Harry Baker

The record-breaking crystal will act as a DNA time capsule that could be used to bring back humanity after our extinction, researchers say. But not everyone is convinced.

Earth from space A 2012 satellite photo captured a patch of snow-covered sea ice with an uncannily similar shape to badges pinned on the uniforms of Starfleet officers in the "Star Trek" franchise.

Scientists used AI to find 303 never-before-seen geoglyphs in Peru's Nazca Desert, including abstract humanoid figures, ancient ceremonies, "decapitated heads" and a "killer whale holding a knife."

A new map that details gravitational anomalies on Mars has revealed 20 mysteriously dense blobs, including a dog-shaped mass, buried below the planet's north pole. And researchers have no clear idea where they came from.

A new study has revealed the exact origin of the Pacific Ocean's mysterious "biotwang" noises, which were first detected by underwater surveys near the Mariana Trench in 2014.

A new analysis of the brushstrokes and colors in Vincent van Gogh's famous painting Starry Night reveals a striking similarity to "hidden turbulence" in Earth's atmosphere, suggesting the iconic artist had a surprisingly detailed understanding of natural processes.

Check out some of the best photos from 2024's Ocean Photographer of the Year competition.

Earth from space In 2011, a ghostly depression, known as "the mitten," appeared on the surface of and ice sheet in Greenland after the unprecedented collapse of a concealed subglacial lake.

Researchers have recreated the bizarre spider-like features seen on the surface of Mars for the first time ever. The breakthrough could help unravel further mysteries surrounding the static Martian arachnids.

Detailed 3D images of the first tardigrade fossils ever discovered help scientists predict when tardigrades evolved their near-indestructibility — a trait that might have helped them survive multiple mass extinctions.

Wildlife officials in Georgia stumbled across a pair of snakes that had been "expelled" by a larger serpent, only to discover that one of the regurgitated victims was still alive.

New simulations reveal that there is an extremely small chance that the "city-killer" asteroid Apophis could be nudged onto a collision course with Earth by another asteroid before it flies past our planet in 2029.

Newly released images of Mars reveal a "smiley" salt deposit on the Red Planet's surface. A related study suggests that similar deposits, which were left behind from ancient lakes, may be a good place to look for signs of former life on Mars.

Japan's new state-of-the-art supercomputer, which is due to cost more than $750 million to build, is set to turn on by 2030.

Earth from space A pair of 2015 astronaut photos taken just minutes apart shows the eye of tropical cyclone Bansi illuminated by two lightning strikes as the storm raged in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Madagascar.

New simulations show that Jupiter's massive moon Ganymede was knocked off its axis when it was struck by a roughly 90-mile-wide asteroid around 4 billion years ago. The colossal collision was likely one of the biggest asteroid impacts the solar system has ever seen.

On Wednesday (Sept. 4), astronomers spotted a never-before-seen asteroid, 2024 RW1, around eight hours before it entered Earth's atmosphere. The "harmless" space rock quickly burned up as predicted, creating a bright green streak across the night sky before spectacularly exploding.

A NASA spacecraft erected a large, foil solar sail in orbit around Earth last week, after a failed attempt days earlier. However, subsequent observations of the spacecraft show it is "tumbling or wobbling" through space, which may have also impacted its trajectory around our planet.

The average number of visible dark patches on the sun's surface in August was higher than any other month since September 2001. The final count was more than twice as high as experts initially predicted it would be.

Earth from space A 2012 satellite photo captured an unusual "double rainbow" glory appearing next to an unconnected chain of rare vortices in the clouds above Mexico's Guadalupe Island.

A new study from Russian scientists claims that the unexpected detonation of SpaceX's Starship rocket during a test flight in November 2023 tore an "ionospheric hole" in the upper atmosphere. It is the first time this type of hole has been created by a human-caused explosion.

A new study suggests that millions of tiny space rock fragments, which were ejected from the 2022 collision between asteroid Dimorphos and NASA's DART spacecraft, may be on a collision course with Earth and Mars.

Earth from space A recent landslide along the banks of a river in British Columbia completely dammed the waterway, leading to evacuation warnings and potentially dooming an endangered fish population trapped on the wrong side of the debris.

At least two lunar rainbows, including a stunning "double moonbow," have been spotted above the U.S. in the lead-up to the blue supermoon. And there is still a chance to see one of these elusive arches for yourself.

Earth from space This 2014 satellite photo shows a gigantic, multicolor phytoplankton bloom swirling off the coast of Argentina. More recent research has shown that similarly massive algal outbreaks may become less likely in the future thanks to climate change.