Beyond Pluto: A new 9th planet?

An unseen planet may be hiding in the outskirts of our solar system. Planetary scientists have just projected its existence based on oddities in the orbits of some far-flung icy bodies. Those tiny objects reside in the distant Kuiper (KY-pur) belt — a vast expanse of space beyond the orbit of Neptune.

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Bright night lights, big science

In polar regions of the world, a dazzling light show often plays out in the night sky. It's called an aurora. Up North, it’s also known as the northern lights. It looks as if someone had stirred bright lights into the darkness, like cream into coffee. The lights are often green, but they also might glow red, yellow or other colors. Every so often, these lights expl ... Read more »