Tag

Clouds

All articles tagged with #clouds

space8 hours ago•10 min saved

Webb detects two-faced WASP-121b: scorching dusk and cloudy dawn

JWST mapped WASP-121b’s atmosphere longitude by longitude during a single transit as the planet rotated, revealing a hotter, expanded evening limb with water dissociation and a cooler morning limb possibly hosting silicate clouds; this rotational‑transit effect shows strong day–night circulation on this ultra-hot Jupiter (dayside ~2770 K, nightside ~1000 K) and highlights how limb-averaged spectra can miss key chemistry and cloud features.

via Space Daily|

#atmospheric-circulation #clouds #exoplanets

space4 days ago•14 min saved

Rock Clouds Wake in the Morning, Clear at Night on Distant Gas Giant, JWST Finds

JWST observations of WASP-94A b reveal a day-night atmospheric cycle: the planet’s morning limb is cooler and cloudier due to mineral silicate clouds forming at low pressure, while the evening limb is hotter and clearer with stronger water absorption. The clouds form and evaporate as air circulates from night to day and back, a rock-based weather system on a tidally locked gas giant about 700 light-years away. This limb-resolved spectroscopy highlights why averaging spectra can mislead about atmospheric composition and demonstrates JWST's ability to map exoplanet weather.

via Space Daily|

#clouds #exoplanets #jwst

space-and-spaceflight17 days ago•16 min saved

Salt Clouds Explain the Pink Exoplanet GJ 504 b’s Faint Glow

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers obtained the first direct spectrum of the cool, pink exoplanet GJ 504 b and detected signatures of water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide, and ammonia; when salt clouds are included in atmospheric models, the data align with theory, implying a metal-rich planet aged roughly 2.5–4 billion years and highlighting clouds’ key role in interpreting similar faint exoplanets.

via Gizmodo|

#clouds #exoplanets #gj-504-b

astronomy1 month ago•5 min saved

JWST spots wind-driven clouds cycling around a hot exoplanet 690 light-years away

The James Webb Space Telescope detected phase‑dependent cloud formation on the hot exoplanet WASP‑94 A b during transit, revealing thick clouds on the night side that form and dissipate as winds move them onto the day side; the clouds are likely mineral droplets due to dayside temperatures around 1,600 K, offering new insight into how exoplanetary atmospheres weather and rotate.

via Nature|

#astronomy #atmospheres #clouds

space1 month ago•2 min saved

Venus Clouds Harbor the Solar System's Biggest Hydraulic Jump

Astronomers using data from JAXA's Akatsuki probe identify the largest hydraulic jump in the solar system, where turbulence in Venus's lower cloud layer triggers a strong updraft that lofts sulfuric acid vapor into the upper clouds, creating a giant, slow-moving cloud front.

via Futurism|

#akatsuki #atmospheric-dynamics #clouds

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Alaska's Winter Fades Under a Parade of Cloud Streets

NASA's Earth Observatory image from March 19, 2026 captures a dramatic mix of cloud formations off the Gulf of Alaska—cloud streets formed by cold Arctic air over warmer water, evolving into open-cell clouds, plus von Kármán vortex streets and a polar low with tropical-storm–force winds—illustrating the turbulent transition from winter to spring as Arctic air interacts with the Gulf's ocean heat.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#alaska #cloud-streets #clouds

science4 months ago•15 min saved

Chasing Clouds: AI Rewrites the Rules of Climate Modeling

Clouds remain the biggest uncertainty in climate projections, pushing researchers to blend physics with AI. Projects like CLIMA and ACE2 train neural networks on real atmospheric data and high‑resolution cloud simulations to emulate cloud effects more accurately and, in some cases, to forecast with far less computational cost than traditional Navier‑Stokes–based models. CLIMA refines cloud parameters through large-eddy simulations to double model accuracy, while ACE2 uses data-driven forecasts to capture cloud-influenced dynamics and speed up predictions, sparking debate over long-term reliability and the best balance between data and physics.

via Quanta Magazine|

#artificial-intelligence #climate-modeling #clouds

science6 months ago•4 min saved

NASA Data Shows Earth Is Darkening and Experiencing Increased Heat Imbalance Due to Clouds

Recent research shows that Earth's increasing heat is mainly due to changes in cloud behavior and surface warming, rather than reductions in air pollution or aerosols, highlighting the importance of natural climate variability in global warming.

via Earth.com|

#aerosols #air-pollution #climate-change

science8 months ago•4 min saved

Earth's Dimming: Unraveling the Planet's Brightness Decline

A recent study reveals that a decrease in Earth's reflectivity due to fewer low clouds in key regions like the North Atlantic and tropics contributed significantly to the 2023 global temperature surge, adding extra solar energy to the system and accelerating warming beyond greenhouse gases and El Niño effects.

via Earth.com|

#albedo #climate-change #clouds

science9 months ago•5 min saved

Venus's Clouds Are Rich in Water, Making the Planet More Intriguing

A reanalysis of 1970s Pioneer Venus data suggests Venus's clouds contain mostly water bound in hydrates, challenging the previous belief that they are primarily sulfuric acid, which has significant implications for the possibility of life in Venus's clouds.

via ScienceAlert|

#clouds #pioneer-mission #reanalysis

science9 months ago•5 min saved

NASA's DAVINCI Mission Finds Water Reservoirs in Venus's Clouds

Reanalysis of 1970s Pioneer Venus data reveals Venus' clouds are primarily composed of water bound in hydrates, challenging previous beliefs that they were mainly sulfuric acid, which has significant implications for the possibility of life in Venus' clouds.

via Universe Today|

#atmosphere #clouds #pioneer-data

science10 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists Confirm Dust's Role in Cloud Freezing, Impacting Climate Models

New research demonstrates that dust significantly influences cloud freezing, with satellite data showing regions with more dust have more ice-topped clouds, which could impact climate models by affecting how clouds reflect sunlight and trap heat.

via ZME Science|

#climate-change #clouds #dust

science1 year ago•11 min saved

Microbes in Clouds: The Hidden Weather Makers

Scientists have discovered that trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, live in clouds and influence weather patterns, cloud formation, and even the spread of antibiotic resistance genes globally, revealing a complex and vital ecosystem high in the atmosphere.

via BBC|

#aerobiome #antibiotic-resistance #clouds

space1 year ago•2 min saved

NASA Captures 12-Mile-Tall Volcano Erupting Through Mars Clouds

NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter captured a rare view of Arsia Mons, one of Mars' largest volcanoes, emerging from clouds near dawn, highlighting its impressive height and the unique water ice clouds that surround it, offering insights into Martian atmospheric phenomena.

via Space|

#arsia-mons #clouds #mars

space1 year ago•1 min saved

NASA Captures Rare Image of Massive Volcano Peeking Through Mars Clouds

NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter captured a rare panoramic view of Arsia Mons, the largest volcano on Mars, peeking above clouds at dawn, providing valuable insights into Martian weather and volcanic features. The image was taken by the orbiter flipping on its side to view the planet's limb, marking one of its few such captures in 2023 before the mission's end.

via Gizmodo|

#clouds #mars #nasa