Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior and paleontology. His recent work on the solar maximum won "best space submission" at the 2024 Aerospace Media Awards and was shortlisted in the "top scoop" category at the NCTJ Awards for Excellence in 2023. He also writes Live Science's weekly Earth from space series.
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Deadly, vivid-green mass sprawls across South African reservoirEarth from space A 2022 satellite photo shows a thick mat of blooming algae and invasive aquatic plants spreading across the surface of the reservoir at South Africa's Hartebeespoort Dam. The verdant mass is both toxic and capable of depleting the water's oxygen levels.
By Harry Baker Published
4 CommentsEarth from space -
Chinese satellite with robotic 'octopus arm' passes key refueling test in orbit — making longer-lived space assets more likelyThe experimental Hukeda-2 satellite and its highly flexible robotic arm have passed a major refuelling test in low Earth orbit. The demonstration is the latest step toward China significantly expanding the longevity of its spacecraft.
By Harry Baker Published
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'We go for all of humanity': Artemis II rocket lifts off to the moon — look back at our live coverageLive Blog The Artemis II crew have left Earth and are bound for the moon. Take a look back at our live blog's launch coverage from the days, hours and seconds until takeoff.
By Ben Turner Last updated
168 CommentsLive Blog -
'Farting' comet seen reversing its spin for the first time everA new analysis of archival Hubble Space Telescope photos reveals that a peculiar comet slowed its spin before fully reversing its rotational direction via "outgassing" during a flyby of Earth in 2017.
By Harry Baker Published
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Artemis II timeline: 12 key steps that will take NASA astronauts to the moon and backNASA is gearing up to send astronauts back to the lunar environment for the first time in nearly 55 years. We've broken the 10-day mission into 12 key steps, from the historic liftoff to a record-breaking splashdown.
By Harry Baker Published
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Concentric rocky rings adorned with ancient artwork wear a magma 'hat' in the SaharaEarth from space A 2025 astronaut photo shows a massif made of concentric mountain ridges in the Libyan desert. The rocky walls contain ancient artworks and are occasionally used to contain herds of grazing cattle.
By Harry Baker Published
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Live Science crossword puzzle #36: America's national bird — 11 acrossScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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Farthest, fastest and most diverse: 6 major records the Artemis II astronauts will smash as NASA returns to the moonThe Artemis II astronauts will soon launch on the first crewed mission to the moon in more than 50 years. During this trip, they will travel farther and faster than any humans in history — and will each claim a different individual record.
By Harry Baker Published
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How many moons are in the solar system?The solar system has many more moons than the one we can see in the sky. But how many do we actually know about? And how many more are waiting to be discovered?
By Harry Baker Last updated
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Cannonball-size meteorite crashes through roof of Texas home as multiple 'fireballs' rain down on the USA suspected space rock, around the size of a cantaloupe, was found in the bedroom of a Houston home after crashing through the building's roof. It is likely a fragment of one of several "fireball" meteors that exploded over the U.S. in the past week.
By Harry Baker Published
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Extreme blast of Arctic air from polar vortex paints a picturesque plume off Florida coastEarth from space A recent satellite photo captured a stunning scene of sediment swirling across the West Florida Shelf after an extreme cold snap that covered large parts of the eastern U.S. in snow.
By Harry Baker Published
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Russian rocket en route to ISS suffers major antenna glitch, triggering remote-control astronaut 'backup plan'NASA has revealed that Russia's Progress 94 spacecraft failed to deploy one of its antennae, making it impossible for the uncrewed freighter to autonomously dock with the International Space Station. An orbiting cosmonaut will now have to manually guide the stricken vessel using a "backup system."
By Harry Baker Published
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Live Science crossword puzzle #35: Hardy 'micro-animal' that can survive in many extreme environments — 8 downScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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Scientists witness birth of one of the universe's strongest magnets for the first time, thanks to a general relativity 'magic trick'Astronomers have detected strange "wobbles" in the light curve of a super bright supernova, hinting that a magnetar was born inside the extreme stellar explosion.
By Harry Baker Published
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Rare 'daytime fireball' meteor creates powerful sonic boom as 7-ton space rock explodes above eastern USA fridge-size space rock spectacularly broke apart over Ohio at 40,000 mph, creating a loud boom and a "fireball" that shone in the bright blue daytime sky. The rare sight, which exploded with the equivalent force of 250 tons of TNT, was also seen from space.
By Harry Baker Published
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Rainbow-colored phantom lakes emerge around Namibia's 'Great White Place'Earth from space A 2011 astronaut photo shows off a series of colorful mini-lakes that appeared around the edge of a giant salt flat, known as the Etosha Pan, following a major flooding event.
By Harry Baker Published
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Live Science crossword puzzle #34: Famous space telescope launched in 1990 — 5 acrossScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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'A collision within a collision': Neutron star merger hiding in mini-galaxy could answer 2 big astrophysics questionsA powerful "gamma-ray burst" has been seen exploding from merging neutron stars hidden within a previously unknown mini-galaxy leftover from an ancient cosmic crash. The "collision within a collision" could help answer multiple astrophysics questions, researchers say.
By Harry Baker Published
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Falling meteorite smashes hole in roof of German house after spectacular 'fireball' explosion over EuropeA German town has been peppered by meteorites after a stunning "fireball" exploded in the skies over central Europe. One extraterrestrial fragment landed in a bedroom after punching a soccer ball-size hole through the building's roof.
By Harry Baker Published
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Gemstone-filled river and striped mountain ridge form massive 'Y' in China's revitalized desertEarth from space A 2025 satellite photo shows a giant "Y" in the middle of the Taklamakan Desert, where a verdant river and a lengthy "red-white mountain" meet. The intersecting features are also home to an eighth-century fort that was chock-full of ancient artifacts.
By Harry Baker Published
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Live Science crossword puzzle #33: The 'E' in E =mc^2 — 2 downScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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'Truly extraordinary': Mega-laser shooting at us from halfway across the universe is the brightest 'cosmic beacon' we've ever seenAstronomers have discovered the brightest and most distant "megamaser" to date. The cosmic energy beam is shooting toward Earth from 8 billion light-years away and was spotted thanks to a weird space-time trick first predicted by Einstein.
By Harry Baker Published
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3 rivers merge into striking half-and-half waterway in GuyanaEarth from space A 2023 satellite photo highlights the point where a trio of rivers converges in Guyana. One of the waterways has been significantly altered by mining waste, creating a striking color contrast.
By Harry Baker Published
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Live Science crossword puzzle #32: Largest ocean on Earth — 8 acrossScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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