Researchers are excited about a new, potentially habitable exoplanet orbiting our closest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri.

JoAnna Wendel
JoAnna Wendel is a freelance science writer and cartoonist. She covers topics ranging from the geology of faraway moons to the behavior of animals in our oceans. She served as a staff writer for Eos from 2014 to 2018, then worked in communications in NASA’s Planetary Sciences Division. JoAnna is now freelancing full time as a writer and artist.
Urban Micrometeorites No Longer a Myth
After sifting through urban debris for 6 years, one scientist unearthed cosmic dust—confirming a long-held myth about urban micrometeorites.
Elephant Seals' Dives Show Slowdown in Ocean Circulation
Data from instruments mounted on elephant seals reveal that melting ice flushes fresh water into the Southern Ocean, suppressing an important arm of the global ocean circulation belt.
NASA's New Asteroid Sampler Will Illuminate Solar System's History
In 7 years, scientists hope to directly analyze materials from the asteroid Bennu, an object that may reveal what conditions were like in the solar system 4.5 billion years ago.
New Flood Model Offers National Streamflow Coverage
The model, released by the National Weather Service, will provide neighborhood-level flood forecasting.
Six Things Dwarf Planets Have Taught Us About the Solar System
It's been 10 years since Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. But no matter the label, it and its dwarf planet cousins continue to stun researchers with their complexity.
Climate Scientists' New Hurdle: Overcoming Climate Change Apathy
It's not just about deniers anymore. Scientists now have to convince a new group: those who believe humans have altered the climate but don't think anything can or should change.
Evidence Found for China's Ancient Origin Story
New geological findings suggest that an ancient flood in a popular legend about the birth of China's civilization might have actually occurred, but some 150 years later than historians thought.
Earth Fissures May No Longer Get Mapped in Arizona
A program that monitors giant cracks in the ground that suddenly appear after heavy rain could become a casualty of budget cuts to the Arizona Geological Survey.
Exoplanet Found in Curious Triple-Star System
The newly discovered planet balances precariously in orbit within the star system, puzzling scientists.