Earth stories

Why does Earth's orbit tilt? Scientists finally think they know

Matthew Jackson
Friday, November 16, 2012 - 10:44am
It's an enduring puzzle that's had astronomers and astrophysicists scratching their heads for years: Why does the Earth tilt? Our planet orbits with at slight (7-degree) angle relative to the Sun, and we've never been able to figure out why, but now one scientist thinks he's got our planet's crooked spin solved.

Researchers say theories for how Earth was formed may be wrong

Matthew Jackson
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 - 5:31pm
First we learn that the moon isn't from where we thought it was from, now the Earth's origins are being called into question. After years of following the same model for how our planet was formed, some researchers now think they have a new explanation for how Earth got here, and why it's drier than it should be.