Earth's Place in the Universe
- Earth
How people have been shaping the Earth
We are the dominant force of change on Earth. Some experts propose naming our current time period the ‘Anthropocene’ to reflect our impact.
- Climate
Explainer: Understanding ice ages
Earth slowly wobbles, tilts and stretches (or contracts) as it orbits the sun. These changes may be fairly small and subtle. Still, their cumulative impacts can be huge — sometimes triggering the slow onset of an ice age or an abrupt thaw.
- Earth
Explainer: The volcano basics
Here’s an overview of what they are, where they form and the many ways they pose dangers.
- Planets
Explainer: What are asteroids?
Leftovers from the creation of the solar system, asteroids are space rocks that orbit the sun. Let’s hope the big ones never become meteorites.
- Earth
Meteorites likely wiped out Earth’s earliest life
Enormous meteorites appear to have slammed into Earth several times early in its history. Each mega-smashup would have boiled off oceans and obliterated any bit of life.
- Space
Monster collision in space
The smashup of four clusters of galaxies has sent a super-hot jet of charged particles spewing 2.5 million light-years into space!
- Planets
First mega-Earth found
Astronomers are puzzled by Kepler-10c. This exoplanet is rocky like Earth — but as massive as Neptune. And that challenges their accepted ideas about how planets form.
- Space
Sun sibling spotted
Separated at birth: Astronomers find a star 110 light-years away. It was born at the same time as our sun and from the same cloud of gas and dust.
- Planets
Distant planet may boast the longest year
On a planet far, far away, a single pass around its sun may seem to last forever.
- Planets
A ‘Goldilocks’ world?
Scientists have spotted a faraway planet that is nearly the size of Earth and could host liquid water. It's too far to visit, but astronomers say the galaxy could be littered with such potentially habitable worlds. Don't hang up yet, E.T.
- Physics
Student radiation experiment goes to space
The Exploration Design Challenge asked students to design shields that would protect astronauts from radiation. Teachers can still involve classes in the challenge.
- Planets
Heavenly research
Groundbreaking research in astronomy landed four high school seniors spots as finalists in the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search.
