MS-ESS1-3
Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Planets
Heavenly research
Groundbreaking research in astronomy landed four high school seniors spots as finalists in the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search.
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Planets
Surprising rings circle comet-asteroid hybrid
It’s too small to be a planet. Yet this planet wannabe still resembles Saturn-like giants. It’s the smallest solar system inhabitant to, like them, host rings of orbiting ice.
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Space
Waves from the birth of time
Inflation is the idea that in the split-second after the Big Bang, the universe exploded into huge-ness. Although the hypothesis is 30 years old, evidence to confirm it had been lacking. Until now.
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Space
Galaxy drags trail of newborn stars
Distant galaxy plows through cluster of others, with baby stars in tow
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Space
Star cluster rockets through space
It’s the first time astronomers have ever detected a cluster of stars moving collectively at such speed.
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Planets
Double sunsets on a distant world
Astronomers discover for the first time a planet circling two stars.