hidden in other wavelengths.



The detailed images provided by MIRI offer more than just a visual spectacle; they provide valuable data about the composition and temperature of the gases that make up the spiral arms of IC 5332. 



This can help scientists understand the processes of star formation within the galaxy and how these processes compare to those in our own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stars-at-the-edge-of-our-milky-way-galaxy-travel-more-slowly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-finds-hidden-features-of-the-universe-nbsp">Webb finds hidden features of the universe&nbsp;</h2>



The images of IC 5332 served as a critical test of the James Webb Space Telescope’s capabilities in observing the universe in infrared light. 



As astronomers continue to explore with Webb’s full suite of instruments, many more hidden features of the universe will be revealed.



The information provided by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-telescope-discovers-second-most-distant-galaxy-in-pandoras-cluster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Webb Space Telescope</a> not only expands our understanding of the cosmos but also enhances our appreciation for the complex and beautiful structures that exist in our universe.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spiral-galaxies-like-ic-5332">Spiral galaxies like IC 5332</h2>



Spiral galaxies are some of the most visually striking objects in the universe, characterized by their rotating arms that extend from a central nucleus, giving them a distinct spiral appearance.&nbsp;



These galaxies are primarily made up of a flat, rotating disk containing stars, gas, and dust, and a central concentration of stars known as the bulge. These are often surrounded by a much fainter halo of stars, many of which reside in globular clusters.



Spiral galaxies differ from other galaxy types, such as elliptical and irregular galaxies, in their structure and content. 



The spiral arms are sites of ongoing star formation and are brighter than the rest of the disk because of the young, hot stars that are typically found there. The arms appear distinct because of their density waves, which compress the gas and dust, leading to star formation.



The rotation of the spiral arms also contributes to the galaxy's flat shape due to the centrifugal forces acting on the disk. The central bulge can vary in size and often contains older, red stars.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-barred-spiral-galaxies-nbsp">Barred spiral galaxies&nbsp;</h2>



Some spiral galaxies have a bar-shaped structure that extends from the central bulge, making them barred spirals. This bar affects the motion of stars and gas within the galaxy and can influence star formation activity.



Spiral galaxies are an important focus of study because they contain a significant amount of visible matter and play a crucial role in understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies.&nbsp;



Their distinct features also make them particularly useful for studying the laws of physics under extreme conditions, such as high densities and velocities.



Image Credit: <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-JWST and PHANGS-HST Teams



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Spiral galaxy IC 5332: A complex web of gas and light

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the spiral galaxy IC 5332, which is located over 29 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy spans approximately 66,000 light-years in diameter. This makes it notably smaller than our Milky Way, which is just over 100,000 light-years in diameter. Unprecedented look at IC 5332 In a stunning photo release by NASA and ESA in 2022, the spiral galaxy IC 5332 was presented in an unprecedented level of detail. The images were...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the star-forming region NGC 604, which is located 2.73 million light-years away from Earth in the Triangulum Galaxy (M33). The image was captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.



By studying regions like NGC 604, astronomers can gain insights into the complex interactions between stars and the interstellar medium, as well as the conditions that lead to the birth of stars. This, in turn, helps in understanding the evolution of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/galaxies-like-our-own-milky-way-are-not-unique/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> and the universe as a whole.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-massive-stars-of-ngc-604">Massive stars of NGC 604</h2>



"Sheltered among NGC 604’s dusty envelopes of gas are more than 200 of the hottest, most massive kinds of stars, all in the early stages of their lives," said <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



"These types of stars are known as B-types and O-types, the latter of which can be more than 100 times the mass of our own Sun. It’s quite rare to find this concentration of them in the nearby universe. In fact, there’s no similar region within our own Milky Way galaxy."



According to ESA, this concentration of massive stars, combined with its relatively close distance, means NGC 604 gives astronomers an opportunity to study these objects at a fascinating time early in their life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gigantic-region-of-ionized-hydrogen">Gigantic region of ionized hydrogen</h2>



NGC 604 is one of the largest known regions of ionized hydrogen, also known as an H II region. This nebula is significantly larger than the Orion Nebula, which is one of the most well-known H II regions in our own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-amount-of-dark-matter-may-be-missing-from-the-milky-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way galaxy</a>.&nbsp;



NGC 604 spans about 1,500 light-years across, making it one of the largest H II regions in the Local Group of galaxies. This group includes the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, and about 54 other smaller galaxies. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ngc-604-starburst-phenomenon">NGC 604 starburst phenomenon </h2>



Within NGC 604, there are hundreds of young, hot, massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stars-at-the-edge-of-our-milky-way-galaxy-travel-more-slowly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a>. These stars have ionized the surrounding gas, causing it to glow and creating the nebula. The region is a prime example of a starburst phenomenon, where stars form at a much higher rate than in typical galactic conditions.



“The bright orange streaks in this image signify the presence of carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs," explained ESA.



"As you travel further from the immediate cavities of dust where the star is forming, the deeper red signifies molecular hydrogen. This cooler gas is a prime environment for star formation. Ionized hydrogen from ultraviolet radiation appears as a white and blue ghostly glow."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-star-formation">More about star formation </h2>



Star formation is crucial for the evolution of galaxies and the synthesis of heavy elements. In the cores of stars, elements heavier than helium are created.



The elements are spread throughout the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-stars-shakti-shiva-shaped-milky-way-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy</a> when stars reach the end of their lives and expel their material - either gently through winds or violently via supernova explosions. This enriching process allows for the formation of new stars and planets, and ultimately, the potential for life.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cloud collapse</h3>



The process begins when part of a molecular cloud becomes unstable and starts to collapse under its own gravity. This can be triggered by events like shock waves from nearby <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-explosions-could-damage-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernovae</a>, galactic collisions, or the influence of other massive stars.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Formation of a protostar</h3>



As the cloud collapses, it fragments into smaller clumps. Each clump will eventually form one or more stars. 



The material within these clumps continues to fall inward, heating up as it does so, eventually forming a warm core called a protostar. At this stage, the protostar is not yet hot enough for nuclear fusion (the process that powers stars) to occur.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Accretion disk</h3>



Around the protostar, material from the surrounding cloud continues to fall inward, forming a rotating disk. This material slowly accretes onto the protostar, increasing its mass.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Nuclear fusion begins</h3>



Once the core of the protostar reaches a high enough temperature and pressure, hydrogen atoms begin to fuse into helium, releasing energy in the process. This marks the transition from a protostar to a main sequence star, like our sun.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Main sequence and beyond</h3>



The star will spend the majority of its life in the main sequence stage, where it balances the gravitational forces trying to collapse it and the outward pressure from nuclear fusion. 



Eventually, the star will exhaust its hydrogen fuel. Its subsequent evolution will depend on its initial mass, leading to various end stages such as red giants, supernovae, neutron stars, or black holes.



Image Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope



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Young, massive stars in the Triangulum Galaxy

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

Easy travel through the relatively ice-free Northwest Passage For most of the year, the Northwest Passage is frozen and impassible. But during the summer months, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrinking-arctic-sea-ice-threaten-polar-bears-and-narwhals/">ice</a> melts and breaks up to varying degrees.

The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the <a title="Sea lane" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_lane">sea route</a> between the <a title="Atlantic Ocean" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean">Atlantic</a> and <a title="Pacific Ocean" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Ocean">Pacific</a> oceans through the <a title="Arctic Ocean" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Ocean">Arctic Ocean</a>, along the northern coast of <a title="North America" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_America">North America</a> via waterways through the <a class="mw-redirect" title="Canadian Arctic Archipelago" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Arctic_Archipelago">Canadian Arctic Archipelago</a>. The eastern route along the Arctic coasts of Norway and Siberia is accordingly called the <a title="Northeast Passage" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_Passage">Northeast Passage</a> (NEP).Easy travel through the relatively ice-free Northwest Passage

The various islands of the <a title="Archipelago" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archipelago">archipelago</a> are separated from one another and from the <a title="Canada" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada">Canadian</a> mainland by a series of <a title="Arctic" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic">Arctic</a> waterways collectively known as the Northwest Passages or Northwestern Passages.
<div class="thumb tright">
<div class="thumbinner">
<div class="thumbcaption">Two maps of arctic regions published in 1856 on a single sheet as part of The Royal Illustrated Atlas of Modern Geography.</div>
</div>
</div>
For centuries, European explorers sought a navigable passage as a possible trade route to Asia. An ice-bound northern route was discovered in 1850 by the Irish explorer <a title="Robert McClure" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_McClure">Robert McClure</a>; it was through a more southerly opening in an area explored by the Scotsman <a title="John Rae (explorer)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rae_(explorer)">John Rae</a> in 1854 that Norwegian <a title="Roald Amundsen" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Amundsen">Roald Amundsen</a> made the first complete passage in 1903–1906. Until 2009, the <a title="Arctic ice pack" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_ice_pack">Arctic pack ice</a> prevented regular <a class="mw-redirect" title="Ship transport" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_transport">marine shipping</a> throughout most of the year. Arctic sea ice decline has rendered the waterways more navigable for <a title="Ice navigation" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_navigation">ice navigation</a>.Before the <a title="Little Ice Age" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age">Little Ice Age</a> (late Middle Ages to the 19th century), <a class="mw-redirect" title="Norwegian people" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_people">Norwegian</a> <a title="Vikings" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikings">Vikings</a> sailed as far north and west as <a title="Ellesmere Island" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellesmere_Island">Ellesmere Island</a>, <a title="Skraeling Island" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skraeling_Island">Skraeling Island</a> and <a title="Ruin Island" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruin_Island">Ruin Island</a> for hunting expeditions and trading with the <a title="Inuit" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inuit">Inuit</a> and people of the <a title="Dorset culture" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorset_culture">Dorset culture</a> who already inhabited the region. Between the end of the 15th century and the 20th century, <a title="Colonialism" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonialism">colonial powers</a> from <a title="Europe" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe">Europe</a> dispatched explorers in an attempt to discover a commercial sea route north and west around North America. The Northwest Passage represented a new route to the established trading nations of <a title="Asia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia">Asia</a>.

Easy travel through the relatively ice-free Northwest Passage

Easy travel through the relatively ice-free Northwest Passage For most...

Seven active wildfires rage across California As of August 23, seven active wildfires burned in California on over 207,000 acres. Fires included the devastating Blue Cut Fire, Cedar, Chimney, Clayton, Mokelumne, Rey, and Soberanes.

California is a <a title="U.S. state" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state">state</a> on the West Coast of the United States. With over 39.3 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous state and the third-largest state by area. It is also the most populated subnational entity in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/north-americas-largest-mammals-were-a-casualty-of-climate-change/">North America</a> and the <a title="List of country subdivisions by population" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_subdivisions_by_population">34th most populous</a> in the world. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous <a title="Statistical area (United States)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_area_(United_States)">urban regions</a> respectively, with the former having more than 18.7 million residents and the latter having over 9.6 million. Sacramento is the state's capital, while <a title="Los Angeles" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles">Los Angeles</a> is the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city in the country (after <a title="New York City" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City">New York City</a>). Los Angeles County is the country's most populous, while <a title="San Bernardino County, California" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_County,_California">San Bernardino County</a> is the <a title="List of the largest counties in the United States by area" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_counties_in_the_United_States_by_area">largest county by area</a> in the country. San Francisco, which is both a city and county, is the second most densely populated major city in the country (after New York City) and the <a title="County statistics of the United States" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_statistics_of_the_United_States">fifth most densely populated county</a> in the country, behind four of New York City's <a title="Boroughs of New York City" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boroughs_of_New_York_City">five boroughs</a>.Seven active wildfires rage across California

Seven active wildfires rage across California

Seven active wildfires rage across California As of August 23,...

Japan braces for Typhoon Lionrock NASA’s Terra satellite flew over Tropical Storm Lionrock as it spun in the ocean off of Japan The system that was to become Typhoon Lionrock was first noted as a <a title="Subtropical cyclone" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtropical_cyclone">hybrid disturbance</a> on August 15, while it was located about 585 km (365 mi) to the west of <a title="Wake Island" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_Island">Wake Island</a>. At this time the disturbance had a broad and poorly organized low level circulation centre, which had some shallow bands of <a title="Atmospheric convection" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_convection">atmospheric convection</a> wrapping loosely around it. It was located within a marginal environment for further development and was predicted to develop further, in association with a developing upper level low. Japan braces for Typhoon Lionrock

Over the next day the system moved northwards, while a TUTT Cell created subsidence and high vertical windshear over the system, before it was classified as a tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/ancient-dust-blows-over-the-bodele-depression/">depression</a> by the <a title="Japan Meteorological Agency" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Meteorological_Agency">Japan Meteorological Agency</a> during August 16. The depression was subsequently classified as subtropical by the United States <a title="Joint Typhoon Warning Center" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_Typhoon_Warning_Center">Joint Typhoon Warning Center</a> during August 17, as its structure was asymmetric, with deep convection displaced to the north and east of the system's low level circulation centre. Lionrock's track was unusual due to the fact that the storm approached Japan from the southeast and made landfall along the east coast of the country. Most typhoons that hit Japan approach from the south or the southwest before moving northward across the archipelago. In fact, the only other storm to take a similar track was <a title="1989 Pacific typhoon season" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Pacific_typhoon_season#Typhoon_Mac">Typhoon Mac</a> in <a title="1989 Pacific typhoon season" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Pacific_typhoon_season">1989</a>, which also approached from the southeast and struck Japan's <a title="Kantō region" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kant%C5%8D_region">Kantō region</a> along its east coast

Japan braces for Typhoon Lionrock

Japan braces for Typhoon Lionrock NASA’s Terra satellite flew over...

Complex layers of clouds spread across parts of Queensland, Australia Unsettled weather in mid-August 2016 brought <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/rainfall-transforms-the-landscape-of-namibia/">rain</a> and gusty winds to much of southern and western Australia while complex layers of clouds spread across parts of Queensland, Australia.

Its a state situated in northeastern <a title="Australia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia">Australia</a>, and is the second-largest and third-most populous Australian state. It is a <a title="Federated state" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federated_state">federated state</a> and a <a title="Parliamentary system" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_system">parliamentary</a> constitutional monarchy, and is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the <a title="Coral Sea" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Sea">Coral Sea</a> and Pacific Ocean. To its north is the <a title="Torres Strait" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torres_Strait">Torres Strait</a>, separating the Australian mainland from Papua New Guinea. With an area of 1,852,642 square kilometres (715,309 sq mi), Queensland is the world's sixth-largest sub-national entity, and is larger than all but 15 countries. Due to its size, Queensland's geographical features and climates are diverse, including <a title="Tropical rainforest" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_rainforest">tropical rainforests</a>, rivers, <a title="Coral reef" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef">coral reefs</a>, mountain ranges and sandy beaches in its <a title="Tropical climate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_climate">tropical</a> and <a title="Humid subtropical climate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humid_subtropical_climate">sub-tropical</a> coastal regions, as well as <a title="Desert" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert">deserts</a> and <a title="Savanna" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savanna">savanna</a> in the semi-arid and <a title="Desert climate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_climate">desert</a> climatic regions of its interior.Queensland has a population of over 5.1 million, concentrated along the coast and particularly in <a title="South East Queensland" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_East_Queensland">South East Queensland</a>. The capital and largest city in the state is <a title="Brisbane" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brisbane">Brisbane</a>, Australia's <a title="List of cities in Australia by population" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Australia_by_population">third-largest city</a>. Ten of Australia's thirty largest cities are located in Queensland, with the largest outside Brisbane being the <a title="Gold Coast, Queensland" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Coast,_Queensland">Gold Coast</a>, the <a title="Sunshine Coast, Queensland" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunshine_Coast,_Queensland">Sunshine Coast</a>, <a title="Townsville" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townsville">Townsville</a>, <a title="Cairns" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairns">Cairns</a> and <a title="Toowoomba" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toowoomba">Toowoomba</a>. The state's population is multicultural, with 28.9% of inhabitants being <a title="Immigration to Australia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Australia">immigrants</a>.

Complex layers of clouds spread across parts of Queensland, Australia

Complex layers of clouds spread across parts of Queensland, Australia...

Oil fires in Iraq continued to pour chocolate-colored smoke on August 19, 2016, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard<a href="https://www.earth.com/video/exciting-nasa-missions-coming-in-2021/"> NASA’s</a> Aqua satellite captured a true-color image of the region.

The capital and largest city is Baghdad. Iraq is home to diverse ethnic groups, including constitutionally recognized <a title="Arabs" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabs">Arabs</a>, <a title="Kurds" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurds">Kurds</a>, Turkmen, Chaldeans and Assyrians, as well as other ethnic and ethnoreligious groups like: <a title="Yazidis" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazidis">Yazidis</a>, <a title="Shabaks" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabaks">Shabakis</a>, Armenians, Mandaeans, Circassians, <a title="Sabians" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabians">Sabians</a> and <a title="Romani people in Iraq" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people_in_Iraq">Kawliya</a>. Around 99% of the country's 38 million citizens are <a title="Muslims" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslims">Muslims</a>, with small minorities of <a title="Christianity in Iraq" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Iraq">Christians</a>, <a title="Yarsanism" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarsanism">Yarsans</a>, <a title="Yazidism" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazidism">Yezidis</a> and <a title="Mandaeism" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandaeism">Mandeans</a> also present. The official languages of Iraq are <a title="Arabic" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic">Arabic</a> and <a title="Kurdish languages" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdish_languages">Kurdish</a>.Oil fires in Iraq

Iraq has a coastline measuring 58 km (36 miles) on the northern <a title="Persian Gulf" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulf">Persian Gulf</a> and encompasses the <a title="Tigris–Euphrates river system" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system">Mesopotamian Alluvial Plain</a>, the northwestern end of the <a title="Zagros Mountains" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zagros_Mountains">Zagros mountain range</a> and the eastern part of the <a title="Syrian Desert" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Desert">Syrian Desert</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq#cite_note-8">[8]</a> Two major rivers, the <a title="Tigris" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris">Tigris</a> and <a title="Euphrates" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphrates">Euphrates</a>, run south through Iraq and into the <a title="Shatt al-Arab" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatt_al-Arab">Shatt al-Arab</a> near the <a title="Persian Gulf" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulf">Persian Gulf</a>. These rivers provide Iraq with significant amounts of fertile land. The region between the <a title="Tigris–Euphrates river system" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris%E2%80%93Euphrates_river_system">Tigris and Euphrates rivers</a>, historically known as <a title="Mesopotamia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamia">Mesopotamia</a>, is often referred to as the <a title="Cradle of civilization" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_civilization">cradle of civilisation</a>. It was here that mankind first began to read, write, create laws and live in cities under an organised government—notably <a title="Uruk" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruk">Uruk</a>, from which "Iraq" is derived. The area has been home to successive civilisations since the <a title="6th millennium BC" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6th_millennium_BC">6th millennium BC</a>. Iraq was the centre of the <a title="Akkadian Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_Empire">Akkadian</a>, <a title="Third Dynasty of Ur" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Dynasty_of_Ur">Sumerian</a>, <a title="Neo-Assyrian Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Assyrian_Empire">Assyrian</a> and <a title="Neo-Babylonian Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-Babylonian_Empire">Babylonian</a> empires. It was also part of the <a title="Medes" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medes">Median</a>, <a title="Achaemenid Assyria" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenid_Assyria">Achaemenid</a>, <a title="Seleucid Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seleucid_Empire">Hellenistic</a>, <a title="Parthian Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthian_Empire">Parthian</a>, <a title="Sasanian Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasanian_Empire">Sassanid</a>, <a title="Roman Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire">Roman</a>, <a title="Rashidun Caliphate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashidun_Caliphate">Rashidun</a>, <a title="Umayyad Caliphate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Caliphate">Umayyad</a>, <a title="Abbasid Caliphate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbasid_Caliphate">Abbasid</a>, <a title="Ayyubid dynasty" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayyubid_dynasty">Ayyubid</a>, <a title="Seljuk Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seljuk_Empire">Seljuk</a>, <a title="Ilkhanate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilkhanate">Mongol</a>, <a title="Timurid Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timurid_Empire">Timurid</a>, <a title="Safavid Iran" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavid_Iran">Safavid</a>, <a title="Afsharid dynasty" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afsharid_dynasty">Afsharid</a> and <a title="Ottoman Empire" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire">Ottoman</a> empires

Oil fires in Iraq

Oil fires in Iraq continued to pour chocolate-colored smoke on...

Phytoplankton bloom in the Volga River in Russia The Volga River stretches across much of Russia, rising in the Valday Hills in northwestern Russia and winding about 2,300 miles (3,700 km) before draining into the Caspian Sea.

The Volga (<a title="Help:IPA/English" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English">/ˈvɒlɡə, ˈvoʊlɡə/</a>; Russian: is the <a title="List of rivers of Europe" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rivers_of_Europe#Rivers_of_Europe_by_length">longest river</a> in <a title="Europe" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe">Europe</a>. Flowing through <a title="Central Russia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Russia">Central Russia</a> to <a title="Southern Russia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Russia">Southern Russia</a> and into the <a title="Caspian Sea" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Sea">Caspian Sea</a>, it has a length of 3,531 km (2,194 mi) and a catchment area of 1,360,000 km2 (530,000 sq mi).It is also Europe's largest river in terms of <a title="Discharge (hydrology)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discharge_(hydrology)">discharge</a> and <a title="Drainage basin" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drainage_basin">drainage basin</a>. It is widely regarded as the national river of <a title="Russia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia">Russia</a>. The old Russian state, the <a title="Rus' Khaganate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus%27_Khaganate">Rus' Khaganate</a>, arose around the Volga river. Historically, it was an important meeting place of Eurasian civilizations. Phytoplankton bloom in the Volga River in Russia The Turkic peoples associated the Itil's origin with the <a title="Kama (river)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kama_(river)">Kama</a>. Thus, a left tributary to the Kama was named the <a class="mw-redirect" title="Belaya River (Kama)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belaya_River_(Kama)">Aq Itil</a> "White Itil" which unites with the <a class="mw-redirect" title="Ufa River" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ufa_River">Kara Itil</a> "Black Itil" at the modern city of <a title="Ufa" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ufa">Ufa</a>. The name Indyl (Indɨl) is used in Adyge (Cherkess) language.

The river flows in Russia through forests, forest-steppes and <a title="Steppe" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steppe">steppes</a>. Four of the <a title="List of cities and towns in Russia by population" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_Russia_by_population">ten largest cities of Russia</a>, including the nation's capital, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-linked-to-earthquakes-more-than-1200-miles-away/">Moscow</a>, are located in the Volga's drainage basin.

Some of the largest <a title="Reservoir" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reservoir">reservoirs</a> in the world are located along the Volga. The river has a symbolic meaning in Russian culture and is often referred to as Волга-матушка Volga-Matushka (Mother Volga) in <a title="Russian literature" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_literature">Russian literature</a> and <a class="mw-redirect" title="Russian folklore" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_folklore">folklore</a>.

Phytoplankton bloom in the Volga River in Russia

Phytoplankton bloom in the Volga River in Russia The Volga...

IDL TIFF file

Hurricane Madeline and Hurricane Lester were both hovering between category 3 and 4 storms. The bright streaks across the ocean surface (crossing Hawaii and Lester) are areas of sunglint, where sunlight reflected directly back at the VIIRS imager.

Hurricane Madeline was the final tropical cyclone of the 1998 Pacific hurricane season. Madeline originated from a tropical wave that emerged off the coast of Africa on September 25, 1998. The wave traversed the <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/phytoplankton-blooms-persist-in-the-north-atlantic-ocean/">Atlantic Ocean</a> and crossed over Central America on October 5 or 6. Gradually, the system intensified and was classified as a tropical depression on October 16, a tropical storm later that day, and a hurricane on October 17. Also Hurricane Madeline and Hurricane Lester was one of the largest hurricanes combined causing massive damage and destruction.

The storm reached peak winds of 85 mph (137 km/h) about 95 miles (153 km) southwest of San Blas, Nayarit, and after 18 hours it subsequently began to weaken. Although Madeline never made landfall, numerous rainbands affected the Mexican coast causing no known damage or fatalities. The remnant moisture moved north and contributed to flooding in central Texas, which killed 31 people and caused $750 million (1998 USD) in damage. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> view.

Hurricane Madeline and Hurricane Lester

Hurricane Madeline and Hurricane Lester were both hovering between category...

In late August 2016, the waters off British Columbia, Canada, turned green. “Certainly unusual,” was how Jim Gower of Fisheries and Oceans Canada described it. “Unprecedented, in the sense that none of us have seen blooms this bright here before.”

British Columbia (BC; French: Colombie-Britannique) is the westernmost province of Canada, located between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. With an estimated population of 5.1 million as of 2019, it is Canada's third-most populous province.
The first British settlement in the area was Fort Victoria, established in 1843, which gave rise to the City of Victoria, at first the capital of the separate Colony of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/massive-spruce-trees-genetic-mutations/">Vancouver Island</a>. Subsequently, on the mainland, the Colony of British Columbia (1858–1866) was founded by Richard Clement Moody and the Royal Engineers, Columbia Detachment, in response to the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush.

Moody was Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works for the Colony and the first Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia: he was hand-picked by the Colonial Office in London to transform British Columbia into the British Empire's "bulwark in the farthest west", and "to found a second England on the shores of the Pacific". Moody selected the site for and founded the original capital of British Columbia, New Westminster, established the Cariboo Road and Stanley Park,  and designed the first version of the Coat of arms of British Columbia. Port Moody is named after him.
In 1866, Vancouver Island became part of the colony of British Columbia, and Victoria became the united colony's capital. In 1871, British Columbia became the sixth province of Canada. Its Latin motto is Splendor sine occasu ("Splendour without Diminishment"). <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> view.

Waters off of British Columbia turn green

In late August 2016, the waters off British Columbia, Canada,...

Black holes lie at the heart of an extraordinary cosmic event that is currently unfolding. With the help of NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, scientists have detected a peculiar phenomenon involving a pair of what they refer to as "monster" black holes.



"It’s a very weird event, called AT 2021hdr, that keeps recurring every few months," explained Lorena Hernández-García, an astrophysicist at the Millennium Institute of Astrophysics, the Millennium Nucleus on Transversal Research and Technology to Explore Supermassive Black Holes, and the University of Valparaíso in Chile.



This cosmic spectacle is believed to involve the two monstrous black holes engulfing an unsuspecting gas cloud. As these massive bodies orbit each other, their gravitational forces interact with the cloud, stirring and consuming its gas.



This process creates an oscillating pattern of light emissions that scientists have been observing for months during the dramatic and recurring cosmic performances.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-dance-of-the-monster-black-holes">The dance of the monster black holes</h2>



The monster black holes reside deep within a galaxy known as 2MASX J21240027+3409114. This celestial neighborhood is nestled about 1 billion light-years away in the northern constellation Cygnus.



Trapped in their eternal celestial dance, the black holes are separated by around 16 billion miles, a distance close enough for light to travel between them within a day. 



These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monster-black-hole-is-spinning-in-the-nearby-galaxy-m87-study-confurms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic giants</a> together have a mass 40 million times that of our own sun. The researchers have determined that these black holes complete a single orbit every 130 days.



Looking into the far future, by about 70,000 years to be precise, the scientists predict a grand finale when these twin behemoths finally collide and merge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mysterious-recurring-outbursts">Mysterious recurring outbursts</h2>



The journey to uncovering AT 2021hdr began in March 2021, when the Caltech-led ZTF (Zwicky Transient Facility) at the Palomar Observatory in California identified it as an unusual source. 



The event was quickly flagged by ALeRCE (Automatic Learning for the Rapid Classification of Events), a collaborative team that integrates artificial intelligence with human analysis to sift through extensive survey data and highlight significant night sky phenomena for the astronomical community.



With initial ideas attributing the flare to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-explosions-could-damage-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernova</a>, the recurring nature of the outbursts prompted a shift in hypotheses. Since the first flare, the event has consistently produced outbursts, roughly every 60 to 90 days.



Study co-author Alejandra Muñoz-Arancibia is an ALeRCE team member and astrophysicist at the Millennium Institute of Astrophysics and the Center for Mathematical Modeling at the <a href="https://uchile.cl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Chile</a>.



“Although this flare was originally thought to be a supernova, outbursts in 2022 made us think of other explanations,” said Muñoz-Arancibia. “Each subsequent event has helped us refine our model of what’s going on in the system.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monster-black-holes-devour-a-gas-cloud">Monster black holes devour a gas cloud</h2>



The researchers left no stone unturned in their quest to unravel this cosmic mystery. Their efforts rewarded them with a revelation: the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supermassive-binary-black-holes-secrets-revealed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">binary system</a> produces oscillations in ultraviolet and X-ray light on the same time scales as ZTF observes in the visible range.



Through a process of elimination, the experts first dismissed the possibility of regular activity in the galactic center being the cause. Next, they eliminated the chance of a star wandering too close to the black holes and being ripped apart. 



Eventually, the scientists settled on the theory of a gas cloud, much larger than the binary itself, meeting its fate at the hands of the twin black holes. As the cloud approached the black holes, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/theory-gravity-exists-without-mass-so-dark-matter-does-not-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravity</a> tore it apart, forming filaments around the pair, and the ensuing friction started to heat it.



As the gas cloud got denser and hotter near the black holes, the complex interplay of forces spewed out some of the gas with each rotation - causing the fluctuations in light that Swift and ZTF have been observing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unveiling-the-grandeur-of-the-universe">Unveiling the grandeur of the universe </h2>



Looking ahead, the scientists plan to continue their observations of AT 2021hdr. They anticipate further insights into the system and aim to hone their models. 



In particular, the scientists are interested in studying the host galaxy of AT 2021hdr, which is currently merging with another nearby galaxy – a phenomenon that they were the first to report.



Reflecting on the mission, S. Bradley Cenko, Swift’s principal investigator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, expresses his pride and awe at the discoveries that Swift continues to enable as it approaches its 20th anniversary. 



"There’s still so much it has left to teach us about our ever-changing cosmos," said Cenko.



Through this venture, NASA continues its commitment to unveiling the grandeur of our universe and deciphering its many mysteries. 



Its missions are an integral part of an expanding, global network that observes the sky unceasingly to unravel <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-dark-matter-does-not-exist-and-the-universe-is-27-billion-years-old/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how the universe works</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202451305">Astronomy and Astrophysics.</a>



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Monster black holes are trapped in an eternal dance

Black holes lie at the heart of an extraordinary cosmic...

In our united struggle against the threat of global warming, progress appears stagnant. While Britain boldly abandons the era of fossil fuels, the world faces the relentless surge of CO2 emissions.



Indeed, Britain's closure of its last coal-burning power station marks a victory, but can it counterbalance the alarming prediction of 41.2 billion tons of CO2 that our atmosphere is expected to house by 2024?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-co2-emissions">Global CO2 emissions</h2>



The recently held Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, allowed prominent leaders such as PM Keir Starmer to declare their commitment towards reducing greenhouse gases.



Concurrently, the conference highlighted the ominous worldwide forecast of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/met-office-2024-co2-levels-will-surpass-the-point-of-no-return/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2</a> emissions resultant of fossil fuel combustion.



Discussions at COP29 highlighted the urgency for countries to adopt stronger climate policies and phase out fossil fuels. However, global dependence on these energy sources persists, despite a growing transition to cleaner alternatives. 



The conference revealed a critical gap between current actions and the scale of changes needed to avoid the most severe impacts of climate change​​​​.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossil-fuels-and-their-dirty-side">Fossil fuels and their "dirty" side</h2>



The trifecta of fossil fuels - coal, oil, and gas - take center stage in the carbon emissions debacle. 



Despite these fuels' role in quenching our insatiable energy appetite, the environmental repercussions are distressing. According to recent research, coal ranks as the main culprit, accounting for a 41% share, followed by oil (32%) and gas (21%).



The research study, lead by Pierre Friedlingstein alongside a 120-scientist team from Exeter's <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/research/institutes/gsi/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Systems Institute</a>, yet again spotlights the "increasingly dramatic" <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-absorb-31-more-co2-than-previously-estimated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">effects of global warming</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bird-s-eye-view-of-co2-emissions">Bird's eye view of CO2 emissions</h2>



The geographic distribution of carbon emissions is also concerning. China tops the emissions chart with 12 billion tonnes (13.2 billion U.S. tons) of CO2, which equals a hefty 32% of the global total.



The United States and India trail with contributions of 13% and 8%, respectively, and the EU contributes an additional 7%. This leaves about 38% of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atmospheric-co2-could-push-temperatures-much-higher-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emission</a> shares spread across various other nations.



While fossil fuels remain under scrutiny, another significant contributor to CO2 emissions is land use change, such as deforestation.



Predictions for 2024 suggest an added 4.2 billion tonnes (4.6 billion U.S. tons) of CO2 to our atmosphere from land use changes alone. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-renewable-energy-revolution">Renewable energy revolution</h2>



Despite the gloomy picture painted by these numbers, a ray of hope breaks through the clouds. An increasing shift towards renewable energy sources like solar, biomass, and geothermal, signals a potential for change. 



Britain's successful transition from coal sets a precedent, but will the world follow this lead?



With global CO2 emissions on the rise, innovation and technology offer critical weapons in our climate change battle. 



Carbon capture and storage (CCS) techniques, for example, could potentially cut industrial emissions by up to 90%.



Additionally, breakthroughs in smart grids and energy efficiency could aid in reducing global emissions further. These developments underscore the need for continued research and innovation in clean energy solutions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-education-and-policy-reform">Education and policy reform</h2>



The transition journey to a low-carbon future is multifaceted, demanding an equally diverse response. 



Education and policy reforms, combined with technological advancements, are the thrust propelling us towards a sustainable future. 



Knowledge dissemination can generate global awareness and help to create a new generation committed to sustainable living. Likewise, effective policy can trigger tangible changes in our energy consumption habits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rapid-cuts-to-fossil-fuels">Rapid cuts to fossil fuels</h2>



Our progress to date is noteworthy, but we've got a long road ahead in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-co2-will-cause-rapid-climate-change-in-the-tropical-andes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon emissions</a> fight. A global embrace of renewable energy technologies is crucial to achieve the Paris Agreement goals. 



A plateau in emissions growth over the past decade shows modest progress compared to previous trends, but it is far from the deep reductions needed to meet the Paris Agreement goals. 



We need sharp, immediate reductions in fossil fuel usage to keep the global average temperature rise under 2°C, and ideally 1.5°C. With every passing second, the urgency to combat the dangers of CO2 emissions escalates.



Current projections indicate that warming will exceed the 1.5°C target within six years unless emissions are drastically reduced.



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Global CO2 emissions rise as nations tackle fossil fuel dependence

In our united struggle against the threat of global warming,...

Imagine Manhattan, chest-deep in plastic waste that reaches ten times the height of the Empire State Building. Seems like a harrowing depiction from a dystopian film, doesn't it? Well, without significant intervention, our world may bear witness to a similar scenario by 2050.



However, there's a glimmer of hope: a recent study details a four-fold policy that could help us avoid this catastrophe.



This study is the result of tireless efforts by researchers from two distinguished institutions: the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Berkeley</a> and the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Santa Barbara</a>.



The researchers explored potential approaches to combating the mounting plastic waste crisis, with a focus on limiting plastic-related greenhouse gases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tackling-the-plastic-pollution-crisis">Tackling the plastic pollution crisis</h2>



The study, titled “Pathways to reduce global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coca-cola-pepsi-among-top-contributors-to-plastic-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plastic waste</a> mismanagement and greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” suggests that four policies can cut down mismanaged plastic waste by 91% and plastic-related greenhouse gases by a third.



This policy package includes mandates for new products to be made with 40% post-consumer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-resolutions-misconceptions-about-recycling-plastics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recycled plastic</a>, caps on new plastic production at the 2020 level, substantial investments in plastic waste management, and the implementation of a small fee on plastic packaging. 



The findings suggest that, by implementing these proposed policies, the emissions cut would be equivalent to taking 300 million gasoline-powered vehicles off the road for a year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-agreement-to-end-plastic-pollution">Global agreement to end plastic pollution </h2>



The research comes on the eve of a global agreement to end plastic pollution that will be negotiated in Busan, Republic of Korea. 



“This is it. These upcoming negotiations in Busan are our one chance to come together as a planet and fix this problem,” said study co-author Dr. Douglas McCauley.



“One of the most exciting discoveries in this research is that it is actually possible to nearly end plastic pollution with this Treaty. I'm cautiously optimistic, but we can’t squander this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-solutions-to-end-the-plastic-crisis">Potential solutions to end the plastic crisis</h2>



Without intervention, annual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-disease-found-in-seabirds-is-caused-by-plastic-consumption/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plastic consumption</a> could rise by 37% between 2020 and 2050, while plastic pollution could nearly double. 



This alarming forecast highlights the urgent need for collective, global action.



According to study co-author Dr. Roland Geyer, the research highlights the extent of the plastic problem, and identifies potential solutions.



“This study demonstrates how far we have come not just in quantifying the manifold problems surrounding plastics, but also in identifying and evaluating potential solutions. I am very proud of what our team was able to achieve in time for the final round of negotiations for the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-plastics-treaty-tackles-the-pollution-problem-directly-at-the-source/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Plastics Treaty,</a>” said Dr. Geyer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ambitious-negotiations-are-needed">Ambitious negotiations are needed</h2>



Study lead author Sam Pottinger invites negotiators to be ambitious, emphasizing the importance of data-informed decision making for the treaty.



Pottinger insists that negotiators should understand the progress they have made according to the best available science.



A major concern in the fight against plastic pollution is the disproportionate burden it places on countries in the Global South, making it a significant global environmental justice issue. 



The treaty could potentially establish financing mechanisms that drive necessary investment into waste management and recycling infrastructure in these regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forecasting-future-plastic-production">Forecasting future plastic production </h2>



The team's research was enhanced by an AI-generated tool developed at the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory and Bren School of Environmental Science &amp; Management at UC Santa Barbara, and the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Center for Data Science &amp; Environment at UC Berkeley. 



The tool uses machine learning to forecast the future of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-production-increases-create-identical-plastic-pollution-increase/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plastic production</a>, pollution, and trade by combining information about population growth and economic trends.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-joining-together-to-take-action">Joining together to take action</h2>



Dr. Nivedita Biyani, a researcher at UC Santa Barbara, voices optimism for a sustainable future.



“This policy work shows that we can reach minimal mismanaged plastic waste if we can come together in action. This provides policymakers with a novel tool that isn’t prescriptive - they can combine various policies as they see fit," said Dr. Biyani.



"Going forward, I think a mechanism to gather data on plastic production and trade will be a key factor. We need supply chain transparency here."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr3837" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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How can we combat the escalating plastic crisis?

Imagine Manhattan, chest-deep in plastic waste that reaches ten times...

In the face of a rapidly globalizing world, the ever-increasing numbers around one of the most prevalent metabolic disorders are alarming. By 2022, the rate of adults worldwide living with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes had shockingly doubled compared to cases in 1990 - reaching a daunting 800 million.



An analysis from The Lancet reveals that about 445 million adults are currently living with diabetes that has not been adequately treated. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-increasing-rate-of-diabetes">Increasing rate of diabetes</h2>



The data presents a startling revelation - India bears the brunt of this health crisis, hosting over a fourth of the world’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/type-2-diabetes-heightens-alzheimers-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diabetic adults</a>.



A total of 212 million individuals, trailed by China's 148 million, are combating diabetes across India. This escalating issue is also prevalent in the United States, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Brazil.



Although this study did not distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in adults, it's widely accepted that the majority of these cases are attributed to type 2 diabetes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inequalities-in-healthcare">Inequalities in healthcare</h2>



Professor Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London expressed serious concerns about global inequalities in diabetes treatment.



"Our study highlights widening global inequalities in diabetes, with treatment rates stagnating in many low- and middle-income countries where numbers of adults with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diabetes-drugs-may-protect-against-dementia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diabetes</a> are drastically increasing," noted Ezzati.



"This is especially concerning as people with diabetes tend to be younger in low-income countries and, in the absence of effective treatment, are at risk of life-long complications - including amputation, heart disease, kidney damage or vision loss - or in some cases, premature death."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diabetes-rates-an-upward-spiral">Diabetes rates: An upward spiral</h2>



Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration and the World Health Organization, we now have a comprehensive analysis of global diabetes rates and treatment. 



This study, which included data from over 140 million individuals aged 18 years and older from various countries, has revealed deeply unsettling truths.



The numbers are a bitter pill to swallow. Since 1990, diabetes rates have doubled for both men and women (rising from 6.8% to 14.3% and from 6.9% to 13.9%, respectively). 



This translates to around 828 million adults living with diabetes in 2022 - a drastic increase from nearly 198 million in 1990.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disparities-across-the-globe">Disparities across the globe</h2>



Not all nations are equal when it comes to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deadly-snail-venom-possible-key-to-improving-diabetes-medicine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diabetes</a> rates. Between 1990 and 2022, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) saw the biggest increases. 



In contrast, several high-income countries, such as Japan, Canada, and parts of Western Europe, observed no change or only minor decreases in diabetes rates.



In 2022, the prevalence of diabetes was particularly high in the Pacific island nations, the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, Pakistan, and Malaysia. On a brighter note, Western Europe, East Africa, Japan, and Canada reported the lowest rates.



Obesity and poor diets have largely fueled the surge in Type 2 diabetes. Areas where obesity is prevalent, or has dramatically increased, faced higher diabetes rates between 1990 to 2022.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-global-diabetes-rate">Addressing the global diabetes rate</h2>



Dr. Ranjit Mohan Anjana, an expert at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in India, emphasized the need for diabetes prevention through healthier diets, exercise, and strong health policies, specifically in economically disadvantaged regions.



As of 2022, three out of five adults aged 30 years and older with diabetes - and total of 445 million individuals - did not receive adequate medication. The discrepancy in treatment coverage among nations is striking, with Belgium maintaining the highest rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coverage-for-diabetes-treatment">Coverage for diabetes treatment </h2>



Despite the swelling diabetic populations, the coverage for diabetes treatment in many LMICs remains low. It’s troubling to note that over 90% of people were untreated in 1990, a figure that has not changed substantially even in 2022.



“Our findings suggest there is an increasing share of people with diabetes, especially with untreated diabetes, living in low- and middle-income countries," said Professor Jean Claude Mbanya, <a href="https://uy1.uninet.cm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Yaoundé 1</a>, Cameroon. 



"In 2022, only 5-10% of adults with diabetes in some sub-Saharan Africa countries received treatment for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insufficient-sleep-increases-diabetes-risk-in-women/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diabetes</a>, leaving a huge number at risk of the serious health complications.” 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)02317-1/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lancet</a>.



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Global diabetes rate has doubled, reaching over 800 million

In the face of a rapidly globalizing world, the ever-increasing...

Researchers recently provided the first experimental evidence that hints at a trigger for social learning in the wild, particularly in birds.



Their study of great tits (Parus major) led to the discovery that immigration can make birds pay close attention to their peers' activities, which leads to the swift adoption of useful behaviors. 



Interestingly, it is a long-assumed theory that immigration is a fundamental factor that boosts strategic social learning in birds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pioneers-of-social-learning">Pioneers of social learning</h2>



A lot of animals learn from one another, especially in the wild. A new study has now focused on social learning in a specific bird species, the great tit.



These birds gained fame in the 1920s when they began to open foil milk bottle lids to feed on the cream inside them.



People across Europe started to find their milk bottles raided by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-birds-commit-to-caring-for-young-males-abandon-family-life/">bird</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-birds-commit-to-caring-for-young-males-abandon-family-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">s</a>, a behavior that spread rapidly and led scientists to speculate that these birds were learning from each other.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-secret-of-bird-learning">Secret of bird learning</h2>



Research in 2015 by Lucy Aplin, then at the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a>, addressed this speculation in an experiment on a population of great tits in an English forest.



The results revealed that these birds learned how to free food from a puzzle box by mimicking others. This supported the theory that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-have-regional-accents-just-like-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> were probably passing on this thieving behavior to the rest of their flock.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-logic-behind-social-learning-in-birds">Logic behind social learning in birds</h2>



"Paying attention to what others are doing gives you the chance to see whether a new behavior is beneficial, or potentially dangerous. Copying it means that you too can reap the reward," explained study lead author and postdoctoral researcher Michael Chimento, who worked with Aplin's team.



This notion fits well into the framework of survival instincts present in wild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/translocated-birds-can-learn-the-local-songs-to-survive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animals</a>, where learning and adopting advantageous behaviors could spell the difference between life and death.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-catalyst-of-learning-in-the-wild">Catalyst of learning in the wild</h2>



Chimento and Aplin wanted to identify a specific trigger or component that could propel social learning. Theoretical models suggested that animals should change their social learning strategy when faced with new environments. 



Essentially, an animal in a new habitat may be more inclined to learn from others. However, this theory had not been experimentally tested in non-human animals until the current study.



The team formulated an experiment, using an automated puzzle box system, to test this hypothesis. They first created experimental social groups of wild-caught great tits.



Each group had a tutor bird that was trained to access food from a puzzle box by pushing the door either left or right.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-immigrant-birds-adapt-to-new-methods">Immigrant birds adapt to new methods</h2>



The scientists also simulated an immigration event. Birds trained to push right were transferred to aviaries where resident birds were using the left-hand solution, and vice versa. 



Most "immigrant" birds switched their method immediately. They adopted the resident solution on their first try, suggesting social learning was at play.



Interestingly, these immigrant birds were not only moved to a location where residents were getting better food; their visual environment was also dramatically altered. 



The scientists changed the foliage in the experimental aviaries, which proved to be a game-changer for learning. Immigrant birds moved to locations where the vegetation was not changed were much slower to learn the behaviors of the local birds. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-critical-survival-strategy">Critical survival strategy</h2>



This fascinating study provides the first experimental evidence showing the powerful impact of immigration on how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-bird-sheds-light-on-the-evolution-of-vocal-learning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animals learn</a> from one another.



In nature, animals are frequently moving from one environment to another, so it is advantageous to have a strategy for discerning useful and maladaptive behaviors in new places.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-the-research">Broader implications of the research </h2>



The implications of this research extend beyond avian social learning and touch upon ecosystem dynamics as a whole. 



When animals, such as great tits, migrate and adapt quickly to new surroundings by learning from resident species, it affects the composition and interaction patterns within ecosystems.



This behavior supports biodiversity and enhances the resilience of ecosystems by enabling a variety of species to coexist, despite changes in environmental conditions or the introduction of new species.



Understanding these dynamics can inform conservation strategies, and highlight the role of social learning in ecosystems that are facing climate change and habitat destruction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-learning-and-human-parallels">Social learning and human parallels</h2>



Remarkably, the patterns of social learning observed in birds find parallels in human behavior, particularly in how knowledge and cultural practices are spread across communities. 



Like the great tits, humans often adapt to new environments by observing and mimicking the behaviors of others. This capability has been crucial in our evolution, allowing communities to adapt rapidly and thrive in diverse and changing environments.



The study of social learning in birds, therefore, offers valuable insights into the evolutionary mechanisms that have shaped not only avian species but also human society. Such studies illustrate the interconnectedness of all life and the shared strategies that underpin survival and adaptation.



Our understanding of social learning in animals can contribute significantly to preserving biodiversity and ensuring species survival. 



With such experimental evidence, we can better understand the coping mechanisms and adaptive behaviors animals employ in their constantly changing environments.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002699" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS Biology</a>.



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Immigrant birds learn useful behaviors from their neighbors

Researchers recently provided the first experimental evidence that hints at...

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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" 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> (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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...