How to keep Earth from being cooked by the ever-hotter Sun
Here are two options for future humans to keep us in the habitable zone. I’d wager a guess that we are, as a species, rather fond of our home planet (our wanton carbon emissions notwithstanding). But the ugly truth is that the Eart.....»»
In the race for space metals, companies hope to cash in
Mining asteroids could reduce the burden on Earth’s resources. Will it live up to its promise? Enlarge / An illustration depicts a NASA spacecraft approaching the metal-rich asteroid Psyche. Though there are no plans to mine P.....»»
NASA’s Quest to Touch the Sun
The outer layers of the sun’s atmosphere are a blistering million degrees hotter than its surface. NASA sent a probe to find out why—by getting closer to the star than ever before......»»
The Earth Is About to Feast on Dead Cicadas
Two cicada broods, XIX and XIII, are emerging in sync for the first time in 221 years. They’re bringing the banquet of a lifetime for birds, trees, and humans alike......»»
Clues from deep magma reservoirs could improve volcanic eruption forecasts
New research into molten rock 20km below the Earth's surface could help save lives by improving the prediction of volcanic activity......»»
Scientists unlock key to breeding "carbon gobbling" plants with a major appetite
The discovery of how a critical enzyme "hidden in nature's blueprint" works sheds new light on how cells control key processes in carbon fixation, a process fundamental for life on Earth......»»
Hubble Space Telescope glimpses spiral galaxy UGC 9684
The celestial object showcased in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is the spiral galaxy UGC 9684, which lies around 240 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Boötes. This image shows an impressive example of several.....»»
Strong solar storm could disrupt communications and produce northern lights in US
An unusually strong solar storm headed toward Earth could produce northern lights in the U.S. this weekend and potentially disrupt power and communications......»»
We need to consider conservation efforts on Mars, say researchers
Astrobiology is the field of science that studies the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. In practice, this means sending robotic missions beyond Earth to analyze the atmospheres, surfaces, and chemistry of extraterr.....»»
Astronomers propose a new stellar theory to explain the origin of phosphorus
Astronomers have proposed a new theory to explain the origin of phosphorus, one of the elements important for life on Earth. The theory suggests a type of stellar explosion known as "ONe novae" as a major source of phosphorus......»»
Unearthing the impacts of hydrological sensitivity on global rainfall
Georgia Tech researcher Jie He set out to predict how rainfall will change as Earth's atmosphere continues to heat up. In the process, he made some unexpected discoveries that might explain how greenhouse gas emissions will impact tropical oceans, af.....»»
City Trees Save Lives
Green spaces significantly cool our ever-hotter cities. New research suggests more trees could cut heat-related ER visits in LA by up to two-thirds......»»
International SWOT mission can improve flood prediction
Rivers, lakes, and reservoirs are like our planet's arteries, carrying life-sustaining water in interconnected networks. When Earth's water cycle runs too fast, flooding can result, threatening lives and property. That risk is increasing as climate c.....»»
Webb presents best evidence to date for rocky exoplanet atmosphere
Researchers using NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope may have detected an atmosphere surrounding 55 Cancri e, a rocky exoplanet 41 light-years from Earth. This is the best evidence to date for a rocky planet atmosphere outside our solar system......»»
"Lost" spy satellite orbited Earth undetected for 25 years—until now, scientists say
An experimental spy satellite that was deemed "lost" after eluding detection for decades has finally been found. "The S73-7 satellite has been rediscovered after being untracked for 25 years," astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell said in an April 29 post.....»»
Study reveals new mechanism to explain how continents stabilized
Ancient, expansive tracts of continental crust called cratons have helped keep Earth's continents stable for billions of years, even as landmasses shift, mountains rise and oceans form. A new mechanism proposed by Penn State scientists may explain ho.....»»
Computer models suggest modern plate tectonics are due to blobs left behind by cosmic collision
A small team of geologists and seismologists at the California Institute of Technology has found evidence via computer modeling that suggest giant blobs of material near the Earth's core, believed to have been created by a cosmic collision 4.5 billio.....»»
World extends run of heat records for an 11th month in a row
April was the Earth's 11th consecutive month of record-breaking heat, with warmer weather already sweeping across Asia and a hotter-than-usual summer expected in Europe......»»
Geologists reveal mysterious and diverse volcanism in lunar Apollo Basin, Chang"e-6 landing site
The far side of the moon is a mysterious place that is never visible from the Earth. The most remarkable feature of the moon is its asymmetry between the lunar near side and far side in composition, crust thickness, and mare volcanism. Scientists hav.....»»
What can early Earth teach us about the search for life?
Earth is the only life-supporting planet we know of, so it's tempting to use it as a standard in the search for life elsewhere. But the modern Earth can't serve as a basis for evaluating exoplanets and their potential to support life. Earth's atmosph.....»»
Scientists cook pancakes, Brussels sprouts and stir fry to detect an oxidant indoors for the first time
A feast cooked up by UBC researchers has revealed singlet oxygen indoors for the first time. The work is published in the journal Environmental Science: Atmospheres......»»