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cloud trails

Earth

These strange lines of cloud are seeded by pollution from ships

Much as an aeroplane leaves contrails, streaks of white cloud condense onto the tiny particles thrown into the air by the exhausts of travelling ships

Regulars

light pillars

Earth

Spectacular light pillars rise up in frozen North America

Regulars

Mars

Space

Mars rocks may have drunk up all the water and doomed life there

News

Nocturnal sun artwork

Earth

Bright skies at night: The riddle of the nocturnal sun

Features

Hot springs, Yellowstone National Park

Life

Ancient microbes caused Earth’s first ever global warming

News

Space

We may know why Jupiter's Great Red Spot is red instead of white

News

A layer of haze keeps Pluto’s atmosphere extremely cold

Space

A layer of haze keeps Pluto’s atmosphere extremely cold

News

Orange coral on a reef

Earth

Dimming the sun could save corals from bleaching and hurricanes

News

Moon

Space

Lunar volcanoes and lava lakes gave the early moon an atmosphere

News

Rainfall

Earth

A few cold drops falling through a cloud could create a downpour

One raindrop that is less than 4°C cooler than the surrounding cloud can trigger a rapid burst of microdroplets, which can spawn a sudden rainstorm

News

Earth

Lightning storms triggered by exhaust from cargo ships

News

Space

Jupiter’s powerful aurora is surprisingly different from Earth’s

News

Earth

The ethics issue: Should we geoengineer the planet?

Features

Space

Our young moon’s supersonic winds made waves in its magma ocean

News