Today’s Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features an incredible phenomenon that was captured on the far outskirts of the Milky Way.



A young, massive star has announced its arrival with a dramatic display. It has fired off twin <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-captures-a-young-stars-jet-colliding-with-space-dust/">jets</a> of gas so powerful they stretch across eight light-years - about twice the distance from our Sun to the Alpha Centauri system.&nbsp;



These streams are confined to narrow beams by the star’s magnetic fields and launched along its spin axis.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-jets-of-a-young-star">The jets of a young star</h2>



The James Webb Space Telescope captured the event in exquisite infrared detail, showing the jets carving their way through interstellar gas and dust.



The stellar outburst belongs to a rare class of cosmic displays known as Herbig-Haro objects. They form when material falling onto a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-star-wsb-52-fires-an-explosive-jet-that-crashed-back-into-its-own-planetary-disk/">newborn star</a> is shot back out into space at incredible speeds.&nbsp;



The star at the heart of this spectacle lies in a cluster about 15,000 light-years away. The star has a mass that is already ten times greater than the Sun’s.&nbsp;



The outflow is hurtling through space at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour, leaving behind a trail that astronomers can now study as a record of the star’s growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unexpected-discovery">An unexpected discovery</h2>



The discovery took astronomers by surprise, including Yu Cheng of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (<a href="https://www.nao.ac.jp/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NAOJ</a>). 



“We didn’t really know there was a massive star with this kind of super-jet out there before the observation. Such a spectacular outflow of molecular hydrogen from a massive star is rare in other regions of our galaxy,” said Cheng.&nbsp;



More than 300 Herbig-Haro objects are known, but most of them come from stars much smaller than this one. Webb’s sharp images reveal not just the scale but also the delicate structure of this jet, including knots, shocks, and filaments where the stream slams into surrounding material.



“I was really surprised at the order, symmetry, and size of the jet when we first looked at it,” said Jonathan Tan of the <a href="https://www.virginia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Virginia</a>.



The perfect alignment of the opposite streams suggests the process fueling this star’s growth has been steady for more than 100,000 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mystery-of-massive-star-formation-nbsp">Mystery of massive star formation&nbsp;</h2>



The new <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/09/Immense_stellar_jet_in_Milky_Way_outskirts#msdynmkt_trackingcontext=0ad1e29a-3bb6-4b03-99c0-1f5c2ba20000" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">observation</a> has reopened one of the longest-running debates in astronomy: how do massive stars form? For decades, scientists have been split between two main ideas. 



One theory suggests that stars this large form through a steady process called core accretion, where gas builds up in a stable disk and launches outflows in predictable directions.&nbsp;



The other theory, known as competitive accretion, involves a chaotic tug-of-war in which streams of gas fall in from all sides, twisting the orientation of the jets.



The Webb data now tilt the balance toward the first explanation. The opposing jets are nearly 180 degrees apart, showing that the central disk has remained steady throughout the star’s lifetime.&nbsp;



“What we’ve seen here, because we’ve got the whole history - a tapestry of the story - is that the opposite sides of the jets are nearly 180 degrees apart from each other. That tells us that this central disc is held steady and validates a prediction of the core accretion theory,” said Tan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conditions-of-the-early-universe-nbsp">Conditions of the early universe&nbsp;</h2>



The star’s home lies in a cluster called Sharpless 2-284, a relatively pristine region on the galaxy’s periphery. Because it is far from the Milky Way’s busy center, its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-universes-first-molecule-helped-ignite-the-stars/">stars formed</a> in an environment low in heavy elements.&nbsp;



Astronomers call this property metallicity, and it mirrors the conditions of the early universe, before multiple generations of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-discovery-twin-stars-with-parallel-disks-and-jets/">stars</a> had enriched space with the products of nuclear fusion.



“Webb’s exquisite data have also shown us that relatively more stars seem to form at lower masses in Sh2-284 than in closer, more metal-rich clusters. This cluster is an excellent region to help us understand star formation throughout the Universe,” said Morten Andersen of the <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Southern Observatory</a>.



Image Credit: ESA



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Young star lights up the Milky Way with colossal jets

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

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a dramatic view of dust sweeping across the Tarim Basin in western China - one of the dustiest places on Earth. 



Spring and summer usually grab the headlines for dust activity, but that doesn’t mean the skies clear in the other months. <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154772/dust-in-the-eye-of-the-tarim-basin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Satellite data</a> and ground observations show that autumn brings its share of haze too. 



Known for its unusual eye-like shape, the Tarim Basin is surrounded by mountains that often trap dust inside. This natural barrier keeps the fine particles from traveling far beyond the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-from-africa-sparked-a-massive-phytoplankton-bloom/">desert</a> floor, creating persistent hazy conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-landscape-shaped-by-tectonic-power">A landscape shaped by tectonic power</h2>



Look north and the “eyebrow” of the Tarim reveals striking ridges running east to west. These aren’t ordinary hills but part of the Kuqa fold-and-thrust belt.&nbsp;



Millions of years of tectonic forces pushed the Tarim Basin against its mountainous neighbors to the north, squeezing rock layers until they buckled and folded. The result is a series of wave-like formations called anticlines and synclines.



Over time, erosion has carved into these ridges, peeling back layers of red and green sandstones and pale limestones. From above, these colorful stripes stand out sharply against the muted tones of the desert around them.&nbsp;



<a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154126/a-curtain-of-dust-over-the-tarim-basin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Landsat images</a> have captured the intricate detail of this fractured geology, offering a glimpse into the dynamic forces that continue to shape the region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-counting-the-dusty-days">Counting the dusty days</h2>



Scientists studied more than 30 years of satellite records and found that the Tarim Basin averaged 60 dusty days a year. The month of September typically saw seven.&nbsp;



About 85 percent of those days fell into a category called “floating dust.” On such days, winds were light but visibility dropped below six miles as particles lingered in the air.



The rest of the time, conditions were harsher. On “blowing dust” days, moderate winds reduced visibility to less than three miles. The most extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-storms-are-a-surprising-source-of-deadly-air-pollution/">dust storms</a> cut visibility to under half a mile, carried by powerful gusts that scoured the landscape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dust-size-tells-a-seasonal-story">Dust size tells a seasonal story</h2>



Not all dust is the same. By comparing seasons, researchers found that larger particles show up most often in spring, fall, and winter.&nbsp;



NASA’s Terra satellite, using its Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer, provided the detail. These coarse grains likely lift when strong horizontal winds sweep across the desert.



Summer is different. Rising heat drives localized convection, creating dust whirls - sometimes called dust devils - that pull smaller, finer grains into the air.&nbsp;



These swirling columns may look less threatening than a full storm, but they can still loft material high into the atmosphere.&nbsp;



The seasonal contrast shows how different forces, from heat to wind, work together to keep the basin’s air loaded with dust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dust-from-the-tarim-basin-nbsp">Dust from the Tarim Basin&nbsp;</h2>



Dust from the Tarim Basin doesn’t just linger over western China. Depending on weather patterns, it can drift across Asia, impacting air quality in major cities. In extreme cases, it may even cross <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atmospheric-dust-plays-surprisingly-crucial-role-in-stabilizing-ocean-ecosystems/">oceans</a>.&nbsp;



These particles influence more than visibility. They affect climate by reflecting sunlight or trapping heat, and they alter ecosystems when they settle far from their source.



Understanding when and how dust moves is key for both health and climate research. The Tarim Basin offers a natural laboratory where scientists can track these processes in detail, thanks to decades of satellite coverage and on-the-ground measurements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-reminder-of-nature-s-reach">A reminder of nature’s reach</h2>



The desert may seem remote, but its restless skies have a global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-is-an-understudied-contributor-to-climate-change/">footprint</a>. What satellites recorded in early September was just one episode in a cycle that repeats year after year.&nbsp;



Tectonic history, seasonal winds, and rising heat all converge in this basin to keep the air in motion.&nbsp;



For scientists, the Tarim continues to show how landscapes that appear still and silent are, in fact, alive with change.



The image was captured on September 1, 2025 by the NOAA-20 satellite.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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China’s Tarim Basin: A desert that never sleeps

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

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features Hurricane Kiko, spinning west across the Pacific Ocean toward the Hawaiian Islands.



Hurricane Kiko began as a tropical depression on August 31 in the eastern Pacific. Within days, it rapidly gained strength and climbed into major <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-amplified-hurricane-strength/">hurricane</a> status. By early September, it was heading west with Hawaii in its path - raising concerns about what the islands might face.



The storm’s approach forced Hawaii to prepare for high surf, rip currents, and shifting forecasts. While the cyclone weakened as it neared land, the ocean did not quiet down, and warnings were issued for dangerous conditions along east-facing shores.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-calm-beginnings-to-furious-winds">Calm beginnings to furious winds</h2>



Kiko’s early days followed the typical pattern of many Pacific hurricanes. Warm waters and unstable atmospheric conditions fueled its rise from depression to named storm, and then to hurricane.&nbsp;



At its peak, Kiko wavered between Category 3 and Category 4 strength. On September 4, its sustained winds reached 145 miles per hour, enough to rank it among the most powerful storms of the season.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-observing-kiko-from-space">Observing Kiko from space</h2>



On September 7 at about 1:30 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time, satellites offered a clear view of the storm.



Today’s featured <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154769/hurricane-kiko-nears-hawaii" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">image</a> reveals a vast spiral with a defined center. At this time, it was a Category 2 system with winds of 110 miles per hour. 



The photo was captured by instruments aboard the Suomi NPP satellite when Hurricane Kiko was about 600 miles east of Hilo. 



These satellite snapshots are crucial for monitoring storm size, cloud structure, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-causes-the-rapid-intensification-of-hurricanes/">intensity</a>. They help forecasters understand how the cyclone is evolving as it moves across the ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-storm-weakened">Why the storm weakened</h2>



Hurricanes thrive on warm water and favorable atmospheric conditions. But Kiko encountered hurdles that sapped its energy.&nbsp;



The National Hurricane Center noted that cooler water played a role in its decline. In addition, moderate vertical wind shear - the shifting of wind direction and speed with altitude - disrupted the storm’s internal structure. A dry surrounding environment further limited the fuel supply.



All of these factors caused Kiko to lose some of its punch as it pushed closer to Hawaii. Even so, the system remained large enough to stir up trouble in the seas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hurricane-kiko-forecasts">Hurricane Kiko forecasts</h2>



As of September 8, meteorologists expected Kiko to veer northwest, weaken to a tropical storm, and pass north of the Hawaiian Islands on September 9 and 10.&nbsp;



That track suggested the islands might avoid damaging winds and widespread heavy rainfall. But not every hazard depends on direct landfall.



The National Hurricane Center warned that east-facing coastal areas could see dangerous surf and rip currents. These hazards often linger long after the storm’s eye has passed, and they pose risks to swimmers, boaters, and anyone near the shoreline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hawaii-s-storm-history">Hawaii’s storm history</h2>



Hawaii sits in the middle of the Pacific, far from continental landmasses but not immune to tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/even-weak-storms-are-deadly-for-infants-in-developing-nations/">cyclones</a>. While direct hits are rare, the islands have experienced damaging storms in the past.&nbsp;



Hurricane Iniki in 1992 was the strongest to strike Hawaii in recorded history, causing widespread destruction on Kauai. More recently, storms like Lane in 2018 and Douglas in 2020 skirted the islands but still produced heavy rains and flooding.



Kiko fits into this long-running narrative: powerful systems often threaten Hawaii, and even near misses bring serious impacts. For residents and visitors alike, the warnings serve as reminders of the Pacific’s power.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preparing-for-the-next-storm">Preparing for the next storm</h2>



Forecasting has improved in recent decades thanks to satellite technology, advanced computer models, and constant monitoring by meteorologists.&nbsp;



These tools give island communities more time to prepare for changing conditions. Emergency managers urge residents to take <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-hurricane-warnings-fail-to-convey-the-real-danger/">warnings</a> seriously, even if the storm’s center never crosses land.



High surf alone can be life-threatening, and rip currents claim lives every year. For island states like Hawaii, where the ocean defines daily life, respecting these warnings is vital.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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Hurricane Kiko spins toward Hawaii 

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency showcases the striking beauty of the planetary nebula NGC 2899, which resembles a moth in flight. The photo was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.



“The planetary nebula NGC 2899 is shaped like a single macaroni noodle, with its edges pointed up, but its edge-on central torus is semi-transparent in the middle,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“The top and bottom edges are thick and orange. The center is semi-transparent blue and green. The wider central region looks roughly like a moth, also filled with semi-transparent blue and green.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-defining-features-of-the-planetary-nebula">Defining features of the planetary nebula</h2>



According to ESA, the nebula features a bipolar, cylindrical outflow of gas extending diagonally. The gas is driven by intense radiation and stellar winds from a central <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/white-dwarf-planets-are-more-habitable-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">white dwarf</a> with a scorching temperature of nearly 22,000 degrees Celsius. 



“In fact, there may be two companion stars that are interacting and sculpting the nebula, which is pinched in the middle by a fragmented ring or torus - looking like a half-eaten donut,” said ESA.



Streams of gaseous “pillars” extend outward, all pointing back toward the central source of energy. The vibrant colors in the image come from glowing hydrogen and oxygen gases.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discovery-and-significance-of-ngc-2899">Discovery and significance of NGC 2899</h2>



NGC 2899 was discovered by British astronomer John Herschel on March 2, 1835, during his survey of the southern skies from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. 



Herschel cataloged many deep-sky objects in the southern hemisphere, contributing significantly to the New General Catalogue (NGC) compiled later by John Louis Emil Dreyer.



NGC 2899 is located approximately 4,500 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation Vela, which is part of the larger Vela-Puppis-Carina region of the Milky Way known for its rich <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star-forming activity</a> and remnants of past stellar explosions.&nbsp;



Vela, whose name means "sails" in Latin, represents the sails of the ancient Greek mythological ship Argo Navis. This region of the sky is particularly abundant in nebulae, star clusters, and other deep-sky objects, making it a focal point for astronomical observations.&nbsp;



The nebula’s distance places it well within our galaxy, offering astronomers a valuable glimpse into the later stages of stellar evolution and the processes that sculpt and illuminate planetary nebulae.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-planetary-nebula">What is a planetary nebula?</h2>



Nebulae are vast clouds of gas and dust in space, often serving as the birthplaces or remnants of stars.&nbsp;



They come in various types, including emission nebulae that glow due to ionized gases energized by nearby stars, reflection nebulae that shine by scattering starlight, and dark nebulae that obscure light from background <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/runaway-star-may-be-dragging-a-planet-along-with-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a>.&nbsp;



Planetary nebulae form when dying stars shed their outer layers, creating colorful, often symmetrical shapes. Nebulae can span light-years across and are key to understanding the life cycles of stars and the structure of galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-fate-of-dying-stars">The fate of dying stars</h2>



Not all dying stars become planetary nebulae. In fact, stars much more massive than the Sun follow a very different and far more violent path.&nbsp;



These massive stars end their lives in dramatic supernova explosions, releasing tremendous energy and scattering heavy elements into space, which enriches the interstellar medium.&nbsp;



What remains after the explosion depends on the star’s mass. The collapsed core can form a neutron star - an incredibly dense object composed mostly of neutrons. Or, if the star was even more massive, it may create a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-confirm-lone-black-hole-wandering-through-our-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black hole</a>, where gravity is so intense that not even light can escape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-examples-of-winged-nebulae-nbsp">Examples of “winged” nebulae&nbsp;</h2>



Several well-known nebulae are noted for their "winged" or symmetrical, wing-like appearances, often earning them evocative nicknames.&nbsp;



One of the most famous is the Butterfly Nebula, located in the constellation Scorpius. This planetary <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dragons-egg-nebula-is-a-truly-stunning-sight-to-behold/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nebula</a> displays two expansive lobes that resemble butterfly wings, shaped by fast stellar winds from a dying star.



The Omega Nebula (also known as the Swan Nebula) in the constellation Sagittarius is a bright star-forming region that has been said to resemble a swan in flight. It has broad, glowing "wings" formed by clouds of ionized hydrogen gas.&nbsp;



Similarly, the Eagle Nebula has an overall shape reminiscent of a bird with outstretched wings, which inspired its name. It is located in the constellation Serpens and home to the iconic "Pillars of Creation."



Image Credit: ESA



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Planetary nebula with ethereal wings captured by Hubble

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

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features NGC 5335 - a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. 



The photo was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. According to <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/04/Barred_Spiral_Galaxy_NGC_5335" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>, thousands of distant galaxies are speckled throughout the image in a variety of colors.&nbsp;



Hubble is revealing how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-galaxies-discovery-would-upend-current-understanding-of-universe/">galaxies</a> form, grow, and evolve over cosmic time by capturing detailed images of galaxies at various stages of development, from the nearby universe to billions of light-years away.



Hubble images have shown us that galaxies collide and merge, that star formation varies across different types of galaxies, and that supermassive black holes often lie at their centers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-ngc-5335">Studying NGC 5335</h2>



The galaxy NGC 5335 lies approximately 160 million light-years from Earth. It is classified as an SB(s)bc type galaxy, indicating a well-defined bar structure across its center. 



Like many galaxies of its type, NGC 5335 features active <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/star-formation-reignited-in-the-galaxy-leo-p-after-billions-of-years/">star formation</a>, especially in its spiral arms, where interstellar gas and dust provide the raw material for new stars. 



Observations in different wavelengths, including infrared and ultraviolet, help astronomers study the galaxy’s stellar population and the dynamics of its central bar.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hubble-s-view-of-the-spiral-galaxy-nbsp">Hubble’s view of the spiral galaxy&nbsp;</h2>



“NGC 5335 is categorized as a flocculent spiral galaxy with patchy streamers of star formation across its disk. There is a striking lack of well-defined spiral arms that are commonly found among galaxies, including our Milky Way,” noted ESA.



“A notable bar structure slices across the center of the galaxy. The bar channels gas inwards toward the galactic center, fueling star formation.”&nbsp;



“Such bars are dynamic in galaxies and may come and go over two-billion-year intervals. They appear in about 30 percent of observed galaxies, including our Milky Way.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galactic-bar-in-the-milky-way-nbsp">Galactic bar in the Milky Way&nbsp;</h2>



The bar in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-found-something-strange-at-core-of-milky-way-galaxy-webb-meerkat/">Milky Way</a> is a vast, elongated structure composed mostly of stars, stretching across the galaxy’s central region. It is a key feature of our galaxy’s architecture, spanning about 27,000 light-years and oriented at an angle relative to the galaxy’s spiral arms. 



Astronomers believe the bar plays a crucial role in the dynamics and evolution of the Milky Way by funneling gas inward toward the galactic center. This can feed star formation and fuel the supermassive black hole at the core.&nbsp;



The bar is thought to have formed from instabilities in the galactic disk and continues to influence the motion of stars and the overall gravitational balance of the galaxy.&nbsp;



Observations in infrared and radio wavelengths, which can pierce through the dust in the galactic plane, have helped scientists map the bar’s size, shape, and orientation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-constellation-virgo-nbsp">The constellation Virgo&nbsp;</h2>



Virgo is one of the most prominent and well-known constellations in the night sky, both astronomically and mythologically. It is the second-largest constellation by area and lies along the zodiac, making it one of the twelve constellations through which the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/team-creates-video-showing-the-sun-in-gamma-rays-over-a-14-year-period/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sun</a> appears to move during the year.&nbsp;



Virgo is most visible in the evening sky in the Northern Hemisphere during spring, particularly in April and May. Its name means “virgin” in Latin.



Virgo is traditionally associated with various fertility and agriculture goddesses across different cultures, including the Greek goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone, as well as the Roman goddess Ceres.&nbsp;



In some myths, Virgo represents Astraea, the virgin goddess of justice who fled to the heavens during the corruption of mankind.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-astronomical-significance-of-virgo">Astronomical significance of Virgo</h2>



Astronomically, Virgo is situated between Leo to the west and Libra to the east. One of its most notable stars is Spica, the brightest star in Virgo and one of the brightest in the night sky.&nbsp;



Spica is a blue-white giant, located approximately 250 light-years from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/was-early-earth-a-purple-planet-scientists-say-its-possible/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>. It has been important for navigation and agriculture for centuries, marking planting and harvest times in ancient calendars.



Virgo is also of great interest to astronomers because it hosts the Virgo Cluster, a massive cluster of galaxies about 65 million light-years away.&nbsp;



This cluster contains more than 1,000 galaxies, and it's part of the larger Virgo Supercluster, which also includes our own Local Group of galaxies. This makes Virgo a key area for studying large-scale structures in the universe.



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Spiral galaxy glows in the constellation Virgo

When the air turns hot, your body shifts into cooling mode: you sweat from heat, you lose water, and your brain looks for fast relief, usually in the form of sugar. 



Sweetness signals quick energy, and cold, sugary drinks or treats feel extra tempting because they promise two things at once - fluid to cool you down and sugar to perk you up. 



Heat also dulls appetite for heavy foods, so sipping something sweet feels easier than eating a full meal. 



Add bright ads and ice-cold displays by the checkout, and it’s no surprise that warm days nudge many people toward more sugar than they’d normally choose. But is this just observational bias, or is it a real thing? 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-and-sugar-consumption">Heat and sugar consumption</h2>



A new study looked at what millions of U.S. households actually bought in grocery stores from 2004 to 2019 and asked a simple question: when the temperature rises, do people end up taking in more added sugar? 



The short answer is yes, and the increase shows up most in communities with lower incomes or less formal education. 



The longer answer uncovers a demand-side ripple of climate change that most of us haven’t thought about: heat changes cravings and habits, and those shifts can widen health gaps unless we plan for them.



For every 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-use-sugar-in-ways-we-never-imagined/">warming</a>, added sugar rose by about 0.7 grams per person per day, with the sharpest climb from roughly 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. 



That may not sound like much in a day, but across a season and a population, it stacks up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-and-sugar-link">Heat and sugar link</h2>



The project was led by <a href="https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/hep3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pan He</a> of Cardiff University’s School of Earth and Environmental Sciences. 



She and colleagues paired long running scanner data from tens of thousands of households with local temperature, humidity, wind, and precipitation to isolate the temperature effect.



The analysis focused on retail purchases rather than restaurant orders, so it likely undercounts some items consumed away from home. Even so, the signal was clear in warmer months across many regions.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-type-of-diabetes-type-5-is-now-officially-recognized-linked-to-nutritional-deficiencies/">temperature</a> response was not linear at every extreme. The increase was strongest in moderate to hot ranges, while the very hottest days showed a flattening.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-temperature-alters-food-choices">How temperature alters food choices</h2>



Beverages did most of the work. The extra sugar came mainly from sodas and fruit drinks, while frozen desserts added a smaller share.



Extreme heat can suppress appetite, which helps explain why the total increase slows on the most sweltering days. That kink does not erase the broader upward link between heat and added sugar.



Price movements did not drive the core pattern. When researchers accounted for food prices, the heat signal largely held.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-feels-the-heat-most">Who feels the heat most</h2>



The effect was largest in households with lower income or less education, a reminder that socioeconomic factors shape both exposure and choices. 



Higher income groups showed smaller changes, likely reflecting access to air conditioning, safer water, and steadier routines.



Patterns varied by background <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heat-is-making-crop-harvests-wildly-unpredictable/">climate</a> and work setting. People in cooler baseline regions and households with outdoor workers were more responsive to hotter conditions.



“What surprised us most was that the strongest increase in added sugar consumption occurred not during extreme heat, but within a relatively mild temperature range, between 12°C and 30°C," explained Pan He. 



This suggests that even moderate warming can significantly influence dietary behavior, leading to increased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and frozen desserts."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-means-for-health">What this means for health</h2>



Excess added sugar is <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/php/data-research/added-sugars.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">linked</a> to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, and average U.S. adults still take in about 17 teaspoons per day. 



That baseline makes a few extra grams per day under future warming more troubling for those already at risk.



The American Heart Association (<a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AHA</a>) recommends capping added sugars at about 6 percent of daily calories. That comes to roughly 36 grams per day for men and 25 grams for women.



The study’s projection adds context. Under a high emissions pathway, the researchers estimate nearly 3 grams per person per day of additional added sugar by 2095, with the steepest seasonal rise in summer and fall.



Health burdens do not fall evenly. Communities with fewer resources already face higher rates of diet related disease, so a temperature linked nudge toward more sugar can widen gaps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-can-be-done">What can be done</h2>



Public policy can help. City level beverage taxes have been followed by higher shelf prices for taxed drinks and lower purchases of sugary beverages, as shown in a <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002283" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> from Berkeley back in 2017.&nbsp;



Clearer labeling and steady nutrition education can support better choices without adding cost. Water access matters too, especially in neighborhoods with unsafe pipes or limited fountains.



Climate adaptation plans should include diet. Cooling centers, safe drinking water, and employer protocols for hot days can lower the pull of sweet, chilled products when temperatures spike.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-research-on-sugar-intake-and-heat">More research on sugar intake and heat</h2>



Restaurant orders remain a blind spot, and future work can test whether the same pattern appears in quick service and delivery data. 



That matters for sweetened coffees, teas, and blended drinks that often carry substantial added sugar.



The team’s approach can extend to other countries and cultures. 



Regions with popular sweet teas, energy drinks, or bubble teas may show different temperature thresholds but similar upward shifts during warm periods.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02398-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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Direct link found between the weather and the amount of sugar humans eat

When the air turns hot, your body shifts into cooling...

High in Alaska’s Brooks Range, streams that once ran so clear you could drink from them are now the color of rusty tea. The water looks hazy, smells metallic, and can stain rocks orange for miles.&nbsp;



Fish are struggling, insect life is smothered, and the change has arrived with startling speed. Scientists say the culprit isn’t industry. It’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thawing-permafrost-could-tip-earths-climate-balance/">thawing permafrost</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-frozen-ground-wakes-up">When frozen ground wakes up</h2>



For millennia, Arctic permafrost - permanently frozen soil - locked minerals in place. As the region warms, that icy seal is failing. 



Water and oxygen seep into freshly thawed ground and set off a chain reaction in sulfide-rich rocks (pyrite is a prime example). 



The chemistry is textbook: sulfides oxidize, sulfuric acid forms, and the acid leaches metals like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/iron-was-lifes-first-essential-metal-and-shaped-early-evolution/">iron</a>, aluminum, and cadmium from surrounding rock. Those metals then flush into rivers and streams.



“This is what acid mine drainage looks like,” said Tim Lyons, a biogeochemist at the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Riverside</a>. “But here, there’s no mine. The permafrost is thawing and changing the chemistry of the landscape.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-astounding-changes-in-water-chemistry">Astounding changes in water chemistry</h2>



A new study zeroes in on the Salmon River, a key waterway in the Brooks Range, documenting just how far the contamination has progressed.&nbsp;



But the authors stress the pattern isn’t isolated. Similar transformations are underway across dozens of Arctic watersheds that share the same mix of geology and thaw.



“I have worked and traveled in the Brooks Range since 1976, and the recent changes in landforms and water chemistry are truly astounding,” said David Cooper, a <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colorado State University</a> research scientist and co-author of the study.



The alarm first sounded in 2019. Ecologist Paddy Sullivan of the <a href="https://www.alaska.edu/alaska/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alaska</a> was flying into the backcountry to study northward-shifting forests when his bush pilot mentioned the Salmon hadn’t cleared after snowmelt - it looked, he said, “like sewage.”&nbsp;



Sullivan’s field observations led to a collaboration with Lyons, <a href="https://www.alaskapacific.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alaska Pacific University</a>’s Roman Dial, and others to trace the cause and measure the ecological fallout.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toxic-metals-in-alaska-s-rivers">Toxic metals in Alaska's rivers</h2>



The team’s analysis confirmed a geochemical cascade. Permafrost thaw exposes sulfide-bearing rocks, oxidation generates acidity, and the resulting acid mobilizes a suite of metals.&nbsp;



In small doses many metals are harmless or even essential. 



But at higher concentrations they become toxic to aquatic life - and the Salmon River’s waters now exceed the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> thresholds for several metals detrimental to fish and invertebrates.



Iron is the most visible signal. As iron oxidizes, it forms fine, orange precipitates that cloud the water and coat the streambed. 



That haze blocks sunlight that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-algae-that-once-cooled-earth-are-now-disappearing/">algae</a> and aquatic plants need, and the sludge blankets the gravel and cobbles where insect larvae live and fish spawn.



Cadmium is more insidious: it can accumulate in fish organs, potentially affecting predators from Dolly Varden <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trout-living-in-polluted-rivers-evolved-to-tolerate-high-metal-levels-in-the-waters/">trout</a> and grayling to birds and bears.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ripple-effects-in-the-food-chain">Ripple effects in the food chain</h2>



For now, the researchers say metal levels in edible fish tissue are not considered hazardous to humans. But indirect risks loom large.&nbsp;



Chum salmon - central to the diets and culture of many Indigenous communities - lay their eggs in clean, oxygenated gravel. When those spaces fill with fine sediment and metal precipitates, the oxygen drops and eggs can suffocate. 



Changes in insect communities ripple up the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-twilight-zone-stabilizes-the-marine-food-chain/">food chain</a>, weakening the foundation that supports juvenile fish and the species that eat them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-irreversible-shift-in-alaska-s-rivers">Irreversible shift in Alaska's rivers</h2>



Unlike mine sites - where engineers can install liners, drains, or neutralizing systems - these rivers wind through remote, roadless country, and the sources of contamination are everywhere thaw has reached the right rock. There is no single pipe to plug, no settling pond to build.



“Wherever you have the right kind of rock and thawing permafrost, this process can start,” Lyons said. And once it does, it tends to keep going. The only true “off switch” would be for the permafrost to refreeze - an unlikely prospect in a warming climate.



“There’s no fixing this once it starts,” Lyons said. “It’s another irreversible shift driven by a warming planet.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fingerprints-of-global-warming">Fingerprints of global warming</h2>



The experts hope their findings will help communities, land managers, and fisheries prepare. 



They will need to expand water quality monitoring, identifying vulnerable spawning grounds, planning alternative harvests if runs falter, and adapting management practices as conditions change.



The broader message is sobering. The Brooks Range is about as far from cities and smokestacks as you can get. Yet its rivers are wearing the unmistakable fingerprints of global warming.



“There are few places left on Earth as untouched as these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alaskas-rivers-are-rusting-and-the-changes-are-visible-from-space/">rivers</a>,” Lyons said. “But even here, far from cities and highways, the fingerprint of global warming is unmistakable. No place is spared.”



Rivers once known for their wild clarity are telling a new story - one where ancient ice, long trusted to keep the land’s chemistry in check, is finally letting go.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425644122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: Taylor Rhoades



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Alaska's rivers are turning orange, and the changes are irreversible

High in Alaska’s Brooks Range, streams that once ran so...

A small lump of chewed birch pitch found on the island of Lolland held an unusually rich record of one person’s life. Scientists recovered human DNA, mouth microbes, and food traces from a single piece of resin that still showed tooth marks.



The find dates to about 5,700 years ago, right as farming was spreading into southern Scandinavia. It offers a rare human snapshot from a site without any buried skeletons.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-precise-dating-of-dna-from-gum">Precise dating of DNA from gum</h2>



The work was led by <a href="https://globe.ku.dk/staff-list/?pure=en/persons/329391" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Theis Z. T. Jensen</a> at the Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen (<a href="https://globe.ku.dk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GIUC</a>). 



In this study, the team reconstructed a complete ancient human genome from a chewed birch pitch that calibrates to between 5,858 and 5,661 years before present.



The researchers used <a href="https://news.uchicago.edu/explainer/what-is-carbon-14-dating" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">radiocarbon dating</a> to fix the age of the gum, then confirmed the material as birch pitch using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. 



Those tests picked out chemical markers typical of pitch, including betulin and related compounds.



Chewing likely softened the resin for toolmaking, since fresh pitch hardens as it cools. Ethnographic records and chemistry also point to mild antiseptic properties, which could have made it a handy mouth cleaner in a pinch.



The Syltholm site preserved organic materials exceptionally well. Even so, the only direct human material from the site is this one chewed piece of pitch.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-they-pulled-dna-from-gum">How they pulled DNA from gum</h2>



Sequencing produced roughly 390 million DNA reads, and about one third aligned to the human reference genome. 



That volume of authentic ancient DNA made it possible to rebuild the woman’s genome to an average depth of 2.3x.



The researchers were able to build a complete version of her mitochondrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-from-9000-year-old-skeletons-disproves-migratory-waves-theory-from-south-africa/">DNA</a> and found that it belonged to a group called K1e, which was one of the maternal lineages present in prehistoric Europe.



“The results highlight the potential of chewed birch pitch as a source of ancient DNA,” wrote Jensen. This line captures why the gum matters for both archaeology and genetics.



Ancient DNA studies often rely on teeth or dense bone. This result shows that masticated pitch can sometimes match those tissues in how much human DNA it can hold.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-her-dna-reveals">What her DNA reveals</h2>



The sex determination analysis showed the chewer was female, based on how the reads mapped to the X and Y chromosomes. 



Her genomic profile clusters with Western hunter gatherers rather than early farmers or eastern hunter gatherers.



“We also find that she likely had dark skin, dark brown hair and blue eyes,” wrote Jensen. Trait predictions using the HIrisPlex S system point to dark skin, dark brown hair, and blue eyes.&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/missing-parts-of-the-human-genome-have-finally-been-decoded/">genome</a> lacks the key European variants for lactase persistence, so she was likely lactose intolerant as an adult. That fits a period before dairy tolerance rose to high frequencies in Europe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-she-fits-in-prehistory">Where she fits in prehistory</h2>



Genetic affinity tests show no detectable influx from eastern hunter gatherers or Anatolian farmers. 



In southern Denmark around 3700 BC, at least some people still carried a largely hunter gatherer gene pool despite visible shifts in tools and pottery.



Later <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4918750/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> documents strong natural selection on several pigmentation genes during the last few thousand years in Europe. 



That helps explain why light skin spread later, while blue eyes appear in some earlier hunter gatherers.



These patterns suggest culture and genes do not always move in lockstep. Farming practices may arrive through contact and learning before ancestry profiles change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-mouth-microbes">The mouth microbes</h2>



Beyond human DNA on the gum, the pitch held a detailed oral microbiome profile. The mix of bacteria matched what is typical for the human mouth, including commensal species common today.



The team detected members of the red complex associated with periodontal disease, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola. 



Those organisms are opportunists that can flourish under certain conditions and contribute to gum disease.



They also recovered sequences from Streptococcus pneumoniae and Epstein Barr virus. <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/about/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Streptococcus pneumoniae</a> is a major cause of invasive disease in people today.



Finding ancient pathogen DNA does not prove active illness in this woman. It does show that many familiar microbes already shared our mouths thousands of years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-she-ate-that-day">What she ate that day</h2>



Plant and animal DNA in the pitch point to hazelnut, Corylus avellana, and mallard, Anas platyrhynchos. These foods were common in coastal and woodland diets across Mesolithic and early Neolithic Scandinavia.



Those reads probably reflect a recent meal before the chewing session. The presence of birch <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-link-autism-to-neanderthal-dna-genetic-variants-found-in-modern-humans/">DNA</a>, unsurprisingly, comes from the pitch itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-gum-dna-and-modern-science">Ancient gum, DNA, and modern science</h2>



Chewed pitch opens doors at sites where human bones are missing or too fragile. It can capture ancestry, traits, oral ecology, and even dietary hints from a few mouthfuls of resin.



New work extends the approach to other places and periods. A 2024 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-48762-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">paper</a> from Sweden reports that Mesolithic chewers had signs consistent with poor oral health, and shows that ancient pitch can track diet and microbial imbalance.



These studies turn everyday actions into scientific evidence. A brief chew can preserve a trove of information about bodies, habits, and environments long after bones have vanished.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13549-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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5,700-year-old piece of gum reveals the complete DNA of a prehistoric woman

A small lump of chewed birch pitch found on the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Snowball Earth Mystery Solved After 700 Million Years" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K0DuSr87SHY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-earth-became-a-frozen-wasteland">When Earth became a frozen wasteland</h2>



Imagine Earth as a giant snowball, frozen solid from the North Pole to the equator. This wasn&#8217;t the plot of a science fiction movie – it was our planet&#8217;s reality 700 million years ago during an extreme ice age that has puzzled scientists for decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-discovery">The discovery</h2>



Australian researchers from the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sydney</a> have finally cracked one of geology&#8217;s greatest mysteries: what caused the Sturtian glaciation and why it persisted for an unprecedented 57 million years. This period occurred long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, when no complex plants or multicellular animals existed.



Dr. Adriana Dutkiewicz, the study&#8217;s lead author, describes a world completely unlike today&#8217;s climate. &#8220;Imagine the Earth almost completely frozen over,&#8221; she explained. &#8220;The planet was blanketed in ice from poles to equator, and temperatures plunged.&#8221;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-combination-of-climate-factors">The combination of climate factors</h2>



The research team discovered that this massive freeze resulted from a &#8220;double whammy&#8221; of geological events. First, plate tectonic activity reduced volcanic carbon dioxide emissions to historically low levels. Volcanic activity typically releases CO2 into the atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that keeps Earth warm.



Simultaneously, weathering of volcanic rocks in what is now Canada actively absorbed atmospheric CO2, further reducing greenhouse gas concentrations. When atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dropped below 200 parts per million – less than half of today&#8217;s levels – glaciation engulfed the entire planet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-climate-implications">Modern climate implications</h2>



Published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geology</a>, this research provides crucial insights into Earth&#8217;s climate system. While geological climate changes occur over millions of years, the study emphasizes that human-induced climate change is happening at a pace ten times faster than previously observed natural changes, highlighting the urgent need to understand our planet&#8217;s delicate climate balance.



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What caused the planet's longest ice age

When Earth became a frozen wasteland

The discovery

The combination of climate factors

Modern climate implications

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