CNN Profiles - Ashley Strickland - Writer | CNN

Ashley Strickland - Writer

Ashley Strickland

Writer

Ashley is a space and science writer for CNN.

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Gianni Dagli Orti/Shutterstock (5850752qs)
Lion fight in the circus, relief, terracotta, 1st century AD Roman
Art (Archaeology) - various
Location: Museo Nazionale Terme Rome

Gianni Dagli Orti/Shutterstock

A bite from a lion likely led to the demise of a gladiator, new research finds

Bite marks discovered on the skeleton of a gladiator in Roman-era England suggest the man faced off with a lion in the arena, according to a new study.

CALIFORNIA, USA - APRIL 24: A view of the Lyrids Meteor Shower and Milky Way in Panamint Springs of California, United States on April 24, 2023. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

How and when to watch the Lyrid meteor shower

Look up to watch April’s Lyrid meteor shower, which will peak on Monday night into Tuesday.

iss072e097446 (Oct. 24, 2024) -- As the International Space Station soared 257 miles above Lake Michigan, NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Flight Engineer Don Pettit captured this long-exposure photograph of city lights streaking across Earth while a green and red aurora moved through the atmosphere.

Don Pettit/NASA

An astronaut’s awe-inspiring views from life in space

Longtime NASA astronaut Don Pettit is set to return from his fourth trip to space on Saturday night. Here are some of his most stunning photos of the cosmos.

An illustration shows a hycean world – an exoplanet with a liquid water ocean beneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere - orbiting a red dwarf star. Based on observations by the James Webb Space Telescope, the exoplanet K2-18 b might fit in this category. This illustration was obtained by Reuters on April 16, 2025. A. Smith, N. Madhusudhan/University of Cambridge/Handout via REUTERS NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.

A. Smith, N. Madhusudhan/University of Cambridge/Reuters

Chemical fingerprints could belong to a signature of life on distant planet

This week, learn why experts are divided over an exoplanet, see the first footage of a colossal squid in its deep-sea habitat, uncover why Earth is peeling, and more.

Gianluca Masi/Virtual Telescope Project.

A new comet appeared in the sky, then likely disintegrated. But it can still be seen

A newly discovered comet, called C/2025 F2 (SWAN), may have disintegrated. But the remnants are still visible.

An illustration shows a hycean world – an exoplanet with a liquid water ocean beneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere - orbiting a red dwarf star. Based on observations by the James Webb Space Telescope, the exoplanet K2-18 b might fit in this category. This illustration was obtained by Reuters on April 16, 2025. A. Smith, N. Madhusudhan/University of Cambridge/Handout via REUTERS NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.

A. Smith, N. Madhusudhan/University of Cambridge/Reuters

Scientists detect signature of life on a distant planet, study suggests

Astronomers have made a detection suggesting biosignatures, or signs of biological activity, on an exoplanet located 124 light-years away. But experts are skeptical.

WHITLEY BAY, ENGLAND - MAY 10: People visit St Mary's lighthouse in Whitley Bay to see the aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, on May 10, 2024 in Whitley Bay, England. The UK met office said a strong solar storm may allow northern parts of the UK the chance to see displays of aurora. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

Solar storm could bring auroras farther south over the US than they typically appear

A geomagnetic storm unleashed by the sun on Sunday could create colorful auroral displays over parts of the United States Wednesday and Thursday night.

ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute

Colossal squid resembles a ‘glass sculpture’ in first footage taken from the deep sea

Two research expeditions have captured the first footage of two squid species — a colossal squid and a glacial glass squid — swimming in the deep sea.

In this screenshot from video, Blue Origin New Shepard lifts off in West Texas, on Monday.

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From Blue Origin

Live Updates Blue Origin launches star-studded crew on space tourism rocket

Pop star Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King were among six women who traveled aboard Jeff Bezos-founded Blue Origin’s all-female, suborbital space tourism mission, which lifted off Monday.

HOLCOMBE, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 05: The full Snow Moon rises behind leafless trees on February 5, 2023 in Somerset, England. Tonight's full Snow Moon will be the smallest full moon of the year, making this Snow Moon a micromoon, which is the opposite of a supermoon. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Matt Cardy/Getty Images/FILE

April’s full moon is a ‘micromoon.’ Here’s what that means

April’s pink “micromoon” will appear smaller than other full moons this year as it nears its farthest point from Earth in its orbit around the planet.

Jawbone dredged up from the seafloor belonged to a Denisovan

Jawbone from ancient land bridge reveals a mysterious human ancestor

This week, solve the mystery of an ancient human ancestor’s fossil, meet a new generation of dire wolves, spy April’s full moon, and more.

These whirling lines in the sky are the trails of stars after an hour-long exposure above Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab. The trails are shortest around the North Star, Polaris, a star that happens to coincide almost directly with the celestial north pole. The different colors in the trails reflect the different temperatures of the stars, with blue being the hottest stars and yellow/red the coolest. The telescope visible above the horizon is the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope, and the red glow on the mountain is caused by red lights used to ensure the eyes of visitors and staff remain dark adapted at night. The yellow glow on the horizon comes from Tucson, AZ, about 89 kilometers (55 miles) to the northeast. Over the past decade, light pollution like this has increased by 2% a year from many medium-sized and larger cities. To help monitor light pollution in your city, you can participate in the citizen science campaign, Globe at Night.

KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/B. Tafresh

‘Another mind-blowing change’: New data suggests mysterious dark energy is evolving

New observations of the cosmos show that the dark energy, a mysterious force that accelerates the expansion of the universe, is evolving.

Astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore talk to reporters during a press conference at Johnson Space Center on Monday, March 31, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Ashley Landis/AP

NASA astronauts speak out for the first time following unexpected 9-month mission to space

The astronauts speak out after returning from an unexpected nine-month mission that was extended following vehicle issues en route to the International Space Station.

SWEETWATER, TEXAS - OCTOBER 04: In an aerial view, discarded wind turbine blades are seen in a field next to the Sweetwater Cemetery on, October 04, 2023 in Sweetwater, Texas. General Electric filed a lawsuit against Global Fiberglass, claiming that the company has failed to recycle thousands of turbine blades discarded in a field on the west side of town. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Wind turbine parts may be giant technofossils that puzzle future scientists

This week, uncover the fossils of the future, see which ancient creature had gigantic claws, investigate large molecules on Mars, and more.

This graphic shows the long-chain organic molecules decane, undecane, and dodecane. These are the largest organic molecules discovered on Mars to date. They were detected in a drilled rock sample called “Cumberland” that was analyzed by the Sample Analysis at Mars lab inside the belly of NASA’s Curiosity rover. The rover, whose selfie is on the right side of the image, has been exploring Gale Crater since 2012. An image of the Cumberland drill hole is faintly visible in the background of the molecule chains.

Dan Gallagher/NASA

Curiosity rover makes ‘arguably the most exciting organic detection to date on Mars’

The Curiosity rover detected the largest organic molecules to date on Mars, which may be fragments of fatty acids, or some of the chemical building blocks of life.

A partial solar eclipse is seen as the Sun rises behind the Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse on June 10, 2021, at Lewes Beach in Delaware.

Aubrey Gemignani/NASA

How to see a partial solar eclipse turn the sun into a crescent

A partial solar eclipse on Saturday will make it look as if the moon has taken a bite out of the sun over parts of North America, Greenland and Northern Europe.