Earth

Space debris meant a six-month mission doubled in length.
Scientists previously "missed it because they hadn’t expected to find anything like it.”
A mass extinction event isn't on the cards, according to astronomers.
Water vapour has been discovered in the atmosphere of another world by researchers at University College London. The ‘super-Earth’, named K2-18b, is 110 light years away – making it the only known planet outside of our solar system with conditions that could support life.
Humankind has been dreaming of the stars since legends began, and the mystery of space exploration has cemented itself in popular culture. From the pioneering astronauts in the 1950s to our first glimpse of a black hole this year, we continue to make discoveries that were once the stuff of science fiction.