As wildfires currently devastate western North America, a new airborne project team hopes to develop a space solution to stop conflagrations before they get out of control. The project could one day help future firefighters acquire “fire behavior” maps within 20 minutes of an outbreak, using satellite data combined with machine learning (a kind of artificial intelligence), according to a statement from the University of California, Berkeley. The project, funded by a $1.5 million grant, will fund “spotter planes” with infrared detectors — heat-seeking sensors to examine flame length and…
Read MoreMonth: July 2021
Wildfire smoke spreads across US in striking images from space
Black carbon particulates from wildfires spreads eastward across the U.S. in this image captured July 21, 2021. (Image credit: Joshua Stevens/NASA Earth Observatory) NASA has released striking satellite images of wildfire smoke clouds covering vast swaths of the U.S., from the West Coast all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. NASA’s Earth Observatory released the two images on July 23. The first image, captured on July 20 using the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the NOAA-20 satellite, clearly shows a band of smoke drifting eastward, as well as…
Read MoreNew ‘Star Trek’ movie slated for 2023 lands ‘Wandavision’ director Matt Shakman
A report from Deadline states the as-yet untitled “Star Trek” movie slated to be released in 2023 will be directed by Matt Shakman. This has also been confirmed by Paramount Pictures. Shakman is most recently known for showrunning the nine-episode limited series “WandaVision” for Marvel on Disney Plus and that show has been nominated for an impressive 23 Emmy Awards, including one for Shakman’s work directing the series. He has also directed episodes of critically-acclaimed TV shows like HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Amazon’s “The Boys” and FX’s “Fargo.” This latest…
Read MoreThe first four ‘Star Trek’ films are getting remastered to warp back into stores in 4K UHD
The first four “Star Trek” movies are getting an ultra-high-definition makeover to be released in 4K as a box set in September, just in time for Star Trek day on Sept. 8, and are available for pre-orders now. Currently available for $90.99 at Amazon.com (it arrives on Sept. 7 in the U.S. and is normally $107.99), the new “Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection” represents the very best of “Star Trek” on the big screen. Frankly, these Kirk-era movies have never been bettered. Gasp in awe as we learn the…
Read MoreA SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to icy Jupiter moon
NASA’s highly anticipated mission to Jupiter’s ocean moon Europa now has a rocket ride. The $4.25 billion Europa Clipper spacecraft will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, NASA officials announced Friday (July 23). The total value of the contract is about $178 million, they added. If all goes according to plan, Clipper will lift off in October 2024 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and arrive in orbit around Jupiter in April 2030. The probe will then study Europa in depth during nearly 50 close flybys of the…
Read MoreSpace Station Science Highlights: Week of July 19, 2021
Crew members aboard the International Space Station conducted scientific investigations during the week of July 19 that included studies of how tardigrades adapt to stressful environments, using sound to capture and manipulate objects, and the effects of space station vibrations on experiments.
Read MoreNASA Awards Launch Services Contract for Europa Clipper Mission
NASA has selected Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) of Hawthorne, California, to provide launch services for Earth’s first mission to conduct detailed investigations of Jupiter’s moon Europa.
Read MoreHow Often Do Chicxulub-level Asteroids Hit Earth?
Asteroids of different sizes crashing on Earth originated from different parts of the main asteroid belt, researchers say; the finding has implications for how often such collisions happen. The post How Often Do Chicxulub-level Asteroids Hit Earth? appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read MoreThis Week’s Sky at a Glance, July 23 – 31
Saturn and Jupiter shine in the southeast by late evening. The bright Moon passes them on the 24th through 26th. Venus continues to sit patiently, changelessly, low in the west in twilight. Bootes and the Big Dipper mark the western sky after dark; the Summer Triangle emblazons the east. The post This Week's Sky at a Glance, July 23 – 31 appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Read More‘Alien abduction’ stories may come from lucid dreaming, study hints
Lucid dreaming, in which people are partially aware and can control their dreams during sleep, could explain so-called alien abduction stories, a study suggests. Claims of such abductions date to the 19th century; the circumstances of the kidnappings often sound dreamlike and trigger feelings of terror and paralysis. Certain dream states are also known to produce such feelings, leading Russian researchers to wonder if dream experiments could provide clues about alleged extraterrestrial experiences. The scientists prompted lucid dreamers to dream about encounters with aliens or unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and…
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