extras
march 2015
BY julie kong
image sources
iO9
20
This emerging field of science known as exo-meteorology studies conditions of extreme plants in the universe. Exo-meteorologists are definitely not interested in natural processes of the Earth, but only of the abundant planets around us. They aim to track the weather patterns and atmospheric in each planet, especially Jupiter and Saturn for their impossibly huge weather systems.
Exo-meteorologists are often the ones who discover evidences or signs of extraterrestrial life on an exoplanet by detecting organic signatures in atmospheres. Increase in carbon dioxide levels is also a sign of an industrial-age civilization. So, if any of you want to the discoverer of the first legitimate alien, you might consider being an exo-meteorologist!
FUN FACTS!
Since we talked about the field of science that investigates weather systems of other planets, we’ll focus on fun facts about our very own Earth’s weather.
Did you know that…
•the coldest temperature ever recorded was -126.9°F in Vostok Station in Antarctica? That is -88.28 degrees in Celsius.
•the highest temperature ever recorded was 134°F at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, CA? No wonder it is called the Death Valley.
•the typical lifetime of a small cumulus cloud is between 10 to 15 minutes?
•the chances of getting struck by lightning are approximately 1 in 3 million? Around 625 people per year in America get struck by lightning. You try the math.
•the sunniest place on Earth is the South Pole? It is covered with snow, which actually reflects 50-90% of sunlight it receives and prevents the climate from heating up (global warming takes care of that, though).
sources
iO9
CRAZY Scientific Fields: Exo-Meteorology