Our Daily Planet: Civil War Weather and Confused Polar Bears

The Science of Personal Finance

Each weekday morning, OurAmazingPlanet takes the pulse of the Earth, reporting on natural phenomena and exploration news from around the globe.

Japan Aftershocks: The second large aftershock in two days, a magnitude 6.2, rocked Japan today. [Related: When Will the Aftershocks in Japan End?]

Disturbed Den: A pair of polar bears went to sleep in their den on a deserted island, only to wake up in the middle of a construction site.

Civil War Weather: On this date in 1861, Confederate cannons fired the first shot of the Civil War. Find out what the weather was like during the war's early months.

Penguins Plummet: Two penguin species have declined sharply over the last 30 years because predators and fishers are taking all their food.

Previously on Our Daily Planet: Japan Aftershock and Iowa's Tornado Outbreak

Reach OurAmazingPlanet staff writer Brett Israel at bisrael@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @btisrael.

Brett Israel was a staff writer for Live Science with a focus on environmental issues. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from The University of Georgia, a master’s degree in journalism from New York University, and has studied doctorate-level biochemistry at Emory University.