Category: Science

Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have observed a massive helium cloud escaping from the super-puff exoplanet WASP-107b, marking the first direct detection of such atmospheric loss. Webb’s infrared data reveal an enormous exosphere nearly ten times the planet’s radius, with helium streaming both ahead of and behind the planet in its orbit. The […]

A new study suggests that icy moons such as Mimas and Enceladus may host boiling subsurface oceans triggered by thinning ice shells and falling pressure. This low-temperature boiling could still support life beneath the surface. The research also explains geological features on larger icy moons and strengthens their potential as sites for finding extraterrestrial life…

China’s private launch company, LandSpace, successfully sent its Zhuque-3 rocket to low Earth orbit on its maiden flight, delivering its payload with an expendable upper stage. But the mission took a dramatic turn during recovery when one of the booster’s engines stalled in the landing burn, causing the stage to erupt in flames just meters […]

Blue Origin’s NS-37 mission is set to make history as Michi Benthaus, an ESA engineer and wheelchair user, becomes the first person with a mobility disability to travel to space. She will join Hans Koenigsmann and four other civilians on the suborbital flight. The mission underscores a growing push toward inclusive space tourism, as agencies […]

New research shows that shifting Antarctic circulation after the last Ice Age released ancient deep-ocean carbon into the atmosphere. Using Southern Ocean sediment cores, scientists traced how expanding Antarctic Bottom Water mixed long-isolated, carbon-rich waters upward. The findings reveal a major but underappreciated driver of early Holocene warming.

A new study by NIST physicists shows that clocks on Mars run about 477 microseconds faster per day than identical clocks on Earth. The difference comes from Mars’s weaker gravity, orbital eccentricity, and gravitational influences across the solar system. Though tiny, this daily time lead will pose challenges for future Mars navigation and communication networks, […]

The 2025 Geminid meteor shower peaks on December 13–14, offering bright, frequent meteors under dark skies thanks to a thin crescent Moon. Originating from asteroid 3200 Phaethon, the Geminids can produce over 100 meteors per hour. Best viewing is after midnight from clear, dark locations.

A new analysis of Apollo samples and Earth rocks suggests that a nearby rocky planet, not a distant object, collided with early Earth and formed the moon. The study argues that this lost planet, Theia, originated in the inner solar system and shared Earth’s early neighbourhood, offering fresh insight into one of the most important […]

In December 2025, the ISS reached a historic milestone with eight visiting spacecraft docked simultaneously for the first time. The lineup included Soyuz crew vehicles, Progress cargo ships, Japan’s HTV-X1, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus, and two SpaceX Dragons. The rare configuration highlighted intense crew rotation operations and the ISS’s role as a global hub for…

SpaceX successfully launched 29 new Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on December 2, 2025. The satellites were deployed about 65 minutes after liftoff, pushing the operational constellation past 9,100 units. The Falcon 9’s first-stage booster also completed its 25th landing on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas. The mission […]

NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured the first confirmed mini-lightning sparks in Mars’ dusty atmosphere. Using its sensitive microphone, the rover recorded 55 tiny electrical discharges during dust storms over two Martian years. These sparks generate reactive chemicals that can break down organic molecules, affecting future life-detection efforts. The discovery…

Europe has secured its first astronaut seat to orbit the Moon through NASA’s Artemis program, marking a historic milestone for ESA. Director General Josef Aschbacher confirmed that a German astronaut will take the inaugural European lunar-orbit mission, enabled by Europe’s contributions to Orion’s service module and the Lunar Gateway. Veteran astronauts Matthias…

Astronomers in India have identified 53 previously unknown giant radio quasars powered by supermassive black holes, each releasing enormous plasma jets reaching up to 7.2 million light-years—nearly 50 times the Milky Way’s diameter. Using GMRT data, the team expanded the catalog of known giant quasars and offered valuable clues about how black holes grow, merge, […]

New modelling suggests the Southern Ocean could one day release the vast heat it has stored from greenhouse gas pollution. If CO₂ levels were pushed to net-negative, deep convection may trigger a sudden “thermal burp” that warms the planet for decades. Though idealised, the study shows how Antarctica’s surrounding seas could shape long-term climate outcomes.

Scientists have spotted an unusual gravitational-wave signal that may reveal the universe’s first primordial black holes—tiny relics dating back to the Big Bang. Recorded by LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA in November 2025, the event involves an object far lighter than any known stellar remnant. If verified, it could reshape theories of black holes and dark matter.

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected unexpected ultraviolet radiation around five young protostars in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud. Since infant stars are not expected to emit UV light, the finding challenges long-standing star-formation models. Researchers ruled out external illumination from nearby stars, concluding the UV must originate w…

A new study simulating billions of hypothetical interstellar objects finds that potential Earth-crossing bodies would most likely arrive from the solar apex and the galactic plane. The research highlights relative approach patterns rather than predicting real impacts. Scientists emphasise that known visitors like ‘Oumuamua and Borisov pose no danger, and genuine int…

NASA has confirmed that interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is a natural comet, not alien technology. The comet shows unusual carbon-dioxide and nickel vapours, offering a rare look at ancient material from another star. Its path is safe, staying about 1.8 AU from Earth during its Solar System passage.

NASA will deliver crucial hardware, thermal units, landing thrusters, and a U.S. launch vehicle to support ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover, set for launch in 2028. The rover will drill two meters into Mars to search for ancient life using the advanced Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer instrument.

New research from RMIT University shows that spent coffee grounds can be transformed into biochar and used to replace a portion of sand in concrete, creating a stronger and more sustainable building material. Heating coffee waste at around 350°C without oxygen produces a fine biochar that boosts concrete’s 28-day strength by roughly 30% when used […]

NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected a faint halo of high-energy gamma rays around the Milky Way’s centre—matching predictions for dark-matter annihilation. The finding, reported by Professor Tomonori Totani, could represent the first direct glimpse of dark matter, but scientists caution that alternative explanations remain and independent confirm…

Researchers at the University of Chicago have created new materials that make OLED displays fully stretchable. Their key advance is an aluminium electrode embedded in a gallium–indium alloy, allowing it to “crackle” and self-heal under strain as liquid metal fills emerging gaps. Alongside this, a newly designed stretchy conductive polymer maintains electrical pe…

A new study has identified the primary force behind Venus’s extreme superrotating atmosphere: a once-per-day thermal tide driven by solar heating. Using data from Venus Express and Akatsuki along with circulation models, researchers show that this daily tide transports most of the momentum that accelerates cloud-top winds to speeds over 100 metres per second. The […]

A new study has linked an unexplained LHAASO detection to a pulsar-powered X-ray nebula, confirming it as a rare PeVatron capable of accelerating particles to extreme energies. The discovery is a major step toward solving the long-standing mystery of galactic cosmic rays. Researchers are now combining X-ray, gamma-ray and neutrino observations to trace these powerful […]

China’s Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory has delivered world-class results after only 59 days of data collection, achieving the most precise measurements yet of two major neutrino oscillation parameters. JUNO’s early performance surpasses all previous experiments, confirming a small but intriguing discrepancy between solar and reactor neutrino observation…

China has begun testing UBTech’s Walker humanoid robots at a border facility near Vietnam, aiming to use them for guiding travellers, managing queues and supporting logistics tasks. The robots, arriving in December, feature autonomous battery-swapping for extended operation. The US$37 million contract reflects Beijing’s ambition to dominate global robotics and AI….

NASA’s Perseverance rover may have discovered its first meteorite on Mars, a 31-inch iron-nickel boulder named Phippsaksla found in Jezero Crater. Its pitted, coral-like texture and unusually high metal content resemble meteorites previously identified by Curiosity, Spirit, and Opportunity. Scientists are now analysing the rock’s composition in detail to determine…

A new analysis of NASA’s Fermi telescope data reveals a faint gamma-ray halo around the Milky Way’s core, matching predictions for annihilating dark-matter particles. Researchers say no known astrophysical source fits the signal, raising the possibility of the first direct evidence of dark matter. Experts, however, stress caution and call for verification in other…

A new study suggests that icy moons such as Mimas and Enceladus may host boiling subsurface oceans triggered by thinning ice shells and falling pressure. This low-temperature boiling could still support life beneath the surface. The research also explains geological features on larger icy moons and strengthens their potential as sites for finding extraterrestrial life…

NASA’s fractured comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) dazzled stargazers on Monday night, offering a rare live view of a cosmic object breaking apart after a close encounter with the Sun. The livestream, organised by the Virtual Telescope Project, began at 10 p.m. EST on November 24 (0300 GMT on November 25) and will broadcast telescopic views […]