Patrick Pester

Staff Writer

Articles by: Patrick Pester

A massive volcano eruption seen from space

Did the Tonga undersea volcano eruption cause this year's extreme heat?

By Patrick Pester published

The 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption may have contributed to this year's heat, but it's not causing climate change.

Sir David Attenborough holds an ammonite as a CGI pterosaur and T. rex loom behind him, with an asteroid streaking across the sky.

Cretaceous asteroid armageddon ignites TV screens in 'Dinosaur Apocalypse'

By Patrick Pester published

'Dinosaur Apocalypse,' a PBS NOVA special narrated by Sir David Attenborough, attempts to reconstruct the day Earth was hit by an asteroid 66 million years ago.

Antarctic sea ice floats in the water in the Lemaire Channel off of Antarctica.

Antarctic sea ice at record low in February, satellite data reveal

By Patrick Pester published

Antarctic sea-ice extent dropped to a record low in the satellite data in February, but it's likely due to natural variation.

A photo of a methane flare in Chicago.

Massive methane leaks mapped from space

By Patrick Pester published

Using satellite data, scientists have mapped massive methane plumes caused by human activities around the world.

This NASA supercomputer model shows how greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide fluctuate in Earth’s atmosphere throughout the year. Higher concentrations are shown in red.

When did scientists first warn humanity about climate change?

By Patrick Pester last updated

Scientists have known about climate change for a while, with an overwhelming scientific consensus that humans are the cause. But when were people first warned about the climate change?

A concept image of alien microbes above Mars.

Alien organisms could hitch a ride on our spacecraft and contaminate Earth, scientists warn

By Patrick Pester published

Scientists warn that increased space exploration raises the risk that alien organisms will invade Earth and that Earth organisms will invade other planets.

An image of the G237 protocluster with its galaxies in different colors representing different wavelengths of observations.

Enormous 'shipyard' of ancient galaxies discovered 11 billion light-years away

By Patrick Pester published

Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a massive protocluster 11 billion light-years away that acts as an assembly yard for over 60 emerging galaxies.

A 3D illustration of a woman watching a climate change simulation of Earth.

Could climate change make humans go extinct?

By Patrick Pester last updated

Humanity is feeling the effects of climate change around the world, but could climate change make humans go extinct?

3D illustration of an asteroid flying past Earth

Asteroid the size of the Golden Gate Bridge will whiz past Earth in March

By Patrick Pester published

An asteroid the size of the Golden Gate Bridge will get close enough to Earth to be classified as "potentially hazardous." What's the risk?

Locations of just some of the new moon craters. A new study has found more than 109,000 previously unknown craters on the lunar surface.

The moon has way (way) more craters than we thought

By Patrick Pester published

The moon has many more craters than we thought, a new study finds.

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