star-facing planet reflective clouds surface water

Bright clouds could cool the hottest side of a planet

A planet that always shows the same side to its star would have one permanently hot side. Strong heating there could create thick, bright clouds that reflect starlight back into space. This cooling could allow liquid water to survive closer to the star than expected.

Young sea slugs can regrow a body from the head

Young Elysia sea slugs can shed a body infected with internal parasites, then regrow a new one from the detached head. The head keeps chloroplasts—parts taken from algae—that let it use sunlight to make food and survive without its digestive system.

The Moon pulls Earth's tides more strongly than the Sun

The Sun's overall gravitational pull on Earth is much stronger than the Moon's. But tides depend on how much gravity changes across Earth, and that change is more sensitive to distance. Because the Moon is so much closer, its tidal effect is more than twice the Sun's.

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star-facing planet reflective clouds surface water

Bright clouds could cool the hottest side of a planet

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