Prescott fire grows (Video)

azcentral.com Thu Jun 20, 2013 12:26 PM By D.S. Woodfill, Erin O’Connor and Cecilia Chan

A Sikorsky Skycrane returns after dropping water on the Doce Fire Wednesday evening, June 19, in the hills northwest of Prescott.

The Doce Fire continued to rage out of control on Thursday near Prescott, consuming about 6,400 acres of brush and timber in Arizona’s first major wildfire of the summer.

No structures were damaged or injuries reported as reinforcements Wednesday bumped the number of firefighters up to 614, more than double the 300 on Tuesday when the fire broke out. That total included 21 hand crews, 27 engines, 11 water tenders, one bulldozer and four helicopters.

To read the rest of this story and view video visit azcentral.com

Earth & Space Weather

The summer solstice, stars & constellations

EyesontheSky.com - 6/17/13

The last few days of spring are this week, and that means summer constellation observing! The night sky has shifted from the area of sky we saw in spring, thanks to Earth's revolution carrying it another 90 degrees around the Sun. The places many constellations in a better place to view both them and the objects they contain, such as Ursa Minor, Draco, Cepheus, Cygnus, Aquila, Lyra, Hercules, Scutum, Sagittarius and Scorpius. Though some of these shapes have only 3rd magnitude or fainter stars, the brighter stars of summer can guide the way - such as the Summer Triangle asterism. Learn all about the summer sky in this week's video.

Link: EyesOnTheSky.com

Earth & Space Weather

The Solar System is Changing (Video)

Suspicious Observers, 6/18/13

Earth & Space Weather

India Monsoons Three Times Heavier Than Normal (Video)

Aljazeera- 6/20/13

At least 130 people have been killed and 70,000 others left stranded in devastating flash floods to hit northern India, private television channel NDTV has reported.

The channel said on Wednesday that thousands of houses in the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh had been swept away in the floods and authorities were using helicopters to evacuate people and drop essential food supplies.

Northern India has witnessed torrential rains at least three times more than usual over the past week ever since the annual monsoon broke a fortnight ahead of schedule, leaving thousands of pilgrims and tourists stranded, officials said.

Earth & Space Weather

4 Minute News

Suspicious Observers, 6/20/13

Published on Jun 20, 2013

Earth & Space Weather

Tornado Brings Denver Air Travel to a Halt (Amazing Video)

EarthSky.org-6/19/13, Scott Daniel

June 18, 2013 tornado in Denver via Mike Sellers

A weak tornado formed right outside the Denver International Airport yesterday (June 18, 2013) in the afternoon hours. As of now, no one was directly impacted by this tornado, and very little damage was reported. It formed near the airport, but never directly hit the airport. The tornado produced roughly 97 mile per hour winds right around 2:30 p.m. local time in Denver. All flights were canceled or rerouted due to the storms in the area, and everyone was able to take shelter inside. Check out the amazing footage and photos of this tornado!

Link: EarthSky.org

Earth & Space Weather

Baked Alaska: Unusual heat wave hits 49th state

Bigstory.ap.org- 6/19/13, Rachelle D'Oro

Summer Heat Wave

Liz Gobeski soaks up the sun on the beach at Point Woronzof as a Polar Air Cargo jet comes in for a landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport as the temperature reached into the 80's in Anchorage, AK on Tuesday, June 18, 2013. (AP Photo/Anchorage Daily News, Bob Hallinen)

With temperatures topping 80 degrees in Anchorage, and higher in other parts of the state, people have been sweltering in a place where few homes have air conditioning.

The official afternoon high in Anchorage Tuesday was 81 degrees, breaking the city's record of 80 set in 1926 for that date. Mid-June normally brings highs in the 60s.

For more on this story please see Bigstory.org

Earth & Space Weather

NOAA, partners predict possible record-setting dead zone for Gulf of Mexico

Noaanews.noaa.gov - 6/19/13, 6/18/13

Dead zone.

Less oxygen dissolved in the water is often referred to as a “dead zone” (in red above) because most marine life either dies, or, if they are mobile such as fish, leave the area. Habitats that would normally be teeming with life become, essentially, biological deserts.

Scientists are expecting a very large “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico and a smaller than average hypoxic level in the Chesapeake Bay this year, based on several NOAA-supported forecast models.