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...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-may-have-arrived-in-los-angeles-last-year/">COVID-19</a> is set to become a seasonal illness in countries with temperate climates, but will remain a year-round threat until herd immunity is achieved, according to a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>.

Respiratory viruses like the flu are not unusual during the colder months of the year, but COVID-19 will continue to circulate across the seasons for an indefinite time period. 

The findings highlight the urgent need for public health measures to control the virus. Study senior author Dr. Hassan Zaraket is an assistant professor of Virology at the <a href="https://www.aub.edu.lb/">American University of Beirut</a>.

"COVID-19 is here to stay and it will continue to cause outbreaks year-round until herd immunity is achieved. Therefore, the public will need to learn to live with it and continue practicing the best prevention measures, including wearing masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene and avoidance of gatherings," said Dr. Zaraket.

Study co-author Dr. Hadi Yassine explained that there could be multiple waves of COVID-19 before herd immunity is reached.

Several types of viruses, including those that cause common colds, are known to follow seasonal patterns. While these viruses peak in the winter months across temperate regions, they circulate year-round in tropical regions. 

The experts analyzed various seasonal viruses, investigating the factors that control their duration. They also reviewed the latest research on the stability and transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

As a result of changes in temperature and humidity, the duration of viruses and the susceptibility of human transmission differ across the seasons. For example, people are more likely to be crowded indoors during cold weather, increasing the potential spread of respiratory viruses.

However, in comparison to similar viruses such as the flu, COVID-19 has a higher rate of transmission. This is due, in part, to the fact that it is a new virus that people have not yet built up immunity against.

The factors that control the seasonality of common viruses cannot yet slow the spread of COVID-19 during the summer months. However, once a sufficient percentage of the population has become immune to SARS-COV-2 infection - whether through vaccination or previous infection - herd immunity will make COVID-19 susceptible to seasonal factors.

"The highest global COVID-19 infection rate per capita was recorded in the Gulf states, regardless of the hot summer season," said Dr. Yassine. "Although this is majorly attributed to the rapid virus spread in closed communities, it affirms the need for rigorous control measures to limit virus spread, until herd immunity is achieved."

There are other coronaviruses that have become seasonal over time, including NL63 and HKU1, which now follow the same circulation patterns as the flu.

"This remains a novel virus and despite the fast-growing body of science about it there are still things that are unknown," said Dr. Zaraket. "Whether our predictions hold true or not remains to be seen in the future. But we think it's highly likely, given what we know so far, COVID-19 will eventually become seasonal, like other coronaviruses."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://reports.frontiersin.org/reports/frontiers-in-public-health-report.html">Frontiers in Public Health </a>.

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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

COVID-19 will be a seasonal virus after herd immunity is reached

COVID-19 is set to become a seasonal illness in countries...

A toxic gas that is almost exclusively associated with life here on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/more-than-90-percent-of-earths-protected-areas-isolated/">Earth</a> has been detected in the clouds surrounding Venus. The gas, known as phosphine, is very rare and is made by bacteria that do not require oxygen for growth. 

Regardless of why it is lingering in the clouds on Venus, it comes as a major surprise to scientists. Phosphine is only produced naturally by some types of anaerobic bacteria that are found in marshes, landfills, and in animal intestines. Phosphine is also a byproduct of industrial activities.

The discovery of phosphine molecules in the clouds of Venus was announced today by an international team of astronomers led by Professor Jane Greaves of Cardiff University.

The experts first noticed signs of phosphine in observations from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), operated by the East Asian Observatory in Hawaii. The team partnered with the <a href="https://www.eso.org/">European Southern Observatory</a> (ESO) to confirm their discovery using 45 antennas of an even more powerful telescope - the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile.

"To our great relief, the conditions were good at ALMA for follow-up observations while Venus was at a suitable angle to Earth. Processing the data was tricky, though, as ALMA isn't usually looking for very subtle effects in very bright objects like Venus," said study co-author Anita Richards of the UK ALMA Regional Centre and the University of Manchester. 

"In the end, we found that both observatories had seen the same thing -- faint absorption at the right wavelength to be phosphine gas, where the molecules are backlit by the warmer clouds below," added Professor Greaves.

Astronomers have long speculated that Venus could host microbes in its high clouds where they can exist free from the planet's scorching hot surface. This "aerial" life is now a real possibility with the presence of phosphine molecules, which consist of hydrogen and phosphorus.

"This was an experiment made out of pure curiosity, really - taking advantage of JCMT's powerful technology, and thinking about future instruments," said Professor Greaves. "I thought we'd just be able to rule out extreme scenarios, like the clouds being stuffed full of organisms. When we got the first hints of phosphine in Venus' spectrum, it was a shock!"

The international team includes researchers from the UK, U.S. and Japan. The experts estimate that the concentration of phosphine present in the clouds is about twenty molecules per billion. 

Upon analyzing whether the phosphine in Venus's atmosphere may have non-biological sources such as volcanic activity or lightning, the researchers determined that these other planetary processes could only produce one ten thousandth of the amount of phosphine that they observed.

"The non-biological production of phosphine on Venus is excluded by our current understanding of phosphine chemistry in rocky planets' atmospheres. Confirming the existence of life on Venus's atmosphere would be a major breakthrough for astrobiology; thus, it is essential to follow-up on this exciting result with theoretical and observational studies to exclude the possibility that phosphine on rocky planets may also have a chemical origin different than on Earth," said ESO astronomer Leonardo Testi.

On Earth, bacteria produce phosphine after taking up phosphate from minerals or biological material and adding hydrogen. Any terrestrial organisms on Venus would look very different from those on our planet, but nonetheless could be the source of phosphine in the atmosphere.

While the researchers are confident that it is phosphine they have detected in Venus's clouds, they acknowledge that confirming the presence of life needs a lot more work. The high clouds of Venus are mostly made up of sulfuric acid, and it is unclear how microbes could survive this extreme level of acidity.

Further observations of Venus, including those with the ESO's upcoming Extremely Large Telescope, will help solve the mystery of how phosphine is produced on Venus.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natastron">Nature Astronomy</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Signs of life found in the clouds surrounding Venus

A toxic gas that is almost exclusively associated with life...

The growing pressures of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-reconstruct-66-million-year-record-of-earths-climate/">climate</a> change and human activities pose the most immediate threat to Mediterranean and tropical species, according to a study from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>. In many cases, land use changes are wiping out habitats that could otherwise offer protection from rising temperatures. 

The research is shedding new light on the fact that extinction risks are not evenly distributed, and imminent declines in tropical diversity will far exceed biodiversity losses in other parts of the world. 

Study lead author Dr. Tim Newbold is an expert in the UCL Centre for Biodiversity &amp; Environment Research. 

"Tropical areas are expected to see the greatest expansions of agriculture in the coming decades, and are already seeing new temperature extremes," did Dr. Newbold.

"Coupled with the fact that data on biodiversity are often biased towards more temperate regions, our findings suggest that global biodiversity declines may be even worse than leading experts are predicting." 

"Urgent action is needed to prevent biodiversity losses and extinctions, particularly in tropical and Mediterranean areas which have some of the most diverse ecological communities on the planet."

The researchers analyzed data on more than 47,000 plant and animal species at thousands of sites in 91 countries. They wanted to compare the amount of wildlife in the most disturbed urban environments to the number of species in moderately disturbed or undisturbed natural areas. The team also investigated how wildlife will respond to climate change and where plants and animals may survive. 

The study showed that there was substantially lower biodiversity in more disturbed environments, especially in Mediterranean and tropical regions. The experts also found that the animals which are the most sensitive to climate warming are found in tropical forests, tropical grasslands, and Mediterranean areas.

Some of the species of concern that are most threatened include the eastern gorilla in the African tropics and Hermann's tortoise in the Mediterranean, both of which are critically endangered by habitat loss and will soon have to face the additional strain of climate change.

In tropical regions, the researchers predict that with each degree of climate warming, the number of species will decline locally by 10 to 13 percent.

Plants and animals in tropical regions are exposed to less pronounced seasonal changes, which makes them especially vulnerable to climate change because they have not had to adapt to a wide range of temperatures. In tropical and Mediterranean areas, many species are already living near the upper temperature limit that they can tolerate, according to the study.

"We found that areas facing the greatest biodiversity threats from climate change and land use were often the same areas, which is even more concerning as these two pressures can interact to make environments even more inhospitable. For example, heavily modified landscapes often have less canopy cover which would otherwise moderate extreme temperatures," said Dr. Newbold.

Dr. Newbold is also a co-author of the World Wildlife Fund's <a href="https://livingplanet.panda.org/">Living Planet Report</a> published this month. The report reveals that biodiversity has declined most in the Tropics since 1970. 

"Conservation efforts alone will not be enough to save endangered and vulnerable animals and plants," said Dr. Newbold. "Governments, private companies and consumers will all need to act now to curb climate change and to mitigate land use pressures that destroy habitats."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Mediterranean and tropical species may vanish at alarming rates

The growing pressures of climate change and human activities pose...

Experts at <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> have pinpointed the site of male sexual desire in the brain. Using a mouse model, the team demonstrated that sexual behavior among males is controlled by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/people-with-brains-that-learn-implicitly-have-stronger-religious-beliefs/">brain</a> tissue that contains the gene aromatase.

This particular gene converts testosterone to estrogen in the brain, which drives male sexual activity. Prior to this research, the full function of aromatase was not known.

The researchers said that since aromatase regulates sexual behavior in men, it can be targeted by drugs to either increase its function for low sexual desire or decrease its function for compulsive sexual desire. 

Study senior author Dr. Serdar Bulun is the chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Medicine. 

"This is the first key finding to explain how testosterone stimulates sexual desire," said Dr. Bulun. "For the first time, we demonstrated conclusively that the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in the brain is critical to maintain full sexual activity or desire in males. Aromatase drives that."

When aromatase was selectively knocked out in brain tissue, sexual activity in male mice decreased by 50 percent, despite the fact they had higher levels of testosterone circulating in their blood compared with normal mice.

"Male mice partially lost interest in sex," said study co-author Dr. Hong Zhao. "Aromatase is the key enzyme for estrogen production. Estrogen has functions in males and females. Testosterone has to be converted to estrogen to drive sexual desire in males."

Dr. Bulun said that if a normal male mouse is put with a female one, it would chase after her and try to instigate sex. "If you knock out the aromatase gene in the brain, their sexual activity is significantly reduced. There is less frequency of mating. The male mice are not that interested."

According to the researchers, the finding can contribute to new treatments for disorders of sexual desire. For example, hypoactive sexual desire disorder is a common condition that can be a side effect of widely used medications such as antidepressants. A treatment to boost aromatase in this disorder could heighten sexual desire, said Dr. Bulun.

By contrast, compulsive sexual desire is another condition that can be treated by an existing systemic aromatase inhibitor, but that treatment has side effects such as osteoporosis. Dr. Bulun said that now, new selective drugs that suppress only the brain promoter region of the aromatase gene can be developed to eliminate such side effects.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://joe.bioscientifica.com/">Endocrinology</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Experts identify the gene that controls sexual desire in men

Experts at Northwestern University have pinpointed the site of male...

Vapers, smokers, and non-smokers with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes are all at higher risk for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-may-have-arrived-in-los-angeles-last-year/">COVID-19</a>. While the common thread is not entirely clear, researchers suspect that it can be explained by the number of ACE2 receptors that are available for the coronavirus to enter.

Evidence shows that people with chronic inflammatory illnesses, older adults, and individuals who smoke or vape have an abundance of ACE2 receptor proteins, according to researchers at the <a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/">University of Rochester Medical Center</a>. 

Led by Dr. Irfan Rahman, the research team has published a series of studies during the pandemic focusing on the vital role of ACE2 receptors. Dr. Rahman has taken a special interest in the growing problem of young people who test positive and may be spreading COVID-19 at alarming rates. Despite their age, children and teens who have higher levels of the ACE2 receptor seem to be more vulnerable to the virus.

"Our next step is to investigate whether ACE2 is normally low in young people, hence their relatively low infection and mortality rates from COVID-19, but to find out if ACE2 is increased by smoking or vaping rendering them more susceptible to the virus," said Dr. Rahman. "This would be in contrast to older people with lung diseases such as COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, who we already know are at higher risk for severe viral illnesses and death."

Dr. Gangandeep Kaur, a postdoctoral scientist in Dr. Rahman's lab, previously investigated tuberculosis. His experience led the experts to examine the ties between vaping and the coronavirus. 

According to one of the team's studies, the combination of smoking and aging alters more than 20 genes involved in lung cell function. This results in a spike in ACE2 receptors and three other proteins associated with the coronavirus.

The findings confirm the observations of other experts that smokers and people with chronic lung diseases such as COPD are more prone to coronavirus infection.

Using a mouse model, the scientists investigated the chronic effects of nicotine exposure on lung tissue while looking for links to known COVID-19 proteins. The team discovered other receptors with a direct relationship to ACE2 that have a significant role in regulating the inflammatory response in the lungs and cause a higher expression of ACE2. 

The researchers also found that COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China had worse outcomes if they smoked or had more ACE2 receptors, and that ACE2 is linked to known nicotine receptors

Currently, the Rahman lab is examining blood and saliva samples of young people who have been infected with COVID-19 to evaluate ACE2 levels and see if the ACE2 protein can be a biomarker for a rapid coronavirus test.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology">Frontiers in Pharmacology</a>.

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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

Smoking increases the ACE2 receptors available for coronavirus infection

Vapers, smokers, and non-smokers with chronic conditions such as high...

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coronavirus-may-attack-the-body-through-the-nose/">coronavirus</a> may have already been spreading throughout Los Angeles by the end of last year. A major spike in acute respiratory failure at <a href="https://www.uclahealth.org/">UCLA Health</a> hospitals and clinics beginning in December suggests that COVID-19 was circulating in L.A. well before the first U.S. cases were identified. 

The researchers discovered that the number of patients admitted with symptoms including cough and respiratory failure from December 2019 to February 2020 was 50 percent higher than the number of such cases during the same time period over the five previous years.

According to the study authors, the findings demonstrate the importance of analyzing electronic health records to monitor and quickly identify irregular changes in patient populations. By focusing on data from both hospital and outpatient settings, as the team did for the current investigation, health care systems may be able to recognize epidemics sooner. 

Study lead author Dr. Joann Elmore is a professor in UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine.

"For many diseases, data from the outpatient setting can provide an early warning to emergency departments and hospital intensive care units of what is to come," said Dr. Elmore. "The majority of COVID-19 studies evaluate hospitalization data, but we also looked at the larger outpatient clinic setting, where most patients turn first for medical care when illness and symptoms arise."

The researchers noted that analyzing electronic patient records could help health care agencies more effectively identify and control outbreaks like the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

"The pandemic has really highlighted our need for agile health care analytics that enable real-time symptom and disease surveillance using electronic health records data," said study co-author Dr. Michael Pfeffer. "Technology, including artificial intelligence powered by machine learning, has further potential to identify and track irregular changes in health data, including significant excesses of patients with specific disease-type presentations in the weeks or months prior to an outbreak."

The experts analyzed more than 10 million records from UCLA Health outpatient, emergency department, and hospital facilities. They compared data from December 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020 with data from the same period in each of the previous five years.

The study revealed that outpatient clinic visits by individuals seeking care for coughs increased by over 50 percent, exceeding the average number of visits for the same complaint by more than 1,000. There was a similar increase in the number of patients hospitalized with acute respiratory failure during this time period. 

The researchers acknowledge some study limitations. For example, other factors such as the flu could be responsible for some of the unexpected increase in patients treated for respiratory symptoms.

"We may never truly know if these excess patients represented early and undetected COVID-19 cases in our area," said Dr. Elmore. "But the lessons learned from this pandemic, paired with healthcare analytics that enable real-time surveillance of disease and symptoms, can potentially help us identify and track emerging outbreaks and future epidemics."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jmir.org/">Journal of Medical Internet Research</a>.

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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

COVID-19 may have arrived in Los Angeles last year

The coronavirus may have already been spreading throughout Los Angeles...

In a new study published by the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/">Wiley Online Library</a>, experts report that a single workout can improve learning and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-boosts-blood-flow-to-the-brain-and-improves-memory/">memory</a> in young adults. Remarkably, the researchers found that these cognitive benefits can be achieved in as little as two minutes of moderate exercise.  

"Exercise makes you smart," said study co-author Dr. Peter Blomstrand of County Hospital Ryhov and Jönköping University in Sweden.

"Physical exercise improves mental health and cognitive function. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the current literature examining the acute effects of a single exercise workout on learning and memory functions in young adults."

Based on 13 relevant studies, the researchers determined that engaging in moderate to high intensity aerobic exercise for 2 to 60 minutes can improve attention, concentration, and learning functions for up to two hours. The experts also noted improvements in working memory, short-term memory, long-term memory, verbal fluency, and planning and problem-solving ability.

"These higher-orders of executive processes are depending on the prefrontal cortex," explained the researchers. "However, more studies are needed to identify optimal exercise strategies to improve learning and memory."

Some of the types of exercise that were examined in the studies included walking, running, and bicycling. 

"Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain how acute exercise can improve memory and learning functions. Physical activity may induce plasticity-related proteins that tag nearby synapses for capturing by the memory stimuli."

"Exercise may enhance attention and memory encoding through modulation of dopamine transmitters and increase the expression of dopamine."

While more research is needed to understand the link between exercise and improved cognitive function, the findings may have important education-related implications, noted the researchers.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/25738488">Translational Sports Medicine</a>.

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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

Two minutes of exercise boosts learning ability in young adults

In a new study published by the Wiley Online Library,...

A new <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22221751.2020.1817796">study</a> published by <a href="https://taylorandfrancis.com/">Taylor &amp; Francis Group</a> reports that more cats have been infected by COVID-19 than what was previously realized. The researchers discovered that many cats are fighting off the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coronavirus-may-attack-the-body-through-the-nose/">coronavirus</a> with naturally developed antibodies, but may still be at risk of re-infection.

Researchers at the Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the pandemic originated, collected blood samples and nasal swabs from 102 cats between January and March 2020.

COVID-19 antibodies were detected in 15 of the blood samples, 11 of which were neutralizing antibodies, or proteins that bind to a virus well enough to block the infection.

According to the researchers, none of the cats actually tested positive for COVID-19, displayed obvious symptoms, or died from an infection.

About half of the cats evaluated for the study were in animal shelters, 41 were in pet hospitals, and 15 cats were owned by COVID-19 patients.

The three cats with the highest levels of antibodies were all owned by individuals who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. There was also evidence that some of the cats in shelters and hospitals had been infected by other cats. 

Study lead author Meilin Jin noted that while there is currently no evidence for cat-to-human transmission, precautions should be considered.

"Although the infection in stray cats could not be fully understood, it is reasonable to speculate that these infections are probably due to the contact with SARS-CoV-2 polluted environment, or COVID-19 patients who fed the cats," said Jin.

"Therefore measures should be considered to maintain a suitable distance between COVID-19 patients and companion animals such as cats and dogs, and hygiene and quarantine measures should also be established for those high-risk animals."

Upon analyzing the antibodies present in many of the cats, the researchers found characteristics that implied the cats "remain at risk of re-infection."

The study authors explain that this is a similar transient antibody response to also be observed in humans, and that their study should be used as a "reference for the clinical treatment and prevention of COVID-19".

"We suggest that cats have a great potential as an animal model for assessing the characteristics of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in humans."

The researchers said that further research is needed to establish the route of COVID-19 from humans to cats.

"Retrospective investigation confirmed that all of antibody positive samples were taken after the outbreak, suggesting that the infection of cats could be due to the virus transmission from humans to cats," said Jin. "Certainly, it is still needed to be verified via investigating the SARS-CoV-2 infections before this outbreak in a wide range of sampling."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22221751.2020.1817796">Emerging Microbes &amp; Infections</a>.

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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

Some cats have developed neutralizing COVID-19 antibodies

A new study published by Taylor &amp; Francis Group reports...

Human activities are responsible for 96 percent of all mammal extinctions in the last 126,000 years, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en">University of Gothenburg</a>. During this time period, mammals have vanished by about 1,600 times the natural rate. The researchers found that this increase in mammal extinctions has been driven almost entirely by human activities, not <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-model-shows-the-indus-civilization-collapsed-due-to-climate-change/">climate</a> change. 

The study suggests that even prehistoric humans had an impact on biodiversity that was more destructive than the largest climate shifts in recent history, including the last ice age.

"We find essentially no evidence for climate-driven extinctions during the past 126,000 years. Instead, we find that human impact explains 96% of all mammal extinctions during that time," said study co-author Daniele Silvestro.

While many experts theorize that abrupt environmental shifts put too much pressure on mammals during prehistoric years, the results of the new study indicate that these mammals were resilient to extreme climate change. 

"However, current climate change, together with fragmented habitats, poaching, and other human-related threats pose a large risk for many species," said Silvestro.

The investigation was focused on a large set of fossils representing 351 mammal species that have disappeared since the beginning of the Late Pleistocene. The fossilized animals included iconic species such as mammoths, sabre tooth tigers, and giant ground sloths. 

"These extinctions did not happen continuously and at a constant pace. Instead, bursts of extinctions are detected across different continents at times when humans first reached them," said study co-author Tobias Andermann. "More recently, the magnitude of human driven extinctions has picked up the pace again, this time on a global scale."

The researchers noted that for decades,  scientists have debated the extent of human-driven species extinctions in prehistoric times.

"Regardless of the drivers of Pleistocene extinctions, the human impact in the most recent extinctions is undeniable, and a central question concerns the effect that anthropogenically elevated extinction rates will have on future mammalian diversity," wrote the study authors. "When generating future projections, it is important to consider that past extinction events only constitute a fraction of the true human impact on biodiversity."

"In addition to driving species to global extinction, human activity has led to decreases in population sizes and species ranges for a much larger fraction of mammalian species. Consideration of these trends is included in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria for evaluating the extinction risk of individual species."

According to the researchers, the current rate of mammal extinctions is likely the largest event of this kind since the end of the dinosaur era. Based on computer simulations, the experts predict that these rates will continue to rise rapidly, potentially reaching 30,000-fold above the natural level by the end of the century if current trends continue. 

"Despite these grim projections, the trend can still be changed. We can save hundreds if not thousands of species from extinction with more targeted and efficient conservation strategies. But in order to achieve this, we need to increase our collective awareness about the looming escalation of the biodiversity crisis, and take action in combating this global emergency," said Andermann. "Time is pressing. With every lost species, we irreversibly lose a unique portion of Earth's natural history."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

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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

Mammal extinctions are driven almost exclusively by humans, not climate change

Human activities are responsible for 96 percent of all mammal...

Scientists exploring the deepest regions of the Great Barrier Reef for the first time have discovered five new species of black <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-reproductive-secrets-of-stony-corals/">corals</a> and sponges. The team also observed an extremely rare fish that has never been documented in Australia.

The groundbreaking research was conducted by experts onboard the <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/">Schmidt Ocean Institute</a>'s research vessel Falkor. The team deployed an underwater robot to capture high-resolution video of the seafloor 1,820 meters deep.

The international collaboration involved a multidisciplinary team of scientists from Geoscience Australia, James Cook University, University of Sydney, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Queensland Museum Network, and Queensland University of Technology.

The experts addressed many questions about the geological evolution and biology of the reefs and canyons across the deep seafloor.

"This included the most comprehensive midwater robotic dive survey series to ever have been conducted in the South Pacific," said lead scientist Dr. Brendan Brooke. "Research vessel Falkor has integrated a range of technologies that have allowed us to work across the full range of ocean depths in the Coral Sea and to provide data for multiple disciplines including geology, biology, and oceanography."

The researchers obtained samples of soft and scleractinian coral, as well as the first sample of ancient bedrock from beneath the Great Barrier Reef, which is estimated to be between 40 and 50 million years old. 

Scientists spotted the extremely rare Rhinopias agroliba, a colorful ambush predator in the scorpionfish family, and conducted the most comprehensive survey of midwater jellyfish that has ever been carried out in the South Pacific.

The team also mapped the seafloor in high resolution across 38,395 square kilometers.

"These maps, samples, and images are fascinating and provide a new understanding of the geological diversity and biological wealth of a region that is already world-renowned for its natural beauty," said Dr. Jyotika Virmani, executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute. "The data will help marine park managers to protect these ecosystems that are so vital for our global biodiversity and human health. "

The experts live streamed the underwater robotic dives and 112 hours of high definition underwater video during the month-long expedition to the Great Barrier Reef, which ended August 30, on the Schmidt Ocean Institute's YouTube channel.

"Schmidt Ocean Institute and the technology that it has brought to Australia is a huge enabler in better understanding our marine resources from a lens of diverse disciplines," said Dr. Scott Nichol. "This work brings new understanding and will keep the scientists busy for years."

The research was funded by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, Geoscience Australia, James Cook University, the University of Sydney, JAMSTEC, and Queensland Museum.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New corals found deep in the Great Barrier Reef

Scientists exploring the deepest regions of the Great Barrier Reef...

Children and infants process <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-language-pathway-appeared-in-the-brain-25-million-years-ago/">language</a> in both the left and right brain hemispheres, while adults rely on only one side of the brain, according to a study from <a href="https://gumc.georgetown.edu/">Georgetown University Medical Center</a>. The findings may explain why children tend to recover more easily from neural injuries than adults.

"This is very good news for young children who experience a neural injury," said study lead author Dr. Elissa Newport. "Use of both hemispheres provides a mechanism to compensate after a neural injury." 

"For example, if the left hemisphere is damaged from a perinatal stroke - one that occurs right after birth - a child will learn language using the right hemisphere. A child born with cerebral palsy that damages only one hemisphere can develop needed cognitive abilities in the other hemisphere. Our study demonstrates how that is possible."

Dr. Newport said the study solves a mystery that has puzzled clinicians and neuroscientists for a long time. Studies on language loss in adults who suffered a left hemisphere stroke have shown that sentence processing is only possible in this particular region. On the other hand, among young children, damage to either hemisphere is unlikely to result in language deficits.

Even when the left brain hemisphere is severely damaged in children, language can usually be recovered, which indicates that language is distributed to both hemispheres early in life, explained Dr. Newport. Until now, brain scans have not revealed the details of this phenomenon. 

"It was unclear whether strong left dominance for language is present at birth or appears gradually during development. We now have a better platform upon which to understand brain injury and recovery."

Using a more complex method of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers found that both hemispheres participate in language during early development.

According to Dr. Newport, brain networks that localize specific tasks to one or the other hemisphere start during childhood but are not complete until a child is about 10 or 11 years old. She noted that the right hemisphere is likely even more functionally involved in language processing during the earliest years of life.

"Our findings suggest that the normal involvement of the right hemisphere in language processing during very early childhood may permit the maintenance and enhancement of right hemisphere development if the left hemisphere is injured."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Young children use both brain hemispheres for language processing

Children and infants process language in both the left and...

This fall, many children will be hospitalized for seasonal <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/viruses-can-spread-on-non-respiratory-particles-like-dust/">influenza</a> A and B while the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. The prevalence of co-circulating respiratory viruses will make it difficult to recognize and prevent coronavirus infection. 

Researchers at the <a href="https://childrensnational.org/">Children's National Hospital</a> have compared the clinical features of children with COVID-19 to those with seasonal flu. The study revealed that there are no statistically significant differences in the rates of hospitalization, admission to the intensive care unit, or mechanical ventilator use between the two groups.

According to Dr. Xiaoyan Song, another unexpected finding was that more patients with COVID-19 reported fever, cough, diarrhea or vomiting, headache, body ache or chest pain at the time of diagnosis compared to those with seasonal influenza.

"I didn't see this coming when I was thinking about doing the study," said Dr. Song. "It took several rounds of thinking and combing through the data to convince myself that this was the conclusion."

The knowledge that children have more symptoms at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis is valuable information, especially considering that there are still so many unknowns about the disease.

"It's a good cue from a prevention and planning perspective," said Dr. Song. "We always emphasize early recognition and early isolation with COVID. Having a clinical picture in mind will assist clinicians as they diagnose patients with symptoms of the coronavirus."

The study was focused on 315 children who tested positive for COVID-19 between March 25 and May 15, 2020, and 1,402 children who were diagnosed with influenza A or B during the last flu season at Children's National. 

Of the patients who tested positive for COVID-19, 52 percent were male with an average age of 8.4 years. In this group, 17.1 percent were hospitalized, including 5.7 percent who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and 3.2 percent who received mechanical ventilator treatment.

Among the patients who tested positive for influenza A or B, 52 percent were male with an average age of 3.9 years. The hospitalization rates were strikingly similar to those recorded among pediatric COVID-19 patients - 21.2 percent were hospitalized, 7 percent were admitted to the ICU, and 1.9 percent received mechanical ventilator support. In both groups, fever was the most often reported symptom at the time of diagnosis followed by cough. 

The experts identified an abrupt decline of influenza cases at Children's National after local schools closed in March due to COVID-19. Dr. Song noted that the impact of school closures on the spread of COVID-19 is the next area of study for her research team.

"We want to assess the quantitative impact of school closures so we can determine at what point the cost of closing schools and staying at home outweighs the benefit of reducing transmission of COVID-19 and burdens on the health care system."

Dr. Song urges members of the community to, first and foremost, stay calm and be strong. "We're learning new and valuable things about this virus each day, which in turn improves care. The collision of the flu and COVID-19 this fall could mean an increase in pediatric hospitalizations. That's why it's important to get your flu shot, because it can help take at least one respiratory virus out of circulation."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Hospitalization rates for the flu and COVID-19 are strikingly similar among children

This fall, many children will be hospitalized for seasonal influenza...

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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

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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

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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?

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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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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...