Friday, December 11, 2020 The PO.DAAC is pleased to announce the availability of the PI-produced JPL V5.0 SMAP Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) and extreme winds data, which includes Level-2B (L2B) and Level 3 (L3) standard datasets based on the JPL Combined Active-Passive (CAP) algorithm applied to data from the NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory. An associated near real-time L2B dataset is also available as a rolling store with a latency of about 4.3 hours. For science applications, use of the standard pr ...Continue Reading

:Product: Solar Region Summary :Issued: 2020 Dec 11 0030 UTC # Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, # Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force. # Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary SRS Number 346 Issued at 0030Z on 11 Dec 2020 Report compiled from data received at SWO on 10 Dec I. Regions with Sunspots. Locations Valid at 10/2400Z Nmbr Location Lo Area Z LL NN Mag Type 2790 S22W55 252 0080 Hsx 02 01 Alpha IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots. Locations Valid at 10 ...Continue Reading

  December 10, 2020 MEDIA ADVISORY M20-137*NASA to Provide Spanish-Language Coverage, Livestream of Solar Eclipse* eclipse2020map-v4.jpg Map of the path of totality of the Dec. 14, 2020 solar eclipse in Argentina and Chile. */Credits: NASA/* Lee esta historia en español aquí. NASA will provide live coverage Monday, Dec. 14, of a solar eclipse that will pass over South America, treating parts of Chile and Argentina to views of a total eclipse of the Sun. A ...Continue Reading

The following sections have been updated in the past 1 day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- FIRES (1 updated event, 1 new image) -- EXTREME SUMMER 2020-21 WEATHER IN AUSTRALIA Recent years have brought persistent heat waves and fires in Australia. * Fraser Island Blazes (Image from Dec 7, 2020; Posted Dec 10, 2020) https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147638/fraser-island-blazes/?src=nha -- SEVERE STORMS (1 updated event, 1 new image) -- 2020 NORTH ATLANTIC HURRI ...Continue Reading

  December 10, 2020 RELEASE 20-129*NASA, US, European Partner Satellite Returns First Sea Level Measurements* 1-pia24135-s6mf_first_light_sea_level.jpg The data in this graphic are the first sea surface height measurements from the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (S6MF) satellite, which launched Nov. 21, 2020. They show the ocean off the southern tip of Africa, with red colors indicating higher sea level relative to blue areas, which are lower. */Credits: EUMETSAT /* Sentinel-6 Michael Fr ...Continue Reading

:Product: Solar Region Summary :Issued: 2020 Dec 10 0030 UTC # Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, # Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force. # Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary SRS Number 345 Issued at 0030Z on 10 Dec 2020 Report compiled from data received at SWO on 09 Dec I. Regions with Sunspots. Locations Valid at 09/2400Z Nmbr Location Lo Area Z LL NN Mag Type 2790 S23W42 251 0050 Hsx 02 01 Alpha IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots. Locations Valid at 09 ...Continue Reading

  December 09, 2020 RELEASE 20-123*NASA Exploration Mission Integral to 2020 National Space Policy * President Donald J. Trump issued the National Space Policy Wednesday. Through this policy, the president reaffirms his commitment to move space exploration goals beyond low-Earth orbit and return humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.  “The National Space Policy reflects bold lead ...Continue Reading

  December 09, 2020 RELEASE 20-128*NASA Names Artemis Team of Astronauts Eligible for Early Moon Missions* NASA has selected 18 astronauts from its corps to form the Artemis Team and help pave the way for the next astronaut missions on and around the Moon as part of the Artemis program. Vice President Mike Pence introduced the members of the Artemis Team Wednesday during the eighth National Space Council meeting at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “I give you the hero ...Continue Reading

The following sections have been updated in the past 1 day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- SEA AND LAKE ICE (1 updated event, 1 new image) -- ANNUAL SEA ICE EXTREMES Every year, the frozen seawater in the Arctic Ocean and around Antarctica reaches a maximum and minimum extent. * Sluggish Start for Arctic Sea Ice Freeze-Up (Image from Oct, 2020; Posted Dec 8, 2020) https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147633/sluggish-start-for-arctic-sea-ice-freeze-up?src=nha ---- ...Continue Reading

:Product: Solar Region Summary :Issued: 2020 Dec 09 0030 UTC # Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, # Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force. # Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary SRS Number 344 Issued at 0030Z on 09 Dec 2020 Report compiled from data received at SWO on 08 Dec I. Regions with Sunspots. Locations Valid at 08/2400Z Nmbr Location Lo Area Z LL NN Mag Type 2790 S21W29 252 0070 Hsx 02 01 Alpha IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots. Locations Valid at 08 ...Continue Reading