The discovery of a giant marine reptile skull in the United States has revealed new theories about the speed of evolution and how quickly the process can produce diversity.The giant ichthyosaur fossil -- with a skull measuring almost two meters…
The James Webb Space Telescope is finally on the launchpad. The space observatory, safely tucked inside an Ariane 5 rocket, is expected to launch on December 25.The rocket and its precious cargo rolled out to the Arianespace ELA-3 launch complex…
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Comet Leonard, which last passed by Earth 80,000 years ago, has been dazzling the night sky before Christmas, and there's only a few days left to see the celestial object before it disappears forever.The imager onboard the Solar Orbiter, a…
For the second year in a row, a worrying new coronavirus variant has scuppered holiday plans around the world.This year, it's the Omicron strain that has scientists and governments concerned -- in just a matter of weeks, it has become…
The human story -- where we come from and how we evolved -- got a new chapter in 2021.Thanks to new fossil finds and analysis of ancient DNA preserved in teeth, bones and cave dirt, scientists have unearthed startling revelations…
The Philippines are struggling to recover after Super Typhoon Rai devastated the islands last week.The storm left a death toll exceeding 300 people. Those on the ground believe the actual number is higher than has so far been reported, as…
This year, we got to know our universe a little bit better.Discoveries in our solar system helped us become better acquainted with planets like Mars and Venus. Waves of light reached us from across the cosmos to tell ancient stories…
It might be time to rethink your festive plans, the World Health Organization has warned amid a rising number of cases of the coronavirus caused by the Omicron variant.World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the pandemic might mean…
A crisp wind blew off the Gulf of Mexico as photojournalist and commercial photographer Mark Wallheiser set up his camera on a tripod near the edge of the water. He unfolded his camping chair, opened a cold beer and settled…
Just over a year after Japan's Hayabusa2 mission returned the first subsurface sample of an asteroid to Earth, scientists have determined that the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu is a pristine remnant from the formation of our solar system.This was the first…
If you've never heard of the Siau scops-owl, there's a good reason why -- and it's not because your knowledge of birds isn't quite up to scratch. Nobody has seen the elusive owl since 1866, and it's not the only…
The sun is the literal star of the show in our solar system, but we're still trying to figure out our celestial disco ball.Debates about the sun were first posed by ancient Greek philosophers. Thousands of years later, the combined…
As the rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant looms across parts of the globe and the Delta variant remains dominant -- for now -- in others, the Covid-19 pandemic is again threatening holiday celebrations for millions.Several European cities have…
Bundle up to enjoy the last full moon of the year.The last full moon of 2021 will reach peak illumination on Saturday, December 18, at 11:32 p.m. ET, according to NASA, but you can trace its path across the sky…
The largest planet in our solar system appears to look more and more like a work of art. It's full of surprises -- and so are its moons.The NASA Juno mission, which began orbiting Jupiter in July 2016, just recently…
The isolated Faroe Islands were once home to an unknown population in 500 AD, about 350 years before Vikings ever arrived, according to new research. And the evidence comes from an unusual source: ancient sheep poop.The striking Faroes are a…
Mars has its own version of the Grand Canyon, and scientists have learned this dramatic feature is home to "significant amounts of water" after a discovery made by an orbiter circling the red planet, according to the European Space Agency.The…
The rapid spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant has broken pandemic records and shuttered borders in several parts of the world, as governments and scientists scramble to understand the implications of the strain before it supersedes Delta and becomes dominant…
Lava once flowed at the site of an ancient lake on Mars.The Perseverance rover landed on the planet just 10 months ago, but it has already made that surprising discovery.The rover's latest finding suggests that the bedrock it has been…
