Latest articles by Stephanie Pappas
2 giant blobs in Earth's mantle may explain Africa's weird geology
One of Earth's two mysterious mantle blobs is much higher than the other, raising questions about its impact on Earth's surface.
The International Space Station will plunge into the sea in 2031, NASA announces
The International Space Station will plunge into the sea in January 2031, NASA has announced.
Largest comet ever observed bumps Hale-Bopp from pedestal
The Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet is officially the largest ever observed, according to new measurements.
Lightning bolt breaks record for longest ever recorded
Storms in the U.S. and Uruguay set new records for longest lightning bolt and longest-duration lightning flash.
Earth inhales and exhales carbon in mesmerizing animation
A new animation of Earth shows vegetation taking up and releasing carbon in sync with the seasons.
Pentagon launches new UFO office. Not all believers are happy about it.
The U.S. government will officially investigate UFOs with a new office based in the Pentagon.
'Wind' from Earth's middle layer blows through a secret passage beneath Panama
The mysterious presence of mantle materials more than 1,000 miles (1,609 km) from where they originated may be explained by a 'window' 62 miles (100 kilometers) below the Earth's surface.
DeepMind cracks 'knot' conjecture that bedeviled mathematicians for decades
The artificial intelligence (AI) program DeepMind has gotten closer to proving a math conjecture that's bedeviled mathematicians for decades.
Earth's spin has slowed. But we still may need a negative leap second.
After speeding up during 2020, the Earth's spin had settled down. A negative leap second may still be needed in the next decade.
Huge hole discovered in Arctic's 'last ice'
A polynya, or rift, opened in the Arctic's oldest, thickest ice in May 2020, new research finds.
Vanishing ice is warping Earth's crust
The melting of Earth's polar ice is warping the planet's crust. Here's how that's linked to climate change.
Solar eclipse looks otherworldly in 'Golden Ring' astrophotography shot
The winning photographs for the 13th annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards have been announced, and the sun is the star of the show.
Photos: Astrophotographers capture stunning views of the night sky for 2021 contest
Here's a look at stunning astronomy images from the Royal Observatory Greenwich's Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition.
Cosmic objects with strange orbits discovered beyond Neptune
A six-year search of space beyond the orbit of Neptune has netted 461 newly discovered objects, including four that could shed light on Planet Nine.
Travel through galaxies and the dark matter web in this stunning universe simulation
A new freely downloadable universe simulation reveals the structure of galaxies and galactic clusters over more than 13 billion years of history.
6 mysterious structures hidden beneath the Greenland ice sheet
The Greenland ice sheet, nearly 2 miles thick in places, hides a landscape of canyons, mountains, fjords and gem-like lakes.
Curiosity rover finds cute little rock 'lizard' on Mars
A small rock arch in Gale Crater is a whimsical example of the textures of Mars.
Fireball streaks across North Texas, creating light show and sonic boom
A fireball streaked across North Texas last night, leading to several hundred witness reports of a bright flash and sonic boom.
4.6 billion-year-old meteorite found in horseshoe footprint
A meteorite found nestled in a horseshoe imprint in England was formed in the early days of the solar system and may contain the building blocks of life.
NASA uncovers hidden system of mysteriously draining lakes under Antarctica
NASA scientists have mapped the dynamic, ever-shifting lakes beneath Antarctica in more detail than ever before.
These are the best astronomy images of 2021
The best astronomy photos of 2021 invite the eye upward and outward, bringing stunning views such as auroras above Earth and visions of a stellar nursery
Earth's cryosphere loses enough ice to cover Lake Superior every year
The planet has been losing 33,000 square miles (87,000 square kilometers) of ice coverage each year since 1979.
Half the country is facing an apocalyptic summer
A severe drought going into the summer is setting up the western United States for water rationing and nasty wildfires.
