Oldest known orca considered dead and other top stories.

• Oldest known orca considered dead

  

  Here's a roundup of news trending across the nation and world today. What to know now: 1. Four children killed: Four children in an Amarillo, Texas, home were killed Monday when a poisonous gas was created when someone mixed water with a pesticide that had been placed underneath their home. The children, along with six others, were sickened when they were exposed to phosphine gas. The gas is believed to have been created when water was doused on a "restricted use” chemical -- aluminium phosphid..

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• SpaceX discovers source of rocket explosion, plans new launch

  

  LOS ANGELES –  SpaceX plans to resume flights as early as next week after finding the cause of an explosion that destroyed a rocket and satellite on a Florida launch pad in September. The Hawthorne, California-based company is aiming for a Sunday, Jan. 8, flight from Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. The launch still needs approval by the Federal Aviation Administration. The company said its investigation of the Sept. 1 explosion found that a tank failed within t..

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• Some Dinosaur Eggs Took Six Months or More to Hatch

  

  Scientific opinions have varied on incubation times. Dr. Varricchio and other scientists had studied how porous fossilized eggshells were, which led them to conclude that the vast majority of dinosaur eggs were buried. And that behavior, similar to living reptiles, suggested long incubation times, he said.But, Dr. Erickson said, most researchers thought that because dinosaurs were closely related to modern birds their incubation rates were birdlike.Dr. Erickson used teeth from rare fossil embry..

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• Ten dolphins rescued from Wellfleet Harbor on New Year's Day

  

  It took a lot of heavy lifting, three transport vehicles, and a few mugs of hot cocoa from a nearby resident to keep warm and motivated.But after many hours of coordinated efforts, dozens of volunteers and staff from the International Fund for Animal Welfare rescued 10 Risso’s dolphins that had become stranded in Wellfleet Harbor on New Year’s Day. Advertisement Kerry Branon, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit animal welfare group, said calls from residents that three dolphins were swimming i..

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• NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan Leaves Agency For Other 'Adventures'

  

  Ellen Stofan, NASA's chief scientist, has left the space agency for other "adventures." Stofan is believed to have left her post before Christmas last month. Slash Gear reported that Stofan first announced her plan to leave during a National Academies' Space Studies Board symposium in California last December. She admitted that she was leaving in two weeks. It appears that Ellen Stofan left her post around Dec. 20. NASA confirmed her resignation in an interview posted on Tumblr. In the intervie..

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• It's Coming! Get Ready for the 'Great American Total Solar Eclipse' of 2017

  

  The year of the Great American Total Solar Eclipse is upon us. On Aug. 21, the moon will completely blot out the sun for observers in 12 states, from Oregon to South Carolina, in the first total solar eclipse visible from the United States mainland since 1979. The rest of North America, and parts of South America, Africa and Europe, will be treated to a partial eclipse. Enthusiasm has long been high for the Aug. 21 event, and the excitement will only build in the weeks and months ahe..

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• Quadrantid Meteor Shower, One of the Year's Best, Is Peaking Now

  

  Early each January, the Quadrantid meteor stream provides one of the most intense annual meteor displays, with a brief, sharp maximum lasting only a few hours. And in 2017, viewing circumstances favor North Americans, especially those living west of the Mississippi River. The Quadrantid meteor shower appears to radiate out from the northeast corner of the constellation of Bootes, the herdsman, so you might expect this display to be called the "Bootids." But back in the late 18th century..

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• 'Beautiful' Venus shines brightly in the night sky – the best photos

  

  Professor Brian Cox tweeted: “A few people have asked me what the bright planet is below the Moon tonight. It's Venus. Very beautiful.” An incredibly clear night meant some were hopeful of also capturing a glimpse of Mars alongside Venus and the Moon. “Mars, the Moon and Venus are all in a line in tonight's sky. Looking awesome!!” wrote one Twitter user. Many shared photos on social media 

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• Delta collapse temporarily closes lava viewing

  

  A large section of the 26-acre lava delta formed by the 61g lava flow collapsed into the ocean around 2:45 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, launching showers of volcanic rock into the air, and creating a flurry of large waves that eroded away a portion of the older sea cliff and viewing area. As a result, the Kamokuna ocean entry within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will remain closed today as park rangers and U.S. Geolovical Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists survey the area. Rangers on du..

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