Today's Image of the Day from the James Webb Space Telescope features the planetary nebula NGC 6072, located about 3,200 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.&nbsp;



The nebula was formed from the outer layers of a dying star and shaped by complex interactions that likely involved a hidden companion star.



When stars like our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/widest-high-resolution-photo-of-the-sun-ever-captured-solar-orbiter/">Sun</a> reach the end of their lives, they don’t go quietly. They erupt - slowly, over thousands of years - shedding their outer layers into space and creating glowing shells of gas and dust called planetary nebulae.&nbsp;



These dramatic displays are not only visually striking but also packed with information about how stars live and die. Thanks to NASA’s <a href="https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2025/news-2025-124.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Webb Space Telescope</a>, astronomers are now getting a much closer look at stellar life cycles in remarkable detail.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-your-typical-nebula">Not your typical nebula</h2>



NGC 6072 doesn’t look like the neat, symmetrical nebula that many might imagine. Instead, Webb’s image shows what looks like a cosmic splatter painting: a tangled web of gas, dust, and glowing rings shooting out in different directions.



While some planetary nebulae are spherical or have two clear lobes - what astronomers call "bipolar" shapes - this one breaks the mold. Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) reveals that NGC 6072 is “multi-polar,” with at least three separate lobes extending in different directions.&nbsp;



One pair stretches from roughly 11 o’clock to 5 o’clock, another from 1 to 7, and possibly a third from 12 to 6. It’s like watching a fountain spew in several directions all at once.



These lobes likely didn’t form by chance. Instead, astronomers think they’re being sculpted by the powerful influence of a second star orbiting the one that’s dying.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-partner-in-the-chaos">A partner in the chaos</h2>



The idea of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/red-supergiant-star-betelgeuse-has-a-companion-finally-found-after-100-years/">companion star</a> adds a layer of complexity to the story. The star at the center of NGC 6072 is nearing the final stages of its life and shedding its outer layers - a common fate for low- to intermediate-mass stars like the Sun. But when there’s a second star nearby, things can get messy.



Astronomers believe that this companion is interacting with the main star’s ejecta, shaping the outflows and possibly compressing material into a disk that appears perpendicular to the lobes. Webb’s high-resolution data suggests this dynamic duo is responsible for NGC 6072’s odd shape.



The central area has a light blue glow in near-infrared light, showing the hot core that remains. Dark orange wisps of gas and dust curve around it, interrupted by deep blue openings.&nbsp;



These shapes may have been carved out by fast stellar winds blowing through the earlier, slower-moving halo of gas the star expelled long ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mysterious-rings-of-ngc-6072">Mysterious rings of NGC 6072</h2>



In the mid-infrared view from Webb’s <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/mid-infrared-instrument-miri/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIRI instrument</a>, the picture becomes even more intriguing. One tiny pinkish-white dot, likely the main star, sits at the center, surrounded by a faint bullseye of concentric rings. These rings hint at a story that spans thousands of years.



One explanation is that the orbiting companion star may have carved out these rings as it passed through the outer layers of the primary star’s expanding envelope, leaving behind a pattern much like ripples in a pond.&nbsp;



Another possibility is that the main star itself may have gone through pulsations, shedding material in evenly spaced intervals, each separated by millennia.



The red areas in the near-infrared and blue areas in the mid-infrared both highlight cold molecular gas - most likely molecular hydrogen.&nbsp;



Closer to the center, astronomers see hot, ionized gas glowing brightly. This layered combination of temperatures and gases offers insight into how the star has evolved over time and what forces are at work.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cycle-of-life">The cycle of life</h2>



Eventually, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/">nebula</a> will fade. The hot central core will cool and shrink into a white dwarf, and the glowing gas will disperse into the interstellar medium. But it doesn’t just vanish. That material - now enriched with heavier elements forged inside the star - will go on to seed future <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/hubble-captures-a-stunning-stellar-nursery/">stars</a>, planets, and maybe even life.



This is part of a larger cosmic cycle, and NGC 6072 is helping scientists understand it better. The fact that it doesn’t follow a simple, symmetrical pattern is actually a big deal.&nbsp;



The more astronomers study these oddly shaped nebulae, the more they can learn about the role of companion stars, stellar winds, and other forces in shaping the final acts of stellar life.



Astronomers studying NGC 6072 with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-galaxies-revealed-in-a-single-webb-image/">Webb</a> want to learn more about the full life cycle of stars and how they impact their surrounding environments. That includes understanding how stars lose up to 80 percent of their mass in these final stages and how that material gets recycled into the universe.



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI



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What we can learn from dying stars and their stunning light shows

Today's Image of the Day from the James Webb Space...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1559, located around 35 million light-years away in the southern constellation Reticulum. The image was captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.&nbsp;



"The data featured in this portrait make use of two of Webb’s instruments: the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) and Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam)," noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



"Here MIRI captures the glow of interstellar dust grains, which trace out the interstellar medium, the fuel for future star formation. NIRCam shows the light from stars, even young stars hidden behind prodigious amounts of dust. NIRCam also captures emission from ionized nebulae around young stars."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-reveals-galaxies-in-new-light">Webb reveals galaxies in new light</h2>



The data was collected by the <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/phangs/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PHANGS team</a> as part of a program in which Webb will observe 55 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/james-webb-captures-galaxies-that-are-too-old-to-exist/">galaxies</a> that have also been mapped by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope. 



ESA said that by combining Webb’s unprecedented view of the dust and stars with data from these other facilities, the team aims to obtain a new, highly detailed view of how stars are born, live, and die in galaxies across the Universe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ngc-1559-a-loner-in-space">NGC 1559: A loner in space</h2>



Although NGC 1559 appears to sit close to one of our nearest neighbors in the sky - the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) - this is just a trick of perspective, noted ESA.



While it is part of the Reticulum constellation, NGC 1559 is not part of the Local Group of galaxies but instead resides in a more distant region of space.



"In reality, NGC 1559 is physically nowhere near the LMC in space; in fact it truly is a loner, lacking the company of any nearby galaxies or membership of any galaxy cluster," said ESA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation-in-ngc-1559">Star formation in NGC 1559</h2>



NGC 1559 is notable for its active star formation and strong magnetic fields. It has also been the site of several <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-explosions-could-damage-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernovae</a>, making it of particular interest to astronomers who study the life cycle of stars.



The structure of NGC 1559 includes well-defined spiral arms that contain young, hot stars and regions of ionized gas, indicative of ongoing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-is-starving-its-host-galaxy-of-star-forming-fuel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-extragalactic-wonder">An extragalactic wonder</h2>



Despite being relatively small compared to larger galaxies like the Milky Way, NGC 1559 is an important object for understanding how barred spiral galaxies evolve and the processes that trigger supernovae.



The galaxy’s remote location and active nature make it a fascinating subject of study in the field of extragalactic astronomy. 



The isolation of NGC 1559 allows for a clearer view of its structure without much interference from neighboring galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-barred-spiral-galaxies">Barred spiral galaxies</h2>



Barred spiral galaxies are a type of spiral galaxy characterized by a central bar-shaped structure composed of stars. This bar extends out from the core and connects to the galaxy's spiral arms, which swirl outward in a graceful pattern.



Scientists believe that the bar plays a crucial role in the evolution of the galaxy, funneling gas towards the core and potentially triggering star formation or feeding a central black hole. 



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/newly-discovered-stars-milky-way-are-old-as-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>, our own galaxy, is an example of a barred spiral. These galaxies are quite common in the universe, making up about two-thirds of all observed spiral galaxies.



The bar itself is thought to be a temporary feature, developing as the galaxy matures and possibly disappearing over time as the dynamics of the stars change. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-reticulum-constellation">The Reticulum constellation</h2>



Reticulum is a small, faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name means "the reticle" in Latin, which refers to the crosshairs in an eyepiece of a telescope.



The constellation was named in the 18th century by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille to honor the reticle he used in his scientific instruments. It is one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union.



Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA, A. Leroy, J. Lee and the PHANGS Team



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Spiral galaxy glows with young stars and interstellar dust

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a stunning transformation across the western Barents Sea on August 5, 2025. 



Tiny, plant-like organisms known as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-phytoplankton-that-feed-ocean-life-are-rapidly-disappearing/">phytoplankton</a> surged near the ocean’s surface, forming a colorful bloom visible from space.&nbsp;



Captured by NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite, the bloom swirled around Bear Island, part of Norway’s Svalbard archipelago. 



Bear Island lies roughly halfway between Spitsbergen, the archipelago’s largest island, and mainland Norway.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-phytoplankton-s-seasonal-rhythm">Phytoplankton’s seasonal rhythm</h2>



Phytoplankton, though microscopic, play a major role in the marine ecosystem. Their seasonal blooms support countless species of fish and zooplankton.



Phytoplankton also contribute to the global carbon cycle and produce a significant portion of the oxygen we breathe. These tiny organisms are vital for both local and planetary health.



The Barents Sea experiences two main phytoplankton bloom seasons each year. Diatoms, which are a type of single-celled algae with silica shells, appear first in May and June.&nbsp;



Later, in August, coccolithophores emerge. These organisms thrive as nutrients are depleted and the surface waters warm and stratify.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forces-behind-phytoplankton-blooms">Forces behind phytoplankton blooms</h2>



The striking turquoise color of the recent bloom likely comes from coccolithophores, specifically Gephyrocapsa huxleyi. These organisms are encased in calcium carbonate plates, which reflect sunlight and give the water its distinctive color. 



Other shades visible in the bloom may come from floating sediment and different phytoplankton <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invisible-forest-of-phytoplankton-thrives-in-a-warming-climate/">species</a>. Diatoms, for example, often tint the water green.



Researchers have long studied how environmental factors influence phytoplankton blooms. Water flowing in from North Atlantic currents plays a major role in shaping the location and extent of G. huxleyi blooms in this area. 



According to <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154651/bloom-time-in-the-barents-sea" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>, scientists are particularly interested in how “Atlantification” - the warming and changing circulation of Arctic waters - could alter the marine food web and biogeochemical cycles of the region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-base-of-the-food-web-nbsp">The base of the food web&nbsp;</h2>



Coccolithophores and other phytoplankton form the base of the marine food web, supporting small zooplankton that are themselves a key food source for fish, seabirds, and marine mammals.&nbsp;



In the Barents Sea, this web is the lifeline for commercial fisheries and species such as cod, capelin, and herring. Any change in phytoplankton abundance or composition can ripple through the ecosystem, affecting species from the tiniest shrimp to large predatory fish.



Beyond their role as a food source, coccolithophores contribute to carbon cycling. When they die, their calcium carbonate shells sink to the ocean floor, sequestering carbon in deep waters.&nbsp;



This natural process helps regulate atmospheric carbon dioxide, linking Arctic phytoplankton <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-from-africa-sparked-a-massive-phytoplankton-bloom/">blooms</a> to broader climate systems. They also produce oxygen through photosynthesis, reinforcing the ocean’s role as a life-support system for Earth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-blooms-from-space">Tracking blooms from space</h2>



The August 2025 bloom highlights how modern technology allows scientists to monitor marine ecosystems in near real-time.&nbsp;



MODIS, the sensor aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite, detects the color and extent of phytoplankton blooms from orbit, providing crucial data for understanding seasonal patterns and ecological shifts.&nbsp;



Satellite observations, combined with in-water measurements, provide a comprehensive picture of how phytoplankton respond to environmental changes.



Experts emphasize that phytoplankton are not just passive indicators of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-marine-heatwaves-impact-ocean-health/">ocean health</a>. Their blooms reflect the underlying dynamics of water movement, temperature, and nutrient availability. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impacts-of-atlantification">Impacts of Atlantification</h2>



As Arctic waters continue to warm and Atlantic currents penetrate further north, the region’s marine ecosystems may experience significant shifts.&nbsp;



Coccolithophore blooms, for example, could become more frequent or widespread, altering food web dynamics and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-weaker-ocean-will-release-more-carbon-into-the-atmosphere/">carbon cycling</a>.&nbsp;



Scientists are closely monitoring these trends to predict how fisheries, nutrient distribution, and ecosystem health might change in coming decades.



For now, the August 2025 bloom serves as a vivid reminder of the Arctic Ocean’s intricate web of life.&nbsp;



From microscopic algae to commercial fish stocks, these seasonal blooms shape the rhythms of life in one of Earth’s most extreme environments. They are both a signal of ecological change and a testament to the delicate balance of life in Arctic waters.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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Phytoplankton bloom transforms the Barents Sea 

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a stunning view of the spiral galaxy NGC 1309 captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. 



The galaxy, located about 100 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus, shines with bluish stars and trails of dusty gas.



The real fascination lies not just in how NGC 1309 looks - it’s what happened there that keeps astronomers coming back.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-galaxies-revealed-in-a-single-webb-image/">galaxy</a> has been a familiar subject for Hubble, appearing in images released in both 2006 and 2014. That continued interest isn’t just because it’s photogenic.&nbsp;



NGC 1309 is a site of rare astronomical events that have helped researchers understand what happens when stars die, and in one case, what happens when they don't quite finish the job.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hundreds-of-galaxies-surround-ngc-1309">Hundreds of galaxies surround NGC 1309</h2>



Hubble’s newest look at NGC 1309 captures more than just one galaxy. As ESA noted, countless distant galaxies are visible in the background of the image.&nbsp;



But one sharp point of light stands out near the top of the frame. It’s not a galaxy, but a nearby star from our own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-galaxy-may-be-inside-a-giant-void-in-the-universe-explains-hubble-tension/">Milky Way</a>, just a few thousand light-years away.



“This stunning Hubble image encompasses NGC 1309’s bluish stars, dark brown gas clouds and pearly white centre, as well as hundreds of distant background galaxies,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/08/A_supernova-rich_spiral#msdynmkt_trackingcontext=8d9474de-58be-45fd-9fca-2f9985620200" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“Nearly every smudge, streak and blob of light in this image is an individual galaxy. The only exception to the extragalactic ensemble is a star, which can be identified near the top of the frame by its diffraction spikes.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-unusual-story-of-ngc-1309">The unusual story of NGC 1309</h2>



Even though the view is crowded, all eyes are on NGC 1309. This galaxy gained attention after two significant explosions lit it up in the past few decades. The first, a textbook Type Ia supernova named SN 2002fk, occurred in 2002.&nbsp;



These types of supernovae are known for being reliable “standard candles” that help astronomers measure cosmic distances. They happen when a white dwarf - the leftover core of a dead star - gets pushed past its limit and explodes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-supernova-that-left-something-behind">Supernova that left something behind</h2>



In 2012, Hubble detected a second <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernovae-explosions-seem-to-have-altered-earths-climate-in-the-past-and-could-do-so-again-at-any-time/">supernova</a> in NGC 1309 - SN 2012Z. This one threw scientists a curveball. On the surface, it looked like another Type Ia event, but its brightness didn’t quite measure up. It turned out to be part of a lesser-known category called Type Iax supernovae.



Unlike typical Type Ia explosions, SN 2012Z didn’t tear the white dwarf completely apart. What was left behind surprised astronomers: a “zombie star.”&nbsp;



Instead of fading into the background, the star remained - and it actually became brighter after the explosion. That’s not something astronomers were expecting to see.



This discovery made NGC 1309 the site of something that had never been captured before: the exact white dwarf that triggered a supernova, seen in images taken before the explosion.&nbsp;



Usually, supernovae are identified after the fact, based on the light they release. But in this case, the star was already in Hubble’s earlier images of the galaxy. That allowed scientists to link the before-and-after views in a way they’d never been able to do.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-these-explosions-matter">Why these explosions matter</h2>



Studying supernovae helps astronomers learn about the life cycles of stars, and how the elements created in those explosions spread through galaxies.&nbsp;



Type Ia supernovae, in particular, have been crucial for measuring how fast the universe is expanding. But Type Iax <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-travels-back-in-time-to-better-understand-supernovae-science/">events</a> like SN 2012Z add a wrinkle to that story.



These smaller explosions don’t follow the usual rules. They’re dimmer, take longer to unfold, and - as SN 2012Z revealed - they might not mark the end of a star’s life. 



Ultimately, weaker explosions are less reliable for measuring distances in space. But they offer something different: a look at what could happen when a supernova doesn’t finish the job.



Observing a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hungry-white-dwarf-stars-eat-heavy-metals/">white dwarf</a> that somehow survives its own explosion gives scientists a chance to rethink their models. Maybe some stars don’t die as completely as once thought. Maybe there’s a middle ground between a full explosion and a quiet fade.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hubble-s-long-memory-pays-off">Hubble’s long memory pays off</h2>



Thanks to its sharp vision and longevity, the Hubble Space Telescope has been able to watch NGC 1309 across decades. The long record made it possible to notice changes and connect the dots between past and present.&nbsp;



Even though newer telescopes like the <a href="https://webbtelescope.org/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Webb Space Telescope</a> are joining the game, Hubble still has a key role.&nbsp;



Hubble's deep image of NGC 1309 is a map of astronomical history - and in this case, a rare chance to catch a supernova before and after its big moment.



Image Credit: ESA



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Hubble captures a star that survived its own explosion 

Today’s Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a persistent algae bloom along the coastline of South Australia near Adelaide. For more than five months, the waters have been marked by the unusual phenomenon. 



A bloom of microscopic organisms, almost invisible to the naked eye, has painted the sea with hints of yellow-green, signaling an ecological shift that scientists have been watching closely.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-persistent-bloom-near-australia">Persistent bloom near Australia </h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-ocean-turning-green-thanks-to-climate-change-algae-blooms/">bloom</a> began in mid-March around the Fleurieu Peninsula and has yet to fade away. Its persistence has raised alarms for both marine ecosystems and people living along the coast.



The culprit behind this event is a dinoflagellate called Karenia mikimotoi. Although this algae is not classified as toxic to humans, it can still cause skin and eye irritation, along with respiratory discomfort for those who spend time near the shore.&nbsp;



For marine animals, however, the impact is far more serious. The bloom can damage fish gills, suffocating entire populations and threatening local fisheries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heatwaves-and-unstable-seas">Heatwaves and unstable seas</h2>



The Government of South Australia has linked the prolonged bloom to an equally persistent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-are-rising-faster-than-expected-and-likely-to-accelerate/">marine heatwave</a>. Since September 2024, southern waters have been unusually warm, setting the stage for algal growth on an unprecedented scale.&nbsp;



Warm conditions, paired with calm and nutrient-rich waters, create an ideal environment for Karenia mikimotoi to thrive.



The species flourishes in stratified waters. When the ocean layers remain stable, sunlight penetrates the surface while nutrients accumulate in the shallows.&nbsp;



That balance, while favorable for algae, disrupts the natural cycles that coastal ecosystems depend on. Once blooms like this take hold, they can be extremely difficult to break.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-closer-look-from-space">A closer look from space</h2>



While the bloom has unfolded along South Australia’s coast, the story is being told from far above.&nbsp;



Satellites orbiting Earth now act as essential sentinels, offering wide-ranging views that scientists on the ground could never achieve alone.&nbsp;



The Copernicus <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sentinel-3</a> mission, equipped with its Ocean and Land Colour Instrument, has been tracking this bloom with remarkable precision. By measuring chlorophyll-a, which is a pigment that signals the presence of algae, researchers have been able to map the bloom’s reach and intensity.



Satellite data has become more than just a monitoring tool. It provides decision-makers with early warnings and helps governments respond faster to environmental changes that might otherwise go unnoticed. 



In this case, the <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extended bloom</a> highlights the importance of pairing ground-based studies with large-scale observations from orbit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-long-algae-blooms-matter">Why long algae blooms matter</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-have-caused-toxic-algae-blooms-since-the-bronze-age/">Algal blooms</a> are not unusual in coastal waters, but their duration and scale often dictate their impact. Short-lived blooms may come and go without causing much disruption.&nbsp;



Extended events like the one unfolding near Adelaide are different. They alter food webs, reduce oxygen levels, and can trigger cascading effects across entire marine ecosystems.



Fisheries are among the first sectors to feel the strain. When fish die in large numbers, not only do local communities face economic losses, but the region’s biodiversity also suffers. Recovery can take years, especially when multiple species are affected.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-uncertain-future">An uncertain future</h2>



The South Australian bloom is part of a larger story unfolding worldwide. As oceans warm and marine heatwaves become more frequent, conditions that favor harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/algae-that-thrives-on-ice-plays-an-unexpected-role-in-glacier-melting/">algae</a> are expected to expand.&nbsp;



Blooms that once occurred sporadically may become seasonal features. For coastal communities, this means preparing for more frequent disruptions to fisheries, tourism, and public health.



Even as scientists work to understand the mechanics of Karenia mikimotoi blooms, the bigger picture points to climate change as a driving force.&nbsp;



Marine systems are highly dynamic, and shifts in temperature, currents, and nutrient flow create openings for species that thrive in disturbance.&nbsp;



The bloom near Adelaide may be a local event, but it represents global challenges that are becoming harder to ignore.



Image Credit: Copernicus Sentinel data (2025), processed by ESA



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Algae bloom lingers for months off Australia 

Today’s Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

Two trees fell in northern Ontario and exposed a stone that most people would have walked past without a second thought. Etched into bedrock near Wawa, the stone slab carries a long inscription and a small scene that set archaeologists buzzing.



Early whispers leaned toward Vikings, but the evidence points elsewhere. The inscription records a Swedish version of the Lord’s Prayer, and it was carved with a runic system not used by medieval Norse travelers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-swedish-prayer-on-an-old-stone">Swedish prayer on an old stone</h2>



Henrik Williams from <a href="https://www.uu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uppsala University</a>, led the analysis of the runes. He identified a Swedish and Protestant version of the Lord’s Prayer, matching a 1611 model, a finding consistent with expert reports on the discovery.



The carving runs to 255 runic characters, in a panel that measures about 4 by 5 feet (1.2 by 1.5 meters). The runes sit beside a carved image of a boat with about 16 figures and several X marks. 



The text uses characters from Futhark, a historic runic alphabet adapted for Swedish by early modern scholars.



The inscription is not a hoax and not a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/remarkable-viking-silver-hoard-discovery-reveals-far-reaching-global-trade-links/">Viking</a> era message. The content, language, and letter forms point to a later hand working with a specific, early modern guide to writing Swedish with runes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cracking-the-wawa-stone-text">Cracking the Wawa stone text</h2>



The Ontario Centre for Archaeological Research and Education (<a href="https://www.ocare.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OCARE</a>) coordinated a site visit after initial checks showed the writing was not Indigenous petroglyph art. 



The team brought in a runologist, a specialist in runic inscriptions, to read the text under field conditions.



“The longest runic inscription of any on the North American continent,” noted Williams, citing his field <a href="https://www.ocare.ca/s-projects-basic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a>. 



That assessment came after several hours of careful character tracing and comparison; the findings highlight the inscription’s scale and rarity.



OCARE’s notes also record that the boat motif sits beside the prayer and that both are deeply carved. No other artifacts were found at the panel, which limits how precisely researchers can date and interpret the scene.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-swedish-prayers-on-the-wawa-stone">Swedish prayers on the Wawa stone</h2>



To understand the text, you need a <a href="https://archive.org/details/runaabcboken00bureuoft" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">booklet</a> written by Johannes Bureus in 1611. He was a 17th century Swedish scholar who taught Swedish people how to write with runes. His booklet includes Christian prayers that are written in runes and in Latin letters.



That 1611 template matches what appears on the Wawa stone. Swedish readers in later centuries kept Bureus’s guide alive, which explains how a prayer in early modern Swedish could appear far from Sweden.



The likely scenario is ordinary, not sensational. A Swedish hand in the 1800s, perhaps tied to commerce or travel, spent weeks incising a prayer from a printed model as an act of devotion or identity.



The boat looks like a long, shallow craft with a line of seated figures. The X marks stand near the boat in two clusters, but their meaning is unclear.



Scholars do not yet agree on whether the scene marks a gathering place or simply adorns the prayer. Without <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/850-paleolithic-artifacts-discovered-with-the-naked-eye-in-a-desert/">artifacts</a>, the safest reading is that the image underlines the text’s devotional purpose.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-old-is-the-prayer-slab">How old is the prayer slab</h2>



The team has not pinned down a date. Field notes point to a 19th century window, but the lack of associated material keeps the estimate cautious.



Weathering patterns and the historical availability of Bureus’s runic prayer suggest a carver working at least a century ago. The present consensus keeps the door open to earlier or later dates until a peer-reviewed study appears.



It is not evidence of a Viking settlement on Lake Superior. The only confirmed Viking settlement in North America is <a href="https://parks.canada.ca/culture/spm-whs/sites-canada/sec02a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">L’Anse aux Meadows</a>, a UNESCO World Heritage site at the tip of Newfoundland’s Great Northern Peninsula.



The Wawa inscription belongs to a later tradition. Medieval Norse used an earlier suite of runes and a different language, while this stone follows a Swedish Lutheran text that is filtered through an early modern revival of runic writing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-wawa-stone-matters">Why the Wawa stone matters</h2>



Runic literacy did not end in the Middle Ages. This panel shows that Swedish readers, centuries later, still knew how to write their sacred texts in characters that many Europeans had forgotten.



It also expands the very short list of authentic runic inscriptions in North America. Because the prayer is long, it provides a rare, stable sample for studying how Bureus-inspired runic spelling was actually used by later readers.



Researchers still want to explain the boat and the X marks with more than educated guesses. Better dates may come from microerosion studies, close documentation of tool marks, or finds in regional archives.



Public access will require careful conservation. Deep carvings last a long time, but exposure to freeze thaw cycles and foot traffic can erase details that make the text readable.



Viking presence in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/copper-and-gold-deposit-found-near-canadas-golden-triangle-just-59-feet-below-the-surface/">Canada</a> rests on other evidence. A 2021 dendrochronology and radiocarbon <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03972-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> fixed wood cutting at L’Anse aux Meadows to AD 1021 by detecting a solar storm signature in tree rings.



That benchmark helps draw a clean line between medieval Norse activity in Newfoundland and later European lives inland. The Wawa stone sits on the newer side of that line, a Swedish prayer engraved in Canadian rock.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03972-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



Image credit: Ryan Primrose.



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Who engraved a stone slab in the Canadian wilderness with the Swedish Lord's Prayer?

Two trees fell in northern Ontario and exposed a stone...

Drylands are famous for their silence after long droughts - until the first raindrops hit. Then the ground itself seems to exhale. For decades, scientists assumed those sudden “pulse emissions” of gases came almost entirely from soil microbes jolted awake by water.



New research from <a href="https://www.bgu.ac.il/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ben-Gurion University of the Negev</a> (BGU) upends that idea. In some desert soils, the very first and strongest bursts can be driven by chemistry alone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dead-soils-release-gas">Dead soils release gas</h2>



A team led by Dr. Isaac Yagle and Professor Ilya Gelfand at BGU’s Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research compared gas releases from natural desert soils. 



The team used identical soils that had been sterilized with high-dose gamma irradiation. The soils - collected near the Dead Sea - were then wetted to mimic a passing shower.



Within minutes, both sets began emitting carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and nitric oxide (NO). Surprisingly, the sterilized soils - essentially stripped of living <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-microbes-survive-the-desert-by-sleeping-through-the-dry-spells/">microbes</a> - released far more nitrogen gases in the first moments after wetting: up to thirteen times more NO and five times more N₂O than the “live” soils.



The finding overturns a longstanding assumption that biology is the sole trigger for post-rain gas surges in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/40-percent-of-earths-land-has-became-permanently-drier/">drylands</a>. It also helps explain why pulses arrive so quickly. Microbes can react fast, but chemical reactions can ignite almost instantly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rain-triggers-chemical-surges">Rain triggers chemical surges</h2>



What’s going on inside those first few wet minutes? In arid, alkaline soils that bake under intense sun, reactive nitrogen compounds accumulate during drought - especially nitrite (NO₂⁻).



When water finally arrives, it sparks a burst of purely chemical activity. A process called chemodenitrification, driven by minerals and trace metals, allows nitrite to decompose into NO and N₂O without microbial help. 



Water also dissolves carbonates and releases CO₂, creating a non-biological gas pulse that joins the familiar microbial “breath” of soil.



The team’s side-by-side tests make the point clear. Even when soils were sterilized, the earliest emissions surged. And when the researchers compared inorganic nitrogen levels, the first N₂O and NO pulses looked nearly identical in sterilized and live soils - evidence that abiotic chemistry dominates the opening act.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-soil-microbes-join-the-act">Soil microbes join the act</h2>



Still, the chemical start is not the whole story. In live soils, CO₂ rose higher overall because microbes add a steady respiratory contribution.



Over the next hours and days, as bacteria and archaea recover from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-a-humble-plant-may-help-us-save-crops-from-drought/">drought</a> stress, they resume nitrification and denitrification, layering biological processes on top of the chemical foundation.



This gradual handoff creates a two-part performance. Abiotic reactions set the stage in those first wet moments, while microbial activity delivers the longer, steadier second act. For nitrogen gases in particular, though, the curtain-raiser belongs mostly to chemistry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-these-gases-matter">Why these gases matter</h2>



N₂O and NO aren’t just lab curiosities. Nitrous oxide is a powerful, long-lived greenhouse gas and a leading destroyer of stratospheric ozone. Nitric oxide is a building block of ground-level ozone and smog.



In drylands around the world - from the Sahel to the American Southwest - short rain showers are becoming more erratic as climate change reshapes storm patterns. That means more frequent wet–dry cycles and, potentially, more frequent pulses.



Until now, most models that estimate greenhouse gas emissions from soils have treated these bursts as a microbial phenomenon. The new results show that approach can miss a big piece of the puzzle in deserts and semi-deserts.



If chemistry is responsible for a large share of the earliest emissions - especially for N₂O and NO - then ignoring abiotic reactions likely underestimates a region’s contribution to warming and to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-people-die-from-air-pollution-each-year-yet-theres-still-a-lack-of-monitoring/">air pollution</a> episodes following storms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-curbing-desert-gas-surges">Curbing desert gas surges</h2>



There’s also a management angle. In some dryland soils, high background salinity, alkalinity, and stored nitrogen set the stage for stronger chemical pulses. 



Land uses that alter soil nitrogen - think fertilized rangelands, irrigated fallows, or dust inputs - could unintentionally prime bigger emissions after rain. 



Recognizing the chemical pathways at play might guide strategies to reduce peaks, for example by limiting nitrogen buildup in vulnerable areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inside-desert-soil-reactions">Inside desert soil reactions</h2>



The study’s design is as important as its conclusions. By sterilizing soils with gamma irradiation&nbsp; - a method that preserves the physical structure and many chemical traits while eliminating most life - the team could cleanly separate biological from abiotic processes. 



Rapid measurements right after wetting captured the fleeting first minutes that field campaigns often miss.



The comparison revealed a mixed picture for CO₂. Biology dominates, but non-biological carbonate reactions can make a meaningful contribution, especially in alkaline desert soils. For N gases, chemistry takes the initial lead, and biology joins later.



It’s a nuanced message: post-rain pulses in drylands aren’t either microbial or chemical - they’re both, but their timing differs. The chemicals sprint; the microbes run the middle distance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drylands-shape-the-future">Drylands shape the future</h2>



Drylands already cover more than 40 percent of Earth’s land surface, and they’re expanding. As droughts lengthen and rain arrives in shorter, sharper bursts, the conditions that produce pulse emissions will become more common.



Translating the lab results to landscapes will require field tests across different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floods-are-becoming-more-deadly-in-the-desert/">deserts,</a> soil types, and storm intensities. But the core takeaway is ready for prime time: abiotic processes belong in the accounting.



For climate modelers, that means adding fast chemical terms to the equations that predict N₂O and NO releases after rain. 



For air-quality forecasters, it means recognizing that even “sterile” soil chemistry can feed ozone formation in the hours after a storm. And for anyone who thinks of deserts as lifeless, it’s a reminder that the ground itself holds a lively chemistry set - one that can shape the air we all share.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-12362-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



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Greenhouse gases surge from desert soils just minutes after rain

Drylands are famous for their silence after long droughts -...

If you’re the kind of traveler who gets queasy on winding roads, science has a simple suggestion: change the soundtrack. In a new simulator study, researchers found that short bursts of music can help people bounce back from motion sickness - but not all tunes are created equal. 



Soft and joyful tracks eased nausea the most, while sad music actually made motion sickness slightly worse than just sitting quietly.



Qizong Yue from <a href="https://admissions.swu.edu.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Southwest University</a> in China, together with colleagues, examined this issue in a recent study. 



"Music represents a noninvasive, low-cost, and personalized intervention strategy,” Yue said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-virtual-roads-real-queasiness">Virtual roads, real queasiness</h2>



To test whether music can smooth rough rides, the team built a controlled carsickness challenge. First, 40 volunteers tried out different virtual routes in a high-fidelity driving simulator so the researchers could lock in a course that reliably provoked nausea.



From there, the team recruited 30 people who said they were moderately prone to carsickness and fitted them with EEG caps to record <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-brain-literally-changes-based-on-daily-activities-and-lifestyle/">brain activity</a>.



Participants completed a baseline rest, drove the nausea-inducing route, and rated how they felt. As soon as they stopped, most were randomly assigned to hear one of four musical moods for 60 seconds - soft, joyful, passionate, or sad.



A comparison group recovered in silence. A separate “no-nausea” group had their drives halted at the first hint of discomfort. Their EEG data provided a clean yardstick for what brain activity looks like when symptoms never developed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-soft-music-eases-nausea">Soft music eases nausea</h2>



The results were strikingly consistent. Joyful tracks delivered the biggest lift, cutting self-reported carsickness by 57.3 percent. 



Soft music was a hair behind at 56.7 percent. Passionate, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-gives-rise-to-unique-physical-sensations-in-the-body/">high-energy songs</a> helped, too, but less so, bringing symptoms down by 48.3 percent. Simply resting reduced nausea by 43.3 percent.



Sad music was the outlier. It trimmed symptoms by only 40 percent - meaning it slightly underperformed quiet rest. That gap suggests downbeat tunes may amplify negative emotions or bodily focus at exactly the wrong time, nudging queasiness to linger.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-scans-reveal-sickness-patterns">Brain scans reveal sickness patterns</h2>



The EEG recordings backed up what people reported. When participants felt sick, activity patterns in the occipital lobe&nbsp;- the brain’s visual processing hub&nbsp;- became less complex, a sign the system wasn’t handling sensory input normally. As participants felt better, those patterns rebounded toward baseline.



That fits long-standing theories that motion sickness arises when the brain struggles to reconcile visual cues with signals from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mammals-evolved-similar-inner-ears-despite-different-ancestry/">inner ear</a>. The better the brain resynchronizes, the faster the stomach settles.



Why would specific musical moods help? The team points to two plausible pathways. Gentle tracks likely dial down anticipatory tension, which is known to speed the onset and severity of symptoms. 



Joyful songs may also recruit the brain’s reward systems and shift attention outward, breaking the loop of hyperawareness that makes every bump feel worse.



By contrast, sad music pulls attention inward and can heighten discomfort - the opposite of what a woozy traveler needs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-music-strategies-for-travelers">Music strategies for travelers</h2>



For people who dread winding highways, this is welcome news. The intervention is short, simple, and easy to try. In the study, a single minute of music right after driving stopped was enough to move the needle.



In a real car or bus, you might cue up a gentle or upbeat track the moment symptoms flicker, and let it play while you steady your breathing and look toward a stable point on the horizon. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-artificial-intelligence-noise-canceling-headphones-listen-one-voice-crowd/">Headphones</a> can help you control the soundscape even if everyone else is chatting or the radio is blaring something moodier.



“The primary theoretical frameworks for motion sickness apply broadly to sickness induced by various vehicles,” Yue said, adding that the benefits of cheerful or gentle music likely extend to air and sea travel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-music-therapy-needs-more-testing">Music therapy needs more testing</h2>



Like any early-stage experiment, this one has limits. The sample was small, and the “cars” were virtual; a simulator can’t reproduce every jolt, smell, and distraction of a real road. Musical taste also varies widely, and the study didn’t tailor playlists to individual preferences.



The researchers want to validate EEG patterns as an objective marker of carsickness in larger groups, repeat the work outside the lab, and test how personal favorites shape the effect.



Still, the core insight is both intuitive and empowering: the nervous system listens to what you play for it. If you’re prone to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unique-new-sound-therapy-reduces-motion-sickness-without-medication/">motion sickness</a>, sound can be a gentle lever. 



Keep a few soft or joyful tracks handy, skip the dirges, and give your brain every chance to resync before your stomach decides it’s time to revolt.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1636109/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Human Neuroscience</a>.



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Your music playlist may hold the cure to motion sickness

If you’re the kind of traveler who gets queasy on...

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Deconstructing a Mobile Home Chapter 4: Safety

Deconstructing a Mobile Home Chapter 4: Safety

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