Basic Research

PHOTOS: Rare ‘ring of fire’ eclipse moves across the Americas, stretching from Oregon to Brazil

By Claire Rush, Associated Press/Report for America, Katie Oyan, Associated Press

Cheers erupted among crowds in Oregon and New Mexico on Saturday as an annular solar eclipse that had millions across the Americas waiting with anticipation began putting on a spectacular show.

What causes earthquakes, and why they’re more common in some regions

By Jaime Toro, The Conversation

A deadly earthquake in Afghanistan, following one in Morocco, highlights the risks in the region.

WATCH: NASA launches mission to study metal-rich asteroid Psyche

By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press

SpaceX launched the Psyche spacecraft on Friday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft is named for the metal-rich asteroid it's chasing, which scientists believe is the battered remains of an early planet's iron core.

WATCH: ‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse on Saturday visible to millions across the Americas

By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press

As the moon lines up precisely between Earth and the sun on Saturday, it will blot out all but the sun's outer rim. A bright, blazing border will appear around the moon for as much as five minutes along a…

WATCH: NASA scientists unveil first near-Earth asteroid sample returned to U.S.

By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press

NASA is showing off its first asteroid samples delivered last month by a spacecraft. Scientists and space agency leaders took part in Wednesday's big reveal at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

These 6 new images from the Hubble telescope shed light on distant galaxies

By Bella Isaacs-Thomas

Here’s a look at the recent Hubble images NASA released in honor of “galaxy week.”…

Marine mammals in U.S. waters are losing food and habitat to climate change, study finds

By Patrick Whittle, Associated Press

Whales, dolphins and seals living in U.S. waters face major threats from warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels and decreasing sea ice volumes associated with climate change, according to a first-of-its-kind assessment.

Winner of Nobel Prize in medicine discusses how her work helped fight COVID-19

By William Brangham

This week's Nobel Prize announcements are highlighting groundbreaking work once again in the sciences and medicine. William Brangham has a conversation with one of the year's winners in medicine, whose work led to a profound change in tackling the pandemic.

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What extraordinarily brief light flashes can tell us about electrons and the nature of matter

By Aaron W. Harrison, The Conversation

Three scientists won the 2023 Nobel Prize in physics for their work developing methods to shoot laser pulses that only last an attosecond, or a mind-bogglingly tiny fraction of a second.