Astronomers think they've found an interstellar comet on its way through our solar system.
Why it matters: If confirmed, this will be only the second interstellar object on a track through the solar system found by scientists, and it could help researchers learn more about how star systems beyond our own form.
The Trump administration will not grant Hurricane Dorian refugees from the Bahamas temporary protected status (the same program applied to the victims of Haiti's 2010 earthquake), officials told NBC News and CNN this week.
The big picture: Temporary protected status would only be applicable to those in the U.S. at the time of designation. As of Monday, 1,500 Bahamians have come to the U.S. after being displaced by Dorian, with at least 3,500 people evacuated from the islands and the death toll currently standing at 50. The Department of Homeland Security said this week that displaced Bahamians traveling to the U.S. must have a valid passport and travel visa.
Scientists have found water vapor in the atmosphere of a world about 8 times the mass of Earth.
Why it matters: While this isn't the "Earth 2.0" scientists have been hoping to find, the discovery does mark another step along the path toward finding a truly habitable world beyond our own.
NOAA acting administrator Neil Jacobs on Tuesday both defended the Trump administration and thanked forecasters who contradicted the president’s claims about Hurricane Dorian threatening Alabama, AP and the Washington Post report.
Why it matters: Per AP, meteorologists have been concerned that NOAA had risked the credibility of the U.S. weather and science agency, and perhaps even lives, by issuing an unsigned statement Friday supporting President Trump's claim, after the National Weather Service's Birmingham office tweeted that Alabama would not be impacted.
