The beauty of the Milky Way, a monster solar flare and a double rainbow - what else do you need? Check out the rest of these amazing science images to find out!
1. Ewwww! Rock snot
A type of freshwater algae, known as "rock snot," that infiltrates river bottoms and clumps on rocks is not an invasive species introduced into waterways by humans, a new study finds. The organism has actually been native to much of the world for thousands of years.
Over the past decade, rock snot has been found in rivers in the United States, Canada, Europe and New Zealand. New research suggests this type of algae - called Didymosphenia geminate, or didymo - is a native species, but the environmental conditions that trigger its visible growth in rivers were previously rare or absent. Now, global warming and other human-caused climate changes could be making rock snot more common in waterways, the scientists said.
2. Monster solar flare
Four spacecraft and one ground-based observatory recorded the eruption of a powerful X-class solar flare on March 29, making it the best-observed such event in history, NASA officials say.
Solar flares are powerful explosions with energies exceeding that of millions of hydrogen bombs. Never before has an X-class flare - the most energetic type - been observed by so many telescopes at once. A NASA video of the monster solar flare features several views of the March 29 sun storm.
3. Greenland glacier
About half of the surface warming that's helping shrink Greenland's glaciers is due to temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, not greenhouse gases, a new study reports.
Sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific are already known to influence global weather patterns at lower latitudes. For example, the El Niño cycle shifts rainfall around the world, delivering precipitation to western North America and causing drought in Australia and Central America.
4. Milky Way glimmers over New Zealand
The glow of the Milky Way in the night sky reflects off a deep pool along a New Zealand beach in this stunning photo captured by an astrophotographer.
This image is one of two spectacular views sent in to Space.com by night sky photographer Amit Ashok Kamble. The stargazer captured the Milky Way photos from Pakiri Beach, which he says is one of the best dark sky sites around the Auckland region of New Zealand.
5. Earthrise from the moon
The Earth rises spectacularly as a tiny blue marble above the moon in a new NASA photo that hints at the fragility of humanity and the vastness of space.
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured the image on Feb. 1 with its wide-angle camera, depicting a colorized view of the Earth rising over the 112-mile-wide (180 kilometres) Rozhdestvenskiy crater. NASA released a colourized version of the event. The event was one of 12 such "earthrises" that occur every day from the perspective of the moon.
6. Fearsome goblin shark
A rare, deep-sea "goblin shark" caught by Florida shrimp fishermen is only the second of these creatures ever seen in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists say.
The prehistoric-looking beast, whose pink colour and dagger-like teeth earn the shark its name, is usually seen in deep waters off the coast of Japan.
7. Alien sprites!
Red electrical flashes that mysteriously hover above some thunderstorms have long puzzled scientists, but now, new research reveals how these alien-like atmospheric sprites form.
Sprites form at irregularities in the plasma, or charged particles of gas, in the ionosphere, the layer just above the dense lower atmosphere, about 37 to 56 miles (60 to 90 kilometres) above the Earth's surface, a study found. Since disturbances in the ionosphere can affect radio communication, sprites could be useful for sensing such disturbances remotely, researchers say.
8. Europe's night lights
The lights of Brussels and Antwerp take centre stage in a new astronaut photograph snapped from the International Space Station.
Taken on March 5, the night-time image shows Belgium's capital and largest city, Brussels. About 1.2 million people make their home there, with an additional 600,000 or so living in the greater metropolitan area. An extra-bright spot on the northeast edge of the city is the Brussels airport, according to NASA's Earth Observatory.
9. Double Rainbow Over Great Sand Dunes
This double rainbow in the desert may seam surreal, but it’s not a mirage.
Hikers in Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve captured the double rainbow and submitted the image to the U.S. Department of the Interior's "Share the Experience" photo contest, which showcases the best photos of national parks submitted by the general public.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is certainly worth showcasing. It’s one of the most biologically and geologically diverse parks in the United States. The tallest dunes in North America are the centrepiece of the park’s diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, conifer and aspen forests, and alpine lakes.
The park is also perfect for hiking, sand sledding, splashing in Medano Creek, wildlife watching, and, if you’re lucky, spotting double rainbows. [Related Gallery: Earth as Art]
10. Rainbow Rings
This cosmic rainbow is actually a multi-coloured close-up of Saturn's rings. The image, taken on June 30, 2004, was captured by the Cassini spacecraft as it entered into orbit around the ringed planet.
Cassini's Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph carries out observations in ultraviolet wavelengths. The section of the planet's rings featured in this photo span approximately 6,200 miles (10,000 kilometres).
The various colours correspond to the differences in the composition of the rings, according to astronomers at the European Space Agency. The turquoise-coloured rings contain particles of nearly pure water ice, and the reddish rings contain ice particles with more contaminants. [Related: 101 Stunning Images from Orbit]
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