Science

Fireflies glow to attract mates. As new research shows, however, a certain species of spider has learned to take advantage of this luminous natural phenomenon. In a Journal of Animal Ecology paper published August 27, ecologists report that the sheetweb spider (Psechrus clavis) appears to exploit firefly luminescence to attract more prey. Observational analysis and lab experiments revealed that, by …

From Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars, explore the world of human spaceflight with NASA each week on the official podcast of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Listen to in-depth conversations with the astronauts, scientists and engineers who make it possible. On episode 399, NASA astronaut Suni Williams reflects on her record-breaking mission, her perspective after returning …

A dinosaur dubbed one of the “strangest” ever found boasted an elaborate armory of long bony spikes and a tail weapon, according to findings published in the science journal Nature. Spicomellus, which roamed the Earth 165 million years ago, is the world’s oldest ankylosaur, a herbivorous group of dinosaurs known for their tank-like bodies. Palaeontologists’ image of Spicomellus was based …

Early Earth was a barren wasteland incapable of supporting life until a big protoplanet crash carried in the necessary ingredients, a new study suggests. That collision of the proto-Earth and a Mars-size body — nicknamed Theia — has been theorized for decades, especially in discussions of how our moon may have formed from the resulting pieces of the crash. Now, …

The moon is becoming brighter and fuller as we work our way through the lunar cycle. The lunar cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth.  So let’s see what’s happening with the moon tonight, Aug. 28. What is today’s moon …

Get ready for the Blood Moon next week! Our natural satellite will turn crimson as it is experiencing a total eclipse. It will happen during the evening between September 7 and 8 (depending on the timezone) and will be seen by an enormous number of people worldwide. The moon will first go black as the Earth’s shadow covers it during …

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket flies from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on the Starlink 10-11 mission. This launch featured the Falcon 9 booster, tail number B1067, making its 30th trip to space and back. Image: John Pisani/Spaceflight Now Update Aug. 28, 5:20 a.m. EDT: SpaceX confirmed deployment of the 28 satellites. SpaceX second Starlink launch in …

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Looking back on the trajectory leading to Project Apollo and the resulting Moon missions, one can be forgiven for thinking that this was a strict and well-defined plan that was being executed, especially considering the absolute time crunch. The reality is that much of this trajectory was in flux, with the earlier Project Gemini seeing developments towards supplying manned space …

This article was originally published at The Conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com’s Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Pollinators play a vital role in fertilizing flowers, which grow into seeds and fruits and underpin our agriculture. But climate change can cause a mismatch between plants and their pollinators, affecting where they live and what time of year they’re …