Shades of a Lunar Eclipse - UNIVERSE

March 3, 2026

On March 3, 2026, Earth lined up directly between the Moon and the Sun, casting its shadow on the full Moon. The total lunar eclipse was visible throughout the Americas, East Asia, Australia, and the Pacific. Skygazers in those parts of the world may have witnessed a “Blood Moon,” when the dimmed lunar surface temporarily turned an orange-red color.

Meanwhile, satellites observed the effect of the darkened Moon on Earth’s surface. Changes in the amount of moonlight reflected back to Earth as the eclipse progressed appear in this composite image, composed of nighttime observations made by the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the NOAA-21 satellite. The satellite collected these images of the Arctic about every 100 minutes, with earlier swaths toward the right and later swaths to the left.

The VIIRS day-night band detects nighttime light in a range of wavelengths from green to near-infrared and uses filtering techniques to observe signals such as city lights, reflected moonlight, and auroras. The darkest swath was acquired at 11:20 Universal Time (2:20 a.m. Alaska Standard Time), about 15 minutes after the total phase had begun. With very little moonlight reaching Earth, ribbons of light from the aurora borealis shine through, along with specks of artificial light from settlements in the Yukon and eastern Alaska.

When the satellite passed over western Alaska and the Bering Strait, at 13:00 Universal Time (4:00 a.m. Alaska Standard Time), the eclipse was in the partial phase. The scene is noticeably brighter than the earlier one, and light from the partially shaded Moon illuminates snow-covered topography and offshore clouds. The brightest swaths on the far right and left sides were acquired before and after the eclipse, respectively, with light from the full Moon.

The next chance to view a total lunar eclipse will occur on December 31, 2028, when it will add a dash of astronomical flair to New Year’s Eve celebrations in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific.

NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using VIIRS day-night band data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). Story by Lindsey Doermann. 

Source: Shades of a Lunar Eclipse - NASA Science   

Dishwashing with side effects: Kitchen sponges release microplastics - Earth - Environment

Material layers for each sponge type: A) EU-con, B) AM-con, and C) EU-org. Microscopic images of each layer can be found in SM-1A. Credit: Environmental Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.envadv.2026.100693

Kitchen sponges are considered a potential, yet largely understudied, source of microplastics in households. A study in Environmental Advances investigated how many microplastic particles are released from kitchen sponges during use and what environmental impacts result. The paper is titled "From sink to sea: Microplastic release from kitchen sponges and potential environmental effects."

The aim was to quantify the actual release under realistic usage conditions and to assess the environmental impacts using a life cycle assessment (LCA).

The study combined citizen science—where members of the public actively conduct experiments—with laboratory tests. Volunteer households in Germany and North America used one of three different sponge types in their daily routines and documented their usage.

The sponges were weighed before and after use to determine material loss and microplastic release. In addition, laboratory experiments were carried out using an automated test device ("SpongeBot") that simulates the mechanical stress applied to sponges during dishwashing.

All investigated sponges lose material during use and thereby release microplastics. The annual release ranges from approximately 0.68 to 4.21 grams of microplastics per person per year, depending on the sponge type. Sponges with a lower plastic content release significantly less microplastic.

Overall, however, the analysis showed that it is not the microplastic release itself, but primarily the water consumption during manual dishwashing that contributes most to the environmental impact.

Citizen science played a central role, as volunteer participants used the sponges under real-life conditions. This allowed for the capture of realistic usage patterns and typical dishwashing habits. These data enabled a much more realistic estimation of microplastic release compared to purely laboratory-based studies.

Although the amount per person appears low, when extrapolated to Germany, significant quantities can be reached, for example, up to 355 metric tons of microplastics per year if a specific sponge type is used in every household. While a large proportion of these particles are retained in wastewater treatment plants, several tons still enter aquatic environments or soils annually.

At the same time, the environmental assessment shows that around 85% to 97% of the total environmental impact of dishwashing is attributable to water consumption, while microplastic emissions contribute a much smaller share to overall ecosystem damage.

The study identifies several ways to reduce environmental impact:

• Use less water when washing dishes, as this has the greatest effect.
• Choose sponges with lower plastic content to reduce microplastic release.
• Use sponges for a longer time, as a longer lifespan reduces overall resource consumption. 

Provided by University of Bonn 

by University of Bonn

edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan 

Source: Dishwashing with side effects: Kitchen sponges release microplastics