Harry Baker
Harry is a U.K.-based staff writer at Live Science. He studied Marine Biology at the University of Exeter (Penryn campus) and after graduating started his own blog site "Marine Madness," which he continues to run with other ocean enthusiasts. He is also interested in evolution, climate change, robots, space exploration, environmental conservation and anything that's been fossilized. When not at work he can be found watching sci-fi films, playing old Pokemon games or running (probably slower than he'd like).
Latest articles by Harry Baker
![Mars, the Red Planet, is seen in this view from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, taken in 2003.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/a7Q3kYqZtchwtULwcgAMZn-320-80.jpg)
NASA may have unknowingly found and killed alien life on Mars 50 years ago, scientist claims
By Harry Baker published
One researcher hypothesizes that experiments carried out by NASA's Viking landers in 1976 could have inadvertently killed microbes living in Martian rocks. Other experts are skeptical.
![Streaks of red lightning in the night sky.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3sjdfuXWXJwzzN2VJxnBu7-320-80.jpg)
Eerie, ultra-detailed photo of a lightning 'sprite' exposes one of nature's least understood phenomena
By Harry Baker published
An astronomer in Slovakia captured the rare luminous phenomenon as it briefly flashed in Earth's upper atmosphere during a thunderstorm.
![Mars with the sun in the distance SAVE](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rm3G542NSechX9XLACxqSD-320-80.jpg)
Sun launches surprise blob of plasma at Mars, could trigger eerie Martian auroras
By Harry Baker published
The sun has launched a surprise coronal mass ejection directly at Mars, which could spark auroras on the Red Planet and potentially erode part of Mars' remaining atmosphere when it hits on Sept. 1.
![Sound waves overlaid on an image of outer space](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JdaPa96Ss7JEwaGYrDdjAb-320-80.jpg)
Turns out you can transmit sound in a vacuum, just not very far
By Harry Baker published
For the first time, researchers were able to transmit, or "tunnel," sound waves across extremely small distances between two crystals in a vacuum.
![a map of Maui with Lahaina highlighted y a white box. A majority of the town is covered in flames.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KjbPagRMTBN7HwqAwBpq3K-320-80.jpg)
Maui satellite photo shows full scale of deadliest US fire in more than a century
By Harry Baker published
The Landsat 8 satellite captured the deadly flames that burned through the town of Lahaina in Hawaii and killed at least 99 people.
![A blurry image of a comet that appears to have two horns](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oUobSDW4CNRVfFLsAiNKXY-320-80.jpg)
City-size comet headed toward Earth 'grows horns' after massive volcanic eruption
By Harry Baker published
The exploding comet, known as 12P/Pons–Brooks, is currently approaching its closest point to Earth during its 71-year orbit through the solar system.
![An image of the sun with a white ring surrounding the flash of a solar flare](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HtB6jRtv82Fnsz88Xarv5h-320-80.jpg)
'Cannibal' coronal mass ejection that devoured 'dark eruption' from sun will smash into Earth on July 18
By Harry Baker published
Two coronal mass ejections have combined into an enormous cloud of magnetized plasma that is forecast to hit Earth on Tuesday and potentially trigger a strong geomagnetic storm.
![Green streaks of light shine in the night sky full of stars](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qATy3HFEQVi4SR4xJWAc8i-320-80.jpg)
Rare streaks of light above US are a sign that solar maximum is fast approaching
By Harry Baker published
The ethereal aurora-like light show could become a more common sight over the next few years as the sun's activity continues to ramp up.
![The tops of three coniferous trees poke out from the bottom left, as an upward view of the night sky is lit with vibrant shades of green, pink and purple shooting out in sheets as rays of light from the image's center.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9ow6vWSYRbM36dVjZHN86E-320-80.jpg)
Earth's thermosphere reaches highest temperature in 20 years after being bombarded by solar storms
By Harry Baker published
The atmospheric temperature spike, which was caused by successive geomagnetic storms, suggests the "solar maximum" is fast approaching.
![aerial view of sea ice swirls on May 28.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JfxT2uzkc2QyFFoDEmrxgj-320-80.jpg)
Ethereal ice swirls dance around Arctic peninsula in stunning new satellite image
By Harry Baker published
NASA's Aqua satellite spotted giant ice swirls stretching for hundreds of miles in the Sea of Okhotsk off Russia's P'yagina Peninsula.
![Rainbow rings surround the sun, which is half obscured by a pine tree](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ca5k3S6gnEGKTwEKMoAdLZ-320-80.jpg)
Shining rainbow rings around the sun photographed in Finland. What caused them?
By Harry Baker published
The extremely rare kaleidoscopic circles have a surprising Earth-based origin.
![A blue sky with the sun surrounded by a white circle bisected with a white line and two bright spots either side of the circle.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oMUv7qnamr8Xp5NX6ek4SN-320-80.jpg)
Ethereal 'halo' and light arcs around the sun captured in photos of ultra-rare phenomena
By Harry Baker published
At least three separate optical phenomena are visible in the new images. Each of which is created by light refracting through millions of perfectly aligned ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.
![a green fireball explodes above an airport](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PdVycVLAZmNwL8pCsnNxk3-320-80.gif)
Rare green fireball explodes over Australia, creating bright flash visible for hundreds of miles
By Harry Baker published
An unusual green meteor recently exploded as it plummeted through the sky over Australia, giving off a brilliant flash of light that could be seen for miles.
![Solar eclipse image with the sun's corona glowing behind like wispy smoke](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/g95ujeARYzWF84eRgkVWxh-320-80.jpg)
Photographers capture the exact moment a gargantuan storm blasts out of the sun during a total solar eclipse
By Harry Baker published
A stunning composite image of the sun during a recent 'hybrid eclipse' in Australia is further proof that solar activity is ramping up.
![Mercury's comet-like tail streaks across the sky in this image captured April 12, 2023 by astrophotographer Sebastian Voltmer.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qncuoAiN94DreHXVojAuD6-320-80.jpg)
See Mercury's giant, comet-like tail in stunning new image as it passes close to the sun
By Harry Baker published
Shortly after Mercury reached its closest point to the sun, its massive, comet-like tail became unusually visible in the night sky and was captured in a stunning new photo.
![A large swirl of blue light shines above the peak of a hill.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/K4V5s4ePuGANhqrRaEZD54-320-80.jpg)
Ethereal whirlpool of light grows into a giant, perfect spiral above Alaska. What was it?
By Harry Baker published
A mystifying swirl of light recently appeared in the night sky above Alaska, briefly outshining a vibrant auroral display.
![A plasma waterfall on the sun.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BUscAKttUnHqvBb5hY8uxK-320-80.jpg)
60,000-mile-tall 'plasma waterfall' seen showering the sun with impossibly fast fire
By Harry Baker published
A massive wall of falling plasma, known as a polar crown prominence, was recently captured in a stunningly-detailed new photo of the sun.
![A red ring of light appears to hang above an Italian town.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eNZLNPvS4RLGQHYKpm2C2H-320-80.jpg)
Eerie ring of red light flashes like a massive UFO above Italy. What was it?
By Harry Baker published
An enormous halo of red light flashed in the night sky above Italy before disappearing within milliseconds. It was likely caused by an electromagnetic pulse from a nearby thunderstorm.
![A close-up of the red light streaking across the night sky.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/w5wBNQstYdGdjEGAnpKDs6-320-80.jpg)
Rare blood-red arc of light shines in the Scandinavian sky. What is it?
By Harry Baker published
A river of hazy red light stretched across the night sky over Denmark after the most powerful solar storm to hit Earth for six years slammed into our planet. The rare phenomenon is not an aurora.
![On Feb. 21, Antarctica's sea ice retreated to its lowest extent since satellite records began in 1979.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y86dsErCyYNNpy79cBBUQX-320-80.jpg)
Antarctica's sea ice reaches its lowest level since records began, for the 2nd year in a row
By Harry Baker published
Antarctica's sea ice recently shrank to its lowest extent since satellite records began more than 40 years ago.
![the night sky is lit in a strange glow of purples, pinks, and reds](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UQTKeUxbTKPZ3dEVWQKTc-320-80.jpg)
Mysterious aurora-like phenomenon 'STEVE' appears during strongest solar storm for more than half a decade
By Harry Baker published
The STEVE phenomenon was spotted across the U.S. and in parts of the U.K. after the most powerful solar storm to hit Earth for six years smashed into our planet.
![Tropical cyclone Freddy churns between Mozambique and Madagascar on March 8, 2023 in this image from the NOAA-20 satellite.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GZwwRW75hAy4LcuxDDVPCH-320-80.jpg)
Deadly cyclone 'Freddy' may be the longest-lived and most energetic storm ever recorded
By Harry Baker published
Cyclone Freddy, which is finally dissipating after battering Southeast Africa, has crossed the entire Indian Ocean and made landfall three separate times.
![A clip of the X-class flare erupting from the sun on Feb. 17 followed by a 'solar tsunami' that is visible as a faint shockwave in the surrounding region.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BzPGnRUrXLB8mMAvQxjav-320-80.gif)
Powerful X-class flare spat out a rare 'solar tsunami,' and you can hear it smashing into Earth
By Harry Baker published
The sun recently spat out an X-class solar flare, one of the most powerful it can emit, which triggered a rare shockwave across the sun's surface and caused radio blackouts on Earth.