The biggest scientific news this year was by far everything to do with the new coronavirus and the ongoing pandemic. Stories about COVID-19 got exponentially more opinions on Live Science than any other science news we shared.
Related: Coronavirus outbreak: live updates
But despite the hardships of the pandemic, plenty of fascinating science was happening outside the realm of COVID-19 research. From huge sea creatures to asteroids to, yes, COVID-19, here’s a rundown of some of this year’s most popular stories on Live Science.
10. Longest underwater creature
Live Science loves weird creatures, and so do our readers. Many were thrilled to hear about the discovery of a 45-meter-long marine animal called a siphonophore, a translucent, rope-like creature made up of smaller critters, like coral. Underwater researchers with the research vessel Falkor spotted the tall beast in an undersea canyon off the coast of Australia. The team said this siphonophore is “apparently the largest animal ever discovered.”
Read more: ‘Longest animal ever’ discovered in deep-sea gorge off the Australian coast
9. After “Starman” to Mars
In October, SpaceX’s “Starman” mannequin, sitting in the driver’s seat of a cherry red Tesla Roadster, made its closest approach to Mars. Close by is relative, however: the rapidly decaying sports car and dummy were just under 5 million miles from the Red Planet, which is about 19 times the distance from Earth to the Moon. Starman and his Roadster have been orbiting the sun for about two years, since its launch in February 2018.
Read more: “Starman” has just run past Mars in his rapidly decaying Tesla Roadster
8. The pink supermoon
April’s full moon this year was a real treat: a pink super moon! On April 7, the moon was closer to Earth than any other time of the year, making it the largest full moon of the year. But the pink supermoon wasn’t really pink. April’s moon is named after the pink wild flower Phlox subulata, which blooms in early spring in eastern North America. Although April’s supermoon wasn’t colorful, it was still impressive.
Read more: How to see tonight’s pink super moon, the biggest full moon of 2020
7. Funniest animal photos
We look forward to the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards every year and this year did not disappoint. The winning image was a perfectly timed photo of a sea turtle that appears to be turning the bird. “It was great to see the reaction to my photo of Terry the Turtle turning the bird,” said photographer Mark Fitzpatrick, “with Terry making people laugh in what has been a difficult year for many, as well as helping to spread of an important conservation message. ”
Read more: Is this the funniest animal photo ever?
6. Largest ozone hole in the Arctic
In April, we were intrigued (and perhaps a little concerned) to learn that scientists discovered what may be the largest hole in the ozone layer ever recorded over the North Pole. The hole covered an area about three times the size of Greenland and had the potential to expose people living in far northern latitudes to high levels of ultraviolet radiation. Fortunately, the hole eventually closed by itself.
Read more: An ozone hole three times the size of Greenland is opening over the North Pole
5. “Oumuamua could still be alien technology
Oumuamua is a mysterious interstellar object that ventured through our solar system two years ago. Several people suspected that the cigar-shaped object was some kind of alien technology, mainly because it accelerated as if something was propelling it. But scientists were quick to point out that the chances of an alien origin were slim, and that a physical or astronomical explanation is more likely. In August, however, astrophysicists published a study that debunked at least one non-alien theory: that hydrogen works to propel the object. This means that there is still hope that they are aliens!
Read more: Interstellar visitor ‘Oumuamua could still be alien technology, new study suggests
4. A new human organ
People are so weird. This year, scientists found a new human organ: a series of salivary glands located deep in the upper part of the throat. Before discovering these hidden glands, scientists didn’t think there were organs in this area behind the nose – just microscopic, diffuse salivary glands. But this set, called tubarian salivary glands, averages 3.9 inches long and likely lubricates and moistens the upper throat behind the nose and mouth.
Read more: Scientists discover a new organ in the throat
3. The deadliest viruses on Earth
This article about the deadliest viruses was not new, but it got a lot of attention this year. Humans have been fighting viruses since the beginning of our existence, and luckily we’ve overcome a few with vaccines and effective antivirals. But as this list shows, there are still many viruses that can turn us off.
Read more: The 12 Deadliest Viruses on Earth
2. The worst epidemics and pandemics in history
Readers have also been fascinated by a story of the deadliest epidemics and pandemics in history, from a prehistoric outbreak in 3000 BC to the ongoing Zika virus epidemic that began in 2015. This long list reveals how humanity has, at times, throughout our existence. change the course of history and even eliminate entire civilizations.
Read more: 20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history
1. Coronavirus and the COVID-19 pandemic
As mentioned earlier, the coronavirus pandemic was the biggest scientific news of the year. The top three most read coronavirus stories of 2020 were:
The symptoms of COVID-19
People with COVID-19 can have asymptomatic, mild, or severe illness and experience a wide variety of symptoms. Live Science health reporters updated this article at least three times this year as doctors and scientists discover more about how the new coronavirus manifests itself in humans.
Read more: What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
The coronavirus was not created in a laboratory
The origin of the new coronavirus, dubbed SARS-CoV-2, was initially unclear, giving rise to the persistent myth that the virus was created by scientists and escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began. But an analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 genome revealed that the virus is naturally occurring and highly unlikely to have been manipulated by humans. There is still no evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was made by humans, despite continued research into the possibility.
Read more: The coronavirus was not developed in a laboratory. Here’s how we know.
The coronavirus is different from the flu
When the new coronavirus emerged, some people assumed that because the symptoms of the coronavirus seemed to overlap with the symptoms of the seasonal flu virus, the two viruses posed a similar threat. However, scientists and doctors soon realized that this was not the case: The coronavirus spreads much more easily and has a much higher death rate than the flu. This was our most read story of the year.
Read more: How does the new coronavirus relate to the flu?
Originally published on Live Science.