Recently, 25 high school students from across Wyoming and one from Colorado worked in teams to determine whether planets near different-colored stars could actually be habitable.

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The activity was part of the Teton STEM Academy, which is a nine-day event that offers hands-on activities in the interdisciplinary sciences, including life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, and math, which is taking place through July 18. The theme for this event was planning a journey to Mars

Campers, entering ninth through 11th grades this fall, were chosen based on demonstrated interest and academic potential in math, science, astronomy, and space.

Professional astronomers; UW graduate students majoring in astronomy or education; and high school and junior high school teachers are leading the week’s activities.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

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