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
![Bright multi-colored clouds shining in the night sky above Mount Jökultindur in Iceland on Jan. 25.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Bb8wbxgWjRYUrTsBWgtCog-320-80.jpg)
Ultra-rare 'rainbow clouds' light up the Arctic Circle like auroras in stunning new photos
By Harry Baker published
Rare clouds that give off bright, multi-colored light like an aurora were recently spotted at multiple locations in the Arctic. But what causes them?
![A still of Georges Lemaître from the rediscovered video.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gPr7QRZYbsJvLJWU8MXBNZ-320-80.jpg)
Only filmed interview with Georges Lemaître, 'father of the Big Bang,' rediscovered after 60 years
By Harry Baker published
The only known filmed interview with physicist and Catholic priest Georges Lemaître, who originally proposed the Big Bang theory, has been found on a video that was lost nearly 60 years ago.
![Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) with a short third tail (to the left of the comet) and longer gas and dust tails (to the right of the comet) on Jan. 21.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/326qqNGdX4gG28idGkcgJS-320-80.jpg)
Optical illusion gives rare green comet an 'anti-tail' that seemingly defies physics
By Harry Baker published
C/2022 E3 (ZTF), a comet that has recently made headlines as it flies closer to Earth, briefly developed an ethereal third tail thanks to a weird optical illusion.
![Two major sunspot groups tracked across the surface of the sun between Dec. 2 and Dec. 27, 2022 in this mosaic created by Şenol Şanlı..](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bPES2N6BxyK9rALDpJPb8G-320-80.jpg)
Incredible time-lapse photo captures the sun during an 8-year sunspot peak
By Harry Baker published
A new time-lapse image shows two major sunspot groups moving across the surface of the sun in December 2022, when the number of solar splotches also skyrocketed to an eight-year high.
![A stunning look at the reappearance of Mars during an occultation by the moon in a photo by astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8gSuiUv33RformZuaSZrBF-320-80.jpg)
See Mars 'peek out' from behind the moon in stunning eclipse photo
By Harry Baker published
An astrophotographer has captured a highly detailed image of the Red Planet reappearing from behind the moon after a lunar occultation.
![An artist's impression of a comet flying through space trailed by twin streams of gas and dust.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HxnXavogacEC2wwGWFXG25-320-80.jpg)
Massive eruption from icy volcanic comet detected in solar system
By Harry Baker published
Astronomers observed a major eruption from a volcanic comet flying through the solar system, likely spewing more than 1 million tons of debris into space.
![one large red planet accompanied by two very small moons](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/76Jj8WraawCKyFvhmP8uCM-320-80.jpg)
Mars may be slowly ripping its largest moon apart
By Harry Baker published
A new study has revealed that the weird parallel grooves on the surface of Mars' largest moon Phobos could be a sign that the Red Planet's gravity is ripping the satellite apart.
![This photo, taken Oct. 31 by NASA's Terra satellite, shows the world's largest iceberg, A-76A, in the Drake Passage near Antarctica.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YL8vNT9qhk4vEKRkicC2sa-320-80.jpeg)
World's largest iceberg is getting swept away from Antarctica to its doom, satellite image shows
By Harry Baker published
A new satellite image shows that the world's largest iceberg, A-76A, has entered the Drake Passage.
![Extremely rare pink auroras temporarily filled the skies above Norway after a crack in the Earth's magnetosphere enabled solar wind to penetrate deep into Earth's atmosphere.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YEHbZcTnKSgKTCsLCh2LZV-320-80.jpg)
Solar storm smashes hole in Earth's magnetosphere, triggering extremely rare pink auroras
By Harry Baker published
On Nov. 3, a solar storm caused a temporary crack in Earth's magnetic field. The resulting hole enabled energetic particles to penetrate deep into the planet's atmosphere and set off extremely rare pink auroras.
![Illustration of a giant atom in outer space](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/r3AHNsJ6cwrZqT528RNhAc-320-80.jpeg)
How many atoms are in the observable universe?
By Harry Baker last updated
Atoms are the building blocks of all matter in the universe, but how many are there in the part of it we can see from Earth?
![A satellite image of Lake Shala (blue), Lake Abijatta (green) and Lake Langano (yellow) in Ethiopia. The striking image was captured by the Landsat 8 satellite on March 29.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k4QbrxMHuoKmWECVKYSfwe-320-80.jpeg)
Trio of yellow, blue and green lakes in Ethiopia stuns in striking satellite image
By Harry Baker published
The Landsat 8 satellite recently snapped a striking image of three closely situated lakes, each one a different color, in Ethiopia.
![This photo taken from the ISS above the South China Sea on Oct. 30 2021 shows a pair of unrelated bright blue blobs in Earth's atmosphere.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hkzAkQL9XFnoF6Cbn9BtH9-320-80.jpeg)
Bizarre blue blobs hover in Earth's atmosphere in stunning astronaut photo. But what are they?
By Harry Baker published
An astronaut onboard the ISS recently captured a peculiar image of Earth with two unrelated blue blobs of light shining in the planet's atmosphere.
![bird's-eye view of an arc of steep rock in light brown earth](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RG6vyp5o6rMYM2H8xxRNKW-320-80.jpg)
Largest asteroid ever to hit Earth was twice as big as the rock that killed off the dinosaurs
By Harry Baker published
New research suggests that the asteroid responsible for forming Earth's largest impact crater was even bigger than researchers had previously estimated.
![a fiery stream coming out of a glowing orange ball](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xsttoZAwV4sqpDfkrfPxxS-320-80.jpg)
1 million-mile-long plasma plume shoots out of the sun in stunning photo
By Harry Baker published
An astrophotographer has captured a stunning composite image of a massive coronal mass ejection shooting out of the sun.
![a dark shape stretching across a textured tan surface](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WigjccbVakUSMgH6VMS6Uf-320-80.jpeg)
Massive ancient lava flow seen from space looks like a giant black scar on the New Mexico desert
By Harry Baker published
A new astronaut photo shows the Carrizozo Malpaís lava flow in New Mexico in stunning detail.
![An astronaut photograph of Mount Ruapehu taken on Sept. 23, 2021. The highly acidic hydrothermal lake, known as Crater Lake, can be seen at the summit of the active stratovolcano.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VuvFLfSaDDcCxvHAsZ8zpD-320-80.jpg)
Acid lake atop real-life 'Mount Doom' captured in striking new image from space station
By Harry Baker published
An astronaut's photo of Mount Ruapehu, the real-life "Mount Doom" volcano shows the contrast between the hydrothermal lake at its summit and the snow surrounding its peak.
![An image of smoke and exhaust from smokestacks of an industrial facility](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WnCXAsBFuXNQJdjpai4zfi-320-80.jpg)
Climate 'points of no return' may be much closer than we thought
By Harry Baker published
A new study that reassessed decades of work of climate "tipping points" has revealed they are more numerous and closer to being triggered than researchers initially feared.
![The researcher onboard the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer as it sits in front of Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DpqCpnAdKEXKkh5LRKPAcF-320-80.jpeg)
'Doomsday Glacier' is teetering even closer to disaster than scientists thought, new seafloor map shows
By Harry Baker published
A new study has revealed that the Thwaites glacier, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier," could melt away much faster than previously believed.
![a tiny bright ring against dark space backgrou](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sXh2Enmau9GwZHV27Rxbv8-320-80.jpg)
Stunningly perfect 'Einstein ring' captured by James Webb Space Telescope
By Harry Baker published
A new image using data collected by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope shows off one of the most perfect "Einstein rings" ever captured.
![animation of cloud from underwater eruption](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JAhEZjJdQ9QbV2R2wBtcjX-320-80.gif)
Tonga's eruption injected so much water into Earth's atmosphere that it could weaken the ozone layer
By Harry Baker published
A new study has revealed that a record-breaking amount of water vapor entered Earth's atmosphere after a volcanic eruption in Tonga in January.
![Artist’s interpretation of the quadruple-star system HD 98800. the newly discovered triple star system, known as TIC 470710327, has a very similar structure except the outer pair of stars orbiting the central binary pair have merged into a single star.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BYEFPRXwhZ8565bG7dtBK5-320-80.jpeg)
'First of its kind' triple star system likely gobbled up a 4th star
By Harry Baker published
Astronomers have detected a new triple star system that is unlike any similar system seen before. Computer simulations revealed that the strange system likely used to contain a fourth star.
![An artist's impression of exoplanets orbiting a red supergiant. The bright light in the distance comes from a faraway star of a similar size.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZwooVoBRCtyfM7ReAPmiMi-320-80.jpeg)
Red supergiant stars 'dance' because they have too much gas
By Harry Baker published
A new study has revealed why red supergiant stars appear to dance around in the space.
![Tiny crystals in meteorite dust.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/556cDt5zXf8gphERxbVUaQ-320-80.jpeg)
Never-before-seen crystals found in perfectly preserved meteorite dust
By Harry Baker published
Researchers have discovered tiny, never-before-seen carbon crystals in meteorite dust left over from the explosion of the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013.