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iPhone 18 Pro's Four Rumored Colors Revealed, Including 'Dark Cherry' - MacRumors
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Gemini can now create personalized AI images by digging around in Google Photos - Ars Technica
2026-04-16 16:59
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NASA - Breaking News
Spring Rains Saturate Michigan
2026-04-17 04:01
April 16, 2025
April 11, 2026
The start of spring 2026 brought bouts of heavy rain to much of Michigan. Above-normal levels of precipitation in March and early April—exacerbated by snowmelt in the northern part of the state—saturated soils and caused damaging flooding along multiple rivers. A flood watch spanned the entirety of both the upper and lower peninsulas as rain continued to fall in mid-April.
Flooding along the Grand River—Michigan’s longest—near Grand Rapids is visible in the image above (right), acquired on April 11, 2026. For comparison, the left image shows the area the previous April. The images are false-color to better distinguish water from vegetation and other land cover.
At the time of the 2026 image, river gauge data showed the Grand River at Comstock Park was in minor flood stage. The river had crested on April 8 at about half a foot beneath the major flood level at this gauge, making it one of the harder-hit locations along the river. Water had already submerged roads and trails along its banks and encroached on homes, according to news reports, and more water was still to come. After another round of rain, the river was rising again as of April 16, with the potential to reach one of the highest levels on record in Grand Rapids.
The area has been beset by many weeks of soggy weather. Grand Rapids saw approximately double the normal March rainfall totals in 2026. In the first half of April, it received 5.79 inches (147 millimeters), exceeding the average for the entire month by nearly 2 inches.
The story is similar throughout the state. To the north, where an above-normal snowpack still covered the ground, abundant rainfall combined with melt to amplify flooding. Floodwaters in the northern Lower Peninsula washed out roads, including part of a scenic drive, and rendered airport runways unusable. The buildup of water has also stressed dams around the state. Officials have been monitoring several reservoirs that are close to overtopping and have advised some residents to prepare to evacuate.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Lindsey Doermann.
References & Resources
- Bridge Michigan (2026, April 16) Michigan flood watch: Newaygo urges evacuations; Cheboygan Dam waters rise. Accessed April 16, 2026.
- FOX 17 (2026, April 5) Grand River forecast to reach major flood stage near Comstock Park. Accessed April 16, 2026.
- MLive (2026, April 15) All of Michigan under Flood Watch as roads washed out, dams fail, people evacuated. Accessed April 16, 2026.
- The New York Times (2026, April 15) Dam Failure Could Imperil Thousands in Northern Michigan. Accessed April 16, 2026.
- NOAA (2026) National Water Prediction Service. Accessed April 16, 2026.
- WGRD (2026, April 15) How the Current Grand River Flood Ranks Historically. Accessed April 16, 2026.
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A potent atmospheric river delivered intense rainfall to western Washington, triggering flooding and mudslides.
Ice in the Hudson River hugged the shore of Manhattan amid a deep freeze.
Villages and farmland were swamped after unusually heavy early-February rains pushed the Sinú River over its banks.
NASA Invites Media to Latvia Artemis Accords Signing Ceremony
2026-04-16 16:41
The Republic of Latvia will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at 9 a.m. EDT Monday, April 20, at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will host Dace Melbārde, Latvia’s minister for education and science; Jānis Beķeris, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States; and Jacob Helberg, under secretary of state for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
This event is in person only. Media interested in attending must RSVP no later than 3 p.m. on Friday, April 17, to: hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. NASA’s media accreditation policy is online.
The signing ceremony will take place in the James E. Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E Street SW.
In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the State Department, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies.
The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Latvia will be the 62nd country to sign the Artemis Accords.
Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords
-end-
Camille Gallo / Elizabeth Shaw
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov
At the Edge of Light
2026-04-16 14:38
In this photo taken on April 6, 2026, a portion of the Moon’s far side is seen along the terminator—the boundary between lunar day and night—where low-angle sunlight casts long shadows across the surface.
A section of Orientale Basin is visible along the upper right portion of the lunar disk, its structure subtly revealed under grazing illumination. This lighting enhances contrast across the cratered terrain, highlighting variations in surface features and providing insight into the Moon’s geologic history.
See more imagery from the Artemis II mission.
Credit: NASA
Eyeing the Richat Structure
2026-04-16 04:00
In a remote part of northern Mauritania on the Adrar Plateau lies a desert landscape rich in human history. This region of northwestern Africa is sprinkled with Paleolithic stone tools, Neolithic cave paintings, and the remains of medieval towns once used by caravans crossing the Sahara Desert.
When viewed from space, the landscape appears to be shaped most prominently by natural forces. Wind sculpted the seas of colorful sand dunes and scoured plateaus capped with dark desert pavement, while ancient flowing water carved valleys and networks of dried river channels.
But the region’s most eye-catching feature when seen from above is the Richat Structure—a large geologic formation made of concentric ridges on the eastern side of the plateau. French geographers first described the feature in the 1930s, calling it the Richat “buttonhole.” NASA astronauts Ed White and James McDivitt helped bring wider global attention to what became known as “The Eye of the Sahara” after photographing it during their history-making Gemini IV mission.
The 40-kilometer-wide (25-mile-wide) structure was initially thought to be an impact crater because large meteors can produce circular features on Earth’s surface. However, researchers later showed that it is actually a deeply eroded geologic dome formed by the uplift of rock above an underground intrusion of igneous material. Over time, differing erosion rates among rock types in the exposed upper dome led to the development of circular ridges known as cuestas. The orange and gray colors reflect differences in sedimentary and igneous rock types across the structure and the surrounding landscape.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Story by Adam Voiland.
References & Resources
- Abdeina, E.H., et al. (2024) How old is the Eye of Africa? A polyphase history for the igneous Richat Structure, Mauritania. Lithos, 107698.
- Abdeina, E.H., et al. (2021) Geophysical modelling of the deep structure of the Richat magmatic intrusion (northern Mauritania): insights into its kinematics of emplacement. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 14(22), 2315.
- The Debrief (2021, April 16) The Richat Structure: The “Eye of the Sahara” is One of Earth’s Strangest Marvels. Accessed April 8, 2026.
- Géoconscience, Adrar Plateau. Accessed April 8, 2026.
- International Commission on Geoheritage, Richat Structure, A Cretaceous Alkaline Complex. Accessed April 8, 2026.
- Matton, G., et al. (2005) Resolving the Richat enigma: Doming and hydrothermal karstification above an alkaline complex. Geology, 33 (8), 665-668.
- Matton, G. & Jébrak, M. (2014) The “eye of Africa” (Richat dome, Mauritania): An isolated Cretaceous alkaline–hydrothermal complex. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 97, 109-124.
- NASA Earth Observatory (2022, July 10) The Eye of the Sahara. Accessed April 8, 2026.
- National Archives (1965, June 4) Richat Structure. Accessed April 8, 2026.
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Stay up-to-date with the latest content from NASA as we explore the universe and discover more about our home planet.
In southeastern Libya, Jabal Arkanū’s concentric rock rings stand as relics of past geologic forces that churned beneath the desert.
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I Am Artemis: Rebekah Tolatovicz
2026-04-15 20:36
I Am Artemis: Rebekah Tolatovicz
Listen to this audio excerpt from Rebekah Tolatovicz, a mechanical technician lead supporting the Orion spacecraft’s main contractor Lockheed Martin:
0:00 / 0:00
At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, there is a fleet of Orion spacecraft in work, and Rebekah Tolatovicz’s hands have helped build each one. Tolatovicz works to build, integrate, and test the spacecraft used during the Artemis II test flight, as well as those designed to carry humanity to the Moon on future Artemis missions.
Tolatovicz is a mechanical technician lead for the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, or ASRC Federal, supporting the Orion spacecraft’s main contractor Lockheed Martin. A typical day for Tolatovicz takes place inside NASA Kennedy’s Operations and Checkout Building, with Orion assembly and testing. Her work ranges from helping coordinate and lead technicians, to jumping into hands-on installations on components like hatches and engines, to collaborating with the engineering team.
“What I really like about the area that I’m in is we do so much,” said Tolatovicz. “From starting with the bare structure and installing giant parts and titanium pieces, to final integration where you’re installing the tiniest little components. I think that’s the coolest part. We don’t do just one technical thing — it’s all the technical things.”
Tolatovicz currently works on the Orion crew modules that could sustain the astronauts on future Artemis missions, and she played a large role in work on the Artemis II spacecraft that carried four astronauts on a mission around the Moon, splashing down April 10. This included testing, integration, and final installation and closeout before the spacecraft was prepared for fueling and stacking on the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket.
As Artemis II was the first crewed mission under NASA’s Artemis program, Tolatovicz recognized the impact of her work.
It's really vital to stress the importance of what we do and know nothing is minuscule. Everything matters. It's really important to pass that down on to the new hires and make sure that everybody has that perspective.”
Rebekah Tolatovicz
Orion Mechanical Technician Lead for ASRC Federal
Tolatovicz, who began as an intern with Lockheed Martin through Eastern Florida State College’s aerospace technician program, knows what it’s like to be a newcomer. She had been mentored by technicians who worked through the space shuttle era, which largely shaped her experience and outlook.
“At first I didn’t think I was going to make it,” said Tolatovicz. “But if you come in with a good attitude and want to learn — there’s so much you can learn from these guys, they have decades of knowledge to share. Once I got down on the floor and was working with them hands-on, I knew I could figure it out.”
Tolatovicz has been working on the Orion program for nine years. Since then, the Maine native has witnessed her work come to fruition on Orion’s uncrewed Artemis I test flight as well as the Artemis II mission around the Moon.
“It’s really amazing for me to be a part of NASA’s history and the next step,” said Tolatovicz. “I just really love my job, the team, and working through challenges. You don’t think about it when you’re putting things on, but then you get to tell somebody else that you installed the thrusters for the spacecraft, and you realize — man, that’s pretty cool.”
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