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Parts of brain sleep, wake up, all day
New research finds that small regions of your brain cycle in and out of sleep, even when you're awake.
December 9, 2016
Moon halo and 2 planets
Stefan Nilsson in Sweden caught this image of the moon and planets Mars and Venus. The circle around the moon is a 22-degree halo, caused by ice crystals in the upper air.
December 9, 2016
More evidence for young Saturn moons
Saturn’s bulging core and twisting gravitational forces suggest new ages for the planet’s moons. They appear younger than previously thought.
December 8, 2016
Arctic sea ice at record low
So far this year, the Arctic Ocean and neighboring seas have been slow to freeze, setting a record low for the floating cap of sea ice in November.
December 8, 2016
Wodonga sunset
Michael Coonan captured this image outside his back door in Wodonga, Australia on December 4, 2016.
December 8, 2016
Chip brings exoplanets into clearer view
The new chip will let astronomers peer through the dust cloud in which new planets are forming, in much the same way that firefighters use infrared to see through smoke.
December 7, 2016
Cassini’s penultimate orbit: 1st images
Cassini spacecraft at Saturn now in its final year. Carolyn Porco said: "Let these images ... remind you that we've lived a bold and daring adventure around the solar system's most magnificent planet."
December 7, 2016
Patterns in mammatus clouds
On December 4, it remained dry in Mutare, Zimbabwe, despite a spectacular attempt to rain!
December 7, 2016
Landing on Mars is hard
Mars' atmospheric pressure is less than 1% that of Earth, so spacecraft come down hard. Europe has been trying for a Mars' soft landing since 2003. How they plan to succeed.
December 6, 2016
Milky Way over Eagle Lake, Maine
Stars reflecting in the largest fresh water lake in Maine's ruggedly beautiful Acadia National Park.
December 6, 2016
