Science & Earth

A six-planet alignment is expected soon after sunset on Saturday, Feb. 28, visible toward the western sky about 30–60 minutes after sunset; several planets will sit low near the horizon and a nearly full waxing gibbous moon (90.6% illuminated) may make some planets harder to see.

NASA astronaut Mike Fincke said he experienced a medical event aboard the International Space Station on Jan. 7, and NASA arranged an early return for Crew-11 that splashed down Jan. 15 so he could receive advanced medical imaging and care.

An annular solar eclipse created a visible 'ring of fire' over Antarctica on Feb. 17, 2026, with the Concordia Research Station providing a rare ground-based view; peak annularity lasted about two minutes and partial phases spanned roughly two hours.

A Glendale resident reports a mountain lion grabbed her five-and-a-half-year-old shih tzu, Declan, outside her home and carried the dog into nearby hills; wildlife officials have urged caution in foothill neighborhoods, including avoiding nighttime walks and keeping pets leashed.

National Weather Service probability maps show widespread chances of snow across the Northeast on Friday, with local totals up to 11 inches and winter storm warnings in parts of northern New York and Vermont.

A study in Science finds many North American bird species are declining at accelerating rates, with average counts down about 304 birds per survey route (roughly a 15% drop) since the late 1980s; declines are strongest in warmer areas and regions of intensive agriculture.

Midweek temperatures climbed to about 18C and a Saharan dust plume tinted the sky, but forecasts show rain and cooler, unsettled conditions returning over the weekend into early March.

James Webb captured new images of the planetary nebula PMR 1 showing a split, brain-like interior divided by a dark vertical lane, and the nebula lies about 5,000 light-years away with the composite spanning roughly 3.2 light-years.

Punch, an orphaned Japanese macaque at Ichikawa City Zoo, has become a viral sensation after clutching an IKEA stuffed orangutan as a comfort object; researchers note his behavior echoes decades of primate attachment studies.

A nearly complete, well-preserved skeleton of a crow-sized alvarezsaur, Alnashetri cerropoliciensis, was found in sandstone at La Buitrera in northern Patagonia and published in Nature; the specimen was a small female that died at about age four and was rapidly buried by a sand dune.

A new simulation study models planetesimals as clouds of pebble-sized particles and finds that spinning clouds can produce binary planetesimals that spiral together and gently fuse into contact binaries, or 'space snowmen.' The simulations produced contact binaries in about 4% of runs, and the results were published Feb. 19 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

MuWave, a UK spinout from United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority research, received £450,000 to develop terahertz microwaves intended to heat fusion plasmas; the work is aimed at commercializing the technology for fusion research including the UK’s STEP prototype planned for 2040.

Rain soaked into the Sierra Nevada snowpack and refroze, raising California’s median snow water equivalent from 70% to 75% between Monday and Wednesday, according to UC Berkeley monitoring reported by SFGATE. Statewide snowpack remains at about 61% of average peak, with regional differences reported.

NASA postponed a Jan. 8 spacewalk while monitoring a medical concern aboard the International Space Station, and Mike Fincke says he experienced a medical event that stabilized and led to Crew‑11's early return and splashdown on Jan. 15.

A Northwestern University-led team used NASA's James Webb Telescope and archival Hubble images to locate the red supergiant that produced a supernova whose light reached Earth on June 29, 2025. The star appears unusually dusty, and NASA says the finding could help explain missing red supergiants.

On March 3 a total lunar eclipse will occur; totality begins about 6:04 a.m. ET and will be fully visible across the Pacific, eastern Asia, Australia and New Zealand, while eastern North America may see only part of the event as dawn approaches.

NASA reports astronaut Mike Fincke experienced a medical event on Jan. 7 and is now recovering at Johnson Space Center after an early return with Crew‑11.

A total lunar eclipse on March 3 will produce a 'blood moon' visible across parts of the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania, with totality lasting about 58 minutes.

Citizen scientists discovered and mapped a coral colony on the Great Barrier Reef about 364 feet long with an estimated footprint of 42,765 square feet, using in-water measurements, high-resolution imaging and 3D modelling.

Researchers applied a moving-molecule therapy to stem-cell spinal organoids and observed reduced scarring, lower inflammation, and neurite regrowth in injured tissue.

The ALMA ACES survey produced the largest radio mosaic ever made of the Milky Way's Central Molecular Zone, showing complex filaments of cold molecular gas and dozens of identified molecules; the results were published Feb. 25 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Scientists are studying intestinal gases as a window into the gut microbiome using rectal gas-collection devices and a swallowable sensor capsule, and early tests show these methods can detect gas types and where fermentation occurs in the colon.

NASA plans to move the Artemis II Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, for unplanned repairs after teams detected a helium flow issue in the rocket's upper stage; the rollback is scheduled for 9 a.m., weather permitting.

A Duke Health and University of Minnesota study reported that levels of small RNAs called piRNAs in blood predicted two‑year survival among adults aged 71 and older, with a six‑piRNA signature reaching about 86% accuracy and validation in an independent group.

President Trump authorized FEMA to supplement response efforts after a sewer line collapse released large amounts of untreated wastewater into the Potomac River; Mayor Muriel Bowser had declared a local emergency and requested federal assistance.

Defra has said weekly food waste collections will be introduced for every household next month under new legislation, but a BBC investigation found almost one in four English councils do not expect to meet that deadline; some councils have later start agreements or plan rollouts into 2026 and beyond.

A strong rimu fruiting has triggered a rare kakapo breeding season in New Zealand, and conservation staff are monitoring nests including a livestreamed underground nest where eggs were incubated off-site.

The World Nature Photography Awards announced its 2026 winners, naming Australia's Jono Allen World Nature Photographer of the Year for a photo of a rare white humpback calf called Mãhina; the contest drew entries from 51 countries and produced 14 gold-medal images across multiple categories.

On Feb. 12 the Trump administration rescinded the endangerment finding that gave the EPA the legal basis to regulate greenhouse gases; experts say that decision removes a key basis for federal emissions rules and could affect health protections tied to cleaner air.

NASA and SpaceX have scheduled the SpaceX Dragon to undock from the Harmony module at 12:05 p.m. EST Thursday, and the Expedition 74 crew packed research samples and station hardware for return while continuing human research aboard the ISS.