Earth

A rogue star could cast Earth into darkness – and that would be the end of humanity

A new study outlines a rare but chilling scenario: A wandering star from the depths of the galaxy could disrupt the orbits of the planets, fling Earth out of the solar system – and end humanity.

 Are we in a great danger?
A mechanical clock

Scientists warn that the Earth’s rotation is accelerating, making Wednesday in living memory

 Earth's oldest stones: New dating puts Greenstone Belt age at 4.16 billion years.

Earth's oldest stones: New dating puts Greenstone Belt age at 4.16 billion years

 Dieses undatierte Handout-Bild zeigt die künstlerische Darstellung eines Planeten und seines Wirtssterns mit einer verschobenen Materialscheibe und einem binären Begleiter im Hintergrund.

Wissenschaftler finden bisher stärksten Hinweis auf außerirdisches Leben


Uncontrolled reentry of Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482 expected in May

Experts say the Venus-bound probe's durable design could allow it to survive reentry, posing a small risk to populated areas.

 Uncontrolled reentry of Soviet-era spacecraft Kosmos 482 expected in May.

Aging with dignity: The telescope that changed space exploration celebrates 35 years

The Hubble Telescope, 35 years of groundbreaking discoveries, continues to surprise despite glitches, retirement risk, and replacements, remaining at the forefront of space research.

Hubble Telescope

Atlantis Mountain's hidden fortress: A glimpse into Earth's undersea Lost City

Scientists warn, "Any plume or discharge caused by mining could easily enter the extraordinary habitat," highlighting the risks posed by deep-sea mining to the Lost City.

 Atlantis Mountain's hidden fortress: A glimpse into Earth's undersea Lost City.

ESA launches Biomass satellite to map Earth's forests and measure carbon storage

Using a new radar technique, Biomass can 'see' through clouds and tree canopies down to the forest floor, where most biomass—and therefore carbon—is concentrated.

 ESA launches Biomass satellite to map Earth's forests and measure carbon storage.

Study: 41,000 years ago the North Pole shifted – early humans used sunscreen to survive

The production of tailored clothing and the use of ochre as a sunscreen may have given Homo sapiens an advantage over Neanderthals.

 Illustration: An aurora spreading out to the south.

Scientists find strongest evidence yet of life on an alien planet

Madhusudhan noted that there are various efforts underway searching for signs of life in our solar system.

 An artist's depiction of a planet and its host star with a misaligned disk of material, and a binary companion in the background, is shown in this undated handout image.

Pink Moon will appear as Micro Moon on April 12

At its farthest point from Earth, the full moon will appear approximately 14% smaller and 30% dimmer than a supermoon.

 Pink Moon will appear as Micro Moon on April 12. Illustration.

Researchers discover Earth's first crust, formed 4.5 billion years ago, had chemical features simil

Scientists have long thought that tectonic plates needed to dive beneath each other to create the chemical fingerprint we see in continents.

 Researchers discover Earth's first crust, formed 4.5 billion years ago, had chemical features similar to modern continental crust.

Astronomers see lower risk of newly found asteroid hitting Earth

The asteroid, called 2024 YR4, is orbiting on a path that will bring it close to Earth in 2032, with scientists previously calculating impact probability at around 3%.

 Asteroid 2024 YR4's impact risk increases to 3.1%, highest ever recorded. Illustration.

Evidence of beaches from ancient Martian ocean detected by Chinese rover

The findings are the latest evidence indicating the existence of this hypothesized ocean, called Deuteronilus, roughly 3.5 to 4 billion years ago on Mars.

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its black-and-white navigation cameras to capture panoramas of “Marker Band Valley” at two times of day on April 8. Color was added to a combination of both panoramas for an artistic interpretation of the scene.

Smithsonian meteorites help unlock the mystery of Earth's water arrival

New study challenges previous theories that the Moon-forming event was key in delivering water to Earth.

 Smithsonian meteorites help unlock the mystery of Earth's water arrival. Illustration.