An analysis of breaks in deep-sea sediment links the geological record to a 2.4-million-year cycle that heats Earth and ventilates our oceans.
astronomy
Posted inNews
Passing Stars Shorten Earth’s Time Horizon
Stars in the solar neighborhood could jostle planetary orbits, making it harder to turn back the clock and examine Earth’s orbital or climate history.
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Astronomers May Have Spotted the Birth of a Planet
Lumps of dust are spiraling around a young star 5,000 light-years away. They could be Jupiter-like planets in the making.
Posted inENGAGE, News
Saturn’s Shiny Rings May Be Pretty Young
The rings are fairly shiny despite being bombarded by dust, indicating that they haven’t been around for very long.
Posted inFeatures
Deluges of Data Are Changing Astronomical Science
Astronomers today are more likely than ever to access data from an archive rather than travel to a telescope—a shift that’s democratizing science.
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El papel central de la agricultura en el calendario de horizonte azteca
Los calendarios de horizonte fueron clave para medir el tiempo para las culturas pre-hispánicas de la cuenca del Valle de México. Un nuevo estudio sugiere que los calendarios se usaron para gestionar los ciclos agrícolas.
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Marauding Moons Spell Disaster for Some Planets
In solar systems beyond our own, some moons might eventually collide with their host planets, new simulations suggest.
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Quaoar’s Ring Defies Gravity
The dwarf planet’s ring makes astronomers question whether a long-held theory about ring and moon formation needs tweaking.
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Complex Organic Ices Discovered in a Star-Forming Cloud
The presence of complex organic molecules such as methanol, ethanol, and acetaldehyde in a molecular cloud suggests that these and simpler ices might be available to planetary systems right from the start.
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Starry Nights Are Disappearing
Stars dim as the sky gets brighter, a result of expanding cities and bright LEDs. Simple low-tech changes can help preserve dark night skies.