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This mosaic of Bennu was created using observations made by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft that was in close proximity to the asteroid for over two years.

In 2182, It Could Be Cloudy With a Chance of Asteroid

Scientists calculate Bennu will come close, but will most likely miss Earth in about 160 years

Those eligible for boosters include some organ transplant recipients, those with certain cancers, and others with similarly compromised immune systems.

FDA and CDC Authorize Covid-19 Booster Shot for Some Immunocompromised People

Certain transplant recipients, cancer patients and others can soon get a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine

Neither the FDA nor the researchers would identify the brands tested for the study. They also are not advocating that pet owners discontinue using dog foods containing peas at this time.

Are Peas in Common Dog Foods Contributing to Canine Heart Disease?

At this time, the FDA is not advocating that pet owners discontinue using any specific brand. But studying legumes may lead scientists to the root cause

Before engaging in social behaviors like grooming, bonobos (pictured) employed a "hello" greeting during 90 percent of observed interactions and bid their peers farewell 92 percent  of the time.

Bonobos and Chimps Appear to Have ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’ Greetings

Like humans, these apes share salutations to start and end interactions

A view of the Aghileen Pinnacles & Pavlof Volcano from the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

Three Volcanoes Are Erupting Simultaneously in Alaska

Scientists continue to monitor activity in Aleutians, other U.S. sites

This photomicrograph reveals shows a type of Enterococcus bacteria. Strains of Enterococcus are commonly found in the gut.

Fecal Transplants May Reverse Brain Aging in Mice

Older rodents showed improved cognition and behavior after receiving a microbiome refresh from younger rodents

Pictured is an image of tube No. 233. Perseverance sent this image to Earth and is one of the pieces of data researchers received showing that core sample was not collected.

Perseverance Rover’s First Martian Rock Sample Goes Missing

Engineers are working to solve the mystery using data about the sample that the space robot sent back to Earth

In addition to its school-bus-length wingspan, the creature had a three-foot-long skull with a pointed snout and around 40 sharp teeth.

Giant, Dragon-Like, Flying Reptile Fossil Discovered in Australia

A rare specimen reveals a new species of pterosaur with a staggering 23-foot wingspan

The Dixie Fire was named California's second largest fire, and it is still only 21 percent contained as of this week.

Major Climate Change Report Warns of ‘Code Red for Humanity’

Weather disasters are ‘going to get worse’ unless countries act now to lower emissions

The habitat 3D printed by the construction technology company ICON, and designed by the architecture firm, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, includes separate rooms for each crew member, two bathrooms, a kitchen, areas for fitness and recreation, and a space to grow crops.

NASA Is Recruiting Candidates for Year-Long Mars Simulation

Crew members will live in a 3-D printed habitat called Mars Dune Alpha in Houston, Texas

The specimen (pictured) was so well-preserved in permafrost that it's whiskers are still intact.

Near-Perfect Cave Lion Cub Corpse Found in Siberian Permafrost

Scientists discover two mummified cubs estimated to be approximately 28,000 and 43,000 years old

The Dixie Fire has destroyed more than 600 structures and leveled communities, including the historic mining town of Greenville (pictured), about 160 miles north of Sacramento.

The Dixie Fire Is Now California’s Second-Largest in State History

The historic fire has been raging for less than a month and already scorched nearly half a million acres

The coastal critter was dubbed the sheepshead fish for the way its mouth resembles the muzzle of a sheep.

Sheepshead Fish With Human-Like Teeth Plucked From North Carolina Coast

The Atlantic coast swimmer uses its molars to crush the shells of various mollusks and crustaceans

An engraving of a polar bear hurling a rock at a walrus from Charles Francis Hall's 1865 book Arctic researches, and life among the Esquimaux.

Polar Bears Take Down Walruses by Hurling Rocks and Ice

New research corroborates Inuit knowledge of the animals cleverly using new tools

A fox squirrel perched on part of an experiment designed to test its agility and decision-making. Researchers used peanuts to entice the rodents to participate.

New Research

Squirrels Use Parkour Moves and Savvy to Stick Tricky Landings

A new study finds these acrobatic rodents quickly weigh variables like bendy branches to figure out how to safely clear big distances high in the treetops

The false-color mosaic shows how features on the Moon differ from each other because of its meteoric impacts and volcanic past.

The Revolution in Moon Exploration

What NASA’s Technicolor Mosaic Images of the Moon Can Teach Us About the Lunar Surface

The vivid hues showcase soil composition and ancient volcanic history

Pork producers are challenging the law in Iowa, where a third of the country’s hogs are raised, claiming it will cost “tens of millions of dollars” annually to meet the requirements.

New Animal Welfare Law Could Drive Up Pork Prices in California—and Nationwide

In 2018, Californians overwhelmingly supported Proposition 12, an initiative designed to create humane conditions for farm animals

Rodents within the area undergo regular tests where officials trap them, anesthetize them, and comb them for fleas.

Chipmunks Test Positive for the Bubonic Plague in Several South Lake Tahoe Locations

Officials closed some recreational sites while the areas undergo eradication efforts

A juvenile scarlet snake stuck in the web of a brown widow spider in Georgia.

New Research

In a Spider vs. Snake Battle, These 40 Arachnids Would Defeat and Devour Their Serpentine Foes

At least 40 arachnid species kill and eat certain slithering predators, which can be up to 30 times the eight-legged critters’ size

Permafrost covers 65 percent of Russian lands, but it’s melting fast.

Permafrost Thaw in Siberia Creates a Ticking ‘Methane Bomb’ of Greenhouse Gases, Scientists Warn

In 2020, temperatures in the region rose nearly 11 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, causing the limestone to release ancient methane deposits

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