Scientists have discovered that space hurricanes are real after finding evidence of one years ago that occurred over the North Pole. As if the revelation of space hurricanes wasn't enough, the scientists also learned that it rained down charged electrons, according to a new abstract on Nature.com as reported by The Weather Channel. A Shandong University research team recorded a swirl-type formation of plasma above the North Pole on August 20, 2014, and it's now been determined, years later, that the glowing swirl was actually a space hurricane. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gorgeous-photos-of-earth-from-space&captions=true"] "Until now, it was uncertain that space plasma hurricanes even existed, so to prove this with such a striking observation is incredible," University of Reading space environment physicist, Mike Lockwood, said in a statement to The Weather Channel. This hurricane was observed in the magnetosphere – no, this isn't related to the X-Men, although that'd be awesome – which is the space surrounding Earth where charged particles are affected by, in this case, the Earth's magnetic field. It was this magnetosphere that helped scientists to determine that the 2014 space hurricane rained down charged electrons. The electrons rained down into the planet's ionosphere, which is, "a part of the Earth’s upper atmosphere that is ionized or charged by solar radiation," according to The Weather Channel, which created an enormous, cyclone-shaped aurora. This aurora, and any aurora commonly see in the North Pole or South Pole regions of the world, occur when there's a disturbance in the magnetosphere. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/04/human-made-space-bubble-is-shielding-the-earth-from-radiation"] According to the scientists and their abstract, this space hurricane was made of plasma and featured multiple outbursting arms that swirled in a counterclockwise direction at speeds as fast as 2100 meters per second or 4698 miles per hour. Much like the hurricanes that happen down here on Earth, the eye of this space hurricane basically remained still while the rest of the storm swirled quickly around it. The results of the team's findings mean that aurora can now be used to potentially identify space hurricanes. It also means that the magnetosphere, previously deemed a calm region, can be the location of some severe conditions, like that of a space hurricane, which could possibly affect the lower spheres of Earth, according to The Weather Channel. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/06/24/igns-top-10-best-disaster-movies"] "This study suggests that there are still existing local intense geomagnetic disturbance and energy depositions, which is comparable to that during superstorms," Shandong University space physicist and study lead, Qing-He Zhang, wrote in the abstract. "This will update our understanding of the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling process under extremely quiet geomagnetic conditions." For more science, check out this story about dust storms on Mars that glow purple with tiny sparks and then read about these spooky circles in space that are puzzling astronomers. Check out IGN's list of the top 10 best disaster movies ever made after that. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

This week in GTA Online, claim double rewards in Air Freight Cargo Sell Missions, Stockpile, Air and Sea Races, and much more.

This week in GTA Online, claim double rewards in Air Freight Cargo Sell Missions, Stockpile, Air and Sea Races, and much more.

Hero Collector will be releasing a new series of collectibles called the Star Trek Universe Starship Collection, featuring high-quality replicas of starships from Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, and the upcoming Captian Pike series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Set to launch in April 2021, these hand-painted, die-cast starship models are meant to replicate their onscreen counterparts. Each one also comes with an in-depth magazine, including ship specs, behind-the-scenes info, and interviews with designers. The Star Trek Universe Starship Collection will be a monthly collection and Hero Collector has only revealed the first six starships - La Sirena, U.S.S Zheng He, Romulan Bird of Prey, Fenris Ranger Ship, Narek's Snakehead, and Romulan Bomber Warbird. You can see each starship and their full descriptions in the slideshow below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-trek-universe-starship-collection&captions=true"] This collection was designed as a continuation of Hero Collector's Star Trek: Discovery Starships Collection, meaning these new starships will be at the same scale to keep collections compatible. Here are more details on each ship from Hero Collector: La Sirena: The hero ship of Star Trek: Picard, this Kaplan F17 Speed Freighter was hired by Jean-Luc Picard and helmed by Captain Rios, an ex-Starfleet officer himself. It was a discreet warp-capable ship, well-suited to the search for Soji Asha. U.S.S. Zheng He: An Inquiry-class starship, the U.S.S. Zheng He was touted as the toughest, fastest, most powerful ship Starfleet had ever put into service. William Riker returned from retirement to captain it into battle above the planet Coppelius. Romulan Bird-of-Prey: A retro callback to the classic Romulan designs of the Original Series, this antique Romulan starship was owned by the warlord Kar Kantar, and terrorized shipping throughout the Qiris Sector. Fenris Ranger Ship: A small, aggressively-armed one-person starship, this vessel was piloted by Seven of Nine in her work with the vigilante Fenris Rangers. She used it to come to the rescue of La Sirena when it came under fire in the Qiris Sector. Narek’s Snakehead: A nimble Romulan scout vessel, the Snakehead’s size belied its formidable armaments and cloaking capabilities. Narek flew this starship in pursuit of La Sirena, as it fled The Artifact. Romulan Bomber Warbird: A new class of Romulan starship, this sharp-edged, angular warbird was employed by both the Romulan Free State and the secretive Tal Shiar in their exploitation of The Artifact. These collectibles can be purchased as part of a subscription or individually, beginning with the La Sirena from Star Trek: Picard. They will be available from your favorite specialty retailers or direct from Eaglemoss Hero Collector. Fans can also register their interest or subscribe to the collection at Hero Collector. For more on Star Trek, check out our review of Picard's first season finale, the review of the finale of Star Trek: Discovery's third season, or the teases of Star Trek: Prodigy and Strange New Worlds from Comic-Con 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/dig-into-the-specs-of-ds9s-classic-starship-the-uss-defiant"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Hero Collector will be releasing a new series of collectibles called the Star Trek Universe Starship Collection, featuring high-quality replicas of starships from Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, and the upcoming Captian Pike series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Set to launch in April 2021, these hand-painted, die-cast starship models are meant to replicate their onscreen counterparts. Each one also comes with an in-depth magazine, including ship specs, behind-the-scenes info, and interviews with designers. The Star Trek Universe Starship Collection will be a monthly collection and Hero Collector has only revealed the first six starships - La Sirena, U.S.S Zheng He, Romulan Bird of Prey, Fenris Ranger Ship, Narek's Snakehead, and Romulan Bomber Warbird. You can see each starship and their full descriptions in the slideshow below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-trek-universe-starship-collection&captions=true"] This collection was designed as a continuation of Hero Collector's Star Trek: Discovery Starships Collection, meaning these new starships will be at the same scale to keep collections compatible. Here are more details on each ship from Hero Collector: La Sirena: The hero ship of Star Trek: Picard, this Kaplan F17 Speed Freighter was hired by Jean-Luc Picard and helmed by Captain Rios, an ex-Starfleet officer himself. It was a discreet warp-capable ship, well-suited to the search for Soji Asha. U.S.S. Zheng He: An Inquiry-class starship, the U.S.S. Zheng He was touted as the toughest, fastest, most powerful ship Starfleet had ever put into service. William Riker returned from retirement to captain it into battle above the planet Coppelius. Romulan Bird-of-Prey: A retro callback to the classic Romulan designs of the Original Series, this antique Romulan starship was owned by the warlord Kar Kantar, and terrorized shipping throughout the Qiris Sector. Fenris Ranger Ship: A small, aggressively-armed one-person starship, this vessel was piloted by Seven of Nine in her work with the vigilante Fenris Rangers. She used it to come to the rescue of La Sirena when it came under fire in the Qiris Sector. Narek’s Snakehead: A nimble Romulan scout vessel, the Snakehead’s size belied its formidable armaments and cloaking capabilities. Narek flew this starship in pursuit of La Sirena, as it fled The Artifact. Romulan Bomber Warbird: A new class of Romulan starship, this sharp-edged, angular warbird was employed by both the Romulan Free State and the secretive Tal Shiar in their exploitation of The Artifact. These collectibles can be purchased as part of a subscription or individually, beginning with the La Sirena from Star Trek: Picard. They will be available from your favorite specialty retailers or direct from Eaglemoss Hero Collector. Fans can also register their interest or subscribe to the collection at Hero Collector. For more on Star Trek, check out our review of Picard's first season finale, the review of the finale of Star Trek: Discovery's third season, or the teases of Star Trek: Prodigy and Strange New Worlds from Comic-Con 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/dig-into-the-specs-of-ds9s-classic-starship-the-uss-defiant"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Mario and several of his friends have warp piped their way into Animal Crossing, and the endlessly artistic community has already turned a relatively simple catalog of new Mario furniture items into stunning island designs in a matter of days. If you haven't yet seen it, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is celebrating Mario's 35th anniversary with a slate of new Mario-themed items and costumes added to the game. These include, alongside outfits of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Wario, a number of decorative items like nothing the game has had before. There are coins that can be "collected" by players, interactable items like Stars and Mushrooms, hovering blocks and giant mushrooms that can have items placed upon them, and most exciting of all -- a Warp Pipe that can transport you instantly to a second Warp Pipe placed elsewhere on your island. So, of course, the Animal Crossing community is already making some amazing creations, including yes, literal actual platforming courses:

AC is a Mario platformer game now#AnimalCrossing #ACNH pic.twitter.com/OpMVI6wYfL

— doom desire (@doom_mori) March 1, 2021

Mario courses like this don't just pop up overnight -- literally -- in Animal Crossing. All the Mario items are available through a separate tab of the Nook Shopping app, but the app limits you to ordering five items a day. Which means if you want to make elaborate courses like this, you need to time travel...a lot. Some players have used custom patterns on the ground to theme their outdoor levels in creative ways, like this area reminiscent of sky levels:

marvel at my mario world. #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/QR3ftkWxTB — Danielle Dungeonrunner (@D_Dungeonrunner) March 2, 2021

Or this amazing rendition of Rainbow Road:

レインボーロードを再現してみた#マリオカート8dx #マリオ家具 #どうぶつの森 #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/L55JG3qch5 — Beluz/ベルヅ (@Beluz_kintere) March 1, 2021

Or even a Mario Party recreation:

A recreation of the Lucky Space Event from "Mario Party 8" in New Horizons style ^o^ #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/kdaC231KIe — (@Mettuar30) March 2, 2021

Players aren't just making amazing outdoor courses -- there are also some really wonderful indoor set-ups being done in people's houses using the floor and wallpaper sets along with the Mario furniture items.

I have all the mario stuff!! #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/0rYxMnto8Q — KittyPie (@Ash_KittyPie) March 3, 2021

A few creators have gone beyond just recreating Mario 2D levels, and have used custom design prints to put together recreations of fan-favorite 3D spaces, like Peach's Castle: Some clever players aren't using the Mario items specifically to make Mario stages, but rather are getting clever with items like the Warp Pipes and floating blocks. The Warp Pipes, for instance, make island transit easier in ways that allow for interesting or beautiful designs that weren't possible before, given that they only take up about one "square" of space, while a ramp can take up several. Others noticed that the floating blocks can be used to make tunnels -- again, a feature that wasn't possible with the items and features available in the game previously. There are lots of other beautiful creations incorporating the Mario items, including several gorgeous mushroom forests and this clever use of Warp Pipes that appear to have ended up in the wrong video game entirely:

Made use of the new Mario pipes https://t.co/AAv3ZmLh1P pic.twitter.com/gtp1aVSKZs

— John Edwards (@EuclidianBoxes) March 2, 2021

Meanwhile, a few people are just using the Mario costumes to make "Mario" do goofy things in the Animal Crossing universe:

Mario routine #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/caqB7D0krh

— Rikrio (@RikrioTastroff) March 3, 2021

Smash Bros. players: Buff Mario! Buff Mario: #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/LeMwYREzIk

— Phøx McMint #BLM (@Phox_McMint) March 4, 2021

Finally, multiple creators have noticed that at least one popular Mario character seems to have been left out of the costuming options for this update: Waluigi. A few folks have tried to give the tennis-playing antagonist an appearance with custom clothing designs, and are using those designs to let their disappointment be known via meme format, like this one: Sorry, Waluigi. Maybe next time? (Please, Nintendo!) [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Mario and several of his friends have warp piped their way into Animal Crossing, and the endlessly artistic community has already turned a relatively simple catalog of new Mario furniture items into stunning island designs in a matter of days. If you haven't yet seen it, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is celebrating Mario's 35th anniversary with a slate of new Mario-themed items and costumes added to the game. These include, alongside outfits of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Wario, a number of decorative items like nothing the game has had before. There are coins that can be "collected" by players, interactable items like Stars and Mushrooms, hovering blocks and giant mushrooms that can have items placed upon them, and most exciting of all -- a Warp Pipe that can transport you instantly to a second Warp Pipe placed elsewhere on your island. So, of course, the Animal Crossing community is already making some amazing creations, including yes, literal actual platforming courses:

AC is a Mario platformer game now#AnimalCrossing #ACNH pic.twitter.com/OpMVI6wYfL

— doom desire (@doom_mori) March 1, 2021

Mario courses like this don't just pop up overnight -- literally -- in Animal Crossing. All the Mario items are available through a separate tab of the Nook Shopping app, but the app limits you to ordering five items a day. Which means if you want to make elaborate courses like this, you need to time travel...a lot. Some players have used custom patterns on the ground to theme their outdoor levels in creative ways, like this area reminiscent of sky levels:

marvel at my mario world. #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/QR3ftkWxTB — Danielle Dungeonrunner (@D_Dungeonrunner) March 2, 2021

Or this amazing rendition of Rainbow Road:

レインボーロードを再現してみた#マリオカート8dx #マリオ家具 #どうぶつの森 #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/L55JG3qch5 — Beluz/ベルヅ (@Beluz_kintere) March 1, 2021

Or even a Mario Party recreation:

A recreation of the Lucky Space Event from "Mario Party 8" in New Horizons style ^o^ #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/kdaC231KIe — (@Mettuar30) March 2, 2021

Players aren't just making amazing outdoor courses -- there are also some really wonderful indoor set-ups being done in people's houses using the floor and wallpaper sets along with the Mario furniture items.

I have all the mario stuff!! #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/0rYxMnto8Q — KittyPie (@Ash_KittyPie) March 3, 2021

A few creators have gone beyond just recreating Mario 2D levels, and have used custom design prints to put together recreations of fan-favorite 3D spaces, like Peach's Castle: Some clever players aren't using the Mario items specifically to make Mario stages, but rather are getting clever with items like the Warp Pipes and floating blocks. The Warp Pipes, for instance, make island transit easier in ways that allow for interesting or beautiful designs that weren't possible before, given that they only take up about one "square" of space, while a ramp can take up several. Others noticed that the floating blocks can be used to make tunnels -- again, a feature that wasn't possible with the items and features available in the game previously. There are lots of other beautiful creations incorporating the Mario items, including several gorgeous mushroom forests and this clever use of Warp Pipes that appear to have ended up in the wrong video game entirely:

Made use of the new Mario pipes https://t.co/AAv3ZmLh1P pic.twitter.com/gtp1aVSKZs

— John Edwards (@EuclidianBoxes) March 2, 2021

Meanwhile, a few people are just using the Mario costumes to make "Mario" do goofy things in the Animal Crossing universe:

Mario routine #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/caqB7D0krh

— Rikrio (@RikrioTastroff) March 3, 2021

Smash Bros. players: Buff Mario! Buff Mario: #AnimalCrossing #ACNH #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/LeMwYREzIk

— Phøx McMint #BLM (@Phox_McMint) March 4, 2021

Finally, multiple creators have noticed that at least one popular Mario character seems to have been left out of the costuming options for this update: Waluigi. A few folks have tried to give the tennis-playing antagonist an appearance with custom clothing designs, and are using those designs to let their disappointment be known via meme format, like this one: Sorry, Waluigi. Maybe next time? (Please, Nintendo!) [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

The first images from Space Jam: A New Legacy have been revealed in a report from Entertainment Weekly, showing off LeBron James in action, as well a look at 3D animated Bugs Bunny. The images come as part of a first-look feature, which also reveals a few new details about the film's plot. James plays a "heightened version" of himself, while his in-universe son Dom is played by Cedric Joe. James and Dom are pulled into a video game "Server-verse", where they must contend with Al G Rhythm, an artificial intelligence seeking influence and followers, played by Don Cheadle. To save his son and escape this virtual reality, James will have to team up with the Loony Tunes and play virtual basketball. Space Jam: A New Legacy is targeting a theatrical release this summer, with a simultaneous July 16 streaming release on HBO Max. LeBron James will be joined by Star Trek: Discovery's Sonequa Martin-Green. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/27/star-trek-discoverys-sonequa-martin-green-joins-space-jam"] The Space Jam sequel is just one of many films Warner Bros has planned for HBO Max this year, as all 17 planned theatrical releases are planned for concurrent release on the streaming platform. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

WarnerMedia chief Jason Kilar has talked about the potential expansion of the Harry Potter franchise for HBO Max and Warner Bros. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kilar made an appearance at an investors conference on Thursday, where he seemingly cast the proverbial Lumos charm and shed a little bit of light on the subject of Harry Potter projects at HBO Max. He noted there was a lot of "potential" for sequels and spinoffs, though he stayed under the Silencio spell and didn't reveal any firm development plans. "There's this little thing called Harry Potter, which is one of the most beloved franchises," Kilar told the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Conference during a webcast session. "And we're incredibly thankful to be able to partner with J.K. Rowling and so I would argue there's lot [sic] of fun and potential there as well." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/26/what-is-hbo-max-doing-with-harry-potter"] The outlet notes that "discussion about possible sequels for Harry Potter" came as Kilar addressed "the creative fortunes going forward for Warner Bros." In particular, Kilar highlighted the success of HBO and HBO Max after subscribers topped nearly 61 million worldwide in 2020. He said the streamer was "so far ahead of pretty much any metric," including engagement, usage-per-day, and subscriber count. This comes shortly after a report emerged about a Harry Potter TV series being in early development at HBO Max. Sources indicated that "broad ideas" for the project had been discussed, but that no deals had been made. HBO Max and Warner Bros. commented on the speculation at the time, telling THR that, "There are no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform." However, it's possible that HBO Max and Warner Bros. were giving a response based on a very different definition of "in development" — with early discussions reportedly ongoing, the two companies may not have defined the project as formally in development at this early stage, especially with no talent, director, or writers being attached to the potential series yet. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-harry-potter-characters&captions=true"] Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe previously told IGN that he expects the stories to receive a full movie or TV reboot one day, saying, "It will be interesting to see how long those films stay... it feels like there's a sacredness around them at the moment, but that'll go, the shine will wear off at some point. It'll be interesting if they reboot them and just do the films again or do a series; I'm fascinated to watch." It remains unclear what part Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling will play in future additions to the franchise, particularly those coming from the entertainment companies that hold the rights to create Harry Potter projects, but whatever the case turns out to be, we think the Harry Potter saga needs a fresh start via the medium of television, and HBO Max might just be the answer for that. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2's Pyra and Mythra will be available in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate later today, March 4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game director Masahiro Sakurai revealed the news during a deep-dive of these latest fighters to join the roster.

Mr. Sakurai Presents “Pyra/Mythra”. #SmashBrosUltimate https://t.co/GAP469SIvI

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 4, 2021

Pyra and Mythra will arrive alongside the Cloud Sea of Alrest stage and will be available as part of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol. 2 for $29.99 USD or separately for $5.99 USD. While Pyra and Mythra are technically one fighter in the selection screen, players are able to alternate between them at will during battle. Pyra is a much more powerful fighter, while Mythra excels in speed. By switching at opportune times, players will be able to take advantage of each of their strengths and keep their opponents guessing. While Pyra and Mythra were chosen over Rex for DLC Fighters, he does make an appearance in both of their Final Smash attacks - Burning Sword for Pyra and Sacred Arrow for Mythra. Pyra's attack is meant for KOs while Mythra's is for damage. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/17/super-smash-bros-ultimate-pyra-and-mythra-dlc-character-announcement-trailer"] The new stage, Cloud Sea of Alrest, is based on one of the most iconic settings in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and is set on the back of Azurda, a massive creature that swims through the Sea of Clouds. As the battle rages on, familiar characters and sights from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will make an appearance. You may also be wondering what Kirby will look like once he absorbs the abilities of Pyra and Mythra. Luckily, Nintendo Versus has you covered. Also arriving today are new paid Mii Fighter costumes, including Arthur's Armor and Helm from Ghosts 'N Goblins and Rathaloas Armor and Helm and the Hunter Armor and Helm from the Monster Hunter Series. Pyra and Mythra arrive after Final Fantasy VII's Sephiroth joined the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As previously mentioned, that leaves two fighters left to be announced for the Fighters Pass Vol. 2. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/04/super-smash-bros-ultimate-mii-fighter-costumes-9-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.