Solar System - Moon Topics
Record-setting Ozone Hole
2000 — April 6, 2011
Antarctica's ozone hole now covers an area three times larger than the entire land mass of the United States - the largest such ozone-depleted region ever observed. Early spring conditions in the southern hemisphere and an unusually intense Antarctic vortex are contributing to the growth of the hole.
Watching Wildfires from Space
2000 — April 6, 2011
NASA satellites are keeping a close eye on wildfires raging across the Western US. Every few hours, a global map of smoky aerosols is updated at the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer web site. Now, anyone with a connection to the Internet can share the same "bird's eye" view enjoyed by NASA scientists.
Peering into the Ozone Hole
2000 — April 6, 2011
Concentrations of ozone-destroying gases are down, but the Antarctic ozone hole is bigger than ever. It turns out there's more to ozone destruction than just CFCs. Stratospheric ice crystals, the Antarctic Vortex, and global warming play a role, too.
Sun's Got the Beat
2000 — April 6, 2011
Like blood pulsing in an artery, newly discovered currents of gas beat deep inside the Sun, speeding and slackening every 16 months. The solar "heartbeat" throbs in the same region of the Sun suspected of driving the 11-year cycle of solar eruptions. Scientists are hopeful that this pulse can help them unravel the origin and operation of the solar cycle.
Learning from Lightning
2000 — April 6, 2011
Little by little, Lightningsensors in space are revealing the inner workings of severe storms. Scientists hope to use the technique to improve forecasts of deadly weather.
Ocean Tides Lost and Found
2000 — April 6, 2011
The Moon's gravity imparts tremendous energy to the Earth, raising tides throughout the global oceans. What happens to all this energy? After 200 years of debate, scientists using data from the orbiting TOPEX/Poseiden satellite may now have the answer.
A Disintegrating Glacier
2000 — April 6, 2011
Many processes that shape the Earth's landscape happen too slowly to be witnessed in a human lifetime. But recent analysis of satellite imagery shows that a large glacier tongue on the coast of East Antarctica has disintegrated, changing the shape of the coastline almost overnight.
Total Lunacy
2000 — April 6, 2011
Sky watchers in Western Europe and the Americas can enjoy the first total Lunar Eclipseof the year 2000 on Thursday night.
Pacific Lunar Eclipse
2000 — April 6, 2011
This weekend the Moon, the Sun and the Earth will align for the longest total Lunar Eclipsein 140 years. The best places to see the event are in and around the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii and Australia. Observers along the west coast of North America will be able to see a partial eclipse just before The Moonsets on Sunday morning.
La Nina's Ghost
2000 — April 6, 2011
La Nina has faded away, but will weather patterns change? Some scientists expect the Pacific Decadal Oscillation to pick up where La Nina left off.