The Watchers team and our contributors bring the latest on extreme weather, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, space weather, and all things science. We're all about making sense of the natural world and keeping you informed on what’s happening. Got a tip or a question? Hit us up using the form at newstips!
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Images acquired by SECCHI/HI-1 telescope aboard the solar-observing STEREO-B spacecraft have revealed strange streaming clumps from unusually dusty Comet C/2011 L4 (Pan-STARRS). This discovery could hold secrets to how comets create their beautiful, sweeping, striated t
Today, physicist Wal Thornhill continues his discussion of NASA’s New Horizons mission to the dwarf planet Pluto. The mission has already provided a number of surprises for planetary scientists.The tiny planet’s geological activity, its apparent age, the stu
A warm spell triggered a destructive glacial lake outburst flood along the Kargalinka River threathening residents of Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, earlier this month. A state of emergency has been declared across the affected areas of Almaty.NASA's Earth
More than 1 000 of the leading researchers in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics have signed and published an open letter calling for a ban on offensive autonomous weapons, also known colloquially as “killer robots”. The letter, published July 27, 201
With California homeowners taking steps to save water during the drought, they may be dismayed to hear that a new UCLA report found that water agencies are unable to keep close track of how much their own pipes are leaking.The report is particularly timely due to a new
For the second time this month, the Moon is about to become full, but it most likely won't turn blue, like it's name suggests. According to modern folklore, whenever there are two full Moons in a calendar month, the second one is "blue." Most Blue Moon
Effusion of viscous lava continues at slow pace to feed the lava dome with two active lobes on the SE and E upper flanks of Indonesian Sinabung volcano.At 12:22 local time today, a small part of the eastern lobe collapsed into a medium-sized pyroclastic flow that
This timelapse video was produced by photographer Jeff Boyce of Negative Tilt Photography who spent five weeks from May to June of this year traveling around the United States to capture over 70 000 high-resolution photos of severe weather and the night sky.The result i
NASA’s New Horizons mission to the dwarf planet Pluto is attracting international attention to planetary science. And like all recent missions to planets, moons, comets and asteroids, surprising discoveries already abound for scientists on Earth. Giant mountains o
Giant sinkholes which started appearing in Yamal Peninsula, Russia last year remain a mystery to scientists investigating this phenomena around the world.Theories about what's causing them are numerous… from UFO's to natural gas which is abundant in this regio
