Latest news with #EricLagatta
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
People reported earthquakes and fire in the sky. It was probably a meteor.
People in the southeastern United States on Thursday, June 26, reported a fireball in the sky and rumbling on the ground, an unsettling combination that was probably a meteor, according to various agencies. Reports of sightings flooded the American Meteor Society around 12:30 p.m. And the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia, said residents reported what felt like earthquakes around that time. Bill Cooke, the chief of NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office at the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, told The New York Times and local news outlets that the flying space rock was about three feet in diameter and weighed more than one ton. (The USA TODAY Network left a message with the Marshall Space Flight Center seeking more information.) And the earthquake reports? Those were likely sonic booms, the brief, thunder-like noises when a spacecraft, aircraft or space rocks travel faster than the speed of sound, the local weather service office said. The awesome sight likely wasn't entirely harmless: Remnants of the cosmic object may have broken off and plummeted through the roof of a home in Henry County, Georgia, according to the local National Weather Service office. The weather service, citing the Henry County Emergency Management agency, said a resident south of Atlanta reported that a "rock" fell through their roof, broke through the ceiling and cracked the home's laminate flooring. Because the incident occurred around the time sightings were happening, "we are presuming that a piece of the object fell through their roof." The fireball that caught the attention of people across the southeastern United States is presumed to be from a meteor fragmenting in the sky, according to meteorologists and other experts. The American Meteor Society received nearly 150 reports of a meteor bright enough to be seen streaking across the midday sky beginning around noon local time Thursday, June 26. Most of the reports were from Georgia and South Carolina, but a few witnessed the object in Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina. The National Weather Service office in Charleston said on Facebook that its satellite-based, lightning-detection system showed 'a streak within cloud free sky' over Gasburg, Virginia, near the state's border with North Carolina. Rocks in space are known as meteoroids. If those space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere, they become meteors that streak across the sky in events colloquially referred to as "shooting stars." Meteors – or fragments of them – that survive their atmospheric trip and land on the surface without burning up become meteorites, according to NASA. What many witnessed recently was a very bright meteor known as a fireball. It's relatively rare for fireballs to be sighted on Earth, especially during the daytime, as the objects generally have to be at least as bright as Venus to be visible to the naked eye, according to the American Meteor Society. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Meteor responsible for earthquake and fireball reports, experts say
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fortnite players could be eligible for some cash: How to get a refund
The Federal Trade Commission announced Wednesday, June 25 it is sending more than $126 million in refunds to Fortnite players who were charged for unwanted purchases while playing the game. The agency also said it is reopening the process for Fortnite players, or their parents or guardians, to submit a claim stemming from the FTC's 2023 settlement with Epic Games, the game's developer. Epic Games agreed to pay $245 million to settle the FTC's allegations that the developer used "deceptive practices" to trick players into making unwanted purchases. The FTC issued its first round of refunds in December 2024, which saw the agency send over 629,000 payments totaling more than $72 million. In the latest round of refunds, the agency says it will send nearly 970,000 checks and PayPal payments to consumers who have filed a valid claim. "Today's announcement brings the total amount of refunds the FTC has issued to consumer related to Epic's deceptive billing practices to nearly $200 million," the FTC said in a news release June 25. The FTC said consumers selected their payment method when they completed their claim form. Check recipients should cash their checks within 90 days, as indicted on the check, while PayPal recipients should redeem their payments within 30 days, the agency said. Eligible consumers who have not yet submitted a claim have until July 9, 2025, to submit one at Fortnite, best known for its Battle Royale mode in which up to 100 players can fight it out to the last one standing, is free to download and play. But the game charges players for a slew of in-game items and experiences – known among gamers as microtransactions – such as costumes and dance moves. Microtransactions are a common feature in video games and one many gamers have come to expect and understand. But according to the FTC, Epic Games used a design tactic known as "dark patterns" that concealed in-game purchases, allowing children to rack up unauthorized charges without parental consent. In some cases, just the single accidental press of one button led players of all ages to incur charges that they hadn't agreed to, the FTC says. This could occur for players who tried to wake the game from sleep mode or who pressed a button to merely preview a purchasable item, the agency said in a complaint, which outline offenses from 2017 to 2022. Epic Games also was accused of locking customers who disputed unauthorized charges out of their accounts, causing them to lose access to all the content they purchased. Under a proposed administrative order with the FTC, Epic agreed to pay $245 million, which will be used to refund consumers. The settlement, reached in December 2022, represents the FTC's largest refund amount in a gaming case. Contributing: Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fortnite refund: How to file a claim, get a check from FTC
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Fortnite players could be eligible for a refund: How to file a claim
The Federal Trade Commission announced Wednesday, June 25 it is sending more than $126 million in refunds to Fortnite players who were charged for unwanted purchases while playing the game. The agency also said it is reopening the process for Fortnite players, or their parents or guardians, to submit a claim stemming from the FTC's 2023 settlement with Epic Games, the game's developer. Epic Games agreed to pay $245 million to settle the FTC's allegations that the developer used "deceptive practices" to trick players into making unwanted purchases. The FTC issued its first round of refunds in December 2024, which saw the agency send over 629,000 payments totaling more than $72 million. In the latest round of refunds, the agency says it will send nearly 970,000 checks and PayPal payments to consumers who have filed a valid claim. "Today's announcement brings the total amount of refunds the FTC has issued to consumer related to Epic's deceptive billing practices to nearly $200 million," the FTC said in a news release June 25. The FTC said consumers selected their payment method when they completed their claim form. Check recipients should cash their checks within 90 days, as indicted on the check, while PayPal recipients should redeem their payments within 30 days, the agency said. Eligible consumers who have not yet submitted a claim have until July 9, 2025, to submit one at FTC says Epic Games 'tricked' customers into unwanted purchases Fortnite, best known for its Battle Royale mode in which up to 100 players can fight it out to the last one standing, is free to download and play. But the game charges players for a slew of in-game items and experiences – known among gamers as microtransactions – such as costumes and dance moves. Microtransactions are a common feature in video games and one many gamers have come to expect and understand. But according to the FTC, Epic Games used a design tactic known as "dark patterns" that concealed in-game purchases, allowing children to rack up unauthorized charges without parental consent. In some cases, just the single accidental press of one button led players of all ages to incur charges that they hadn't agreed to, the FTC says. This could occur for players who tried to wake the game from sleep mode or who pressed a button to merely preview a purchasable item, the agency said in a complaint, which outline offenses from 2017 to 2022. Epic Games also was accused of locking customers who disputed unauthorized charges out of their accounts, causing them to lose access to all the content they purchased. Under a proposed administrative order with the FTC, Epic agreed to pay $245 million, which will be used to refund consumers. The settlement, reached in December 2022, represents the FTC's largest refund amount in a gaming case. Contributing: Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Vera C. Rubin Observatory prepares to unveil cosmos: How to watch live
The National Science Foundation, which jointly funds and operates the observatory with the Department of Energy's Office of Science, has so far only released a handful of images and a brief video of the telescope in action. More images and video are on the way, all showcasing what the largest camera ever built has captured within just hours of beginning its observations. Here's what to know about the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, and how to watch live as the first images it captured are released to the public. What is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory? Named for famous astronomer Vera Rubin, the observatory is perched on a mountain in northern Chile in the foothills of the Andes. Astronomers say the location is both high and dry enough to provide clear skies for observing the universe. For the next 10 years, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will observe and collect data on the southern night sky in our Milky Way and beyond. By recording the entire sky once every few nights, the observatory will eventually create a time-lapse record serving as "the largest astronomical movie of all time," according to its website. Plenty of cosmic wonders are expected to be revealed by the telescope, including thousands of previously unseen asteroids and millions of distant stars and galaxies. "With Rubin data we will gain a better understanding of our Universe, delve into the mysteries of dark energy and dark matter, and reveal answers to questions we have yet to imagine," the website states. How to see 1st images from telescope in Chile: Watch live The first spectacular images the Vera C. Rubin Observatory has captured are expected to be released during a public event beginning at 11 a.m. ET Monday, June 23, 2025. The National Science Foundation and Department of Energy will host a full reveal event streaming on the agency's YouTube channel. Live watch parties are also taking place all over the world. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Could an asteroid hit the moon? NASA says chances have risen
A so-called "city killer" asteroid known as 2024 YR4 won't hit the Earth — but the moon might not be so lucky. Astronomers and scientists previously expressed some concern that the asteroid could collide with Earth. After its discovery in late 2024, its odds of impact with Earth briefly rose to historically high levels at a 3.1% chance. Eventually, however, astronomers ruled out the threat. While Earthlings may be safe, our latest glance of the asteroid in May, courtesy of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, led the agency to conclude that YR4 now has an even higher chance of colliding with the moon in 2032 — though the chance still rests at only 4.3% The asteroid has left our view as it orbits the sun, meaning that the May Webb observations were the last chance to observe YR4 until it reemerges in 2028. NASA already has plans to study it again in three years. Until then, here's what we know about 2024 YR4 and its possible impact to our moon. Asteroid 2024 YR4 was estimated to measure between 174-220 feet, about the size of a 10-story building, according to NASA and the ESA. As the nickname suggests, an asteroid of this size would, as Scientific American magazine put it, unleash "enough localized devastation to destroy any unlucky metropolis in the way," with immediate effects resembling a detonating hydrogen bomb. Asteroid YR4 is a near-Earth asteroid, which NASA explained means it has an orbit that brings it into Earth's region of the solar system. As it was large enough to cause localized damage if it were to impact Earth, and surpassed the 1% impact probability threshold, it was of interest for planetary defense until the probability of impact was lowered. For some time, YR4 was the only object among more than 37,000 known large space rocks with any chance of hitting Earth anytime soon. Though the probability was only 3.1%, this actually marked a record high. With new observations in February 2025, however, astronomers announced that the probability had lowered to only 0.28%. Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a below 0.5% chance of hitting the Earth, according to observations from NASA and other astronomers. Another asteroid, Aphophis, received some attention after its discovery in 2004, and the 2.7% chance it held of hitting Earth in 2029. Additional observations showed that, while it will make a close flyby, Apophis does not pose a risk. While a collision with the Earth has now been ruled out, the moon is another story. Webb's March observations showed that the odds of YR4 colliding with the moon had risen from February from 1.7% to 3.8%. Odds rose again after Webb's May observations to 4.3%. NASA assured the public, however, that the moon's orbit around the Earth would not be altered by a collision with an asteroid the size of YR4. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK, contributed to this report. Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@ This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: What is a 'city killer' asteroid? NASA says asteroid may hit moon
