Watch the skies and land and oceans

[dennis]

These folks need help, as do people in other areas afflicted by the disasters noted above. A prayer and a donation would be in order. Samaritan's Purse is responding and maybe some other organizations too.
There is another winter storm brewing for the southeast US.

Sliger said people who were prepared to manage a couple of days without power can’t go much longer without help.

“They’re cold, they don’t have power, they don’t have heat, they’re out of propane, they’re out of wood, they’re out of kerosene for their kerosene heaters,” she said. “They have no food, they have no additional fuel for their alternative heating sources, so they’re needing out.”

In northeast Mississippi, emergency managers in Alcorn County were also receiving “calls of desperation” from people running out of food, water, medication and other supplies, said Evan Gibens, the emergency agency’s director. He said dispatchers who have been sleeping at work since Friday have fielded more than 2,000 calls.

“We are doing everything we possibly can,” said Gibens, noting 200 people were staying at a local arena being used as a warming shelter.

More than 100,000 outages remained in Nashville, Tennessee, where downed trees and snapped power lines blocked access to some areas. Utility workers will need at least the weekend, if not longer, to finish restoring power, said Brent Baker, a Nashville Electric Service vice president

Worries deepen in US South after days of grappling with snow, ice and widespread outages

Conditions were growing more dire in parts of the South still reeling from subfreezing temperatures and widespread power outages as vehicles got stranded for hours on major highways.

apnews.com

 

[Beau]

These folks need help, as do people in other areas afflicted by the disasters noted above. A prayer and a donation would be in order. Samaritan's Purse is responding and maybe some other organizations too.
There is another winter storm brewing for the southeast US.

It seems as though the devastation in Tennessee is being made intentionally worse by the leadership in Nashville and the ineptness at Nashville Electric Service. Two stories about the madness going on there:

'They said they had all the resources they needed.' NES accused of refusing union help

Nashville Electric Service is facing accusations that it refused help from willing linemen and contractors.

fox17.com

Nashville Electric Service is facing criticism after multiple union members and contractors report the utility refused help from available linemen, as more than 100,000 outages remain in freezing temperatures throughout the Nashville area.

Two members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who asked to remain unnamed, say NES declined offers of assistance from multiple union crews, potentially opting for less expensive contractors instead.

“I’ve had a lot of people reach out trying to come to Nashville to help restore power,” the union member said. “They keep getting the same answer- that NES is full and doesn’t need help... I just don’t think they want to pay the union rates.”

FOX 17 News uncovered on Monday, the third day after the storm, NES began work with significantly fewer linemen in the field (less than 300) than neighboring Middle Tennessee Electric, which had 200,000 fewer outages at the storm's peak- 150 fewer linemen.

As of Tuesday, NES reported some 700 linemen in the field.

With potentially a quarter of a million people without power in Nashville, some argue additional crews are urgently needed to restore power- and heat- during dangerously cold conditions, regardless of the company or union.

Another IBEW member from out-of-state, who asked not to be identified, said thousands of union linemen were potentially available after getting released from North Carolina, where they were originially staged, which didn't suffer as intense a storm.

He said he was part of roughly 18,000 linemen who were then sent home, or to other areas. But he said Nashville appeared not to be on that list. Instead, he is now working with Middle Tennessee Electric, which has significantly fewer outages than NES.

“Why are we 10 minutes down the road with 2,000 outages when we could be 15 minutes to Nashville and help out with more than 200 broken poles?” he said. “Union or non-union, they could bring in way more people... You think they would put all hands on deck, and flood that city with linemen and just get everything turned on as fast as they can."

FOX 17 News asked the worker if he believed 700 lineworkers was enough?

"That's no not at all not even close. I'm sorry... I think a minimum of 2,000... I mean, North Carolina had 18,000 of a stage."

NES was asked directly during a press briefing Tuesday, whether it had refused assistance.

“As far as we know, no,” NES representative Brent Baker said. “We are sticking to the path of bringing on the crews that we have partnered with and through the mutual aid... NES currently has crews from Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi and states across the United States and especially the region. As we continue to scale up and grow the workforce, we were accepting workforce from all of those agreements. We had already mutual aid as a more speedy way to get some of our folks here, as well as the contracts we already had. So we had people en route."

FOX 17 News' Kelly Avellino emailed NES asking which crews, if any, had been turned away, why that decision was made, and whether unions were involved. We haven't received a direct response, as of this publication.

Meanwhile, a community group has launched a petition calling on NES to hire any available linemen, saying more workers are needed than the approximately 700 currently deployed.

“People are already in temperatures in the 30s, and it’s going to be single digits again,” said Cecilia Prado of the Nashville People Power Committee. “People are going to die.”

A national representative for IBEW responded to Fox 17 News' inquiry in an email after two days of researching the issue, "Sounds like there are a bunch of our folks on the way or there working already now, but I’m not able to confirm numbers," said Matt Spence.

FOX 17 News has also received numerous comments on social media from viewers reporting similar accounts of NES allegedly declining help from contractors and union crews. We also reached out to all NES Board members, but have not yet heard back.

Reporter Slams Nashville Electric Service, Democratic Leadership in Nashville Power Crisis - Tennessee Star

Tom Pappert criticized the handling of Nashville’s recent ice storm by city officials and the Nashville Electric Service board.

tennesseestar.com

Reporter Slams Nashville Electric Service, Democratic Leadership in Nashville Power Crisis​

January 28, 2026 Kaitlin Housler

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, criticized the handling of Nashville’s recent ice storm, highlighting what he described as systemic mismanagement by city officials and the Nashville Electric Service (NES) board.

More than 108,000 NES customers remained without power Wednesday morning after an ice storm swept through the region over the weekend. The utility company has since faced criticism after multiple union members and contractors reported that NES declined offers of assistance from available linemen to restore service.

Two members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who spoke anonymously to Fox 17, claimed that NES “declined offers of assistance from multiple union crews, potentially opting for less expensive contractors instead.”

In comparison, other Middle Tennessee electric companies have reported far fewer outages. Middle Tennessee Electric, which serves more than 359,000 customers, reported only 284 outages at noon on Wednesday.

On Wednesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pappert attributed much of the prolonged outage to the NES board’s lack of operational experience.

He pointed out that board members, many of whom were politically appointed, “None of them particularly seem to have a lot of expertise in the field.”

Pappert also criticized NES’s communication with residents, calling the utility’s text alerts telling residents to utilize warming centers “patronizing.”

“If it’s freezing and you don’t have heat and you don’t have electricity, do you really need a municipally-owned power company… to let you know that? It’s insulting,” he said.

Pappert went on to call for NES to accept outside assistance in restoring power across Nashville.

“They need to invite these folks from Middle Tennessee Electric and other utilities nearby and say, this is an all-hands-on-deck situation. Please bail us out,” he said. “After all, Democrats are good at accepting bailouts.”

Pappert framed the situation as part of a broader pattern of mismanagement in cities run by Democrats, warning that political loyalty and political correctness often outweigh expertise in critical municipal roles.

“It turns out that the price you pay for Democrat mismanagement is weeks in the dark…This is really what anybody in any Democrat city has to look forward to… you’re going to have mismanagement that can cost lives,” he said, though he noted that Tennessee communities are generally well-prepared to handle crises through neighborly support.

“Fortunately, I think the people of Tennessee are very well prepared for things like this. You have neighbors that take care of each other, but in other states this could be tragic,” Pappert added.

 

[genero81]

The neighborhood behind me still doesn't have power since Sunday night when I think a transformer blew. I heard a loud bang and my electricity went out but fortunately came back on within a minute. Sunday was nerve wracking having electricity and not knowing if I was next. Went out to Kroger yesterday morning. Several large reach in coolers were completely empty. Not one item. Very little to choose from. I got a gluten free pepperoni pizza and some sushi, which was freshly made. I'm finally returning to work this afternoon but some of our employees still don't have power. Another arctic blast is on the way.

 

[Huila]

● Italy

https://twitter.com/x/status/2015873694929989845

On the Pulse with Silki providing a closer look (+ alot commentary) on the Niscemi Landslide, Sicily, Italy. In her latest video (not attached) she covers more on the nature of rotational landslide believed to be taking place at Niscemi.

I have NEVER seen anything like this ! Niscemi under EVACUATION and CUT OFF. Situation is DRAMATIC according to Officials, the Niscemi Landslide is moving fast ! Sicily under Emergency !The Images we get from Sicily are heartbreaking ! But also Sardinia and more islands in the Mediterranean are devastated ! Italy in Emergency. Waves like a gigantic Tsunami hit the coast of Sicily, Mount Etna volcano's home. Cyclone Harry is responsible for the storm surge and destruction.

 

[Beau]

The neighborhood behind me still doesn't have power since Sunday night when I think a transformer blew. I heard a loud bang and my electricity went out but fortunately came back on within a minute. Sunday was nerve wracking having electricity and not knowing if I was next. Went out to Kroger yesterday morning. Several large reach in coolers were completely empty. Not one item. Very little to choose from. I got a gluten free pepperoni pizza and some sushi, which was freshly made. I'm finally returning to work this afternoon but some of our employees still don't have power. Another arctic blast is on the way.

My family over in Tennessee still has no power, they are staying with a friend who has a generator thankfully but couldn't bring their cats with them :( School is closed all week and remains to be seen if power comes back on in the small town by next week. Sucks to be powerless to help. Needless to say, my sister has realized the need to have backup power.

 

[Beau]

My family over in Tennessee still has no power, they are staying with a friend who has a generator thankfully but couldn't bring their cats with them :( School is closed all week and remains to be seen if power comes back on in the small town by next week. Sucks to be powerless to help. Needless to say, my sister has realized the need to have backup power.

The good thing is the TN National Guard is assisting in the efforts to clear downed trees and powerlines.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016665826628120967

 

[Ellipse]

Look like Moscow had an epic snowfall.

Russia: Moscow Buried Under Historic Snowfall​

Moscow White – Snow has reached over 60 cm (approximately 2 feet) in height in the Russian capital. According to meteorologists at Moscow State University, this is the worst snowfall in two centuries.

An “Abnormally High” Amount. In Russia, Moscow is being buried this January by almost unprecedented snowfall, according to meteorologists at Moscow State University. This Thursday, precipitation totaled 92 mm (3.62 inches) – "the highest value in the last 203 years" the university notes on the VK social network.

Snow has reached over 60 cm in height in the capital, and some streets have been transformed into temporary storage areas to facilitate clearing other roads. One must go back to 1823 to find such intense snowfall in the Russian capital, with precipitation reaching 122 mm (4.8 inches) at that time, the university adds, while warning that “observations made in such a distant past may not be entirely reliable.” The second record was recorded in January 2004 with 88.9 mm (3.5 inches) of precipitation.

“Deep Cyclones”​

The amount of snowfall, described as "abnormally high," is the result of “the passage over the Moscow region of ‘deep and extensive cyclones with an intensified atmospheric front’,” explained Moscow State University in its statement. The temperature is also 1.5°C below the seasonal average, which stands at -6.2°C (20,84 °F) for January, according to this institution.

“In total, over two days (Tuesday and Wednesday), the capital received 27 mm (1.06 inches) of snow – more than half of the monthly norm,” Tatiana Pozdniakova, chief meteorologist of the specialized service “Meteonovosti”, stated on Telegram. In mid-January, two people died due to heavy snowfall in the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula in the Far East, a remote territory where roads and houses were buried.

Source

 

[Ellipse]

France is breaking snow records too...

“It’s Quite Exceptional”: These Pyrenees Resorts are Breaking All Records in 2026 with Over 2 meters (6.5 Feet) of Snow​

“One man's loss is another man's gain”: this expression perfectly applies to the situation currently faced by different regions of France. The numerous depressions that have passed through Brittany, which haven’t stopped bringing rain, have also affected certain mountainous areas.

These areas, due to the cold and altitude, have seen those same precipitations transformed into snow. A situation enabled by a “disturbed west-to-southwest current,” explains skipass.com, and which is delighting ski resort professionals. Beautiful records have indeed been broken and have significantly thickened the snowpack on the slopes.

Snow Accumulations Not Seen for a Long Time​

While the Northern Alps are usually more favored in terms of snowfall, that’s not the case this time around. In recent days, impressive accumulations have been recorded in the Pyrénées-Orientales, particularly on Canigou and Puigmal, which haven't seen such good snow depth in at least 15 years, explains Midi Libre.

The record was even broken on the Canigou massif, where “a snow height of 2.30 m (7.5 feet) has been recorded at an altitude of 2,160 m (6,988 ft). Speaking to our colleagues at L’Indépendant, Thomas Dulac, a high mountain guide, also explained that such depth "is quite exceptional for this time of year."

More Snowfall Forecasted in the Coming Days​

Meanwhile, as Midi Libre indicates, the Font-Romeu ski resort has accumulated “between 1.15 m and 1.55 m (3.77 ft - 5.08 ft) on its domain.” Enough to please skiers, who aren’t used to seeing so much fresh snow in such quantity in the Pyrénées-Orientales.

The ski resorts of the Cévennes are also particularly lucky this year. No less than “80 cm (2.6 feet) on Mont Lozère or 40 cm (1.3 feet) on Aigoual” have been recorded recently. The same is true "a little further south" with the Caroux massif and La Salvetat. The Southern Alps have also seen beautiful accumulations on the ground, as skipass.com reminds us, “falling in less than 24 hours from 30 to 50 cm (12-20 inches) over a large part of the massif at altitude, and locally 60 to 70 cm (24-28 inches) in the most favored sectors, namely Mercantour.”

Source

 

[Ca.]

Celestial activity for twenty-twenty-six. Interesting is the path the Eclipse takes across the USA.

Most Notable 2026 Astronomical Events: A Year of Watching the Skies - NASA

So, get ready to watch the skies with us! Here are the top astronomical events happening this year:

www.nasa.gov

January 16, 2026

This year will be busy for avid skywatchers, with some incredible opportunities to view meteor showers, planets, and the Moon in the night sky.

In 2026, we will also mark the 20th anniversary of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Observatory. Originally established as an engine test site in 1958, it was converted to a solar observatory in 1968 to study the sun. In 2006, it was transformed into a lunar and meteor observatory, marking the beginning of its modern era. Today, the observatory plays a crucial role in monitoring the Moon for impacts, studying eclipses, tracking comets, and measuring meteoroid production through advanced telescopes and cameras.

So, get ready to watch the skies with us! Here are the top astronomical events happening this year:

February 28: Planetary Parade
On February 28, we will see not one, not two, but six planets in the evening sky. Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter will appear shortly after sunset. Four of those planets will be visible to the unaided eye, weather permitting, but only those with optical assistance will be able to view Uranus and Neptune (Mercury can sometimes be harder to spot, too).

• March 3: Total Lunar Eclipse

In March, a total lunar eclipse will be visible for those in North America – especially for those on the West Coast. This event is for the earlier risers, as it will occur right before sunrise on the 3rd. Lunar eclipses occur when Earth is positioned precisely between the Moon and Sun – shading the Moon in Earth’s shadow.

• May 31: Full Blue Moon

A Blue Moon signifies the rare occasion of having a second full moon in one month – hence the phrase “once in a blue Moon”. We will get one of these rare Blue Moons at the end of May – meaning we will have a total of 13 full Moons in 2026. But don’t be fooled by the name – this moon will not actually be blue in color.

• June 8-9: Venus and Jupiter Conjunction

We will be treated to another special planetary event this year when the two brightest planets in the sky – Venus and Jupiter – will appear only a pinky finger apart in June. No telescopes will be required for this one!

• August 12-13: Perseids Meteor Shower

The best annual meteor shower is ready to put on a show this year. With a New Moon in the sky, we should have excellent viewing opportunities across most of the world – weather permitting.

• December 13-14: Geminids Meteor Shower

Another great annual meteor shower – the Geminids – will also show off for us this year. Step outside right after midnight to catch these famous “green” meteors streak across the sky.

• December 24: Supermoon

To end the year, we are being treated to a special Christmas Eve Supermoon. A “supermoon” occurs when a full Moon is closest to Earth – making it appear bigger and brighter. So don’t worry kids, Santa will have lots of light to deliver all his toys.

Other 2026 Sky Events

• January 2-3: Quadrantids Meteor Shower
• January 3: Supermoon
• January 10: Jupiter at Opposition
• February 17: Annular Solar Eclipse (Visible in Antarctica)
• March 20: March Equinox
• April 21-22: Lyrids Meteor Shower
• May 5-6: Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower
• June 21: June Solstice
• July 30-31: Southern Delta Aquariids AND alpha Capricornids Meteor Shower
• August 12: Total Solar Eclipse (Visible in Greenland, Iceland, and Spain)
• September 23: September Equinox
• September 25: Neptune at Opposition
• October 4: Saturn at Opposition
• October 7: Draconids Meteor Shower
• October 21-22: Orionids Meteor Shower
• November 4-5: Taurids Meteor Shower
• November 17: Leonids Meteor Shower
• November 24: Supermoon
• November 25: Uranus at Opposition
• December 21: December Solstice
• December 21-22: Ursids Meteor Shower

More from Watch the Skies ​

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016889076410937469

Citizen Science Highlight #3: Planetary Defense

8 new main-belt shape models were created with the help of our data
These main-belts were picked because they are relatively young (<10 million years) and dynamically fresh.
The broader research goal is to study the link between asteroid fragmentation (which is what created these main-belts) and meteorites reaching Earth.

To study this we need to know the same physical characteristics that go into determining the shape model through lightcurve inversion

22 flyby events were observed this year

Davin Potts observed the full Eros lightcurve (4 hours) 5 times
Top observer - Darren Rivett with 101 observations
Target with most observations - Eros with 194
Total observations - 1603

Here's to another year discovering the universe with YOU
#citizenscience #year2025 #planethumans #Earth

https://twitter.com/x/status/2015937844506763277

That’s a wrap on 2025! Every year, SETI Institute &
@Unistellar
Network observers amaze us with their dedication to the skies above — and 2025 truly raised the bar.

In 2024, the Network submitted just over 10,000 citizen science observations, a record-breaking feat. In 2025, that number jumped to more than 15,000 observations, making this our biggest year yet.

Every scientific program grew, with exciting new opportunities across the board. We even launched a brand-new Satellites program, while comet observations more than doubled compared to the previous year.

From distant exoplanets to fragmenting comets and high-energy cosmic explosions, citizen scientists helped produce results that are pushing the frontier of what community-driven science can achieve. Let’s break it down by science case!

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016713288420073547

Gemini North Catches Crumbling Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS)

Gemini North Catches Crumbling Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS)

noirlab.edu

2:17 AM · Jan 29, 2026
On 11 November and 6 December 2025, the Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) soared in the skies above Maunakea, Hawai‘i, where Gemini North captured it in action! Gemini North is one half of the International Gemini Observatory, supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab.

Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS)’s nucleus started breaking apart as early as October 2025. Three of the suspected fragments are visible in this image. Each piece makes an exciting show as it fluctuates in brightness, density, and position from night to night. You can view images of this here.

C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) originated in the Oort cloud and surprisingly survived its closest approach to the Sun in October 2025. But now that it has experienced the intense heat and gravity of the Sun, it’s struggling to hold together, leading to the crumbling that we’re witnessing now. View the trajectory of C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) here.

Credit:
International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/B. Bolin
Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)
Acknowledgments: PI: Bryce Bolin (Eureka Scientific)

Usage of NOIRLab Images and Vide

 

[Voyageur]

On the Pulse with Silki providing a closer look (+ alot commentary) on the Niscemi Landslide, Sicily, Italy. In her latest video (not attached) she covers more on the nature of rotational landslide believed to be taking place at Niscemi.

Much bigger than the flyover, and there are things missing from this:

Interesting commentary here where the above came from:

 

[Sindy-T.S.R]

Much bigger than the flyover, and there are things missing from this:
View attachment 115602

Interesting commentary here where the above came from:

Here is a comparison of what Niscemi looked like before the landslide disaster:

However, today I heard this news from the head of Italian civil protection, which turned my stomach a little.

Niscemi landslide bigger than Vajont in terms of cubic metres - General News - Ansa.it

Sunday's huge landslide in the Sicilian town of Niscemi was bigger than the one that caused the 1963 Vajont disaster, Civil Protection Department Chief Fabio Ciciliano said on Thursday. (ANSA)

www.ansa.it

Let me explain, as a geologist, I can agree with him, but as head of civil protection, no lives were lost in the Niscemi landslide.
Only this is estimated:

Approximate estimate of the percentage lost

The area directly affected by the landslide (area of detachment, sliding, and visible collapse) appears to be limited to a strip of the slope (not the entire municipal territory), probably in the order of a few km² (perhaps 2-5 km² as the area of greatest impact, considering the 4 km long front and an average width of 500-1, 000 m estimated from descriptions and aerial images).
Compared to the total 96.5 km² of the municipality, this corresponds to approximately 1% to 5% lost/destroyed or severely compromised (with more conservative estimates around 2-3%).

In contrast, in the Vajont dam tragedy of 1963, approximately 2000 people lost their lives and an entire village disappeared.

Expecting Disaster: The 1963 Landslide of the Vajont Dam

On October 9, 1963, a landslide above the Vajont Dam created a wave that destroyed several villages in the valley, killing about 2,000 people. Opinion as to whether to interpret the disaster as natural or one caused by human error remains divided.

www.environmentandsociety.org

This is an animation of the disaster:

 

[Gaby]

More images from the sky coming from last week's storm.

Spaceweather.com Time Machine

THIS RED ARC IS NOT AN AURORA: During last week's severe geomagnetic storm, red auroras danced across the skies of Europe. This red arc, however, was not one of them:

"This is an SAR arc," says Andreas Graw, who photographed the phenomenon on Jan. 20th from Lower Saxony, Germany.

SAR arcs were discovered in 1956 at the beginning of the Space Age. Researchers didn’t know what they were and unwittingly gave them a misleading name: "Stable Auroral Red arcs" or SAR arcs. In fact, SAR arcs are neither stable nor auroras.​

Auroras appear when charged particles rain down from space, hitting the atmosphere and causing it to glow. SAR arcs form differently. They come from Earth's ring current system.

Earth is surrounded by a donut-shaped circuit carrying millions of amps around our planet. Think Saturn's rings--except made of electricity. During geomagnetic storms, heat from the ring current leaks into the upper atmosphere and causes it to glow.

Heat from the ring current leaking into the upper atmosphere.