Flying high above the clouds and moon-gazing may sound like a scene from a timeless romance, but NASA did just that in the name of Earth science research. In March 2025 pilots took the agency’s ER-2 science aircraft on a series of night flights over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, as the […]
Category: Earth Science
Findings from the Field: A Research Symposium for Student Scientists
Within the scientific community, peer review has become the process norm for which an author’s research or ideas undergo careful examination by other experts in their field. It encourages each scientist to meet the high standards that they themselves, as writers and reviewers, have aided in setting. It has become essential to the academic writing […]
Style Guidelines for ‘The Earth Observer’ Newsletter
IntroductionThe Earth Observer Editorial ProcessTypes of Articles in The Earth ObserverGeneral article format— Announcement article— Feature article— Hybrid article— In Memoriam article— Kudos article— Summary articleGuidelines for Preparing Articles for The Earth Observer— Writing for the web— Catchy headline— Naming files— Use visuals to draw the reader in— Search engine optimization—— Headline and subheads—— Links—— […]
Connected Learning Ecosystems: Educators Gather to Empower Learners and Themselves
Many educators would agree that despite working and communicating with dozens, even hundreds, of people each year, the role can feel isolating. Learners come and go, leaving educators to question: Was anything retained? Will they take this knowledge home? Will they share it at their after-school activities? How will it ultimately impact their lives and […]
NASA Takes to the Air to Study Wildflowers
For many plant species, flowering is biologically synced with the seasons. Scientists are clocking blooms to understand our ever-changing planet. NASA research is revealing there’s more to flowers than meets the human eye. A recent analysis of wildflowers in California shows how aircraft- and space-based instruments can use color to track seasonal flower cycles. The […]
Celebrating 25 Years of Terra
Expanded coverage of topics from “The Editor’s Corner” in The Earth Observer On December 18, 2024, Terra—the first EOS Flagship mission celebrated the 25th anniversary of its launch from Vandenberg Space Force (then Air Force) Base. Some 70 individuals gathered at the Goddard Space Flight Center’s (GSFC) Visitor Center to celebrate this remarkable achievement for the […]
The Earth Observer Editor’s Corner: January–March 2025
NASA’s Earth Observing fleet continues to age gracefully. While several new missions have joined the fleet in the past year, scientists and engineers work to extend the life of existing missions and maximize their science along the way. The crowning example is the first Earth Observing System (EOS) Flagship mission, Terra, which celebrated a quarter-century […]
The FireSense Project
Expanded coverage of topics from “The Editor’s Corner” in The Earth Observer Wind is a major factor in fire. It controls how fires evolve and pose threats to the safety of communities. While weather balloons have traditionally produced vertical soundings to define changes in atmospheric dynamics, their use is restricted during aircraft operations to combat active […]