An archaeologist studies

By David Grimm Feb. 26, 2021 , 10:45 AM The cats and dogs lie as if asleep, in individual graves. Many wore collars or other adornments, and they had been cared for through injury and old age, like today’s pets. But the last person to bury a beloved animal companion in this arid Egyptian land on the coast of the Red Sea did so nearly 2000 years ago. The site, located in the early Roman port of Berenice, was found a decade ago, but its purpose was mysterious. Now a detailed excavation has unearthed the burials of nearly 600 cats and dogs, along with the strongest evidence yet that these animals were treasured pets. That would make the site the oldest known pet cemetery, the authors argue, suggesting that the modern concept of pets wasn’t alien to the ancient world. “I’ve never encountered a cemetery like this,” says Michael MacKinnon, a zooarchaeologist at the University of Winnipeg who has studied the role of animals across the bygone Mediterranean but was not involved with … [Read more...] about Graves of nearly 600 cats and dogs in ancient Egypt may be world’s oldest pet cemetery

The five heroic sex geckos sent into space on July 19 to study sexual reproduction in zero gravity died before returning to Earth on Monday, Russian officials said. It is unclear what they died of, or whether the intrepid geckos ever mated in space. Their tiny, partially mummified bodies were found within their enclosure aboard the small Foton-M4 spacecraft at the conclusion of their mission. "All geckos, unfortunately, died," the Russian Space Agency said in a statement. "The date and conditions of their deaths will be determined by specialists." See also: 12 facts about space that will rock your world The geckos gained international recognition in late July when Russia said it had lost contact with the satellite , raising the possibility that the experiments would be a failure and the geckos would orbit the earth for months before their food supply ran out. Communication was restored within a few days. But the satellite did change its orbital trajectory during that … [Read more...] about Space Sex Geckos Dead on Reentry, Russia Reveals

UPDATE, July 28, 11:16 a.m. ET: Salvation! The Russian space agency Roscosmos has released a statement that they have reconnected with the troubled satellite containing the gecko experiment. The connection was restored on Saturday evening and a spokesperson for Roscomos told RT that the agency is sure they will be able to conduct "90 percent" of the experiments originally planned to be conducted on the vessel. Talk about space oddity. Russian scientists have lost contact with a biosatellite containing five geckos as part of a sex study on living organisms. The flight was intended to be a 60-day mission which launched last week on July 19 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports. Communication with the spacecraft was lost the same day it launched. See also: 12 facts about space that will rock your world The geckos, four females and one very lucky male, were packed into the Foton-M4 spacecraft so that scientist could study the … [Read more...] about Russia’s Experimental Sex Geckos Are Lost in Space

Though the study of astronomy predates recorded history, and physical space exploration has been possible since the 1950s, humans still remain largely in the dark about what's really out there. For all that we've discovered, astronomers estimate that nearly 96% of the universe remains impossible to see or even comprehend. See also: 55 Astonishing Images of Earth From Space But for all the mystery surrounding space, one thing we're sure of is its staggering beauty. Telescopes like NASA's Hubble illuminate the observable universe with captivating images of far-off planets, galaxies and star clusters. Take in the beauty our universe has to offer through these 30 stunning images of space. Enhanced Hubble Image of Comet ISON Image: Flickr, NASA HQ PHOTO Taken Under the "Wing" of the Small Magellanic Cloud Image: NASA, ESA, CXC and the University of Potsdam, JPL-Caltech, and STScI Merging Clusters in 30 Doradus Image: NASA, ESA, and E. … [Read more...] about 30 Stunning Images of Space

If you see an incredible image of deep space, chances are it came from Hubble. Launched in 1990, Hubble is a telescope that orbits above Earth's atmosphere, beaming home images that have helped us solve some of the universe's greatest mysteries. Not only does NASA count Hubble as one of its most successful science missions, but it is also among the biggest advancements humans have ever made in space. The Tech That Powers Hubble Hubble orbits around Earth at about five miles per second; a complete spin takes 97 minutes. On its journey, its mirror captures light and directs it into its instruments, which then work together to provide the observation. While Hubble provides views of deep space, it doesn't magnify distant stars, alien planets and galaxies. Instead, it collects more light than the human eye can see on its own. With a telescope, the bigger the mirror, the better the vision. Hubble's mirror is 94.5 inches in diameter, which is smaller than most Earth-based telescopes. … [Read more...] about How Hubble Snaps Those Amazing Space Images