The winter solstice is almost here, the Northern Hemisphere’s darkest day
The winter solstice is Saturday, bringing the shortest day and longest night of the year to the Northern Hemisphere — ideal conditions for holiday lights and warm blankets. For those…
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Earth bids farewell to temporary ‘mini moon’ that’s possibly a chunk of actual moon
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Planet Earth is parting company with an asteroid that’s been tagging along as a “mini moon” for the past two months. The harmless space rock will…
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The dark energy pushing our universe apart may not be what it seems, scientists say
NEW YORK — Distant, ancient galaxies are giving scientists more hints that a mysterious force called dark energy may not be what they thought. Astronomers know that the universe is…
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When to catch the last supermoon of the year
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Better catch this week’s supermoon. It will be a while until the next one. This will be the year’s fourth and final supermoon, looking bigger and…
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Moonlight may hamper views of the Orionid meteor shower, debris of Halley’s comet
WASHINGTON — The Orionids — one of two annual meteor showers from Halley’s comet — peak early Monday. A bright waning moon may make them difficult to spot. The Orionid…
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A brown dwarf discovered 30 years ago is actually twins circling each other
NEW YORK — A celestial object discovered decades ago is actually twins orbiting each other, a new study confirms. Scientists have puzzled over the object known as Gliese 229B, the…
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October’s supermoon pairs with a comet for a special nighttime spectacle
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — October’s supermoon is the closest of the year and it’s teaming up with a comet for a rare stargazing two-for-one. The third of four supermoons this…
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China unveils its plans to turn its feats in space exploration into scientific advances
BEIJING — China has made great strides in exploring space in recent years, rocketing astronauts to its own space station and bringing back rocks from the moon. Now it wants…
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NASA spacecraft rockets toward Jupiter’s moon Europa in search of the right conditions for life
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A NASA spacecraft rocketed away Monday on a quest to explore Jupiter’s tantalizing moon Europa and reveal whether its vast hidden ocean might hold the keys…
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NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will scour Jupiter moon for the ingredients for life
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A NASA spacecraft is ready to set sail for Jupiter and its moon Europa, one of the best bets for finding life beyond Earth. Europa Clipper…
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