Researchers set sail to the Great Barrier Reef to study how ring-shaped algae deposits formed and evolved, what feeds them, and the diversity of creatures that call them home.
weird & wonderful
Finding Climate History in the Rafters of New York City Buildings
When renovating in the Big Apple, you might acquire a several-hundred-year-old climate database along with your new kitchen and bath.
Our Favorite Science Stories of 2022
Which Earth and space science stories stood out this year?
Tiny “Pancakes” Suggest Some Asteroids May Stay Active
Analysis of a meteorite that fell in Costa Rica shows that its parent body may resemble the asteroid Bennu.
Gigantic Jet of Lightning Mapped over Oklahoma
The most powerful gigantic jet ever recorded fortuitously appeared over a sensor array in Oklahoma, enabling scientists to map the structure of the phenomenon for the first time.
Shake, Rattle, and Probe
Helioseismology allows scientists to study the interior of the Sun, solve some basic physics mysteries, and forecast space weather.
Pulsar Planets Are Exceedingly Rare
A new survey of hundreds of pulsars could help solve the mystery of why planets exist around these dead stars.
Allen Foster: Greasing Telescope Gears During a 7-Month-Long Night
While overwintering in Antarctica, Foster maintains the South Pole Telescope facilities.
Earth’s Wobbly Inner Core Illuminated by Nuclear Explosions
Shock waves from Cold War era nuclear tests gave seismologists a glimpse of the inner core. Its wobbly rotation could explain phenomena such as the periodic change in the length of a day.
The First Look at Our New Astronomy Paradigm
Five galaxies, two nebulae, an exoplanet, and the early universe—JWST’s first images provide a cross section of the science yet to come.