I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
A shallow M4.4 earthquake struck the Campi Flegrei caldera west of Naples, Italy, at 05:50 LT (03:50 UTC) on May 21, 2026, beginning a seismic swarm that ended after 12 earthquakes.
Astronomers have reported evidence of a thin atmosphere around the small plutino (612533) 2002 XV93 after observing the object pass in front of a distant star on January 10, 2024. The finding, published in Nature Astronomy this month, identifies evidence of a gaseous envelope around a trans-Neptunian object far smaller than Pluto.
Microscopic volcanic ash preserved in Greenland ice has been chemically matched to the Newberry Pumice eruption in Oregon, refining the eruption age to 686 ± 2 CE and extending its known ash footprint across the North Atlantic.
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.6 hit the southern East Pacific Rise at 17:43 UTC on May 20, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth.
Preliminary measurements from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite mapped parts of Mexico City and surrounding areas subsiding by more than 2 cm (0.8 inches) per month between October 25, 2025, and January 17, 2026, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) reported. JPL attributed the deformation in large part to groundwater pumping and long-term compaction of the ancient lakebed beneath the metropolitan area.
Over 10 000 pilgrims were rescued after multiple landslides disrupted the Kedarnath pilgrimage route in Uttarakhand late on May 19, 2026, temporarily blocking movement between Sonprayag and Gaurikund.
A strong earthquake registered by the IGP as an M6.1 struck near Ica, southern Peru, at 12:57 LT (17:57 UTC) on May 19, 2026, injuring 28 people and damaging homes, schools, health facilities, roads, and other public facilities.
A shallow M5.6 earthquake struck Battalgazi district in Malatya province, eastern Türkiye, at 09:00 local time (06:00 UTC) on May 20, 2026, according to Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD). USGS registered the quake as M5.4 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles) and EMSC as M5.4 at a depth of 7 km (4.3 miles). While there was no immediate damage reported, provincial authorities evacuated schools and closed them for the day.
Type III solar radio bursts observed by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe may reveal large-scale magnetic-field disturbances and switchback-like structures near the Sun, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal in 2026. The study may help scientists remotely map hidden magnetic structures near the Sun, improving how the solar wind is studied and eventually strengthening space weather physics.
A late-season winter storm brought heavy snow and hazardous travel conditions to southern Wyoming on May 18, 2026, shutting down sections of Interstate 80 and other roads. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Cheyenne issued winter storm and blizzard warnings for parts of Carbon and Albany counties, while the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) reported road closures, reduced visibility, and winter travel hazards across affected corridors.
