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2012

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  • Ancient Microbes Found in Antarctic Lake

    Ancient Microbes Found in Antarctic Lake

    Nov. 30, 2012

    Nearly 65 feet beneath the icy surface of a remote Antarctic lake, scientists have uncovered a community of bacteria existing in one of Earth's darkest, saltiest and coldest habitats. The finding could have implications for the possibility of life on other planets.

  • New Evidence for Ice on Mercury

    New Evidence for Ice on Mercury

    Nov. 29, 2012

    The planet closest to the Sun would seem an unlikely place to find ice. Nevertheless, NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft has found evidence for abundant deposits of frozen water on Mercury.

  • The Strange Appeal of a Cloudy Eclipse

    The Strange Appeal of a Cloudy Eclipse

    Nov. 23, 2012

    Eclipse chasers always hope for clear skies, but observers of last week's total solar eclipse in Australia discovered that clouds added something surprisingly beautiful to their brief minutes in the shadow of the Moon.

  • The Diner at the Center of the Galaxy

    The Diner at the Center of the Galaxy

    Nov. 22, 2012

    NASA's NuSTAR spacecraft has detected X-ray flares coming from the center of the galaxy--a signal that the Milky Way's supermassive black hole is having dinner.

  • NASA's Cure for a Common Phobia

    NASA's Cure for a Common Phobia

    Nov. 9, 2012

    NASA has found a cure for a common phobia--the fear of asking "stupid" questions. The solution to this problem might surprise you.

  • Total Eclipse of the Sun

    Total Eclipse of the Sun

    Nov. 7, 2012

    Scientists and sky watchers are converging on the northeast coast of Australia, near the Great Barrier Reef, for a total eclipse of the sun on Nov. 13/14. For researchers, the brief minutes of totality open a window into some of the deepest mysteries of solar physics.

  • A Hint of Hawaii in the Sands of Mars

    A Hint of Hawaii in the Sands of Mars

    Oct. 31, 2012

    New results from NASA's Mars rover Curiosity show that the mineralogy of Martian soil is similar to weathered basaltic soils of volcanic origin in Hawaii.

  • Fried Planets

    Fried Planets

    Oct. 25, 2012

    Astronomers have caught a red giant star in the act of devouring one of its planets. It could be a preview of what will happen to Earth five billion years from now.

  • The Orionid Meteor Shower

    The Orionid Meteor Shower

    Oct. 12, 2012

    Earth is about to pass through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, source of the annual Orionid meteor shower. Forecasters expect 25 meteors per hour when the shower peaks on Oct. 21st.

  • NASA Spacecraft Records 'Earthsong'

    NASA Spacecraft Records 'Earthsong'

    Sept. 28, 2012

    A NASA spacecraft has recorded eerie-sounding radio emissions coming from our own planet. These beautiful "songs of Earth" could, ironically, be responsible for the proliferation of deadly electrons in the Van Allen Belts.