Are 2 snowflakes ever the same?

Many billions of snowflakes drift down to Earth’s surface in the winter. Some are the lacy or star-type snowflakes. Others are what scientists call ‘columns.’

The post Are 2 snowflakes ever the same? first appeared on EarthSky.

Hunting elephants, rhinos and pangolins for trade may affect climate, says UN paper; here is how

UNODC paper highlights that illegal wildlife trade has implications for ecosystem function and resilience, including to the persistence of carbon stocks

The Darkness Manifesto review: Why we need to turn out the lights

Light pollution disrupts animals and has also been linked to human ailments. Bat scientist Johan Eklöf has some useful fixes in his new book

Media Ignore Record-Cold November Temps At South Pole

Extreme cold records continue to tumble at the South Pole. Three recent days – November 16th, 17th, and 18th – have recorded a daily record, with the 18th plunging to –45.2°C, compared with –44.7°C on the same day in 1987….

Keck Planet Finder begins search for other Earths

The Keck Planet Finder instrument on the Keck 1 Telescope in Hawaii has achieved 1st light. It will search for habitable Earth-sized planets around other stars.

The post Keck Planet Finder begins search for other Earths first appeared on EarthSky.

Black Hole Found Shredding a Nearby Star into ‘Spaghetti’ is Pivotal Moment for Astronomers

An intermediate-mass black hole lurking undetected in a dwarf galaxy revealed itself to astronomers when it gobbled up an unlucky star that strayed too close. The shredding of the star is known as a ‘tidal disruption event’ or ‘spaghettification’—and it produced a flare of radiation that briefly outshone the combined stellar light of the host […]

The post Black Hole Found Shredding a Nearby Star into ‘Spaghetti’ is Pivotal Moment for Astronomers appeared first on Good News Network.

Emperor penguins added to ‘threatened’ list

Emperor penguins are joining the list of threatened species from the Endangered Species Act. Will humanity be able to keep emissions low enough to save them?

The post Emperor penguins added to ‘threatened’ list first appeared on EarthSky.

New sun-hugging asteroids: ‘Biggest in 8 years’

Using a special camera, astronomers have found several new sun-hugging asteroids, including the biggest potentially hazardous asteroid in 8 years.

The post New sun-hugging asteroids: ‘Biggest in 8 years’ first appeared on EarthSky.

The Myth About Global Warming Killing Off Ocean Life – RealClearMarkets

Europeans are getting ready for what is expected to be a tough winter, with some likely to be choosing between paying heating bills or having food on their plates. The major drivers of this dismal energy situation are so-called green…

The First Neanderthal Family: Ancient Genome of 13 Individuals Show They Were Just Like Us in Many Ways

Ancient genomes of 13 individual Neanderthals show they ate, slept, loved and died in the company of their kin and were connected to other groups that made up a region’s Neanderthal population. An international team mapped DNA from the bones of eight adult males and five children to shed fresh light on our ancient cousins. […]

The post The First Neanderthal Family: Ancient Genome of 13 Individuals Show They Were Just Like Us in Many Ways appeared first on Good News Network.