Heliophysics - Sun Topics
Sun Sample Return Mission Nears Launch
2000 — April 6, 2011
The science payload for NASA's Genesis spacecraft, which will collect samples of the solar wind and return them to Earth, is now complete. Genesis is primed for liftoff in February 2001. Samples will parachute back to Earth two years later.
Continents in Collision: Pangea Ultima
2000 — April 6, 2011
Creeping more slowly than a human fingernail grows, Earth's massive continents are nonetheless on the move. Geologists say that in 250 million years the Atlantic Ocean could be just a distant memory while Earthlings will be able to walk from North America to Africa.
What Lies Beneath A Hurricane
2000 — April 6, 2011
Two NASA satellites are seeing things beneath the cloud tops of hurricanes that have been hidden from traditional weather satellites. The new data are helping scientists understand and predict dangerous storms.
Lighting Up the Ecosphere
2000 — April 6, 2011
Using satellite images of city lights at night, NASA scientists are mapping the spread of urban areas around the globe and monitoring their impact on our planet's ecosystem.
The Incredible Shrinking Ozone Hole
2000 — April 6, 2011
After reaching record-breaking proportions earlier this year the ozone hole over Antarctica has made a surprisingly hasty retreat.
A Good Month for Asteroids
2000 — April 6, 2011
September has been a good month for astronomers studying Near-Earth Asteroids(NEAs). No fewer than five sizable minor planets have flown past our planet since the beginning of the month, affording astronomers a close-up look at these ever-scary space rocks.
NASA goes on SAFARI
2000 — Sept. 20, 2011
Southern Africa offers a unique climate sub-system where scientists can study the effects of industrial activity, biomass burning and changing patterns of land usage on the environment. Last weekend a international team of scientists launched an intensive campaign -- part of the SAFARI 2000 project -- to study this complex region from the ground, the air and from space.
Retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet
2000 — April 6, 2011
Scientists say that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is retreating more slowly than they thought. In fact, it may have been growing just 8,000 years ago -- long after the end of the most recent Ice Age.
Four Wheeling on the Moon
2000 — April 6, 2011
The first interplanetary Sports Utility Vehicle makes a comeback at the 7th annual Great Moon Buggy Race in April 2000. Read this article to learn more about the history of the Lunar Rover and how kids today are solving some of the same engineering challenges
Earth's Fidgeting Climate
2000 — April 6, 2011
Is human activity warming the Earth or do recent signs of climate change signal natural variations? In this feature article, scientists discuss the vexing ambiguities of our planet's complex and unwieldy climate.