• 1.4 billion people face severe risks in South Asia

    According to research released this week by risk analysis and research company Verisk Maplecroft, 1.4 billion people in South Asia, 81% of the region’s population, are acutely exposed to at least one type of natural hazard and live in areas considered to have…

  • Meteor mission launched to ISS

    After two failed attempts, Meteor mission was successfully launched at 03:05 UTC on March 23, 2016. Instruments needed for the mission, along with more than 3 ½ tons of supplies were packed inside an Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft and launched via the United…

  • Large multiple-vortex waterspout filmed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

    A tornado formed in Fort Lauderdale, southeastern Florida on March 19, 2016, and soon turned into a large multiple-vortex waterspout. The rare event was filmed by several observers. The wind picked up boats, tossed garbage cans and left several cars damaged….

  • ‘Twin comets’ to safely fly past Earth

    Two Jupiter-family comets – 252P/LINEAR and P/2016 BA14 (PANSTARRS) – will safely fly past Earth on March 21 and 22, 2016 at a distance of 5.2 million km (3.3 million miles) and 3.5 million km (2.2 million miles), respectively. The two comets have intriguingly…

  • Rare earthquake hits northern Sweden, largest in 100 years

    A rare earthquake was registered about 45 km (28 miles) off the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, northern Sweden late Saturday, March 19, 2016. Swedish national seismic network (SNSN) recorded it as a shallow M3.9 earthquake at 21:55 UTC. "This area of the Gulf…

  • Asteroid 2016 EF195 detected 4 days after very close flyby

    Newly discovered asteroid 2016 EF195 made a very close approach to Earth on March 11 and flew by us at 0.08 lunar distances. The closest approach occurred at 04:35 UTC at about 31 565 km (0.000211 AU / 0.08 LD / 19 613 miles) from the surface of our planet. This…