These are the most-clicked stories of the year, featuring space elevators, comet smashers, and a brand new planet in our solar system.
1.
Sex and romantic entanglements among astronauts could derail missions to Mars, said a top-level panel of US researchers. Their recommendation for NASA 鈥� more study of the issue.
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2.
This star鈥檚 similarity to the terrifying Eye of Sauron from Lord of the Rings is uncanny.
3. Tenth planet discovered in outer solar system
It鈥檚 not every day we find another planet in our solar system 鈥� and give it the nickname 鈥淴ena鈥�.
4. Space elevators stuck on the first floor
This NASA competition was aimed at stimulating research on ultra-strong tethers and light-powered robots that could climb up them into space. It produced some valiant efforts.
5. Deep Impact smashes all expectations
This year saw a very different 4th of July firework display, when NASA鈥檚 Deep Impact probe smashed spectacularly into Comet Tempel-1.
6. Strange new object found at solar system鈥檚 edge
It was a good year for publicity for Kuiper Belt Objects. This strange body, dubbed 鈥淏uffy鈥�, threatened to be a theory slayer.
7. Bizarre boulders litter Saturn moon
The Cassini probe skimmed close to Enceladus and captured bewildering images of the moon鈥檚 unusual surface
8. Hardy lichen shown to survive in space
Lichens can survive unprotected in these incredibly harsh conditions, a European Space Agency experiment discovered 鈥� it suggests life could travel between planets too
9. Comet put on list of potential Earth impactors
A comet hitting the Earth ranks pretty near the top of doomsday scenarios 鈥� so Comet Catalina was an unwelcome addition to a growing list
10. Hubble scans for Moon base locations
If humans are going to build a base on the Moon, they鈥檒l need a good spot 鈥� and there鈥檙e no better eyes in space than Hubble
