Meredith Garofalo
Latest articles by Meredith Garofalo
![A solar sail flies over Earth with the sun setting on Earth in an illustration.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SAnTd8WZUX5PHvQ92oxQF5-320-80.jpg)
'Sailing' satellites of the future could provide early warning of dangerous space weather
By Meredith Garofalo published
![a red circle in a black circle, in a red circle, in a blue haze.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KPEUvXmENQNnJMV8VhmraU-320-80.jpg)
The force is strong with this JEDI
By Meredith Garofalo published
The force will be strong with this next-generation imager; JEDI will be a featured instrument on the Vigil space mission set to launch in 2031.
![An illustration shows magnetic fields seen in cyan trapping electrons that can be freed by lightning](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mxdAQNhqi5mJsWaqi8xhrJ-320-80.png)
Space weather scales are outdated and confusing. Here's what NOAA scientists are doing about it
By Meredith Garofalo published
After receiving feedback from nearly 500 people about revising NOAA's Space Weather Scales, scientists continue to assess what changes need to be front and center.
![a satellite's view of white smoke roiling from an orange orb along a coastline](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bKkHWLPFTQaADqnxPk6v3E-320-80.gif)
Satellites watch as LA wildfires burn out of control in California (video)
By Meredith Garofalo published
A deadly wildfire continues to burn in parts of Los Angeles in Southern California, NOAAs satellites continue to monitor the location of the fire and smoke across the region.
![Chunks of frost composed of carbon dioxide begin to break apart and crash to the Martian surface.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NduPFnxJaRoUeedd67wicb-320-80.jpg)
From gassy geysers to frosty avalanches, let’s ring in the Martian New Year!
By Meredith Garofalo published
It’s time to ring in the Martian New Year with a variety of strange sights on the planet’s Northern Hemisphere.
![an illustration of a white rocket in orbit above earth](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rbkBZzreQ9x54hb74LMjhJ-320-80.jpg)
BluShift Aerospace hopes to launch 1st suborbital rocket from Maine in 2025
By Meredith Garofalo published
Maine-based bluShift Aerospace is planning for its next big milestone: a suborbital flight test toward the end of 2025.
![a white flare of light erupts from the leftmost edge of a green fuzzy blob](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tBWWp6neU46De5uYEsLx4E-320-80.gif)
Sun erupts with powerful X1.2 solar flare, causes radio blackouts (photo)
By Meredith Garofalo published
The sun fired off an X1.2-class solar flare on Friday (Jan. 3), triggering radio blackouts throughout parts of the South Atlantic ocean, Africa and South America.
![smashed cars and other debris lay strewn across a muddy field beside a brown river](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4HqyjpZfznvWVFijhfJsy-320-80.jpg)
Fall 2024 was Earth's warmest autumn ever
By Meredith Garofalo published
Fall 2024 makes history in the record books as the warmest on record in the past 130 years.
![A mosaic of images showing auroras, a solar eclipse and SpaceX's Starship rocket catch](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SbsRbnmNLTPgTsCTiFZAEL-320-80.png)
Auroras, solar eclipse, Starship – 3 space stories make Google's Breakout Searches of 2024 (video)
By Meredith Garofalo published
Google's "Year in Search 2024" compilation is out, and three space stories this year made the list.
![A solar flare shines as a bright light on the sun on Christmas Day, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UPSmi5GprzfoPC7UP7PqZg-320-80.jpg)
Christmas solar flares erupt from the sun. Will they trigger aurora 'fireworks' as we close out 2024?
By Meredith Garofalo published
Sun pulses with several solar flares late Christmas Day with four M-class flares from sunspots within a few hours.
![Two tall evergreens covered in show and red ornaments stand in a snow field with a smaller ornamented tree to the left, and a snowy forest in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rVwX5XqLYgUBqauD2i3YHH-320-80.jpg)
Dreaming of a white Christmas? Snow is likely in these US states according to NOAA climate data
By Meredith Garofalo published
According to climate data from NOAA, you might not have to only dream about having a white Christmas this year in some parts of the United States.
![The famous Meke Lake, also known as the evil eye of the world, is shown dried up due to drought and climate change on Nov. 15, 2024 in. Konya, Türkiye.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9qruQTcWxJf8dBanZ6D4H9-320-80.jpg)
NASA satellites reveal Earth's continents are getting drier
By Meredith Garofalo published
Data from NASA satellites show a plunge in freshwater on Earth since May 2014, with 13 of the 30 most powerful droughts across the globe having taken place since January 2015.
![](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CAmHJuRGtDdmoHUcEUqPig-320-80.jpg)
October 2024 set multiple US records for the driest month ever
By Meredith Garofalo published
Drought conditions expanded to record-breaking levels across the US during the month of October as temperatures also climbed to record highs.
![a giant while cloud hurricane swirls over land and sea.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LMgYLggfp3VPWhyBnWCa9P-320-80.gif)
NOAA satellites watch Hurricane Rafael make landfall in Cuba (video)
By Meredith Garofalo published
Rafael made landfall in Cuba Wednesday (Nov. 6), and NOAA's GOES satellites have been monitoring the storm every step of the way.
![a bright flare of light on a wavy, fuzzy-looking background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TdadFBQogTitcVKhXNWayX-320-80.jpg)
Sun erupts with powerful X2.3 solar flare, triggers radio blackouts (video)
By Meredith Garofalo published
A X2.3 solar flare Wednesday morning (Nov. 6), leading to shortwave radio blackouts for parts of the southern hemisphere.
![A giant white flare, like an X bursts from the center of a fiery surface, blazed with reds and oranges in a swirling inferno.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZMJ2LeswmnwaoQ75TkGdBG-320-80.jpg)
X-class Halloween solar flare erupts from sun, causes radio blackouts (video)
By Meredith Garofalo published
The sun erupted with an X-class solar flare on Halloween, and solar activity is expected to remain high through Nov. 3.
![red and green auroras dance above hills and trees in a dark sky](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MQvkiKAgGd6SxFJNKGmXxQ-320-80.png)
Solar Cycle 25 is still in max phase, so more aurora-boosting sun storms could be coming
By Meredith Garofalo published
Solar Cycle 25 remains in its maximum phase, and more powerful sun storms are likely to come over the next few months, experts say.
![A close-up of a bright solar flare erupting from the sun on Oct. 8, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/C7ZgFfQtborTcWnm2pDZ3j-320-80.jpg)
Severe solar storm could supercharge auroras across US, impact power grids, NOAA warns
By Meredith Garofalo published
A powerful X-class solar flare that erupted on Tuesday (Oct. 8) could generate a strong geomagnetic storm Thursday (Oct. 10) and Friday (Oct. 11), possibly leading to supercharged auroras.
![The ESA-NASA SOHO spacecraft captured this view of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (bright white streak at right) during a solar eruption on Oct. 9, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LLnmQPjuNDvE2HPqvT7m4C-320-80.jpg)
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS photobombs SOHO spacecraft during powerful solar flare (video)
By Meredith Garofalo published
The SOHO spacecraft captured amazing imagery of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) zooming near the sun as the star unleashed a powerful X flare.
![NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this view of an X2.1 solar flare erupting from the sun on Oct. 7, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gKTfpfbtwCjqRQsxZMvmcj-320-80.jpg)
The sun fires off another powerful X flare, triggering radio blackouts across the Americas (video)
By Meredith Garofalo published
An X2.1 solar flare erupted from the prolific sunspot AR 3842 on Monday (Oct. 7), triggering radio blackout across North and South America.
![Two humans stand on a tarp on a grassy field as they release a large white balloon into the air, the sun glaring behind it as the contrails streak the blue sky above.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZY7mkRYLUh4Ea89FwRbcAR-320-80.jpg)
College students confirm long-held prediction about atmospheric gravity waves
By Meredith Garofalo published
College students are making "waves" with a discovery they made during the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023.
![NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft captured this view of an X7.1 solar flare erupting on Oct. 1, 2024](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KxSTq87bkadXf5xZ6Ah325-320-80.jpg)
Sun unleashes monster X7.1 flare that could supercharge Earth auroras (video)
By Meredith Garofalo published
Just when we thought the sun was taking a bit of a break, the sunspot AR3842 fired off two powerful solar flares, including a monster X7.1.
![Side by side circles representing north and south polar maps of earth, shaded with swirls of orange and yellow, with their centers shadowed in black with purple edges.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WwSAm5uGDsgVrMW4BvrecV-320-80.jpg)
'Surprising' warmth above Antarctica is earliest observed on record
By Meredith Garofalo last updated
Temperature fluctuations above Antarctica in winter show the earliest warming of the stratosphere on record.
Get the Space.com Newsletter
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!