Top astronomy events of 2023
To kick off the new year, we list the top five astronomy events of 2023 that feature a pair of major meteor showers and a "Ring of Fire" eclipse.
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Popular MechanicsScientists Actually Did It: They Built a Real Working Tractor Beam
Scientists built a working tractor beam—the first example of one that pulls objects visible to the naked eye. That's a huge deal.
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SpaceX launches heaviest payload on reused rocket's 9th flight
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifted its heaviest payload yet to low Earth orbit when it launched 56 Starlink satellites on Thursday morning (Jan. 26).
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SpaceX destacks Starship to prep for epic 33-engine test fire (photos)
SpaceX destacked its Starship Mars rocket on Wednesday (Jan. 25) to continue gearing up for the giant vehicle's first-ever orbital test flight.
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40,000-year-old cave full of animal skulls might be first known site of human rituals
Archaeologists also discovered tools buried in the cave.
- BBC
Egypt archaeology: Gold-covered mummy among latest discoveries
The mummy was found inside a sarcophagus that has remained unopened for 4,300 years.
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10 mind-boggling things you should know about quantum physics
Just as you can only buy shoes in multiples of half a size, so energy only comes in multiples of the same "quanta" — hence the name quantum physics. The quanta here is the Planck constant, named after Max Planck, the godfather of quantum physics. This so-called wave-particle duality is a cornerstone of quantum physics.
- Space
Perseverance Mars rover files 1st detailed weather report
The weather station on NASA's Perseverance rover has chronicled the meteorology above Jezero Crater.
- Florida Today
Green comet will pass Earth. Here's how and when you can see it
Here are five things you should know about Comet ZTF before it passes by Earth next week.
- Space
China's Yutu 2 rover still going strong after 4 years on the moon's far side
China's Yutu 2 rover is still operating after four years on the moon and has returned new images from the lunar far side.
- Live Science
52-foot-long Book of the Dead papyrus from ancient Egypt discovered at Saqqara
For the first time in 100 years, a full "Book of the Dead" papyrus has been uncovered at Saqqara.
- CBS News
Golden secret found in mouth of "controversial" socialite who died in 1619
Anne d'Alegre's teeth "shows that she went through a lot of stress," the researcher said, adding she hopes that the research "goes a little way towards rehabilitating her."
- Space
Boeing's Starliner crew capsule channels R2-D2 ahead of astronaut test flight
NASA released images of the Boeing Starliner crew capsule resembling R2-D2 while being mated to a new service module ahead of a crewed flight test to the International Space Station.
- Fox Weather
SpaceX in final preparation for Starship orbital test flight from Texas
SpaceX is inching closer to sending its massive Starship into space for the first time.
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Why NASA and China Don’t Collaborate in Space
A 2011 law called the Wolf Amendment effectively bans the U.S. from working with China in space. But as the two countries move closer to the moon, some in the space community ask: Has this law helped or hurt NASA?
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Tornado Alley is creeping into new territory
Tornado outbreaks in Texas and Louisiana add to changes that experts have been observing in recent years — namely, that where and when tornadoes occur has begun to shift.
- The Weather Network
A small asteroid gives Earth a close, but safe, shave tonight
NASA says this is one of the closest flybys of a near-Earth asteroid they've ever recorded.
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NASA spotted a rock formation on Mars that looks just like a giant bear face
A volcano or mudslide likely caused the rock formation. It's the latest in a string of amusing images spotted by NASA spacecraft on Mars.
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3 Cathie Wood Stocks to Buy in 2023
Putting an investment shopping list together for the new year? Consider these compelling options found in the portfolios of Ark Invest's ETFs.
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True identity of rotting ship hulk in Plymouth discovered
Maritime archaeologists have discovered the true identity of a hulk in Hooe Lake, Plymouth.
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See the moon meet up with Jupiter tonight (Jan. 25)
On Wednesday (Jan. 25) the moon will meet up with Jupiter in the night sky as the two bodies share the same right ascension and make a close approach to each other.