Astronomers have detected the smallest rogue planet in our Milky Way galaxy, and it’s between the sizes of Mars and Earth. Rogue planets are free-floating planets that don’t orbit stars. The planet, named OGLE-2016-BLG-1928, was found by astronomers using the Warsaw Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. The astronomers are part of the OGLE…… MORE
For hundreds of years, dogs of all shapes and sizes — labradors and terriers, chihuahuas and spaniels — have held the position of man’s best friend. Now, a study published Friday in the journal Science has shown that the genetic diversity in modern dogs can be traced back to the end of the last Ice…… MORE
Although our universe is full of wonders, it’s equally riddled with horrors. Colorful posters styled like vintage horror movie adverts highlight some of these cosmic frights in the latest release from NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The posters are free to download from NASA’s site, and they’re also…… MORE
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Pieces of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu are ready to return to Earth. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully stowed the sample collector head, which is full of surface material gathered from Bennu on October 20, in the sample return capsule on Wednesday. This will prevent any more of the sample from leaking into space. The mission team…… MORE
It has been a stressful year for Australia’s koalas. Their health and natural environment, however, have been under threat for a long time. Bushfires, habitat fragmentation, vehicle collisions and dog attacks — all which hurt koalas — have been getting worse over the last decade. That has led to species population decline and increased disease…… MORE
“A lot of people say an octopus is like an alien,” says filmmaker Craig Foster in his new Netflix documentary “My Octopus Teacher.” “But the strange thing is, as you get closer to them you realize that you’re very similar in a lot of ways.” One of those ways the octopuses are both familiar and…… MORE
Spooky season is here — so let’s talk about spiders. Ogre-faced spiders are believed to have the largest eyes of all known spider species, and they are known for their reported ability to see in the dark 2,000 times better than humans. That formidable eyesight, however, is just one of the sensory tools these arachnids…… MORE
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Scientists have discovered a new lizard-like species that lurked in shallow water to pick off its prey — with the help of a short, flat tail used as a float. Some 240 million years ago, the Triassic predator Brevicaudosaurus jiyangshanensis skulked, nearly motionless, in the sea — and researchers found clues in its skeleton that…… MORE
