A solar wind proton approaches Mars at high speed; it steals an electron from an escaped Martian hydrogen atom and passes through a magnetic field surrounding Mars. The now-neutral atom then enters the planet’s atmosphere and collides with gas molecules,…
Two black holes merge, generating gravitational waves. Do supermassive black holes have friends? The nature of galaxy formation suggests that the answer is yes, and in fact, pairs of supermassive black holes should be common in the universe. I am…
The annotated area in this animation of the Red Planet is where NASA spacecraft have found near-surface water ice that would be easy for astronauts to dig up. NASA’s wish to follow the water on Mars just got a helping…
Female orcas go through menopause, living up to 90 years—a longstanding mystery. Now, a new study suggests there’s a reason why. The orca is one of only a handful of mammals known to go through menopause. The reason has remained…
An indigenous community in Colombia considers the white-spotted amphibian sacred. Recently, they allowed it to be reintroduced to the world. A TOAD THOUGHT extinct for 30 years has again seen the light of day, scientists have announced: Meet the starry…
Hatched in local ponds and living among garden plantings, these cousins of the dragonfly captured the photographer’s attention and imagination. First they were looking at him—and then he started looking back. Photographer Remus Tiplea noticed the damselflies perched on foliage…