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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Live Science crossword puzzle #51: Largest rodent on Earth — 4 downScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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The Milky Way may be wider, heavier, and more lopsided than we realizedNew measurements suggest that two of the Milky Way's spiral arms are around 10% farther away from Earth than we thought. The findings may require experts to revise estimates of the total size of our home galaxy.
By Harry Baker Published
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Secretive Chinese probe snaps first photo of Earth's mysterious 'quasi-moon' — and it may pose a big problemChina's Tianwen-2 spacecraft has captured the first close-up photo of one of Earth's "quasi-moons," Kamo'oalewa. However, the image and the timing of its release suggest that it may be harder for the probe to collect samples from the space rock than originally planned.
By Harry Baker Published
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Colorful 'painting-like' ripples cover an ancient seafloor structure the BahamasEarth from space A 2020 satellite photo shows off the ethereal beauty of submerged sandbanks and seagrass beds in the Great Bahama Bank. This massive underwater structure is as old as the dinosaurs and has been admired by scientists for decades.
By Harry Baker Published
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Live Science crossword puzzle #50: Longest-serving president in US history — 1 acrossScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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Alien life on nearby 'super Earth' much likelier than we thought, study claimsA recently discovered "super Earth" located around 25 light-years from our planet is not as massive as previously thought, raising the chances that it has the conditions to support life.
By Harry Baker Published
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James Webb telescope may have discovered a never-before-seen substance on Pluto and TitanA new study has identified a very specific wavelength of light missing from both Pluto and Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The surprising signal suggests that these worlds harbor an unknown molecule that has not yet been seen anywhere in the solar system or beyond.
By Harry Baker Published
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Scientists propose launching a giant 'airbag' into space to protect us from solar superstorms — and experts say it's 'quite feasible'A new study suggests creating a satellite constellation, dubbed StormWall, that could reduce the impacts of the worst solar storms by more than 50%. The novel plan, which involves dumping gas into the magnetosphere, could be the only way to directly protect ourselves from dangerous space weather, experts say.
By Harry Baker Published
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Shadowy tendrils of ancient lava have scarred a dark volcano next to a 'skull' in the SaharaEarth from space A 2019 astronaut photo shows off ancient lava flows that once oozed down the jet-black slopes of the Toussidé volcano in northwestern Chad. An intriguing volcanic "skull" also lurks in the aerial image.
By Harry Baker Published
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Live Science crossword puzzle #49: 'Short' tempered French emperor — 13 acrossScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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China's top-secret 'dragon' space plane just released another unidentified object over EarthThe Shenlong, or "divine dragon," space plane just deployed a mysterious payload above our planet. The top-secret spacecraft, which has never been properly photographed, has now released at least nine objects in low Earth orbit.
By Harry Baker Published
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Bizarre 'bull's-eye' cloud rings appear above erupting volcano on Atlantic islandEarth from space A 2021 satellite photo shows an unusual series of concentric cloud rings that appeared directly above an erupting volcano on La Palma in Spain's Canary Islands.
By Harry Baker Published
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Live Science crossword puzzle #48: Largest fish on Earth — 6 acrossScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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China's secretive Tianwen-2 mission arrives at Earth's 'quasi-moon' ahead of historic landingAnalysis China's Tianwen-2 mission has arrived at the quasi-moon Kamo'oalewa, which orbits the sun alongside Earth. The secretive probe will scoop up samples from our temporary companion to help uncover its mysterious origin, experts say.
By Harry Baker Published
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How to watch Venus vanish behind the moon in broad daylight todayToday (June 17), the moon will pass between Earth and Venus, causing the hellish planet to temporarily disappear from the daytime sky. Here's what it will look like, exactly when it is happening and how you can safely view this skywatching spectacle.
By Harry Baker Last updated
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'Is having two legs useful' in space?: Astronaut John McFall explains what life in orbit might be like for the first physically disabled person in spaceInterview ESA astronaut John McFall tells Live Science what it would mean to become the first physically disabled person in space — if he travels to the first-ever commercial space station next year — and how life in orbit might affect him differently than everyone else.
By Harry Baker Published
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Earth-based telescope shares image of Artemis II capsule near the moon — one of the farthest photos of humans ever takenA blurry photo captured by the National Science Foundation's Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia shows Artemis II's Orion capsule circling the moon more than 200,000 miles away, making it a candidate for the longest-distance image of humans ever taken from Earth.
By Harry Baker Published
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Indonesia's near-identical, 'Twin Peaks' volcanoes form striking mirror imageEarth from space A 2021 astronaut photo shows the surprising similarities between Mount Sundoro and Mount Sumbing, which lie at the heart of Java, Indonesia.
By Harry Baker Published
2 CommentsEarth from space -
Live Science crossword puzzle #47: The 'unicorn of the sea' — 9 acrossScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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'I was really amazed': On the edge of the Milky Way, a dwarf galaxy is being ripped in half by its big siblingA new study shows that the Small Magellanic Cloud is being pulled apart by its larger sibling on the Milky Way's periphery, upending our understanding of our cosmic neighbor.
By Harry Baker Published
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Trio of drastically different US lakes straddles the border between statesEarth from space A 2020 astronaut photo shows three uniquely colored lakes — Tahoe, Walker and Mono — straddling contrasting biomes on either side of the California-Nevada border.
By Harry Baker Published
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Live Science crossword puzzle #46: Largest desert on Earth — 9 downScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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Rusty, orange water 'bleeds' across brilliant Bolivian lagoonEarth from space A 2015 astronaut photo shows dark-orange water that appears to bleed across the bright-white floor of a high-altitude salt lake in the Bolivian Andes.
By Harry Baker Published
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Live Science crossword puzzle #45: The tallest waterfall on Earth — 10 acrossScience crossword Test your knowledge on all things science with our weekly, free crossword puzzle!
By Harry Baker Published
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