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The Conversation USA

Comets 101 − everything you need to know about the snow cones of space

  • Written by Shannon Schmoll, Director of the Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State University
imageComet Hale-Bopp was visible from Earth in 1997.E. Kolmhofer, H. Raab; Johannes-Kepler-Observatory, Linz, Austria, CC BY-NC

When you hear the word comet, you might imagine a bright streak moving across the sky. You may have a family member who saw a comet before you were born, or you may have seen one yourself when comet Nishimura passed by Earth in...

Read more: Comets 101 − everything you need to know about the snow cones of space

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  2. Listen up, ladies and gentlemen, guys and dudes: Terms of address can be a minefield, especially as their meanings change
  3. Your immune system makes its own antiviral drug − and it's likely one of the most ancient
  4. Students understand calculus better when the lessons are active
  5. The Gaza Strip − why the history of the densely populated enclave is key to understanding the current conflict
  6. America's farmers are getting older, and young people aren't rushing to join them
  7. Peace in Sudan is elusive for any would-be mediators – but a new window of opportunity has opened for outside intervention
  8. Exxon, Apple and other corporate giants will have to disclose all their emissions under California's new climate laws – that will have a global impact
  9. Supreme Court to hear arguments in key case about gerrymandering
  10. Is Taiwan a country or not?
  11. How 'nones' − the religiously unaffiliated − are finding meaning, purpose and spirituality in psychedelic churches
  12. Claudia Goldin’s Nobel Prize win is a victory for women in economics − and the field as a whole
  13. Why more school counselors and psychologists alone won't solve America's mental health crisis among students
  14. Spicy food might burn in the moment, but it likely won't harm your health in the long term
  15. Cancer in kids is different from cancer in grown-ups – figuring out how could lead to better pediatric treatments
  16. Why Al-Aqsa remains a sensitive site in Palestine-Israel conflict
  17. Today's white working-class young men who turn to racist violence are part of a long, sad American history
  18. Glacial lake outburst floods in Alaska and the Himalayas show evolving hazards in a warming world
  19. Are people born with good balance? A physical therapist explains the systems that help keep you on your toes
  20. Hamas assault echoes 1973 Arab-Israeli war – a shock attack and questions of political, intelligence culpability
  21. The Israel-Hamas war: No matter who loses, Iran wins
  22. Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi, in prison for speaking up against human rights violations, has been a voice for women for almost two decades
  23. Bison are sacred to Native Americans − but each tribe has its own special relationship to them
  24. Often in error but still seductive: Why we can't quit election polls
  25. 20 years after the publication of 'Purple Hibiscus,' a generation of African writers have followed in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's footsteps
  26. The pope's new letter isn't just an 'exhortation' on the environment – for Francis, everything is connected, which is a source of wonder
  27. Why the UAW union's tough bargaining strategy is working
  28. Health on the ballot as Argentina poised to elect 'anarcho-capitalist' bent on slashing social protections
  29. Calling the war in Ukraine a 'tragedy' shelters its perpetrators from blame and responsibility
  30. The splendid life of Jimmy Carter – 5 essential reads
  31. Supreme Court is increasingly putting Christians' First Amendment rights ahead of others' dignity and rights to equal protection
  32. The 'Zoom effect' and the possible link between videochatting and appearance dissatisfaction
  33. How a disgruntled scientist looking to prove his food wasn't fresh discovered radioactive tracers and won a Nobel Prize 80 years ago
  34. The Green Revolution is a warning, not a blueprint for feeding a hungry planet
  35. Cell death is essential to your health − an immunologist explains when cells decide to die with a bang or take their quiet leave
  36. China's WeChat is all-encompassing but low-key − a Chinese media scholar explains the Taoist philosophy behind the everything app's design
  37. Making 'movies' at the attosecond scale helps researchers better understand electrons − and could one day lead to super-fast electronics
  38. LGBTQ+ Americans feel they are just getting by in retirement and face greater financial risks
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  41. Birds, worms, rabbits: Francis of Assisi was said to have loved them all – but today's pet blessings on his feast day might have seemed strange to the 13th century saint
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  44. Where the Supreme Court stands on banning books
  45. Navigating the risks and benefits of AI: Lessons from nanotechnology on ensuring emerging technologies are safe as well as successful
  46. How do astronomers know the age of the planets and stars?
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  50. Feinstein's death raises the question: How are vacant Senate seats filled?