All Stories
- Planetary Science
Rosetta mission extended until September 2016
The Rosetta spacecraft will explore comet 67P through September 2016 and then may go to sleep on the comet’s surface.
- Plants
Beauty drives orchids towards extinction
Dozens of species of Asian slipper orchids have been newly classified as threatened or endangered, their numbers driven low by illegal trade.
- Astronomy
Magnetic ‘glue’ helps shape galaxies
Galaxy-wide magnetic fields may play a role in shaping the spiral arms of gas and stars.
- Planetary Science
Pluto and Charon’s orbital dance captured in color
New Horizons has captured the first true-color movie of Pluto and Charon orbiting one another.
- Neuroscience
Sense of smell is strictly personal, study suggests
A new test can identify individuals based on their sense of smell, and may hold information about a person’s genetic makeup as well.
- Neuroscience
Brain’s adult stem cells born early
By tracing the lineages of adult stem cells in the mouse brain, scientists get a view of the cells’ early lives.
- Animals
Silver ant hairs reflect sunlight, keeping Sahara dweller cool
The shiny hairs of the Saharan silver ant simultaneously reflect sunlight and permit the release of body heat, keeping the insects just cool enough to scavenge in the extreme summer sun.
- Astronomy
Big exoplanet may be surrounded by helium
Warm Neptune-sized exoplanet might have atmospheres filled with helium.
- Earth
Fast-spreading crack threatens giant Antarctic ice shelf
A fast-spreading crack threatens Larsen C, one of Antarctica’s biggest ice shelves, satellite data suggest.
- Planetary Science
Evidence mounts for active volcanoes on Venus
The Venus Express orbiter detected possible signs of active volcanism on the planet next door.
- Planetary Science
Evidence mounts for active volcanoes on Venus
The Venus Express orbiter detected possible signs of active volcanism on the planet next door.
- Planetary Science
NASA moves ahead with a mission to Europa
A NASA mission slated for the 2020s to Jupiter’s icy moon will try to figure out if the ocean there is habitable.
