earth

Tonga volcano eruption yields insights into asteroid impacts on Earth

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On Jan. 15, 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano erupted off the coast of Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean, generating a tsunami and triggering resulting wave action alerts around the world.  The underwater volcanic eruption spewed ash, steam, and gas a radius of over 160 miles (260 kilometers) and more than 12 miles (19 … Read more

Herzog doc ‘Last Exit: Space’ examines our future off Earth (exclusive trailer sneak peek)

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“From time immemorial, we humans have looked up at the night sky, marveling at billions of tiny specks. Settling on distant planets was once the domain of poets and dreamers, but with every leap in technology we come closer to realizing their dreams.” Those words, spoken by famed German director Werner Herzog, kick off the … Read more

How far is the moon from Earth?

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It’s the brightest object in our night sky, but how far is the moon from Earth? The moon‘s distance from Earth affects the strength of ocean tides and the appearance of solar eclipses in our skies. The average distance between the blue planet and its only natural satellite is about 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers), according … Read more

What is the average temperature on Earth?

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The average temperature on Earth lies somewhere around 57 degrees Fahrenheit (13.9 degrees Celsius). According to climate information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), that was the 20th century average temperature, measured across land and ocean, night and day. However, the planet’s average temperature is rising. The 10 warmest years across the entirety … Read more

The Chelyabinsk Meteorite May Have Been Involved in The Smash That Formed Our Moon

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A meteor that exploded in the sky over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013 could have also been somehow involved in the giant impact that formed the Moon. This tantalizing finding comes thanks to a new way of dating collisions between rocks in space, based on microscopic analysis of minerals within meteorites. Although further investigation is warranted, … Read more

‘Tatooine-like’ planet spotted from Earth points to future discoveries

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A ground-based telescope’s detection of a known Tatooine-like planet could herald new discoveries of similar planets, researchers say. Observers spotted Kepler-16b — an exoplanet that orbits two stars, similar to a world portrayed in the original series of “Star Wars” — using a relatively modest 75-inch (193-centimeter) telescope. The telescope is situated at Observatoire de … Read more

Astrophysicists Say ‘Planetary Intelligence’ Exists… But Earth Doesn’t Have Any

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We tend to think of intelligence as something that describes just one individual. But it’s possible to describe all kinds of collectives as intelligent, too – whether we’re talking about social groups of humans, enclaves of insects, or even the mysterious behavior of slime mold and viruses.   By extension, could intelligence be observed on a much … Read more

A large asteroid zips past Earth today, here’s how to watch it live

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The Virtual Telescope Project will provide a livestream Monday (Feb. 21) of an asteroid zooming safely past Earth, weather permitting. You can catch live views of asteroid 1999 VF22 starting at 7 p.m. EST Monday (0000 GMT on Tuesday, Feb. 22) from Rome, Italy, where the project is situated. You can watch the livestream on … Read more

Astronauts, Australian airport mark 60 years since John Glenn first orbited Earth

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The latest U.S. astronauts to follow John Glenn into orbit and the Australian city that lit up for his mission 60 years ago both celebrated the legacy of Glenn’s historic American spaceflight. The four NASA crew members currently on board the International Space Station marked the anniversary in a video while the airport in Perth, … Read more