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Stories from Sara Hashemi

A "diamond ring" appears around the Earth, as seen by the Blue Ghost lander on the moon.

See Last Week’s Stunning Eclipse From the Moon in Photos Captured by the Blue Ghost Lander, Now at the End of Its Mission

The spacecraft carried out the longest commercial operation on the moon to date—and also made history during its rare chance to document this celestial event

An Antarctic skua, one of the birds hardest hit by avian flu in the region. 

Avian Flu Is Rapidly Spreading Across Antarctica

A new expedition offers insights on the deadly virus’ impact in the region

A squat lobster discovered near Easter Island, one of the many newly identified species by the Ocean Census

From a Guitar Shark to an Octocoral, Scientists Discover More Than 800 Marine Species

The Ocean Census hopes to discover thousands of new creatures before they go extinct

Crops around the world—including corn, wheat and rice—might suffer from decreased yields as a result of microplastics interfering with photosynthesis, according to a new study.

Microplastics Are Making Photosynthesis Harder for Plants—and That Could Slash Crop Yields, Study Suggests

On average, these little particles could reduce photosynthesis in plants and algae by up to 12 percent, according to the paper

The new SPHEREx telescope and PUNCH satellites took off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on March 11.

NASA’s New Space Telescope Launches to Explore the Origins of the Universe After a Series of Delays

Called SPHEREx, the instrument will map 450 million galaxies and search for water molecules that may be clinging to space dust

A new study suggests that the lemon shark, pictured here, is a better analogue for the megalodon's size than a great white.

Megalodon Might Have Been Longer and Skinnier Than Previously Thought, Growing Up to 80 Feet

A new paper suggests the enormous, extinct shark looked less like a bulky great white and more like an elongated lemon shark

The Florida white is among the butterflies experiencing the most drastic population loss, according to a new study.

U.S. Butterflies Are Disappearing at Drastic Rates, With One in Five Gone Since 2000

A new study finds the popular, fluttering insects have declined by 22 percent in the last 20 years

Researchers studied the impact of extreme heat on older adults' "epigenetic clocks," which measure aging-related changes to DNA.

Extreme Heat Could Make Older Adults Age Faster by Altering Their DNA, Study Finds

Researchers compared genetic markers of aging to daily temperature records in areas across the United States and found that elderly people exposed to more hot days showed more rapid biological aging

Ice calves off the Breidamerkurjokull, a glacier in Iceland. Some scientists suggest prehistoric glaciers hold the answers to how life evolved on Earth.

How Enormous Glaciers on the Frozen ‘Snowball Earth’ Might Have Bulldozed the Path to Complex Life on Our Planet

A new study suggests glaciers carved metals out from the Earth’s surface 700 million years ago, leading to chemical reactions in the oceans that set the stage for early animal evolution

The Palos Verdes Peninsula in Los Angeles experiences slow-moving landslides that accelerated last fall, according to recent research.

Parts of California Are Sinking, and It Could Worsen the Effects of Sea-Level Rise, NASA Study Finds

The ground in many parts of the state—including Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Central Valley—is subsiding due to groundwater withdrawal, landslides and compacting of sediment

The iceberg A23a, seen in the South Atlantic Ocean near South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in November 2024

The World’s Largest Iceberg Runs Aground, Potentially Averting a Collision With Penguin and Seal Breeding Areas

After months of floating, the “megaberg” known as A23a has finally come to a halt roughly 50 miles from South Georgia Island

A broadclub cuttlefish, the second largest cuttlefish species, blends into the ocean floor.

Watch Cuttlefish Use Camouflage to Confuse Crabs, Taking on the Appearance of Coral and Leaves

Scientists have captured footage of the sea creatures using four distinct color-shifting techniques to trick their prey

Blue Ghost captured its first lunar sunrise, marking the beginning of its operations.

See the Striking New Images From the Blue Ghost Lunar Lander, Now the Second Private Spacecraft to Touch Down on the Moon

Firefly Aerospace’s lander reached lunar soil early Sunday morning, after a 2.8-million-mile journey lasting 45 days

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Aki Hoshide uses a vacuum cleaner aboard the ISS. A new study suggests the space station's sterility may be harmful to astronauts' health.

Is the ISS Too Clean for Astronauts’ Health? New Study Finds the Space Station Lacks Microbial Diversity

Humans have evolved alongside microbes in Earth’s environment that help strengthen our immune systems. But sterile living conditions can reduce that beneficial exposure

Nutria have voracious appetites for vegetation, leading them to destroy wetland ecosystems.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wants You to Eat These Giant, Invasive Rodents

As part of National Invasive Species Week, the agency is calling on Americans to “eat the invaders,” including swamp-dwelling nutria

A crocodile wears a satellite tracker in Queensland, Australia. Scientists monitored the reptiles for 15 years and recorded their body temperatures.

Crocodiles in Australia Are Shifting Their Behavior Because of Climate Change, and It Might Harm Their Ability to Hunt

A new study finds that as temperatures rise, the animals are getting hotter, spending less time diving and putting more effort into cooling off

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches on November 18, 2024. Debris that recently landed in Europe came from a Falcon 9 launch this month.

SpaceX Rocket Stage Burns Up Over Europe and Crashes in Poland, While Blue Origin Debris Washes Ashore in the Bahamas

The SpaceX rocket failed to deorbit properly, and the Blue Origin debris had already landed as planned in the ocean

A new study suggests lab mice will open the mouths and pull on the tongues of their unconscious companions.

Lab Mice Appear to Offer ‘First Aid’ Care to Their Unconscious Companions, Even Pulling on Their Tongues

A new study finds that mice will sniff, lick and pull the tongue of other mice that are under anesthesia, serving to open their airways

A pod of 157 false killer whales washed up on a beach in Tasmania.

Pod of 157 False Killer Whales Stranded on a Tasmania Beach Could Not Be Rescued, Wildlife Officials Say

In the area’s largest stranding event for the species since the 1970s, experts decided euthanasia was the most humane course of action

Scientists suggest finding extraterrestial intelligence is more likely than thought, arguing that complex life is not a cosmic fluke.

Intelligent Life May Be More Likely to Exist on Other Planets Than Previously Thought, Scientists Say

Researchers present an alternative to the long-held “hard steps” theory to explain the evolution of complex life, suggesting it’s the natural outcome of a habitable environment rather than a lucky break

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