Answering this question is more complex than simply saying it looks blue. Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and is dispersed into all directions by air molecules; shorter wavelengths like blue light tend to be dispersed more strongly by these air molecules than longer ones such as UV. As such, this is why the sky appears […]
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Hyenas have earned themselves a bad rep, yet they’re highly intelligent animals that live in complex social groups. Although often disliked, these important predators deserve our respect. After three months of gestation, female hyenas give birth to one to four cubs that have their eyes sealed shut for five to nine days while they nurse
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The Apollo program was initiated as a response to President Kennedy’s challenge of landing humans on the moon and was NASA’s largest project, both in terms of personnel and resources. Apollo spacecraft consisted of a command module, service module and lunar module; three missions had to be cancelled but enough hardware remained for nine more
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Mercury pollution occurs when factories burn coal or mining operations release run-off into lakes and rivers, where microorganisms convert it to methylmercury that is taken up by plants and small fish; as these fish become consumed by larger ones, more methylmercury accumulates throughout their food chains and becomes concentrated further up. Learn about how mercury
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Spacecraft are vehicles used to transport people and materials into outer space. Launched by rockets, these craft can travel to distant corners of our solar system. NASA’s Psyche mission will explore these mysteries by visiting an asteroid known as Psyche that is thought to contain material from early solar system formation. Origins Artists have long
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Mercury’s heavily cratered surface can help scientists piece together its 4.6 billion year history, but its fragile atmosphere provides little protection from UV radiation or micrometeoroids striking its surface. Spacecraft bound for Mercury must be constructed using heat-resistant materials and feature sophisticated navigation and communication systems, in addition to gravity assists and advanced propulsion systems.
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An eclipse will transform the moon into something truly terrifying: The Blood Moon. This dramatic color change occurs due to sunlight passing through our atmosphere, giving the lunar surface its characteristic reddish tint and turning the Moon red. This term gained momentum when people discussed a series of four lunar eclipses between 2014 and 2015
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Mercury orbits quickly around the Sun and scientists seeking to understand its mysteries have quickly identified a spacecraft capable of reaching it within sufficient timeframe. Slowing a spacecraft with flybys may be straightforward, but getting it to Mercury’s speed requires more complicated methods. Here’s how scientists plan to achieve their goal. Mariner 10 Chen-Wan Yen
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The Sun’s gravity holds together our Solar System, keeping planets, asteroids, meteoroids, as well as microscopic debris in orbit around it. At its core lies nuclear fusion processes which turn hydrogen into helium; all this heat makes up our star. This video from BBC Planet Earth series, hosted by David Attenborough. Volume Comparing planet sizes
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