A new sediment tracer uses the interactions between radiation, charge, and the Sun to uncover the hidden transport histories of sand grains.
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Starry Nights Are Disappearing
Stars dim as the sky gets brighter, a result of expanding cities and bright LEDs. Simple low-tech changes can help preserve dark night skies.
Peeking at Peatlands: Satellite Data Fuel New Findings
Researchers are combining hard-to-get field measurements with satellite imagery to gain new insight into where peatlands are and how they work.
Coronal Dimmings Shine Light on Stellar CMEs
Coronal mass ejections from stars have eluded easy observation, so scientists are looking at what’s left behind.
When Less is More—The Moon Sheds Light on Clouds at Night
Shining light into the dark reveals the unseen, but in some cases, it changes our perception of reality. Through moonlight we learn how the environment tricks our ways of finding nocturnal clouds.
A Bright, LED-Lit Future for Ocean Sciences
LEDs have taken over the global lighting market. Now it’s time for this versatile, low-cost, and energy-efficient technology to illuminate oceanic processes.
Bright Lights, Big Cities Attract Migratory Birds
The first stopover site map for U.S. migratory birds reveals the attraction of urban light pollution.
Newly Improved Solar Spectral Irradiance Composite Record
A new study accurately captures solar irradiance, which is crucial to understand the energetics and radiation balance of Earth and its influences on the cryosphere, atmosphere, and ocean currents.
Laser Flashes Shed Light on a Changing Arctic
An ongoing project in northern Alaska is using pulses of laser light to monitor anthropogenic activity, ice quakes, and marine wildlife.
Flying Saucers Could One Day Probe the Mesosphere
Researchers have created thin, levitating disks that could be used to study the mesosphere, a layer of Earth’s atmosphere that’s difficult to reach with conventional flyers.