OSIRIS-REx spacecraft arrives at Bennu

This series of images taken by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft shows Bennu in one full rotation from a distance of around 50 miles (80 km). The spacecraft’s PolyCam camera obtained the thirty-six 2.2-millisecond frames over a period of 4 hours and 18 minutes. Image via NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Arizona.

After traveling through space for more than two years and over two billion kilometers, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft arrived at its destination, asteroid Bennu, on Monday, December 3, 2018.

OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) launched in September 2016 and has been slowly approaching Bennu. OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey the surface, collect a sample and deliver it back to Earth. The spacecraft will spend almost a year surveying the asteroid with the goal of selecting a location that is safe and scientifically interesting to collect the sample.

This picture shows the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft’s view of Bennu during the final phase of its journey to the asteroid. From August 17 through November 27, 2018, the spacecraft’s PolyCam camera imaged Bennu almost daily as the spacecraft traveled 1.4 million miles (2.2 million km) toward the asteroid. The final images were obtained from a distance of around 40 miles (65 km). During this period, OSIRIS-REx completed four maneuvers slowing the spacecraft’s velocity from approximately 1,100 mph (491 m/sec) to 0.10 mph (0.04 m/sec) relative to Bennu, which resulted in the slower approach speed at the end of the video. Image via NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Arizona.

That asteroid sample is expected to return to Earth via free fall from space, until it reaches an altitude of 20.8 miles (33.5 km), when a first parachute will deploy. At 1.9 miles (3 km), the main parachute will be released, bringing the capsule with its precious cargo from Bennu in for a soft landing in the Utah desert on September 24, 2023.

Bottom line: After traveling through space for more than 2 years, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft arrived December 3, 2018 at its destination, asteroid Bennu.

EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Going fast!

Via NASA

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2E0nPn9

This series of images taken by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft shows Bennu in one full rotation from a distance of around 50 miles (80 km). The spacecraft’s PolyCam camera obtained the thirty-six 2.2-millisecond frames over a period of 4 hours and 18 minutes. Image via NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Arizona.

After traveling through space for more than two years and over two billion kilometers, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft arrived at its destination, asteroid Bennu, on Monday, December 3, 2018.

OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) launched in September 2016 and has been slowly approaching Bennu. OSIRIS-REx is NASA’s first mission to visit a near-Earth asteroid, survey the surface, collect a sample and deliver it back to Earth. The spacecraft will spend almost a year surveying the asteroid with the goal of selecting a location that is safe and scientifically interesting to collect the sample.

This picture shows the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft’s view of Bennu during the final phase of its journey to the asteroid. From August 17 through November 27, 2018, the spacecraft’s PolyCam camera imaged Bennu almost daily as the spacecraft traveled 1.4 million miles (2.2 million km) toward the asteroid. The final images were obtained from a distance of around 40 miles (65 km). During this period, OSIRIS-REx completed four maneuvers slowing the spacecraft’s velocity from approximately 1,100 mph (491 m/sec) to 0.10 mph (0.04 m/sec) relative to Bennu, which resulted in the slower approach speed at the end of the video. Image via NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Arizona.

That asteroid sample is expected to return to Earth via free fall from space, until it reaches an altitude of 20.8 miles (33.5 km), when a first parachute will deploy. At 1.9 miles (3 km), the main parachute will be released, bringing the capsule with its precious cargo from Bennu in for a soft landing in the Utah desert on September 24, 2023.

Bottom line: After traveling through space for more than 2 years, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft arrived December 3, 2018 at its destination, asteroid Bennu.

EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Going fast!

Via NASA

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2E0nPn9

See it! Moon and Venus close

Waning crescent moon sharing the sky with Venus (below) and Spica (right) on December 3, 2018 via Greg Diesel Walck Lunar and Landscape Photographer, in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Moon and Venus on December 3, 2018 via Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona. He wrote: ” it was quite a sight for a few minutes when the lighting was just right, dark enough for the moon and venus to be brilliant and light enough to have some color in the clouds…”

December 3, 2018 moon and Venus from Steven Bellavia.

Nikki Gregory posted this December 3, 2018 photo of the moon and Venus on EarthSky Facebook.

Raul Cortes in Monterrey, Mexico said he had a cloudy sky on December 3 and had to wait for a break in the clouds to catch the moon and Venus.

Venus and the moon on December 3, 2018 via DrArvind Mishra in Jaunpur, India.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2EbYK9r

Waning crescent moon sharing the sky with Venus (below) and Spica (right) on December 3, 2018 via Greg Diesel Walck Lunar and Landscape Photographer, in Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Moon and Venus on December 3, 2018 via Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona. He wrote: ” it was quite a sight for a few minutes when the lighting was just right, dark enough for the moon and venus to be brilliant and light enough to have some color in the clouds…”

December 3, 2018 moon and Venus from Steven Bellavia.

Nikki Gregory posted this December 3, 2018 photo of the moon and Venus on EarthSky Facebook.

Raul Cortes in Monterrey, Mexico said he had a cloudy sky on December 3 and had to wait for a break in the clouds to catch the moon and Venus.

Venus and the moon on December 3, 2018 via DrArvind Mishra in Jaunpur, India.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2EbYK9r

Astronomers’ 1st close-up look near a supermassive black hole

Back in the 1960s, astronomers began using the name quasar to describe what they at first called quasi-stellar objects. The first quasars looked starlike, like pinpoints, through optical telescopes, but analysis of their light perplexed astronomers. Now the theory of quasars has made huge strides. They’re pictured as the highly active cores of galaxies in the early universe, powered by gigantic black holes. Yet we still see quasars as starlike through optical telescopes, and detailed observations about the area around the black holes has been hard to come by. Last week – on November 29, 2018 – the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) announced that its astronomers have used a new instrument called GRAVITY to get a better look than ever before – in optical light – into the heart of one of astronomy’s most famous quasars, the first quasar ever discovered, called 3C 273.

The new work was published on November 28, 2018, in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.

This international team of astronomers was able to observe the structure of rapidly moving gas around the central supermassive black hole believed to power 3C 273. Prior to this new work, the small angular size of this inner region – its size on our sky’s dome, described as about that of our solar system seen from a distance of 2.5 billion light-years – had made this observation impossible.

The video animation at the top of this post tries to convey some of this story, by first showing you an optical image of 3C273 (you’ll also see this image below). The video then goes to an artist’s impression of the surroundings of the supermassive black hole thought to power this quasar. In the animation, you see the typical components believed to make up supermassive black holes: a dusty torus, very hot, infalling material and a jet of material ejected at high speeds from the black hole’s poles.

Then, in the video, you see what’s new here: a depiction of a spinning whirlpool, an artist’s concept of the recent work completed by astronomers, who were able to get some details about the so-called broad line region, where gas clouds whirl around 3C 273’s central black hole.

Astronomers still can’t see this area. But they can analyze optical light from this region, and the details they’ve found have let them confirm the mass of the central black hole at about 300 million solar masses. That’s in contrast to the mass of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy, which is only about 4 million solar masses.

The 2019 lunar calendars are here! Order yours before they’re gone. Makes a great gift.

Optical image of the quasar 3C273, obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. The quasar resides in a giant elliptical galaxy in the constellation of Virgo at a distance of about 2.5 billion light-years. It was the 1st quasar ever to be identified. Image via ESA/Hubble/NASA/MPE.

The technique used by these astronomers isn’t new, but the instrument engaged in the process is relatively new, commissioned in 2016. The instrument is called GRAVITY, and astronomers say it’s allowed for a huge gain in angular resolution, that is, in the clarity with which we see this very distant quasar.

All four of the telescopes that make up the Very Large Telescope (VLT) – located on top of Cerro Paranal in Chile – were used with the GRAVITY instrument to make the new observations of 3C 273. These telescopes combine together via interferometry.

Used with GRAVITY, the astronomers said, the four telescopes became the equivalent of one telescope with a diameter of 427 feet (130 meters, or about the length of one-and-a-half American football fields).

Aerial view of the observing platform on the top of Cerro Paranal, with the four enclosures for the 8.2-meter (27-foot) Unit Telescopes (UTs) and various installations for the VLT Interferometer (VLTI). Read more about this image via Wikimedia Commons.

So with these optical telescopes and the GRAVITY instrument, the astronomers can now see into distant space more clearly. That’s how they’ve obtained never-before-seen details about the central region of quasar 3C 273. Eckhard Sturm of MPE is lead author of the new study. He said:

GRAVITY allowed us to resolve the so-called ‘broad line region’ for the first time ever, and to observe the motion of gas clouds around the central black hole. Our observations reveal that the gas clouds do whirl around the central black hole.

The astronomers’ statement said:

Detailed observations of the quasar 3C 273 with the GRAVITY instrument reveal the structure of rapidly moving gas around the central supermassive black hole, the first time that the so-called ‘broad line region’ could be resolved. The international team of astronomers was thus able to measure the mass of the black hole with unprecedented precision. This measurement confirms the fundamental assumptions of the most commonly used method to measure the mass of central black holes in distant quasars. Studying these black holes and determining their masses is an essential ingredient to understanding galaxy evolution in general.

Reinhard Genzel, head of the infrared research group at MPE, commented:

This is the first time that we can spatially resolve and study the immediate environs of a massive black hole outside our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

Black holes are intriguing objects, allowing us to probe physics under extreme conditions – and with GRAVITY we can now probe them both near and far.

Here the principle geometry of the Broad Line Region of the quasar is shown. The individual clouds are distributed in a thick ring (green shaded area), and rotate around the central black hole. Image via NASA/GRAVITY Collaboration.

More than 50 years ago, in 1963, the astronomer Maarten Schmidt identified the first quasi-stellar object or quasar – this very same quasar still being studied today, 3C 273 – as an object that’s exceedingly distant and almost unimaginably bright. It was clear, even in the 1960s, that the energy emitted by quasars is vastly greater than in normal galaxies such as our Milky Way and cannot be produced by regular fusion processes in stars.

In the decades since then, theoretical astronomers have detailed the theory that quasars get their energy from the processes occurring near supermassive black holes.

Observations such as these recent ones by Eckhard Sturm et al. go a long way toward confirming the work of the theorists. And – because galaxies are the basic structure of our universe, and since supermassive black holes are now thought to lie at the heart of most if not all large galaxies – the work also moves forward astronomers’ understanding of the evolution of the whole universe.

Bottom line: For the first time, researchers have been able to observe the motion of gas clouds around a central supermassive black hole. This particular black hole powers the famous quasar 3C 273.

Source: Spatially resolved rotation of the broad-line region of a quasar at sub-parsec scale

Via Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2zHrW4n

Back in the 1960s, astronomers began using the name quasar to describe what they at first called quasi-stellar objects. The first quasars looked starlike, like pinpoints, through optical telescopes, but analysis of their light perplexed astronomers. Now the theory of quasars has made huge strides. They’re pictured as the highly active cores of galaxies in the early universe, powered by gigantic black holes. Yet we still see quasars as starlike through optical telescopes, and detailed observations about the area around the black holes has been hard to come by. Last week – on November 29, 2018 – the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) announced that its astronomers have used a new instrument called GRAVITY to get a better look than ever before – in optical light – into the heart of one of astronomy’s most famous quasars, the first quasar ever discovered, called 3C 273.

The new work was published on November 28, 2018, in the peer-reviewed journal Nature.

This international team of astronomers was able to observe the structure of rapidly moving gas around the central supermassive black hole believed to power 3C 273. Prior to this new work, the small angular size of this inner region – its size on our sky’s dome, described as about that of our solar system seen from a distance of 2.5 billion light-years – had made this observation impossible.

The video animation at the top of this post tries to convey some of this story, by first showing you an optical image of 3C273 (you’ll also see this image below). The video then goes to an artist’s impression of the surroundings of the supermassive black hole thought to power this quasar. In the animation, you see the typical components believed to make up supermassive black holes: a dusty torus, very hot, infalling material and a jet of material ejected at high speeds from the black hole’s poles.

Then, in the video, you see what’s new here: a depiction of a spinning whirlpool, an artist’s concept of the recent work completed by astronomers, who were able to get some details about the so-called broad line region, where gas clouds whirl around 3C 273’s central black hole.

Astronomers still can’t see this area. But they can analyze optical light from this region, and the details they’ve found have let them confirm the mass of the central black hole at about 300 million solar masses. That’s in contrast to the mass of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy, which is only about 4 million solar masses.

The 2019 lunar calendars are here! Order yours before they’re gone. Makes a great gift.

Optical image of the quasar 3C273, obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope. The quasar resides in a giant elliptical galaxy in the constellation of Virgo at a distance of about 2.5 billion light-years. It was the 1st quasar ever to be identified. Image via ESA/Hubble/NASA/MPE.

The technique used by these astronomers isn’t new, but the instrument engaged in the process is relatively new, commissioned in 2016. The instrument is called GRAVITY, and astronomers say it’s allowed for a huge gain in angular resolution, that is, in the clarity with which we see this very distant quasar.

All four of the telescopes that make up the Very Large Telescope (VLT) – located on top of Cerro Paranal in Chile – were used with the GRAVITY instrument to make the new observations of 3C 273. These telescopes combine together via interferometry.

Used with GRAVITY, the astronomers said, the four telescopes became the equivalent of one telescope with a diameter of 427 feet (130 meters, or about the length of one-and-a-half American football fields).

Aerial view of the observing platform on the top of Cerro Paranal, with the four enclosures for the 8.2-meter (27-foot) Unit Telescopes (UTs) and various installations for the VLT Interferometer (VLTI). Read more about this image via Wikimedia Commons.

So with these optical telescopes and the GRAVITY instrument, the astronomers can now see into distant space more clearly. That’s how they’ve obtained never-before-seen details about the central region of quasar 3C 273. Eckhard Sturm of MPE is lead author of the new study. He said:

GRAVITY allowed us to resolve the so-called ‘broad line region’ for the first time ever, and to observe the motion of gas clouds around the central black hole. Our observations reveal that the gas clouds do whirl around the central black hole.

The astronomers’ statement said:

Detailed observations of the quasar 3C 273 with the GRAVITY instrument reveal the structure of rapidly moving gas around the central supermassive black hole, the first time that the so-called ‘broad line region’ could be resolved. The international team of astronomers was thus able to measure the mass of the black hole with unprecedented precision. This measurement confirms the fundamental assumptions of the most commonly used method to measure the mass of central black holes in distant quasars. Studying these black holes and determining their masses is an essential ingredient to understanding galaxy evolution in general.

Reinhard Genzel, head of the infrared research group at MPE, commented:

This is the first time that we can spatially resolve and study the immediate environs of a massive black hole outside our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

Black holes are intriguing objects, allowing us to probe physics under extreme conditions – and with GRAVITY we can now probe them both near and far.

Here the principle geometry of the Broad Line Region of the quasar is shown. The individual clouds are distributed in a thick ring (green shaded area), and rotate around the central black hole. Image via NASA/GRAVITY Collaboration.

More than 50 years ago, in 1963, the astronomer Maarten Schmidt identified the first quasi-stellar object or quasar – this very same quasar still being studied today, 3C 273 – as an object that’s exceedingly distant and almost unimaginably bright. It was clear, even in the 1960s, that the energy emitted by quasars is vastly greater than in normal galaxies such as our Milky Way and cannot be produced by regular fusion processes in stars.

In the decades since then, theoretical astronomers have detailed the theory that quasars get their energy from the processes occurring near supermassive black holes.

Observations such as these recent ones by Eckhard Sturm et al. go a long way toward confirming the work of the theorists. And – because galaxies are the basic structure of our universe, and since supermassive black holes are now thought to lie at the heart of most if not all large galaxies – the work also moves forward astronomers’ understanding of the evolution of the whole universe.

Bottom line: For the first time, researchers have been able to observe the motion of gas clouds around a central supermassive black hole. This particular black hole powers the famous quasar 3C 273.

Source: Spatially resolved rotation of the broad-line region of a quasar at sub-parsec scale

Via Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2zHrW4n

Some TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets may be like Venus

Artist’s concept showing a comparison of the 7 planets orbiting the relatively nearby star TRAPPIST-1. All are similar to Earth in size, but – as yet – surface conditions on these distant worlds remain unknown. Image via NASA.

The discovery of the TRAPPIST-1 system of exoplanets has proven to be one of the most exciting in recent years – not just one or two, but seven Earth-sized worlds orbiting their star only 39 light-years away. But what are those planets really like? Even being so relatively close, it is difficult with current telescopes to determine just what conditions are like on their surfaces. Recent studies however have shown that there is likely a lot of water distributed among them – a clue about their potential habitability.

EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Going fast!

Now, a new study provides updated climate models for the seven planets, with some interesting findings. The new peer-reviewed paper, published by University of Washington doctoral student Andrew Lincowski on November 1, 2018, in the The Astrophysical Journal,  found that most or even all seven planets may have evolved like Venus. If they had oceans, those oceans may have evaporated away, leaving behind dense, uninhabitable atmospheres. According to Lincowski:

We are modeling unfamiliar atmospheres, not just assuming that the things we see in the solar system will look the same way around another star. We conducted this research to show what these different types of atmospheres could look like.

The modeling of the system is based on the host star having gone through an extremely hot and bright early stellar phase. This may not sound like good news in terms of habitability, but the study also supports the possibility that at least one of the planets – TRAPPIST-1 e – could currently have oceans like Earth. This is in agreement with other recent studies. As Lincowski noted, it could even have a global ocean:

This may be possible if these planets had more water initially than Earth, Venus or Mars. If planet TRAPPIST-1 e did not lose all of its water during this phase, today it could be a water world, completely covered by a global ocean. In this case, it could have a climate similar to Earth.

Artist’s concept of the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system. Image via SETI Institute.

The researchers combined terrestrial climate modeling with photochemistry models to simulate the environmental states for each of the TRAPPIST-1planets.

In general, the study shows that:

TRAPPIST-1 b, the closest to the star, is a blazing world too hot even for clouds of sulfuric acid, as on Venus, to form.

Planets c and d receive slightly more energy from their star than Venus and Earth do from the sun and could be Venus-like, with a dense, uninhabitable atmosphere.

TRAPPIST-1 e is the most likely of the seven to host liquid water on a temperate surface, and would be an excellent choice for further study with habitability in mind.

The outer planets f, g and h could be Venus-like or could be frozen, depending on how much water formed on the planet during its evolution.

Three of the planets are in the star’s habitable zone – the region where temperatures could allow liquid water on their surfaces, depending on other factors as well, such as type of atmosphere. Those planets are TRAPPIST-1 e, f and g. TRAPPIST-1 d is just on the inner edge of the habitable zone while TRAPPIST-1 h is just outside the outer edge of the habitable zone.

Artist’s concept of TRAPPIST-1e, considered to be the most likely to have Earth-like oceans. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech.

All seven planets orbit close to their star, but some are still in the habitable zone because the star itself – a red dwarf – is smaller and cooler than our sun. TRAPPIST-1 is only about nine percent of the sun’s mass and 12 precent of the sun’s radius. These differences can provide a lot of information about the evolution of planets orbiting other stars, according to Lincowski:

This is a whole sequence of planets that can give us insight into the evolution of planets, in particular around a star that’s very different from ours, with different light coming off of it. It’s just a gold mine.

Many other planets have been discovered orbiting red dwarf stars as well, so studying the TRAPPIST-1 system will teach astronomers a lot about other such systems, including habitability. As Lincowski noted:

But M dwarf stars are very different, so you really have to think about the chemical effects on the atmosphere(s) and how that chemistry affects the climate.

New upcoming telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to study the TRAPPIST-1 planets in more detail, including their atmospheres. Examining the atmospheres of exoplanets – especially rocky, Earth-sized ones – is usually quite difficult, due to their extreme distances away from our solar system. Luckily, TRAPPIST-1 is closer than most. According to study co-author Jacob Lustig-Yaeger, a UW astronomy doctoral student:

Before we knew of this planetary system, estimates for the detectability of atmospheres for Earth-sized planets were looking much more difficult.

The new study suggests that some of the TRAPPIST-1 planets may have evolved in a similar manner to Venus. Image via ESA/MPS/DLR/IDA.

The study doesn’t prove that most or all of the planets are Venus-like, but it provides more constraints on how the system may have evolved after initial formation. It also shows how it will be easier to search for signs of habitability or even life in other planetary systems in the near future, as explained by the study’s other co-author Victoria Meadows, professor of astronomy and director of the UW’s Astrobiology Program:

The processes that shape the evolution of a terrestrial planet are critical to whether or not it can be habitable, as well as our ability to interpret possible signs of life. This paper suggests that we may soon be able to search for potentially detectable signs of these processes on alien worlds.

Bottom line: The TRAPPIST-1 planetary system offers a unique look at how rocky Earth-sized planets orbiting other stars may have originated and evolved – in particular those that orbit red dwarf stars, the most common type of star in our galaxy.

Source: Evolved Climates and Observational Discriminants for the TRAPPIST-1 Planetary System

Via University of Washington

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2ALytL4

Artist’s concept showing a comparison of the 7 planets orbiting the relatively nearby star TRAPPIST-1. All are similar to Earth in size, but – as yet – surface conditions on these distant worlds remain unknown. Image via NASA.

The discovery of the TRAPPIST-1 system of exoplanets has proven to be one of the most exciting in recent years – not just one or two, but seven Earth-sized worlds orbiting their star only 39 light-years away. But what are those planets really like? Even being so relatively close, it is difficult with current telescopes to determine just what conditions are like on their surfaces. Recent studies however have shown that there is likely a lot of water distributed among them – a clue about their potential habitability.

EarthSky lunar calendars are cool! They make great gifts. Order now. Going fast!

Now, a new study provides updated climate models for the seven planets, with some interesting findings. The new peer-reviewed paper, published by University of Washington doctoral student Andrew Lincowski on November 1, 2018, in the The Astrophysical Journal,  found that most or even all seven planets may have evolved like Venus. If they had oceans, those oceans may have evaporated away, leaving behind dense, uninhabitable atmospheres. According to Lincowski:

We are modeling unfamiliar atmospheres, not just assuming that the things we see in the solar system will look the same way around another star. We conducted this research to show what these different types of atmospheres could look like.

The modeling of the system is based on the host star having gone through an extremely hot and bright early stellar phase. This may not sound like good news in terms of habitability, but the study also supports the possibility that at least one of the planets – TRAPPIST-1 e – could currently have oceans like Earth. This is in agreement with other recent studies. As Lincowski noted, it could even have a global ocean:

This may be possible if these planets had more water initially than Earth, Venus or Mars. If planet TRAPPIST-1 e did not lose all of its water during this phase, today it could be a water world, completely covered by a global ocean. In this case, it could have a climate similar to Earth.

Artist’s concept of the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system. Image via SETI Institute.

The researchers combined terrestrial climate modeling with photochemistry models to simulate the environmental states for each of the TRAPPIST-1planets.

In general, the study shows that:

TRAPPIST-1 b, the closest to the star, is a blazing world too hot even for clouds of sulfuric acid, as on Venus, to form.

Planets c and d receive slightly more energy from their star than Venus and Earth do from the sun and could be Venus-like, with a dense, uninhabitable atmosphere.

TRAPPIST-1 e is the most likely of the seven to host liquid water on a temperate surface, and would be an excellent choice for further study with habitability in mind.

The outer planets f, g and h could be Venus-like or could be frozen, depending on how much water formed on the planet during its evolution.

Three of the planets are in the star’s habitable zone – the region where temperatures could allow liquid water on their surfaces, depending on other factors as well, such as type of atmosphere. Those planets are TRAPPIST-1 e, f and g. TRAPPIST-1 d is just on the inner edge of the habitable zone while TRAPPIST-1 h is just outside the outer edge of the habitable zone.

Artist’s concept of TRAPPIST-1e, considered to be the most likely to have Earth-like oceans. Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech.

All seven planets orbit close to their star, but some are still in the habitable zone because the star itself – a red dwarf – is smaller and cooler than our sun. TRAPPIST-1 is only about nine percent of the sun’s mass and 12 precent of the sun’s radius. These differences can provide a lot of information about the evolution of planets orbiting other stars, according to Lincowski:

This is a whole sequence of planets that can give us insight into the evolution of planets, in particular around a star that’s very different from ours, with different light coming off of it. It’s just a gold mine.

Many other planets have been discovered orbiting red dwarf stars as well, so studying the TRAPPIST-1 system will teach astronomers a lot about other such systems, including habitability. As Lincowski noted:

But M dwarf stars are very different, so you really have to think about the chemical effects on the atmosphere(s) and how that chemistry affects the climate.

New upcoming telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to study the TRAPPIST-1 planets in more detail, including their atmospheres. Examining the atmospheres of exoplanets – especially rocky, Earth-sized ones – is usually quite difficult, due to their extreme distances away from our solar system. Luckily, TRAPPIST-1 is closer than most. According to study co-author Jacob Lustig-Yaeger, a UW astronomy doctoral student:

Before we knew of this planetary system, estimates for the detectability of atmospheres for Earth-sized planets were looking much more difficult.

The new study suggests that some of the TRAPPIST-1 planets may have evolved in a similar manner to Venus. Image via ESA/MPS/DLR/IDA.

The study doesn’t prove that most or all of the planets are Venus-like, but it provides more constraints on how the system may have evolved after initial formation. It also shows how it will be easier to search for signs of habitability or even life in other planetary systems in the near future, as explained by the study’s other co-author Victoria Meadows, professor of astronomy and director of the UW’s Astrobiology Program:

The processes that shape the evolution of a terrestrial planet are critical to whether or not it can be habitable, as well as our ability to interpret possible signs of life. This paper suggests that we may soon be able to search for potentially detectable signs of these processes on alien worlds.

Bottom line: The TRAPPIST-1 planetary system offers a unique look at how rocky Earth-sized planets orbiting other stars may have originated and evolved – in particular those that orbit red dwarf stars, the most common type of star in our galaxy.

Source: Evolved Climates and Observational Discriminants for the TRAPPIST-1 Planetary System

Via University of Washington

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2ALytL4

Iridescent cloud with crepuscular rays

Richard Kelley posted this photo at EarthSky Facebook on November 26, 2018. Thanks, Richard!

Read more: I saw a cloud with rainbow colors. What causes it?

Read more: Iridescent cloud or circumhorizon arc? How to tell the difference

Read more: See it! Crepuscular rays

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2KP7u66

Richard Kelley posted this photo at EarthSky Facebook on November 26, 2018. Thanks, Richard!

Read more: I saw a cloud with rainbow colors. What causes it?

Read more: Iridescent cloud or circumhorizon arc? How to tell the difference

Read more: See it! Crepuscular rays

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2KP7u66

2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #48

Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review...  

Story of the Week...

G20 told crucial COP24 climate change conference 'must succeed': Guterres

 

UN News/Natalia Montagna: Delegates to the G20 summit have gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (30 November 2018)

During press briefings at the beginning of the G20 meeting of industrialized nations in Buenos Aires, UN Secretary António Guterres described the event as an essential forum, citing a lack of confidence and high level of confrontation within the international community.

As well as mistrust between nations, and the risk of confrontation and escalation, Mr, Guterres said that there was a lack of trust between peoples in general and institutions everywhere, both at a national level – in the form of governments and parliaments – and internationally; because globalization has divided the world into winners and losers.

Those left out, he said, “feel angry, that feel frustrated, that many times…there was not enough effort from their government, or from international organizations like the UN, in order to attend their problems, to attend their difficulties in the rustbelts of this world. I think it is very important to come together, the different countries around the world, and to have a common strategy for a fair globalization, which means a globalization that leaves no one behind.”

For this reason, the world’s largest economies, such as the G20 group, must support the UN’s 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, said the UN chief, which was developed precisely to ensure a fair globalization and aims to eradicate poverty and address a wide range of governance problems worldwide.

Mr. Guterres also pointed out that this year’s G20 meeting is important because it precedes the COP24 climate change conference taking place in Katowice, Poland from 3 December, at which the “Work Programme” or rule book of the 2015 Paris Agreement – when practically all countries signed up to a pledge to ensure global temperatures do not rise by more than 2 degrees before the end of this century– is expected to be agreed.

Addressing the media on Friday, the Secretary-General said that “Katowice must succeed. We need to build in Katowice the momentum that is necessary for an increased ambition to be shown by the international community…when in 2020 the commitments made in Paris will be renewed in order to make sure that we are able to bring the increase of temperature in the world until the end of the century to clearly below 2 degrees and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees.”

“Political will is lacking,” said the UN chief. “That is why it’s so important to come here and to express to political leaders how important it is for everybody to understand that this is a make it or break it moment in relation to guaranteeing that the Paris Agreement is implemented."

G20 told crucial COP24 climate change conference 'must succeed': Guterres, UN News, Nov 30, 2018

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Toon of the Week...

 

---

Coming Soon on SkS...

• SkS Analogy 16 - Arctic ice, sailboat keels, and wild weather (Evan)
• Is Methane Worse than CO2?? (Adam Levy)
• New findings on ocean warming: 5 questions answered (Scott Denning)
• The Security & Sustainability Guide (John Hartz)
• New research this week (Ari)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #49 (John Hartz)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #49 (John Hartz)

---

Poster of the Week...

---

SkS Week in Review... 

• COP24: UN climate change conference, what’s at stake and what you need to know by John Hartz (UN News)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48 by John Hartz
• But their Emails! by David Kirtley
• New research, November 19-25, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki
• Why does CO2 cause the Greenhouse Effect?! | Climate Chemistry Video by Climate Adam
• Discussing climate change on the net by BaerbelW
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #47 by John Hartz

from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2QA0SO4

Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... SkS Week in Review...  

Story of the Week...

G20 told crucial COP24 climate change conference 'must succeed': Guterres

 

UN News/Natalia Montagna: Delegates to the G20 summit have gathered in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (30 November 2018)

During press briefings at the beginning of the G20 meeting of industrialized nations in Buenos Aires, UN Secretary António Guterres described the event as an essential forum, citing a lack of confidence and high level of confrontation within the international community.

As well as mistrust between nations, and the risk of confrontation and escalation, Mr, Guterres said that there was a lack of trust between peoples in general and institutions everywhere, both at a national level – in the form of governments and parliaments – and internationally; because globalization has divided the world into winners and losers.

Those left out, he said, “feel angry, that feel frustrated, that many times…there was not enough effort from their government, or from international organizations like the UN, in order to attend their problems, to attend their difficulties in the rustbelts of this world. I think it is very important to come together, the different countries around the world, and to have a common strategy for a fair globalization, which means a globalization that leaves no one behind.”

For this reason, the world’s largest economies, such as the G20 group, must support the UN’s 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, said the UN chief, which was developed precisely to ensure a fair globalization and aims to eradicate poverty and address a wide range of governance problems worldwide.

Mr. Guterres also pointed out that this year’s G20 meeting is important because it precedes the COP24 climate change conference taking place in Katowice, Poland from 3 December, at which the “Work Programme” or rule book of the 2015 Paris Agreement – when practically all countries signed up to a pledge to ensure global temperatures do not rise by more than 2 degrees before the end of this century– is expected to be agreed.

Addressing the media on Friday, the Secretary-General said that “Katowice must succeed. We need to build in Katowice the momentum that is necessary for an increased ambition to be shown by the international community…when in 2020 the commitments made in Paris will be renewed in order to make sure that we are able to bring the increase of temperature in the world until the end of the century to clearly below 2 degrees and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees.”

“Political will is lacking,” said the UN chief. “That is why it’s so important to come here and to express to political leaders how important it is for everybody to understand that this is a make it or break it moment in relation to guaranteeing that the Paris Agreement is implemented."

G20 told crucial COP24 climate change conference 'must succeed': Guterres, UN News, Nov 30, 2018

---

Toon of the Week...

 

---

Coming Soon on SkS...

• SkS Analogy 16 - Arctic ice, sailboat keels, and wild weather (Evan)
• Is Methane Worse than CO2?? (Adam Levy)
• New findings on ocean warming: 5 questions answered (Scott Denning)
• The Security & Sustainability Guide (John Hartz)
• New research this week (Ari)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #49 (John Hartz)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #49 (John Hartz)

---

Poster of the Week...

---

SkS Week in Review... 

• COP24: UN climate change conference, what’s at stake and what you need to know by John Hartz (UN News)
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #48 by John Hartz
• But their Emails! by David Kirtley
• New research, November 19-25, 2018 by Ari Jokimäki
• Why does CO2 cause the Greenhouse Effect?! | Climate Chemistry Video by Climate Adam
• Discussing climate change on the net by BaerbelW
• 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #47 by John Hartz

from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2QA0SO4

COP24: UN climate change conference, what’s at stake and what you need to know

Reprint of article originally posted on UN NEWS on Nov 29, 2018. Click here to access the original.

As global temperatures continue to rise, climate action is lagging and the window of opportunity is closing. On Sunday, the United Nations will kick off critical negotiations on how to address the problem collectively and urgently, during a two-week climate change conference in Katowice, Poland, known as “COP24”. 

 

IOM/Amanda Nero A boy watches the shore from a boat near Sirajganj, a community affected by severe erosion that has left many displaced. Sirajganj, Bangladesh. October 2016

Thousands of world leaders, experts, activists, creative thinkers, and private sector and local community representatives will gather to work on a collective action plan to realize critical commitments made by all the countries of the world in Paris, three years ago.

UN News put together this guide to COP 24 to answer some of the biggest questions you may have and make sure you’re all caught up, with a ringside seat on the action.

1. The basics: UNFCCC, UNEP, WMO, IPCC, COP 24, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement... can someone please make sense of all this?

These acronyms and place names all represent international tools and terms that, under the leadership of the UN, were created to help advance climate action globally. They all play a specific and different role in focussing us all on achieving environmental sustainability. Here’s how it fits together:

In 1992, the UN organised a major event in Rio de Janeiro called the Earth Summit, in which the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted.

In this treaty, nations agreed to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere” to prevent dangerous interference from human activity on the climate system. Today, the treaty has 197 signatories. Every year since the treaty entered into force in 1994, a “conference of the parties” – a COP – is held to discuss how to move forward and, since there have been 23 COPs so far, this year’s will be the 24th, or “COP 24”.

Because the UNFCCC had non-binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries and no enforcement mechanism, various “extensions” to this treaty were negotiated during these COPs, including: the famous Kyoto Protocol in 1997, which defined emission limits for developed nations to be achieved by 2012; and the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, in which all countries of the world agreed to step up efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures and boost climate action financing.

Two agencies support the scientific work of the UN on climate change: the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Together, they set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988, which is made of hundreds of experts, dedicated to assessing data and providing reliable scientific evidence for the climate action negotiations, including the upcoming ones in Katowice.

2. The UN seems to be having a lot of conferences and summits on this subject… Is any of it, well... fruitful?

These meetings have been vital to find a global consensus on an issue that requires a global solution.  Although progress has been much slower than needed, the process — which has been as challenging as it is ambitious – has worked to bring all countries with very different circumstances, together. Progress has been made every step of the way. Some of the concrete actions taken so far prove one thing: climate action has a real positive impact and can truly help us prevent the worst.

Here are some notable achievements so far:

- At least 57 countries have managed to bring their greenhouse gas emissions down to the levels required to curb global warming.

- There are at least 51 “carbon pricing” initiatives in the works; charging those who emit carbon dioxide per tonne emitted.

- In 2015, 18 high-income countries committed to donating US$100 billion a year for climate action in developing countries. So far, over $70 billion have been mobilised.

3. Why is everyone talking about the Paris Agreement?

The Paris document – which provides the world with the only viable option for addressing climate change – has been ratified by 184 parties, and entered into force in November 2016.

The commitments contained in it are significant:

- Limit global average temperature rise to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.

- Ramp up financing for climate action, including the annual $100 billion goal from donor nations for lower-income countries.

- Develop national climate plans by 2020, including their self-determined goals and targets.

- Protect beneficial ecosystems that absorb greenhouse gases, including forests.

- Strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change.

- Finalize a work programme to implement the agreement in 2018.

The United States, which joined the Agreement in 2016, announced its intention in July 2017, to withdraw from it. However, the nation remains a party to the Agreement at least until November 2020, which is the earliest that it can legally request to withdraw from it.

4. Why is +1.5°C a critical line?

According to scientific research assessed by the IPCC, keeping global warming to no more than 1.5°C global average over pre-industrial levels, will help stave off devastating permanent damage to the planet and its people, including: the irreversible loss of habitat for animals in the Arctic and Antarctic; much more frequent instances of deadly  extreme heat; water scarcity that could affect over 300 million people; the disappearance of coral reefs which are essential for entire communities and marine life; sea level rise which is threatening the future and economy of entire small island nations, etc.

All in all, the UN estimates that 420 million fewer people could be affected by climate change if we manage to stick to a 1.5°C increase, instead of 2°C.

We are still far from turning the corner toward a carbon-neutral future, and the need to move forward is greater than ever. The data tells us it is still possible to limit climate change to 1.5°C, but the window of opportunity is closing and it will require unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.

5. So why is COP 24 important?

This year’s COP in Katowice, Poland, is particularly crucial because 2018 is the deadline that the signatories of the Paris Agreement agreed upon in order to adopt a work programme for the implementation of the Paris commitments. This requires the singular most important ingredient: trust between all countries.

Among the many elements that need to be ironed out is the financing of climate action worldwide. Because the clock is ticking on climate change, the world cannot afford to waste more time: we must collectively agree on a bold, decisive, ambitious and accountable way forward.

The discussions will be based on scientific evidence gathered over the years and assessed by experts. Namely and primarily the following reports:

- October’s “wake up call” Report on Global Warming of 1.5˚C, by the IPCC.

- 2018 Emissions Gap Report, by UNEP.

- 2018 Bulletin on greenhouse gas concentrations, by the WMO.

- 2018 Ozone Depletion Assessment, by the WMO and UNEP.

7. How can you follow the discussions at COP24?

There are many ways you can keep up to speed on the action:

- Subscribe to our “Climate Change” newsletter topic here so you can receive daily UN News highlights from Poland;

- Check this page regularly, as it will collect all the top stories filed from Katowice.

- Follow the hashtag #ClimateAction on Twitter;

8. How can you participate in the discussion and do your part for climate action?

You can join the Climate Action ActNow.bot which will recommend everyday actions to save the planet and tally up the number of actions taken to measure the impact that collective action can have.

By sharing your climate action efforts on social media, you can help encourage more people to act as well.

In addition, the People’s Seat initiative, launched by the UNFCCC Secretariat, ensures you can contribute directly to the conversation at COP 24. So make sure to #TakeYourSeat and speak up! 

9. What are some examples of initiatives that the UN is supporting to tackle climate change?

As the UN is mainstreaming environmental sustainability across is work, UN News has been highlighting some examples of projects, supported by UNEP or the UN Development Programme (UNDP), that show the pathway to climate action: in rural eastern Europe, farmers and entrepreneurs can cut emissions, one bog at a time; in the Lake Chad region, tens of thousands of drought-resistant trees are being planted; in Guatemala, the reintroduction of smallholder cocoa production in Guatemala is helping address both economic and environmental problems; in Bhutan, the power of traditional knowledge is being harnessed to support livelihoods and nature preservation; in Timor-Leste, a new generation of green infrastructure is being built; in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, small behavioural change is leading to great impact.

10. Why is the UN also planning a Climate Change Summit in 2019?

To build on the outcomes of COP 24, and to strengthen climate action and ambition at the highest possible levels, UN Secretary-General António Guterresis convening a Climate Change Summit next September. In advance of the 2020 deadline for countries to finalize their national climate plans, the Summit is designed to focus on practical initiatives to limit emissions and build resilience. 

The Summit will focus on driving action in six areas: transition to renewable energy; funding of climate action and carbon pricing; reducing emissions from industry; using nature as a solution; sustainable cities and local action; and climate change resilience. 

COP24: UN climate change conference, what’s at stake and what you need to know, UN News, Nov 29, 2018 

Receive UN daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to “Climate Change” topic

from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2KNPV6l

Reprint of article originally posted on UN NEWS on Nov 29, 2018. Click here to access the original.

As global temperatures continue to rise, climate action is lagging and the window of opportunity is closing. On Sunday, the United Nations will kick off critical negotiations on how to address the problem collectively and urgently, during a two-week climate change conference in Katowice, Poland, known as “COP24”. 

 

IOM/Amanda Nero A boy watches the shore from a boat near Sirajganj, a community affected by severe erosion that has left many displaced. Sirajganj, Bangladesh. October 2016

Thousands of world leaders, experts, activists, creative thinkers, and private sector and local community representatives will gather to work on a collective action plan to realize critical commitments made by all the countries of the world in Paris, three years ago.

UN News put together this guide to COP 24 to answer some of the biggest questions you may have and make sure you’re all caught up, with a ringside seat on the action.

1. The basics: UNFCCC, UNEP, WMO, IPCC, COP 24, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement... can someone please make sense of all this?

These acronyms and place names all represent international tools and terms that, under the leadership of the UN, were created to help advance climate action globally. They all play a specific and different role in focussing us all on achieving environmental sustainability. Here’s how it fits together:

In 1992, the UN organised a major event in Rio de Janeiro called the Earth Summit, in which the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted.

In this treaty, nations agreed to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere” to prevent dangerous interference from human activity on the climate system. Today, the treaty has 197 signatories. Every year since the treaty entered into force in 1994, a “conference of the parties” – a COP – is held to discuss how to move forward and, since there have been 23 COPs so far, this year’s will be the 24th, or “COP 24”.

Because the UNFCCC had non-binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries and no enforcement mechanism, various “extensions” to this treaty were negotiated during these COPs, including: the famous Kyoto Protocol in 1997, which defined emission limits for developed nations to be achieved by 2012; and the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, in which all countries of the world agreed to step up efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures and boost climate action financing.

Two agencies support the scientific work of the UN on climate change: the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Together, they set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988, which is made of hundreds of experts, dedicated to assessing data and providing reliable scientific evidence for the climate action negotiations, including the upcoming ones in Katowice.

2. The UN seems to be having a lot of conferences and summits on this subject… Is any of it, well... fruitful?

These meetings have been vital to find a global consensus on an issue that requires a global solution.  Although progress has been much slower than needed, the process — which has been as challenging as it is ambitious – has worked to bring all countries with very different circumstances, together. Progress has been made every step of the way. Some of the concrete actions taken so far prove one thing: climate action has a real positive impact and can truly help us prevent the worst.

Here are some notable achievements so far:

- At least 57 countries have managed to bring their greenhouse gas emissions down to the levels required to curb global warming.

- There are at least 51 “carbon pricing” initiatives in the works; charging those who emit carbon dioxide per tonne emitted.

- In 2015, 18 high-income countries committed to donating US$100 billion a year for climate action in developing countries. So far, over $70 billion have been mobilised.

3. Why is everyone talking about the Paris Agreement?

The Paris document – which provides the world with the only viable option for addressing climate change – has been ratified by 184 parties, and entered into force in November 2016.

The commitments contained in it are significant:

- Limit global average temperature rise to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C.

- Ramp up financing for climate action, including the annual $100 billion goal from donor nations for lower-income countries.

- Develop national climate plans by 2020, including their self-determined goals and targets.

- Protect beneficial ecosystems that absorb greenhouse gases, including forests.

- Strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change.

- Finalize a work programme to implement the agreement in 2018.

The United States, which joined the Agreement in 2016, announced its intention in July 2017, to withdraw from it. However, the nation remains a party to the Agreement at least until November 2020, which is the earliest that it can legally request to withdraw from it.

4. Why is +1.5°C a critical line?

According to scientific research assessed by the IPCC, keeping global warming to no more than 1.5°C global average over pre-industrial levels, will help stave off devastating permanent damage to the planet and its people, including: the irreversible loss of habitat for animals in the Arctic and Antarctic; much more frequent instances of deadly  extreme heat; water scarcity that could affect over 300 million people; the disappearance of coral reefs which are essential for entire communities and marine life; sea level rise which is threatening the future and economy of entire small island nations, etc.

All in all, the UN estimates that 420 million fewer people could be affected by climate change if we manage to stick to a 1.5°C increase, instead of 2°C.

We are still far from turning the corner toward a carbon-neutral future, and the need to move forward is greater than ever. The data tells us it is still possible to limit climate change to 1.5°C, but the window of opportunity is closing and it will require unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.

5. So why is COP 24 important?

This year’s COP in Katowice, Poland, is particularly crucial because 2018 is the deadline that the signatories of the Paris Agreement agreed upon in order to adopt a work programme for the implementation of the Paris commitments. This requires the singular most important ingredient: trust between all countries.

Among the many elements that need to be ironed out is the financing of climate action worldwide. Because the clock is ticking on climate change, the world cannot afford to waste more time: we must collectively agree on a bold, decisive, ambitious and accountable way forward.

The discussions will be based on scientific evidence gathered over the years and assessed by experts. Namely and primarily the following reports:

- October’s “wake up call” Report on Global Warming of 1.5˚C, by the IPCC.

- 2018 Emissions Gap Report, by UNEP.

- 2018 Bulletin on greenhouse gas concentrations, by the WMO.

- 2018 Ozone Depletion Assessment, by the WMO and UNEP.

7. How can you follow the discussions at COP24?

There are many ways you can keep up to speed on the action:

- Subscribe to our “Climate Change” newsletter topic here so you can receive daily UN News highlights from Poland;

- Check this page regularly, as it will collect all the top stories filed from Katowice.

- Follow the hashtag #ClimateAction on Twitter;

8. How can you participate in the discussion and do your part for climate action?

You can join the Climate Action ActNow.bot which will recommend everyday actions to save the planet and tally up the number of actions taken to measure the impact that collective action can have.

By sharing your climate action efforts on social media, you can help encourage more people to act as well.

In addition, the People’s Seat initiative, launched by the UNFCCC Secretariat, ensures you can contribute directly to the conversation at COP 24. So make sure to #TakeYourSeat and speak up! 

9. What are some examples of initiatives that the UN is supporting to tackle climate change?

As the UN is mainstreaming environmental sustainability across is work, UN News has been highlighting some examples of projects, supported by UNEP or the UN Development Programme (UNDP), that show the pathway to climate action: in rural eastern Europe, farmers and entrepreneurs can cut emissions, one bog at a time; in the Lake Chad region, tens of thousands of drought-resistant trees are being planted; in Guatemala, the reintroduction of smallholder cocoa production in Guatemala is helping address both economic and environmental problems; in Bhutan, the power of traditional knowledge is being harnessed to support livelihoods and nature preservation; in Timor-Leste, a new generation of green infrastructure is being built; in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, small behavioural change is leading to great impact.

10. Why is the UN also planning a Climate Change Summit in 2019?

To build on the outcomes of COP 24, and to strengthen climate action and ambition at the highest possible levels, UN Secretary-General António Guterresis convening a Climate Change Summit next September. In advance of the 2020 deadline for countries to finalize their national climate plans, the Summit is designed to focus on practical initiatives to limit emissions and build resilience. 

The Summit will focus on driving action in six areas: transition to renewable energy; funding of climate action and carbon pricing; reducing emissions from industry; using nature as a solution; sustainable cities and local action; and climate change resilience. 

COP24: UN climate change conference, what’s at stake and what you need to know, UN News, Nov 29, 2018 

Receive UN daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to “Climate Change” topic

from Skeptical Science https://ift.tt/2KNPV6l