Space science

Comet from edge of solar system killed the dinosaurs: Study

Sixty-six million years ago, a huge celestial object struck off the coast of what is now Mexico, triggering a catastrophic "impact winter" that eventually wiped out three-quarters of life on Earth, including the dinosaurs.

A pair of astronomers at Harvard say they have now resolved long-standing mysteries surrounding the nature and origin of the "Chicxulub impactor."

Sky enthusiasts enjoy view of conjunction

Skygazers all around the world enjoyed the view of a lifetime on Dec. 21 night as two gas giants appeared very close together in the night sky. 

"Skywatchers are enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime look at a close alignment of Jupiter and Saturn!" NASA said on Twitter.

Called the great conjunction, the rare sight occurred at about 18:20 UTC, according to timeanddate.com.

Jupiter, Saturn to form double planet on Dec 21

In a once in 20 years occurrence, Jupiter and Saturn will appear very close together in the night sky on Dec. 21.

The two gas giants will actually be hundreds of millions of miles apart but will appear exceptionally close, just a tenth of a degree apart or one-fifth of a full moon's diameter, according to Live Science.

Perseids meteor shower captured in stunning photo

In this picture with a long shutter speed stars move in the night sky during the Perseid meteor shower in the Pineios Lake near the village of Velanidi, Peloponnese, Greece, late Thursday. The Perseids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. The Perseids shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the peak in activity being between Aug.

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