Latest Planets News
The Lyrid meteor shower peaks this weekend, but it may be hard to see it
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Lyrid meteor shower is underway. But with a nearly full moon in the sky during the peak, it might be tough to see clearly. The Lyrids occur every year in mid-to-late April. This year's peak activity happens Sunday into Monday, with 10 to 20 meteors expected...
Awe and dread: How religions have responded to total solar eclipses over the centuries
Throughout history, solar eclipses have had profound impact on adherents of various religions around the world. They were viewed as messages from God or spiritual forces, inducing emotions ranging from dread to wonder. Ahead of the total solar eclipse that will follow a long path...
NASA wants to come up with a new clock for the moon, where seconds tick away faster
WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA wants to come up with an out-of-this-world way to keep track of time, putting the moon on its own souped-up clock. It's not quite a time zone like those on Earth, but an entire frame of time reference for the moon. Because there's less gravity on the moon,...
What to know about next week's total solar eclipse in the US, Mexico and Canada
North America is on the verge of another masking of the sun. Monday’s total solar eclipse will make landfall along Mexico’s Pacific coast and cross into Texas and 14 other U.S. states, before exiting over Canada. It will last almost twice as long, with an even...
A faster spinning Earth may cause timekeepers to subtract a second from world clocks
Earth’s changing spin is threatening to toy with our sense of time, clocks and computerized society in an unprecedented way — but only for a second. For the first time in history, world timekeepers may have to consider subtracting a second from our clocks in a few years because...
Travelers through Maine’s biggest airport can now fly to the moon. Or at least a chunk of it
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Fly me to the moon. Or, at least, to Maine. Maine's largest airport is now home to the second largest piece of the moon on Earth, according to moon rock enthusiasts who installed the extraterrestrial chunk. The moon piece is a little bigger than a rugby ball...
Swedish appeals court rules space rock should stay with the owner of the property where it landed
STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish land owner won a legal battle Thursday to keep a 14-kilogram (31-pound) meteorite when an appeals court ruled that such rocks should be considered “immovable property" and part of the land where they are found. The property on which the meteorite landed...
The spring equinox is here. What does that mean?
Spring is almost here — officially, at least. The vernal equinox arrives on Tuesday, marking the start of the spring season for the Northern Hemisphere. But what does that actually mean? Here's what to know about how we split up the year using the Earth's orbit. ...
What's Pi Day all about? Math, science, pies and more
Math enthusiasts around the world, from college kids to rocket scientists, celebrate Pi Day on Thursday, which is March 14 or 3/14 — the first three digits of an infinite number with many practical uses. Around the world many people will mark the day with a slice of pie — sweet,...
Jupiter's moon Europa may have less oxygen than expected, a finding that might put a damper on life
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — New research suggests there's less oxygen on the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa than thought — and that could affect what if any life might be lurking in the moon’s underground ocean. Even with little or no oxygen, microbes might still be...
