Solstice tale of two cities

December solstice sunrise comes at the same time for St. Augustine, Florida, and New York City. But St. Augustine has an hour more of daylight than New York. Here's why.

What are your chances of a white Christmas this year?

Dreaming of a white Christmas? Here's a map depicting which places in the US have the best chance of being snowy on Christmas Day 2020.

Sluggish start for Arctic sea ice freeze-up

Early ice retreat amid warm Arctic air temperatures set the stage for the slow refreeze in 2020.

New marine protection zone will help endangered penguins and more

Plans are in place to create the world’s 4th-largest fully protected marine reserve at the Tristan da Cunha archipelago.

Less air pollution during Covid-19 restrictions, says study

NASA researchers have found that since February, pandemic restrictions have reduced global nitrogen dioxide concentrations by nearly 20%.

Phew! Record-smashing 2020 Atlantic hurricane season is officially over

November 30 marked the official end of the record-breaking 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, although more storms are still possible. Why did 2020 have so many storms? And what does climate change have to do with it?

When is my earliest sunset?

For the southernmost US and similar latitudes, the earliest sunsets of the year are happening now. Your earliest sunset depends on your latitude, but always comes before the winter solstice.

Huge iceberg A-68A nears South Georgia Island

Scientists watch as A-68A, currently the planet’s largest iceberg, approaches a remote island in the southern Atlantic Ocean.

Clues to Mars life in Earth’s Atacama Desert

Researchers in the U.S. and Spain have discovered a plethora of previously unknown microbes living in wet clay layers below Chile's arid Atacama Desert. The finding will help future rovers search for life on Mars.

Scientists discover ancient lake bed deep beneath Greenland ice

The ancient lake bed, sealed more than a mile under Greenland ice, may be hundreds of thousands or millions of years old, and contain unique fossil and chemical traces of past climates and life.