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NASA's GPM satellite measured heavy rainfall in the southern US storms

The Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM core satellite provided data on the heavy rainfall and strong storms that affected the southern U.S. on March 9. An analysis of rainfall between March 2 and 9 showed that over a foot of rain had fallen in areas of Texas to Arkansas.

GPM is a mission that is co-managed by NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency that measures precipitation rates around the world every three hours. GPM flew over and analyzed the strong storms that occurred in the southwestern United States on March 9, 2016 at 1011 UTC (5:11 CST).

NASA station leads way for improved measurements of Earth orientation, shape

NASA has demonstrated the success of advanced technology for making precise measurements of Earth's orientation and rotation - information that helps provide a foundation for navigation of all space missions and for geophysical studies of our planet.

The technology includes a new class of radio antenna and electronics that provide broadband capabilities for Very Long Baseline Interferometry, or VLBI. This technique is used to make precise measurements of Earth in space and time.

Close comet flyby threw Mars' magnetic field into chaos

Just weeks before the historic encounter of comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) with Mars in October 2014, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft entered orbit around the Red Planet. To protect sensitive equipment aboard MAVEN from possible harm, some instruments were turned off during the flyby; the same was done for other Mars orbiters. But a few instruments, including MAVEN's magnetometer, remained on, conducting observations from a front-row seat during the comet's remarkably close flyby.

Close comet flyby threw mars' magnetic field into chaos

Just weeks before the historic encounter of comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) with Mars in October 2014, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft entered orbit around the Red Planet. To protect sensitive equipment aboard MAVEN from possible harm, some instruments were turned off during the flyby; the same was done for other Mars orbiters. But a few instruments, including MAVEN's magnetometer, remained on, conducting observations from a front-row seat during the comet's remarkably close flyby.

Competition favors the shy bird

Different personalities are maintained in the wild mainly because of changes in density. This is what researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen and colleagues of the University Groningen found out for great tits. During four years, they observed that slow explorers are more likely to survive if intraspecific competition increases due to an increase of density in a population.

Clocking the rotation rate of a supermassive black hole

A recent observational campaign involving more than two dozen optical telescopes and NASA's space based SWIFT X-ray telescope allowed a team of astronomers to measure very accurately the rotational rate of one of the most massive black holes in the universe. The rotational rate of this massive black hole is one third of the maximum spin rate allowed in General Relativity. This 18 billion solar mass heavy black hole powers a quasar called OJ287 which lies about 3.5 billion light years away from Earth.

Deciphering compact galaxies in the young universe

A group of researchers using the Suprime-Cam instrument on the Subaru Telescope has discovered about 80 young galaxies that existed in the early universe about 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang. The team, with members from Ehime University, Nagoya University, Tohoku University, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in the U.S., and California Institute of Technology, then made detailed analyses of imaging data of these galaxies taken by the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on the Hubble Space Telescope. At least 54 of the galaxies are spatially resolved in the ACS images.

Links between money and happiness uncovered

Changes in income do not affect most people's happiness, most of the time, according to a new study led by the University of Stirling.

The research, which examined levels of life satisfaction and income changes in more than 18,000 adults over a nine year period, revealed that income change is only important when individuals with specific personality characteristics experience an income loss.

Researchers at the universities of Stirling and Nottingham found that for most people happiness is likely to rest on avoiding loss, rather than aiming for continual financial gain.

Mysterious infrared light from space resolved perfectly

A research team using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has detected the faintest millimeter-wave source ever observed. By accumulating millimeter-waves from faint objects like this throughout the Universe, the team finally determined that such objects are 100% responsible for the enigmatic infrared background light filling the Universe. By comparing these to optical and infrared images, the team found that 60% of them are faint galaxies, whereas the rest have no corresponding objects in optical/infrared wavelengths and their nature is still unknown.

How to get a handle on potential risks posed by fracking fluids

The latest skirmishes over hydraulic fracturing in Florida and California are, at their core, about water. Many fracking-related spills have been recorded, and opponents say that such incidents pose unacceptable threats to water supplies. But the issue is fraught with uncertainties. Scientists review what's known about the fluids in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology and conclude that a comprehensive assessment of potential risks requires full disclosure of fracking fluid contents.

Dark matter satellites trigger massive birth of stars

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- One of the main predictions of the current model of the creation of structures in the universe, known at the Lambda Cold Dark Mattermodel, is that galaxies are embedded in very extended and massive halos of dark matter that are surrounded by many thousands of smaller sub-halos also made from dark matter.

Sticky, stony and sizzling science launching to space station

NASA's commercial partner Orbital ATK plans to launch its Cygnus spacecraft into orbit on March 22, 2016 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket for its fifth contracted resupply mission to the International Space Station. The flight, known as Orbital ATK CRS-6, will deliver investigations to the space station to study fire, meteors, regolith, adhesion, and 3-D printing in microgravity.

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New report informs Social Security's process for determining if beneficiaries can manage benefits

WASHINGTON - The best indicator of whether a disabled adult who receives Social Security benefits is capable of managing his or her benefits is evidence of real-world performance of meeting his or her own basic needs, rather than an office-based assessment of financial competence, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Disney researchers take depth cameras into the depths for high-accuracy 3-D capture

Disney Research scientists are adapting low-cost depth-sensing cameras for use underwater, with the goal of capturing 3-D models of marine flora and fauna with a high degree of accuracy.

The scientists developed a method that corrects for refraction effects that occur when infrared light used by the depth camera's sensor passes through the waterproof housing of the underwater system. This experiment marks the first successful demonstration of applying a commercial low-cost depth sensor for underwater capture of depth images.

Sharpest view ever of dusty disc around aging star

As they approach the ends of their lives many stars develop stable discs of gas and dust around them. This material was ejected by stellar winds, whilst the star was passing through the red giant stage of its evolution. These discs resemble those that form planets around young stars. But up to now astronomers have not been able to compare the two types, formed at the beginning and the end of the stellar life cycle.