A Chinese spacecraft that burned up high over Los Angeles created a sonic trail detected by ground-based sensors.
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Meteorite Sheds Light on the Moon’s Impact History
Analysis has revealed the South Pole–Aitken basin is significantly older than other impact basins on the Moon, a finding that has implications for the evolution of the early solar system.
Straightening Out Uranus’s Magnetosphere
New analysis of Voyager 2 observations shows that the craft arrived amid gusty solar wind, muddying our ideas about the giant planet.
Geoscientists Demystify Baseball’s Magic Mud
Taking baseball’s mysterious Rubbing Mud into the lab revealed no magic ingredients—but plenty of useful natural properties from geomaterials.
Here’s How the Hunga Tonga Eruption Sounded
New Zealanders’ experiences during the Hunga Volcano’s eruption match seismic monitoring data.
Explore Washington, D.C.’s Science Scene
Earth and space science hot spots are sprinkled throughout the D.C. metro region.
Planetary Perturbations May Strengthen Gaia
Large-scale disruptions to life may ultimately increase ecological complexity over geologic timescales, though the risk of extinction always looms.
Large Igneous Provinces May Have Leaked Cryptic Carbon
Dissolved carbon dioxide may have bubbled up from magma far below the surface, contributing to prolonged warming.
Martian Meteorite Points to Ancient Hydrothermal Activity
The Red Planet had water—in the form of a hydrothermal system—4.45 billion years ago, new analyses of a Martian meteorite suggest.
Why Wildfires Started by Humans, Cars and Power Lines Can Be More Destructive and Harder to Contain
While climate change sets the stage for larger and more intense fires, humans are actively fanning the flames.