A 2nd exoplanet confirmed for Proxima Centauri

Artist’s concept of Proxima Centauri b and c – depicted here as 2 black dots, a larger one and a smaller one – orbiting their red dwarf star. Proxima Centauri c, the larger planet, might also have a ring system. Image via Michele Diodati/ Medium.

Just a few days ago, scientists announced that the closest known Earth-sized exoplanet, Proxima Centauri b, had been confirmed to orbit the nearest star to our solar system. That’s an exciting development, but now, as scientists announced on June 2, 2020, it seems that another possible planet around the same star also has been verified … Proxima Centauri c! Both planets are only 4.2 light-years away.

The peer-reviewed results were published in Research Notes of the AAS back in April. Astronomer Fritz Benedict of McDonald Observatory presented the findings at the virtual 236th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Evidence for Proxima Centauri c was first announced earlier this year by a research group led by Mario Damasso of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). But the evidence wasn’t conclusive. This second planet for Proxima is apparently a lot larger than Earth and orbits its star every 1,907 days. It orbits at about 1.5 times the distance from its star that Earth orbits from the sun. Not an extreme difference, but Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star, smaller and cooler than our sun, so at that distance, the planet can be expected to be significantly colder than Earth.

Combined images from the SPHERE instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, which appear to show Proxima Centauri c as a bright dot. The location is right where the planet was predicted to be in its orbit. The star is hidden behind the black circle in the center. Image via Gratton et al./ A&A/ Nature Astronomy.

Even though Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the sun, it’s difficult to detect the planets orbiting it. Most exoplanets have been found via the transit method, and this system isn’t oriented with respect to Earth such that its planets transit in front of Proxima, from our perspective. So scientists have to use radial velocity observations, measurements of Proxima’s motion toward and away from Earth, to detect the tiny effects of the planets’ gravitational tuggings on the star.

Benedict’s idea was to look again at previous studies of the star from the 1990s from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), which used the telescope’s Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS). The FGS can be used for astrometry, where scientists can take very accurate measurements of the positions and motions of objects in the sky. If Proxima Centauri c were really there, FGS should be able to detect it. Benedict said in a statement:

Basically, this is a story of how old data can be very useful when you get new information. It’s also a story of how hard it is to retire if you’re an astronomer, because this is fun stuff to do!

So what did Benedict and his team find?

When they looked at the old Hubble data, they found a planet with an orbital period of 1,907 days, which fit with what had been seen before, for the tentative Proxima Centauri c. The planet had been overlooked before because in the 1990s, researchers only checked the data for planets with orbital periods of less than 1,000 days.

Benedict combined the results of three studies: the Hubble/FGS astrometry, the radial velocity studies and images from the SPHERE instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, to better estimate the mass of Proxima Centauri c. He concluded that the planet is approximately seven times more massive than Earth.

Size comparison of the three stars in the Alpha Centauri system, including Proxima Centauri, and the sun. Image via PHL @ UPR Arecibo.

Proxima Centauri is the closest of the three stars in the Alpha Centauri system. Image via ESO/ BBC.

Earlier this year, scientists using the images from SPHERE found what appeared to be a large planet orbiting Proxima Centauri that coincided with the predicted position of Proxima Centauri c at the time.

But based on those images, it was found that Proxima Centauri c appeared to be brighter than expected. If the brightness was entirely from the light reflected off the planet itself, then the planet would be about five times larger than Jupiter. But since its estimated mass is more similar to Neptune’s, it may actually be smaller, but has dust clouds or a huge ring system around it. Determining whether it actually does or not will require more observations. It is bright enough that better images of it should be able to be taken by upcoming space telescopes. That’s not the case, unfortunately, with Proxima Centauri b, since it is smaller and much closer to the star. From another recent paper:

Proxima c could become a prime target for follow-up and characterization with next-generation direct imaging instrumentation due to the large maximum angular separation of ~1 arc second from the parent star. The candidate planet represents a challenge for the models of super-Earth formation and evolution.

As far as possible life is concerned, Proxima Centauri c may be too cold for life as we know it, but we just don’t know enough about it yet. Proxima Centauri b is a better candidate for being potentially habitable, since it is only slightly larger than Earth, orbits in the habitable zone of its star and is estimated to have similar temperatures to Earth. We don’t know enough about the actual conditions on this planet yet either, however.

Fritz Benedict at McDonald Observatory, lead author of the new study. Image via McDonald Observatory.

With at least two planets now confirmed orbiting the closest star to our solar system, combined with the over 4,000 other exoplanets discovered so far, we now know that such exoworlds are common in our galaxy. That is a big step that brings us even closer to answering the biggest question of all: are we alone?

Bottom line: Astronomers at McDonald Observatory have confirmed a second planet orbiting the closest star to our sun.

Source: A Preliminary Mass for Proxima Centauri C

Via McDonald Observatory

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2zlUV0O

Artist’s concept of Proxima Centauri b and c – depicted here as 2 black dots, a larger one and a smaller one – orbiting their red dwarf star. Proxima Centauri c, the larger planet, might also have a ring system. Image via Michele Diodati/ Medium.

Just a few days ago, scientists announced that the closest known Earth-sized exoplanet, Proxima Centauri b, had been confirmed to orbit the nearest star to our solar system. That’s an exciting development, but now, as scientists announced on June 2, 2020, it seems that another possible planet around the same star also has been verified … Proxima Centauri c! Both planets are only 4.2 light-years away.

The peer-reviewed results were published in Research Notes of the AAS back in April. Astronomer Fritz Benedict of McDonald Observatory presented the findings at the virtual 236th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Evidence for Proxima Centauri c was first announced earlier this year by a research group led by Mario Damasso of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF). But the evidence wasn’t conclusive. This second planet for Proxima is apparently a lot larger than Earth and orbits its star every 1,907 days. It orbits at about 1.5 times the distance from its star that Earth orbits from the sun. Not an extreme difference, but Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star, smaller and cooler than our sun, so at that distance, the planet can be expected to be significantly colder than Earth.

Combined images from the SPHERE instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, which appear to show Proxima Centauri c as a bright dot. The location is right where the planet was predicted to be in its orbit. The star is hidden behind the black circle in the center. Image via Gratton et al./ A&A/ Nature Astronomy.

Even though Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the sun, it’s difficult to detect the planets orbiting it. Most exoplanets have been found via the transit method, and this system isn’t oriented with respect to Earth such that its planets transit in front of Proxima, from our perspective. So scientists have to use radial velocity observations, measurements of Proxima’s motion toward and away from Earth, to detect the tiny effects of the planets’ gravitational tuggings on the star.

Benedict’s idea was to look again at previous studies of the star from the 1990s from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), which used the telescope’s Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS). The FGS can be used for astrometry, where scientists can take very accurate measurements of the positions and motions of objects in the sky. If Proxima Centauri c were really there, FGS should be able to detect it. Benedict said in a statement:

Basically, this is a story of how old data can be very useful when you get new information. It’s also a story of how hard it is to retire if you’re an astronomer, because this is fun stuff to do!

So what did Benedict and his team find?

When they looked at the old Hubble data, they found a planet with an orbital period of 1,907 days, which fit with what had been seen before, for the tentative Proxima Centauri c. The planet had been overlooked before because in the 1990s, researchers only checked the data for planets with orbital periods of less than 1,000 days.

Benedict combined the results of three studies: the Hubble/FGS astrometry, the radial velocity studies and images from the SPHERE instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, to better estimate the mass of Proxima Centauri c. He concluded that the planet is approximately seven times more massive than Earth.

Size comparison of the three stars in the Alpha Centauri system, including Proxima Centauri, and the sun. Image via PHL @ UPR Arecibo.

Proxima Centauri is the closest of the three stars in the Alpha Centauri system. Image via ESO/ BBC.

Earlier this year, scientists using the images from SPHERE found what appeared to be a large planet orbiting Proxima Centauri that coincided with the predicted position of Proxima Centauri c at the time.

But based on those images, it was found that Proxima Centauri c appeared to be brighter than expected. If the brightness was entirely from the light reflected off the planet itself, then the planet would be about five times larger than Jupiter. But since its estimated mass is more similar to Neptune’s, it may actually be smaller, but has dust clouds or a huge ring system around it. Determining whether it actually does or not will require more observations. It is bright enough that better images of it should be able to be taken by upcoming space telescopes. That’s not the case, unfortunately, with Proxima Centauri b, since it is smaller and much closer to the star. From another recent paper:

Proxima c could become a prime target for follow-up and characterization with next-generation direct imaging instrumentation due to the large maximum angular separation of ~1 arc second from the parent star. The candidate planet represents a challenge for the models of super-Earth formation and evolution.

As far as possible life is concerned, Proxima Centauri c may be too cold for life as we know it, but we just don’t know enough about it yet. Proxima Centauri b is a better candidate for being potentially habitable, since it is only slightly larger than Earth, orbits in the habitable zone of its star and is estimated to have similar temperatures to Earth. We don’t know enough about the actual conditions on this planet yet either, however.

Fritz Benedict at McDonald Observatory, lead author of the new study. Image via McDonald Observatory.

With at least two planets now confirmed orbiting the closest star to our solar system, combined with the over 4,000 other exoplanets discovered so far, we now know that such exoworlds are common in our galaxy. That is a big step that brings us even closer to answering the biggest question of all: are we alone?

Bottom line: Astronomers at McDonald Observatory have confirmed a second planet orbiting the closest star to our sun.

Source: A Preliminary Mass for Proxima Centauri C

Via McDonald Observatory

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/2zlUV0O

New ‘climate decoder’ to study potentially habitable exoplanets

Artist’s concept depicting different kinds of Earth-like planetary surfaces and their interactions with different kinds of host stars. Such variability can create a variety of climates on these kinds of worlds. The new environmental color decoder should be able to help scientists determine which ones have the most habitable climates. Image via Jack Madden/ Cornell Chronicle.

Over 4,000 exoplanets – worlds orbiting other stars – have been confirmed so far. But these planets are very far away, and we still don’t know much about them. To find out more, newer technology and observations are needed. To that end, scientists at Cornell University have developed a new tool – an environmental color “climate decoder” – that they hope will help astronomers learn more about the climates on some of these distant worlds, particularly potentially habitable Earth-sized planets.

The new peer-reviewed research paper detailing how this decoder would work was published in the June 2020 issue of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The study focuses on how different kinds of planetary surfaces can affect a planet’s climate. As Jack Madden, a coauthor of the new study, said in a statement:

We looked at how different planetary surfaces in the habitable zones of distant solar systems could affect the climate on exoplanets. Reflected light on the surface of planets plays a significant role not only on the overall climate, but also on the detectable spectra of Earth-like planets.

Artist’s concept of Kepler-186f, the first Earth-sized exoplanet found orbiting in the habitable zone of its star. A growing number of such worlds have been found in recent years. Image via NASA/ NASA Ames/ JPL-Caltech/ T. Pyle.

The red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 has seven known Earth-sized rocky planets orbiting it (artist’s concept). At least three of them are in the star’s habitable zone. Such worlds would be ideal for study by the new environmental color decoder. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech.

The research is in anticipation that new telescopes, such as the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in Chile, will soon be able to study potentially habitable planets more closely than ever before. As stated in the paper:

Large ground- and space-based telescopes will be able to observe Earth-like planets in the near future. We explore how different planetary surfaces can strongly influence the climate, atmospheric composition, and remotely detectable spectra of terrestrial rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone depending on the host star’s incident irradiation spectrum for a range of sun-like host stars from F0V to K7V. We update a well-tested 1D climate-photochemistry model to explore the changes of a planetary environment for different surfaces for different host stars. Our results show that using a wavelength-dependent surface albedo is critical for modelling potentially habitable rocky exoplanets.

The researchers looked at two basic aspects of such exoplanets – the surface color and the light coming from the host star – in order to calculate what the climate might be like on a given planet. There can be a lot of variables to consider; if a planet was covered in dark basalt, that could cause the planet to be very hot, just like hot pavement in summertime. But if there was also a lot of clouds or sand, or even oceans, then the planet might be cooler. If there were a planet orbiting a red dwarf star that happened to have vegetation, then it might also have cooler temperatures. Madden said:

Think about wearing a dark shirt on a hot summer day. You’re going to heat up more, because the dark shirt is not reflecting light. It has a low albedo (it absorbs light) and it retains heat. If you wear a light color, such as white, its high albedo reflects the light, and your shirt keeps you cool.

Artist’s concept of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) on Cerro Armazones in northern Chile. First light for the telescope is scheduled for 2025. ELT will be able to find even more potentially habitable exoplanets, including ones that may indeed be Earth-like in some ways. Image via European Southern Observatory (ESO).

Madden’s colleague, and the other coauthor of the study, Lisa Kaltenegger, added:

Depending on the kind of star and the exoplanet’s primary color – or the reflecting albedo – the planet’s color can mitigate some of the energy given off by the star. What makes up the surface of an exoplanet, how many clouds surround the planet, and the color of the sun can change an exoplanet’s climate significantly.

Madden added:

There’s an important interaction between the color of a surface and the light hitting it. The effects we found based on a planet’s surface properties can help in the search for life.

Being able to determine what the climate is like on some exoplanets, at least to some degree, will of course help scientists determine which ones could be the most habitable. New upcoming telescopes, like the ELT, will be essential in that endeavour.

A growing number of Earth-sized and super-Earth worlds – larger and more massive than Earth but smaller than Neptune – are being discovered, including in the habitable zones of their stars, the region where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist.

This is encouraging in the search for life elsewhere.

Jack Madden at Cornell University, one of the coauthors of the new study. Image via Cornell University.

But various factors can affect habitability, such as the composition of the atmosphere and planet itself, abundance or lack of water, the amount of radiation coming from the planet’s star and the actual temperatures. There’s no guarantee that any of these planets could host life, so techniques like the new climate decoder will help scientists determine which ones are the most favorable, at least by earthly standards.

With over 4,000 confirmed exoplanets found already, and thousands more expected in the near future, techniques like the climate decoder will be essential for learning not only what conditions are like on some of these distant worlds, but also whether some of them could be home to the holy grail of exoplanet research … life itself.

Bottom line: Scientists have developed a new technique to figure out what the climate is like on potentially habitable exoplanets.

Source: How surfaces shape the climate of habitable exoplanets

Via Cornell Chronicle

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/3dM9iu5

Artist’s concept depicting different kinds of Earth-like planetary surfaces and their interactions with different kinds of host stars. Such variability can create a variety of climates on these kinds of worlds. The new environmental color decoder should be able to help scientists determine which ones have the most habitable climates. Image via Jack Madden/ Cornell Chronicle.

Over 4,000 exoplanets – worlds orbiting other stars – have been confirmed so far. But these planets are very far away, and we still don’t know much about them. To find out more, newer technology and observations are needed. To that end, scientists at Cornell University have developed a new tool – an environmental color “climate decoder” – that they hope will help astronomers learn more about the climates on some of these distant worlds, particularly potentially habitable Earth-sized planets.

The new peer-reviewed research paper detailing how this decoder would work was published in the June 2020 issue of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The study focuses on how different kinds of planetary surfaces can affect a planet’s climate. As Jack Madden, a coauthor of the new study, said in a statement:

We looked at how different planetary surfaces in the habitable zones of distant solar systems could affect the climate on exoplanets. Reflected light on the surface of planets plays a significant role not only on the overall climate, but also on the detectable spectra of Earth-like planets.

Artist’s concept of Kepler-186f, the first Earth-sized exoplanet found orbiting in the habitable zone of its star. A growing number of such worlds have been found in recent years. Image via NASA/ NASA Ames/ JPL-Caltech/ T. Pyle.

The red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 has seven known Earth-sized rocky planets orbiting it (artist’s concept). At least three of them are in the star’s habitable zone. Such worlds would be ideal for study by the new environmental color decoder. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech.

The research is in anticipation that new telescopes, such as the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in Chile, will soon be able to study potentially habitable planets more closely than ever before. As stated in the paper:

Large ground- and space-based telescopes will be able to observe Earth-like planets in the near future. We explore how different planetary surfaces can strongly influence the climate, atmospheric composition, and remotely detectable spectra of terrestrial rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone depending on the host star’s incident irradiation spectrum for a range of sun-like host stars from F0V to K7V. We update a well-tested 1D climate-photochemistry model to explore the changes of a planetary environment for different surfaces for different host stars. Our results show that using a wavelength-dependent surface albedo is critical for modelling potentially habitable rocky exoplanets.

The researchers looked at two basic aspects of such exoplanets – the surface color and the light coming from the host star – in order to calculate what the climate might be like on a given planet. There can be a lot of variables to consider; if a planet was covered in dark basalt, that could cause the planet to be very hot, just like hot pavement in summertime. But if there was also a lot of clouds or sand, or even oceans, then the planet might be cooler. If there were a planet orbiting a red dwarf star that happened to have vegetation, then it might also have cooler temperatures. Madden said:

Think about wearing a dark shirt on a hot summer day. You’re going to heat up more, because the dark shirt is not reflecting light. It has a low albedo (it absorbs light) and it retains heat. If you wear a light color, such as white, its high albedo reflects the light, and your shirt keeps you cool.

Artist’s concept of the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) on Cerro Armazones in northern Chile. First light for the telescope is scheduled for 2025. ELT will be able to find even more potentially habitable exoplanets, including ones that may indeed be Earth-like in some ways. Image via European Southern Observatory (ESO).

Madden’s colleague, and the other coauthor of the study, Lisa Kaltenegger, added:

Depending on the kind of star and the exoplanet’s primary color – or the reflecting albedo – the planet’s color can mitigate some of the energy given off by the star. What makes up the surface of an exoplanet, how many clouds surround the planet, and the color of the sun can change an exoplanet’s climate significantly.

Madden added:

There’s an important interaction between the color of a surface and the light hitting it. The effects we found based on a planet’s surface properties can help in the search for life.

Being able to determine what the climate is like on some exoplanets, at least to some degree, will of course help scientists determine which ones could be the most habitable. New upcoming telescopes, like the ELT, will be essential in that endeavour.

A growing number of Earth-sized and super-Earth worlds – larger and more massive than Earth but smaller than Neptune – are being discovered, including in the habitable zones of their stars, the region where temperatures could allow liquid water to exist.

This is encouraging in the search for life elsewhere.

Jack Madden at Cornell University, one of the coauthors of the new study. Image via Cornell University.

But various factors can affect habitability, such as the composition of the atmosphere and planet itself, abundance or lack of water, the amount of radiation coming from the planet’s star and the actual temperatures. There’s no guarantee that any of these planets could host life, so techniques like the new climate decoder will help scientists determine which ones are the most favorable, at least by earthly standards.

With over 4,000 confirmed exoplanets found already, and thousands more expected in the near future, techniques like the climate decoder will be essential for learning not only what conditions are like on some of these distant worlds, but also whether some of them could be home to the holy grail of exoplanet research … life itself.

Bottom line: Scientists have developed a new technique to figure out what the climate is like on potentially habitable exoplanets.

Source: How surfaces shape the climate of habitable exoplanets

Via Cornell Chronicle

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/3dM9iu5

COVID-19: The Lighthouse Labs leading the way for COVID-19 testing in the UK

COVID-19 testing is essential in the UK’s fight against coronavirus and to help get cancer services back on track. We’ve estimated that between 21,000 and 37,000 COVID-19 tests must be done each day to ensure there are COVID-protected safe spaces for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

It’s vital for healthcare workers to know if their suspected symptoms are COVID-19, or if they’re carrying the virus despite not showing symptoms in order to protect themselves, their families and their patients. It’s also vital that patients are tested before they come into hospital to make sure it’s safe for them to have treatment.

In order to ramp up COVID-19 testing in the UK, a series of Lighthouse Labs have been assembled. Based in Cheshire, Glasgow, and Milton Keynes, they’re expected to be instrumental in the nation’s efforts to increase testing capacity.

Each of the sites took just three weeks to get up and running. But an empty lab is of no use, it must be filled with expert personnel.

We spoke to Cancer Research UK scientists who are volunteering at the Alderley Park Lighthouse lab in Cheshire and at the Beatson Institute in Glasgow, about how and why they decided to get involved in the initiative.

Isabelle Thompson, Alderley Park: “This pandemic is hopefully like nothing we’ll ever live through again and it’s pushing everyone to their limits”

Isabelle Thompson is a scientific officer at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute. Day-to-day, Thompson ensures the smooth running of the preclinical pharmacology laboratory at the Cancer Biomarker Centre, a growing team of 20 scientists who look at testing novel therapies for lung cancer.  

Thompson told us how the Cancer Biomarker Centre receive regular updates on what’s going on in the Institute. And it was in one of these meetings that they were told about the opportunity to get involved in the Lighthouse Labs at Alderley Park.

“Because we’ve already got training in a lot of methods that can be used, they said that we would be able to volunteer our time in the labs,” says Thompson.

As soon as the plans were announced, Thompson knew she wanted to get involved, and signed up straight away. “I think if you can do something, then you really should. I felt that if I’ve got the skills to even just go in and do a bit of lab work, even if it’s just for a few months, then I then I think that is a worthwhile thing to do.”

The Alderley Park Lighthouse Lab has 5 different workstations, representing different stages of the testing procedure. Thompson describes how the samples go through a diligent process that begins with simply unpacking the swabs, to deactivating the virus and finding out whether the test is positive or negative.

“Each part of the process isn’t too complex,” Thompson explains, “it just needs to be very meticulously done, which I guess kind of suits the way a lot of scientist’s work”.

Thompson says the volunteers working there have experience of working in labs and are using lots of the same techniques and methods in the Lighthouse Lab that they use in their day jobs. And where their expertise lie depends at which workstation they’ll be placed.

With her background in molecular biology, Thompson went for one of the first workstations, where the live virus is isolated from patient samples and deactivated in preparation for the next step of the process, where some of the virus’ genetic material, known as RNA, is extracted.

But Thompson explains how there was still a lot to learn, and quickly. “It was new for me to be working with patient samples, and with a live virus.”

As well as adapting to new techniques, Thompson is adjusting to a whole new wardrobe. Volunteers must wear full PPE, including safety specs, a Howie-style lab coat, disposable sleeve, visors, extended cuffs and secondary gloves.

And it’s not just what to wear, it’s how to wear it. Anyone working in PPE must get training in how to operate efficiently whilst wearing the equipment. “There’s a lot of different PPE that you need to know how to use. So if your hands are in the hoods, working with the samples, you can’t bring them out, you can’t catch a sneeze. So it’s just a case of getting used to that.”

Recently, Thompson has been training new volunteers and working with a small team to implement new automated robotic systems, looking to optimise the number of samples they can process each day. The Alderley Park Lighthouse Lab is not short of things to do but morale remains high, “everyone’s coming together and everyone’s keen to help you learn”.

Dr Jo Birch, The Beatson Institute: “It’s nice to have that feeling of contributing to the cause”

Dr Jo Birch is a Cancer Research UK scientist who researches glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer at our Beatson Institute in Glasgow.

Since the pandemic began and laboratories across the country began to close, Birch was working from home, before being furloughed. “It is quite difficult to work from home, but I was doing as much as I could. I just had a review accepted, so I’d written that up, but it is limited when you can’t get back into the lab of course.”

Birch says it was difficult to leave the lab when they had to. “It’s very strange

Jo in her full PPE.

because I think we’re all very passionate about what we do. It’s like a lifestyle, we all enjoy it and we’re very impassioned to make a difference with what we’re doing. So, it was a very strange feeling when we had to walk away.”

Birch received an e-mail from the University of Glasgow requesting volunteers to sign up for the Lighthouse Lab at the Beatson Institute. Like Thompson, Birch decided to sign up straight away. “You see so much on the news about current under-testing and how that really needs to be improved in order to get people moving and back to work, and everything getting back to normal – so it’s just good to be able to contribute to that.”

After receiving confirmation, Birch was back in the lab within two days, but this time helping the national effort to increasing COVID-19 testing.

Like Thompson, Birch has been assigned to a station at the beginning of the work chain, logging sample barcodes and assigning them to a 96-well plate.

She believes that the Institute has a good chance of getting through a significant number of samples and is ready to take on the challenge. “It’s fairly high-throughput, so it’s 90 samples that go into the machines at a time, along with six essential control samples to ensure the testing process is accurate. And they’ve got a bank of 18 machines now.”

Lilly

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/30o5jA9

COVID-19 testing is essential in the UK’s fight against coronavirus and to help get cancer services back on track. We’ve estimated that between 21,000 and 37,000 COVID-19 tests must be done each day to ensure there are COVID-protected safe spaces for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

It’s vital for healthcare workers to know if their suspected symptoms are COVID-19, or if they’re carrying the virus despite not showing symptoms in order to protect themselves, their families and their patients. It’s also vital that patients are tested before they come into hospital to make sure it’s safe for them to have treatment.

In order to ramp up COVID-19 testing in the UK, a series of Lighthouse Labs have been assembled. Based in Cheshire, Glasgow, and Milton Keynes, they’re expected to be instrumental in the nation’s efforts to increase testing capacity.

Each of the sites took just three weeks to get up and running. But an empty lab is of no use, it must be filled with expert personnel.

We spoke to Cancer Research UK scientists who are volunteering at the Alderley Park Lighthouse lab in Cheshire and at the Beatson Institute in Glasgow, about how and why they decided to get involved in the initiative.

Isabelle Thompson, Alderley Park: “This pandemic is hopefully like nothing we’ll ever live through again and it’s pushing everyone to their limits”

Isabelle Thompson is a scientific officer at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute. Day-to-day, Thompson ensures the smooth running of the preclinical pharmacology laboratory at the Cancer Biomarker Centre, a growing team of 20 scientists who look at testing novel therapies for lung cancer.  

Thompson told us how the Cancer Biomarker Centre receive regular updates on what’s going on in the Institute. And it was in one of these meetings that they were told about the opportunity to get involved in the Lighthouse Labs at Alderley Park.

“Because we’ve already got training in a lot of methods that can be used, they said that we would be able to volunteer our time in the labs,” says Thompson.

As soon as the plans were announced, Thompson knew she wanted to get involved, and signed up straight away. “I think if you can do something, then you really should. I felt that if I’ve got the skills to even just go in and do a bit of lab work, even if it’s just for a few months, then I then I think that is a worthwhile thing to do.”

The Alderley Park Lighthouse Lab has 5 different workstations, representing different stages of the testing procedure. Thompson describes how the samples go through a diligent process that begins with simply unpacking the swabs, to deactivating the virus and finding out whether the test is positive or negative.

“Each part of the process isn’t too complex,” Thompson explains, “it just needs to be very meticulously done, which I guess kind of suits the way a lot of scientist’s work”.

Thompson says the volunteers working there have experience of working in labs and are using lots of the same techniques and methods in the Lighthouse Lab that they use in their day jobs. And where their expertise lie depends at which workstation they’ll be placed.

With her background in molecular biology, Thompson went for one of the first workstations, where the live virus is isolated from patient samples and deactivated in preparation for the next step of the process, where some of the virus’ genetic material, known as RNA, is extracted.

But Thompson explains how there was still a lot to learn, and quickly. “It was new for me to be working with patient samples, and with a live virus.”

As well as adapting to new techniques, Thompson is adjusting to a whole new wardrobe. Volunteers must wear full PPE, including safety specs, a Howie-style lab coat, disposable sleeve, visors, extended cuffs and secondary gloves.

And it’s not just what to wear, it’s how to wear it. Anyone working in PPE must get training in how to operate efficiently whilst wearing the equipment. “There’s a lot of different PPE that you need to know how to use. So if your hands are in the hoods, working with the samples, you can’t bring them out, you can’t catch a sneeze. So it’s just a case of getting used to that.”

Recently, Thompson has been training new volunteers and working with a small team to implement new automated robotic systems, looking to optimise the number of samples they can process each day. The Alderley Park Lighthouse Lab is not short of things to do but morale remains high, “everyone’s coming together and everyone’s keen to help you learn”.

Dr Jo Birch, The Beatson Institute: “It’s nice to have that feeling of contributing to the cause”

Dr Jo Birch is a Cancer Research UK scientist who researches glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer at our Beatson Institute in Glasgow.

Since the pandemic began and laboratories across the country began to close, Birch was working from home, before being furloughed. “It is quite difficult to work from home, but I was doing as much as I could. I just had a review accepted, so I’d written that up, but it is limited when you can’t get back into the lab of course.”

Birch says it was difficult to leave the lab when they had to. “It’s very strange

Jo in her full PPE.

because I think we’re all very passionate about what we do. It’s like a lifestyle, we all enjoy it and we’re very impassioned to make a difference with what we’re doing. So, it was a very strange feeling when we had to walk away.”

Birch received an e-mail from the University of Glasgow requesting volunteers to sign up for the Lighthouse Lab at the Beatson Institute. Like Thompson, Birch decided to sign up straight away. “You see so much on the news about current under-testing and how that really needs to be improved in order to get people moving and back to work, and everything getting back to normal – so it’s just good to be able to contribute to that.”

After receiving confirmation, Birch was back in the lab within two days, but this time helping the national effort to increasing COVID-19 testing.

Like Thompson, Birch has been assigned to a station at the beginning of the work chain, logging sample barcodes and assigning them to a 96-well plate.

She believes that the Institute has a good chance of getting through a significant number of samples and is ready to take on the challenge. “It’s fairly high-throughput, so it’s 90 samples that go into the machines at a time, along with six essential control samples to ensure the testing process is accurate. And they’ve got a bank of 18 machines now.”

Lilly

from Cancer Research UK – Science blog https://ift.tt/30o5jA9

Rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere continues unabated

Image via NOAA.

The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth’s atmosphere continues to rise, say scientists. On June 4, 2020, scientists from NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography announced that atmospheric CO2 measured at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii reached a seasonal peak of 417.1 parts per million for 2020 in May, the highest monthly reading ever recorded.

Meanwhile, a new study, published May 29,2020 in Geology, concludes that today’s carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are higher than they have been for the past 23 million years. The study’s CO2 timeline revealed no evidence for any fluctuations in CO2 that might be comparable to the dramatic CO2 increase of the present day, suggesting that today’s abrupt greenhouse disruption is unique across recent geologic history. Read more about the study here.

CO2 measurements at Mauna Loa in Hawaii began in 1958, initiating what has become the longest unbroken record of CO2 measurements in the world. The Mauna Loa observatory is a benchmark sampling location for CO2. Perched on a barren volcano in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the observatory is ideally situated for sampling well-mixed air – undisturbed by the influence of local pollution sources or vegetation – that represents the global background for the northern hemisphere. The Mauna Loa data, together with measurements from sampling stations around the world, are incorporated into NOAA’s Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network, a foundational research dataset for international climate scientists. Image via NOAA.

Pieter Tans, senior scientist with NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory. Tans said in a statement:

Progress in emissions reductions is not visible in the CO2 record. We continue to commit our planet – for centuries or longer – to more global heating, sea level rise, and extreme weather events every year.

If humans were to suddenly stop emitting CO2, it would take thousands of years for our CO2 emissions so far to be absorbed into the deep ocean and atmospheric CO2 to return to pre-industrial levels.

Image via NOAA/ Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

According to the NOAA report, this year’s peak value was 2.4 parts per million (ppm) higher than the 2019 peak of 414.7 ppm recorded in May 2019. NOAA scientists reported a May average of 417.1 ppm. Scripps scientists reported an May average of 417.2 ppm. Monthly carbon dioxide (CO2) values at Mauna Loa first breached the 400 ppm threshold in 2014, and are now at levels not experienced by the atmosphere in several million years.

The rate of increase during 2020 does not appear to reflect reduction in pollution emissions due to the sharp, worldwide economic slowdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The reason, says NOAA, is that the drop in emissions would need to be large enough to stand out from natural CO2 variability, caused by how plants and soils respond to seasonal and annual variations of temperature, humidity, soil moisture, etc. These natural variations are large, and so far the emissions reductions associated with COVID19 do not stand out. If emissions reductions of 20 to 30 percent were sustained for six to 12 months, then the rate of increase of CO2 measured at Mauna Loa would be slowed.

Geochemist Ralph Keeling runs the Scripps Oceanography program at Mauna Loa. He said:

People may be surprised to hear that the response to the coronavirus outbreak hasn’t done more to influence CO2 levels. But the buildup of CO2 is a bit like trash in a landfill. As we keep emitting, it keeps piling up. The crisis has slowed emissions, but not enough to show up perceptibly at Mauna Loa. What will matter much more is the trajectory we take coming out of this situation.

Even though terrestrial plants and the global ocean absorb an amount of CO2 equivalent to about half of the 40 billion tons of CO2 pollution emitted by humans each year, the rate of CO2 increase in the atmosphere has been steadily accelerating. In the 1960s, the annual growth averaged about 0.8 ppm per year. It doubled to 1.6 ppm per year in the 1980s and remained steady at 1.5 ppm per year in the 1990s. The average growth rate again surged to 2.0 ppm per year in the 2000s, and increased to 2.4 ppm per year during the last decade.

Tans said:

There is abundant and conclusive evidence that the acceleration is caused by increased emissions … Well-understood physics tells us that the increasing levels of greenhouse gases are heating Earth’s surface, melting ice and accelerating sea-level rise. If we do not stop greenhouse gases from rising further, especially CO2, large regions of the planet will become uninhabitable.

This graph depicts the last four complete years of the Mauna Loa carbon dioxide record plus the current year. The dashed red lines represent the monthly mean values, centered on the middle of each month. The black lines represent the same, after correction for the average seasonal cycle. Image via NOAA

Bottom line: A NOAA report released in June 2020 says that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measured at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory for May 2020 was the highest monthly reading ever recorded.

Source: A 23 m.y. record of low atmospheric CO2

Via The Geological Society of America

Via NOAA

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/3hbvL5R

Image via NOAA.

The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in Earth’s atmosphere continues to rise, say scientists. On June 4, 2020, scientists from NOAA and Scripps Institution of Oceanography announced that atmospheric CO2 measured at Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii reached a seasonal peak of 417.1 parts per million for 2020 in May, the highest monthly reading ever recorded.

Meanwhile, a new study, published May 29,2020 in Geology, concludes that today’s carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are higher than they have been for the past 23 million years. The study’s CO2 timeline revealed no evidence for any fluctuations in CO2 that might be comparable to the dramatic CO2 increase of the present day, suggesting that today’s abrupt greenhouse disruption is unique across recent geologic history. Read more about the study here.

CO2 measurements at Mauna Loa in Hawaii began in 1958, initiating what has become the longest unbroken record of CO2 measurements in the world. The Mauna Loa observatory is a benchmark sampling location for CO2. Perched on a barren volcano in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the observatory is ideally situated for sampling well-mixed air – undisturbed by the influence of local pollution sources or vegetation – that represents the global background for the northern hemisphere. The Mauna Loa data, together with measurements from sampling stations around the world, are incorporated into NOAA’s Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network, a foundational research dataset for international climate scientists. Image via NOAA.

Pieter Tans, senior scientist with NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory. Tans said in a statement:

Progress in emissions reductions is not visible in the CO2 record. We continue to commit our planet – for centuries or longer – to more global heating, sea level rise, and extreme weather events every year.

If humans were to suddenly stop emitting CO2, it would take thousands of years for our CO2 emissions so far to be absorbed into the deep ocean and atmospheric CO2 to return to pre-industrial levels.

Image via NOAA/ Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

According to the NOAA report, this year’s peak value was 2.4 parts per million (ppm) higher than the 2019 peak of 414.7 ppm recorded in May 2019. NOAA scientists reported a May average of 417.1 ppm. Scripps scientists reported an May average of 417.2 ppm. Monthly carbon dioxide (CO2) values at Mauna Loa first breached the 400 ppm threshold in 2014, and are now at levels not experienced by the atmosphere in several million years.

The rate of increase during 2020 does not appear to reflect reduction in pollution emissions due to the sharp, worldwide economic slowdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The reason, says NOAA, is that the drop in emissions would need to be large enough to stand out from natural CO2 variability, caused by how plants and soils respond to seasonal and annual variations of temperature, humidity, soil moisture, etc. These natural variations are large, and so far the emissions reductions associated with COVID19 do not stand out. If emissions reductions of 20 to 30 percent were sustained for six to 12 months, then the rate of increase of CO2 measured at Mauna Loa would be slowed.

Geochemist Ralph Keeling runs the Scripps Oceanography program at Mauna Loa. He said:

People may be surprised to hear that the response to the coronavirus outbreak hasn’t done more to influence CO2 levels. But the buildup of CO2 is a bit like trash in a landfill. As we keep emitting, it keeps piling up. The crisis has slowed emissions, but not enough to show up perceptibly at Mauna Loa. What will matter much more is the trajectory we take coming out of this situation.

Even though terrestrial plants and the global ocean absorb an amount of CO2 equivalent to about half of the 40 billion tons of CO2 pollution emitted by humans each year, the rate of CO2 increase in the atmosphere has been steadily accelerating. In the 1960s, the annual growth averaged about 0.8 ppm per year. It doubled to 1.6 ppm per year in the 1980s and remained steady at 1.5 ppm per year in the 1990s. The average growth rate again surged to 2.0 ppm per year in the 2000s, and increased to 2.4 ppm per year during the last decade.

Tans said:

There is abundant and conclusive evidence that the acceleration is caused by increased emissions … Well-understood physics tells us that the increasing levels of greenhouse gases are heating Earth’s surface, melting ice and accelerating sea-level rise. If we do not stop greenhouse gases from rising further, especially CO2, large regions of the planet will become uninhabitable.

This graph depicts the last four complete years of the Mauna Loa carbon dioxide record plus the current year. The dashed red lines represent the monthly mean values, centered on the middle of each month. The black lines represent the same, after correction for the average seasonal cycle. Image via NOAA

Bottom line: A NOAA report released in June 2020 says that atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) measured at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory for May 2020 was the highest monthly reading ever recorded.

Source: A 23 m.y. record of low atmospheric CO2

Via The Geological Society of America

Via NOAA

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/3hbvL5R

Happy World Oceans Day 2020

The Pacific Ocean, viewed from the International Space Station. Image via NASA. Longing for the sea? Check out these photos from the EarthSky community.

World Oceans Day has been celebrated every year on June 8 since 1992. It’s a day to raise awareness about how we’re connected – no matter where we live – to the oceans, and about what we can do to protect ocean habitats. This year’s theme – announced by United Nations World Oceans Day 2020 – is Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean. The day is meant to focus on new ideas, techniques, and products for a more sustainable management of our oceans’ resources.

It’s widely recognized that Earth’s oceans are critical to human survival. More than half the oxygen in our atmosphere is generated via photosynthesis by phytoplankton and seaweed in oceans. Millions of people depend on fish and other marine animals for food. Research in some marine organisms have led to the development of new medications; for example, the drug remdesivir, an antiviral medication currently being evaluated in clinical trials as a treatment for Covid-19, contains compounds that are found in some sea sponges. Earth’s climate is regulated by ocean currents known as global conveyor belts.

Perhaps the best reason we’ve seen to celebrate and protect Earth’s oceans comes from the 2013 video below, featuring Sylvia Earle, who is a National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence and perhaps the world’s most recognized living oceanographer. In the video, among other things, Earle says:

I think of the ocean as the blue heart of the planet.

And she says:

We, too, are sea creatures.

Canada made the original proposal for World Oceans Day in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The day was unofficially celebrated on June 8 until 2008, when the United Nations officially recognized it. Since then, World Oceans Day has been coordinated internationally by The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network. These organizations say they have had greater success and global participation each year.

We know that human activities have adversely affected the health of oceans: pollution, over-fishing, seawater acidification due to increased carbon dioxide, ocean warming, habitat destruction. There is so much to do to repair the damage.

In 2020, organizations such as aquariums and marine research institutions – which would otherwise host public events for World Oceans Day – are unable to do it due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some online events and cleanups are listed at the World Oceans Day website.

There are also things you can do on your own, on this day or any other. If you live near an ocean, perhaps join a shoreline cleanup (with appropriate social distancing during this time of pandemic).

Even if you’re not near the sea, you can encourage your seafood retailers and favorite seafood restaurants to to source their seafood more sustainably (Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program is a terrific resource).

And we can all reduce our use of plastics with reusable shopping bags and refillable water bottles, and by using biodegradable products over plastic.

Plus we can contemplate the sea, and teach our children to love it. Show your kids the sea creature below, just announced a couple of months ago … perhaps the longest living animal ever recorded! Happy World Oceans Day, everyone!

The thin, white spiral in this aerial image is a living creature, reported on in April 2020 by scientists. They said this 150-foot (46-meter) siphonophore might be the the longest animal ever recorded. The massive gelatinous siphonophore was discovered during a month-long scientific expedition exploring the submarine canyons near Ningaloo in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia. Read more and see a video.

Bottom line: June 8, 2020, is World Oceans Day. This year’s theme is Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean. You can find some online events for June 8 at the World Oceans Day website.

Longing for the sea? Check out these photos from the EarthSky community.

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

The Pacific Ocean, viewed from the International Space Station. Image via NASA. Longing for the sea? Check out these photos from the EarthSky community.

World Oceans Day has been celebrated every year on June 8 since 1992. It’s a day to raise awareness about how we’re connected – no matter where we live – to the oceans, and about what we can do to protect ocean habitats. This year’s theme – announced by United Nations World Oceans Day 2020 – is Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean. The day is meant to focus on new ideas, techniques, and products for a more sustainable management of our oceans’ resources.

It’s widely recognized that Earth’s oceans are critical to human survival. More than half the oxygen in our atmosphere is generated via photosynthesis by phytoplankton and seaweed in oceans. Millions of people depend on fish and other marine animals for food. Research in some marine organisms have led to the development of new medications; for example, the drug remdesivir, an antiviral medication currently being evaluated in clinical trials as a treatment for Covid-19, contains compounds that are found in some sea sponges. Earth’s climate is regulated by ocean currents known as global conveyor belts.

Perhaps the best reason we’ve seen to celebrate and protect Earth’s oceans comes from the 2013 video below, featuring Sylvia Earle, who is a National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence and perhaps the world’s most recognized living oceanographer. In the video, among other things, Earle says:

I think of the ocean as the blue heart of the planet.

And she says:

We, too, are sea creatures.

Canada made the original proposal for World Oceans Day in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The day was unofficially celebrated on June 8 until 2008, when the United Nations officially recognized it. Since then, World Oceans Day has been coordinated internationally by The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network. These organizations say they have had greater success and global participation each year.

We know that human activities have adversely affected the health of oceans: pollution, over-fishing, seawater acidification due to increased carbon dioxide, ocean warming, habitat destruction. There is so much to do to repair the damage.

In 2020, organizations such as aquariums and marine research institutions – which would otherwise host public events for World Oceans Day – are unable to do it due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some online events and cleanups are listed at the World Oceans Day website.

There are also things you can do on your own, on this day or any other. If you live near an ocean, perhaps join a shoreline cleanup (with appropriate social distancing during this time of pandemic).

Even if you’re not near the sea, you can encourage your seafood retailers and favorite seafood restaurants to to source their seafood more sustainably (Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program is a terrific resource).

And we can all reduce our use of plastics with reusable shopping bags and refillable water bottles, and by using biodegradable products over plastic.

Plus we can contemplate the sea, and teach our children to love it. Show your kids the sea creature below, just announced a couple of months ago … perhaps the longest living animal ever recorded! Happy World Oceans Day, everyone!

The thin, white spiral in this aerial image is a living creature, reported on in April 2020 by scientists. They said this 150-foot (46-meter) siphonophore might be the the longest animal ever recorded. The massive gelatinous siphonophore was discovered during a month-long scientific expedition exploring the submarine canyons near Ningaloo in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Western Australia. Read more and see a video.

Bottom line: June 8, 2020, is World Oceans Day. This year’s theme is Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean. You can find some online events for June 8 at the World Oceans Day website.

Longing for the sea? Check out these photos from the EarthSky community.

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

Longing for the sea? Check out these photos

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Cindy Chai wrote from the North Pacific Ocean: “Smell the sea and feel the sky! During the COVID 19 period, many people can’t get out of their home due to lock down, so I think I’m lucky because I still get to see the ocean everyday due to my job on sea.” Thank you, Cindy.

World Oceans Day – a global day of ocean celebration – takes place every year on June 8. The World Ocean Project first organized the day as a time to celebrate the oceans and take steps to protect ocean health. This year’s theme is Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.

Find out more about World Oceans Day 2020

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kim Cronan of Wabasso Beach, Florida, sent in this photo and wrote, “Taken while enjoying a typically gorgeous December day in South Florida and the Atlantic Ocean’s amazing shades of blue.” Thanks, Kim!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kevan Hubbard at Seaton Carew in County Durham, England, wrote: “A window in the clouds with rain heading to the Yorkshire Moors.” Thank you, Kevan.

Paulo P. Pereira of Torres Vedras, Lisbon, Portugal, captured this image.

Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean from the Georgia coast, by Greg Hogan.

West Bay, Dorset, at sunset. Image via Roger Morgan.

“Into the Bay of Bengal” by Karthik Easvur.

Tommy Richardsen Photography in Nordreisa, in northern Norway, captured this image of ice melting in the Norwegian Sea in May 2018. He wrote: “Magic of May. Close to 7 hours of good weather conditions for photography, rain, fog, mist, sunlight and crazy clouds, all one can ask for. :)” D810, 15mm.

Leo Carrillo State Beach, Malibu, California. Photo via Kristal Alaimo-Moritz Klear.

Twilight at Waimanalo Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, on June 4, 2017, via Chantel Dunlap.

Summer showers near Galveston, Texas, by Brett Stone.

San Francisco Bay by Matt Snow.

From Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, by Vladimir Zlvkovic.

York Beach, Maine, by Kevin Pratt.

From the Great Ocean Road in Australia by Malck Coolen Photography.

“Seawater inlet of Indian Ocean where two seas of different texture meet!” by Sima Sweet.

Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Breton Island, Canada, by Tynski Photographic.

Glenn Miles Photography took this photo from the north coast of Northern Ireland. Thank you, Glenn.

Maine coast at sunrise by John Gravell.

Sunset in Truro, Massachusetts, looking toward Provincetown, by John Gravell.

“Loggerhead sea turtle tracks at sunrise on Florida’s beautiful east coast.” Photo via Rachel Smith. Thanks Rachel!

Enjoying EarthSky? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

Bottom line: Ocean photos from EarthSky friends across the globe in celebration of World Oceans Day 2020.

Help EarthSky keep going! Please donate what you can to our annual crowd-funding campaign.

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

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Cindy Chai wrote from the North Pacific Ocean: “Smell the sea and feel the sky! During the COVID 19 period, many people can’t get out of their home due to lock down, so I think I’m lucky because I still get to see the ocean everyday due to my job on sea.” Thank you, Cindy.

World Oceans Day – a global day of ocean celebration – takes place every year on June 8. The World Ocean Project first organized the day as a time to celebrate the oceans and take steps to protect ocean health. This year’s theme is Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.

Find out more about World Oceans Day 2020

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kim Cronan of Wabasso Beach, Florida, sent in this photo and wrote, “Taken while enjoying a typically gorgeous December day in South Florida and the Atlantic Ocean’s amazing shades of blue.” Thanks, Kim!

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kevan Hubbard at Seaton Carew in County Durham, England, wrote: “A window in the clouds with rain heading to the Yorkshire Moors.” Thank you, Kevan.

Paulo P. Pereira of Torres Vedras, Lisbon, Portugal, captured this image.

Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean from the Georgia coast, by Greg Hogan.

West Bay, Dorset, at sunset. Image via Roger Morgan.

“Into the Bay of Bengal” by Karthik Easvur.

Tommy Richardsen Photography in Nordreisa, in northern Norway, captured this image of ice melting in the Norwegian Sea in May 2018. He wrote: “Magic of May. Close to 7 hours of good weather conditions for photography, rain, fog, mist, sunlight and crazy clouds, all one can ask for. :)” D810, 15mm.

Leo Carrillo State Beach, Malibu, California. Photo via Kristal Alaimo-Moritz Klear.

Twilight at Waimanalo Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, on June 4, 2017, via Chantel Dunlap.

Summer showers near Galveston, Texas, by Brett Stone.

San Francisco Bay by Matt Snow.

From Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, by Vladimir Zlvkovic.

York Beach, Maine, by Kevin Pratt.

From the Great Ocean Road in Australia by Malck Coolen Photography.

“Seawater inlet of Indian Ocean where two seas of different texture meet!” by Sima Sweet.

Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Breton Island, Canada, by Tynski Photographic.

Glenn Miles Photography took this photo from the north coast of Northern Ireland. Thank you, Glenn.

Maine coast at sunrise by John Gravell.

Sunset in Truro, Massachusetts, looking toward Provincetown, by John Gravell.

“Loggerhead sea turtle tracks at sunrise on Florida’s beautiful east coast.” Photo via Rachel Smith. Thanks Rachel!

Enjoying EarthSky? Sign up for our free daily newsletter today!

Bottom line: Ocean photos from EarthSky friends across the globe in celebration of World Oceans Day 2020.

Help EarthSky keep going! Please donate what you can to our annual crowd-funding campaign.

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