Science & Earth
→ NewsSitka reports 156.9 metres of 1.00 g/t gold at Rhosgobel, expanding mineralization at RC Gold Project, Yukon
Sitka Gold released assays from 11 new diamond holes at the Rhosgobel discovery, including DDRCRG-25-027 which returned 156.9 m of 1.00 g/t Au with higher-grade subintervals, and the company reports gold mineralization traced across roughly 1.1 km of strike with additional assays pending.
Cloud-9: Hubble finds a starless, dark-matter-dominated hydrogen cloud
Hubble observations show Cloud-9 is a starless neutral-hydrogen cloud about 4,900 light‑years across with an inferred dark matter mass near five billion suns.
Extreme bushfire warnings as Australia heatwave reaches 45C
Forecasters say a heatwave will push temperatures up to 45C across southeastern Australia, raising extreme bushfire risk and increasing strain on energy networks.
Sky-watching: Three years of solar eclipses begin in 2026.
A rare run of six major solar eclipses begins in 2026 and continues through 2028, including total eclipses on Aug. 12, 2026; Aug. 2, 2027; and July 22, 2028.
Bay Area scientists report bird population decline
A joint report from the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture and Point Blue Conservation Science finds many shorebird species in the Bay Area have declined over the past two decades, with some species showing declines of about 25% to 86% since 2006.
Starlink satellites could face increased debris risk from a reported pellet deployment.
The Associated Press reports Russia may be developing a system to release thousands of pellets into the orbit used by Starlink satellites, which could create uncontrolled debris that threatens many satellites.
January 2026 skywatching highlights from NASA.
NASA reports that Jupiter reaches opposition and its brightest appearance on January 10, and the Beehive Cluster (M44) will be visible in evening skies throughout January.
The Same Recipe That Created Life on Earth May Exist on Mars
A PNAS study led by Steven Benner proposes that RNA could form in basalt-hosted, intermittently wet aquifers containing borate, activated phosphate, and stabilized organic sugars, and analysis of samples from asteroid Bennu returned by OSIRIS-REx detected ribose and glucose that relate to prebiotic chemistry.
Southern California to see a break from rain this week.
Rains are forecast to end by late Tuesday, followed by drier, warmer weather and possible Santa Ana winds this weekend.
Meteorologists warn of dramatic snow loss across the western US
NOAA reported western U.S. snow cover fell to its lowest levels since satellite records began in 2001, with about 90,646 square miles covered as of Dec. 7; several mountain regions are below half their median snow levels, and officials say a single early-season storm can still change snowpack.
Earthquake Strikes Near Acapulco, Mexico
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake was reported near Acapulco, Mexico, and officials reported landslides, structural damage and at least two deaths.
President Trump linked to funding cuts for Thwaites 'Doomsday' glacier research.
The article reports the Trump administration cut funding tied to the research icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer and questions claims that the Thwaites ('Doomsday') glacier will cause large near-term sea-level rise.
Northern California streets flooded by king tides and heavy rain.
Record king tides combined with heavy rain flooded streets in Marin County, with water reported up to 3 to 4 feet, and a flood advisory was in place for the San Francisco area until 2 p.m. Sunday.
In 2026, NASA's return to the moon moves into high gear.
Artemis II is scheduled no earlier than Feb. 6, 2026, to carry four astronauts around the moon, and multiple Commercial Lunar Payload Services robotic missions from Blue Origin, Intuitive Machines, Firefly and Astrobotic are planned across 2026.
January 2026 full 'wolf moon' appears alongside the Quadrantid meteor shower
The January full 'wolf moon' is a supermoon that peaks at 5:03 a.m. ET on Jan. 3 and will look about 14% larger; its brightness may reduce visibility of the Quadrantid meteor shower, which also peaks overnight into Saturday morning.
Whales Are at Risk in New York Waterways, Officials Say
More whales are spending extended time near New York and reports of strandings have risen, with many animals showing signs of vessel strikes or fishing-gear entanglement.
2025 marks Albuquerque's hottest year on record
The National Weather Service reports Albuquerque's 2025 average temperature was 60.8°F, the highest on record, and the year included multiple daytime and nighttime temperature records along with below-normal precipitation.
SpaceX will launch the first orbital mission of 2026 tonight.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg at 9:09 p.m. EST tonight carrying a COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation Earth-observing satellite for the Italian Space Agency and Ministry of Defence; live coverage begins about 15 minutes before launch.
Map shows 18 states where northern lights may be visible Friday night.
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center says a minor to moderate geomagnetic storm could make the northern lights visible across 18 states Friday night, with the aurora viewline reported to skim northern Oregon.
Scientists scanning 3I/ATLAS found no credible radio signals
Breakthrough Listen used the Green Bank Telescope to scan 3I/ATLAS near its Dec. 18 close approach and reported no credible narrowband radio technosignatures; initial candidates were traced to human-made interference.
Planet nursery Dracula's Chivito is the largest disk yet discovered
About 1,000 light-years away, astronomers have imaged a very large disk of gas and dust that is forming planets. Hubble’s first visible-light picture shows unusual, wispy filaments concentrated on one side of the disk.
Trump shares a dead bird photo and blames windmills
President Trump posted a photo of a dead bird on Truth Social and blamed windmills for bald eagle deaths. The image was taken in Israel and experts say the bird is a kestrel, not a bald eagle.
Neo co-founders are publicly disputing the project’s finances and control.
Erik Zhang and Da Hongfei have exchanged public accusations about Neo’s finances and who manages the project. Zhang has asked for a full financial report while Hongfei says Zhang controls most funds.
Japan's rising bear encounters are affecting local life.
Bears have been coming closer to homes in parts of Japan. Experts link the change to a larger bear population and fewer people living in rural areas.
New Jersey snow forecast: a light dusting to 1 inch possible on New Year's
New Jersey may see a light dusting to about 1 inch of snow on New Year's, with the best chances in northwest counties. Temperatures will be chilly, with lows in the 20s tonight.
Met Office snow forecast shows where heavy snow is expected this week
Met Office maps indicate heavy snow is expected in northern parts of the UK around New Year’s Day. Some local roads and higher routes could see larger accumulations, while cold‑health alerts have been issued in parts of England.
NASA telescopes show colliding spiral galaxies in a new combined image.
NASA released an image that combines James Webb Space Telescope infrared data with Chandra X-ray observations of two interacting spiral galaxies. The pair, IC 2163 and NGC 2207, lie about 120 million light-years from Earth.
January wolf moon is the last supermoon visible until the end of 2026
The January wolf moon will be a supermoon on the nights of January 2–3 and coincides with the peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower. The moon will be bright enough to see from many locations, including light-polluted areas.
Wolf moon will peak on 3 January 2026 as the year's first supermoon.
The wolf moon, the first supermoon of 2026, reaches its full peak on 3 January (about 10:03 UTC / 5:03 a.m. EST) and will look larger and brighter as the moon is near its closest point to Earth. The event overlaps with the Quadrantid meteor shower, though the bright moonlight is expected to reduce the number of meteors that are easily seen.
Climate change in the U.S. may still have a different future despite Trump's policies
2025 was reported as one of the hottest years on record, with extreme weather linked to rising global temperatures. The U.S. government moved to reduce some federal climate research programs even as renewable energy use grew elsewhere.
