Deborah Bloomfield

Ganymede is not only the largest satellite of Jupiter and the biggest moon in the Solar System, but it is the only moon with its own magnetic field and is also tidally locked, meaning it always shows Jupiter the same face just like our Moon does to us. On the far side of Ganymede, there […]

Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Ernesto – they’re names you’ve probably heard a lot of over the last few months, the first storms in what’s expected to be a fairly busy 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. But why do these storms have names, and who decides what to name them? Advertisement Why do tropical storms and hurricanes […]

When Betelgeuse finally collapses, the star – currently a red supergiant – will likely shine as brightly as the Moon in the sky for about two weeks, and be visible during the day time for 6-12 months after that. Advertisement It will be a spectacular event, but calculating when it will happen is a tricky […]

Cairo is perhaps one of the world’s most famous capital cities, with a rich history that spans over 1,000 years. Its chapter as capital, however, is soon to end – and going from recent satellite imagery, its megaproject replacement is finally taking shape. The plan to move the capital was first announced back in 2015, […]

Never short of their quirks, from their flappy primordial pouches that put a swing in their step to the fishing wildcats that quack like ducks, it’s safe to say cats are pretty strange creatures. So, to unravel another kitty mystery, what are those weird folds on their ears and what are they for? Advertisement The […]

If there’s one color that is almost universally associated with nature, it’s green (just don’t tell the mammals). No prizes for guessing why – green is overwhelmingly present in the plant kingdom. Once we start thinking about fruits and flowers, more of the rainbow starts to emerge, but with one notable exception. Where is all […]

What happens if you can’t burp? You might think that sounds quite nice – burping is not the most pleasant or socially acceptable bodily function, after all, at least not in most cultures. But it’s also necessary, and for the community of “no burpers” out there, the lack of it comes with an array of […]

Thanks to the seismic waves produced by earthquakes, scientists have been able to probe the interior of our planet. Layers and composition, as well as changes and motions, are the targets of these investigations. But nothing in the universe is simple. Our planet has weird things buried deep within itself, and even when we expect […]

In an image that’s sure to give you indigestion, a new paper has reported a world-first predation event as a Burmese python was spotted chowing down on a reticulated python. The Burmese was over 3 meters (10 feet) long with the tail-end of a reticulated in its mouth, in a rare meal that took about […]

In Prehistoric Planet, one of the most memorable scenes sees a small Masiakasaurus gaily frolicking by the waterside when BAM – it’s snapped up in the jaws of an enormous predatory amphibian. The beast in question is Beelzebufo, a giant dinosaur-eating frog that once lived in what we now know as Madagascar. Advertisement How big […]

It’s no secret that rainforests are among some of the most biodiverse habitats in the world, but as anyone who has visited one will tell you, that doesn’t mean you’re going to be bumping into rare wildlife left, right, and center. Well, unless you’re hiking in Sumatran striped rabbit territory, apparently. Advertisement In June 2022, […]

The Sun is currently releasing a stream of electrically charged particles. This is the solar wind. Just how this flow can reach incredible velocities was a mystery that endured for decades. It took two spacecraft and international cooperation to get an answer: The magnetic field near the Sun sometimes gets kinky. Advertisement The “fast” solar […]

So long, Hvaldimir. If you’ve been hiding under a rock since 2019 it might have escaped your attention that beluga whale Hvaldimir, once thought to be a Russian “spy” turned Norwegian retiree, was found dead over the weekend. Advertisement Hvaldimir first rose to public attention in 2019 when he was seen wearing a harness presumably […]

A strange pulsing sound has been heard from Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft, prompting a concerned comment from seasoned astronaut Chris Hadfield. Advertisement Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore departed for the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5, the third and final test of Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, and its first launch with a crew. […]

The African rail (Rallus caerulescens) is a handsome bird, with a blueish breast, red legs, eyes and bill, prominent barring on the flanks, chestnut upper parts, and long toes. It also has a characteristic trilling call. This wetland dweller is only found in sub-Saharan Africa, with a concentration in South Africa’s Western Cape province. The […]

The National Park Service (NPS) has put out a warning urging visitors to Yellowstone to keep their distance from the park’s resident population of elk amidst the start of mating season. Advertisement “Stay away from bull elk in Yellowstone, especially during fall mating season,” said park officials in a statement. “You are responsible for your […]

A refreshing slice of grapefruit or a tall glass of its juice can have many benefits; it’s packed with vitamins C and A, as well as helpful minerals like potassium. But before you go and pick up 10 cartons of the stuff, there’s an important downside to be aware of – grapefruit can also mess […]

At 8,849 meters (29,032 feet), Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world – but how did we figure that out? In fact, how do we know how high any mountain is? They certainly don’t make measuring tapes that long (plus someone would have to be at the top to read it), so how […]

When King Charles III inherited the throne from Queen Elizabeth II back in 2022, he quite famously received the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swans found in open water on public land. It turns out, however, that’s far from the only curiously animal-related part of his inheritance – sea creatures make an […]

If you have had the misfortune to date a narcissist, or work for one, you might have used the expression; “They think they’re the center of the universe.” Sadly, we shouldn’t mock too hard, because in a sense such people are right, at least about that. That’s because everyone is the center of the universe, […]