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The Parker Solar Probe is expected to make a fiery dive close to the solar surface on Christmas Eve morning -- a key milestone in its mission to study the sun's outer atmosphere.

The winter solstice, which takes place on Dec. 21, marks the beginning of astronomical winter.

A man in Orange County, N.Y., discovered the teeth of a complete mastodon jaw while gardening. WNBC's Melissa Colorado reports.

The homeowner initially found two teeth hidden by a plant on the property, and after digging just a few inches underneath that, two more teeth were found.

NASA has pushed back the next astronaut crew's launch to the International Space Station from February to no earlier than late March.

"The most surprising thing is the sheer extent of the violence carried out on the bodies," the study's lead author told NBC News.

The meteor shower has been going on all month, but shooting stars are expected to ramp up after midnight Friday and in the stretch of darkness before dawn, according to NASA.

The trend may be due, in part, to the rise of weight loss drugs like Ozempic.

Remnants of Neanderthal DNA in modern genomes have long prompted questions about interspecies mating. Two studies shed light on when that occurred -- and when ancient humans left Africa.

Scientists behind the new research suggested that the record journey may be linked to climate change or possibly a shift in mating strategies.