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Editors of EarthSky

Clouds circling a supermassive black hole

An international team of astronomers sight huge clouds of gas orbiting supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies. Watch a video depicting the swirling clouds.

Fewer shark attacks in 2013, but more fatalities

Shark attacks worldwide in 2013 were the lowest since 2009, but fatalities were above average, a new study reports.

Help name this polar bear cub

Help choose a name for this polar bear cub. Here are a few videos to help you decide.

How oil spill chemicals cause heart failure in fish

New research by scientists studying environmental damage from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill explains why crude oil causes heart failure in fish.

Are these termite-inspired robots the construction crews of the future?

A collective robotic intelligence can be created to build large structures using simple rules programmed in a swarm of robots.

New painkillers from tarantula venom?

A protein from the venom of the Peruvian green velvet tarantula blunts activity in pain-transmitting neurons, says a new Yale University study.

Fossils reveal earliest known live birth

The fossil embryos of three little ichthyosaurs are preserved within the body of their mother that died while giving birth, 248 million years ago.

New system lets fleets of robots collaborate in new ways

MIT researchers have developed a new system that stitches together existing control programs to let multiple robots collaborate in more complex ways.

A 360-degree view of Saturn’s auroras

Ultraviolet and infrared images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft and Hubble Space Telescope show active and quiet auroras at Saturn's north and south poles.

Genetic mix lets Tibetans thrive at high altitudes

A new study looks at the genetic adaptations that allow Tibetans to live at high elevations despite low oxygen levels.