Lightning

As launches and satellites multiply, experts including former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe warn the odds of someone being hit by falling space debris are increasing. While a person is still more likely to be struck by lightning, specialists say governments and companies should be required to use materials that fully burn up on re-entry. The comments add to growing debate over regulating the growing amount of hardware re-entering Earth's atmosphere.

An artistic rendering shows the GRAPES-3 muon telescope, a cosmic ray experiment in India, together with a lightning strike. The telescope monitors muons produced when cosmic rays hit the atmosphere, and researchers study whether thunderstorm electric fields can accelerate particles and modulate muon counts. The image accompanies coverage of the facility's work, though no new findings are detailed in the material available.

Weather in Cancún is drawing attention as forecasts point to continued heat and rain across Quintana Roo. A tropical wave moving over the Yucatán Peninsula, combined with upper-atmosphere disturbances, is expected to bring partly cloudy skies, strong showers with lightning, and temperatures reaching 35 degrees. Local outlets are publishing daily updates as conditions shift through early October.