Science

Evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars has been potentially uncovered by China’s Zhurong rover, scientists report. Data gathered by the now-defunct rover indicates a possible ancient shoreline in Mars’ northern hemisphere. Researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, including lead scientist Bo Wu, believe these findings support long-standing theories of a large Martian ocean that

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has recently addressed speculations surrounding her health condition while on the International Space Station (ISS), discarding recent claims made by media outlets regarding her wellbeing. In response to reports that suggested she appeared “gaunt” due to an extended stay on the ISS, Williams clarified her status during a video interview on

The North Taurid meteor shower peaked on the night of November 11, offering skywatchers across the United States a chance to witness one of the year’s most unique meteor displays. This annual event is part of two overlapping meteor showers—the South and North Taurids—both originating from the debris trail of Comet 2P/Encke. These meteors, which

A recent analysis of 38-year-old data from NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft has provided fresh insights into the unique magnetosphere of Uranus, according to a study published on November 11 in Nature Astronomy. During Voyager 2’s 1986 flyby, Uranus’ magnetosphere was found to be unexpectedly distorted by a blast of solar wind. The findings suggest that

A recent study of black hole jets from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has identified bright formations or “knots” in these jets, with each showing unexpected variations in speed. This analysis, led by David Bogensberger, an astrophysicist at the University of Michigan, examined decades-old Chandra data on the supermassive black hole at the heart of the

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

In an intriguing development for Mars exploration, China’s Zhurong rover has uncovered geological features suggesting that a vast ocean may have once covered part of the Martian surface. The discovery, published on Thursday, November 7 2024, in the journal Nature, offers a fresh perspective on the long-debated theory that an ancient ocean occupied up to

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

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

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

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

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

SpaceX is set to launch another 20 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, on November 9. The launch, scheduled for 1:16 a.m. Eastern Time, involves a Falcon 9 rocket which will carry these satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO), where they will join the ever-growing Starlink network. It is reported that out of

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

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

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