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Stories from Sarah Kuta

Bryce Canyon is one of several national parks hosting stargazing and astronomy festivals this year.

These National Parks Are Hosting Stargazing Festivals in 2023

As more areas grow brighter with light pollution, national parks across the country have become dark-sky havens

Mountain goats roam the streets of Llandudno, Wales, in March 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

What Wild Animals Were Really Doing During Covid-19 Lockdowns

Researchers around the world traced mammals’ movements and behaviors when fewer humans and cars were outside in spring 2020

The ship has three retractable sails covered in solar panels.

Could This Futuristic Vessel Be the World’s First Zero-Emissions Cruise Ship?

Hurtigruten Norway’s new design includes batteries and retractable sails equipped with solar panels

Kīlauea erupts early on June 7, after months of signaling it was getting ready to burst.

Hawaii’s Kīlauea Volcano Is Erupting Again—Here’s How to See It

The youngest and most active volcano on the Big Island, it’s expected to draw thousands of tourists

Margot Robbie stars in the live-action Barbie movie.

Did the ‘Barbie’ Movie Cause a Pink Paint Shortage?

The film recreates the famous doll’s brightly colored world—with the help of one specific shade of pink

American crocodiles haven't been known to reproduce via parthenogenesis—until now.

Scientists Record the First ‘Virgin Birth’ in a Crocodile

A female American crocodile living in captivity reproduced without a mate—a finding that suggests dinosaurs might have done the same thing

Underwater researchers have encountered many other shipwrecks while studying the Maravillas in the Bahamas.

Unraveling the Secrets of the Long-Lost Shipwrecks in the Bahamas

Using historical records, a new initiative has identified and mapped 176 wrecks in the region

A shark swims near two paddle boarders off California's coast.

Great White Sharks Come Much Closer to Swimmers Than Thought in Southern California

Juvenile white sharks and humans overlap 97 percent of the time in some warm Pacific waters, a new study finds

The Razorback Greenway in northwest Arkansas is one of nine new national recreation trails.

Explore the Nine Newest National Recreation Trails

Announced on Friday, the newly designated routes span a total of 340 miles across nine states

Travelers flying out of Denver's airport can now make a reservation for the A-Bridge security checkpoint.

You Can Now Make a Reservation to Go Through Security at These Airports

Denver and Minneapolis are the latest airports to roll out the service—just in time for the busy summer travel season

The wolverine sighting in Yosemite National Park

Rare Wolverine Spotted in California—the Second in 101 Years

The elusive creatures disappeared from the Golden State in 1922

The toilet discovered at the House of Ahiel

Iron Age Residents of Jerusalem Suffered From Dysentery

A new analysis of 2,500-year-old toilets has found early evidence of a harmful parasite

A publicity photo of Carrie Fisher wearing Princess Leia's white gown from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was on display when the late actress was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May. 

You Can Now Buy Princess Leia’s White Gown From ‘Star Wars’

Carrie Fisher wore the garment while filming the final scene of “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”

Paleontologists discovered Oda's remarkably intact fossilized skeleton in Svalbard in 2008.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Oda the Ichthyosaur

Paleontologists used X-rays to identify the 240-million-year-old creature’s flattened and fossilized remains

After eight months of hibernation, Arctic ground squirrels emerge in the spring hungry and ready to mate.

Climate Change Is a Wake-Up Call for Hibernating Squirrels

As spring arrives sooner, female Arctic ground squirrels are emerging from their burrows earlier, according to a new study

The 144-foot Blythe Star coastal freighter

Lost for 50 Years, Mysterious Australian Shipwreck Has Finally Been Found

The “Blythe Star” sank off the coast of Tasmania in 1973, heralding improvements to the country’s maritime safety laws

The water turned green in Venice's Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge.

Why Did the Water in Venice’s Grand Canal Turn Bright Green?

Authorities have determined what substance caused the abnormal hue, but they still don’t know who is responsible

A two-year-old adult female bison named Wyoming Hope gave birth to the 30-pound calf on May 16.

Rare White Bison Born in Wyoming State Park

The 30-pound calf is not albino but gets its pale fur from cattle genes

Pickleball courts are starting to appear in vacant storefronts in shopping malls across the country.

Pickleball Courts Are Replacing Shuttered Mall Stores

Across the country, developers are trying to capitalize on the approachable sport’s growing popularity

The timepiece is one of just eight known Patek Philippe watches of its kind known to exist.

China’s Last Emperor Brought This Wristwatch With Him to Prison

He gave the timepiece, which just sold for $6.2 million, to his Russian translator at a Soviet detention camp

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