The world experienced a rare display of northern lights back in May, thanks to a powerful geomagnetic storm. And September might bring something similar, if slightly more muted, in terms of aurora sightings. “That’s because of something called the Russell-McPherron Effect, which explains why the periods around Earth’s two equinoxes, in March and September, often tend to have the most colorful auroral displays,” writes Space.com’s Jamie Carter. If that has you feeling inspired, check out 10 of the most affordable destinations for spotting the northern lights.
These habits can help you avoid mounting credit card debt
Humanity
US Named No. 3 in Annual Best Countries List, Its Highest Ranking Yet
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U.S. News & World Report recently released its annual ranking of the best countries, and while the top spot wasn’t much of a surprise — Switzerland has been No. 1 nearly every year since 2017 — the third one certainly was. Following Switzerland and Japan is the United States, its highest ranking in the project’s nine-year history. “Two factors that played a role in America’s rise were its notable jumps in the ‘open for business’ (up seven spots) and ‘movers’ (up four spots) subrankings,” Elliott Davis, a reporter for U.S. News & World Report, told Forbes. Those two categories measure how friendly a country is toward businesses and its potential for future growth, respectively. The U.S. also did well in agility, power, entrepreneurship, and cultural influence. “The country ranks in the top 25 in eight of our 10 subrankings, so it’s generally perceived strongly among the respondents to our survey,” Davis added.
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The overall winner of the international Astronomy Photographer of the Year contest was announced yesterday, with the title going to Ryan Imperio for his sci-fi-esque shot, “Distorted Shadows of the Moon’s Surface Created by an Annular Eclipse.” Taken in Odessa, Texas, during the 2023 annular eclipse, the image captures Baily’s beads, which are formed when sunlight peaks through valleys and craters on the moon’s surface and breaks up an eclipse’s recognizable ring pattern. They are only visible when the moon enters or exits an eclipse, making them particularly tricky to photograph. “The images selected each year are absolutely astonishing and I am both thrilled and honored to have my photo among them,” U.S.-based Imperio said in a statement. “I had hoped my image would be shared in some way but never expected to be selected as a winner, let alone overall winner!” Check out the rest of the winning shots.
Culture
How Snoop Dogg Went From Controversial Rapper to Beloved American Icon
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Anyone who’s been paying attention to the cultural landscape knows that Snoop Dogg has undergone quite the evolution in recent years — from his beloved friendship with Martha Stewart to his empowering children’s tunes, youth football league, and show-stealing Olympics coverage, Snoop has certainly transcended his former reputation as a controversial rapper. In a new cover story for People magazine, the artist reflected on his growth and how he got to where he is now. “You think about all the things that I went through and where I’m at,” said Snoop, 52. “It’s a lesson: to let the world see growth, how somebody can go from being hated, banned from countries, thrown in jail [for] weed, to now America’s most lovable person. But it’s the same person.” As for his next gig, he’s getting ready to join Reba McEntire, Michael Bublé, and Gwen Stefani as a coach on NBC’s The Voice. “It’s perfect timing,” he told the outlet of his involvement in the upcoming season, premiering Sept. 23. He added: “My voice is like nobody else’s. Fans are going to be re-energized. I’m going to coach with care and honesty.”
Global Good
🇦🇺 Australia plans to seta minimum age limit for children to use social media.
While filming a music video on a bridge in Nashville earlier this week, Jon Bon Jovi spotted a woman standing on the ledge and persuaded her to step off. The two were then seen sharing a hug and walking together. To make the story even more meaningful, the bridge happens to be named after a journalist who saved a suicidal man’s life there in the 1950s.
Photo of the Day
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Last week marked “a major step forward” for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, a 7,000-square-foot swath of land and sea off of California’s central coast that historically belonged to the Chumash people. On Sept. 6, the NOAA announced the release of the final environmental impact statement for the proposed sanctuary, which means that the official designation could be less than a month away. Revisit Nice News’ article on the important project.
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