Earth
How did Earth go From Molten Hellscape to Habitable Planet?
Earth formed from the Sun's protoplanetary disk about 4.6 billion years ago. In the beginning, it was a molten spheroid…
Does the Entire Planet Have a Mind of its Own?
What is humanity? Do our minds set us apart from the rest of nature and from the rest of Earth?…
Massive Rocky Planets Probably Don’t Have big Moons
The Moon has orbited Earth since the Solar System's early days. Anyone who's ever spent time at the ocean can't…
North Korea Releases Pictures of Earth They Say Were Taken From Space
North Korea released some pictures they say come from their recent missile test. The missile they tested—the intermediate-range Hwasong-12—can reach…
The Early Earth was Really Horrible for Life
Earth has had a long and complex history since its formation roughly 4.5 billion years ago. Initially, it was a…
Life on Earth Needed Iron. Will it be the Same on Other Worlds?
A lot has to go right for a planet to support life. Some of the circumstances that allow life to…
Asteroid Apophis’ 2029 Flyby Will Provide a Bonanza of Asteroid Science
If NASA and other space agencies don't want us to freak out about asteroids colliding with Earth, why do they…
Did the Earth’s Water Come From the Sun?
Where did Earth's water come from? Comets may have brought some of it. Asteroids may have brought some. Icy planetesimals…
Did Cosmic Dust Deliver the Phosphorus Needed for Life?
Without phosphorus, there's no life. It's a necessary part of DNA, RNA, and other biological molecules like ATP, which helps…
There’s So Much Pressure at the Earth’s Core, it Makes Iron Behave in a Strange Way
It's one of nature's topsy-turvy tricks that the deep interior of the Earth is as hot as the Sun's surface.…