EarthSky’s top 5 stories of 2018

From the months-long eruption of Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano to a strange object discovered on the surface of Mars - and more - here's a quick roundup of the stories our readers enjoyed most in 2018.

Animal world is awesome: 3 essential reads

The elusive fossa, deepsea corals and a tropical frog which has developed resistance to a deadly fungus. Here are 3 stories from 2018 that remind us how awesome the animal world is.

What are your chances for a white Christmas?

For people in the continental United States, here’s your historic probability of getting a white Christmas in 2018.

Did a supernova kill off the megalodon?

A new study suggests that a tsunami of cosmic energy from a supernova killed off large ocean animals - including the huge megalodon shark - 2.6 million years ago.

NOAA releases 2018 Arctic Report Card

This year’s report shows that the Arctic region experienced the 2nd-warmest air temperatures ever recorded, the 2nd-lowest overall sea-ice coverage, and lowest recorded winter ice in the Bering Sea.

Huge previously-undetected coral reef off US East Coast

Earlier this year, scientists were surprised to discover a huge forest of coldwater corals off the coast of South Carolina. A scientist aboard the expedition discusses the find.

Scientists describe 229 new species in 2018

The list includes neon fish, a fast-spinning spider, moray eels, venomous snakes, and more!

What would a warmer world look like?

According to the recent IPCC Special Report, warming of 1.5°C (2.7°F) is an important threshold for many climate impacts. What might our planet look like with 1.5°C of warming?

Christmas Bird Count starts December 14

Audubon’s annual Christmas Bird Count is one of the longest-running citizen science projects in existence. How to participate.

Another El Niño on the horizon?

The World Meteorological Organization has said there's a "75–80% chance" of a fully-fledged El Niño event by February, 2019. Click in for a good video from ESA describing El Niños and their global effects.

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