Astronomy, features and articles | Educational Science

Apr 28, 2022

These meteorites contain all of the building blocks of DNA

Three meteorites contain the molecular building blocks of DNA and its cousin RNA, scientists recently discovered. A subset of these building blocks had been detected in meteorites before, but the rest of the collection seemed mysteriously absent from space rocks — until now. The new discovery supports the idea that,...

May 3, 2022

Meteorites from flaming fireball over Mississippi scattered across the state

A flaming meteor that blazed across three southern U.S. states April 27 has left rocky remnants scattered across parts of Mississippi, where residents are collecting them. The meteorite fragments seem to have turned up not far from Natchez, Mississippi, though officials have declined to identify the exact locations where they...

May 6, 2022

How to watch the Eta Aquarids meteor shower this weekend

One of spring's busiest meteor showers, called the Eta Aquarids, is peaking this weekend. To catch the shooting stars, just step outside and look to the southern night sky. The Eta Aquarids reached their approximate peak Friday morning (May 6), and they will continue to put on a strong showing...

May 24, 2022

A meteor shower outburst from a shattered comet may spawn a new tau Herculids display on May 30

New for 2022, the tau Herculid meteor shower may make an appearance on the night of May 30-31. Sometimes, astronomy can be full of surprises. Take the case of a tiny comet, normally far too faint to be seen without the help of a telescope. But in 1995, it suddenly...

May 26, 2022

A 'meteor storm' of 1,000 shooting stars per hour may light up the skies over North America tonight

Ready to embrace some meteoric uncertainty? The Tau Herculids meteor shower may light up the skies over North America on May 30 and 31. Or it may not. There's a chance we might pass through the thickest part of the comet fragment that is creating the debris, in which case...

Jun 9, 2022

James Webb Space Telescope hit by large micrometeoroid

NASA's next-generation space observatory has sustained its first noticeable micrometeoroid impact less than six months after launch, but the agency isn't too concerned. The James Webb Space Telescope, also known as Webb or JWST, launched on Dec. 25, 2021. It has spent the intervening months trekking out to its deep-space...

Feb 24, 2023

Fragment of 1,000-pound meteor that exploded over Texas could reveal new insights about our solar system

A hefty meteor weighing around the same as a grand piano recently exploded in the skies above Texas, potentially showering the surrounding area with smaller fragments. One of these meteorite chunks has already been recovered and could help reveal more about our cosmic neighborhood, experts say. The meteor, which was...

Feb 26, 2023

'Microdiamonds' discovered at French winery point to ancient meteor crater below the vines

A circular depression that holds a vineyard in a French winery is actually an old impact crater, new research finds. The crater sits in the appropriately named Domaine du Météore winery near Cabrerolles in southern France. The feature was first tentatively identified as a meteor crater in 1950. But a...

Mar 23, 2023

Scientists may have uncovered the oldest evidence of a meteor hitting Earth ever

Scientists in Australia have unearthed 3.48 billion-year-old rock fragments that may be the earliest evidence of a meteorite crashing into Earth. The fragments, known as spherules, may have formed when the meteor slammed into the ground, spraying melted rock into the air. This melted rock then cooled and hardened into...

May 24, 2023

Rare green fireball explodes over Australia, creating bright flash visible for hundreds of miles

An unusual green meteor recently exploded as it plummeted through the sky over Australia, giving off a brilliant flash of light that could be seen for miles and a loud bang that stunned local residents below. Cameras at Cairns Airport in Queensland captured a video of the exploding meteor, known...

Jun 5, 2023

Earth's highest, coldest, rarest clouds are back. How to see the eerie 'noctilucent clouds' this summer.

Look up an hour or two after sunset and before sunrise over the next few months and you may see ethereal blue, silver or golden streaks in the Northern Hemisphere's northern skies. Called noctilucent clouds (meaning night-shining clouds in Latin) or NLCs, these strange-looking patterns in the sky are the...

Jul 18, 2023

Woman in France hit by suspected meteorite while drinking coffee on her porch

A woman in France may have just become the second-ever known person to be hit by a falling space rock after a tiny meteorite fragment allegedly bounced off her roof and struck her in the chest, leaving her with minor bruises. The unnamed woman, who lives in the town of...

Jul 25, 2023

World's 1st 'boomerang meteorite' — a rock that left Earth, spent millennia in space, then returned — possibly discovered in the Sahara Desert

Researchers have proposed that an unusual rock, which was recently discovered in northern Africa, could be the first ever known boomerang meteorite — a space rock that originated on our planet before being ejected into space and then later tumbling back to Earth. However, not everyone agrees with the new...

Jul 27, 2023

How to watch the Delta Aquariids meteor shower kick off 'shooting star' season this weekend

The Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak this weekend, but it's just the first act of a multiweek shooting star season, with the best show still a few weeks away. Known for faint shooting stars, the Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower will peak overnight on Sunday, July 30 through...

Aug 3, 2023

Perseid meteor shower peak on Aug. 12 and 13 will be the 'best in years.' Here's how to watch.

The annual Perseid meteor shower will peak on Aug. 12 and 13, with the moon in the perfect position to make this year's event potentially one of the most impressive displays of shooting stars in years. Active from July 14 through Sept. 1, this annual display is one of the...