The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has captured new photos of Saturn and Mars, taken shortly before each was at its closest point to Earth, referred to as being in opposition. This occurs when the Sun, Earth and an outer planet are lined up, with Earth directly in between the two. The outer planet is fully lit up by the Sun as seen from Earth, according to the ESA.
The details: Opposition allows astronomers to notice details on the planet's surface more clearly. The image of Saturn shows its ring system tilted towards Earth, which put its rings and the gaps between them on full display — the rings stretch out eight times the radius of the planet. Saturn was in opposition to Earth on June 27, and Mars will be on July 27, the ESA said.
Hubble's image of Mars shows a "gigantic sandstorm enshrouding the entire planet," as well as the planet's white polar ice caps. These images allow astronomers to examine "how cloud patterns and large-scale structures on other planets in our Solar System change over time," the ESA said.
Small-bodied anole lizards (Anolis scriptus) do not run and hide from oncoming hurricanes like one might think. Instead they cling to tree branches for survival, their bodies transforming into sails, anchored in place thanks to toe pads.
Why this matters: A new study published in the scientific journal Nature this week found that hurricanes can accelerate natural selection, favoring anole lizards that have larger toeholds and shorter rear legs. It also may help solve an enduring mystery about these commonly found lizards.
The death toll from devastating wildfires in Greece rose to 80 on Wednesday after a firestorm roared through coastal villages surrounding Athens earlier in the week.
The big picture: Officials sifting through charred wreckage have found that these blazes were so swift-moving and burning so hot that many victims had virtually no chance of outrunning them. Some victims were found still hugging each other, according to news reports.
Visitors are being ordered out of Yosemite Valley to avoid unhealthy air quality and other risks posed by the Ferguson Fire that is raging nearby.
What's new: The two-week old, 38,000-acre Ferguson Fire is inching closer to Yosemite, the nation's most popular national park. The closure will stay in effect until Sunday as firefighters work to control a fire that's only 25% contained. A heat wave that is roasting California, along with much of the Southwest, shows no signs of abating, and is making firefighting efforts challenging.
A body of liquid water stretching at least 20 kilometers, or 12.4 miles, across may exist under the icy surface of Mars' southern pole, according to new research published Wednesday in the journal Science.
Why it matters: The findings could put to rest the long-running question of whether liquid water still exists on the red planet, or if it all disappeared long ago. This question has major ramifications for the planet's habitability. For more than 30 years, the presence of water has been one of Mars' deepest mysteries, since it is a key building block for life.
More than 3,000 people are still waiting to be rescued in Laos after a dam collapse from heavy rain stranded them on Monday, Reuters reports.
By the numbers: Around 19 people were found dead, local media reported, and roughly 3,000 have already been rescued. Rescue teams from Thailand and China were heading into the area on Wednesday to help get the remaining people out. The U.N. reported that there are "34 missing, 1,494 evacuated and 11,777 people in 357 villages affected."
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