All three months of summer 2023 broke records. July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded, and the hottest July. June 2023 was the hottest June, and August 2023 was the hottest August.
NASA’s temperature record, GISTEMP, starts in 1880, when consistent, modern recordkeeping became possible. Our record uses millions of measurements of surface temperature from weather stations, ships and ocean buoys, and Antarctic research stations. Other agencies and organizations who keep similar global temperature records find the same pattern of long-term warming.
Global temperatures are rising from increased emissions of greenhouse gasses, like carbon dioxide and methane. Over the last 200 years, humans have raised atmospheric CO2 by nearly 50%, primarily through the burning of fossil fuels.
Drivers of climate change, both natural and human-caused, leave distinct fingerprints. Through observations and modeling, NASA researchers confirm that the current warming is the result of human activities, particularly increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Between Mars and Jupiter, there lies a unique, metal-rich asteroid named Psyche. Psyche’s special because it looks like it is part or all of the metallic interior of a planetesimal—an early planetary building block of our solar system. For the first time, we have the chance to visit a planetary core and possibly learn more about the turbulent history that created terrestrial planets.
Here are six things to know about the mission that’s a journey into the past: Psyche.
1. Psyche could help us learn more about the origins of our solar system.
After studying data from Earth-based radar and optical telescopes, scientists believe that Psyche collided with other large bodies in space and lost its outer rocky shell. This leads scientists to think that Psyche could have a metal-rich interior, which is a building block of a rocky planet. Since we can’t pierce the core of rocky planets like Mercury, Venus, Mars, and our home planet, Earth, Psyche offers us a window into how other planets are formed.
2. Psyche might be different than other objects in the solar system.
Rocks on Mars, Mercury, Venus, and Earth contain iron oxides. From afar, Psyche doesn’t seem to feature these chemical compounds, so it might have a different history of formation than other planets.
If the Psyche asteroid is leftover material from a planetary formation, scientists are excited to learn about the similarities and differences from other rocky planets. The asteroid might instead prove to be a never-before-seen solar system object. Either way, we’re prepared for the possibility of the unexpected!
3. Three science instruments and a gravity science investigation will be aboard the spacecraft.
The three instruments aboard will be a magnetometer, a gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer, and a multispectral imager. Here’s what each of them will do:
Magnetometer: Detect evidence of a magnetic field, which will tell us whether the asteroid formed from a planetary body
Gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer: Help us figure out what chemical elements Psyche is made of, and how it was formed
Multispectral imager: Gather and share information about the topography and mineral composition of Psyche
The gravity science investigation will allow scientists to determine the asteroid’s rotation, mass, and gravity field and to gain insight into the interior by analyzing the radio waves it communicates with. Then, scientists can measure how Psyche affects the spacecraft’s orbit.
4. The Psyche spacecraft will use a super-efficient propulsion system.
Psyche’s solar electric propulsion system harnesses energy from large solar arrays that convert sunlight into electricity, creating thrust. For the first time ever, we will be using Hall-effect thrusters in deep space.
5. This mission runs on collaboration.
To make this mission happen, we work together with universities, and industry and NASA to draw in resources and expertise.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the mission and is responsible for system engineering, integration, and mission operations, while NASA’s Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Services Program manages launch operations and procured the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
Working with Arizona State University (ASU) offers opportunities for students to train as future instrument or mission leads. Mission leader and Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton is also based at ASU.
Finally, Maxar Technologies is a key commercial participant and delivered the main body of the spacecraft, as well as most of its engineering hardware systems.
6. You can be a part of the journey.
Everyone can find activities to get involved on the mission’s webpage. There's an annual internship to interpret the mission, capstone courses for undergraduate projects, and age-appropriate lessons, craft projects, and videos.
You can join us for a virtual launch experience, and, of course, you can watch the launch with us on Oct. 12, 2023, at 10:16 a.m. EDT!
For official news on the mission, follow us on social media and check out NASA’s and ASU’s Psyche websites.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space!
Don’t miss a thing! New unread activity notifications
We’re making some changes to the activity view on web — starting with unread notifications that will be highlighted blue, as well as multi-colored labels to identify those who you’re closest with.
Why are we doing this?
You may have previously noticed that some activity items were highlighted, and some weren’t. What you may not know is why this was, and you’re not alone.
The previous, light blue highlighting indicated items that were from people you follow. Obvious, right? Well, no, not really. There are design patterns in interfaces that have become standardized from widespread usage to mean a certain thing. Highlighting notifications light blue is one of those that have come to mean “unseen” or “unread.” Which is what it will now mean here, too.
How do I know which are from people I follow?
Good news! We now have colorful labels to identify activity from people you follow. On top of that, we’ve created a new label called “Mutuals” to show people you follow and who follow you back so that you can keep track of those closest to you.
Before and after
Before: Blue highlighting used to signify activity from people you follow.
After: New highlight color now used on unread activity
After: Colorful new labels to distinguish activity from people you follow (following) and who follow you back (mutuals).
More to come
This is the first of several improvements we are making to activity and notifications—so stay tuned for further updates as they come!
Feedback?
Why not let us know what you think in the replies? We’d love to hear from you.
It's a love story in reverse. A platonic passion between two people. On the one side, there's Ana, a charismatic woman in her sixties, former mayor newly retired, a wife and a mom. A fighter with a big heart commanding respect. On the other side, there's Zeno, a confirmed bachelor, bookseller close to retiring and PhD student whose thesis took him forty years to write. A free spirit and traveller, as charming as he is mysterious.
Over the years, they have woven together an impossible and inexhaustible love. While going through the excuses that prevented it to happen, we rewind the clock on this romance, with all its twists and turns... Until its origins.
I bawled my eyes out when I reached the last page, it was amazing.
It was probably the most touching and beautiful love story I've read since... forever, maybe. The art style and the colors were what drew my attention first, and what was inside was just as beautiful as the cover.
The backward narration timewise was a really interesting way to tell Zeno and Ana's story because we know that something happened for them to lose touch and miss each other throughout the years, but we're left wondering what until we get there. It also means that some details come back at different points in time and we only understand where they come from later (the lilies were my favorite). It feels like we're being rewarded for paying attention to what's being said and drawn.
Anyways, much much love for this graphic novel, I'll borrow another one by Jordi Lafebre at the library as soon as possible.
French version under the cut
C'est l'histoire d'un amour à rebours. Une passion platonique mais éternelle entre deux êtres. D'un côté, il y a Ana. Sexagénaire charismatique, ancienne maire tout juste retraitée, mariée et maman. Une battante au grand coeur qui impose le respect. De l'autre, il y a Zeno. Célibataire endurci, libraire proche de la retraite et doctorant en physique qui aura mis quarante ans pour terminer sa thèse. Un esprit libre et voyageur, aussi séduisant que mystérieux.
Au fil des années, ils ont tissé ensemble un amour impossible et intarissable. Tout en égrainant les excuses qui ont empêché qu'elle ne prenne forme, on remonte le temps de cette romance et de ses méandres... jusqu'à sa source.
J'ai pleuré comme une madeleine quand je suis arrivée à la dernière page, c'était incroyable.
C'est probablement l'histoire d'amour la plus touchante et la plus belle que j'ai lu depuis... peut-être toujours. Les dessins et les couleurs sont ce qui a attiré mon regard en premier et l'intérieur de la BD est aussi beau que la couverture.
La narration à rebours était un moyen super intéressant de raconter l'histoire d'amour de Zéno et Ana parce qu'on sait qu'il s'est passé certaines choses pour qu'ils se perdent de vue et se ratent au fil du temps, et on se demande comment ça s'est produit jusqu'à ce qu'on y arrive. Ça permet aussi d'avoir des détails qui se répètent et dont on ne comprend l'origine que plus tard (les lys étaient mon détail préféré). On se sent récompensé quand on fait attention à ce qu'il se dit ou ce qui est dessiné.
Bref, gros gros gros coup de cœur, j'emprunterai une autre BD de Jordi Lafebre à la bibliothèque dès que possible.
I absolutely loved this book! It truly captures the old storytelling quality of stories told around a campfire. The humor is subtle yet witty, and I like that Neil didn’t stray too much from the source material as far as the myths are concerned. The one part I was sad that he kind of skims over is the feast at Aegir’s hall (Lokasenna). It’s one of my favorite stories and his description only hints at the insults Loki says and doesn’t really cover the myth with the same colorful storytelling style as the other Norse myths in this book. Other than that, I love that all the gods and goddesses were portrayed as they truly are (in my experience). Loki is shown as the complex entity that he is and Odin is not a caricature of the Odin of the myths. I loved this book! 4 1/2 out of 5 stars! (And yes I’m a tough critic). -Velvet Rose 🌹
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