Science

In an October 2024 milestone, scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory completed the integration of the Roman Coronagraph Instrument onto the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, an upcoming observatory set for launch in May 2027. This highly advanced coronagraph, capable of detecting planets up to 100 million times dimmer than their host stars, has been

Chimpanzees have shown improved performance on challenging computer-based tasks when observed by humans, a study published in iScience on November 8 reveals. Conducted at Kyoto University, the research observed chimpanzees undertaking number-based tasks on touchscreens, monitored under different audience conditions. It was found that their performance increased with the task’s difficulty when the number of

Researchers have uncovered a “division of labour” among mitochondria, with subpopulations within cells specialising in different roles when nutrients are scarce. Led by Dr. Craig Thompson, a cell biologist from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the team observed that certain mitochondria in nutrient-deprived cells focus on producing energy, while others shift towards synthesising molecules necessary

A study has shown that the well-preserved fossil of a nodosaur, a plant-eating dinosaur, could withstand the force of a high-speed car crash. The fossil, discovered in Alberta, Canada, belongs to Borealopelta markmitchelli , a species that lived around 110 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period. This fossil is one of the best-preserved

New research has revealed that meteoroid trails, left behind by long-period comets, could help scientists detect potentially hazardous comets years before they approach Earth. These rare comets, which take hundreds or even thousands of years to complete their orbits, often go unnoticed until it is too late to prepare for a possible collision. However, scientists

NASA’s experimental X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (Quesst) aircraft has reached a crucial testing milestone with its engine fired up for the first time. Since late October, engineers at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California, have been carrying out phased engine tests to evaluate the X-59’s performance and systems integration. These tests mark a

Russia successfully launched a record-setting 53 satellites into space on November 4, 2024, achieving a major milestone in satellite deployment. This launch, managed by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, included a combination of domestic and international satellites. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket with a Fregat upper stage was used for the mission, lifting off from the Vostochny

Martian impact basins, previously assumed to be demagnetised due to an inactive planetary dynamo, may instead reflect the impact of a reversing magnetic field, a new study suggests. Led by Dr Silpaja Chandrasekar, PhD, indicates that Mars’s fluctuating dynamo may have been active longer than anticipated, with implications for understanding planetary evolution. Impact Basins and

SpaceX is set to carry out a first-of-its-kind manoeuvre on November 8, with its Dragon cargo capsule performing a “reboost” of the International Space Station (ISS). The 12.5-minute engine burn will lift the ISS to a higher altitude, addressing the gradual orbital decay caused by Earth’s atmospheric drag. This task has traditionally been managed by

In 2013, a team led by Ning Zeng, a climate scientist from the University of Maryland, unearthed a remarkable find while conducting an experiment in Quebec, Canada. The researchers were digging a trench to test if burying wood under clay soil could prevent its decomposition and keep carbon locked away from the atmosphere. During this

Astronomers are watching two unusual black holes, each presenting phenomena that challenge current understanding of these cosmic giants. One, a “serial killer” black hole, is about to devour its second star within five years, while the other, part of the newly discovered triple system V404 Cygni, has disrupted long-held theories of black hole formation. The

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will make a close approach to Venus on Wednesday, marking the spacecraft’s seventh and final flyby of the planet. This manoeuvre will set the probe on a course for its historic plunge toward the sun, bringing it within 3.8 million miles of our star’s surface — closer than any human-made object

A collaboration of physicists from India and the UK has designed an experiment to examine if gravity exhibits quantum behaviour. The experiment is spearheaded by Professor Sougato Bose from University College London (UCL) and also involves Dr Debarshi Das. With this new experiment,  the team aims to explore whether gravitational interactions follow the peculiar rules

India has delayed its inaugural astronaut mission under the Gaganyaan programme to 2026, pushing the timeline a year beyond the original schedule. The decision, announced by S. Somanath, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), reflects a commitment to safety in light of recent aerospace industry setbacks. According to Somanath, India’s first manned mission

A monumental predator-prey event in Norway’s coastal waters has captured scientists’ attention. It marks the largest observed marine feeding spectacle and highlighting significant dynamics in the food chain. Leading the research, Professor Nicholas Makris from MIT’s Department of Mechanical and Ocean Engineering, alongside his team, witnessed this unprecedented event where vast shoals of cod pursued

The Hang Son Doong cave in Vietnam, located in Quang Binh Province within Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park currently holds the title as the largest known cave in the world. With dimensions exceeding three miles (5 km) in length and 660 feet (200 m) in height, this natural wonder could house 15 Great Pyramids of

In 2015, U.S. Navy pilots conducting training flights along the East Coast reported encounters with unusual, high-speed objects moving over the water. Descriptions from the pilots reveal that these oval-shaped objects appeared to rotate as they moved, covering vast distances at incredible speeds. Multiple pilots confirmed sighting these objects, which they noted were different from

NASA’s Perseverance rover which is positioned in the Jezero Crater on Mars, recently observed a remarkable celestial event as the moon Phobos drifted across the Sun. Captured on September 30, this moment offered a rare glimpse into Mars’ sky, where the unique “googly eye” effect of the eclipse unfolded for the rover’s Mastcam-Z camera. The

South Korea’s space agency announced plans on Friday to launch a solar coronagraph to the International Space Station (ISS) in a collaborative mission with NASA. Developed as part of the Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX), this instrument is set to observe and gather data on the Sun’s corona and the solar wind as well as the

An unprecedented nine-day tsunami following a significant rockslide in Greenland’s Dickson Fjord was recently recorded by the international Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, a collaborative mission by NASA and France’s Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES). The event, which took place in September 2023, saw a unique pattern of seismic waves resonate around the