View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Desmond Allred in Tremonton, Utah, captured the Snake Nebula in the constellation Ophiuchus on May 18, 2024. Desmond wrote: “This is probably my favorite image I’ve captured so far in my 3 years in doing astrophotography! I found a cool-looking area of the Milky Way while exploring my star app (SkyGuide). I was excited to see if I could capture the dark dust lanes with a bright moon overhead.” It looks amazing. Thank you, Desmond. See more of our editor’s picks from May’s deep-sky photos below.
Stunning deep-sky photos from our community
The EarthSky community has many talented astrophotographers who capture stunning images of the deep sky. So enjoy this gallery of some of the best deep-sky photos we received in May 2024. Do you have some of your own deep-sky images to share? You can submit them to us here. We love to see them!
Deep-sky photos of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Cameron Frankish in Longdown, Devon, United Kingdom, caught the nebulosity surrounding the star Rho Ophiuchi on May 4, 2024. This star and its colorful environs lie in the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. Thank you, Cameron!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ekansh Tardeja in Pune, Maharashtra, India, caught the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex on May 4, 2024. Ekansh wrote: “Reflection and dark nebulae complex in our galaxy, the Milky Way, visible as a faint smudge to the unaided eye.” Thank you, Ekansh!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tom Sorensen at Golden Spike National Historical Park, Utah, also captured the Rho Ophiuchi region, on May 9, 2024. Tom wrote: “This popular area of the Milky Way’s core is sprawling with different nebulae. Perhaps the reason this area is so iconic is because of the contrast of the dark nebulae blocking the light of the emission nebulae.” Thank you, Tom!
Deep-sky photos of diffuse nebulae
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, caught the Lagoon and Trifid and other nebulae in the constellation Sagittarius on May 17, 2024. Andy wrote: “Lagoon center, Trifid right, Chinese Dragon left.” Thank you, Andy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, caught the the Pelican Nebula in the constellation Cygnus on May 8, 2024. Andy wrote: “It took me nearly 3 hours to get the guiding working on my new ZWO gear, and I still don’t know how I did it! I got pics of 3 different objects. I liked this one the best, a big improvement over the pic I took a year ago.” Thank you, Andy!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andrea Iorio in Marino, Rome, Italy, captured the galaxy Messier 87 in the constellation Virgo on May 5, 2024. Andrea wrote: “M87, also known as Virgo A or NGC 4486, is a supergiant elliptical galaxy containing several trillion stars. It is about 53 million light-years from Earth and is the 2nd-brightest galaxy within the northern Virgo Cluster. M87 has an active supermassive black hole at its core, which forms the primary component of an active galactic nucleus. The black hole ejects a relativistic jet of plasma extending at least 5,000 light-years from the nucleus. The image shows its satellite galaxies and the jet.” Thank you, Andrea!
Groups of galaxies
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Fred Holman in Contoocook, New Hampshire, captured the galaxy Messier 100 and its neighbors in the constellation Coma Berenices on May 7, 2024. Fred wrote: “M100 or the Mirror Galaxy is a grand-design intermediate spiral galaxy about 55 million light-years away. It is one of the brightest and largest galaxies in the Virgo cluster that has hosted 7 supernovas since 1901.” Thank you, Fred!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia at Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania, captured the galaxy group Arp 297 on May 2, 2024. Steven wrote: “Arp 297, in Boötes, is an interacting galaxy group. One of the galaxies, NGC 5754, is often considered a Milky Way twin.” Wonderful shot. Thank you, Steven!
Bottom line: Enjoy this gallery of deep-sky photos for May 2024 from our EarthSky community. And if you have a great photo to share, send it in. We love to see them!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Desmond Allred in Tremonton, Utah, captured the Snake Nebula in the constellation Ophiuchus on May 18, 2024. Desmond wrote: “This is probably my favorite image I’ve captured so far in my 3 years in doing astrophotography! I found a cool-looking area of the Milky Way while exploring my star app (SkyGuide). I was excited to see if I could capture the dark dust lanes with a bright moon overhead.” It looks amazing. Thank you, Desmond. See more of our editor’s picks from May’s deep-sky photos below.
Stunning deep-sky photos from our community
The EarthSky community has many talented astrophotographers who capture stunning images of the deep sky. So enjoy this gallery of some of the best deep-sky photos we received in May 2024. Do you have some of your own deep-sky images to share? You can submit them to us here. We love to see them!
Deep-sky photos of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Cameron Frankish in Longdown, Devon, United Kingdom, caught the nebulosity surrounding the star Rho Ophiuchi on May 4, 2024. This star and its colorful environs lie in the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. Thank you, Cameron!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Ekansh Tardeja in Pune, Maharashtra, India, caught the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex on May 4, 2024. Ekansh wrote: “Reflection and dark nebulae complex in our galaxy, the Milky Way, visible as a faint smudge to the unaided eye.” Thank you, Ekansh!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tom Sorensen at Golden Spike National Historical Park, Utah, also captured the Rho Ophiuchi region, on May 9, 2024. Tom wrote: “This popular area of the Milky Way’s core is sprawling with different nebulae. Perhaps the reason this area is so iconic is because of the contrast of the dark nebulae blocking the light of the emission nebulae.” Thank you, Tom!
Deep-sky photos of diffuse nebulae
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, caught the Lagoon and Trifid and other nebulae in the constellation Sagittarius on May 17, 2024. Andy wrote: “Lagoon center, Trifid right, Chinese Dragon left.” Thank you, Andy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, caught the the Pelican Nebula in the constellation Cygnus on May 8, 2024. Andy wrote: “It took me nearly 3 hours to get the guiding working on my new ZWO gear, and I still don’t know how I did it! I got pics of 3 different objects. I liked this one the best, a big improvement over the pic I took a year ago.” Thank you, Andy!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andrea Iorio in Marino, Rome, Italy, captured the galaxy Messier 87 in the constellation Virgo on May 5, 2024. Andrea wrote: “M87, also known as Virgo A or NGC 4486, is a supergiant elliptical galaxy containing several trillion stars. It is about 53 million light-years from Earth and is the 2nd-brightest galaxy within the northern Virgo Cluster. M87 has an active supermassive black hole at its core, which forms the primary component of an active galactic nucleus. The black hole ejects a relativistic jet of plasma extending at least 5,000 light-years from the nucleus. The image shows its satellite galaxies and the jet.” Thank you, Andrea!
Groups of galaxies
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Fred Holman in Contoocook, New Hampshire, captured the galaxy Messier 100 and its neighbors in the constellation Coma Berenices on May 7, 2024. Fred wrote: “M100 or the Mirror Galaxy is a grand-design intermediate spiral galaxy about 55 million light-years away. It is one of the brightest and largest galaxies in the Virgo cluster that has hosted 7 supernovas since 1901.” Thank you, Fred!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia at Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania, captured the galaxy group Arp 297 on May 2, 2024. Steven wrote: “Arp 297, in Boötes, is an interacting galaxy group. One of the galaxies, NGC 5754, is often considered a Milky Way twin.” Wonderful shot. Thank you, Steven!
Bottom line: Enjoy this gallery of deep-sky photos for May 2024 from our EarthSky community. And if you have a great photo to share, send it in. We love to see them!
Global ocean circulation. Mars and Earth are relatively tiny worlds, located far from one another in space. Yet it appears Mars affects earthly climate – and, thereby, ocean circulation – over a cycle lasting millions of years. Image via NASA/JPL/ Columbia University.
Recent research has revealed new evidence for a 2.4-million-year cycle – called an orbital resonance – between Earth and Mars.
This dance of the planets now appears to affect Earth’s climate and, in turn, deep-ocean currents.
The discovery came from ancient deep-sea cores.
Earth’s seabeds reveal ancient Martian influence
Geologists from the University of Sydney in Australia and the Sorbonne University in Paris have unearthed new physical evidence that a 2.4-million-year resonance in the orbits of Earth and Mars influences long-term earthly climate change. We know that warmer oceans result in more vigorous deep circulation. And this spring (March 2024), the researchers said they’ve found evidence in deep-sea cores showing shifts in sea currents that match the 2.4-million-year Earth-Mars cycle.
The international team of researchers published their peer-reviewed study in Nature Communications on March 12, 2024.
The data used to make the discovery came from ancient sedimentary cores. Scientists gathered these cores during more than 50 years of drilling the seafloor. The information – representing 65 million years of deposits – became part of a highly detailed virtual model of changes in Earth’s geology since its formation. The results enabled investigators to demonstrate that the strength of deep-ocean currents changes at the same frequency as the Earth-Mars orbital resonance.
Research team member and co-author Dietmar Müller of the University of Sydney said:
The gravity fields of the planets in the solar system interfere with each other and this interaction, called a resonance, changes planetary eccentricity, a measure of how close to circular their orbits are.
So, Earth has periods of greater incoming solar radiation in cycles of 2.4 million years, and thus an occasional warmer climate. And these warmer periods coincide with breaks in the deep-sea record that indicate a more vigorous deep-ocean circulation.
The press release also stressed:
These cycles are not linked to the current rapid global warming caused by human greenhouse gas emissions.
We were surprised to find these 2.4-million-year cycles in our deep-sea sedimentary data. There is only one way to explain them: they are linked to cycles in the interactions of Mars and Earth orbiting the sun.
Earth’s diameter is about twice that of Mars. And Mars and Earth vary in distance, from about 34 million miles (55 million km) to 250 million miles (400 million km). That’s in contrast to our moon’s distance of about one-quarter million miles. But Mars’ distance doesn’t stop it from influencing Earth’s climate and oceans. Image via NASA/ Wikimedia Commons.
Orbital cycles shape Earth’s changing weather, climate
We’ve known since early last century that orbital cycles directly influence Earth’s position and orientation. By changing the amount of sunlight striking Earth, those cycles cause the seasons. But they can also bring on ice ages or dry the planet out. NASA explained these climate drivers:
Cycles also play key roles in Earth’s short-term weather and long-term climate. A century ago, Serbian scientist Milutin Milankovitch hypothesized the long-term, collective effects of changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun are a strong driver of Earth’s long-term climate, and are responsible for triggering the beginning and end of glaciation periods (ice ages).
In the paper sharing the new geological evidence of gravitational influence, however, the scientists said they were looking for something a bit different:
Astronomical forcing of Earth’s climate is embedded in the rhythms of stratigraphic records, most famously as short-period (tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years) Milankovitch cycles. Astronomical grand cycles with periods of millions of years also modulate climate variability but have been detected in relatively few proxy records.
What they found was 65 million years of evidence in the geological record showing stronger deep-ocean currents when the gravity of Mars makes Earth’s oceans grow warmer.
Gravity between Mars and Earth, and warming
At its peak, Mars’ influence on Earth’s orbit significantly increases insolation, or the amount of sunlight striking the ground. And the increased insolation warms the entire climate every 2.4 million years. During those periods, according to the sedimentary record, deep-ocean eddies play an important role in circulation. These powerful eddies can be like whirlpools or tornadoes reaching the deep-ocean abyssal plain, eroding the seafloor, leaving snowdrift-like deposits – contourites – in their wake.
The ongoing influence of the Mars-Earth cycle could help mitigate ocean stagnation if the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) slows or stops. The AMOC drives the Gulf Stream, which in turn keeps Europe from slipping into another ice age. Recently, the Gulf Stream was measured at its weakest in more than 1,000 years. More worryingly, Nature Communicationspublished a paper in July 2023 warning the AMOC could collapse by the middle of the 21st century, perhaps as early as 2025.
Mars-driven eddies and AMOC
Research team member and co-author Dietmar Müller of the University of Sydney said Mars-driven eddies might reduce the impact if the AMOC fails:
We know there are at least two separate mechanisms that contribute to the vigor of deep-water mixing in the oceans. AMOC is one of them, but deep-ocean eddies seem to play an important role in warm climates for keeping the ocean ventilated. Of course, this would not have the same effect as AMOC in terms of transporting water masses from low to high latitudes and vice-versa.
Dutkiewicz said the team hopes their paper will result in better climate modeling. Their findings may also provide a bit of hope and somewhat alleviate climate-driven angst, she said:
Our deep-sea data spanning 65 million years suggest that warmer oceans have more vigorous deep circulation. This will potentially keep the ocean from becoming stagnant even if Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation slows or stops altogether.
Bottom line: International researchers studying ancient seafloor sediments have found new evidence that a 2.4 million-year-long resonance between the orbits of Earth and Mars affects long-term changes in ocean temperatures and currents.
Global ocean circulation. Mars and Earth are relatively tiny worlds, located far from one another in space. Yet it appears Mars affects earthly climate – and, thereby, ocean circulation – over a cycle lasting millions of years. Image via NASA/JPL/ Columbia University.
Recent research has revealed new evidence for a 2.4-million-year cycle – called an orbital resonance – between Earth and Mars.
This dance of the planets now appears to affect Earth’s climate and, in turn, deep-ocean currents.
The discovery came from ancient deep-sea cores.
Earth’s seabeds reveal ancient Martian influence
Geologists from the University of Sydney in Australia and the Sorbonne University in Paris have unearthed new physical evidence that a 2.4-million-year resonance in the orbits of Earth and Mars influences long-term earthly climate change. We know that warmer oceans result in more vigorous deep circulation. And this spring (March 2024), the researchers said they’ve found evidence in deep-sea cores showing shifts in sea currents that match the 2.4-million-year Earth-Mars cycle.
The international team of researchers published their peer-reviewed study in Nature Communications on March 12, 2024.
The data used to make the discovery came from ancient sedimentary cores. Scientists gathered these cores during more than 50 years of drilling the seafloor. The information – representing 65 million years of deposits – became part of a highly detailed virtual model of changes in Earth’s geology since its formation. The results enabled investigators to demonstrate that the strength of deep-ocean currents changes at the same frequency as the Earth-Mars orbital resonance.
Research team member and co-author Dietmar Müller of the University of Sydney said:
The gravity fields of the planets in the solar system interfere with each other and this interaction, called a resonance, changes planetary eccentricity, a measure of how close to circular their orbits are.
So, Earth has periods of greater incoming solar radiation in cycles of 2.4 million years, and thus an occasional warmer climate. And these warmer periods coincide with breaks in the deep-sea record that indicate a more vigorous deep-ocean circulation.
The press release also stressed:
These cycles are not linked to the current rapid global warming caused by human greenhouse gas emissions.
We were surprised to find these 2.4-million-year cycles in our deep-sea sedimentary data. There is only one way to explain them: they are linked to cycles in the interactions of Mars and Earth orbiting the sun.
Earth’s diameter is about twice that of Mars. And Mars and Earth vary in distance, from about 34 million miles (55 million km) to 250 million miles (400 million km). That’s in contrast to our moon’s distance of about one-quarter million miles. But Mars’ distance doesn’t stop it from influencing Earth’s climate and oceans. Image via NASA/ Wikimedia Commons.
Orbital cycles shape Earth’s changing weather, climate
We’ve known since early last century that orbital cycles directly influence Earth’s position and orientation. By changing the amount of sunlight striking Earth, those cycles cause the seasons. But they can also bring on ice ages or dry the planet out. NASA explained these climate drivers:
Cycles also play key roles in Earth’s short-term weather and long-term climate. A century ago, Serbian scientist Milutin Milankovitch hypothesized the long-term, collective effects of changes in Earth’s position relative to the sun are a strong driver of Earth’s long-term climate, and are responsible for triggering the beginning and end of glaciation periods (ice ages).
In the paper sharing the new geological evidence of gravitational influence, however, the scientists said they were looking for something a bit different:
Astronomical forcing of Earth’s climate is embedded in the rhythms of stratigraphic records, most famously as short-period (tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years) Milankovitch cycles. Astronomical grand cycles with periods of millions of years also modulate climate variability but have been detected in relatively few proxy records.
What they found was 65 million years of evidence in the geological record showing stronger deep-ocean currents when the gravity of Mars makes Earth’s oceans grow warmer.
Gravity between Mars and Earth, and warming
At its peak, Mars’ influence on Earth’s orbit significantly increases insolation, or the amount of sunlight striking the ground. And the increased insolation warms the entire climate every 2.4 million years. During those periods, according to the sedimentary record, deep-ocean eddies play an important role in circulation. These powerful eddies can be like whirlpools or tornadoes reaching the deep-ocean abyssal plain, eroding the seafloor, leaving snowdrift-like deposits – contourites – in their wake.
The ongoing influence of the Mars-Earth cycle could help mitigate ocean stagnation if the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) slows or stops. The AMOC drives the Gulf Stream, which in turn keeps Europe from slipping into another ice age. Recently, the Gulf Stream was measured at its weakest in more than 1,000 years. More worryingly, Nature Communicationspublished a paper in July 2023 warning the AMOC could collapse by the middle of the 21st century, perhaps as early as 2025.
Mars-driven eddies and AMOC
Research team member and co-author Dietmar Müller of the University of Sydney said Mars-driven eddies might reduce the impact if the AMOC fails:
We know there are at least two separate mechanisms that contribute to the vigor of deep-water mixing in the oceans. AMOC is one of them, but deep-ocean eddies seem to play an important role in warm climates for keeping the ocean ventilated. Of course, this would not have the same effect as AMOC in terms of transporting water masses from low to high latitudes and vice-versa.
Dutkiewicz said the team hopes their paper will result in better climate modeling. Their findings may also provide a bit of hope and somewhat alleviate climate-driven angst, she said:
Our deep-sea data spanning 65 million years suggest that warmer oceans have more vigorous deep circulation. This will potentially keep the ocean from becoming stagnant even if Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation slows or stops altogether.
Bottom line: International researchers studying ancient seafloor sediments have found new evidence that a 2.4 million-year-long resonance between the orbits of Earth and Mars affects long-term changes in ocean temperatures and currents.
Delaware Bay is an outlet of the Delaware River in the U.S. Northeast. With the Bay’s fresh water mixing for many miles with the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s one of the most important habitats for shorebirds in the world. EarthSky’s Shireen Gonzaga visited Delaware Bay in May 2024 at the height of spring migration. She said many birds fly here from along the Atlantic coastline, stopping to feed and rest before making their way to their breeding grounds in the Arctic. See Shireen’s video of shorebirds in Delaware Bay, above.
Shorebirds need a variety of habitats
Most shorebird species are highly migratory. In the Americas, they journey northward in spring, rushing to breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic tundra. That’s a mostly treeless habitat with low-growing vegetation like grasses and mosses. There, they raise their chicks in early summer.
Shorebirds head south starting in mid-summer, this time at a slower pace. First, the adults leave, followed by juveniles in late summer. Many spend the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter months over a wide geographic range, from the southern U.S. all the way to the tip of South America.
During migration and at their wintering sites, shorebirds forage in a variety of habitats. You’ll see them feeding on invertebrates, like worms on tidal mudflats and insects in shallow freshwater marshlands. Or you may see them on a beach, plucking prey like small crustaceans from the sand.
This short-billed dowitcher near Milton, Delaware, was feeding in a shallow water marshland in May 2024. Image via Shireen Gonzaga.You can often see ruddy turnstones – a shorebird that visits Delaware Bay beaches – in the spring and autumn. May 2024 image via Shireen Gonzaga.
Horseshoe crab eggs are a valuable food source
Why do the birds stop in Delaware Bay? It’s partly because Delaware Bay hosts the largest population of breeding horseshoe crabs in the world. In May and June, these marine arthropods spawn on the beaches during spring tides. Many of their little green eggs end up on the beach surface, a bounty to ravenous shorebirds.
Ruddy turnstones and red knots rely heavily on the eggs of horseshoe crabs. That’s because these eggs are rich in proteins and fats, essential for building muscle and fat reserves needed for long-distance migrations.
Horseshoe crabs spawning at Pickering Beach, Delaware. Image via Shireen Gonzaga.
Delaware Bay is a critical stop for red knots
Red knots are robin-sized shorebirds. Many of them undertake epic migrations. Some red knot populations live as far south as Tierra del Fuego, at the tip of South America, about 10,000 km (approximately 6,000 miles) from Delaware. Other populations winter on the coasts of Brazil and the southern U.S.
A significant number of red knots stop at Delaware Bay on their way to Arctic tundra breeding grounds in Canada, as far as 3,000 km away (about 2,000 miles). These long-distance migrants arrive at Delaware Bay beaches around early May. They’re emaciated when they get there, having drained fat reserves accumulated at their previous foraging site.
Red knots spend about two to three weeks at Delaware Bay beaches, largely gorging on horseshoe crab eggs. When they arrive, the birds weigh about 100 grams (3.5 oz). By the time they leave, they have doubled in weight, in fat that will fuel their northward migration.
The red knot subspecies (Calidris canutus rufa) found in the Americas is classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Their numbers have plummeted in the past few decades, about 70% since the 1980s.
A red knot on May 23, 2023, at Slaughter Beach, Delaware. You’ll notice it has a red flag on its leg with the label C9V. Scientists band shorebirds to track their migrations. When observers report these birds with tags, researchers are able to track their movements by the unique codes. This bird received its band in Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, on November 8, 2007, as an adult. Therefore, she may have hatched in 2005 or earlier. So she’s at least 18 years old. Image via Shireen Gonzaga.
Shorebirds in decline
Migration is very physically demanding. Shorebirds need places where they can feed and rest undisturbed, to recuperate and build up fat reserves that fuel the next leg of their journeys.
Places for them to feed and rest have dwindled. Climate change also affects these birds. As a result, shorebird populations are in decline.
The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Research Network (WHSRN) said on their website:
Shorebirds are among a few groups of birds showing the most dramatic declines. Species that undertake hemispheric migrations rely on specific habitats and food sources to survive, but these resources are increasingly under threat from human disturbance, habitat loss and degradation, over-harvesting, increasing predation, and climate change.
The organization also wrote:
Climate change is happening now. With shorebirds’ reliance on coastal wetlands, the Arctic tundra, saline lakes in arid regions, and highly specified food resources during migration, they are extremely vulnerable to the changes that are occurring, such as:
– Loss of habitat due to rising tides
– Hotter and drier conditions in some regions
– Shrub encroachment on nesting habitat in a warming Arctic
– Mismatched timing of migration and food resources
At Delaware Bay, shorebirds that rely on horseshoe crab eggs face an additional problem: a scarcity of eggs. Horseshoe crabs have been heavily harvested for use as bait in eel and conch fisheries. As a result, fewer eggs are available on the beach for birds. Despite harvesting restrictions, horseshoe crab numbers remain at historic lows.
These are semipalmated sandpipers at Slaughter Beach in May 2023. The one on the right has a tiny horseshoe crab egg in its bill. Image via Shireen Gonzaga.
State and federal wildlife agencies are monitoring shorebird populations closely in Delaware Bay. They have provided habitat by preserving critical areas where the birds can feed and rest undisturbed. In recent years, there have been some steps to reduce harvesting of horseshoe crabs. But will these steps be enough to help the shorebirds? Time will tell.
Where to see shorebirds in Delaware Bay
For spring shorebird migration, May is the best time to visit the Delaware Bay area. If you’re new to shorebirds, it’s best to join a birding field trip so a guide can help you identify the birds. Bring a pair of binoculars and, if you have one, a spotting scope.
Some beaches in New Jersey have designated viewing areas where you can watch the birds. On the Delaware side, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is an excellent place to view shorebirds in wetland habitats. For beach shorebirds, a good place to start is the Dupont Nature Center near Slaughter Beach.
A dunlin, looking handsome in its breeding plumage, walks across tidal mudflats at Slaughter Beach, Delaware, in 2023. Image via Shireen Gonzaga.
Bottom line: The Delaware Bay coastal region is one of the most important shorebird habitats in the world. In spring, some shorebirds rely heavily on the eggs of horseshoe crabs to fuel their northward migration.
Delaware Bay is an outlet of the Delaware River in the U.S. Northeast. With the Bay’s fresh water mixing for many miles with the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s one of the most important habitats for shorebirds in the world. EarthSky’s Shireen Gonzaga visited Delaware Bay in May 2024 at the height of spring migration. She said many birds fly here from along the Atlantic coastline, stopping to feed and rest before making their way to their breeding grounds in the Arctic. See Shireen’s video of shorebirds in Delaware Bay, above.
Shorebirds need a variety of habitats
Most shorebird species are highly migratory. In the Americas, they journey northward in spring, rushing to breeding grounds in the Canadian Arctic tundra. That’s a mostly treeless habitat with low-growing vegetation like grasses and mosses. There, they raise their chicks in early summer.
Shorebirds head south starting in mid-summer, this time at a slower pace. First, the adults leave, followed by juveniles in late summer. Many spend the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter months over a wide geographic range, from the southern U.S. all the way to the tip of South America.
During migration and at their wintering sites, shorebirds forage in a variety of habitats. You’ll see them feeding on invertebrates, like worms on tidal mudflats and insects in shallow freshwater marshlands. Or you may see them on a beach, plucking prey like small crustaceans from the sand.
This short-billed dowitcher near Milton, Delaware, was feeding in a shallow water marshland in May 2024. Image via Shireen Gonzaga.You can often see ruddy turnstones – a shorebird that visits Delaware Bay beaches – in the spring and autumn. May 2024 image via Shireen Gonzaga.
Horseshoe crab eggs are a valuable food source
Why do the birds stop in Delaware Bay? It’s partly because Delaware Bay hosts the largest population of breeding horseshoe crabs in the world. In May and June, these marine arthropods spawn on the beaches during spring tides. Many of their little green eggs end up on the beach surface, a bounty to ravenous shorebirds.
Ruddy turnstones and red knots rely heavily on the eggs of horseshoe crabs. That’s because these eggs are rich in proteins and fats, essential for building muscle and fat reserves needed for long-distance migrations.
Horseshoe crabs spawning at Pickering Beach, Delaware. Image via Shireen Gonzaga.
Delaware Bay is a critical stop for red knots
Red knots are robin-sized shorebirds. Many of them undertake epic migrations. Some red knot populations live as far south as Tierra del Fuego, at the tip of South America, about 10,000 km (approximately 6,000 miles) from Delaware. Other populations winter on the coasts of Brazil and the southern U.S.
A significant number of red knots stop at Delaware Bay on their way to Arctic tundra breeding grounds in Canada, as far as 3,000 km away (about 2,000 miles). These long-distance migrants arrive at Delaware Bay beaches around early May. They’re emaciated when they get there, having drained fat reserves accumulated at their previous foraging site.
Red knots spend about two to three weeks at Delaware Bay beaches, largely gorging on horseshoe crab eggs. When they arrive, the birds weigh about 100 grams (3.5 oz). By the time they leave, they have doubled in weight, in fat that will fuel their northward migration.
The red knot subspecies (Calidris canutus rufa) found in the Americas is classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Their numbers have plummeted in the past few decades, about 70% since the 1980s.
A red knot on May 23, 2023, at Slaughter Beach, Delaware. You’ll notice it has a red flag on its leg with the label C9V. Scientists band shorebirds to track their migrations. When observers report these birds with tags, researchers are able to track their movements by the unique codes. This bird received its band in Río Grande, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, on November 8, 2007, as an adult. Therefore, she may have hatched in 2005 or earlier. So she’s at least 18 years old. Image via Shireen Gonzaga.
Shorebirds in decline
Migration is very physically demanding. Shorebirds need places where they can feed and rest undisturbed, to recuperate and build up fat reserves that fuel the next leg of their journeys.
Places for them to feed and rest have dwindled. Climate change also affects these birds. As a result, shorebird populations are in decline.
The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Research Network (WHSRN) said on their website:
Shorebirds are among a few groups of birds showing the most dramatic declines. Species that undertake hemispheric migrations rely on specific habitats and food sources to survive, but these resources are increasingly under threat from human disturbance, habitat loss and degradation, over-harvesting, increasing predation, and climate change.
The organization also wrote:
Climate change is happening now. With shorebirds’ reliance on coastal wetlands, the Arctic tundra, saline lakes in arid regions, and highly specified food resources during migration, they are extremely vulnerable to the changes that are occurring, such as:
– Loss of habitat due to rising tides
– Hotter and drier conditions in some regions
– Shrub encroachment on nesting habitat in a warming Arctic
– Mismatched timing of migration and food resources
At Delaware Bay, shorebirds that rely on horseshoe crab eggs face an additional problem: a scarcity of eggs. Horseshoe crabs have been heavily harvested for use as bait in eel and conch fisheries. As a result, fewer eggs are available on the beach for birds. Despite harvesting restrictions, horseshoe crab numbers remain at historic lows.
These are semipalmated sandpipers at Slaughter Beach in May 2023. The one on the right has a tiny horseshoe crab egg in its bill. Image via Shireen Gonzaga.
State and federal wildlife agencies are monitoring shorebird populations closely in Delaware Bay. They have provided habitat by preserving critical areas where the birds can feed and rest undisturbed. In recent years, there have been some steps to reduce harvesting of horseshoe crabs. But will these steps be enough to help the shorebirds? Time will tell.
Where to see shorebirds in Delaware Bay
For spring shorebird migration, May is the best time to visit the Delaware Bay area. If you’re new to shorebirds, it’s best to join a birding field trip so a guide can help you identify the birds. Bring a pair of binoculars and, if you have one, a spotting scope.
Some beaches in New Jersey have designated viewing areas where you can watch the birds. On the Delaware side, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is an excellent place to view shorebirds in wetland habitats. For beach shorebirds, a good place to start is the Dupont Nature Center near Slaughter Beach.
A dunlin, looking handsome in its breeding plumage, walks across tidal mudflats at Slaughter Beach, Delaware, in 2023. Image via Shireen Gonzaga.
Bottom line: The Delaware Bay coastal region is one of the most important shorebird habitats in the world. In spring, some shorebirds rely heavily on the eggs of horseshoe crabs to fuel their northward migration.
Tenacity, the 1st Dream Chaser spaceplane by Sierra Space, undergoes processing inside the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 20, 2024. The cargo spaceplane arrived inside a climate-controlled transportation container from the agency’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. The inaugural launch of Dream Chaser will be an uncrewed resupply mission to the International Space Station. The date is not yet set. Image via NASA/ Kim Shiflett.
New spaceplane will be a ferry to the space station
Tenacity – the first model of the Dream Chaser spaceplane from Sierra Space – arrived at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center last week (May 20, 2024), where it will finish prepping for its maiden voyage. The vessel will fly atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle. For its first mission, which is not yet scheduled, it will carry about 8,500 pounds (3,850 kg) to the International Space Station. NASA has contracted with Sierra Space for seven cargo missions to the space station. Sierra Space also has plans for a second version of its Dream Chaser spaceplane, which will carry crew to low-Earth orbit destinations.
In a news release on MAay 20, 2024, NASA said the craft will expand the agency’s commercial low-Earth orbit resupply program. They described the punishing testing the tiny 30-by-15-foot (9-by-4.5-meter) craft has already undergone at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility:
Before arriving at Kennedy, the spaceplane and its cargo module underwent vibration testing atop the world’s highest capacity and most powerful spacecraft shaker system inside the agency’s Space Environments Complex, exposing the stack to vibrations like those it will experience during launch and re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere. Following vibration testing, the duo moved to NASA’s In-Space Propulsion Facility and was exposed to low ambient pressures and temperatures ranging from -150 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (-101 to 148 degrees Celsius).
NASA has yet to announce a date for the launch. When in full swing, the Dream Chaser Tenacity (aka the DC-100) will carry up to 12,000 pounds (5,445 kg) to low-Earth orbit.
Dream Chaser will be 1st private spaceplane to fly
There was also a Soviet version – the Buran – that never made it off the ground.
All of them bear a striking resemblance to the space shuttle, especially the Soviet version. Dream Chaser is no exception. It features a bright, white body with a sleek swept delta-wing design and an underbelly covered in black, heat-resistant tiles. And Dream Chaser, too, can fly.
Forbes described the craft this way in a 2020 article:
It is a lifting body with winglets that can land on any runway in the world measuring at least 10,000 feet (3 km) in length. In fact, with retirement of the Space Shuttle nearly a decade ago, Dream Chaser is the only spacecraft NASA currently funds that is capable of maneuvering within the atmosphere.
The 1st in a fleet of spaceplanes, Dream Chaser Tenacity and its Shooting Star cargo were stacked inside a thermal vacuum test chamber at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility on April 26, 2024. Image via Joshua Teplitz/ Sierra Space.
Dream Chaser’s sidekick can take out the trash
Dream Chaser also has a sidecar, the Shooting Star cargo module. Sierra Space said it can increase their spaceplane’s cargo capacity by thousands of pounds:
Shooting Star adds a service for NASA to send additional critical science, food and cargo to the space station. Crews can access the Shooting Star via the aft hatch, berthing to the space station. Traveling through the Shooting Star takes them to the forward portion where they can open the hatch and gain access to the Dream Chaser. When attached to the space station, Shooting Star provides a normal cabin environment for astronauts to work, and a prime location for cargo to be removed and placed onto the station after berthing.
Shooting Star carries up to 7,000 pounds (3,175 kg) of cargo. The module – which sports external mounting points for three additional cargo containers – doesn’t survive re-entry into the atmosphere after a mission. Instead, it’s loaded with tons of garbage that vaporize with the module during its fiery descent.
Bottom line: Dream Chaser Tenacity, an uncrewed spaceplane from Sierra Space, arrived in Florida on May 20, 2024, to prepare for its first cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station.
Tenacity, the 1st Dream Chaser spaceplane by Sierra Space, undergoes processing inside the Space Systems Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, May 20, 2024. The cargo spaceplane arrived inside a climate-controlled transportation container from the agency’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. The inaugural launch of Dream Chaser will be an uncrewed resupply mission to the International Space Station. The date is not yet set. Image via NASA/ Kim Shiflett.
New spaceplane will be a ferry to the space station
Tenacity – the first model of the Dream Chaser spaceplane from Sierra Space – arrived at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center last week (May 20, 2024), where it will finish prepping for its maiden voyage. The vessel will fly atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur launch vehicle. For its first mission, which is not yet scheduled, it will carry about 8,500 pounds (3,850 kg) to the International Space Station. NASA has contracted with Sierra Space for seven cargo missions to the space station. Sierra Space also has plans for a second version of its Dream Chaser spaceplane, which will carry crew to low-Earth orbit destinations.
In a news release on MAay 20, 2024, NASA said the craft will expand the agency’s commercial low-Earth orbit resupply program. They described the punishing testing the tiny 30-by-15-foot (9-by-4.5-meter) craft has already undergone at the Neil Armstrong Test Facility:
Before arriving at Kennedy, the spaceplane and its cargo module underwent vibration testing atop the world’s highest capacity and most powerful spacecraft shaker system inside the agency’s Space Environments Complex, exposing the stack to vibrations like those it will experience during launch and re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere. Following vibration testing, the duo moved to NASA’s In-Space Propulsion Facility and was exposed to low ambient pressures and temperatures ranging from -150 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (-101 to 148 degrees Celsius).
NASA has yet to announce a date for the launch. When in full swing, the Dream Chaser Tenacity (aka the DC-100) will carry up to 12,000 pounds (5,445 kg) to low-Earth orbit.
Dream Chaser will be 1st private spaceplane to fly
There was also a Soviet version – the Buran – that never made it off the ground.
All of them bear a striking resemblance to the space shuttle, especially the Soviet version. Dream Chaser is no exception. It features a bright, white body with a sleek swept delta-wing design and an underbelly covered in black, heat-resistant tiles. And Dream Chaser, too, can fly.
Forbes described the craft this way in a 2020 article:
It is a lifting body with winglets that can land on any runway in the world measuring at least 10,000 feet (3 km) in length. In fact, with retirement of the Space Shuttle nearly a decade ago, Dream Chaser is the only spacecraft NASA currently funds that is capable of maneuvering within the atmosphere.
The 1st in a fleet of spaceplanes, Dream Chaser Tenacity and its Shooting Star cargo were stacked inside a thermal vacuum test chamber at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility on April 26, 2024. Image via Joshua Teplitz/ Sierra Space.
Dream Chaser’s sidekick can take out the trash
Dream Chaser also has a sidecar, the Shooting Star cargo module. Sierra Space said it can increase their spaceplane’s cargo capacity by thousands of pounds:
Shooting Star adds a service for NASA to send additional critical science, food and cargo to the space station. Crews can access the Shooting Star via the aft hatch, berthing to the space station. Traveling through the Shooting Star takes them to the forward portion where they can open the hatch and gain access to the Dream Chaser. When attached to the space station, Shooting Star provides a normal cabin environment for astronauts to work, and a prime location for cargo to be removed and placed onto the station after berthing.
Shooting Star carries up to 7,000 pounds (3,175 kg) of cargo. The module – which sports external mounting points for three additional cargo containers – doesn’t survive re-entry into the atmosphere after a mission. Instead, it’s loaded with tons of garbage that vaporize with the module during its fiery descent.
Bottom line: Dream Chaser Tenacity, an uncrewed spaceplane from Sierra Space, arrived in Florida on May 20, 2024, to prepare for its first cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station.
Dionysus, the god of wine, and Ariadne, a Minoan princess, from around 400-375 BCE, pictured on the side of an old wine bowl from Thebes. And the star Alphecca represents a jewel in Ariadne’s crown. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Alphecca has several names
As you know, stars often have many names. The brightest star in Corona Borealis is called Alphecca, or Gemma, or Alpha Coronae Borealis or Alpha Cor Bor. The proper name for Alphecca – Gemma – means gem or jewel. So on a dark June night under a dark sky, this star lives up to its name, sparkling within a noticeable semicircle of stars, the constellation Corona Borealis the Northern Crown. In skylore, this C-shaped constellation represents the crown or wreath worn by Ariadne, an ancient Minoan princess.
Alphecca is brighter than the other stars in Corona Borealis, but it’s only moderately bright among the sky’s brightest stars. It shines between summertime’s two most brilliant stars: Arcturus and Vega. An imaginary line drawn between these two stars locates Alphecca every time, about 1/3 of the way from Arcturus to Vega.
When is Alphecca visible?
As seen from mid-northern latitudes, Alphecca shines all night long – or nearly all night long – in April, May and June. Alphecca and this glittery bowl of stars crown the sky on July evenings, and continue to grace the heavens well into November. Then starting around mid-November, Alphecca appears rather low in the west-northwest sky after dusk. It sets shortly after nightfall, then reappears in the east-northeast before dawn.
Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, with its brightest star Alphecca. Image via Fred Espenak/ AstroPixels. Used with permission.Alphecca is the brightest star in a C-shaped pattern of stars: the constellation Corona Borealis. It’s near the bright star Arcturus on the sky’s dome.
Corona Borealis in skylore
In the ancient Greek myth, the C-shaped pattern of Corona Borealis represented a crown given by Dionysus to Princess Ariadne, daughter of Minos of Crete. Ariadne later married Dionysus, the Greek god of fertility and wine, and she’s said to have worn the crown to her wedding. Later, Dionysus placed her crown in the heavens to commemorate the wedding.
Alphecca in science
The star Alphecca is quite interesting. Like the starAlgol in the constellation Perseus, it is an eclipsing binary star, with an orbital period of about 17.4 days. In other words, the fainter of Alphecca’s two component stars passes in front of the brighter one, causing a slight dip in brightness. Contrast that 17.4 days orbit to Earth’s orbit around our local star, the sun, which takes one year. As one star passes in front of the other in the Alphecca system, the star’s variation in brightness is barely perceptible. Meanwhile, the other variable star we mentioned – Algol – has a winking presence easy to observe with the unaided eye.
By the way, the famous Pleiades star cluster sits almost opposite Alphecca (and Corona Borealis) on the sky’s dome. Also starting in mid-November, the Pleiades cluster appears in the east-northeast after dusk, crosses the sky during the night, then gleams over the west-northwest sky before dawn. Thus the Pleiades and Corona Borealis trade places in the sky after about 12 hours. In later November, look for these two star formations at about 6 p.m. local clock time, then note that they have switched positions around 6 a.m. local clock time.
Bottom line: Alphecca is the brightest star in the constellation Corona Borealis the Northern Crown. Also, This star is known as Gemma, which means the jewel of the crown.
Dionysus, the god of wine, and Ariadne, a Minoan princess, from around 400-375 BCE, pictured on the side of an old wine bowl from Thebes. And the star Alphecca represents a jewel in Ariadne’s crown. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Alphecca has several names
As you know, stars often have many names. The brightest star in Corona Borealis is called Alphecca, or Gemma, or Alpha Coronae Borealis or Alpha Cor Bor. The proper name for Alphecca – Gemma – means gem or jewel. So on a dark June night under a dark sky, this star lives up to its name, sparkling within a noticeable semicircle of stars, the constellation Corona Borealis the Northern Crown. In skylore, this C-shaped constellation represents the crown or wreath worn by Ariadne, an ancient Minoan princess.
Alphecca is brighter than the other stars in Corona Borealis, but it’s only moderately bright among the sky’s brightest stars. It shines between summertime’s two most brilliant stars: Arcturus and Vega. An imaginary line drawn between these two stars locates Alphecca every time, about 1/3 of the way from Arcturus to Vega.
When is Alphecca visible?
As seen from mid-northern latitudes, Alphecca shines all night long – or nearly all night long – in April, May and June. Alphecca and this glittery bowl of stars crown the sky on July evenings, and continue to grace the heavens well into November. Then starting around mid-November, Alphecca appears rather low in the west-northwest sky after dusk. It sets shortly after nightfall, then reappears in the east-northeast before dawn.
Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown, with its brightest star Alphecca. Image via Fred Espenak/ AstroPixels. Used with permission.Alphecca is the brightest star in a C-shaped pattern of stars: the constellation Corona Borealis. It’s near the bright star Arcturus on the sky’s dome.
Corona Borealis in skylore
In the ancient Greek myth, the C-shaped pattern of Corona Borealis represented a crown given by Dionysus to Princess Ariadne, daughter of Minos of Crete. Ariadne later married Dionysus, the Greek god of fertility and wine, and she’s said to have worn the crown to her wedding. Later, Dionysus placed her crown in the heavens to commemorate the wedding.
Alphecca in science
The star Alphecca is quite interesting. Like the starAlgol in the constellation Perseus, it is an eclipsing binary star, with an orbital period of about 17.4 days. In other words, the fainter of Alphecca’s two component stars passes in front of the brighter one, causing a slight dip in brightness. Contrast that 17.4 days orbit to Earth’s orbit around our local star, the sun, which takes one year. As one star passes in front of the other in the Alphecca system, the star’s variation in brightness is barely perceptible. Meanwhile, the other variable star we mentioned – Algol – has a winking presence easy to observe with the unaided eye.
By the way, the famous Pleiades star cluster sits almost opposite Alphecca (and Corona Borealis) on the sky’s dome. Also starting in mid-November, the Pleiades cluster appears in the east-northeast after dusk, crosses the sky during the night, then gleams over the west-northwest sky before dawn. Thus the Pleiades and Corona Borealis trade places in the sky after about 12 hours. In later November, look for these two star formations at about 6 p.m. local clock time, then note that they have switched positions around 6 a.m. local clock time.
Bottom line: Alphecca is the brightest star in the constellation Corona Borealis the Northern Crown. Also, This star is known as Gemma, which means the jewel of the crown.
These were the extreme maximum temperatures in Mexico from May 19 to 25, 2024. A heat dome parked over Mexico starting in mid-May. The hot temperatures have killed people, monkeys and other wildlife. Image via NOAA.
Heat dome is a killer
Heat domes occur when a high pressure area stays parked over a region, trapping in hot air and preventing precipitation. In the second half of May, a heat dome parked itself over Mexico, Central America and areas of Texas and Florida. The result was baking heat with record high temperatures. The brutal heat hit Mexico especially hard, with nearly 50 people dying of heat stroke and monkeys dropping dead out of trees. The Associated Press reported that an animal park in northern Mexico lost at least 100 parrots, bats and other animals from dehydration. Birds die of dehydration in high temps because they can’t store water. Setting out bowls of water for them could help.
In the U.S., Key West, Florida, tied its highest-ever heat index of 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 C) on May 15. Miami had a heat index of 112 F (44 C) on two consecutive days, May 18 and 19. This broke the daily records by more than 11 degrees Fahrenheit. On May 27, Hobby Airport in Houston set a record high temperature of 98 degrees F (37 C). In fact, seven of the 20 hottest days on record in May for Hobby Airport were from this year.
In Central America, Belize had its second hottest temperature ever on record when Chaa Creek hit 108.1 degrees F (42.3 C) on May 17. Other Central American countries are also experiencing record high days.
The hottest May on record for Miami has experts worried about the summer — and hurricane season — to come.
The heat index reached 112 degrees on both last Saturday and Sunday, breaking the previous daily record by an astonishing 11 degrees ???https://t.co/4I3gWzYUaf
May’s heat has been particularly brutal in Mexico. Yucatan, Mexico, had its hottest day ever in history at Merida with 113 F (45 C) on May 17. North America’s hottest temperature on record for the month of May occurred in Gallinas, Mexico, on May 9 when it hit 124 F (51 C). The state of Oaxaca had their hottest day ever with 118.4 F (48 C) on May 26.
Plus, the extreme drought in Mexico has made it difficult for humans and animals alike to cope with the oppressive heat. Nearly 50 people died of heat stroke. In the state of Tabasco along the Gulf Coast, more than 150 howler monkeys have died.
More than 100 howler monkeys have dropped dead from trees in recent weeks in southern Mexico's tropical forests amid a nationwide drought and heat wave, with rescuers racing to give water to the threatened monkeys. https://t.co/32uRBvFch8pic.twitter.com/mBYq7xzVsQ
Mexico City is the largest urban area in North America with more than 22 million people. Twice in the past week, the city – which is 7,349 feet (2,240 meters) above sea level – broke its all-time high record at 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 C). And it may soon be reaching what officials are calling Day Zero, when the water from the underground aquifer runs out. Part of the issue is the drought, and another part is the infrastructure that doesn’t allow for water to drain back into the underground aquifer.
The heat dome and the forecast
The 10-day forecast for Mexico City from The Weather Channel shows high temperatures in the 80s (27 – 32 C) with chances of rain coming next week. In Merida in the Yucatan, temperatures will remain in the 100s and dry. Mexico in general should be prepared for hot temperatures extending through at least the beginning of June. In the United States, temperatures in the south will be more seasonal, though still warm. And some of that late spring warmth should spread northward by the beginning of June, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service forecast for June 1, 2024, shows more of the United States experiencing warm, late spring temperatures. Image via NWS.
Bottom line: A heat dome brought record temperatures to Mexico, Central America and parts of Florida and Texas in May. Mexico has been hit especially hard.
These were the extreme maximum temperatures in Mexico from May 19 to 25, 2024. A heat dome parked over Mexico starting in mid-May. The hot temperatures have killed people, monkeys and other wildlife. Image via NOAA.
Heat dome is a killer
Heat domes occur when a high pressure area stays parked over a region, trapping in hot air and preventing precipitation. In the second half of May, a heat dome parked itself over Mexico, Central America and areas of Texas and Florida. The result was baking heat with record high temperatures. The brutal heat hit Mexico especially hard, with nearly 50 people dying of heat stroke and monkeys dropping dead out of trees. The Associated Press reported that an animal park in northern Mexico lost at least 100 parrots, bats and other animals from dehydration. Birds die of dehydration in high temps because they can’t store water. Setting out bowls of water for them could help.
In the U.S., Key West, Florida, tied its highest-ever heat index of 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 C) on May 15. Miami had a heat index of 112 F (44 C) on two consecutive days, May 18 and 19. This broke the daily records by more than 11 degrees Fahrenheit. On May 27, Hobby Airport in Houston set a record high temperature of 98 degrees F (37 C). In fact, seven of the 20 hottest days on record in May for Hobby Airport were from this year.
In Central America, Belize had its second hottest temperature ever on record when Chaa Creek hit 108.1 degrees F (42.3 C) on May 17. Other Central American countries are also experiencing record high days.
The hottest May on record for Miami has experts worried about the summer — and hurricane season — to come.
The heat index reached 112 degrees on both last Saturday and Sunday, breaking the previous daily record by an astonishing 11 degrees ???https://t.co/4I3gWzYUaf
May’s heat has been particularly brutal in Mexico. Yucatan, Mexico, had its hottest day ever in history at Merida with 113 F (45 C) on May 17. North America’s hottest temperature on record for the month of May occurred in Gallinas, Mexico, on May 9 when it hit 124 F (51 C). The state of Oaxaca had their hottest day ever with 118.4 F (48 C) on May 26.
Plus, the extreme drought in Mexico has made it difficult for humans and animals alike to cope with the oppressive heat. Nearly 50 people died of heat stroke. In the state of Tabasco along the Gulf Coast, more than 150 howler monkeys have died.
More than 100 howler monkeys have dropped dead from trees in recent weeks in southern Mexico's tropical forests amid a nationwide drought and heat wave, with rescuers racing to give water to the threatened monkeys. https://t.co/32uRBvFch8pic.twitter.com/mBYq7xzVsQ
Mexico City is the largest urban area in North America with more than 22 million people. Twice in the past week, the city – which is 7,349 feet (2,240 meters) above sea level – broke its all-time high record at 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 C). And it may soon be reaching what officials are calling Day Zero, when the water from the underground aquifer runs out. Part of the issue is the drought, and another part is the infrastructure that doesn’t allow for water to drain back into the underground aquifer.
The heat dome and the forecast
The 10-day forecast for Mexico City from The Weather Channel shows high temperatures in the 80s (27 – 32 C) with chances of rain coming next week. In Merida in the Yucatan, temperatures will remain in the 100s and dry. Mexico in general should be prepared for hot temperatures extending through at least the beginning of June. In the United States, temperatures in the south will be more seasonal, though still warm. And some of that late spring warmth should spread northward by the beginning of June, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service forecast for June 1, 2024, shows more of the United States experiencing warm, late spring temperatures. Image via NWS.
Bottom line: A heat dome brought record temperatures to Mexico, Central America and parts of Florida and Texas in May. Mexico has been hit especially hard.
Meet Gliese 12 b. It’s a world, orbiting a distant sun. It’s portrayed in this artist’s concept as 3 possible worlds, because we don’t exactly know its size. But its size is comparable to that of Earth or Venus. Image via @NASAAstrobio on X.
Gliese 12 b is a newly discovered rocky exoplanet, between Earth and Venus in size. It orbits a red dwarf star 40 light-years away.
It’s the closest, temperate, transiting, Earth-sized exoplanet found so far.
It’s an ideal target for further study with NASA’s Webb space telescope.
Meet exoplanet Gliese 12 b
Astronomers said on May 23, 2024, that NASA’s TESS space telescope was used to discover an intriguing rocky exoplanet between Earth and Venus in size. The planet is called Gliese 12 b. It orbits a red dwarf star, located in our sky in the direction of the constellation Pisces the Fish. Its distance is only 40 light-years.
“Transiting” means this world passes in front of its star from our earthly perspective. That fact makes it possible to observe with TESS, whose full name is the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite.
The researchers refer to Gliese 12 b as an exo-Venus. That’s because it’s similar in size to Venus and receives a similar amount of energy from its star. But astronomers don’t yet know if this world has an atmosphere, or what kind. One of the researchers, Masayuki Kuzuhara, said in a statement:
We’ve found the nearest, transiting, temperate, Earth-size world located to date. Although we don’t yet know whether it possesses an atmosphere, we’ve been thinking of it as an exo-Venus, with similar size and energy received from its star as our planetary neighbor in the solar system.
If it doesn’t have an atmosphere, computer models indicate its average surface temperature is only around 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). That’s in contrast to Venus, whose average surface temperature is around 870°F (465°C). The researchers said there are various possibilities regarding its atmosphere and subsequent temperature, though. The possibilities range from no atmosphere for Glise 12 b to a thick Venus-like atmosphere.
Astronomers want to know the details of this exoplanet. That’s because worlds like this one might be habitable, perhaps not by earthlings, but possibly by some form of life. And being only 40 light-years away makes it well-suited for follow-up observations with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
A lot of energy from a small, cool star
The planet’s star is a red dwarf, smaller and cooler than our own sun. The red dwarf is only 27% the size of our sun and emits only 60% as much heat. So why does Gliese 12 b receive almost as much energy from its star – about 85% – as Venus? It’s because it orbits much closer to its star. In fact, it completes an orbit in only 12.8 days. So even though the star is cooler, the planet still receives as much heat from its star as Venus does from our sun.
The distance of Gliese 12 b to its star is just 7% of the distance from Earth to the sun. Being so close means, it receives 1.6 times as much energy from its star as Earth does from our sun.
It’s also easier for astronomers to detect rocky Earth-sized planets around red dwarf stars than larger stars like our sun. That’s due to their lower luminosity. Gliese 12 b is one of the best examples of this found so far. As Dholakia said:
Gliese 12 b represents one of the best targets to study whether Earth-size planets orbiting cool stars can retain their atmospheres, a crucial step to advance our understanding of habitability on planets across our galaxy.
Who made the discovery?
The first team was led by Shishir Dholakia at the Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia and Larissa Palethorpe at the University of Edinburgh and University College London. This team published its peer-reviewed findings in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on May 23, 2024.
Using NASA's TESS telescope and other facilities, astronomers discovered a new temperate, Earth-sized world that could unlock key questions about habitability and our solar system's evolution. Learn more about Gliese 12 b, which is well-suited for further study by @NASAWebb:… pic.twitter.com/Lkb8qC1v2T
— NASA Astrobiology: Exploring Life in the Universe (@NASAAstrobio) May 24, 2024
Earth-like temperatures or Venus twin?
The researchers don’t yet know what kind of atmosphere Gliese 12 b has, or if it even has one at all. In many cases, a rocky planet so close to a red dwarf star means intense radiation from the star can strip away any atmosphere. Analysis by both teams, however, showed this particular red dwarf isn’t as extreme in its behavior. That could mean Gliese 12 b still has an atmosphere, but only further studies will be able to determine that or not.
The astronomers calculated the planet has an equilibrium temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). (Equilibrium temperature is when thermal energy radiated balances solar energy absorbed, so the temperature does not change.) So, 107 degrees Fahrenheit is only a bit warmer than Earth on average. But it’s also if the planet has no atmosphere. If it does have an atmosphere, then the type of gases in it, density and so forth will have an impact on temperature. The planet might still be similar to Earth, or it could be a blazing-hot world more like Venus.
Implications for other rocky exoplanets
Finding out what the actual conditions are will help astronomers learn more about other potentially habitable exoplanets as well. Palethorpe explained:
It is thought that Earth’s and Venus’ first atmospheres were stripped away and then replenished by volcanic outgassing and bombardments from residual material in the solar system. The Earth is habitable, but Venus is not due to its complete loss of water. Because Gliese 12 b is between Earth and Venus in temperature, its atmosphere could teach us a lot about the habitability pathways planets take as they develop.
Co-author Michael McElwain, a research astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, added:
We know of only a handful of temperate planets similar to Earth that are both close enough to us and meet other criteria needed for this kind of study, called transmission spectroscopy, using current facilities. To better understand the diversity of atmospheres and evolutionary outcomes for these planets, we need more examples like Gliese 12 b.
View larger. | Artist’s concept of Gliese 12 b, a Venus-sized exoplanet about 40 light-years away. It may have temperate Earth-like temperatures or hot, searing temperatures like Venus. It all depends on what kind of atmosphere it has … if it does have one. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC).
Bottom line: Two teams of astronomers have discovered a Venus-sized exoplanet 40 light-years away. It may have Earth-like temperatures or be more like a hot Venus.
Meet Gliese 12 b. It’s a world, orbiting a distant sun. It’s portrayed in this artist’s concept as 3 possible worlds, because we don’t exactly know its size. But its size is comparable to that of Earth or Venus. Image via @NASAAstrobio on X.
Gliese 12 b is a newly discovered rocky exoplanet, between Earth and Venus in size. It orbits a red dwarf star 40 light-years away.
It’s the closest, temperate, transiting, Earth-sized exoplanet found so far.
It’s an ideal target for further study with NASA’s Webb space telescope.
Meet exoplanet Gliese 12 b
Astronomers said on May 23, 2024, that NASA’s TESS space telescope was used to discover an intriguing rocky exoplanet between Earth and Venus in size. The planet is called Gliese 12 b. It orbits a red dwarf star, located in our sky in the direction of the constellation Pisces the Fish. Its distance is only 40 light-years.
“Transiting” means this world passes in front of its star from our earthly perspective. That fact makes it possible to observe with TESS, whose full name is the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite.
The researchers refer to Gliese 12 b as an exo-Venus. That’s because it’s similar in size to Venus and receives a similar amount of energy from its star. But astronomers don’t yet know if this world has an atmosphere, or what kind. One of the researchers, Masayuki Kuzuhara, said in a statement:
We’ve found the nearest, transiting, temperate, Earth-size world located to date. Although we don’t yet know whether it possesses an atmosphere, we’ve been thinking of it as an exo-Venus, with similar size and energy received from its star as our planetary neighbor in the solar system.
If it doesn’t have an atmosphere, computer models indicate its average surface temperature is only around 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). That’s in contrast to Venus, whose average surface temperature is around 870°F (465°C). The researchers said there are various possibilities regarding its atmosphere and subsequent temperature, though. The possibilities range from no atmosphere for Glise 12 b to a thick Venus-like atmosphere.
Astronomers want to know the details of this exoplanet. That’s because worlds like this one might be habitable, perhaps not by earthlings, but possibly by some form of life. And being only 40 light-years away makes it well-suited for follow-up observations with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
A lot of energy from a small, cool star
The planet’s star is a red dwarf, smaller and cooler than our own sun. The red dwarf is only 27% the size of our sun and emits only 60% as much heat. So why does Gliese 12 b receive almost as much energy from its star – about 85% – as Venus? It’s because it orbits much closer to its star. In fact, it completes an orbit in only 12.8 days. So even though the star is cooler, the planet still receives as much heat from its star as Venus does from our sun.
The distance of Gliese 12 b to its star is just 7% of the distance from Earth to the sun. Being so close means, it receives 1.6 times as much energy from its star as Earth does from our sun.
It’s also easier for astronomers to detect rocky Earth-sized planets around red dwarf stars than larger stars like our sun. That’s due to their lower luminosity. Gliese 12 b is one of the best examples of this found so far. As Dholakia said:
Gliese 12 b represents one of the best targets to study whether Earth-size planets orbiting cool stars can retain their atmospheres, a crucial step to advance our understanding of habitability on planets across our galaxy.
Who made the discovery?
The first team was led by Shishir Dholakia at the Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia and Larissa Palethorpe at the University of Edinburgh and University College London. This team published its peer-reviewed findings in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on May 23, 2024.
Using NASA's TESS telescope and other facilities, astronomers discovered a new temperate, Earth-sized world that could unlock key questions about habitability and our solar system's evolution. Learn more about Gliese 12 b, which is well-suited for further study by @NASAWebb:… pic.twitter.com/Lkb8qC1v2T
— NASA Astrobiology: Exploring Life in the Universe (@NASAAstrobio) May 24, 2024
Earth-like temperatures or Venus twin?
The researchers don’t yet know what kind of atmosphere Gliese 12 b has, or if it even has one at all. In many cases, a rocky planet so close to a red dwarf star means intense radiation from the star can strip away any atmosphere. Analysis by both teams, however, showed this particular red dwarf isn’t as extreme in its behavior. That could mean Gliese 12 b still has an atmosphere, but only further studies will be able to determine that or not.
The astronomers calculated the planet has an equilibrium temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). (Equilibrium temperature is when thermal energy radiated balances solar energy absorbed, so the temperature does not change.) So, 107 degrees Fahrenheit is only a bit warmer than Earth on average. But it’s also if the planet has no atmosphere. If it does have an atmosphere, then the type of gases in it, density and so forth will have an impact on temperature. The planet might still be similar to Earth, or it could be a blazing-hot world more like Venus.
Implications for other rocky exoplanets
Finding out what the actual conditions are will help astronomers learn more about other potentially habitable exoplanets as well. Palethorpe explained:
It is thought that Earth’s and Venus’ first atmospheres were stripped away and then replenished by volcanic outgassing and bombardments from residual material in the solar system. The Earth is habitable, but Venus is not due to its complete loss of water. Because Gliese 12 b is between Earth and Venus in temperature, its atmosphere could teach us a lot about the habitability pathways planets take as they develop.
Co-author Michael McElwain, a research astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, added:
We know of only a handful of temperate planets similar to Earth that are both close enough to us and meet other criteria needed for this kind of study, called transmission spectroscopy, using current facilities. To better understand the diversity of atmospheres and evolutionary outcomes for these planets, we need more examples like Gliese 12 b.
View larger. | Artist’s concept of Gliese 12 b, a Venus-sized exoplanet about 40 light-years away. It may have temperate Earth-like temperatures or hot, searing temperatures like Venus. It all depends on what kind of atmosphere it has … if it does have one. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ R. Hurt (Caltech-IPAC).
Bottom line: Two teams of astronomers have discovered a Venus-sized exoplanet 40 light-years away. It may have Earth-like temperatures or be more like a hot Venus.
