A Solar Eclipse, as Seen by a Spacecraft Orbiting 22,000 Miles Away

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

As the orb of the Moon transited in front of the Sun on Nov. 13, 2023, the Solar Ultraviolet Imager, or SUVI, aboard the GOES East satellite captured this image of the resulting partial solar eclipse. For a video of the event, see below. (Credit: Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies)Back in October, tens of millions of people in the Western Hemisphere witnessed a rare "ring-of-fire" annular solar eclipse that elicited cheers and shouts of joy. But when another dramatic ecl ...read more

5 Famous Paint Colors First Made From Mummies, Insects, and Ancient Rocks

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Art is one of the defining characteristics of the human species because nearly all cultures practice it worldwide. From early humans adorning cave walls or painting the body, humans' appreciation of color goes way back. Iconic paintings like Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring and Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, are renowned for their use of color and details. But how were these color pigments made? Some of the world's most iconic brushstrokes and sought-after pigments were made w ...read more

Hippos Once Lived in Europe, Where They Survived a Brutal Ice Age

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Hippos are the spring breakers of the animal world – follow them, and you’ll find warmth and water. Today, they reside primarily in the lakes and rivers of Africa, where they splash around as the second-largest land animal on Earth. But according to a new study, these sizable creatures once ventured north into Europe and contended with fluctuations in the continent’s glaciers.The fact that modern hippos, Hippopotamus amphibius, once lived in Europe is well-established science. What scienti ...read more

Mesosaur: The Oldest Known Semi-Aquatic Reptile

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

It was the early 1980s on the Hastings family's ranch in Uruguay. The land, called El Baron Ranch, is made up of nearly 3,000 acres of soft rolling hills, meandering streams, and indigenous trees, where today, the family raises free-range cattle. At the time, the family was building a 1,600-foot dam on the land to irrigate rice. And in order to construct the dam, workers sliced off part of a hill. Hidden within the hill, in an outcrop of rock, was a group of fossils nearly 280 million years in ...read more

7 of the Cutest Snakes That May Slither Their Way Into Your Heart

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

There are more than 3,000 different species of snakes in the world. As members of the wilderness, they play a crucial role in ecosystems by keeping food webs in check and contributing to them. Snakes are natural predators that control pest populations like insects and small rodents but are also food for raptors and mammals.While many snakes have menacing features or are venomous, some are harmless, look goofy, make excellent pets, or become the subject of memes on the internet. Here are seven ...read more

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