Category: Science

NASA has commenced its annual Antarctic Long-Duration Balloon Campaign from the Ross Ice Shelf near McMurdo Station, according to recent reports. This season, two large balloons will carry nine scientific missions to near space, with launches set to begin mid-December. This programme, led by NASA’s Scientific Balloon Program Office at the Wallops Flight Facility, is […]

A recent study has proposed a potential solution to the long-debated black hole information paradox, with researchers suggesting that the information lost to black holes may actually be preserved through subtle space-time disturbances. The theory indicates that gravitational waves, generated during black hole mergers, could carry signatures of this preserved information, providing a pathway to […]

Engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California and AeroVironment are conducting an extensive investigation into the final flight of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which occurred on January 18, 2024. According to reports, the rotorcraft, initially designed for a short demonstration of aerial flight on Mars, exceeded expectations by completing 72 flights over […]

Dozens of massive planet-like objects, observed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in the Orion Nebula, are believed to hold clues about stellar formation and disruption. These objects, referred to as Jupiter-mass binary objects (JuMBOs), comprise pairs of rogue gas giants, with masses between 0.7 and 30 times that of Jupiter, orbiting each other […]

Research published on November 14 via bioRxiv has indicated that ultrasonic sounds produced by drought-stressed plants may play a role in the egg-laying decisions of female moths. It has been suggested that these high-pitched noises, undetectable by humans, are evaluated by moths to avoid dehydrated plants when selecting suitable hosts for their caterpillars. The study […]

An advanced NASA mission to create a three-dimensional map of the sky is set for launch in February 2025. The satellite, named Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx), will be carried aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to NASA […]

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is expected to make a record-breaking flyby of the sun on December 24, as reported during the Annual Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The spacecraft, approximately the size of a small car, will approach within 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometres) of the sun’s surface, travelling at an unprecedented […]

Archaeological findings from a site in Kosenivka, Ukraine, have revealed the remains of seven individuals who died approximately 5,700 years ago in a house fire. The discovery sheds light on the potential circumstances surrounding the deaths but leaves significant questions unanswered. As per the study, the remains suggest a violent and tragic event involving members […]

Efforts to utilise lunar resources for Earth’s benefit have advanced with a new collaboration between ispace, a Japanese lunar exploration company, and Magna Petra, a firm specialising in lunar prospecting. Announced on 10 December, the partnership outlines a shared goal of harnessing helium-3 from the moon’s regolith sustainably and without causing destruction, according to reports. […]

The ALICE detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has identified the heaviest antimatter particle observed to date, as per reports. This discovery has been achieved by replicating conditions akin to those present during the Big Bang, providing critical insights into the dominance of matter over antimatter in the universe. The particle, an antimatter counterpart […]

New research has indicated a strong connection between warm, sunny days on Mars and the occurrence of dust storms, with nearly 78 percent of storms preceded by increased solar heating, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Washington, D.C. The study, led by Heshani Pieris and Paul […]

A study published in Astrobiology on November 13 has revealed the challenges posed by cosmic radiation in preserving potential traces of life on Mars. Researchers simulated the effects of cosmic rays on lipids, crucial molecular structures found in cell membranes. The findings indicate that lipids deteriorate rapidly when exposed to radiation, especially in salt-rich conditions. […]

A Bronze Age sword, believed to date back approximately 2,500 years, has been uncovered in a bog near Veksø, Denmark, as per reports. The artefact, bent into an S-shape, is thought to have been part of a ritual sacrifice. According to ROMU, a Danish museum group, the discovery includes additional Bronze Age items, such as […]

A long-standing mathematical puzzle known as the “sofa problem,” posed in 1966 by Austrian-Canadian mathematician Leo Moser, may have finally been solved. The problem involves determining the maximum area of a single, planar shape that can navigate a right-angled corner in a hallway of unit width. This question, despite its seemingly simple premise, has confounded […]

Newly captured images of Jupiter reveal two enormous thunderstorms raging within the planet’s Southern Equatorial Belt (SEB). According to reports, these storms are expected to release green lightning and potentially dilute the belt’s distinct reddish-brown colour. Observers suggest this phenomenon could drastically change the visual appearance of Jupiter’s surface. The photographs, taken by astrophotographer Michael […]

The total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, which passed through North America from Mexico to Newfoundland, Canada, has yielded initial insights into the Sun’s interaction with Earth’s atmosphere. These observations were facilitated by NASA-backed projects and citizen scientists to examine phenomena such as solar impact on the atmosphere and radio signal disruptions. Updates were […]

Indian researchers have analysed a significant solar event using data from the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) onboard the Aditya-L1 mission, as per reports. As India’s first solar observation mission, Aditya-L1 observed a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) on July 16, 2024, providing valuable insights into the Sun’s dynamic outer atmosphere. This event, characterised by a […]

A study conducted by the Comparative Cognition Lab at the University of California, San Diego, has shed light on dogs’ potential to communicate through soundboards. The research, published in Scientific Reports, evaluated data from 152 dogs over a span of 21 months. It found that dogs, trained to use these devices, were capable of forming […]

The last full moon of the year, referred to as the Cold Moon, will illuminate the night sky on Sunday, December 15, 2024. According to reports, it will reach its peak at 4:01 a.m. EST and can be observed during its ascent later that evening. Positioned in the Taurus constellation, it will be accompanied by […]

A significant discovery has been made in Jerusalem by a team led by Dr. Azriel Yechezkel from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Researchers have identified 50 cave pearls within the Joweizeh Spring Tunnel, a historic waterway near Jerusalem’s Old City. Among the findings, 14 pearls contained pottery fragments, and two included plaster remains, marking the […]

A recent study has provided crucial insights into the manufacturing techniques used to create the Nebra Sky Disc, an artefact thought to date back 3,800 years to the Early Bronze Age. The analysis challenges claims suggesting the disc could be a modern forgery. Researchers revealed that the disc was crafted through an elaborate “hot forging” […]

A marble bust, unearthed at the ancient city of Taposiris Magna in Egypt, is believed by archaeologist Kathleen Martinez to depict Cleopatra VII, the renowned Ptolemaic queen linked to Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. The discovery, made beneath a temple wall, features a female figure wearing a diadem, a royal headpiece. Reports from the Egyptian […]

A massive X-class solar flare, the strongest classification of its kind, erupted from sunspot region 3912 at 4:06 a.m. EST on December 8, as per reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The solar event, accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), caused radio blackouts in southern Africa, where the region was exposed […]

The Hubble Space Telescope has provided its closest-ever view of a quasar, revealing unusual structures near its core. The quasar, designated 3C 273, lies billions of light-years from Earth and is one of the brightest known objects in the universe. This discovery was made possible by Hubble’s imaging spectrograph, which minimises the intense glare from […]

A chamber believed to have hosted ritual gatherings as early as 37,000 years ago has been uncovered in the depths of Manot Cave in northern Israel. Archaeologists estimate the space, illuminated by torchlight during ceremonies, could accommodate up to 100 individuals. The findings, led by Omry Barzilai from the University of Haifa, suggest ritualistic activities […]

A recent study published in Nature has detailed a major achievement by Google’s Quantum AI team. Their latest quantum processor, named “Willow,” solved a computational problem in five minutes that would have taken the world’s most advanced supercomputer an estimated 10 septillion years. This achievement marks significant progress in overcoming one of the greatest challenges […]

Years after the collapse of the Arecibo Observatory, its extensive datasets remain instrumental in advancing astronomical research. In a study led by Sofia Sheikh from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, data from the observatory was utilised to uncover new details about pulsar signals. These dense neutron stars emit beams of radiation likened to […]

Significant advancements in space exploration were made throughout 2024, with missions targeting the moon, Mars, Mercury, and beyond. Government agencies, private companies, and scientists achieved remarkable milestones, pushing the boundaries of discovery in our solar system. New Missions to the Moon Multiple lunar missions added to humanity’s knowledge of Earth’s natural satellite. According to reports, […]

The restored Notre Dame de Paris, set to reopen this weekend, has emerged as a centerpiece of scientific exploration since a fire devastated the cathedral in 2019. The blaze destroyed much of its roof and spire, igniting efforts to reconstruct the iconic structure while uncovering invaluable historical and environmental data. According to researchers from the […]

For the first time, far-ultraviolet emissions from novae—massive thermonuclear explosions on stars—have been identified during their outbursts in the Andromeda galaxy. This discovery was reported in The Astrophysical Journal, based on data from the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) aboard India’s AstroSat satellite. According to the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru, ultraviolet emissions from […]