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Events on Wednesday 24 August 2016 2
2016Central Italy EarthquakeMagnitude 6.2 quake devastates AmatriceA magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck central Italy, devastating the town of Amatrice and killing nearly 300 people. Rescue efforts continued for days amid the rubble of collapsed historic buildings. The region was struck by further strong aftershocks in the following months.
2016Proxima b DiscoveredEarth-sized planet found orbiting nearest starAstronomers announced the discovery of Proxima b, an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun. The planet was detected using the radial velocity method at the European Southern Observatory. Its proximity made it an immediate target for future study of potentially habitable worlds.