Science Articles

On September 26, 2024, at 11:10 pm EST, Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, as a dangerous Category 4 storm. With sustained winds of over 140 miles per hour (225 km/h), it was the most powerful hurricane to hit the region since record-keeping began in 1851. After causing widespread damage, Helene continued on to several states, including Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee....

The Internet's newest celebrities are two adorable zoo animals from opposite corners of the world. Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo, resides in Thailand, while Pesto, an unusually large king penguin chick, calls Australia home....

Get ready for a rare celestial event! This weekend, our planet will capture a temporary "mini-moon" in the form of a small asteroid called 2024 PT5. This tiny space rock will enter Earth's orbit on September 29, 2024. However, unlike our permanent Moon, which has been with us for billions of years, 2024 PT5 will only be around for eight weeks....

SpaceX is no stranger to making history. It was the first private spaceflight company to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and the first to develop a reusable rocket booster. On September 15, 2024, SpaceX reached a new milestone with the successful completion of Polaris Dawn, the first of three commercial space missions under the Polaris program. This five-day flight saw a crew of all civilian astronauts set several space altitude records and conduct a pioneering spacewalk....

A herd of 100 life-sized elephant sculptures have begun their trek across the United States. The "Great Elephant Migration" aims to promote harmony between humans and animals. The project is spearheaded by Ruth Ganesh. She is a trustee of Elephant Family USA and cofounder of The Coexistence Collective, a community of 200 indigenous artists in Southern India....

Since 2020, juvenile orcas have been intentionally colliding with boats off the coasts of Spain, Portugal, France, and Morocco. The most recent incident occurred off Spain’s northwest coast on August 25, 2024. A pod of killer whales damaged the rudder of a sailboat named the Amidala, leaving its two passengers stranded. While this boat remained afloat, the orcas' attacks have caused at least seven vessels to sink in the past four years....

Carbon dioxide (CO2), released by burning fossil fuels like oil and coal, is a large contributor to global warming. Switching to renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines can help reduce the harmful emissions. However, phasing out fossil fuels entirely will take time. Meanwhile, companies like Climeworks are developing innovative solutions to reduce atmospheric CO2 levels. On May 8, 2024, the Switzerland-based startup turned on Mammoth, the world's largest direct air capture (DAC) plant....

A mummified adult wolf could offer scientists valuable insights into the late Pleistocene era (129,000 to 11,700 years ago). The animal was buried in thick permafrost for over 44,000 years. It was unearthed by the residents of Sakha, Russia, in 2021. The specimen boasted well-preserved teeth, fur, and internal organs, including the stomach. It was the first complete adult wolf found from the late Ice Age....

On August 25, 2024, NASA officials announced that Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth in early September without its crew members Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams. NASA's decision is based on lingering concerns about the spacecraft's safety. Wilmore and Williams will remain at the International Space Station (ISS) until February 2025....