A new quality assessment report from NASA’s Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition (CSDA) program evaluates data from the Polar Geospatial Center’s (PGC) EarthDEM product. The results of the evaluation help inform NASA program management and the user community about the quality of commercial Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) for use in NASA science. Issued August 8, 2026,
The NASA Science Activation Program’s Cosmic Storytelling with NASA Data (CosmicDS) project, led by Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, works to bring authentic NASA data into the hands of educators and learners. From July 27–29, 2026, the CosmicDS team partnered with the Smithsonian Institution’s BEST AQI (Breathing Easier: Supporting Teen Air Quality Investigations) project to
Smoke from massive wildfires in Canada and Minnesota envelops the Washington, DC skyline on July 17, 2026, reducing visibility and casting a colored haze over the Lincoln Memorial. Finn Gomez/Getty Images hide title toggle title Finn Gomez/Getty Images WASHINGTON – Poor air quality persisted Saturday across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest states, as smoke from
IQAir, a company that tracks global air quality, ranked Detroit, Toronto and Minneapolis as the cities with the worst air quality currently in the world. Smoke from wildfires is dangerous to humans because it contains a mixture of very small polluting particles such as PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide. “These particles, when they get into our
According to the Canadian Wildfire Information System, the vast majority of wildfires are out of control. The large group of fires affecting western areas of Ontario are responsible for sending thick plumes of smoke and poor air quality across Thunder Bay and Toronto, with lower concentrations of smoke high in the atmosphere hanging over the
Cara West and her family moved to Europe in search of a better quality of life. Photo courtesy of Cara West In 2024, Cara West moved from the United States to Greece with her husband and young daughter. The family wanted a better quality of life, more affordability and a greater sense of community. West
