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Three-Mile Wide Asteroid Will Zoom by Earth This December
But it will still be about 6.4 million miles away
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Are Alien Microbes Clinging to the International Space Station? Probably Not
A report out of Russia claims extraterrestrial bacteria has been found on the space station, but there’s plenty of room for doubt
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Meet Natalie Batalha, the Explorer Who’s Searching for Planets Across the Universe
The Kepler mission’s project scientist, she has guided the discovery of thousands of planets
:focal(1474x488:1475x489)/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/8e/78/8e78f0cd-0dd2-4137-ac5a-aa427d7257c4/main_complex_viewing_by_michael_seeley_2016.jpg)
Get a Front Row Seat to Rocket Launches at Kennedy Space Center
On July 24, 1950, NASA launched its first rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, ushering in the space era.
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Mars’ Streaks of Flowing Water May Actually Be Sand
Scientists have debated for years if—and how much—water could exist on the Red Planet
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In Attempt to Contact Intelligent Life, Group Sends Musical Signal Toward Planet GJ 273b
Though the chances are slim, the team hopes this latest transmission is just the first of many
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The Blessing and the Curse of Being Bill Nye
The zany scientist talks about his recent transformation into the public—and controversial—face for science
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Leonid Meteor Shower Will Streak Through Skies This Weekend
Expect 10 to 25 shooting stars per hour as the planet passes through the debris of comet Tempel-Tuttle
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Earth-Sized Planet Detected Just 11 Light Years Away
Orbiting the star Ross 128, our new planetary neighbor is thought to be temperate, with days up to a balmy 68 degrees Fahrenheit
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A “Zombie” Star Is Refusing to Die
The supernova has been flaring for more than 600 days—and it may be the second time that the star has exploded
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Astronomers Spot One of the Oldest Galaxies in the Universe
The dusty, star-forming galaxy is 12.8 billion years old
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Our Nearest Neighbor Might Harbor Its Own Solar System
New data from Proxima Centauri shows it has a ring of cold dust—a sign that many planets may orbit the distant star
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Celebrate Halloween With These Unsettling Sounds From Outer Space
NASA’s new SoundCloud playlist captures the sounds of planets, comets and plasma waves
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What the Neutron Star Collision Means for Dark Matter
The latest LIGO observations rekindle a fiery debate over how gravity works: Does the universe include dark matter, or doesn’t it?
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Out-of-This-World Facts for International Observe the Moon Night
This Saturday, people around the world will be gazing up at the glowing orb in the sky
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Google Earth Leads to Discovery of 400 Stone “Gates” in Saudi Arabia
Amateur researchers first came across the rock structures in 2004. Four years later, after seeing them again on Google Earth, they decided to investigate
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The Search for Habitable Worlds Just Got a Boost
More realistic simulations of the atmosphere of far-flung planets are helping researchers sort out the best candidates for possible life
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Look Up: The Orionid Meteor Shower Will Streak Through Skies This Weekend
Bits of Halley’s Comet are raining down on Earth, and the show will peak in the wee hours of Saturday morning
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The “Science” Behind “Geostorm”, the Newest Weather-Fueled Doomsday Flick
Researchers have long sought control over the weather, but have yet to find a realistic way to master it
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This Groundbreaking Astronaut and Star Trek Fan Is Now Working on Interstellar Travel
Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, wants us to look beyond Earth
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