A groundbreaking achievement by scientists at the University of Houston is changing our understanding of climate and weather on Mars and providing critical insights into Earth’s atmospheric processes as well.

Unprecedented extreme heat represents a critical climate challenge, resulting in approximately 490,000 heat-related deaths globally each year, with 45% of these fatalities occurring in Asia.A study by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has revealed that some existing heatwave indices are unable to accurately capture heatwave severity in diverse geographical regions and climate conditions. It is suggested to include humidity and indoor environmental conditions in identifying a dangerous heatwave. The development of a global heat risk framework and early warning systems are also recommended to alleviate the impact of heatwaves on human health. The research findings have been published in the international journal Nexus.

New studies led by researchers at the University of Central Florida offer for the first time a clearer picture of how the outer solar system formed and evolved based on analyses of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and centaurs.

The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, reveal the distribution of ices in the early solar system and how TNOs evolve when they travel inward into the region of the giant planets between Jupiter and Saturn, becoming centaurs.

TNOs are small bodies, or ‘planetesimals,’ orbiting the sun beyond Pluto. They never accreted into planets, and serve as pristine time capsules, preserving crucial evidence of the molecular processes and planetary migrations that shaped the solar system billions of years ago. These solar system objects are like icy asteroids and have orbits comparable to or larger than Neptune’s orbit.

Prior to the new UCF-led study, TNOs were known to be a diverse population based on their orbital properties and surface colors, but the molecular composition of these objects remained poorly understood. For decades, this lack of detailed knowledge hindered interpretation of their color and dynamical diversity. Now, the new results unlock the long-standing question of the interpretation of color diversity by providing compositional information.

Motor competence (MC), in early childhood, is an important indicator that needs to be monitored regularly as it impacts both overall health as well as cognitive function. However, most MC assessment tools are either expensive, require special equipment or large space, making them unsuitable for early childhood education and care (ECEC) facilities. To address this issue, Japanese researchers have developed a novel MC assessment tool for preschoolers, termed Simple Motor Competence-check for Kids (SMC-Kids).

Scientists have spotted a massive black hole in the early universe that is ‘napping’ after stuffing itself with too much food. Like a bear gorging itself on salmon before hibernating for the winter, or a much-needed nap after Christmas dinner, this black hole has overeaten to the point that it is lying dormant in its host galaxy.

Land use and land cover (LULC) analysis has become increasingly significant in environmental studies due to its direct impact on the environment. Changes in LULC affect the ecological and climatic balance, in addition to increase the terrain’s susceptibility to hazardous phenomena. However, one of the key challenges in analyzing LULC time series is the presence of classification errors, which can result in invalid transitions. Invalid transitions, which represent unlikely or impossible land cover changes in a given period, can lead to misinterpretations of causes or consequences of hazard events, especially in highly susceptible areas, such as mountainous regions. 

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, UCF Florida Space Institute (FSI) scientists recently led a team that found, for the first time, that Chiron has surface chemistry unlike other centaurs. Its surface it has both carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ice along with carbon dioxide and methane gases in its coma, the cloud-like envelope of dust and gas surrounding it.