Space and Planetary Sciences

Geosciences column: Making aurora photos taken by ISS astronauts useful for research

Laura Roberts-Artal October 7, 2016

Northern lights appeared over Murphy Dome, Alaska. Credit: Taro Nakai (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

It’s a clear night, much like any other, except that billions of kilometers away the Sun has gone into overdrive and (hours earlier) hurled a mass of charged particles, including protons, electrons and atoms towards the Earth. As the electrons slam into the upper reaches of the atmosphere, the night sky explodes into a spectacular display of dancing lights: aurora. Aurora remain shrouded in myste ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: counting stars

Vytas Huth August 22, 2016

There is never enough time to count all the stars you want The straight ring . Credit: Vytas Huth (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

This year’s imaggeo photo contest saw humdreds of great entries. Among the winning images was a stunning night-sky panorama by Vytas Huth. In today’s post, Vytas describes how he captured the image and how the remote location in Southern Germany is one of the few (in Europe) where it is still posssible to, clearly, image the Milk Way. I took the image in October 2015, usually the last ...[Read More]

GeoTalk: Matt Taylor of ESA’s Rosetta mission

Laura Roberts-Artal July 15, 2016

Screenshot from the Rosetta mission cartoons. Credit: ESA. All Rosetta Mission videos are available on YouTube

In November 2014, space exploration history was made. Millions of kilometres away, orbiting a piece of ice and rock, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta mission sent its probe Philae to become the first spacecraft to soft-land on a comet. After the tense 7-hour wait that followed the separation from the main orbiter, a tweet confirmed that the little lander had successfully completed the fir ...[Read More]

GeoPolicy: 8 science-based projects improving regions in the EU

Sarah Connors June 17, 2016

Winter Storm at La Palama. Seawater swimming pools destroyed by a winter storm on the northern shore of La Palma island. Credit: Camille Clerc (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

As scientists, it can sometimes be difficult to see the real-world implications of some of our research. Concepts can often seem abstract and remote when sitting in a lab or taking field measurements. But researching the Earth sciences can have profound effects on global society. Understanding how the natural world works can help protect and improve human, animal, and plant life. This month’s GeoP ...[Read More]