The darkest nights of the year are quickly approaching the Northern Hemisphere, and with them–more chances for skygazing. The sun has also entered its solar maximum and this is the time of year to keep an eye out for the Northern Lights. Some areas could see more auroras like we did in October. You can check out NOAA’s aurora dashboard for more up to date space weather forecasts. There is a chance to see three meteor showers this month alone and our closest planetary neighbor Venus will be particularly radiant this month. Here’s what to look out for this November.

To kick off the month, the Red Planet will be at a very bright magnitude. It rises at midnight on November 1 and will be positioned just below the Gemini twins–Castor and Pollux. Jupiter will also be next to Gemini around this time. To catch it, look towards the southern sky. 

The first meteor shower of the month is predicted to peak around November 5th. Both of the Taurids meteor showers don’t have very definite peaks. Instead, these meteors ramble along in space and are especially noticeable from late October into early November, when both the Southern and Northern Taurids overlap. 

[Related: When a meteor smashes into your driveway.]

According to EarthSky, it will be best to view this meteor shower around midnight on the days around November 5 when the moon won’t interfere as much. Under dark skies with no moon, both South Taurids produce about five meteors per hour and 10 total when the North and South Taurids overlap. Fireballs are also possible, like the ones that appeared in 2015 and 2022. Taurid meteors are slower than those from other meteor showers, but can be very bright.  

The Taurids are visible almost everywhere on Earth, except for the South Pole. 

This year, the full moon will likely block out the best meteors from the Northern Taurids. It is predicted to peak on November 12, when the moon will be about 82 percent illuminated. Ideal viewing time will be around midnight.

The Taurid meteor shower appears to be coming from the direction of the Taurus constellation for both the Northern and Southern Taurids.

November’s full moon will reach peak illumination on November 17 at 4:29 p.m. EST. This is also the final supermoon of 2024. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, November’s full moon is called the Beaver Moon in reference to the time of year when beavers begin to shelter in their lodges, after storing up food for the winter. This was also when beavers pelts are at their thickest.

Some other names for November’s full moon include the Freezing Over Moon or Gashkadino-Giizis in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe), the First Snow Moon or Sãapeewe Osãane Neepãʔuk in the Mahican Dialect of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Wisconsin, and the Little Winter Moon or Tahch’asap’aratohku in Tunica.

[Related: Meteorites older than the solar system contain key ingredients for life.]

Unfortunately, the full moon will also wash out some of the meteors for this final meteor shower of the month. This does not mean all is lost of the Leonids. EarthSky recommends watching from a spot that will still give you a wide expanse of sky, but blocks out the moonlight. These include a plateau area with some mountains or hills that can block the moon. Fireballs like the ones in the Taurids meteor showers are also possible for the Leonids and might not be washed out by the moonlight.

The Leonid meteor shower is famous for producing one of the greatest meteor storms in living history. On November 17, 1966, there were thousands of meteors per minute during a 15-minute span. Leonid meteor storms sometimes happen in cycles of 33 to 34 years, but this cycle did not occur during the 1990s as anticipated. The Leonids will also be visible in both hemispheres.

The same skygazing rules that apply to pretty much all space-watching activities are key this month: Go to a dark spot away from the lights of a city or town and let the eyes adjust to the darkness for about a half an hour. 

The post November’s sky lights up with three meteor showers and the last supermoon of 2024 appeared first on Popular Science.

Take a stroll down any major beach and it likely won’t be long before you stumble upon some abandoned refuse. Old water bottles, trash bags, straws, and countless other variations of plastic scrap litter the world’s beaches, eventually making their way into the ocean where they degrade over the course of decades or even centuries. International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Conservancy estimates that volunteers from 97 countries identified and removed some 4,000 tons of trash from beaches worldwide in 2021. For the most part, spotting all that garbage still requires the naked eye and a fair deal of walking. But that could one day change thanks to a new satellite imaging technique developed by researchers from RMIT University in Australia. 

The team developed a new tool that highlights unique spectral features in plastics. Armed with that knowledge, researchers were then able to accurately identify plastic items on beaches and distinguish them from sand, water, and vegetation. The researchers, whose work will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, are hopeful coastal cleanup organizations can use this new tool to expedite plastic removal efforts on beaches which could help cut down on the amount of harmful plastics seeping their way into the oceans.

“This is incredibly exciting, as up to now we have not had a tool for detecting plastics in coastal environments from space,” study co-author Mariela Soto-Berelov said in a statement. 

Satellite imagery has, for years, been used to help scientists identify plastics floating in the ocean and in giant garbage patches like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This process works relatively well for identifying large chunks of plastic in the water, but it’s far less effective at spotting plastic on beaches. Coastal plastic often blends in or is partially buried by sand which makes spotting it much more difficult. And while plastic littering the ocean typically receives more attention, coastal trash can also have serious negative effects on local wildlife. 

“Plastics can be mistaken for food, larger animals become entangled and smaller ones, like hermit crabs, become trapped inside items such as plastic containers,” study lead author Jenna Guffogg said in a statement. 

Those harmful effects aren’t limited to life on beaches either. If plastics aren’t removed, they can often wind up getting sucked into the ocean where they will slowly break down into smaller micro and nano plastics. Those tiny plastics are then consumed by fish and work their way up the food chain. Some researchers believe this cycle may even contribute to increased instances of microplastics detected in humans which researchers worry could lead to endocrine disruption and worsened reproductive health. The full extent of microplastics’s effects on human health still isn’t fully known.

That’s where the new plastic detection system comes in. The RMIT created a new “spectral index” that looks for patterns of reflected light emanating from plastics. Plastics, specifically, have special attributes in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) electromagnetic spectrum that aren’t present in sand or other organic debris. The index they created, dubbed the Beached Plastic Debris Index, (BPDI) essentially works like a filter that can be applied to images of beaches captured by a satellite. In this case, those images were captured by WorldView 3–a satellite at an altitude of 617 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

To test their new tool, the researchers went to a recycling facility and collected various types of plastic trash that would likely be found on a beach. Many of the objects were fragments of larger pieces of trash. Some also had their colors faded from UV exposure, something likely to occur with trash laying dormant on beaches as well. They ultimately settled on 14 different plastic targets roughly two square meters in size. These were placed 3.7 meters apart from each other on a beach in Victoria, Australia. 

Once the plastics were in place, the satellite flew far overhead and snapped a series of photos. Researchers applied their index to the images and compared them to three other already developed induces intended for detecting plastics, two for plastics on land and one for objects floating in the ocean. The BPDI index well outperformed the other three indices in terms of accuracy. The other three generally struggled to identify plastics and, in some cases, would even misidentify shadows as trash. Still, the BPDI index wasn’t perfect. In particular, the study notes it struggled to identify translucent polymers like plastic water bottles and bags. 

Looking to the future, the researchers want to move these findings out of limited test environments and into the real world. That could mean partnering with other organizations specializing in coastal plastic removal to use their satellite imagery technique. Time is of the essence. Recent studies suggest the amount of plastics entering oceans isn’t letting up and may be increasing at a rate of 4% per year.

“We’re looking to partner with organizations on the next step of this research,” Soto-Berelov said. “This is a chance to help us protect delicate beaches from plastic waste.”

The post Satellite imaging can now spot plastic trash hiding on beaches appeared first on Popular Science.

The draft transportation section of Olympia, Washington’s proposed master plan update focuses on a Complete Streets approach that acknowledges the need to prioritize road safety for all types of road users.

Kameko Marquez explains the proposed changes in the Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater, noting that “The TMP also introduces a comprehensive ‘low-stress bike network,’ incorporating separated bike lanes on major roads and bike-friendly routes through quieter residential neighborhoods.” The plan calls for ensuring that all residents are within a quarter-mile of a designated bike route. In a meeting to discuss the plan, Olympia Planning Commissioners expressed support for additional bike infrastructure such as on-street bike corrals and e-bike charging stations.

Under the city’s Engineering Design and Development Standards (EDS), street projects are required to include sidewalks on both sides, as well as bike lanes on major roads. “Since 2023, the EDS standards have mandated that all new bike lanes must be either buffered or separated from vehicle traffic, a requirement that applies to both city-led and private development projects.” 

The draft plan calls for using traffic modeling to reduce traffic lanes where appropriate. Senior Planner Michelle Swanson explained that “recent traffic models suggest lane reductions can be effective when paired with enhanced bike lanes, allowing traffic flow to be maintained.”

• Olympia
• Master Plan
• Comprehensive Plan
• Transportation Planning
• Complete Streets
• Bike Infrastructure
• Road Safety
• Traffic Safety
• Bike Lanes

A leaf blower is one of the most important pieces of outdoor gear to own if you live in a foliage-heavy state like mine. I call the great state of Pennsylvania home, and the name literally means “Penn’s Woods,” folks! Sure, the hues of oranges and reds swathing the state are beautiful, but leaves aren’t so pretty when they’re stuck in your gutter or slipping up the sidewalk. WORX makes some of our favorite foliage-foiling gear (including leaf vacuums), and this powerful cordless leaf blower is deeply discounted for a limited time.

Worx

This versatile battery-powered leaf blower offers two air speeds: The low-speed setting is perfect for light sweeping or clearing tight spaces; choose the high-speed mode for wet leaves and other heavier-duty cleanup. You can use the included WORX Power Share battery with 140 other power tools in case something else in your shed needs some juice.

It’s also lightweight—3.8 lbs. to be exact—so you can obliterate leaves for hours, which feels very “Tony Soprano feeding the ducks to feel a sense of normalcy in his chaotic life as a mobster.” Listen, we all have to find peace somehow. For me, it’s cleaning my entire house in one day; for you, it could be blowing leaves while listening to your favorite tunes. WORX it, girl.

• EGO Power+ LB7654 765 CFM Variable-Speed 56-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Leaf Blower $299 (Was $329)
• EGO Power+ LB6151 615 CFM Variable-Speed 56-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Leaf Blower with 2.5Ah Battery and Charger $179 (Was $199)
• WORX 12 Amp TRIVAC 3-in-1 Electric Leaf Blower/Mulcher/Yard Vacuum $89.99 (Was $119.99)
• Worx 20V Cordless Leaf Blower WG545.1 $79.89 (Was $119.99)
• Greenworks 40V (130 MPH / 550 CFM / 75+ Compatible Tools) Cordless Brushless Axial Leaf Blower, Tool Only $104 (Was $118.29)
• Greenworks 40V Cordless String Trimmer + Leaf Blower Combo Kit
• BLACK+DECKER 3-in-1 Electric Leaf Blower, Leaf Vacuum, Mulcher, 12-Amp $49.99 (Was $64)

The post WORX makes our favorite compact leaf blower and it’s currently 30% off at Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.

Residents in the Southern California city of Rancho Palos Verdes will be offered a voluntary buyout for homes affected by shifting land that has been causing landslides and prompting power and gas shutoffs.

According to an article from ABC 7 News, the $42 million program, funded by FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, offers “a viable pathway forward for our most vulnerable community members, offering the opportunity to relocate and rebuild with meaningful compensation,” according to the city’s mayor John Cruikshank. “The FEMA grant will pay for 75% of the sale and property owners will contribute the remaining 25% through a reduction of the fair market value payment, city officials said.”

Homes selected will be purchased for the fair market value of the property in December 2022, prior to the newest landslides. “Properties acquired by the city through this program will be permanently converted to open space and deed-restricted, protecting the community from future redevelopment risks in these vulnerable areas.”

Portuguese Bend in Palos Verdes isn’t the only part of coastal Southern California facing repeated threats from landslides and erosion. A portion of the passenger rail route between Los Angeles and San Diego has been shut down multiple times to repair damage from erosion and make the track safe for travel.

• Rancho Palos Verdes
• Erosion
• Landslides
• Coastal Erosion
• Relocation
• Buyouts

• New 12MP front camera with Center Stage and Desk View support.


• New color options including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue.


• Optional nano-texture display for further reduced glare (+$200).


• Four Thunderbolt 4 ports on higher-end models (up from two Thunderbolt 3 ports).


• Support for up to an 8K external display at 60Hz with M4 chip with 10-core CPU/GPU.

• M4 chip with up to 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, or M4 Pro chip with up to 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU.


• Up to 64GB memory on M4 Pro model, with 16GB now standard on base M4 model.


• Two USB-C ports on the front and three Thunderbolt 5 ports on the back (M4 Pro model). The M4 model continues to have Thunderbolt 4 ports.


• Up to 2x faster GPU performance than M1 model with M4 Pro.


• Apple's first carbon-neutral Mac.

• 16GB of unified memory now standard, doubling the previous base configuration.


• Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, up from two Thunderbolt 3 ports in the predecessor.


• Support for up to two 6K external displays, even with the laptop lid open.


• Space Black color option, previously exclusive to higher-end models with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips.

• Three Thunderbolt 5 ports with speeds up to 120 Gb/s and support for native DisplayPort 2.1 output.


• Improved Liquid Retina XDR display with nano-texture glass option for enhanced viewing in bright environments.


• 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View for simultaneous face and desk visibility during video calls.


• 14 inch: Up to 22 hours of battery life on M4 Pro model and 18 hours on M4 Max.


• 16-inch: Up to 24 hours of battery life on M4 Pro model and 21 hours on M4 Max.


• Support for up to two 6K external displays on M4 Pro and four displays (three 6K over Thunderbolt, one 8K over HDMI) on M4 Max.

• MacBook Air Now Starts With Increased 16GB of RAM With No Price Bump


• Apple Updates Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad With USB-C Ports


• Mac Pro Now Comes With USB-C Accessories, Including Magic Mouse and Keyboard


• Apple Now Selling Thunderbolt 5 Cable for M4 Mac Mini and MacBook Pro


• Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.1 With Apple Intelligence


• Apple Releases iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 With Apple Intelligence


• Apple Confirms iOS 18.2 With Image Playground, Genmoji and Siri ChatGPT Integration Will Launch in December

More Western states are signing on to support Utah’s effort to fight the Bureau of Land Management’s new public lands rule, which allows the agency to control uses on 18.5 million acres of “unappropriated” public lands, reports Kyle Dunphey in the Utah News Dispatch.

The rule elevates conservation — or non-use — to the same importance level as logging, ranching, or other extractive uses.

States and organizations have filed an amicus brief arguing that the public lands rule “curtails state sovereignty” and that the BLM can’t hold land without designating it for specific uses. “In the filing, attorneys argue that the state’s inability to control that land causes a host of problems. There’s a different criminal code; the land cannot be taxed by the state and results in tax hikes; the state cannot exercise eminent domain; and the state can’t generate revenue from grazing fees, mineral leases or timber sales, the brief claims.”

• Bureau of Land Management
• Public Lands
• Public Lands Rule
• Public Land Management
• Conservation
• Federal Lands

A new Philadelphia bill passed by the City Council would raise penalties for drivers who park or stop in bike lanes. If signed by the mayor, the law would increase fines to $125 in Center City and University City and $75 in other neighborhoods and remove a 25-minute grace period, reports Michaela Althouse for Philly Voice.

The law is part of the city’s effort to increase safety for cyclists. “Those who support the stricter laws say when a vehicle is stopped in a bike lane, it forces cyclists to swerve into traffic, endangering them. They also argued that being able to temporarily park directly in front of a home is a luxury that doesn't exist for many residents. ”

According to Althouse, “The bill notably does not include installing concrete barriers, another proposed bike safety solution that's been hotly contested. But the city's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems has said it plans to add them at Spruce and Pine streets, subject to community approval.”

• Philadelphia
• Bike Lanes
• Bike Safety
• Road Safety
• Bike Infrastructure
• Complete Streets