• Severe storm brings massive rains to Queensland and NSW, Australia

    An intense low-pressure trough off the coast of southeast Australia has brought torrential rains, floods, damaging winds, and dangerous waves to southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales over the weekend, with authorities describing the impacts as similar to…

  • Strong explosive eruption at Etna volcano, Italy

    A strong explosive eruption started at Etna volcano on December 13, 2020, ejecting volcanic ash up to 4.8 km (16 000 feet) above sea level by 23:00 UTC. The Aviation Color Code was raised to Red. Monitoring networks observed increased strombolian activity at the SE…

  • Asteroid 2020 XX3 to flyby Earth at 0.1 LD on December 18

    A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2020 XX3 will fly by Earth at a distance of 0.15 LD / 0.00038 AU (56 847 km / 35 323 miles) from the center of our planet on December 18, 2020. 2020 XX3 was first observed at Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala on December 10, eight days…

  • Rare earthquakes detected near Mount Taranaki, New Zealand

    Two small earthquakes were registered near New Zealand's Mount Taranaki this week– weak and shallow M3.2 on December 8, 2020, and M1.6 on December 11. According to GeoNet, earthquakes near the volcano are considered rare. The last eruption of this volcano took…

  • Six Alaskan volcanoes may be part of one massive supervolcano

    Six stratovolcanoes comprising the Islands of Four Mountains in Alaska's central Aleutian Islands may not be separate volcanoes, but instead a part of one enormous volcanic caldera system, according to scientists who presented the evidence at the American…

  • Total solar eclipse of December 14, 2020

    A total solar eclipse will take place at 16:13 UTC on December 14, 2020, and be visible from the South Pacific, Chile, Argentina, and the South Atlantic. Observers from southern South America, the Pacific, and those currently in Antarctica will experience a partial…