Iceland volcano erupts! See a livestream here

After weeks of earthquakes, an Iceland volcano began erupting powerfully on December 18, 2023. It was a bigger eruption than volcanologists had predicted!

Birds with backpacks to help study Earth’s atmosphere

Birds with backpacks: a new study from NASA's 'Internet of Animals' shows that high-flying great frigatebirds can provide detailed sampling of the atmosphere.

Emperor penguins: A report from the Antarctic

EarthSky friend Eliot Herman took a trip to the Antarctic, where he had the opportunity to see emperor penguins. Read his report and enjoy his amazing images.

Einstein’s gravity and quantum mechanics united at last?

Modern physics is founded on 2 pillars: Einstein's gravity and quantum mechanics. But these 2 theories contradict each other. Does this theory reconcile them?

Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds look like ocean waves

Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds - aka fluctus clouds - can sometimes look like ocean waves. Check out these photos of them!

Earth’s magnetic field shields us. But it can move and flip

Earth's magnetic field helps protect life on Earth. But the magnetic poles wander, and they flip polarity every 100,000 to 1,000,000 years.

Are some modern earthquakes aftershocks from the 1800s?

Scientists examined modern-day earthquakes in 3 regions of North America and found that some are aftershocks from the 1800s.

Are 2 huge blobs inside Earth due to an ancient impact?

A new study from an international team of researchers says that 2 huge blobs inside Earth came from the collision with the planet Theia billions of years ago.

Iceland braces for eruption of Fagradalsfjall volcano

Iceland declared a state of emergency on November 10, 2023, near Fagradalsfjall volcano, dormant for 800 years until 2021. Now it looks poised to erupt again.

Bird names poised for a change, say ornithologists

The American Ornithological Society announced that it will be changing the bird names for some 70 to 80 bird species. Here's why they're doing it.