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SPACE

Scientists observe first-ever ‘space hurricane’ swirling above the North Pole

The space storms above Earth are created when solar wind from the sun smacks into Earth’s atmosphere. AdA 3D image from our sister station of what a Space hurricane looks like (WKMG 2021)Lockwood and his team believe these space hurricanes could also be created beyond our solar system. But in the upper atmosphere, solar wind is responsible for creating space hurricanes. When the solar wind is strong, this boundary moves closer to the equator. The auroral oval typically clings close to the poles, but space hurricanes occur even closer to the pole.

Survey finds Roanoke office space slightly increased in 2020

– A new survey found that the demand for office space in Roanoke actually grew last year even with the pandemic forcing many people to work from home. Poe and Cronk Real Estate Group released its 34th annual market survey on Tuesday which looks at office space occupancy in buildings over 10,000 square feet in downtown Roanoke and the surrounding areas. It found a 1% bump in the office occupancy rate in2020 overall, and a 3% jump in the southern business district, which includes the Cave Spring area. The real estate group’s president, Matt Huff, said companies are relocating to the region like from New York and Charlotte. “I think Roanoke actually started to attract people from other markets.”The survey also suggests that companies are anxious to get more people back in the office hopefully this year.

What’s that thing orbiting the Earth in 90 minutes? A guide to what the International Space Station is, does

This year, the International Space Station celebrated 20 years of having a continuous human presence on it. But what exactly is the International Space Station and what does it do? Over a 13-year period from 1998-2011, different modules were launched into space and attached to each other in orbit by astronauts. That mission was successful to create an initial base, and in subsequent years, other modules were launched into orbit and connected. The ISS is aging -- and if it’s not eventually destroyed or taken down by humans, space obstacles might arise, according to space.com.

Your best bet for catching a breathtaking glimpse of the Leonid meteor shower this month

Have you heard of the Leonid meteor shower? It comes around every November, but the chances of seeing it this year are much higher than last year. The shower happens at the same time every year, when Earth’s orbit crosses the orbit of Comet Tempel-Tuttle, according to Space.com. A trail of dust is left behind the comet, and when Earth’s orbit crosses that trail, pieces of the comet fall toward our planet’s surface. Luckily for us, meteors are visible to the naked eye, and the shower will peak overnight Monday into Tuesday (Nov. 16-17) around 3 a.m.

'Out of this world’: Homestead launches kids program to send postcards to space

HOT SPRINGS, Va. – Kids love sending mail to the North Pole at Christmas, but now some children are putting their stamp on mail heading out of this world. It’s a place to step back in time, but one featured activity will be stepping into the future: postcards to space! I love space!’ I just love thinking about like what’s all up there,” said 7th grader, Brooke Hess. We carried 23 payloads today including thousands of postcards from kids all over the world for @ClubforFuture. The idea of postcards to space is certainly thinking outside the box.

NASA spacecraft to collect samples from asteroid Tuesday

ROANOKE, Va. – NASA’S Osiris-REx spacecraft launched from the pad in September 2016 and arrived to its destination in December of 2018. Its mission is a first of its kind - to retrieve a sample from an asteroid and bring that sample back to Earth in September of 2023. The asteroid, Bennu, is as tall as the Empire State Building. Osiris-REx was designed to work in a space of nearly 100 parking spaces. Because of Bennu’s terrain, that space now has to be shrunk to 5 parking spaces.

Meteors, blue moon and Mars, oh my! Beautiful triple threat on tap for skywatchers

Mars will appear brighter than at any other point during the year on Oct. 13, when it will be closest to Earth. “So, a little over every two years, Mars and Earth are closest together in their orbits and, thus, Mars is at its brightest in our nighttime sky. (© 2012 Michael Orso)Blue moon on HalloweenFor the first time since 2001, trick-or-treaters will get the chance to experience a Halloween full moon. A blue moon, by the most popular definition, according to Gross, is when two full moons appear in a single month. “We will have full moons on Oct. 1 and 31, so that means that we’ll have a blue moon on Halloween,” Gross said.

An asteroid is on possible collision course with Earth this November: Should we be worried?

As if there weren’t enough to think about these days, now there is talk of an asteroid supposedly heading directly for Earth. The truth of the matter is, there is an asteroid, and it is headed in our general direction, but maybe not right at us. A flying space object known as 2018 VP1 is hurtling through our solar system right now, and it’s due to be in our vicinity in early November. An internet video and a few stories have created a bit of buzz for those who look for this type of information. His insights into space, asteroids and 2018 VP1 were beyond helpful.

Not just fireworks! What’s happening in space this 4th of July weekend?

ROANOKE, Va. – While many fireworks displays have been canceled, there may be a few other things that catch your eye this holiday weekend! The full ‘Buck’ moon rises on the 4th, and it does so in conjunction with a few friends. Penumbral eclipse to occur this weekendThe last thing is something you won’t see. This is called ‘aphelion,' or the farthest point away from the sun in Earth’s annual orbit. Aphelion takes place this 4th of July weekendThis further proves that our seasons on Earth aren’t dictated by our distance from the sun, but rather the angle of the sun.

Pictures of a ‘glowing cloud’ following SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch will leave you in awe

We’ve seen a couple of pretty cool things lately when it comes to rocket launches, but the view of Falcon 9 taking off just before daybreak Saturday has got to be at the top of the list. In case you missed it, the rocket launched 58 Starlink communication satellites, bringing SpaceX one step closer to reaching its goal of providing global internet coverage from space. Falcon 9 launches 58 Starlink satellites and 3 @planetlabs Skysats to orbit before returning to Earth and landing on a droneship pic.twitter.com/K6OjgJQZfv — SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 13, 2020WOAH! A #SpaceX #Starlink launch into astronomical twilight is the absolute BEST WAY to start your day. pic.twitter.com/Mqr6NWNDhu — Jamie Groh (@AlteredJamie) June 13, 2020Full Screen 1 / 4 Viewers capture spectacular images during the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch early Saturday morning.

On a space high? Tune in to this outer space playlist

Let’s be serious, we’re all in a space mood after watching NASA astronauts launch from Kennedy Space Center last month. Whether you’re taking your shuttle out for a Sunday drive, taking a road trip, or blasting off to the stars -- a playlist is absolutely necessary to make the trip memorable. NASA Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley made a playlist for their 3-mile ride to Launch Complex 39A before liftoff. You’ll hear melodies like “Space Oddity”, “Rocket Man” as well as “A Sky Full of Stars” made famous by Coldplay. Buckle up and don your space suit -- or whatever NASA apparel you have close by, as we dive into our space jams.

These basic functions prove challenging on International Space Station -- here’s how astronauts cope

Here are answers to five questions about what “basic” life is like for astronauts on the ISS. As if they are going to a restaurant, astronauts can choose which food items they want off of a menu. On the ISS, astronauts use liquid soap, water and no rinse shampoo. Given the microgravity means, there is no up or down, and astronauts can sleep in any orientation, according to NASA. The station has small crew cabins with sleeping bags that astronauts sleep in.

WATCH: NASA astronauts hold news conference ahead of next weeks manned space launch

The two astronauts who will end a nine-year launch drought for NASA flew to Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, exactly one week before their historic SpaceX flight. NASA astronauts hold news conference ahead of next weeks manned space launch Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are taking part in a news conference ahead of their historic SpaceX flight next week. NASA test pilots Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken departed Houston aboard one of the space agency's jet planes. They'll soar from the same pad where Atlantis closed out the space shuttle program in 2011, the last home launch for NASA astronauts. Awaiting the astronauts at Kennedy's former shuttle landing strip were the center's director, former shuttle commander Robert Cabana, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.

The decade’s first meteor shower is happening this weekend

The new decade has arrived, and Mother Nature’s first gift to us all is an amazing meteor shower that will take place this weekend. The Quadrantid meteor shower will be easiest to see during the predawn hours Saturday, but is expected to begin late Friday. The Quadrantid meteor shower, which is known to produce 50-100 meteors, was named for a constellation that exists no more: the Quadrans Muralis. An astronomer by the name of Peter Jenniskens identified the parent body of the shower in 2003 as the asteroid 2003 EHI. EarthSky reported that if the asteroid is indeed the Quadrantid shower’s parent, the meteors come from a rocky body — not an icy comet.