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Passing star could fling Earth out past Pluto into the Oort cloud

If another star passed close to our solar system, there is a small chance that Earth could crash into another planet, get stolen by the interloping star or even be sent hurtling towards the Oort cloud

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See a forgotten meteor shower caused by a dead comet this weekend

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Tiny star found harbouring a huge planet that shouldn’t exist

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The possible view from LHS 3154b towards its host star

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Six planets found orbiting a bright star 100 light years away

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Key molecule for life may have formed on interstellar ice

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Majestic photo shows China's Tiangong space station in all its glory

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Glimpse of the earliest supernovae could reveal our cosmic origins

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Glimpse of the earliest supernovae could reveal our cosmic origins

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Strange way black holes lose energy could help solve cosmic puzzle

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Mercury has salt glaciers that could provide the conditions for life

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The UFO shines on a male standing on the mountain; Shutterstock ID 1476587882; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

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Our hunt for alien life needs solid guidelines for clear-cut success

A proposed framework to assess and communicate the credibility of detections of extraterrestrial life is vital to deliver results we can all believe in

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Graeme Whipps/Shutterstock (4301807b) Pic shows the Geminid meteor shower over Pitcaple in Aberdeenshire on Sunday evening Dec 14th. A Scottish photographer has managed to get some pictures of the Geminid meteor shower on its FINAL night above the UK. Amateur astronomer Graeme Whipps picked up 13 meteors on camera in the dramatic display above Pitcaple in Aberdeenshire last night (Sun). "There was a little bit of airglow, an active burst of aurora, distant lightning flashes and last, but not least, the Geminids," said Graeme, 50, who works as a meteorologist. "It wasn't as bright as the 12th and 13th but they were much more frequent, although mostly short and fast moving." The shower is an annual occurrence which happens when the Earth crosses paths with a trail of rocky debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon. The debris burns up when it enters the Earth's atmosphere, giving the appearance of a "shooting star." Annual Geminid Meteor Shower, Exeter, Devon, Britain - 14 Dec 2014 A Scottish photographer has managed to get some pictures of the Geminid meteor shower on its FINAL night above the UK. Amateur astronomer Graeme Whipps picked up 13 meteors on camera in the dramatic display above Pitcaple in Aberdeenshire. "There was a little bit of airglow, an active burst of aurora, distant lightning flashes and last, but not least, the Geminids," said Graeme, 50, who works as a meteorologist. "It wasn't as bright as the 12th and 13th but they were much more frequent, although mostly short and fast moving." The shower is an annual occurrence which happens when the Earth crosses paths with a trail of rocky debris left behind by an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon. The debris burns up when it enters the Earth's atmosphere, giving the appearance of a "shooting star."

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How to spot this year's Geminid meteor shower

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FG10H1 JUPITER: EUROPA, 1979. /nJupiter's moon, Europa. Photographed by Voyager 2, 1979.

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How excited should we be by signs of life spotted on alien worlds?

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What would life on Earth be like if our planet were cube-shaped?

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Strange nebula changes colour rhythmically like a mood lamp

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