Researchers collected DNA samples from 104 Labrador retrievers over a 16-year period. They compared changes in their DNA samples against DNA previously collected from humans. The result? A better sense of what a "dog year" really means.

The first week or even two of December 2019 should provide a good view of Mercury in the morning sky for northerly latitudes. The planet is bottommost on a line with the red planet Mars and bright star Spica, in the east before sunup.

The sun always passes in front of Ophiuchus from about November 30 to December 18. That's why some call Ophiuchus an unofficial member of the zodiac.

What a week it's been for planets! Jupiter and Venus - the 2 brightest planets - were in conjunction last Sunday. Then the moon swept through the evening sky, passing Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. Thanks to all in the EarthSky Community who contributed photos! A sampling here ... Links to more in this post.

At nightfall these next few evenings - November 29 and 30, 2019 - use the waxing crescent moon to find the planet Saturn.

Check out the picturesque scene in the west after sunset on November 27, 28 and 29, 2019. The young moon will sweep past 3 planets - Venus, Jupiter and Saturn - wow!

Cranberries are blueberries' bitter cousin. Here are some fun facts about this floating fruit, which people in the U.S. love to include in their Thanksgiving dinners.

'Oumuamua - the weird object that entered our solar system in 2017 and quickly fled back toward interstellar space - might not be an asteroid or comet from a distant solar system, as many believed. It might instead be a "cosmic dust bunny."

In a global study that analyzed almost 30 years of satellite images of freshwater lakes, most of the lakes showed signs of worsening algal blooms.

New observations appear to confirm the existence of water vapor geysers on Europa. The findings are tantalizing, but some scientists are not convinced yet.