All Science
Leonid meteor shower late tonight: Stay up, bundle up, look upThe Leonid meteor shower peaks tonight in the first of what may be two viewing climaxes this year. The sky at 3 a.m. Eastern time will be moonless, as long as you can see it. Face east.
- Leonid meteor shower: When and where to watch
Leonid meteor shower: The meteor shower peak will come tonight (3 a.m. E.T. Saturday). The Leonid meteor shower is a product of the Earth passing through the tail of the Tempel-Tuttle comet.
Gone spear hunting: Ancestors used stone spear tips 500,000 years agoStone spear tips from South Africa date to 500,000 years ago, says new research. Human ancestors were hunting with stone spears about 200,000 years earlier than scientists previously thought.
NASA: Astronauts could survive Mars radiationRadiation on the surface of the Red Planet is roughly similar to that experienced by astronauts on the international space station, report NASA scientists. The findings help researchers understand the planet's capacity for supporting life and will assist NASA in preparations for future manned flights to the planet.
Curiosity's unsung skill: scouting Mars for a human missionNASA's Curiosity rover is on Mars to look for signs that Gale Crater was once suitable for microbial life. But Curiosity's weather instruments are providing insight into the environment astronauts might face on Mars.
Gigantic orphan planet: Homeless world hurtles through space without starThe free-floating object, called CFBDSIR2149, is likely a gas giant planet four to seven times more massive than Jupiter.
Pandas' oldest known ancestor found in surprising placeNow paleontologists reveal two sets of fossil jaws and teeth that they say belong to the earliest member of the giant panda lineage discovered yet. The fossils were recovered from a pair of sites in northeast Spain.
San Diego panda cub is a 'little gift'One hundred days after his birth, the San Diego Zoo's youngest panda received his name. Researchers say that due to the panda breeding program, the species survival seems more likely.
Solar eclipse delights QueenslandThousands flocked to Australian beaches to watch a solar eclipse as darkness descended for a couple of minutes early Wednesday morning. The solar eclipse was predicted to bring millions to the area's tourism industry.
Where can today's total solar eclipse be seen?Most of the world's population will be far from the eclipse's path. But anyone with access to the Internet can follow the action live.
What sets newly found super Earth apart? It's simple as night and day.Scientists say they have found a planet seven times more massive than Earth orbiting in a star's habitable zone 42 light-years away. It could have seas, and perhaps just as important, it could have an Earth-like climate because it has a day-night cycle.
Newfound 'super-Earth' could be habitable for lifeHD 40307g is one of three newly discovered worlds around the parent star, which was already known to host three planets. The finds thus boost the star's total planetary population to six.
- When did humans get smart? Maybe a lot earlier than some thought.
A find in South Africa suggests that humans had mastered the skill of producing small stone blades – and could pass on the know-how – as early as 71,000 years ago.
Will election results affect NASA funding?Predictions say NASA funding is unlikely to rise under either a Democratic or Republican president. However, NASA's priorities under Obama or Romney might be different.
World's rarest whale seen for first time in New ZealandRarest whale: Two spade-toothed beaked whales, a mother and calf, were stranded on a beach in New Zealand. This is the first time this species of whale has ever been seen as a complete specimen.
N.J. earthquake rumbles, but leaves no injuriesN.J. earthquake: It was a relatively small quake, just 2.0 magnitude which struck at 1:19 a.m. Monday. But N.J. residents reported hearing a loud boom at the time of the earthquake.
Talking elephant: To fight loneliness, pachyderm speaks five wordsTalking elephant? Yes, an Asian elephant in a South Korean zoo has a five-word Korean vocabulary, says a team of scientists. The elephant talks through his trunk.
Hurricane Sandy: Were government warnings confusing?Though the consensus is that forecasting of Hurricane Sandy was accurate, some criticize the way the message was conveyed. The National Hurricane Center will review decisions it made relating to this storm later this month and early next year.
Did global warming cause superstorm Sandy?Climate scientists warn that global warming is likely to increase the incidence of serious events like Hurricane Sandy. Warming water and rising sea levels may be contributing to what New York politicians are calling their 'new reality.'
Hurricane Sandy: Does a full moon cause high tides? How?Forecasters warn that storm surges from Hurricane Sandy could be particularly powerful, because the storm coincides with a full moon. How does that work, exactly?
