This,Man-made,Vehicle,Reached,A,Record,Speed,Of,635,Thousand

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is set to achieve its most dangerous feat yet tomorrow, December 24, 2024. After a six-year journey of spiraling closer to the star at the heart of our solar system, the spacecraft is expected to come within 3.8 million miles of the Sun’s surface. 



This tiny distance in cosmic terms lets scientists capture a new type of information, revealing secrets about solar winds, extreme heat, and magnetic fields.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solar-probe-on-the-sun-s-doorstep">Solar probe on the Sun's doorstep</h2>



Engineers have spent years carefully adjusting <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/parkersolarprobe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parker’s flight path</a> using multiple Venus gravity assists. These flybys reshape the spacecraft’s orbit and tighten its looping path around the Sun. “This is one example of NASA’s bold missions, doing something that no one else has ever done before to answer longstanding questions about our universe,” explained <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/people/dr-arik-posner/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arik Posner</a>, Parker Solar Probe program scientist at NASA Headquarters, describing this mission’s significance.



Ever since the launch in 2018, Parker’s main goal has been to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona. Tomorrow’s approach, often called <a href="https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/glossary/perihelion.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">perihelion</a>, marks a new milestone in that quest. The probe moves at speeds around 430,000 miles per hour, faster than any other spacecraft. At such high velocity, it can swing around our star without getting swallowed. Even so, mission managers won’t receive immediate updates once Parker hits its closest point because signals cannot travel through the intense solar environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extreme-heat-and-lasting-protection">Extreme heat and lasting protection</h2>



What sets Parker apart is its resilient heat shield. This 4.5-inch-thick carbon-composite barrier enables the spacecraft’s instruments to continue functioning in an environment where temperatures can reach roughly 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite the harsh surroundings, the precious science instruments remain near room temperature, thanks to expert engineering by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (<a href="https://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">APL</a>).



During every close approach, Parker is pelted by gusts of solar wind and bathed in radiation. Still, it keeps sending back readings about magnetic fields, <a href="https://www.plasmacoalition.org/plasma_writeups/solar_plasmas.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plasma</a> behavior, and energetic <a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/solar-radiation-storm#:~:text=Solar%20radiation%20storms%20occur%20when,of%20the%20speed%20of%20light." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">particles</a>. The probe’s data illuminates reasons behind the corona’s blazing heat, which can climb into the millions of degrees, significantly hotter than the visible surface of the Sun. Such puzzling behavior has fascinated scientists for decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chasing-the-solar-wind-s-origins">Chasing the solar wind’s origins</h2>



Solar wind, a stream of charged particles flowing away from the Sun at speeds topping one million miles per hour, plays a major role in <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/sun/what-is-the-solar-wind/">space weather</a>. 



By skimming through the corona, Parker records fresh evidence of how these particles speed up and scatter across the solar system. The answers may help experts forecast disturbances that affect satellites and astronaut safety. Surges of these charged particles can disable communication systems or even disrupt power grids on Earth.



For researchers, big questions remain. How does the <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/sun/what-is-the-solar-wind/">solar wind</a> pick up its pace so dramatically? Is there a specific region in the corona that triggers bursts of fast-moving particles? 



Parker’s measurements bring us closer to unraveling these mysteries. Officials at NASA say that by tomorrow’s approach, new layers of data will help them see patterns not possible to detect from a greater distance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solar-probe-and-the-sun-s-active-cycle">Solar probe and the Sun's active cycle</h2>



The Sun moves through an 11-year activity cycle. Right now, it is in an active phase, meaning increased sunspots, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secondary-peak-extreme-geomagnetic-solar-storm-expected-today/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar flares</a>, and <a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/coronal-mass-ejections" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coronal mass ejections</a>. 



Researchers are tracking not only Parker’s journey but also the Sun’s changing patterns. Sometimes these outbursts interact with Earth’s magnetosphere and spark colorful auroras, even in places unused to such displays. And although most solar weather events are harmless for life on Earth, severe storms can interfere with GPS systems or satellites.



This is why Parker’s findings are so relevant. Gaining a better understanding of how energetic solar events begin could lead to timelier warnings, giving operators on Earth a heads-up to power down sensitive instruments or adjust satellite orbits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-paying-tribute-to-eugene-parker">Paying tribute to Eugene Parker</h2>



In 2017, NASA renamed the probe after <a href="https://news.uchicago.edu/story/eugene-parker-legendary-figure-solar-science-and-namesake-parker-solar-probe-1927-2022">Dr. Eugene N. Parker</a>, the first person to predict the solar wind in the 1950s. He introduced key ideas about how stars interact with their surroundings. The mission’s name honors his influential work. Dr. Parker passed away in 2022, but his legacy continues. 



The data this spacecraft is sending back not only expands knowledge of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tracing-solar-wind-directly-to-its-source-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar physics</a> but also shows how correct Dr. Parker’s early theories were.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-record-setting-solar-probe-flyby">Record-setting Solar Probe flyby</h2>



Mission operations expect Parker to reach perihelion at 6:53 a.m. EST on December 24. 



At that time, the spacecraft will run autonomously, and engineers at APL will wait until December 27 for a beacon tone confirming a safe passage around the Sun. “No human-made object has ever passed this close to a star, so Parker will truly be returning data from uncharted territory. We’re excited to hear back from the spacecraft when it swings back around the Sun,” explained <a href="https://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/Show-Article.php?articleID=205" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nick Pinkine</a>, Parker Solar Probe mission operations manager. 



When that update arrives, scientists will study Parker’s recent measurements to identify potential clues about solar wind origins and coronal heating. Each orbit is another chance to witness the scorching conditions near our star. At the same time, the probe helps refine predictions about solar eruptions that might drive future storms toward Earth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



Beyond the scientific breakthroughs, Parker’s success can have practical benefits for technology we rely on every day. Our society depends on GPS signals and stable power systems, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/team-creates-video-showing-the-sun-in-gamma-rays-over-a-14-year-period/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">major solar events</a> can disrupt both. By learning how to anticipate strong solar winds or flares, experts might one day keep satellites out of harm’s way or shield power grids from unexpected surges.



Tomorrow’s close approach continues a streak of remarkable achievements for NASA. As Parker zips through the corona, it gathers observations that no other mission could obtain. The craft appears ready for another sizzling pass, thanks to the robust thermal design and careful planning. 



Whether it’s helping forecast solar tempers or refining our knowledge of basic astrophysical processes, Parker remains on track to change the way we see the Sun.



Learn more about <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/parker-solar-probe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA's Parker Solar Probe here...</a>



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Spacecraft flew through the Sun's atmosphere today for the first time ever

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is set to achieve its most dangerous feat yet tomorrow, December 24, 2024. After a six-year journey of spiraling closer to the star at the heart of our solar system, the spacecraft is expected to come within 3.8 million miles of the Sun’s surface. This tiny distance in cosmic terms lets scientists capture a new type of information, revealing secrets about solar winds, extreme heat, and magnetic fields. Solar probe on the Sun's doorstep Engineers have spent years carefully adjusting Parker’s flight path...

New research published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/">PLoS Pathogens</a> shows that white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can transmit COVID up to five days after infection. Moreover, like humans, the virus reproduces in the upper respiratory tract of deer, especially in the nose.&nbsp;



Study co-author Dr. Diego Diel is an associate professor and director of the <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> Virology Laboratory in the College of Veterinary Medicine's Animal Health Diagnostic Center.



"It's a relatively short window of time in which the infected animals are shedding and are able to transmit the virus," said Dr. Diel.



For the investigation, the researchers infected six captive white-tailed female fawns, who were less than eight months old, along with six adults, who were three to four years of age. Six fawns were used as contact animals, and three were used as controls. For the adult portion of the study, two animals were used as controls.



Over approximately 20 days, the researchers introduced the contact fawns to the virus. They monitored the animals and took biological samples to determine which animals were infected and to learn more about how they carried the virus. Although there is no evidence that humans have caught COVID from deer (evidence points rather to transmissions from humans to deer), the researchers feel this study is important because they believe white-tailed deer could become a reservoir species for the virus. The study authors are particularly concerned about transmission through the hunting of deer in the United States.



"Given the broad practice of deer hunting in the U.S., knowing the sites of virus replication is important to minimize the risks of exposure and transmission from these wild animals that could potentially transmit the virus back to humans," said Dr. Diel.



The researchers hope that by learning more about where the virus replicates, they can educate hunters on the best practices to avoid infection. For example, the study shows that the virus replicates in deer tonsils, lymphoid tissues, and the central nervous system. Hunters might want to take extra precautions when handling these areas.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study shows deer can transmit COVID for up to five days

New research published in PLoS Pathogens shows that white-tailed deer...

Urban areas are often hotter than surrounding countryside. Cities both produce heat as well as trap it with man-made materials like concrete and asphalt, creating “heat islands.” There’s a well known record of people dying during extreme heat events pushed to greater highs due to urban heat islands.&nbsp;



Researchers wondered what impact urban heat has on wildlife, specifically <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lead-poisoning-from-hunting-is-killing-europes-most-charismatic-birds/">birds</a>. In a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>, experts have investigated the impact of extreme heat events on urban and forest dwelling great tits (a common songbird).&nbsp;



“Our results suggest that natural populations may be more vulnerable to more frequent extreme heat," said study lead author Dr. Ivett Pipoly of the University of Pannonia.



"We already know several environmental changes that urban populations have adapted, or are adapting, to in cities. It is interesting that urban individuals might adapt better to the climate crisis as well, maybe because they have more experience with heat as they live inside the urban heat island.”



The scientists installed hundreds of nest boxes throughout two Hungarian cities and adjoining forests. From 2013 to 2018, the scientists watched 760 broods, measuring chicks at two weeks old and then recording their survival.&nbsp;



Counterintuitively, chicks in the hotter cities survived the extreme heat events better than their forest dwelling counterparts. Urban birds even showed a small benefit from the heat, while forest birds were smaller and less likely to survive.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The mechanism behind this surprising increased survival of city birds isn’t yet known, and raises more questions than answers. The research also points to the fragility of birds as well as other animals in the face of human caused destruction.&nbsp;



“We could hear about more frequent mass mortality events of wild desert birds, bats and even large herbivores nowadays, which could be a consequence of the vulnerability of natural populations to high temperatures," said Dr. Pipoly.



"It will be extremely important to get more knowledge about the less conspicuous effects of extreme weather events, like the ones we found in great tits, and from several populations with different local environments. Then we can see a more detailed picture of the interactive effects of climate change and urbanization on wildlife and biodiversity.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Extreme heat is harder on birds in the forest than in the city

Urban areas are often hotter than surrounding countryside. Cities both...

Spinosaurus was among the largest terrestrial dinosaurs ever to exist, possibly even larger than the other two contenders for this crown, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/were-there-three-distinct-species-of-tyrannosaurus-rex/">Tyrannosaurus</a> and&nbsp;Giganotosaurus. Its length has been estimated at 15 to 16 meters (49 to 52&nbsp;ft), while its weight was somewhere between 6 and 7 metric tons. This formidable dinosaur had a skull that measured 1.5 meters in length and a massive “sail” structure on its back, supported by enormous bony spines that originated on its vertebrae.



The dinosaur is known from only six partial skeletons, all excavated in North Africa, and its anatomy has led to intense debate about the kind of lifestyle this creature had.&nbsp;



Since fossilized fish scales were present with some of the Spinosaurus bones, it would appear that it was a piscivore (preyed on fish). However, some scientists proposed that, although it had some features of modern crocodiles, its enormous body, bony spines and large sail would have made it unstable and slow while swimming in the water. They thought, instead, that it was probably a terrestrial predator like T. rex.



Others proposed that its excessive length, rather short back legs and unusually small pelvis would have made it an ineffective hunter on land, and that its great mass would have made walking in muddy lagoon or estuarine environments impossible.&nbsp;



A new study, published today in <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, has taken a different approach to the problem, since anatomical clues left in the fossilized bones have given no obvious answers. Scientists from the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> decided to examine the density of the fossilized bones instead. Bone density is a function of several different factors but, by comparing Spinosaurus bones with the bones of other animals, such as penguins, hippos and alligators, the team hoped to gain new understanding.&nbsp;



“The fossil record is tricky - among spinosaurids, there are only a handful of partial skeletons, and we don’t have any complete skeletons for these dinosaurs,” said study lead author Matteo Fabbri. “Other studies have focused on interpretation of anatomy, but clearly if there are such opposite interpretations regarding the same bones, this is already a clear signal that maybe those are not the best proxies for us to infer the ecology of extinct animals.”



Fabbri and his colleagues put together a dataset of femur and rib bone cross-sections from 250 species of extinct and living animal species, both land-dwellers and water-dwellers. The researchers then compared these cross-sections to cross-sections of bone from&nbsp;Spinosaurus&nbsp;and its relatives Baryonyx and&nbsp;Suchomimus.



“We had to divide this study into successive steps,” said Fabbri. “The first one was to understand if there is actually a universal correlation between bone density and ecology. And the second one was to infer ecological adaptations in extinct taxa.”&nbsp;



Essentially, the researchers had first to show that a relationship exists, in living species, between bone density and choice of aquatic or terrestrial habitat. After that, they could apply this criterion to extinct animals for which habitat choices can no longer be observed.&nbsp;



When selecting animals to include in the study, the researchers had to consider as wide a selection of different species as possible.&nbsp;



“We were looking for extreme diversity,” said Fabbri. “We included seals, whales, elephants, mice, hummingbirds. We have dinosaurs of different sizes, extinct marine reptiles like mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. We have animals that weigh several tons, and animals that are just a few grams. The spread is very big.”



This wide array of different species showed a clear link between bone density and underwater foraging behavior. All the animals that forage underwater have bones that are almost completely solid. This suggests that dense bones have a buoyancy function and help the animal to stay submerged while moving around and hunting. In contrast, the bones of species that spend their lives on land are less dense and contain spongy tissue and a hollow center.&nbsp;



“There is a very strong correlation, and the best explanatory model that we found was in the correlation between bone density and sub-aqueous foraging. This means that all the animals that have the behavior where they are fully submerged have these dense bones, and that was the great news,” explained Fabbri.



When the bones of Spinosaurus&nbsp;and&nbsp;Baryonyx&nbsp;were tested for density, they both had the dense bone structure associated with being able to submerge underwater and hunt for prey. The closely related&nbsp;Suchomimus, however,&nbsp;had bones that were more hollow. It still lived by water and ate fish, as evidenced by its crocodile-like snout and conical teeth, but based on its bone density, it wasn’t actually swimming, stated the authors.&nbsp;



Animals that are heavy also have dense bones, even when they spend their lives on land. “Very heavy animals like elephants and rhinos, and like the sauropod dinosaurs, have very dense limb bones, because there’s so much stress on the limbs,” explained Fabbri. “That being said, the other bones are pretty lightweight. That’s why it was important for us to look at a variety of bones from each of the animals in the study.” Fabbri is excited by the potential for this new approach to reveal more about how dinosaurs lived.



“One of the big surprises from this study was how rare underwater foraging was for dinosaurs, and that even among spinosaurids, their behavior was much more diverse that we’d thought."



Jingmai O’Connor, a curator at the Field Museum and co-author of this study, says that collaborative studies like this one that draw from hundreds of specimens, are the future of paleontology. "They're very time-consuming to do, but they let scientists shed light onto big patterns, rather than making qualitative observations based on one fossil. It’s really awesome that Matteo was able to pull this together, as it requires a lot of patience.”



Fabbri also notes that the study shows how much information can be gleaned from incomplete specimens. “The good news with this study is that now we can move on from the paradigm where you need to know as much as you can about the anatomy of a dinosaur to know about its ecology, because we show that there are other reliable proxies that you can use. If you have a new species of dinosaur and you just have only a few bones of it, you can create a dataset to calculate bone density, and at least you can infer if it was aquatic or not.”



Image Credit: Davide Bonadonna



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Spinosaurus reveals a link between bone density and hunting underwater

Spinosaurus was among the largest terrestrial dinosaurs ever to exist,...

The pandemic has created interest among the scientific community to better understand human-to-wild animal disease transmission. An international research team led by scientists at <a href="https://www.georgetown.edu/">Georgetown University</a> has found that humans give viruses back to animals more often than expected.



The study describes nearly 100 different cases where diseases have undergone “spillback” from humans back into wild animals. This has been seen most recently with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) spreading in mink farms, zoo lions and tigers, and among white-tailed deer in the wild.



The researchers found that almost half of these cases took place in captive settings like zoos, where veterinarians keep a close eye on animals and are more likely to notice changes in health. Interestingly, more than half of the overall cases were human-to-primate transmission. This is likely because it is easier for pathogens to jump between closely-related hosts, and because endangered great ape populations are carefully monitored.



“This supports the idea that we’re more likely to detect pathogens in the places we spend a lot of time and effort looking, with a disproportionate number of studies focusing on charismatic animals at zoos or in close proximity to humans,” said study lead author Dr. Anna Fagre. “It brings into question which cross-species transmission events we may be missing, and what this might mean not only for public health, but for the health and conservation of the species being infected.”



In Canada and the United States, disease spillback has attracted attention due to the spread of COVID-19 in white tailed deer. <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.22.481551v1">Some data</a> suggests that deer have given the virus back to humans in at least one case. This has raised concern amongst scientists and suggests that animal reservoirs might create opportunities for the virus to evolve into new variants.



The study also sheds light on some good news, as it found that artificial intelligence can be used to help anticipate the species at risk of contracting the virus. ”The pandemic gave scientists a chance to test out some predictive tools, and it turns out we’re more prepared than we thought.”&nbsp; said study co-author Dr. Colin Carlson.



The research is part of a National Science Foundation-funded project called the Viral Emergence Research Initiative, or <a href="http://viralemergence.org/">Verena</a>. The Verena team uses machine learning to study the science of the host-virus network. This is a new field that provides critical insights for scientists to understand how and why humans share diseases with animals.



While new technology can help predict spillover, there is still so little we understand about wildlife disease, creating opportunity for continuous research.&nbsp;



“Long-term monitoring helps us establish baselines for wildlife health and disease prevalence, laying important groundwork for future studies,” said Dr. Fagre. “If we’re watching closely, we can spot these cross-species transmission events much faster, and act accordingly.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14610248">Ecology Letters</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts identify 100 cases of humans passing disease to animals

The pandemic has created interest among the scientific community to...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.syracuse.edu/">Syracuse University</a> has shed more light on the catastrophic impact of the Chicxulub <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-impact-sparked-two-years-of-darkness/">asteroid</a> 66 million years ago. This asteroid, which struck&nbsp;Mexico’s northern Yucatán peninsula - an impact that ejected material equivalent to an area the size of Connecticut and more than twice as tall as Mount Everest - wiped out 75 percent of animals on Earth, including all the dinosaurs. 



Experts now claim that one of the leading causes of this mass extinction was the redistribution of fine particles of sulfate in the stratosphere after impact, which led to rapid climate change.



&nbsp;“The impact blast and fallout ignited widespread fires, which together with rock dust, soot and volatiles ejected from the crater, blotted out the sun globally in an impact winter that may have lasted years, resulting in the extinction,” said study lead author Christopher Junium, an associate professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Syracuse.



According to Professor Junium, although scientists have long implicated that massive perturbations to atmospheric sulfur were the main causes of climate change after the impact, “there has been uncertainty regarding how much reached the stratosphere where its effects on climate would have been greatly magnified.”



The researchers conducted field work along the Brazos River in Central Texas to collect samples of rock that recorded the immediate aftermath of the asteroid impact. Analyzing these samples through novel geochemical techniques, they managed to trace the unique transformations undergone by sulfur aerosols when they rose above the Earth’s ozone layer and were exposed to ultraviolet radiation, creating diagnostic signatures in the stable isotopes of the sulfur gases.



“The unique fingerprints we’ve measured in these impact sediments provide the first direct evidence for the importance of sulfur aerosols in catastrophic climate change and cooling,” explained study co-author Aubrey Zerkle, an expert in sulfur isotopes and the sulfur cycle at the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/">University of St Andrews</a> in Scotland.



The presence of these signatures required enormous amounts of sulfur aerosols in the stratosphere, which returned to the Earth as acid rain and washed into shallow marine areas in the aftermath of the impact. “These sulfur aerosols would have extended the duration of post-impact climate change, taking an already beleaguered biosphere to the brink of collapse,”&nbsp;concluded Professor Junium.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2119194119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New details on the asteroid impact that killed the dinosaurs

A new study led by Syracuse University has shed more...

Beetles can be found in most ecosystems, from the local parks to tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/temperate-rainforests-can-help-fight-climate-change/">rainforests</a> and the Arctic tundra. They are the most diverse group of animals ever known to exist, with almost 400 thousand species already described. This immense diversity has puzzled scientists for centuries. Famous figures such as Charles Darwin or Alfred Russel Wallace drew inspiration for their evolutionary theories from the study of beetles.



However, understanding the origins and evolution of beetles is complicated. By using a previously published and carefully curated 68-gene dataset, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> were recently able to build a comprehensive evolutionary tree of beetles, including data on 57 fossils to contain the timescale of their evolution.&nbsp;



The findings suggest that different beetle clades diversified independently, as various new ecological opportunities emerged. &nbsp;



“There was not a single epoch of beetle radiation, their secret seems to lie in their remarkable flexibility,” explained study lead author&nbsp;Dr. Chenyang Cai, a research fellow in Earth Sciences at Bristol. “The refined timescale of beetle evolution will be an invaluable tool for investigating the evolutionary basis of the beetle’s success story.”



The updated classification of beetles, reflecting the latest genetic and morphological findings, recognizes 193 living and extinct families. The oldest fossils were found to date back to around 295 million years ago, long before the first dinosaurs appeared. 



“Reconstructing what happened in the last 300 million years is key to understanding what gave us the immense diversity beetles are known for today,” said Dr. Cai.



According to study co-author Erik Tihelka, a paleo entomologist at Bristol, “because evolution leaves its signature in all aspects of biological organization, our best option is to draw on as many lines of evidence as we can find and see where the threads coalesce. In our case, we have focused on the molecular genetics of living beetles, their morphology, and rare beetle fossils to draw up an updated understanding of their evolutionary history.”



The scientists concluded that beetles first roamed the world in the Carboniferous period and later diversified alongside the earliest dinosaurs during the Triassic and the Jurassic, becoming “the single best case-study in biodiversity that nature gave us,” as Dr. Cai put it.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos">Royal Society Open Science</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reconstructing 300 million years of beetle evolution

Beetles can be found in most ecosystems, from the local...

In January 1992, NASA discovered the first two <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-discover-366-new-exoplanets/">exoplanets</a>, or planets from outside our solar system. Now, just three decades later, the number of known exoplanets has exploded, recently reaching 5,005, with a latest batch of 65 planets added to the <a href="https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/discovery/exoplanet-catalog/">NASA Exoplanet Archive</a>. The existence of all of these planets has been confirmed using multiple detection methods and analytical techniques, and they have been comprehensively described in peer-reviewed, scientific articles.



These exoplanets are highly diverse. They include small, rocky worlds like the Earth, gas giants many times larger than Jupiter, “super-Earths” (planets similar to ours but much larger), “mini-Neptunes,” planets orbiting two stars at once, or worlds that are orbiting the collapsed remains of dead stars.



“It’s not just a number,” said Jessie Christiansen, the scientific leader of the archive and a research scientist at the <a href="https://nexsci.caltech.edu/">NASA Exoplanet Science Institute</a> at Caltech in Pasadena. “Each one of them is a new world, a brand-new planet. I get excited about every one because we don’t know anything about them.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



Scientist believe that there are hundreds of billions of such planets in our galaxy. According to Alexander Wolszczan, the lead author of the 1992 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/355145a0">study</a> describing a pulsar (a type of rapidly spinning neutron star) orbited by two planets, “if you can find planets around a neutron star, planets have to be basically everywhere. The planet production process has to be very robust.”



The development of new powerful observation instruments such as the <a href="https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/tess/">Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite</a> (TESS) or the <a href="https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/">James Webb Space Telescope</a> marks the beginning of an era of discovery that goes beyond simply adding planets to the list. These instruments can capture light from the atmospheres of exoplanets and discover which gases are present in order to identify the possibility of habitable conditions.



“To my thinking, it is inevitable that we’ll find some kind of life somewhere – most likely of some primitive kind,” said Professor Wolszczan. The similarities between the chemistry of life on Earth and that found throughout the universe, together with the detection of widespread organic molecules, suggests that the detection of life itself is only a matter of time, he concluded.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

NASA confirms the discovery of over 5,000 planets

In January 1992, NASA discovered the first two exoplanets, or...

A new nanotexture that kills 70 percent of bacteria was created in a lab by a team of Australian and Japanese scientists. The goal of the research is to tackle the issue of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotics-used-on-food-crops-may-be-starving-bees/">food</a> waste, especially in meat and dairy.&nbsp;



It is estimated that more than 30 percent of the food we produce goes to waste. Sometimes an entire shipment of food is lost when bacteria is found. The scientists were inspired by the texture of some insect wings that are known to kill bacteria.&nbsp;



“Eliminating bacterial contamination is a huge step in extending the shelf life of food,” said study co-author Professor Elena Ivanova of <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/">RMIT University</a>. "We knew the wings of cicadas and dragonflies were highly-efficient bacteria killers and could help inspire a solution, but replicating nature is always a challenge."



"We have now created a nanotexturing that mimics the bacteria-destroying effect of insect wings and retains its antibacterial power when printed on plastic. This is a big step towards a natural, non-chemical, antibacterial packaging solution for the food and manufacturing industry.”



The texture, as on insect wings, is made of very small “nano pillars.” When bacteria land on the nano pillars, their membranes are pierced and they are killed.&nbsp;



“It’s like stretching a latex glove,” said Professor Ivanova. “As it slowly stretches, the weakest point in the latex will become thinner and eventually tear.”



The pattern of the antibacterial texture was discovered in Australia and then shared with the Japanese researchers who discovered how to implant the texture onto plastic, where it could be used for packaging.&nbsp;



“The nanotexturing created in this study holds its own when used in rigid plastic," said Ivanova. "Our next challenge is adapting it for use on softer plastics."



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/acsappliednanomaterials">ACS Applied Nano Materials</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Insect wings inspire new method to kill bacteria on food

A new nanotexture that kills 70 percent of bacteria was...

According to a recent study from <a href="https://www.physoc.org/">The Physiological Society</a>, one of the best ways to keep your muscles healthy is to have a lifetime of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-physical-activity-protects-the-brain-from-aging/">physical activity</a>. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen analyzed muscle, stem cell, and nerve activity in 46 males. The experts concluded that older, active adults with a history of lifelong exercise have better functioning muscles compared to younger adults with a sedentary lifestyle.



For the investigation, the participants were separated into three groups: young sedentary (15), elderly lifelong exercise (16), and elderly sedentary (15). As the individuals executed a heavy resistance exercise, the researchers measured their force during the movement and took blood and muscle samples.&nbsp;



Older, active adults with a lifelong history of exercise performed better on the exercise, and also had more satellite cells in their muscles. These cell types protect the nervous system and are essential for muscle regeneration. 



The study authors noted that previous studies like this one have only been focused on professional athletes.



"This is the first study in humans to find that lifelong exercise at a recreational level could delay some detrimental effects of aging. Using muscle tissue biopsies, we've found positive effects of exercise on the general ageing population. This has been missing from the literature as previous studies have mostly focused on master athletes, which is a minority group," explained lead author Casper Soendenbroe.



"Our study is more representative of the general population aged 60 and above, as the average person is more likely to take part in a mixture of activities at a moderate level."



The researchers us to know that we don't have to be super athletes to make a difference in our health. Participating in activities like swimming, biking, or running throughout our lifetime can help protect our muscles against age-related deterioration.&nbsp;



However, more research is necessary to support a broad conclusion. Most noteworthy is that this study only involved male subjects, which is an obvious limitation as it excludes about 50 percent of the human population.&nbsp;



Moreover, the average age of the males in the study was 73. However, the most apparent effects of aging on the muscles occur at 80+ years. Therefore, we don't yet know if individuals would continue to see the benefits of lifelong exercise as they get older.&nbsp;



The study is published in <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14697793">The Journal of Physiology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lifelong exercise may be the secret to staying young

According to a recent study from The Physiological Society, one...

According to new research published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28742-6">Nature Communications</a>, although <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-fish-found-unexpectedly-in-the-central-arctic-ocean/">ocean</a> life could possibly adapt to major climate changes, there may be unforeseen costs to quickly evolving in a suddenly-hot world. Thus, while plasticity may facilitate initial survival in global change conditions, it could erode after populations adapted, limiting resilience to new stressors and previously benign environments.



In order to assess how marine organisms adapt to climate change over several generations, the scientists used copepods (Acartia tonsa) as a case study. Since this tiny and humble sea creature reproduces, matures, and creates a new generation in about twenty days, it takes less than one year for twenty generations to pass.&nbsp;



The scientists exposed thousands of copepods to the high temperatures and carbon dioxide levels that are predicted for the future of the oceans, and examined what happened to these creatures as twenty generations passed. Afterwards, they took some of the marine organisms and returned them to the temperature and carbon dioxide levels that the first generation started in, and observed them as three more generations passed.



The results showed that these creatures have the genetic capacity to adapt over twenty generations, evolving to maintain their fitness in radically-changed environments (a process called “phenotypic plasticity”). The researchers observed many changes in the copepods’ genes related to how they managed heat stress, grew their skeletons in more acidic waters, and produced energy, suggesting that they can be highly resilient to rapid warming and acidification. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



However, the flexibility that helped the copepods evolve over twenty generations seemed to be eroded when they tried to return them to what had previously been their normal environment. Brought to the initial temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations, the copepods were less healthy and produced smaller populations. Although they were able, after three generations, to re-evolve to their ancestral conditions, the marine organisms nevertheless lost the ability to tolerate limited food supply and showed less resilience to new forms of stress.



“If copepods or other creatures have to go down this adaptive path - and spend some of their genetic variation to deal with climate change - will they be able to tolerate some new environmental stressor, some other change in the environment?”&nbsp;wondered study lead author Melissa Pespeni, a biologist at the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a>. This study suggests that it may not be so easy.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marine organisms may adapt to climate change, but with hidden costs

According to new research published in the journal Nature Communications,...

According to the United Nations’ first-ever <a href="https://inweh.unu.edu/water-security-in-africa-a-preliminary-assessment/">assessment</a> of water security in Africa, only 29 African nations have made some progress over the past three to five years, while 25 have made none. This is despite the global <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">Sustainable Developments Goals</a> and commitments that were made in 2015.



This assessment – published on the eve of World Water Day (March 22) – employed ten indicators to quantify water security in Africa’s 54 countries: access to drinking water, access to sanitation, hygiene and health, water availability, efficiency of water use, water infrastructure, water quality, water governance, water disaster risks, and physiography.



On a scale of 100, all country scores besides those of Egypt are below 70. Only 13 African countries have reached a modest level of security in recent years, with Egypt, Botswana, Gabon, Mauritius, and Tunisia being the continent’s top five most water-secure countries. 



At the opposite end of the scale, Somalia, Chad, and Niger are the least water-secure African nations. Thus, according to the report, there has been little progress in national water security of most African states over the past three to five years.



In order to compare Africa’s situation globally, the authors of the report call for global standards for water security measurement data and assessment. 



“Some critical components of water security simply cannot be assessed without introducing surrogates or proxies. With such poor data availability, progress toward water security is difficult to assess accurately,” the scientists warned.



However, according to lead author Grace Oluwasanya - a water scientist at the <a href="https://unu.edu/">United Nations University</a> - “data limitations do not change the main outcome of this assessment, which is strong and clear. Overall levels of water security in Africa are low. Not a single country let alone a subregion have at present achieved a state that can be seen as ‘model’ or even ‘effective’ stage of water security.”



“This assessment for African countries aimed to create a quantitative starting point and a platform for subsequent discussions with national, regional, and international agents; it is neither a prescription nor a guide,” added co-author Duminda Perera, a water resource professional at the United Nations University.



“As this quantitative tool develops, it will help generate targeted policy recommendations and inform decision-making and public-private investments toward achieving water security in Africa,” he concluded.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Water security in Africa remains very poor

According to the United Nations’ first-ever assessment of water security...

During the Triassic period, early <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/new-evidence-reveals-that-dinosaurs-died-in-the-spring/">dinosaurs</a> evolved but it wasn’t until mass extinction ushered in the Jurassic did dinosaur diversity explode. New research looks at the complex causes of the mass extinction event that paved the way for more dinosaurs.&nbsp;



“This new study adds soil erosion and wildfire activity to the list of factors that drove this mass extinction to end the Triassic era, building on our previous research that found a rise in levels of acid and hydrogen sulfide in the ocean caused by rapid increases in carbon dioxide due to a surge in volcanic activity," explained Dr. Calum Peter Fox of WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC).



"Similar to modern large-scale fire events that are driven by climate change, periods of wildfire activity have significant impacts for land-dwelling fauna and flora and drive environmental and ecosystem stress that can lead to mass extinctions.”



Dr. Fox and colleagues investigated the ancient fires at the end of the Triassic and found similarities to the modern rise of atmospheric carbon.&nbsp;



“By studying polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can be formed during the incomplete combustion of organic matter, we found that soil erosion was a more prominent terrestrial ecological stress than intensive wildfire activity during the end-Triassic mass extinction event in the Bristol Channel of the south-west United Kingdom," said Dr. Fox.



"This tells us land and marine ecosystem and environmental stresses occurred at the same time and were likely exacerbated by soil erosion, with fire activity likely to be more localised in other areas rather than widespread across Europe.”



Professor Kliti Grice also found similarities between the modern land degradation caused by soil erosion and the likelihood of the same thing happening at the close of the Triassic.&nbsp;



“These processes certainly have implications in the modern day due to the introduction of pollutants and pesticides," said Professor Grice.



"Observing that soil erosion had major impacts in our history and in comparing and contrasting a global record of the past, we can anticipate the scale and duration of currently-occurring and future soil erosion events.”



The scientists hope that by looking to the past at previous mass extinction events, we might be able to better understand the one we’re living through now and potentially even mitigate it.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Soil erosion and fire contributed to Triassic mass extinction

During the Triassic period, early dinosaurs evolved but it wasn’t...

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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



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.

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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 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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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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 



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.

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"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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



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.

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...