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Earth permanently deformed by big quakes? Measurements in Chile challenge established theory.
Earth permanently deformed: New research suggests that large-scale temblors can leave permanent scars on the crust of our planet.
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Earth permanently deformed by really big earthquakes
Earth permanently deformed? The Earth's crust is relatively elastic, but earthquakes of more than magnitude 7 will leave the planet permanently deformed, says new research.
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Mars might still harbor life, say scientists
Liquid water might flow seasonally at some places on Mars, potentially supporting microbial life, say some researchers.
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Russian asteroid highlights astronomers' challenge: predicting such space objects
Astronomers have cataloged about 95 percent of the space objects wider than half a mile – those that could destroy civilization. But they have found less than 1 percent of the objects 100 feet across or larger, a class that includes the asteroid that flitted past Earth on Friday.
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Chile-Peru border dispute moves from battlefield to courtroom
A five-year legal battle over a Chile-Peru territorial dispute ends tomorrow. Countries have gradually moved their conflicts to the legal arena, but how the losing country reacts to the verdict will be telling.
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Change Agent Len Stanmore mixes adventure with helping others
He's about to set a world record by climbing the highest peaks on seven continents and crossing the four most inhospitable deserts. But when he added a charitable aspect to his quest he made it even more meaningful.
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Sugar molecules – a building block of life – spotted orbiting star (+video)
Astronomers have spotted molecules of glycolaldehyde, a simple sugar that is one of the ingredients in the formation of RNA, orbiting a star some 400 light years away.
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New spiral galaxy image shows pair of supernovae
The European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope in Chile captured a very detailed image of a galaxy that hosted two supernova explosions within the past 30 years.
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Multi-telescope view two million times sharper than human eye reveals black hole
Scientists spaced thousands of miles apart discovered a super massive black hole inside a quasar some five billion light-years from Earth
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Astronomers use an old trick to open new window on extrasolar planets
Two teams of astronomers used a technique for finding extrasolar planets to directly measure one such planet. The approach could allow the study of more exoplanets' atmospheres than ever before.
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Amazing photo shows 'swarm' of stars (+video)
Tens of thousands of stars can be seen clustered together in a new image.
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Thin layer of oxygen found on Dione may change search for alien life
After the Cassini probe's flyby over Saturn's frozen moon, Dione, scientists saw evidence of ionized oxygen molecules in its atmosphere. This could have interesting implications for astrobiology.
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Moon acts as mirror, reflecting telltale signs of life (+video)
So-called 'earthshine' observations may pave the way for a similar tool to help spot signs of alien life in the universe, scientists say.
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Why you should care about Lake Vostok
If scientists find life in Antarctica's Lake Vostok, an ancient freshwater body locked beneath two miles of ice, it will greatly boost hopes of the existence of life on other worlds.
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Humongous 'El Gordo' galaxy cluster packs mass of 2 quadrillion stars
Located some7 billion light-years from Earth, 'El Gordo' is the biggest and hottest cluster of galaxies ever observed in the early universe.
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Strange red galaxies a 'missing link' in history of the universe?
The discovery of four ruby-red, dim galaxies at the farthest fringes of the universe could help scientists understand how the earliest galaxies evolved to become what we see today.
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ALMA telescope poised to peer into hidden corners of the cosmos
The ALMA radio telescope array set to come on line this week will give astronomers an unprecedented look into areas of the universe obscured from other telescopes – from star nurseries in other galaxies to the black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
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Trapped Chilean miners to appear on the big screen
Many say the successful rescue of 'Los 33' after their 69-day plight is made for Hollywood, but Chileans are cautious about how their society will be portrayed.
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Chileans protest government approval of five Patagonia dams
Dam projects are drawing increased criticism in South America, which boasts three of the world's four biggest hydroelectric dam complexes. Chile is pushing forward with a $7 billion dam project.
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Is the Big Dipper scooping dark matter?
Scientists peered through a galactic window in the ladle of the Big Dipper, using the Herschel telescope to look 10 billion years backwards in time and investigate the origins of galaxies, which turn out to require 20 times less dark matter than previously calculated.
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Do black holes spin? The answer could be in the photons.
A spinning black hole would swirl the very fabric of space and time around it, as well as distorting the photons that pass nearby.
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Top 6 most triumphant stories of 2010
Most 2010 lists of major news will include the Gulf oil spill, the Haiti earthquake, the Republican midterm election sweep, and WikiLeaks. But we saw many events that also inspired or amazed or brought a smile. Here's our top 6 list.
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Nine places on Earth that mimic Mars terrain
Scientists say that Mars went through three ages, and the first age may have been habitable for life as we know it. Each stage on Mars can be found at nine different locations around the planet Earth today.
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Photos of the Day: Photos of the Day 11/17
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'Los 33' still riding whirlwind of the Chile mine rescue – but calm nearing
For the first time in weeks, the Chile miners formerly trapped underground are not in the news. And that's good news for the men who want their lives to return to normal.
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