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Saint Elmo's fire

(Encyclopedia) Saint Elmo's fire, luminous discharge of electricity extending into the atmosphere from some projecting or elevated object. It is usually observed (often during a snowstorm or a dust…

Nozomi (“Hope”) (Japan)

Destination: Mars. Launched: July 4, 1998, from Kagoshima Space Center. Arrival: Mission canceled, Dec. 2003. Engine problems forced fuel conservation measures and delayed its scheduled 1999…

Weather: Going in Circles

Going in CirclesWeatherGoing in CirclesFeeling the PressureHigh Points and LowWhat Makes the Weather Go 'RoundWhat's in a Name?Scales of Motion Now that you understand why the sky is blue and why it…

El Niño's Alter Ego

"Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it." —Mark Twain El Niño has revolutionized conversations about the weather. No longer banal small talk, the…

Miscellaneous Disasters

1952 Dec. 4-7, London, England: high-pressure system settled over London, trapping pollution near the ground. Some 4,…

Weather Words

Air pressure: Air has weight. Air pressure is the weight of the air, or atmosphere, pushing down on Earth. The closer you are to sea level, the higher the air pressure because there’s that…

Profiles of the <i>Columbia</i> Astronauts

by Borgna Brunner and Erin Martin Space Shuttle Columbia crew, from left to right, David M. Brown, Rick Husband, Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Michael P. Anderson, William McCool, and…