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!

  • Rosetta makes first detection of molecular nitrogen at a comet

    ESA's Rosetta spacecraft has made the first measurement of molecular nitrogen at a comet, providing clues about the temperature environment in which Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko formed, the agency reports.The in situ detection of molecular nitrogen has long been

  • Massive amounts of fresh water, glacial melt pouring into Gulf of Alaska

    Incessant mountain rain, snow and melting glaciers in a comparatively small region of land that hugs the southern Alaska coast and empties fresh water into the Gulf of Alaska would create the sixth largest coastal river in the world if it emerged as a single stream, a r

  • The mystery of solar nanoflares

    Nanoflares are eruptions on the Sun which are billion times less energetic than ordinary flares but still have the power that belies their name. They appear as little brightenings of the solar surface at extreme ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths and they might solve a l

  • High air pollution currently being measured across England and Wales

    High air pollution is currently (March 19, 2015) being measured across a number of regions in England and Wales. This is due to pollution brought in via winds from the continent and particulate matter from a combination of local sources, the Department for Environment,

  • MAVEN detects unexpected aurora and mysterious dust cloud around Mars

    Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft has observed two unexpected phenomena in the Martian atmosphere: an unexplained high-altitude dust cloud and aurora that reaches deep into the Martian atmosphere.The presence of the dust at orbital altitudes from

  • Saturn’s moon Enceladus exhibits signs of hydrothermal activity

    Data obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft provided first clear evidence that Saturn's moon Enceladus exhibits signs of present-day hydrothermal activity which may resemble that seen in the deep oceans on Earth. The implications of such activity on a world

  • “Baffling” Mars plumes are electric

    Science news headlines around the world tell of a baffling mystery on the planet Mars. In March of 2012, amateur astronomers spotted enormous plumes jetting from the Martian surface. The plumes were more than 250 km high and several hundreds of kilometers in length.Simi

  • The top 6 climate change problems

    In this video presentation, Ben Davidson of the SuspiciousObservers presents and explains 6 climate change problems.From (un)expected climate change and the difficulty to trust in what we hear to the shifting of the entire Solar System and more. Citations for this video

  • New long-term earthquake forecast for California

    A new California earthquake forecast by the USGS and partners revises scientific estimates for the chances of having large earthquakes over the next several decades. The Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, or UCERF3, improves upon previous models by in