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Latest Features

Concentric rocky rings adorned with ancient artwork wear a magma 'hat' in the Sahara
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space A 2025 astronaut photo shows a massif made of concentric mountain ridges in the Libyan desert. The rocky walls contain ancient artworks and are occasionally used to contain herds of grazing cattle.

Tudor Heart: A Renaissance gold necklace featuring a French-English pun on the love between Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon
By Kristina Killgrove published
Astonishing Artifacts A chance discovery of a 16th-century necklace reveals new information about Tudor-era jewelry styles.

Hubble images taken 25 years apart show big changes in the iconic Crab Nebula — Space photo of the week
By Jamie Carter published
Astronomers reveal new insight into an iconic supernova remnant's evolution, structure and pulsar-driven growth over 25 years.

What would happen to Earth if the sun suddenly vanished?
By Jesse Steinmetz published
Earth is habitable due to warmth from the sun. So what would happen if the sun disappeared?

Why does cannabis give people 'the munchies'?
By Kenna Hughes-Castleberry published
A researcher explains how your body processes the THC from cannabis, resulting in "the munchies."

Here's the stargazing gear you need for April 2026 — don't miss the Lyrids, two comets and the full moon
By Kimberley Lane published
These are our top camera, binocular and telescope recommendations for April's stargazing events, including the Lyrid meteor shower and two bright comets.

DNA shed by every living thing is lurking in the environment — and it could tell us how Earth is changing in real time
By Hannah Osborne published
Environments are littered with the DNA of the creatures that inhabit them. Analyzing it could provide a real-time view of how our planet is changing.

Lençóis Maranhenses: Brazil's dune-filled expanse that sits at the intersection of 3 biomes
By Sascha Pare published
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park hosts sand-dune fields that fill up with lagoons every wet season, but the reserve also has mangrove swamps where species such as the scarlet ibis thrive.

A cross tattoo on a man's neck disappeared — killing his skin as it did so
By Sophie Berdugo published
A man's neck tattoo triggered a reaction so rare that it was only the second recorded case.

Extreme blast of Arctic air from polar vortex paints a picturesque plume off Florida coast
By Harry Baker published
Earth from space A recent satellite photo captured a stunning scene of sediment swirling across the West Florida Shelf after an extreme cold snap that covered large parts of the eastern U.S. in snow.
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