Say hello to the death’s-head hawkmoth

It's the insect star of The Silence of the Lambs.

Polar bears’ biggest threat is ice loss

Hunting used to be the biggest threat to polar bear survival. Not anymore.

Humpback whales, heroes of the sea?

Humpback whales appear to rescue not just their own species, but also other whale species, seals and sea lions from attacks by killer whales.

Ice melt may release Cold War-era toxins

Formerly secret Camp Century in Greenland was abandoned beneath ice and snow. But the ice is melting, and biological, chemical and nuclear waste may be released as early as 2090.

First map of thawing under Greenland ice

Greenland's ice sheet insulates its own bottom layer, which is warmed from below by Earth's heat. Which bottom layers are now thawed, and which are still frozen?

Lifeform of the week: Sea stars

You call them starfish? They're brilliant by any name.

Parakeet takeover ahead?

"Parakeets are Britain’s fastest growing bird population and are on a trajectory to global domination."

California wildfire from space

For 11 days, the Soberanes fire has been burning near the California coast between Monterey and Big Sur. Here are some satellite views.

Gorgeous Dry Tortugas night skies

The National Park Service normally doesn't allow night photography at the Dry Tortugas, but made an exception for this project.

How much warning for supervolcanoes?

Yellowstone supervolcano could deposit ash across the U.S. Northwest, clogging rivers and streams and affecting agriculture. How much advance warning might we have?