Preparing for the NASA Lucy spacecraft’s first Trojan asteroid encounters, mission scientists have begun instructing the spacecraft to turn its cameras toward its future targets. From hundreds of millions of miles away, the asteroids appear as pinpricks of light. Yet, these early observations will help the team select the best camera settings for Lucy’s upcoming The post NASA’s Lucy Begins Camera Tests Ahead of 2027 Trojan Flybys appeared first on NASA Science.

NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Anil Menon began a spacewalk at 8:35 a.m. EDT outside the International Space Station to prepare the 3B power channel for the future installation of new roll-out solar arrays. Once installed, the arrays will provide additional power to support critical station operations, including its safe and controlled deorbit. The post Spacewalk Begins for Solar Array Modifications appeared first on NASA Science.

Conservationists say protected seahorses are being disturbed, both intentionally and unintentionally.

NASA is streaming live coverage as two NASA astronauts prepare for a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The spacewalk is scheduled to begin at approximately 8:35 a.m. EDT and last about six and a half hours. Watch online at: https://www.nasa.gov/live  The post Spacewalkers Prepare to Exit Station for Solar Array Mod Work appeared first on NASA Science.

Plans involve dredging and expanding docks to allow larger cruise ships to visit with up to 200,000 passengers annuallyJanavi Kramer had just enjoyed a swim with friends and was sitting on a bench taking in a wonderful Cornish view – headlands plunging into deep water, bobbing boats, a bustling harbour town.“We’re lucky to have this space,” said Kramer, who is an artist and scientific illustrator. “We use it for work, recreation and pleasure and it’s so scary to think that this could all be harmed. I worry about what we may be living with soon and what we’ll be leaving for future generations.” Continue reading...

Environment Agency assessments find just 14.3% of country’s surface waters in good ecological statusEvery single English water body is polluted with toxic chemicals, new government data shows, while just 14.3% of surface waters achieved good ecological status.Each of the country’s rivers, lakes and estuaries was assessed by the Environment Agency as part of a six-yearly evaluation of England’s water quality. The EA checked for a range of toxic chemicals, from Pfas – or “forever chemicals” – to microplastics. Waters were also checked against a range of standards covering wildlife, water quality and physical habitat. Continue reading...

While many leaders compare the wildfire crisis to the second world war, governments fail to adopt the real lessons of pre-emptive wartime actionAs France and Spain battle historic wildfires, comparisons to the second world war abound. “One of the continent’s biggest evacuation efforts since World War II,” reports the Associated Press. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has called the wildfires his country’s “most difficult situation since the second world war”.The images crossing all our screens certainly feel war-like – emergency aircraft and black smoke fill the skies, frantic civilians seeking shelter, historic towns lying in ruins, charred forests and burned-out vehicles, exhausted and sweat-soaked emergency responders. Continue reading...

A comprehensive assessment of England's waterways is the first in six years and shows little improvement.

A comprehensive assessment of England's waterways is the first in six years and shows little improvement.

A comprehensive assessment of England's waterways is the first in six years and shows little improvement.

Beaches in San Vicente municipality in the Philippines’ Palawan province are crucial nesting grounds for olive ridley sea turtles. But the turtles and their babies face perilous journeys on those beaches — from dogs, tourism, and increasingly severe storms and high tides. To counter these threats, the NGO Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE)

A mountainous reserve near Manila, the Philippine capital, is a critical ecological refuge, harboring high levels of plant diversity despite its proximity to the highly urbanized city, according to a recent study. The findings come from surveys done 10 years earlier, however, and mounting pressures on the area’s forests since then may have had an

Current blazes roaring across country more than twice as likely to occur because of fossil fuel-driven global heatingThe human-driven climate crisis made the conditions that led to blazes roaring across Canada, which have caused toxic smoke to spew throughout the country and into the US, twice as likely to occur, a new analysis has found.Heightened global temperatures, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, amplified the risk of fire-prone weather in Ontario and the Northwest Territories, scientists found. These provinces have been racked by fires this summer, causing towns to be evacuated and unhealthy smoke to unfurl across multiple cities in North America. Continue reading...

On the morning of June 27, a 7.6-meter (25-foot) blue whale calf washed ashore on a busy beach in Mumbai, India’s financial capital and the capital of Maharashtra state. Whale strandings are rare along the Maharashtra coast, so Mongabay spoke with experts to find out what happened next. “Each stranding incident is a totally unexpected

Photos of a striking, iridescent wasp posted on social media by wasp enthusiasts in Japan have led to an unexpected discovery: The images are the first record of the species in Japan. The footage also helped scientists describe a male of the species for the first time. The images and a video of the wasps

Bangladesh is the world’s second largest producer of the environmentally friendly fiber jute. However, the country has, for decades, grappled with the move to combat the escalating use of the cheaper and more popular, but harmful, plastic-based packaging and synthetic fibers. As a safeguard measure, the government, 16 years ago, enacted a law for the