'Sigmoids' are S-shaped structures found in the outer atmosphere of the Sun (the corona), seen with X-ray telescopes and thought to be a crucial part of explosive events like solar flares. Now a group of astronomers have developed the first model to reproduce and explain the nature of the different stages of a sigmoid’s life. picked by AutumnLotus 7 months ago

When the magnetic poles reverse, a number of changes will probably occur. Communications and navigational equipment, even the composition of the atmosphere could all be affected. The reversals happen on the average every 200k years. It has been 400k years since the last one. And a year since the last omg warning. :-) picked by 2manyusernames 1 year ago

I think maybe they can...considering the fact that the artificial trees do pretty much the same job as real trees, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, and up to a thousand times more efficiently.

If you thought geo-engineering was the stuff of science fiction - all giant sun shades in space - think again. picked by Bingo 3 months ago

The tell-tale signature of the molecule methane in the atmosphere of the Jupiter-sized extrasolar planet HD 189733b has been found with the Hubble Space Telescope. Under the right circumstances methane can play a key role in prebiotic chemistry – the chemical reactions considered necessary to form life as we know it. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

Sky watchers in the northern hemisphere have snapped the first images of this year's noctilucent clouds – silvery blue structures that are the highest clouds to form in Earth's atmosphere. This season's crop of clouds could be the biggest in years due to the lull in the sun's activity. picked by AutumnLotus 6 months ago

Settling a long-standing scientific debate, Los Alamos scientists have demonstrated conclusively how electromagnetic waves accelerate ordinary electrons in the belts of radiation outside Earth's atmosphere to a state where they become "killer electrons," particles that are hazardous to satellites, spacecraft, and astronauts. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

For the first time, astronomers have found an object on a certain collision course with Earth. Fortunately, it is so small it is not expected to cause any damage, burning up in the atmosphere somewhere above northern Sudan in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. It may, however, produce a brilliant 'shooting star'. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

Beginning in September, the two sewage treatment plants in Norway’s capital will collect methane, a byproduct of the microbial process that breaks down sewage, and pump it into city buses. City officials say the switch will cut fuel costs and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by both the treatment plants and the buses. picked by kakana 6 months ago

Venus is more Earth-like than previously thought-including lightning where theory held that none could exist. Venus is the world closest to Earth in terms of size, mass, distance and chemical makeup, but while Earth is a haven for life, Venus is typically described as hellish, with a crushing atmosphere holding choking clouds of sulfuric acid over a rocky desert surface hot enough to melt lead. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

A full scale vortex engine would produce a funnel cloud that would stretch several kilometers into the atmosphere. The artificial tornado would be powered at the base by waste heat (ideally from a power-generating facility). picked by deepchill 2 years ago

Every once and a while a rare event occurs called a "nimbus", or "icebow." These rings around the sun are caused by ice crystals in the atmosphere. That, or G-d is trying to tell Florida something... ;-) Either way, still a pretty cool sight! picked by ziggyguy 2 years ago

An analysis of Saturn's atmosphere has resulted in the definition of the planet's 'day' becoming somewhat shorter.

According to a study in the journal Nature, the time it takes the ringed behemoth to complete a spin on its axis is 10 hours, 34 minutes and 13 seconds, more than five minutes shorter than previous estimates. picked by evadiva 4 months ago

President Bush has ordered the Pentagon to use a Navy missile to attempt to destroy a broken U.S. spy satellite - and thereby minimize the risk to humans from its toxic fuel - by intercepting it just before it re-enters the atmosphere, officials said Thursday.
*update to this story. picked by dollyllama 2 years ago

Mysterious UFO sightings may go hand in hand with a puzzling natural phenomenon known as sprites — flashes high in the atmosphere triggered by thunderstorms. picked by AutumnLotus 9 months ago

ORBITER is a free flight simulator that goes beyond the confines of Earth's atmosphere. Launch the Space Shuttle from Kennedy Space Center to deploy a satellite, rendezvous with the International Space Station or take the futuristic Delta-glider for a tour through the solar system - the choice is yours. picked by mutil8or 1 year ago

With its thin atmosphere and scant moisture, Mars is often largely cloud-free. But new observations reveal clouds of dry ice thick enough to cast significant shadows on the red planet. picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago

An expansion of sea ice around Antarctica is linked to a hole in the ozone layer high in the atmosphere, according to a study that helps clear up a mystery about global warming.

The findings explain an apparent contradiction between a thaw of ice in the Arctic to record lows and an increase in ice around Antarctica over the past 30 years. picked by AutumnLotus 7 months ago

Carbon dioxide, a potential fingerprint of life, has been discovered for the first time in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting another star. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago

Nitrous oxide, better known as the dental anaesthetic ''laughing gas'', is now the most potent destroyer of ozone in the upper atmosphere, a study has shown. picked by kakana 3 months ago

Analogous to the Earth's current situation, greenhouse warming 55 million years ago was caused by a relatively rapid increase of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. This phase, known as the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM), was studied using sediments that accumulated 55 million years ago on the ocean floor. The new study shows that a large proportion of the greenhouse gases was released ... read full post picked by AutumnLotus 2 years ago