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Meteor and Milky Way over the Alps Now this was a view with a thrill. From Mount Tschirgant in the Alps , you can see not only nearby towns and distant Tyrol ean peaks, but also, weather permitting, stars, nebulas, and the band of the Milky Way Galaxy . What made the arduous climb worthwhile this night, though, was another peak -- the peak of the 2018 Perseids Meteor Shower . As hoped, dispersing clouds allowed a picturesque sky-gazing session that included many faint meteors, all while a carefully positioned camera took a series of exposures. Suddenly, a thrilling meteor -- bright and colorful -- slashed down right next the nearly vertical band of the Milky Way . As luck would have it, the camera caught it too. Therefore, a new image in the series was quickly taken with one of the sky-gazers posing on the nearby peak. Later, all of the images were digitally combined . January 1...

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DIY Why and how to cut out alcohol. As the nights get longer and the days get colder, our drinking gets worse. Here's why you might want to avoid alcohol altogether. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2RJWkFy"

Tychos Supernova Remnant in Xray What star created this huge puffball? What's pictured is the hot expanding nebula of Tycho's supernova remnant , the result of a stellar explosion first recorded over 400 years ago by the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe . The featured image is a composite of three X-ray colors taken by the orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory . The expanding gas cloud is extremely hot, while slightly different expansion speeds have given the cloud a puffy appearance. Although the star that created SN 1572 , is likely completely gone, a sta r dubbed Tycho G , too dim to be discerned here , is thought to be a companion. Finding progenitor remnants of Tycho's supernova is particularly important because the supernova is of Type Ia, an important rung in the distance ladder that calibrates the scale of the visible universe. The peak brightness of Type Ia super...

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DIY Don't waste time hunting down content. Where is your favorite film available online? Don't waste time hunting it down on each individual streaming platform—here's how to find movies and shows in a snap. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2TIouhr"

Science Acid, lasers, snakes—the laboratory isn't always a safe haven. The laboratory isn't always a safe haven. Here are some of the most dangerous substances scientists work with. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2Fn9nqH"

Gadgets All the best gadgets with none of the walking. The best new gadgets that may or may not show up this year. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2TLQPUi"

Muscle Month Nothing like a genetic mutation to make you look like a bodybuilder. If superheroes kept cattle, they’d keep Belgian Blues. These behemoths have such bulging muscles you’d think they spent their lives in a gym. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2QFjV5u"

Nexus Media News Meet LarvalBot. A pair of Australians scientists developed a robot that will repopulate coral reefs with coral larvae that can withstand warmer waters. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2SRvtEQ"

Technology The term is ubiquitous, especially at CES. Here’s how to understand it. Artificial intelligence and "AI" is an industry buzzword. Here's how to understand the complex, overused term. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2VI4AoG"

Technology Here we're talking about motorcycle lenses in particular. Auto-darkening lenses are better than ever. Here’s how they work. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2RGKtIl"

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Gadgets For new cyclists looking to take it up a notch. Bike gear to get a new cyclist ready for multi-day trips. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2M5mEon"

Space The first time we've caught a baby black hole in action. We’re finding more clues for what that mysterious bright flash was last year, but we’re still not sure what exactly it was. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2FqgQ7v"

Profiling Portraits: Family Groups in Pictures By Kristi Finefield In this latest entry in our occasional series, Profiling Portraits , I was inspired by an attempt to take a group photo during a recent family visit, as well as time spent looking through photo albums at previous years' similar efforts. Family photos tend to evoke memories, elicit questions about older ancestors and of course provide a record of your relatives. I find it interesting to view family photos, even of families not my own, to see what they suggest about the family, about relationships between the members, about the individuals, about the time period or circumstances. Like any group portrait, but with the added factor of familial ties, family photos convey more than just the faces of those depicted! Explore an array of photos of families large and small, some famous and some not at all, drawn from many tim...