Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye throughout June.
Why it matters: This is the first time the five planets will be visible by the naked eye since December 2004 — a somewhat rare occurrence that won't happen again for 18 years, per Sky & Telescope, a monthly magazine published by the American Astronomical Society.
The level of carbon dioxide, a long-lived gas that warms the planet, in Earth's atmosphere hit a new official record this spring and is now more than 50% higher compared to preindustrial times, new data released Friday shows.
Why it matters: Carbon dioxide levels rose to a peak of 421 parts per million in May, for the highest level in human history, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The increase compared to 2020 was 1.8 ppm, a slight drop from last year.
The plummet in the planet's biodiversity could be slowed by protecting and expanding key areas animals inhabit and connecting them so species can move freely. Two studies published today lay out ways to make that space.
The big picture: There's wide acknowledgment the future of Earth's biodiversity — which supports the health and well-being of the species H. sapiens — hinges on protecting more of the planet. But how much land should be conserved — and where — is debated by scientists, governments, businesses and organizations.
A NASA probe tasked with studying Mars from orbit is back to performing its science after a major problem kept it sidelined for months.
Why it matters: The MAVEN spacecraft has been orbiting Mars since 2014, and in that time, revealed the key role powerful solar winds played in turning Mars from a wet, relatively warm world into the cold, dry one it istoday.
A swirling area of thunderstorms over the northwestern Caribbean and Yucatan Peninsula is forecast to become a tropical depression or weak tropical storm Thursday as it moves toward Florida. If it becomes a tropical storm, it would be named Alex.
Why it matters: Regardless of its intensity, the storm is forecast to bring flooding rains to Cuba, parts of Mexico and South Florida as well as the Florida Keys this weekend. In fact, rainfall forecasts for Florida have been increasing for this storm.
Salient Predictions, a new provider of weather intelligence for the energy, agriculture and insurance industries, has raised $5.3 million in a seed funding round.
Why it matters: The startup claims to have developed methods that make its forecasts for sub-seasonal to seasonal time scales about twice as accurate as rival companies and government forecasts.
