Press Releases & Feature Stories Archive - Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Thailand Puts NASA Air Quality Data to Use

11.23.2020

Thai government agencies announced at Nov. 23, 2020 media event in Bangkok they are now harnessing the power of NASA air quality data and expertise through a unique partnership with SERVIR.

NASA, US and European Partners Launch Mission to Monitor Global Ocean

11.21.2020

A joint U.S.-European satellite built to monitor global sea levels lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Saturday at 9:17 a.m. PST (12:17 p.m. EST).

Predicted Expansion of the South Atlantic Anomaly in the Next Five Years

11.20.2020

One of our recent geomagnetic predictions is the continuous westward expansion of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), an area at the Earth’s surface where the geomagnetic field intensity is exceptionally low and stretches from southern Africa, across the southern Atlantic and South America, to the eastern Pacific.

Hubble Captures Cosmic Cinnamon Bun

11.20.2020

Observed with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, the faint galaxy featured in this image is known as UGC 12588.

Monitoring the Global Decline of Air Pollution During the COVID-19 Pandemic

11.20.2020

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is an important air pollutant formed during the combustion of fossil fuels. The reduced human activities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic led to sharp reductions in surface NO2 around the globe.

Monitoring COVID-19-Related Changes in Carbon Dioxide from Space

11.20.2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic altered human activity across the planet in 2020, NASA satellites provided unique global views that allowed scientists to track changes in air pollution, energy usage, and greenhouse gas emissions as they happened.

Satellite Tree Enumeration Outside of Forests at the 50-Centimeter Scale

11.20.2020

Only 50% of the Earth’s total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels and deforestation accumulate in our atmosphere; of the other half, 20% is absorbed into the oceans, and 30% goes somewhere on land.

Arctic Animals’ Movement Patterns are Shifting in Different Ways as the Climate Changes

11.20.2020

Seasonal cues, such as warmer spring temperatures or cooler temperatures in the fall, tell animals when to migrate, when to mate, and when and where to find food. Predators and prey, birds and mammals alike follow this natural schedule, and an overall shift of just a few days or weeks could have unknown impacts on these animals and ecosystems.

Tree Census from Space: Quantifying Woody Biomass Using Machine Learning

11.19.2020

Combining 50-cm scale satellite data with computing resources from the NCCS and NCSA, Goddard’s Compton Tucker and collaborators mapped a surprising 1.8 billion trees across West Africa and determined the area of leaves within the tree crowns, which, with tree height calculations, will allow accurate predictions of carbon in the wood of these trees.

NASA Aids Disaster Response after Eta and Iota Hit Central America

11.19.2020

With up to 155-mph winds, Hurricane Iota smashed record books on Nov. 16 as the strongest hurricane ever recorded to make landfall in Nicaragua. Iota reached Category 5 strength before making landfall as a Category 4 storm near the town of Haulover, Nicaragua.

20 Years of Observing Earth from the International Space Station

11.19.2020

After 20 years of continuous human presence, the International Space Station (ISS) has provided 241 visitors with an extraordinary view of Earth from outer space — one they have shared with the rest of the world.

Lunar Gateway Instruments to Improve Weather Forecasting for Artemis Astronauts

11.19.2020

For Artemis astronauts traveling on missions to the Moon, two space weather instrument suites, HERMES and ERSA, will provide an early forecast.

A Busy Season for Crop Fires in Northwestern India

11.18.2020

Burning leftover straw after the rice harvest has once again blanketed the region with smoke.

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope to Uncover Echoes of the Universe’s Creation

11.18.2020

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will detect vestiges of sound waves that once rippled through the primordial cosmic sea. According to new simulations, Roman’s observations could extend these measurements into an unprobed epoch between the universe’s infancy and the present day.

NASA’s Webb Completes Significant Testing Milestone for Deployable Tower

11.18.2020

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope marked another significant testing milestone with the successful deployment of a critical structure that plays an important role in how the observatory will unfurl and deploy once in space.

Iota – Atlantic Ocean

11.17.2020

Less than two weeks after being hit by Category 4 Hurricane Eta, several Central American countries braced for the arrival of Category 5 Hurricane Iota.

NASA Model Reveals How Much COVID-related Pollution Levels Deviated from the Norm

11.17.2020

Using computer models to generate a COVID-free 2020 for comparison, NASA researchers found that since February, pandemic restrictions have reduced global nitrogen dioxide concentrations by nearly 20%.

The Cosmic Dust in Your Bones—NASA’s Webb Telescope Will Investigate the Intertwined Origins of Dust and Life

11.17.2020

Astronomers find themselves in a similar position when calculating the amount of dust galaxies should have; there is more dust than expected, and they don’t know where it’s coming from.

Black Hole's Dust Ring May Be Casting Shadows From Heart of a Galaxy

11.17.2020

Astronomers studying nearby galaxy IC 5063 are tantalized by a similar effect in images taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. In this case, a collection of narrow bright rays and dark shadows is seen beaming out of the blazingly bright center of the active galaxy.

Iceberg A-68A Nears South Georgia

11.16.2020

Scientists watch as A-68A, currently the planet’s largest iceberg, approaches a remote island in the southern Atlantic Ocean.

NCCS and Partners Highlight Recent Scientific Advancements at Virtual SC20 Conference

11.16.2020

The NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center partners will highlight their recent advances during SC20, the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis being held virtually November 9–19, 2020.

NASA Research Exhibit to Highlight Science and Engineering Advances at the Virtual SC20 Supercomputing Conference

11.16.2020

From assessing COVID-19’s global impacts to helping NASA return humans to the Moon to searching the cosmos for new exoplanets, researchers from across NASA, with university and industry partners, will highlight their latest advances, enabled by the agency’s supercomputers, at SC20—the International Conference for High Performance Computing.