August 2016 Science Images

NASA astronauts Jeff Williams, who is shown here, along with crewmate Kate Rubins (who can be seen reflected in William’s visor) successfully installed a new international docking adapter 8/19/16 during a five hour and 58-minute spacewalk. (NASA)

NASA astronauts Jeff Williams, shown here along with crewmate Kate Rubins (who can be seen reflected in William’s visor) successfully installed a new international docking adapter 8/19/16 during a six-hour spacewalk. (NASA)

This is a small 3D printed robot called Octobot. On 8/24/16, a team of researchers from Harvard University announced that they had demonstrated the first autonomous, untethered, entirely soft robot. (Lori Sanders)

Here is a time time-lapse photo of 41 meteors that were captured in around 2 hours on 8/12/16 from Anglesey, UK at the peak of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. (Kev Lewis via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Here is a time time-lapse photo of 41 meteors captured in about two hours on 8/12/16 from Anglesey, UK at the peak of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower. (Kev Lewis via Flickr/Creative Commons)

In this artist impression, the small, flying reptiles known as azhdarchoid pterosaurs are not surrounded not by other pterosaurs, but by birds. Some researchers have argued that pterosaurs were ecologically replaced by birds by the Late Cretaceous epoch. However, the discovery of small-bodied pterosaur remains from British Columbia, announced 8/30/16, shows that at least some smaller flying reptiles lived alongside ancient birds. (Dr. Mark Witton)

In this artist’s impression, the small, flying reptiles known as azhdarchoid pterosaurs are not surrounded not by other pterosaurs, but by birds. Some researchers have argued that pterosaurs were ecologically replaced by birds by the Late Cretaceous epoch. However, the discovery of small-bodied pterosaur remains from British Columbia, announced 8/30/16, shows that at least some smaller flying reptiles lived alongside ancient birds. (Dr. Mark Witton)

A mockup of NASA's Orion spacecraft hits the water in a simulated ocean splashdown test at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA on 8/25/16. The spacecraft is designed for deep space travel and will someday ferry astronauts to Mars. An unmanned test flight is scheduled for 2018 with the first crewed flight is slated for 2023. (NASA)

A mockup of NASA’s Orion spacecraft hits the water in a simulated splashdown test at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA on 8/25/16. The spacecraft is designed for deep space travel and will some day ferry astronauts to Mars. An unmanned test flight is scheduled for 2018 with the first crewed flight slated for 2023. (NASA)

A model of an innovative street-straddling bus called Transit Elevated Bus is seen after a test run in Hebei Province, China, 8/3/16. According to local media, this test is capable of carrying 300 people (Reuters)

Artist’s impression of the surface of the exoplanet Proxima Centauri b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our solar system. You can also see the better known double star Alpha Centauri AB in the image. Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory announced the discovery of the exoplanet, which is only 4.2 light years away from Earth on 8/24/16. The planet orbits its star within the habitable zone, where the temperature is said to be suitable for liquid water to exist on its surface. (ESO/M. Kornmesser)

This is an artist’s impression of the surface of the exoplanet Proxima Centauri b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our solar system. You can also see the double star Alpha Centauri AB in the image. Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory announced the discovery of the exoplanet, which is only 4.2 light years away from Earth on 8/24/16. The planet orbits its star within the habitable zone, where the temperature is said to be suitable for liquid water to exist on its surface. (ESO/M. Kornmesser)

Geoffrey Hargreaves, curator of the National Ice Core Laboratory, is shown in this 8/8/16 photo, gently placing an arctic ice core on a table inside the deep freeze work area at the lab, in Lakewood, Colo. Scientists are able to look at past cosmic events such as solar flares or other cosmic by the distinctive radioactive atoms left in the snow. Also, dust blown in from distant continents can offer clues about atmospheric circulation. (AP)

On 8/30/16 it was announced that scientists using various NASA, ESA and ground-based telescopes have found the most distant galaxy cluster so far. At 11.1 billion light years from Earth this is Galaxy Cluster CL J1001+0220 or CLJ1001 for short. (NASA/CXC/CEA/T. Wang et al; Infrared: ESO/UltraVISTA; Radio: ESO/NAOJ/NRAO/ALMA)

Another step towards driverless cars. Here Uber employees test the self-driving Ford Fusion hybrid cars in Pittsburgh, Pa on 8/18/16. (AP)

In another step toward driverless cars, Uber employees test the self-driving Ford Fusion hybrid cars in Pittsburgh, Pa on 8/18/16. (AP)

Here’s another uniquely designed robot in a photo taken on 8/3/16. This stingray-shaped robot, designed in a laboratory at Harvard University, can paddle through water in water after being exposed to blue light. Scientists have constructed the robot from rat heart muscle, gold and silicone. (AP)

NASA’s Juno spacecraft successfully completed the first of 36 scheduled orbital flybys of Jupiter recently. In this view, Jupiter’s north polar region is coming into view as the spacecraft approaches the giant planet. This view of the Jovian planet was taken on 8/27/16, when Juno was 703,000 kilometers away. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS)