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    NASA’s Geotail Mission Experiences an Anomaly

    Artistic representation of the Geotail spacecraft. The 3D image blue spacecraft is set against the dark back drop of space in the distance are small orbs representing planets and a bright white circle representing the Sun.

    NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are determining how to move forward with the joint Geotail mission since discovering the spacecraft's last operational data recorder has failed. Originally, Geotail was equipped with two data recorders to collect the mission's scientific data. One …

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    NASA InSight’s Power Level as of Oct. 8, 2022

    On October 8, 2022, InSight was generating an average of 300 watt-hours of energy per Martian day, or sol – an increase after a sharp decline last week from 430 watt-hours per sol to a low of 275 watt-hours per sol. The decline was caused by a regional dust storm which, though thousands of miles …

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    Sun Releases Strong Solar Flare

    An orange Sun on a black background. The Sun has bright yellow and white areas on the top left and bottom right. On the top right, there is a white X where the flare burst from the Sun.

    The Sun emitted a strong solar flare, peaking at 4:25 p.m. EDT on Oct. 2, 2022. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to …

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    NASA InSight’s Power Level as of Sept. 17, 2022

    On September 17, 2022, InSight was generating an average of 420 watt-hours of energy per Martian day, or sol. The tau, or level of dust cover in the atmosphere, was estimated at .85 (typical tau levels outside of dust season range from 0.6-0.7).

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    Alaska’s Newest Lakes Are Belching Methane

    A lake in Alaska. The lake surface is covered in floating plants and cattails and other grasses can be seen in the foreground of the image. The sky is gray and cloudy.

    By Sofie Bates / FAIRBANKS, ALASKA / "This lake wasn't here 50 years ago." Katey Walter Anthony, an ecologist at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, dips her paddle into the water as her kayak glides across the lake. "Years ago, the ground was about three meters taller and it was a spruce forest," she says. …

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    NASA InSight’s Power Level as of Sept. 17, 2022

    On September 17, 2022, InSight was generating an average of 420 watt-hours of energy per Martian day, or sol. The tau, or level of dust cover in the atmosphere, was estimated at .85 (typical tau levels outside of dust season range from 0.6-0.7).

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    Walking Back in Time to Learn About the Future of Permafrost

    By Sofie Bates / FAIRBANKS, ALASKA / There's a freezer door in the mountainside outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. Tom Douglas opens it and we step inside, breathing in cold air and musky dust as we start to walk back through time. This isn't fantasy. It's the Permafrost Tunnel run by the U.S. Army's Cold …

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    NASA InSight’s Power Level as of Sept. 10, 2022

    On September 10, 2022, InSight was generating an average of 420 watt-hours of energy per Martian day, or sol. The tau, or level of dust cover in the atmosphere, was estimated at .80 (typical tau levels outside of dust season range from 0.6-0.7).

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    NASA InSight’s Power Level as of Sept. 5, 2022

    On September 5, 2022, InSight was generating an average of 410 watt-hours of energy per Martian day, or sol. The tau, or level of dust cover in the atmosphere, was estimated at .80 (typical tau levels outside of dust season range from 0.6-0.7).

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