Eco in space

Scientists are poised to send out special satellites, similar to the Hubble Space Telescope, to monitor the Earth’s ecology. According to National Geographic, the telescopes are part of a new program called NEON (National Ecological Network Observatory), which is set to be up and running by 2016.

NEON, funded by the National Science Foundation and costing a whopping $300 million to build, calls for 20 satellites, set up to observe 20 different habitats. The goal is to be able to monitor changes in biodiversity, climate, invasive species and other environmental issues.

Perhaps one of the coolest parts of the program is that the satellite pictures will be available to the public, so that everyone can study the results on their own. NEON will also offer opportunities for the public to help with field research.