Science

The scientist in Botswana who identified omicron was saddened by the world's reaction
He and his team were stunned by the number of mutations. They felt they'd made a contribution by alerting the world to a dangerous variant. Then came the travel bans for residents of southern Africa.
Pfizer confirms COVID pill's results, potency versus omicron
Pfizer says that its experimental COVID-19 pill appears effective against the omicron variant. The company also confirmed Tuesday that the pill delivered on promising early results in reducing COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. 
You'll have the best view of the Geminid meteor shower overnight
Although the moon will brighten up the sky and make it harder to see the Geminids this year, astronomers say from about 2 a.m. to sunrise will be prime viewing time.
Pfizer says COVID booster offers protection against omicron
Pfizer said Wednesday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine may protect against the new omicron variant even though the initial two doses appear significantly less effective.
Omicron boosters are in the works, but will they be needed?
Omicron has many more mutations than previous variants of concern, a fact that raises questions about how effective existing vaccines will be against the new form of the coronavirus.
Leonard is the brightest comet all year. Here's how to see it
The comet was discovered less than a year ago near the orbit of Jupiter. Now, observers in North America can see it in the northeastern sky around sunrise.
Astronomers find a new planet that's mostly made of iron
NASA's TESS telescope finds a small, iron-rich planet which could help explain the origins of Mercury, the innermost planet in our solar system