Asteroid This image is of the asteroid Ida and its small satellite, Dactyl. Dactyl is the small object on the right, and in the close-up. Asteroids, also known as the minor planets, are small bodies orbiting the Sun that resemble planets. More than 5,000 asteroids have been discovered, and most are found between Mars and Jupiter. Usually having an irregular shape, asteroids—at least those discovered thus far—can range in size from 580 miles (940 km) in diameter, which is the size of the asteroid Ceres, to just 33 ft....

A Centuries-old Conflict The history of Northern Ireland can be traced back to the 17th century, when the English finally succeeded in subduing the island after successfully putting down a number of rebellions. (See Oliver Cromwell; Battle of the Boyne.) Much land, especially in the north, was subsequently colonized by Scottish and English Protestants, setting Ulster somewhat apart from the rest of Ireland, which was predominantly Catholic. The Nineteenth Century During the 1800s the north and south grew further apart due to economic differences....

And The Nominees Are… Find biographies for the 83rd Academy Awards nominees in all the major categories. And The Winners Are… Here is a complete list of the 83rd Academy Awards winners. And The Hosts Are… Learn details about James Franco and Anne Hathaway, the hosts of the 83rd Academy Awards. Annette Bening: Always The Oscar Bridesmaid… She has been nominated twice before for Best Actress, losing both times to Hilary Swank....

Size: Four planets in our solar system are larger and four are smaller than EarthDiameter: 7,926.2 miles (12,756 km)Surface: Earth is made up of water (70%), air, and solid ground. It appears to be the only planet with waterAtmosphere: Nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), other gasesRotation of its axis: 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4 secondsRotation around the Sun: 365.2 daysSatellites: 1Mean Distance from Sun: 92.9 million miles (149.6 million km)Rings: 0...

The irony of this “thinkers” list is that it does not bear thinking about too closely. The problems of definition and judgment that it involves would discourage more rigorous souls. But some criteria must be spelled out. What is a public intellectual? Someone who has shown distinction in their own field along with the ability to communicate ideas and influence debate outside of it. Candidates must have been alive, and still active in public life (though many on this list are past their prime)....

1. Sweet Auburn Historic District, Atlanta, Ga. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, Sweet Auburn was a successful segregated neighborhood founded by African Americans during the Jim Crow era in the South. The neighborhood was home to countless businesses, congregations, and social organizations, and was the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. While the residential area has been revitalized, the commercial district is in danger of falling victim to deterioration and inappropriate development....

Anthropologists study human beings.Entomologists study insects.Herpetologists study reptiles and amphibians.Ichthyologists specialize in fish.Malacologists study mollusks, like snails and clams.Mammalogists specialize in mammals.Nematologists study round worms.Ornithologists study birds.Ethologists study animal behavior.

Doctor to Castro confidante Originally trained as a physician at the University of Buenos Aires, Che Guevara took part (1952) in riots against the dictator Juan Perón in Argentina, joined agitators in Bolivia, and worked in a leper colony. In 1953 he went to Guatemala, joined the pro-Communist regime of Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, and when Arbenz was overthrown (1954) fled to Mexico, where he met Fidel Castro and other Cuban rebels....

Put on comfortable clothes and go out for a walk. Walking helps clear your head so that you can collect your thoughts.Take one evening a week just to chill out. Snooze, read a book, or play a game with friends.Take a warm, soothing, herbal bath: combine bay leaves and thyme, and tie them in a washcloth. Throw it into the running bath water with a cup of salt.Write in a diary and make entries at least twice a week....

Not surprisingly, there are also rules for using the Internet. Like the other rules in our lives, they are meant to protect us from harm and to help us to have enjoyable experiences online. Whether you surf the Net at school, at the library, or at home, it is important that you always obey these rules: Safety Avoid sites that request personal information. If you need to register at a site to access certain services, use only your first name or use a code name....

The length of the solar year, however, is slightly less than 365¼ days—by about 11 minutes. To compensate for this discrepancy, the leap year is omitted three times every four hundred years. In other words, a century year cannot be a leap year unless it is divisible by 400. Thus 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not leap years, but 1600, 2000, and 2400 are leap years. What are your chances of being born on leap day?...

Forty Differences Between Species In March 2007, scientists at the U.S. National Cancer Institute announced that genetic testing had determined that there are about 40 differences between the two species. For example, the clouded leopard of Borneo and Sumatra has darker fur and smaller cloud markings than the mainland leopard. The spots inside the “clouds” on the island clouded leopard are more distinct than those on the mainland animal. The differences between the cousins are as marked as those between lions, tigers, and jaguars....