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1953 magazine cover, "Surveying a Dying Sun"
1953 magazine cover, "Surveying a Dying Sun"

The Sun has appeared in fiction since classical antiquity, but for a long time it rarely received attention. Many of the early depictions viewed the Sun as essentially Earth-like and potentially habitable—a once-common belief about celestial objects in general known as the plurality of worlds—and depicted various kinds of solar inhabitants. As more became known about the Sun through advances in astronomy, in particular its temperature, fewer solar lifeforms were depicted. Instead, many stories focused on the death of the Sun, either by going out or going nova, and the ensuing havoc on Earth. Less disastrously, solar flares and eclipses have also been depicted. The Sun has been portrayed as a source of power—both in the form of solar power and superpower abilities. It poses a danger to spacecraft that approach it, which occurs in several stories. Overall, the Sun remains relatively uncommon as a point of focus in science fiction, particularly in comparison to depictions of Mars and Venus. (Full article...)

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Blinken performing at the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative
Blinken performing at the Global Music Diplomacy Initiative

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Grindavík eruption
Grindavík eruption

On this day

December 21

Crew of Apollo 8
Crew of Apollo 8
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Leptura quadrifasciata

Leptura quadrifasciata, the longhorn beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It is found throughout the northern and central Palaearctic region. The species is distributed in northern and central regions of Europe and Asia. It is particularly common in Scandinavia, Finland and Great Britain, and typically seen during the summer months. The larvae make meandering galleries in various trees, including oak, beech, birch, willow, alder, elder and spruce – typically in dead and decaying wood, with a preference for damp areas. Adult beetles are 11 to 20 millimetres (0.43 to 0.79 in) long, black with four more or less continuous transverse yellow bands. In extreme cases the elytra may be almost entirely black. The life cycle of the species lasts two or three years. This L. quadrifasciata female was photographed on wild carrot flowers near Keila, Estonia.

Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus

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