Jupiter and Saturn will appear as a double planet in the night sky Monday evening thanks to a rare planetary alignment.
Why it matters: A "great conjunction" where these two planets are seen this close togetheris exceedingly rare. According to NASA, the last time Jupiter and Saturn appeared this close together was 400 years ago, but it's been about 800 years since this kind of alignment happened at night.
Researchers are closely watching whether a newly discovered mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 virus is cause for alarm as parts of Europe limited international travel this week.
Why it matters: Despite the variant appearing to be moretransmissible, U.S. officials stressed in a call today thatit's no more deadly and the chances it will make vaccines less effective are "extremely low."
Suspicious behaviors from ships that may subject their crews to forced labor can be seen from space, according to a new study.
Why it matters: Forced labor is a known issue in the international fishing industry, but the scale and scope of it is difficult to quantify. The study could be the start of developing tools to better enforce laws to end these human rights abuses.
