SCIENCE

The year 2013 could be marked by sightings of two bright comets, one of which could be the brightest comet sighting in history. Astronomers, however, are careful not to spark too much anticipation because comets can be unpredictable. Here are five things to know from two comets observers could see this year until 2014.

Bob, the American software programmer who outsourced his tasks to Chinese developers and instead spent time watching feline videos, would surely disagree with a proposal by Gareth Morgan, a New Zealand economist. And so would other cat lovers too because Mr Morgan, in his Web site (http://garethsworld.com/catstogo/), suggested the gradual extinction of the country's cat population because of the threat the animals cause to native bird species.

Hard-working scientists made huge developments in the past ten years as they identify and track near-Earth asteroids. These scientific space developments have urged the new company, Deep Space Industries (DSI), to become the very first in executing the Asteroid Mining Mission on 2015.

Fifteen minutes of fame awaits an adventurous woman willing to lend her womb for scientific purposes. George Church, a genetics professor at Harvard School of Medicine, is seeking for that woman to create the first Neanderthal baby from DNA extracted from ancient fossils.

Two recent reports, released separately, forecast higher demand for coal in the next five years and its impact in terms of additional carbon dioxide releases.

A metal detail found by a man in Russia has reportedly been studied and found to be 300 million years old. Findings prompted speculations that the relic could have been left behind by aliens or extraterrestrials.

Eighth grade student Thidarat Boonlee created internet buzz with her photograph of an unidentified flying object (UFO) hovering over Sawang Dindaeng School in Sakon Nakhon, Thailand. The photograph was taken during the outdoor activities of the school in celebration of their Sports Day last December 25.

In the past two weeks, a man from Dunedoo, New South Wales has been spotting over 50 unidentified flying objects (UFOs) across the night sky. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted an expert to observe the weird UFO activity in the area.

Stocks of gas face masks as well as air purifiers have sold like hotcakes in China early this week as the Asian country fights and cleans off its worst yet smog pollution which hit large parts of Central and East China over the weekend. Such a price the country has to pay in exchange for global economic supremacy.

UFO sightings created a buzz last week in Michigan where several witnesses reported seeing "black triangle-shaped objects." In California, a witness illustrated for MUFON what he and his grandmother witnessed one strange night on the road.

While NASA had been on a long vacation from moon journeys and a Dutch company aims to send the first inhabitants from earth to the planet Mars by 2023, Russia is playing catch up as global interest in the space grows.

Mars rover Curiosity sent back to Earth an image of what looked like a flower on the red planet. Scientists still do not have enough information about the object, but they insist the pearl-colored material is not biological in nature.

A 12-metre, 45-tonne dead male sperm whale washed up on the Paraparaumu Beach in Kapiti Coast, New Zealand on Wednesday. A whale expert said the mammal probably died after suffocation.

Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) were making numerous appearances close to NASA’s International Space Stations (ISS). The footages have been posted on YouTube to show the public images of different shapes and sizes of UFOs captured from the NASA cameras.

The McCusker Alzheimer's Research Foundation in Perth is seeking 400 males aged 60 and above who will participate in a 14-month trial using a combination of testosterone and fish oil believed to prevent or postpone Alzheimer's.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will host a media teleconference on January 15 at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST) to give an update on the Mars Curiosity rover mission at the planet’s Gale crater. The Mars Science Laboratory Project and its Curiosity rover are conducting an important two-year mission to examine whether Mars conditions will allow microbial life on the planet.

While most reality TV contestants like those in Big Brother get booted out one by one until the last few finalists battle it out for the top prize, winners in a reality TV with a trip to Mars as the prize will get booted out of Earth permanently.

Like other New Years, Jan 1, 2013 started with many people including going on a diet in their New Year's Resolutions. Some will fail in their diets while others may succeed in the next 12 months.

Asteroid Apophis, which passed by Earth from late night Wednesday to midnight Thursday, has lost its doomsday label. This is great news based on new data gathered by NASA. This is great news, considering scientists have just found out Apophis is even bigger than initially thought.

In the near future, there are chances that diabetics would no longer need injections to receive insulin. The hope of needle-free insulin shots comes from a research by Australian scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) in Melbourne.

The colonization of the Red Planet is not only a topic of science fiction films or books; it is becoming a reality. More and more people believe that the human life on Mars is just a matter of time.

Apophis, an asteroid first spotted in June 2004, passes by Earth Jan. 9 U.S. time. This near-Earth space object was once called "doomsday asteroid," but scientists confirm its 2013 approach is nowhere near enough to impact Earth. However, scientists have just announced Wednesday the asteroid was actually bigger than previously believed.

The bushfires raging across New South Wales has caused about $1 million damage to the state's stock. Although there are no lives lost or homes razed due to the blazes, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said about 10,000 sheep were lost in Yass shire alone.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is pondering on a plan that will allow a robotic spacecraft drag a near-Earth asteroid into the moon’s orbit. The Keck Institute for Space Studies in California reports that the asteroid-moon mission worth $2.6 billion could begin on 2025.

Asteroid Apophis will have its nearest approach to planet Earth today, January 9. Viewers can watch the live streaming of the asteroid flyby at the website Slooh.com. The online sky-watching service will also provide footages from other observatories all over the world.

Within the vast expanse of the Milky Way, U.S. astronomers estimate that some 17 billion Earth-sized planets exist and likely located in the so-called habitable zones, where water in liquid form is found.

A video of a polar bear attacking a camera man has gone viral with a million views within only four days. The footage drew mixed reactions from disbelief, to genuine awe, to excitement and suspense.

Tweets from number one microblogging site Twitter could reach outer space. This was proven by tweet exchanges between American actor William Shatner, who portrayed Captain Kirk in Star Trek, and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.

Asteroid Apophis is expected to be visible in the Earth sky on Wednesday, Jan. 9. The asteroid is quite far relative to the moon's distance from the planet. But in 2004, scientists feared an eventual impact with this 270-meter rock in space.