Phil Plait

Bad Astronomy

Another Kepler milestone: Astronomers find two Earth-sized planets orbiting the same star!

(Image Credit: Danita Delimont/Shutterstock) 

Hudson bay

Discover how scientists found and dated the oldest rocks on the planet, and why studying them can help explain how life on Earth first began.

The Oldest Rocks on Earth Are in Canada, and They’re 4.16 Billion Years Old

Looking out into the Main Ethiopian Rift, taken at Boset Volcano in Ethiopia. (Image Credit: Prof Thomas Gernon, University of Southampton)

Main Ethiopian Rift in Afar, Ethiopia in Africa

Learn more about the pounding plume of molten rock that’s beneath Ethiopia, forcing its three tectonic plates to separate.

Deep Pulses Beneath Africa Are Breaking the Continent Apart, Creating a New Ocean

(Image Credit: Wonderful Nature/Shutterstock) 

white sand under water

Learn more about a sequence of increases in the carbon dioxide in our ancient atmosphere, which can tell us about our oceans’ future.

Ancient Carbon Dioxide Burps Once Devastated Our Oceans, and Could Do So Again

Volcano eruption not associated with the study. (Image Credit: LensFocusArt/Shutterstock)

Stealthy volcano eruption

Slow magma flows, small chambers, and hot rock all contribute to surprise volcano eruptions that occur without any prior warning.

Stealthy Volcanoes Are Quiet Until They Erupt Without Warning Signs – Here's Why

Summer solstice 2025. (Image Credit: Chuta Kooanantkul/Shutterstock)

Summer solstice at Stonehenge

When is the summer solstice? On June 20, 2025, the sun will reach its most northerly point in the sky, marking the start of summer. 

The Peak of the 2025 Summer Solstice Is Coming, Along With Celebrations – Here’s What to Know

Chaitén Volcano in southern Chile erupted on May 2, 2008 for the first time in 9,000 years. NASA satellites that monitor changes in vegetation near volcanoes could aid in earlier eruption warnings. (Image Courtesy of Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

Another Kepler milestone: Astronomers find two Earth-sized planets orbiting the same star!

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