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Posts by
Paul Scott Anderson
Dinosaurs thrived before fatal asteroid impact
Scientists have debated whether the dinosaurs were already in decline before a massive asteroid impact finished them off 66 million years ago. New research shows they were thriving in their final days.
March 12, 2019
There may be 50 billion free-floating planets in our galaxy
There are at least 200 billion stars in our galaxy, and perhaps even a greater number of planets. Now a new study suggests there could be an additional 50 billion rogue planets, not orbiting any stars.
March 10, 2019
Clouds for some Earth-sized TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets
The red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 - about 40 light-years away - has 7 Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting it. A new study puts limits on how many of those worlds have hazy or cloudy atmospheres.
March 7, 2019
An ancient white dwarf star with rings
"This white dwarf is so old that whatever process is feeding material into its rings must operate on billion-year timescales," said one of the scientists involved in the discovery.
March 4, 2019
Planet 9 hypothesis gets a boost
A large, unknown Planet 9 in our solar system continues to elude astronomers. But a new review article in Physics Reports explains why some scientists still think they'll find it.
March 3, 2019
Hubble solves puzzle of Neptune mystery moon
Meet Hippocamp, the smallest known moon of the planet Neptune. Scientists have puzzled over its origin, and over why we see it orbiting where we do. Now, new Hubble data has shed light on these mysteries.
March 2, 2019
Ceres had meltwater reservoirs for millions of years
Life on Ceres, largest body in the asteroid belt? Maybe, at one time. New research points to ancient subsurface reservoirs of salty meltwater that might have lasted millions of years and let life's chemistry begin.
February 28, 2019
Green dragon aurora over Iceland
Do you see the dragon in this green aurora that appeared over Iceland earlier this month? It's an example of what's called pareidolia.
February 27, 2019
New NASA consortium to study how life began
How did life originate on Earth and, possibly, other worlds in space? A new NASA consortium has the goal of probing one of nature's most perplexing mysteries.
February 26, 2019
Weird hexagonal dune field seen on Mars
Mars has sand dunes, as Earth does. But now, NASA's Odyssey orbiter has revealed something odd: a large dune field shaped roughly like a hexagon. The finding is expected to provide more clues as to how dunes form in Martian winds.
February 22, 2019
