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  • Steps of recovery: Senator who relearned how to walk climbs Senate stairs

    Michael Reynolds / EPA

    Members of Congress applaud as Republican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois walks up the east steps of the Senate on Jan. 3 with assistance from Democratic Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia, left, and Vice President Joe Biden.

    Michael Reynolds / EPA

    Republican Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, left, waves with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia as Kirk returns to the Senate. Vice President Joe Biden and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, right, look on.

     By Tracy Connor, NBC News: In the year since he had a major stroke, Sen. Mark Kirk has taken his recovery one step at a time. On Thursday, the Illinois Republican took 45 more – climbing the stairs to the Senate’s front door while colleagues cheered him on. “Yeah, Mark!” the crowd shouted as Kirk, 53, mounted the steps, slowly and stiffly, with Vice President Biden grasping his right arm. Full Story

    Jewel Samad / AFP - Getty Images

    Vice President Joe Biden, right, and Sen. Joe Manchin help Sen. Mark Kirk to climb up the stairs upon his return to the Senate. A stroke devastated the left side of Kirk's body and left him so close to death he saw angels – with New York accents – at his hospital bed.

    Video: Sen. Kirk welcomed back to Capitol with cheers

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  • Sandy Hook students return to class for first day in new school

    Shannon Stapleton / Reuters

    Children from Sandy Hook Elementary School make their way to their new school in Monroe, Conn., on Jan. 3.

    Jessica Hill / AP

    A bus traveling from Newtown, Conn., to Monroe stops in front of 26 angels along the roadside on the first day of classes for Sandy Hook Elementary School students since the Dec. 14 shooting.

    Jessica Hill / AP

    The entrance of the new Sandy Hook Elementary School is guarded by a police road block on the first day of classes since the Dec. 14 attacks.

    Slideshow: Newtown school massacre

    Jessica Hill / AP

    A nation mourns after the second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history left 20 children and six staff members dead at Sandy Hook Elementary.

    Launch slideshow

    Hundreds of the children who escaped the harrowing attack on their elementary school in Newtown, Conn., last month head back to classes on Thursday for the first time since a gunman killed 20 of their schoolmates and six staff members.

    School officials are preparing for droves of anxious parents to join the fleet of buses carting children to the new Sandy Hook Elementary School established in the neighboring town of Monroe.

    Chalk Hill school, a former middle school, was overhauled especially for the students from the Sandy Hook School shooting.

  • Iranians commemorate martyrdom of prophet's grandson

    Vahid Salemi / AP

    A crowd gathers to commemorate Arbaeen in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 3, 2012.

    Crowds gathered in Tehran on Thursday for a ceremony commemorating Arbaeen, the final day of the annual 40-day mourning period for the seventh century martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.

    --  The Associated Press

    Behrouz Mehri / AFP - Getty Images

    A Shiite Muslim man beats his chest at Tehran's Grand Bazaar on Jan. 3, 2013 during the Arbaeen religious festival which marks the 40th day after Ashura.

    Vahid Salemi / AP

    Mourners beat their chests in a ceremony commemorating Arbaeen in Tehran on Jan. 3, 2012.

     

  • Winter-only weddings - Bulgarian Muslims say 'I do'

    Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP - Getty Images

    Fatme Ulanova stands during her wedding ceremony in the village of Ribnovo, in southwestern Bulgaria, on Jan. 2.

    Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP - Getty Images

    Fatme Ulanova, 20, and Djamal Sirakov, 23, stand with with euro banknotes hung on their garments as presents during their two-day wedding ceremony in the Bulgarian village of Ribnovo.

    Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP - Getty Images

    Bulgarian Muslim women look at the dowry during a wedding ceremony in the village of Ribnovo in Bulgaria.

    Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP - Getty Images

    Bulgarian Muslim women look at the dowry during a wedding ceremony in the village of Ribnovo, in southwestern Bulgaria, on Jan. 2.

    Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP - Getty Images

    Bulgarian Muslim women dance during a two-day wedding ceremony in the village of Ribnovo on Jan. 2.

    The people of this Bulgarian town of Ribnovo are famous for performing their unique wedding ceremonies in winter time only.

    The inhabitants of the mountain village of Ribnovo are Bulgarian-speaking Muslims, sometimes referred to as "Pomaks" or "people who have suffered". Muslim Bulgarians are descendants of Christian Bulgarians who were forcibly converted to Islam by the Turks, during the 14th, 16th and the 18th century.

     

  • Louisiana cemeteries sinking, washing away due to coastal erosion

    Dave Martin / AP

    A leafless tree stands over graves in the Cheniere Caminada cemetery in Grand Isle, La. Many coastal Louisiana cemeteries are just skeletons of what they used to be.

    The Associated Press reports from Leeville, La. — As a young adult, Kathleen Cheramie visited her grandmother's grave in a tree-lined cemetery where white concrete crosses dotted a plot of lush green grass just off Louisiana Highway 1.

    Now, the cemetery in Leeville is a skeleton of its former self. The few trees still standing have been killed by saltwater intruding from the Gulf. Their leafless branches are suspended above marsh grass left brown and soggy from saltwater creeping up from beneath the graves.

    "It was a beautiful place to visit," said Cheramie, 67, who lives in nearby Golden Meadow. "It hurts to see it now."

    Dave Martin / AP

    What's left of the old Leeville cemetery is only accessible by boat. Some headstones are barely visible above the water, and waves lap at the bricks and concrete surrounding caskets buried at the site since the late 1800s. Much of the ground has subsided to barely sea level, and during Hurricane Isaac, about seven feet of land washed away in the tidal surge.

    Cheramie's small family graveyard is among at least two dozen cemeteries across the southeast Louisiana coast that are rapidly sinking or washing away because of erosion and subsidence accelerated by the tropical punch of storms such as Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, Lee and Isaac.

    Slideshow: Isaac makes landfall on the US Gulf Coast

    Coastal Louisiana has lost about 1,900 square miles of land since the 1930s as canals dug for oil exploration allowed salty water to intrude into marshes and a succession of powerful hurricanes sucked marsh muck that protects populated areas out into the Gulf.

    Dave Martin / AP

    Windell Curole handles pieces of headstone at his small family cemetery which sits along the bayou near Leeville. Curole said saltwater from the Gulf is causing a crippling subsidence problem.

    South Lafourche Levee District General Manager Windell Curole, who also serves on the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said saltwater from the Gulf is causing a crippling subsidence problem.

    "We did not bury people in marshes," Curole said. "We buried them on high ground. This was high ground, and now it's subsided to the point of being wetlands and open water." Read the full story.

    Editor's note: Images taken on Dec. 29, 2012 and made available to NBC News today.

    Dave Martin / AP

    Water washes around and against the tombs of those buried in a Leeville, La., cemetery.

     

     

  • Rebels in Central African Republic say they have halted advance, agreed to peace talks

    Sia Kambou / AFP - Getty Images

    People leave Damara, the last strategic town between the rebels from the Seleka coalition and the Central African Republic's capital, Bangui, on Jan. 2, 2013, as the commander of the regional African force FOMAC warned rebels against trying to take the town, saying it would "amount to a declaration of war."

    Ben Curtis / AP

    Chadian soldiers who are fighting in support of Central African Republic President Francois Bozize ride in a convoy on the road leading to Damara, about 44 miles north of Bangui, on Jan. 2, 2013.

    Rebels in the Central African Republic said they had halted their advance on the capital on Wednesday and agreed to start peace talks, Reuters reports.

    The Seleka rebels had pushed to within striking distance of Bangui after a three-week onslaught and threatened to oust President Francois Bozize, accusing him of reneging on a previous peace deal and cracking down on dissidents.

    More than 30 truckloads of troops from neighboring Chad lined a two-lane highway outside the nearby town of Damara on Wednesday, The Associated Press reports, supporting government forces who aimed to block the rebel advance. Gen. Jean Felix Akaga, who heads a 10-nation regional force, said the town is a "red line that the rebels cannot cross" or his forces will attack. 

    The U.S. Embassy in Bangui was evacuated on Dec. 28 as a result of the uncertain security situation in the country.

    Ben Curtis / AP

    Chadian soldiers on the road leading to Damara on Jan. 2, 2013.

    Ben Curtis / AP

    A Chadian soldier sits on a truck near Damara on Jan. 2, 2013.

    Ben Curtis / AP

    A soldier runs to jump on a moving truck carrying Chadian soldiers in Damara on Jan. 2, 2013.

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  • Key part of Israel-Egypt security fence completed

    Moshe Milner/handout / EPA

    A photograph supplied by the Israeli Government Press Office on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013 shows a panoramic view of some of the border fence Israel has completed separating Israel from Egypt seen in a mountainous region of the desert in southern Israel. The border fence built to keep out African migrants, mainly seeking a better life in Israel. A short stretch of fence still has to be completed near Eilat. Read the full story.

     

  • Smog hits Athens, residents resort to wood-burning for heat

    Petros Giannakouris / AP

    Haze of smoke hangs over the city skyline in Athens, early Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013. The cloud is the result of a massive switch to wooden stoves and fireplaces for heating as many households, already hard hit by the economic crisis, can not afford to buy heating oil after the cash-strapped government decided to harmonize taxes on heating oil and diesel fuel, leading to a 40 percent  rise in the price of heating oil.

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  • Giant rubber duck thrills Sydney Harbor

    Damian Shaw / EPA

    Sydney Festival's giant Rubber Duck installation, Darling Harbour, Australia on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2013. This is the latest incarnation of artist Florentijn Hofman's famous oversized toy which measures 15m high and 18m wide and has been commissioned especially for this year's Sydney Festival.

    Check out more PhotoBlog posts of Australia

     

     

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  • Henning Kaiser / EPA

    Burning paper mill leaves eerie, smoky scene in its wake

    Firefighters stand in front of a damaged wall, as clouds of smoke billow from a burning paper mill in Ratingen, Germany, on Jan. 2. According to reports from a spokesperson with the fire brigade, the fire broke out around 06:30 p.m. but was detected early enough to allow all employees to escape the blaze.

  • Cleaning up after Sandy damage, as Congress postpones vote for aid

    Spencer Platt / Getty Images

    A destroyed home is viewed along the beach in the Belle Harbor neighborhood in the Rockaways on Jan. 2, in the Queens borough of New York City. Criticism, including by President Barack Obama, has been directed at the Republican House's decision to adjourn without passing a Hurricane Sandy aid bill. According to early estimates, Hurricane Sandy inflicted at least $50 to $60 billion in damage across the Northeast, making it one of the most destructive storms ever.

    Spencer Platt / Getty Images

    The remains of part of the boardwalk lie along the beach in the Rockaways on Jan. 2, in the Queens borough of New York City.

    Slideshow: Recovering after Sandy

    Mario Tama / Getty Images

    Residents of the Northeast are still picking up the pieces after Superstorm Sandy.

    Launch slideshow

     

    Tracy Connor, NBC News -- House Republicans came under a blistering bipartisan assault Wednesday for punting on Sandy relief, with one GOP congressman saying anyone from New York or New Jersey who donates money to his brethren “should have his head examined.”

    The governors of New York and New Jersey accused the GOP-led House of a “dereliction of duty.” Rep. Peter King, a New York Republican, called the surprise vote pull-back “disgraceful, indefensible and immoral.”

    Continue reading.

    Spencer Platt / Getty Images

    A destroyed home is viewed along the beach in the Belle Harbor neighborhood in the Rockaways on Jan. 2, in the Queens borough of New York City.

    Spencer Platt / Getty Images

    Men help to construct a new sea wall along the beach in the Belle Harbor neighborhood in the Rockaways on Jan. 2, in the Queens borough of New York City.

    Spencer Platt / Getty Images

    A man walks on the remains of part of the boardwalk along the beach in the Rockaways on Jan. 2, in the Queens borough of New York City.

     

  • Zsolt Czegledi / EPA

    Driving in a winter wonderland

    A car drives under frost-covered trees just outside Debrecen, 140 miles east of Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 2.

    View more Winter Wonderland photos.

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  • India's ruling party considers chemical castration, other tough punishments for sex crimes

    Adnan Abidi / Reuters

    Women hold placards as they join others in a march past a metro station undergoing construction during a rally organized by Delhi's chief minister protesting for justice and security for women, in New Delhi on Jan. 2. The ashes of the Indian student who died after being gang-raped were scattered in the Ganges river on Tuesday as reports of more attacks stoked a growing national debate on violence against women. The death of the 23-year-old woman, who has not been named, prompted street protests across India, international outrage and promises from the government of tougher punishments for offenders.

    Marchers protested in New Delhi on Wednesday as the horrific gang rape and murder of a student continued to reverberate across India. The 23 year old victim's family said that they would not rest until her killers are hanged. Police are finalizing their investigation before charges are laid against the suspects this week. The ruling Congress party reportedly pushed for tougher punishments for sex crimes, including chemical castration, and authorities in New Delhi launched a hotline to improve safety for women in a city dubbed "India's rape capital."

    -- Agence France-Presse

    Dar Yasin / AP

    Delhi's chief minister, center, and others offer prayers for a gang rape victim, at Mahatma Gandhi memorial, in New Delhi, India, Jan. 2.

    Raveendran / AFP - Getty Images

    Indian protesters shout anti-government slogans during a protest against rape in New Delhi on Jan. 2. The family of an Indian gang rape victim said that they would not rest until her killers are hanged as police finalized their investigation before charges are laid against the suspects this week. The ruling Congress party reportedly pushed for tougher punishments for sex crimes, including chemical castration, and authorities in New Delhi launched a hotline to improve safety for women in a city dubbed "India's rape capital."

    Anindito Mukherjee / EPA

    A child carries placards that contain pro-women slogans at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial, Rajghat, during a peace prayer meeting in New Delhi, India, on Jan. 2. The event was organized by the Delhi Government, Delhi Commission for Women to pay homage to the 23 year old Delhi gang rape victim and for women safety.

    Dar Yasin / AP

    Female Indian paramilitary soldiers watch as Indian women march to mourn the death of a gang rape victim in New Delhi, India, on Jan. 2. India's top court said it will decide whether to suspend lawmakers facing sexual assault charges as thousands of women gathered at the memorial to independence leader Mohandas K. Gandhi to demand stronger protection for their safety.

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  • Israeli-Palestinian conflict plays out in a rocky field

    Majdi Mohammed / AP

    Surrounded by Israeli border police, Jewish settlers from the Esh Kodesh settlement outpost sit in a field in an attempt to prevent Palestinians from farming land in the northern West Bank, on Jan. 2. Both the settlers and Palestinians living in the area claim ownership of the disputed land.

    Reports state that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas insists that talks cannot proceed without a construction freeze on Israeli West Bank settlements, a precondition that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects.

    -- The Associated Press, European Pressphoto Agency

    Alaa Badarneh / EPA

    An Israeli soldier runs to stop a Jewish settler as she tries to prevent a Palestinian farmer from ploughing his fields near the West Bank village of Jaloud on Jan. 2.

    Alaa Badarneh / EPA

    Israeli soldiers prepare to remove a Jewish settler as she tries to stop a Palestinian farmer from ploughing his fields near the West Bank village of Jaloud near Nablus on Jan. 2.

    Previously on PhotoBlog:

  • Backlash forces shark fin traders onto Hong Kong rooftops

    Antony Dickson / AFP - Getty Images

    Shark fins drying in the sun cover the roof of a factory building in Hong Kong on Jan. 2, 2013.

    Paul Hilton / EPA

    Approximately 18 thousand shark fins are left out to dry on top of an industrial building in Hong Kong's Kennedy Town district on Jan. 2, 2013.

    Bobby Yip / Reuters

    Shark fins, which cost between HK$2,880 ($369) and HK$3,580 ($459) per Chinese catty (1 pound), are seen on display inside a dried seafood store in Hong Kong on Jan. 2, 2013.

    Shark fin traders in Hong Kong have taken to drying freshly sliced fins on rooftops since a public outcry over them drying the fins on public sidewalks forced them to move the trade out of sight. 

    Activists have raised concerns that the over-harvesting of fins is causing an environmental calamity. Although sales have fallen in recent years Hong Kong remains one of the world's biggest markets for shark fins, which are used to make soup that is an expensive staple at Chinese banquets.  

    -- European Pressphoto Agency, Agence France-Presse, Reuters

    Bobby Yip / Reuters

    Thousands of pieces of shark fin are dried on the rooftop of a factory building in Hong Kong on Jan. 2, 2013. The fins were shipped from an unknown location and unloaded at a nearby pier to be dried on the rooftop.

    Bobby Yip / Reuters

    Workers lay out pieces of shark fin to dry on a rooftop of a factory building in Hong Kong on Jan. 2, 2013. Local sales of the luxurious gourmet food have fallen in recent years due to its controversial nature, but activists demand a total shark fin ban in the city, labelled by some as the shark fin capital of the world.

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  • Rooney Chen / Reuters

    'I want to wash diapers': Groom's parents get in wedding spirit

    The parents, at right, of a newly married man wear costumes and make-up in accordance with a local custom as they sit next to the parents of the bride at a wedding in Xianyang city in China's Shaanxi province on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013.

    The "Nao Gong Po" custom teases the groom's parents by having them wear ugly costumes and make-up in the belief it helps them improve their affinity with others, according to Reuters. The Chinese characters on the placards read "I want to have a grandson" (left) and "I want to wash diapers" (right). The bride is seen in the background.

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  • Deal done, Obama heads back to Hawaii with a weary wink

    Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

    President Barack Obama winks as he arrives in a briefing room to make remarks after the House of Representatives acted on legislation intended to avoid the fiscal cliff, at the White House on Jan. 1, 2013.

    Aude Guerrucci / Pool via Getty Images

    President Obama leaves the White House in the early morning hours of January 2, 2013. He will return to Hawaii, after coming back to Washington DC during his holiday to work on the fiscal cliff issue.

    President Obama praised lawmakers and Vice President Joe Biden after the House of Representatives voted to pass a Senate measure to avert the most serious impacts of the so-called fiscal cliff.

    Reuters reports — President Barack Obama departed the White House on Tuesday to resume his Hawaii vacation shortly after Congress approved legislation that raises taxes on the wealthiest Americans and avoids the fiscal cliff of across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts.

    The president left the White House shortly before midnight. He had cut short his vacation to oversee negotiation of a deal before a year-end deadline.

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  • Syrian children attend school in Aleppo despite continued bombardment, bloodshed

    Muzaffar Salman / Reuters

    A girl looks up to the sky after hearing the sound of shelling as she sits on a toy pony in the playground of Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo, Syria on Jan. 1.

    Muzaffar Salman / Reuters

    Children play in the playground of Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo on Jan. 1.

    Muzaffar Salman / Reuters

    Children play with a toy car in the playground of Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo on Jan. 1.

    Muzaffar Salman / Reuters

    Children sit on school benches at Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo on Jan. 1.

    Muzaffar Salman / Reuters

    Children attend a class at Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo on Jan. 1.

    By Oliver Holmes, Reuters

    Government war planes bombed opposition-held areas of Syria and President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels fought on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on New Year's Day on Tuesday.

    A year ago, many diplomats and analysts predicted Assad would leave power in 2012. But despite international pressure and rebel gains, he has proved resilient.

    The air force pounded Damascus's eastern suburbs on Tuesday and rebel-held areas of Aleppo, the second city and commercial capital, as well as several rural towns and villages, opposition activists said.

    Related links:

    Slideshow: Syria uprising

    Muhammed Muheisen / AP

    A look back at the violence that has overtaken the country

    Launch slideshow

  • Stanford celebrates Rose Bowl victory

    Lucy Nicholson / Reuters

    Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw holds up the Rose Bowl trophy with his children after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers to win the 99th Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1.

    Jae C. Hong / AP

    Stanford fans celebrate their 20-14 win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, in Pasadena, Calif.

    Danny Moloshok / Reuters

    Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw is hugged by linebacker Shayne Skov as they celebrate defeating the Wisconsin Badgers to win the 99th Rose Bowl.

    Harry How / Getty Images

    Stanford's Kevin Danser celebrates after winning this year's Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1 in Pasadena, Calif.

    Robert Laberge / Getty Images

    Jamal-Rashad Patterson of the Stanford Cardinal celebrates after the Cardinal defeat the Wisconsin Badgers.

    Stanford won its first Rose Bowl since 1972, beating the Wisconsin Badgers 20-14 on Tuesday night.

     

  • Congress works overtime on fiscal cliff deadline

    Mary Calvert / Reuters

    Unidentified aides deliver pizza to House Democrats in a conference room around the hallway from the office of House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 1.

    Charles Dharapak / AP

    A Marine sentry stands guard, indicating that President Obama is working in the West Wing of the White House, as discussions regarding the fiscal cliff continue on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 1.

    J. Scott Applewhite / AP

    Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., confer as they leave a closed-door meeting on the "fiscal cliff" bill passed by the Senate Monday night on Jan. 1.

    Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA

    House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., enters a Republican caucus meeting to discuss the terms of the fiscal cliff deal at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan 1.

    Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA

    Republican House Budget Committee chair Paul Ryan, R-Wis., chats with Aaron Schock, R-Ill., at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 1.

    Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

    House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., arrives for a House Democratic Caucus meeting to discuss the legislation that will blunt the effects of the "fiscal cliff" before a rare New Year's Day session in Washington.

    Capitol Hill is full throttle ahead after missing the midnight deadline to avoid going over the so-called fiscal cliff. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reports.

  • See the heights of astronomy in 3-D

    John Brecher / NBC News

    Star trails light the night sky above observatories atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. In the distance is Haleakala on the island of Maui. Look at the image through red-blue glasses to see the 3-D effect.

    By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News


    What better way to start off the year than with a beautiful view of the heavens from one of the world's highest astronomical vantage points? Here's one way to make it better: Show it in 3-D!

    This picture of the Mauna Kea Observatories was captured last month by NBC News' John Brecher during a visit to Hawaii's Big Island. The 13,796-foot-high (4,205-meter-high) facility is home to 13 telescopes, ranging from the University of Hawaii's 0.9-meter educational telescope to the 25-meter radio dish used as part of the Very Long Baseline Array.

    Here you see, from left, Japan's Subaru Telescope; the twin 10-meter Keck telescopes, operated by Caltech and the University of California; and NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility. Maui's Haleakala volcano looms in the far background, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) away. As my colleague Phil Plait of the Bad Astronomy blog would say, "Holy Haleakala!"

    The view is really worth exclaiming about when you see it in 3-D. If you can't make your way to Mauna Kea just now and see it in person, put on some red-blue glasses to look into the sky's depths. If you're in the market for 3-D spectacles, check out this list of online vendors. You can also keep an eye on the Cosmic Log Facebook page for our next 3-D glasses giveaway, and use your specs to see all the cosmic 3-D pictures we've pointed to over the past decade.

    Here's to a delightful year of discoveries — from Mauna Kea and the rest of the world's great telescopes.

    More astronomy for the new year:

    Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

  • The hangover: Cleaning up after the New Year celebrations

    John Minchillo / AP

    A worker clears confetti from a sidewalk in Times Square after midnight on New Years Tuesday Jan. 1, 2013, in New York. With fireworks, concerts and celebrations from Hong Kong to New York, revelers welcome 2013 with hope for a better future after a year that thudded to a close with a disastrous storm, gun violence, and talk of economic turmoil from a looming fiscal cliff. This will be the first Times Square countdown in decades without Dick Clark, who died in April, and was honored with a tribute concert and his name printed on pieces of confetti.

    Martin Gerten / AFP - Getty Images

    Trash after the New Year's eve night is seen on Jan. 1, 2013 in Duesseldorf, western Germany.

    Martin Gerten / AFP - Getty Images

    Trash after the New Year's eve night is seen on a street on Jan.1, 2013 in Duesseldorf, western Germany.

    Cleanup crews arrived immediately after the ball drop to return the bustling center to its normal order, collecting an estimated 50 tons of trash. NBC's Kate Snow has more.

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  • Revelers plunge into icy waters to celebrate New Year

    Robin Utrecht / EPA

    Revelers dive collectively into the North Sea during the Nieuwjaarsduik, or New Year's dive in English, on New Year's Day in Scheveningen, in the Netherlands,on Jan.1, 2013.

    David Moir / Reuters

    Swimmers in fancy dress take to the water to participate in the New Year's Day Looney Dook swim at South Queensferry in Scotland Jan. 1, 2013.

    Philippe Huguen / AFP - Getty Images

    People take part in a traditional sea bath during the New Year's celebrations on January 1, 2013 at Malo-Les-Bains beach in Dunkirk, northern France.

    Jean-christophe Bott / EPA

    Revelers hold glasses of champagne while swimming in the chilly water during the annual swim in Lake Geneva, Switzerland, on New Year's day on Jan. 1, 2013.

    David Moir / Reuters

    A swimmer with his face painted as the flag of Scotland, reacts as he sits in the water during the New Year's Day Looney Dook swim at South Queensferry in Scotland Jan. 1, 2013.

    Andrew Kelly / Reuters

    A man dressed as a penguin enters the water while taking part in the Coney Island Polar Bear Club's annual New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim in New York's Coney Island Jan. 1, 2013. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the U.S and every New Years Day holds the winter plunge which attracts thousands of participants.

    Slideshow: Celebrations as 2013 dawns

    Damian Shaw / EPA

    From Sydney to Siberia, revelers celebrate the arrival of a new year.

    Launch slideshow

     By Isolde Raftery, NBC News

    As the blinking Waterford crystal ball dropped over Times Square at midnight, ushering in the new year, a peach dropped in Atlanta and an 80-pound MoonPie prepared to drop in Mobile, Ala. Noisemakers sounded, kissers kissed and those who knew the words sang, “Auld Lang Syne” and Frank Sinatra's version of "New York, New York."

    Come morning, a brave few will strip down to their skivvies and run into nearby oceans and lakes for an invigorating polar bear dip. This, they say, in the name of resolution and renewal.

    Happy New Year, America. Welcome to 2013.  Click here to read more on this story.

    People around the world kick off 2013 with a swim, dive or quick dip into icy waters. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports. 

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