As days grow shorter and temperatures drop, it
might seem like winter has already arrived. However,
the astronomical start of winter in the Northern
Hemisphere will not occur until December 21, 2024.
This date, known as the winter solstice, marks the
shortest day and longest night of the year.
Meanwhile, residents of the Southern Hemisphere ......
Read news articleFor Taylor Swift fans, December 13, which falls on a
Friday this year, will be a day of celebration. It is,
after all, their beloved singer's 34th birthday. But for
the millions who suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia
— the fear of Friday the 13th — it will be the
unluckiest day of the year. The origins of this
superstition remain unclear. However, experts hav......
Read news article"Comedian," a conceptual artwork featuring a
banana duct-taped to a wall, fetched an astounding
$6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction on November 20,
2024. Bidding began at $800,000 and quickly
surged to $4 million and then $5.2 million, plus $1
million in auction fees. The final price surpassed the
$1.2 million pre-auction estimate for the artwork....
Read news articleWith Christmas just around the corner, your
neighborhood is likely aglow with beautiful lights.
But those displays pale in comparison to nature's
dazzling light show — the Geminids. Nicknamed the
"900-pound gorilla of meteor showers" by NASA, the
Geminids outshine others with dust streams that are
5 to 500 times more massive. The "shooting stars"......
Read news articleLignoSat, the world’s first satellite made mostly from
wood, reached the International Space Station (ISS)
aboard a SpaceX cargo capsule on November 5,
2024. The palm-sized satellite, named after the Latin
word for “wood," will be launched from the ISS into
Earth’s orbit later this month. Its mission is to
determine if wood can withstand the harsh conditi......
Read news articleThe days following Thanksgiving — Black Friday,
Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday — are
filled with deals to jump-start the holiday shopping
season. However, GivingTuesday, which falls on
December 3 this year, has a more altruistic purpose.
The "Global Day of Giving" encourages individuals
and businesses to give back in meaningful ways. T......
Read news articleAn estimated 46 million unlucky turkeys will be the
centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner tables across the
US on November 28, 2024. However, Peach and
Blossom, two gorgeous white toms from Minnesota,
will not be among them....
Read news articleIn January 2019, Adam Staples and his friends
traveled to Chew Valley in Somerset, England, to test
a new metal detector. While exploring a farmer's
field, the device found a trove of silver coins buried
in the soil. Staples, an auctioneer specializing in
ancient coins, immediately knew they had found
something extraordinary....
Read news articleOver the years, astronomers have managed to
capture a few images of stars in galaxies beyond
Earth. However, these images have always appeared
as mere points of light, even when seen through
powerful telescopes. Now, thanks to the Very Large
Telescope (VLT), scientists have captured the first
close-up image of a massive star located a stagger......
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