Arctic air flowing into the southern United States Friday

The elephant shrew is a small but clever creature. It survives using speed, memory and keen senses in a world where predators lurk at every turn. The post The elephant shrew is a long-snouted speedster first appeared on EarthSky.

Beyond bolts, there are many lightning forms that you might see, including red sprites, blue jets and more. Read about them and see examples here. The post See lightning forms from the traditional to bizarre first appeared on EarthSky.

When astronomers say a distant world is 'habitable,' what do they mean? Do they mean humans could live there? Do they mean we've discovered alien life? The post Here’s what ‘habitable’ means to astronomers first appeared on EarthSky.

...

Blue-white Rigel shines as the brightest star in the constellation Orion the Hunter. It's a hot massive star, that someday will explode as a supernova. The post Blue-white Rigel is Orion’s brightest star first appeared on EarthSky.

Advanced aliens and fireflies on Earth might communicate in similar ways, by using signals of flashing light, a new theoretical study suggests. The post Do aliens and fireflies communicate similarly? first appeared on EarthSky.

The brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere's winter sky form the shape of the Winter Circle, or Hexagon, that will help you locate 6 constellations. The post Meet the Winter Circle, aka the Winter Hexagon first appeared on EarthSky.

Is Europa's ocean habitable? A new study suggests it might be 'quiet and lifeless', with little to no geologic activity on the seafloor. The post Europa’s ocean ‘quiet and lifeless,’ new research suggests first appeared on EarthSky.