The spinning vortex of <a href="https://www.windows2universe.org/saturn/saturn.html">Saturn</a>'s north polar storm resembles a giant deep red rose surrounded by green foliage in this false-color <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/pia14944.html">image</a> from NASA's <a href="https://www.windows2universe.org/missions/cassini.html">Cassini spacecraft</a>. The eye is 2,000 kilometers across with cloud speeds as fast as 150 meters per second.
It is not known how long this newly discovered north-polar <a href="https://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/hurricane/hurricane.html">hurricane</a> has been active.
The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 419,000 kilometers from Saturn.<p><small><em>NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI</em></small></p>This historic image is the first ever taken from a spacecraft in orbit about <a href="/mercury/mercury.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Mercury</a>, the innermost planet of the solar system.  Taken on 3/29/2011 by <a href="/space_missions/robotic/messenger/messenger.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">MESSENGER</a>, it shows numerous craters across the <a href="/mercury/Interior_Surface/Surface/surface_overview.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">surface</a> of the planet.  Temperatures there can reach over 800F because Mercury is so close to the Sun and rotates so slowly.  MESSENGER entered orbit around Mercury earlier in March 2011.<p><small><em>NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington</em></small></p>According to <a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-277">NASA scientists</a>, the Voyager 1 spacecraft entered interstellar space in August 2012, becoming the first spacecraft to leave the <a href="/our_solar_system/solar_system.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">solar system</a>. The space probe is about 19 billion km from the <a href="/sun/sun.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Sun</a>.  <a href="/space_missions/voyager.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Voyager 1 and 2</a> were launched in 1977 on a <a href="/space_missions/voyager.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">mission</a> that flew them both by <a href="/jupiter/jupiter.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Jupiter</a> and <a href="/saturn/saturn.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Saturn</a>, with Voyager 2 continuing to <a href="/uranus/uranus.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Uranus</a> and <a href="/neptune/neptune.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Neptune</a>. Voyager 2 is the longest continuously operated spacecraft. It is about 15 billion km away from the <a href="/sun/sun.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Sun</a>.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of NASA</em></small></p>Does Earth science matter?  The power outage experienced by residents in New York City on 10/30/2012 due to Hurricane Sandy demonstrates the interconnectedness of our society, and the power of the Earth system.  Every person should have an understanding of how the Earth system works so they can live better lives, protect those they love, and make wise choices.  Earth science education is critical!<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Hybirdd, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.</em></small></p>An <a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc000905e.php">8.6 magnitude earthquake</a> struck on 11 April 2012 off of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, followed by a strong aftershock.  Earthquake motion was primarily horizontal.  A tsunami warning was issued for the Indian Ocean, but was cancelled at 12:36 UTC.  A tsunami was observed at 1 meter or less. Find out more about <a href="/earth/geology/quake_1.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">earthquake</a> and <a href="/earth/tsunami1.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">tsunami</a> processes. Check out the resources <a href="/teacher_resources/2011_AGU-NESTA_GIFT_Workshop.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">here</a>.<p><small><em>NOAA</em></small></p>Lunar eclipses are special events that only occur when certain conditions are met. First of all, the Moon must be in <a href="/the_universe/uts/moon3.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">full phase</a>. Secondly, the <a href="/sun/sun.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Sun</a>, <a href="/earth/earth.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Earth</a> and <a href="/earth/moons_and_rings.html&dev=1/earth/Atmosphere/moons/=/earth/climate/windows.html">Moon</a> must be in a perfectly straight line. If both of these are met, then the Earth's shadow can block the Sun's light from hitting the Moon.  The reddish glow of the Moon is caused by light from the Earth's limb scattering toward the Moon, which is reflected back to us from the Moon's surface.<p><small><em>Image credit - Doug Murray, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida</em></small></p>

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA