We know what invasive species can do on Earth—what about in space?
Invasion science can help keep Earth and other planets safe from alien microbes. Europa could harbor complex life, and we'll have to take care to avoid any cross-contamination. (credit: Ted Stryk/NASA) The Beresheet crash land.....»»
Scientists recreate sound of Earth"s magnetic flip 41,000 years ago
Approximately 41,000 years ago, Earth's magnetic field briefly reversed during what is known as the Laschamp event. During this time, Earth's magnetic field weakened significantly—dropping to a minimum of 5% of its current strength—which allowed.....»»
Northern lights may be visible in much of upper US on Thursday, Friday
Still haven't caught a glimpse of those shimmery northern lights? Minnesotans have a good chance to snag one of those popular aurora borealis photos at the end of this week thanks to a "severe" geomagnetic storm expected to reach Earth on Thursday......»»
Indonesia biomass drive threatens key forests: Report
Indonesia's push to add wood-burning to its energy mix and exports is driving deforestation, including in key habitats for endangered species such as orangutans, a report said Thursday......»»
US forecasts severe solar storm starting Thursday
A massive ball of plasma and accompanying magnetic field ejected from the sun is expected to strike Earth on Thursday morning, potentially triggering auroras as far south as Alabama, according to US forecasters......»»
Wildlife populations plunge 73% since 1970: WWF
Wild populations of monitored animal species have plummeted over 70 percent in the last half-century, according to the latest edition of a landmark assessment by WWF published on Thursday......»»
Researchers find dragonfly species with darker wings have evolved to withstand heat and attract partners
Temperature determines where species can live and if they are threatened by a warming climate. So, for a long time, biologists studied how heat tolerance affects survival. Yet, less is known about how thermal traits influence reproduction, which is d.....»»
How to watch Crew-8 depart the space station on Sunday
Three American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut are preparing to depart the International Space Station about 250 miles above Earth......»»
Jupiter"s Great Red Spot shows unexpected size changes
Astronomers have observed Jupiter's legendary Great Red Spot (GRS), an anticyclone large enough to swallow Earth, for at least 150 years. But there are always new surprises—especially when NASA's Hubble Space Telescope takes a close-up look at it......»»
NASA terminal transmits first laser communications uplink to space
NASA's LCOT (Low-Cost Optical Terminal), a ground station made of modified commercial hardware, has transmitted its first laser communications uplink to the TBIRD (TeraByte Infrared Delivery), a tissue box-sized payload formerly in low Earth orbit......»»
Sludge sequencing: High-throughput single-cell method reveals novel species and genetic diversity
Activated sludge is essential for removing contaminants from wastewater, and understanding the diverse microbial communities it harbors has been a significant task. Traditional methods fail to capture the full spectrum of microbial interactions. Due.....»»
Severe solar storm could stress power grids even more as US deals with major back-to-back hurricanes
A severe solar storm is headed to Earth that could stress power grids even more as the U.S. deals with major back-to-back hurricanes, space weather forecasters said Wednesday......»»
Hubble and New Horizons offer dual perspectives on Uranus to inform exoplanet research
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and New Horizons spacecraft simultaneously set their sights on Uranus recently, allowing scientists to make a direct comparison of the planet from two very different viewpoints. The results inform future plans to study l.....»»
NASA announces a new class of space missions: Probe explorers
NASA has sent a whole host of spacecraft across the solar system and even beyond. They range from crewed ships to orbit and to the moon to robotic explorers. Among them are a range of mission classes from Flagships to Discovery Class programs. Now a.....»»
View of Hurricane Milton captured from space by ISS astronaut
As Florida prepares for the incoming Hurricane Milton, it has been captured from space by an astronaut on the International Space Station......»»
Study shows early human species benefited from food diversity in steep mountainous terrain
A study published in the journal Science Advances by researchers at the IBS Center for Climate Physics (ICCP) at Pusan National University in South Korea shows that the patchwork of different ecosystems found in mountainous regions played a key role.....»»
Astronaut enjoys out-of-this-world view from his bedroom window
Space station astronaut Matthew Dominick recently shared imagery of a beautiful aurora, captured from right where he sleeps......»»
The transition to a circular bioeconomy requires getting prices right, study says
Conventional food and agricultural production systems employ a linear "take, make, waste" approach: taking natural resources from the Earth to make food and fuel, generating waste that contaminates the soil and water, and emitting harmful pollutants......»»
New book brings prehistoric mammals to life
After the extinction of dinosaurs came the age of mammals. A new book brings readers into this world with well-researched species profiles by Aaron Woodruff, collection manager for vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The.....»»
NASA"s Roman space telescope"s "exoskeleton" whirls through major test
A major component of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope just took a spin on the centrifuge at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Called the Outer Barrel Assembly, this piece of the observatory is designed to keep the tel.....»»
Study reveals how parasites thrive by balancing specialization with exploiting diverse species communities
A single shift of a parasite from one host species to another can trigger catastrophic infectious disease outbreaks. Despite this, scientists continue to debate the role of species diversity in natural environments on the spread of these parasites......»»