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We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

  1. Planetary Science

    Mission to Pluto: Live coverage

    The New Horizons spacecraft is scheduled to fly by Pluto on July 14. Check back often for frequent updates on the status of the mission, updates from mission control, and the latest images.

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  2. Neuroscience

    Putting time’s mysteries in order

    Investigating both the orderly and disorderly dimensions of time provides the focus for a special issue of Science News.

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  3. Astronomy

    Source of blazars’ super brightness comes into focus

    Astronomers take a close look at a blazar, a galaxy whose central black hole emits gamma rays and other high-energy material toward Earth.

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  4. Planetary Science

    Pluto: A timeline of 85 years of discovery

    Several observations in the last 85 years have given astronomers a little more information about Pluto, and the July 2015 flyby will offer the closest look yet at the solar system's far-flung satellite.

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  5. Physics

    The arrow of time

    Gravity may explain how time always runs forward, even though the laws of physics should permit it to run backward.

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  6. Planetary Science

    Get New Horizons’ views of Pluto

    The “Eyes on Pluto” app lets you ride alongside New Horizons for a simulated preview of the spacecraft’s impending encounter with the dwarf planet.

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  7. Cosmology

    Brightest supernova breaks record

    A recent supernova shines with the light of 600 billion suns.

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  8. Astronomy

    Massive black hole lurks in lightweight galaxy

    A heavyweight black hole grew to weigh as much as 7 billion suns within the first 2 billion years after the Big Bang.

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  9. Astronomy

    Exploding star breaks record for brightest supernova

    A recent supernova shines with the light of 600 billion suns.

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  10. Planetary Science

    Pluto is only a ‘day’ away

    Just one Pluto-day to go until New Horizons tears past the dwarf planet and its moons.

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  11. Planetary Science

    New Horizons recovers from overload, is on track for Pluto flyby

    New Horizons transmits the best pictures of Pluto to date shortly before the spacecraft went quiet over the weekend.

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  12. Astronomy

    Beta Pictoris planet makes waves

    Spiral waves whip through the belt of debris around a young star — and it’s all a giant planet’s fault.

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