Earth

Trapped Planetary Waves Amplify Extreme Weather

February 26, 2013, 2:54 pm

A new German study has revealed changes in the patterns of atmospheric flow around the Northern hemisphere that are linked with recent extraordinary weather events.

‘Fifth Force of Nature’ May Help Study Deep Earth

February 26, 2013, 1:09 pm

The four known forces in physics—gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces—might soon be joined by a fifth, known as the long-range spin-spin [...]

Was Earth Zapped by Gamma-Ray Burst in 8th Century?

January 22, 2013, 12:20 pm

A nearby short gamma-ray burst could have produced an intense blast of radiation that hit Earth around A.D. 775, according to new German-led research.

NASA May Capture Asteroid to Orbit Moon

January 14, 2013, 3:00 pm

Scientists at NASA have been asking themselves: what would happen if we caught an asteroid and dragged it a little closer to home?

Divert Power to Shields–Solar Maximum Is Coming

December 14, 2012, 3:30 pm

Over the past few months our planet has been impacted by an increasing number of solar explosions that have erupted from the sun’s surface.

Geminids: Final Meteor Shower of 2012 Peaks Thursday

December 12, 2012, 3:00 pm

The last, and some say the best, meteor display of the year will light up the sky when the Geminids arrive in full force on Dec. 13-14.

Why Is the Sky Blue?

December 10, 2012, 3:30 pm

If you look away from the sun, blue light traveling from the sun through the earth’s atmosphere, but not directly toward you, is scattered by the molecules toward your eye.

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Over Pacific Early Wednesday

November 28, 2012, 1:20 am

The fuzzy edge of the Earth’s shadow will be visible on the moon on Nov. 28 during the last eclipse of 2012.

Super-Earths Not so Big on Life

September 25, 2012, 6:00 pm

Despite their name, super-Earths—rocky exoplanets with a mass up to 10 times our own planet’s—may be uninhabitable, and are more diverse than realized.

Eltanin Asteroid Could Have Triggered Ice Age

September 22, 2012, 6:29 am

A huge asteroid strike about 2.5 million years ago in the South Pacific could have caused a mega-tsunami and even changed the Earth’s climate, according to a new Australian study.