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Science

Environment

Restoring Forests

October 22, 2021

Aadya Joshi looks out at a landscape near Mumbai, India, and sees a line of eucalyptus trees. They were planted to replace forest that was cleared for timber. The view doesn’t make Joshi happy. Eucalyptus trees don’t grow naturally in…

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Space

See You Later, Lucy!

October 21, 2021

NASA launched a robotic spacecraft called Lucy on October 16. For 12 years, Lucy will explore asteroids near Jupiter. These space rocks could reveal how planets were formed. Lucy will fly into a group of asteroids called the Trojan entourage.…

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Space

Suited Up

October 14, 2021

Astronauts walk in the Negev desert, in Israel, on October 10. They are part of AMADEE-20, a simulated Mars mission to train astronauts from Europe and Israel f…

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Space

That's Why

October 7, 2021

Why does the moon have craters? They're from. . . A) astronauts digging. B) moon decay. C) asteroids and meteorites. Asteroids and meteorites often crash into the moon’s surface, causing craters. But on the moon, there’s no water, weather, or…

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Space

Making a Splash

September 23, 2021

After three days of orbiting the planet, the Inspiration4 crew returned to Earth in the SpaceX Dragon capsule. On September 18, the crew splashed down in the At…

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Space

Blastoff!

September 16, 2021

The Inspiration4 mission has officially begun. On Thursday, September 15, at just after 8:00 p.m. ET, four civilian astronauts blasted off from Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. This is the first time an all-civilian crew has gone into orbit. The…

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Sports

That's Why

September 16, 2021

Why are tennis balls fuzzy? So they... A) feel like a hug. B) don't go too fast or bounce too far. C) don't scratch the court. Tennis balls are made of rubber. Without a felt covering, they would bounce too…

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Space

TFK Explains: Inspiration4

September 10, 2021

This month, four civilian astronauts are scheduled to launch into orbit aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Their mission is called Inspiration4. Here’s what you need to know about this historic moment in space travel. Where is the crew going?…

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Earth Science

8 Questions for Samuel Ramsey

August 31, 2021

Samuel Ramsey, or Dr. Sammy, works for the United States Department of Agriculture. He’s an entomologist. That’s a scientist who studies insects. TFK’s Rebecca Katzman spoke with Dr. Sammy about his job and what insects can teach us about ourselves.…

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Animals

A Kid's Best Friend

July 7, 2021

If you have a dog, you probably feel a strong bond with it. A recent study found that this bond may be important to dogs, too. Researchers at Oregon State University looked at the relationship between kids and dogs.…

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