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Science

The latest science news, photos and videos covering space, the environment, human development and more.


In case you missed it

Global warming has slightly slowed Earth's rotation — and it could affect how we measure time

A new study found that ice loss caused by climate change is redistributing mass on the Earth enough to alter its spin.
Midnight sun on the ice sheet.
Midnight sun on the ice sheet.
4d ago

New image reveals spiraling magnetic field around Milky Way’s supermassive black hole

The image offers a never-before-seen view of the black hole at the center of our galaxy, as well as a clue that many or all black holes may share a pattern.
The Event Horizon Telescope  collaboration has captured a new view of the black hole at the center of our Galaxy seen in polarized light.
The Event Horizon Telescope  collaboration has captured a new view of the black hole at the center of our Galaxy seen in polarized light.
7d ago

Upcoming solar eclipse promises to be the best yet for scientific experiments

The eclipse could be a scientific bonanza, thanks to new spacecraft and telescopes, the moon's proximity to Earth and a chance of dramatic bursts of plasma from an active sun.
Three APEP rockets at NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va., on Feb. 21, 2024
Three APEP rockets at NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va., on Feb. 21, 2024
10d ago

Cosmic explosion will be visible to the naked eye in once-in-a-lifetime stargazing event

The event, known as a nova, will be so bright that a “new” star will seem to appear in the night sky temporarily, visible to the naked eye.

EPA issues new rules aimed at cutting carbon emissions, boosting electric vehicles and hybrids

The rules relax initial tailpipe limits proposed last year but eventually get close to the strict standards set out by the Environmental Protection Agency.
sunset evening light shadows aerial highway system
sunset evening light shadows aerial highway system

Seven countries met the WHO's air quality guidelines — and the U.S. and Canada aren't among them

More than 92% of the countries and regions analyzed exceeded guidelines for particulate pollution, according to a report from IQAir, a Swiss air quality-monitoring company.
Canada Wildfires
Canada Wildfires
13d ago

A 'devil comet' is set to swing by the sun and could be visible during the eclipse

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was nicknamed the “devil comet” because an eruption last year left it with two distinct trails of gas and ice in the shape of devil horns.
iTelescope T24 13 x 60 sec, left inset 5 x 60 sec T24 in red channel to better resolve nucleus, and right inset T2 24 x 60 sec for color showing green coma.
iTelescope T24 13 x 60 sec, left inset 5 x 60 sec T24 in red channel to better resolve nucleus, and right inset T2 24 x 60 sec for color showing green coma.

Battered by hurricanes and tired of rebuilding, 90% of population has left this coastal town

The consequences of climate change are already taking a toll on some U.S. communities. In Cameron, Louisiana, hope comes from a natural gas plant that activists call a "carbon bomb."
Wide view of Cameron, Louisiana
Wide view of Cameron, Louisiana

Miami's chief heat officer knows the challenges of a climate-focused job in Florida

Jane Gilbert is working to figure out how one of the hottest cities in the U.S. can protect its most vulnerable denizens while navigating Florida politics.
Miami-Dade County Chief Heat Officer Jane Gilbert in Miami on May 15, 2023.
Miami-Dade County Chief Heat Officer Jane Gilbert in Miami on May 15, 2023.

12 months of record ocean heat has scientists puzzled and concerned

The huge temperature anomaly — which climate change alone is unlikely to explain — could be a bad sign for hurricane season.
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach
18d ago

SpaceX launches Starship rocket into orbit on test flight, but loses spacecraft during return to Earth

In the rocket’s third and most ambitious test flight yet, it achieved two milestones: Starship successfully reached orbit and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere for the first time.
A person takes a photo as SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is prepared for a test flight.
A person takes a photo as SpaceX's mega rocket Starship is prepared for a test flight.

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