Earth
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.…
Eggshell Planets Have a Thin Brittle Crust and No Mountains or Tectonics
Planets without plate tectonics are unlikely to be habitable. But currently, we've never seen the surface of an exoplanet to…
Landsat 9’s First Images are Here
The latest satellite in the Landsat family of Earth observation spacecraft has collected its “first light” images of our planet.…
Scientists Simulate the Climate of Arrakis. It Turns Out Dune is a Pretty Realistic Exoplanet
Science fiction author Frank Herbert is renowned for the richly-detailed worlds he created. None of his work is more well-known…