Latest Planets News
Scientists detect chirping cosmic waves in an unexpected part of space
NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have detected cosmic waves that sound like birds chirping in an unexpected place. These bursts of plasma, called chorus waves, ripple at the same frequency as human hearing. When converted to audio signals, their sharp notes mimic high-pitched bird calls....
A meteorite strike was captured on video by a Canadian home's doorbell camera
NEW YORK (AP) — A doorbell camera on a Canadian home captured rare video and sound of a meteorite striking Earth as it crashed into a couple's walkway. When Laura Kelly and her partner returned home after an evening walk in July, they were surprised to find their walkway littered...
How to glimpse a parade of planets in the January night sky
NEW YORK (AP) — Six planets grace the sky this month in what's known as a planetary parade, and most can be seen with the naked eye. These planetary hangouts happen when several planets appear to line up in the night sky at once. “They’re not in a straight line,...
In their own words: AP photographers explain how selected images capture warming world
Around the globe, Associated Press photographers in 2024 documented what scientists on Friday said was the hottest year on record, the latest in a long string of heat milestones that have been shattered in recent years as the burning of gas, coal and oil accelerate global warming. ...
Scientists drill nearly 2 miles down to pull 1.2 million-year-old ice core from Antarctic
An international team of scientists announced Thursday they’ve successfully drilled one of the oldest ice cores yet, penetrating nearly 2 miles (2.8 kilometers) to Antarctic bedrock to reach ice they say is at least 1.2 million years old. Analysis of the ancient ice is expected to...
Spacecraft buzzes Mercury's north pole and beams back stunning photos
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A spacecraft has beamed back some of the best close-up photos yet of Mercury’s north pole. The European and Japanese robotic explorer swooped as close as 183 miles (295 kilometers) above Mercury's night side before passing directly over the planet's...
Why Greenland? Remote but resource-rich island occupies a key position in a warming world
Remote, icy and mostly pristine, Greenland plays an outsized role in the daily weather experienced by billions of people and in the climate changes taking shape all over the planet. Greenland is where climate change, scarce resources, tense geopolitics and new trade patterns all...
NASA proposes cheaper, quicker way to get Mars rocks and soil to Earth
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is pitching a cheaper and quicker way of getting rocks and soil back from Mars, after seeing its original plan swell to $11 billion. Administrator Bill Nelson presented a revised scenario Tuesday, less than two weeks before stepping down as...
Here's your 2025 guide to the night sky and other celestial wow moments
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The new year will bring a pair of lunar eclipses, but don’t expect any sun-disappearing acts like the one that mesmerized North America last spring. While the world will have to wait until 2026 for the next total solar eclipse, the cosmos promises...
Not quite the 'Girl from Ipanema', a fur seal's rare appearance on Rio's famous beach turns heads
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Short, and dark, and young, and tired, the seal on Ipanema was basking ... The fur seal on Rio de Janeiro’s iconic beach was turning heads of locals and tourists alike Wednesday morning — though not for the same reasons as the famous "Girl from Ipanema." ...