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Watch: Astronauts set out on rare all-female spacewalk
For the sixth time in history, a team of two women completed a spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
The UK just had its hottest summer ever
The average temperature in the UK in June, July and August 2026 has eclipsed the record set in summer 2025, and the record-breaking heat was made 130 times more likely by human-caused climate change
Scientists discover why snake embryos twist into spirals
Snake embryos begin life curled into a distinctive right-handed spiral, and scientists may finally know why. Their bodies grow faster than their guts, creating a tether that forces the lengthening embryo to buckle and twist inside the egg. Researchers reached the conclusion after studying more than 900 embryos and using CT scans to reveal the hidden anatomy behind the coils.
NASA’s Swift telescope is back, but time is running out
NASA has brought two of Swift’s telescopes back online after technical problems derailed a commercial mission intended to rescue the aging observatory by raising its orbit. With atmospheric drag pulling the spacecraft downward faster than expected, scientists may have only another month or two before Swift falls below a critical operating altitude.
NASA delays Crew-13 launch after leak found on SpaceX Dragon
NASA and SpaceX have delayed Crew-13 after finding an oxidizer leak in the Dragon spacecraft’s propulsion system during prelaunch preparations. Engineers are investigating the problem before the four-person crew can begin its journey to the International Space Station.
Scientists discover massive 'thermal anomaly' beneath the surface of Mars
New research into the interior of Mars further emphasizes that the Red Planet is a world of two very different halves.
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope launches to reveal the Universe’s darkest secrets
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope has launched on a million mile journey to L2, where it will scan huge portions of the cosmos for clues about dark matter, dark energy, and distant worlds. With survey speeds roughly 1,000 times faster than Hubble and a torrent of 1.4 terabytes of data per day, Roman could uncover cosmic surprises astronomers have never seen before.
Nasa launches powerful new space telescope to explore mysteries of the Universe
The US space agency's telescope is starting a multi-year mission to create a new map of the universe and learn more about dark energy and dark matter.
Galápagos corals show El Niño events are more extreme now than in past 1,000 years
Temperatures have warmed dramatically across the equatorial Pacific Ocean in 2026, signaling the onset of a strong and potentially historic El Niño. These events can affect weather around the world, and the intensity of recent El Niño events is raising alarm that, as global temperatures rise, they are becoming stronger and more destructive.
SpaceX recovers Starship from the Indian Ocean a month after launch and is shipping it back to Texas
SpaceX has pulled off its biggest salvage operation yet, recovering its most recently launched Starship from the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launching NASA's Roman Space Telescope on Aug. 30: How to watch it live
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to lift off atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket early Sunday morning (Aug. 30). Here's how to watch it live.
What caused the flooding in Nepal?
Experts point to 'glacial collapse' as the trigger for deadly floods that have swept through parts of Nepal and Tibet.
Roman telescope aims to directly image exoplanets 1,000 times fainter than current limits
The Roman Space Telescope is designed to directly image exoplanets using complex optomechanical systems developed by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Nanoparticles induce neuroregeneration in Alzheimer's disease models
The adult human brain has limited capacity to repair or regenerate neurons lost to Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia. Existing treatments can slow disease progression but do not reverse cognitive decline. In a study published in the journal Cell Biomaterials on Aug. 26, researchers show that engineered nanoparticles can not only regenerate neurons in human brain organoids but…
Nancy Grace Roman Telescope live updates: NASA readies Roman for launch
Follow NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and its launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket to begin its mission to explore the universe.
A hidden “on switch” in human DNA has finally been decoded
Researchers have used AI to uncover the DNA signature of a key genetic “switch” involved in turning genes on. After analyzing about 500,000 DNA sequences, the model identified the initiator in roughly 60% of human genes. The breakthrough could help predict the effects of harmful mutations and eventually contribute to decoding the broader genetic instructions that control gene activity throughout…
China abruptly postpones ambitious Chang'e-7 lunar mission launch
China said on Sunday it was postponing its planned ambitious Chang'e-7 lunar mission, which was set to carry out explorations including searching for water ice on the moon.
Japan unveils Mars moon sample-return spacecraft ahead of Oct. 19 launch (photos)
Japan recently gave the world a look at the spacecraft of its MMX mission, which will launch on Oct. 19 to grab pieces of the Mars moon Phobos and haul them back to Earth.
‘Off the charts’ El Niño is already the strongest since records began
Renowned climate scientist James Hansen says the developing super El Niño has already "blown past" previous events with months to go before it peaks
'Dark stars' could be the seeds of supermassive black holes, scientists say
A mysterious hum of gravitational waves that fills the cosmos may be the echo of long-dead "dark stars" that served as the seeds of the first supermassive black holes.
Microbes from Earth may survive on the moon, scientists find
"Even a bootprint or a rover's tread may create a habitable area."
A SpaceX rocket smashed into the Moon — NASA just revealed the crater
A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 stage crashed into the Moon on Aug. 5, leaving behind a newly formed crater about 60 feet wide. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured detailed images showing bright and dark streaks of debris blasted across the surrounding surface. The impact even exposed fresh material buried beneath the Moon’s weathered exterior.
NASA calls off rescue effort to save doomed telescope
The Swift observatory will now re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in a few months, after a mission to boost it higher failed
Tiny quantum engines reveal useful energy hiding in “waste heat”
A tiny machine made from just an atom and particles of light may sound impossibly simple, but it raises a surprisingly difficult question: what counts as heat, and what energy can still do useful work? University of Basel researchers have developed a theoretical framework that brings quantum physics and thermodynamics into better agreement for these microscopic “light engines.”
ISS hosts first spacewalk by a Frenchwoman
Sophie Adenot became the first French woman astronaut to venture outside the International Space Station for a spacewalk Tuesday, accompanied by American astronaut Anil Menon.
Watch: Flash flood sweeps vehicle away in Hawaii after Hurricane Lala
Tropical storm warnings remain for some of the state's islands, as the storm is due to progress west.
Hawaii braces for potential first direct hit by a hurricane in 34 years
In a worst-case scenario, category one Lala could dump up to 25in (63cm) of rain on Big Island.
The Atlantic Ocean can handle more warming than expected — with one big catch
Scientists have found that the AMOC may be far more vulnerable to rapid warming than to temperature alone. When warming happens slowly, the ocean can adapt, but at faster rates similar to today’s, the massive Atlantic circulation could reach a tipping point at much lower temperatures.
JWST spots a bizarre “black hole star” 100 billion times brighter than a star
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a bizarre object from just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang that looks like an enormous star but shines far too brightly to actually be one. The mysterious red object, dubbed a “black hole star,” may contain a black hole about 100,000 times the mass of the Sun wrapped inside a dense, star-like cocoon of hydrogen…
A 236-million-year-old fossil could rewrite the story of mammalian birth
Scientists may have uncovered evidence that a mammal ancestor was giving birth to live young 236 million years ago. A fossilized cynodont showed a neonatal growth line and an unusually large birth size that closely match patterns seen in modern mammals. The discovery could push the evolution of live birth back by up to 95 million years. It also raises the possibility that many supposedly “modern”…
Radiation vest tested on NASA moonshot can cut astronauts' exposure in solar storms, study suggests
A new study suggests a protective vest tested on a manikin during NASA's first Artemis moonshot could drastically cut the radiation exposure of lunar astronauts during severe solar storms.
James Webb captures a cosmic lion sculpted by a dying star
James Webb has captured a striking new infrared view of NGC 2392, the Lion Nebula, revealing the dramatic aftermath of a dying Sun-like star. At its center, a scorching white dwarf is blasting radiation into surrounding gas and dust, carving out the nebula’s lion-like face while illuminating a sprawling “mane” of surviving dusty clumps.
A strange crystal made of electrons just revealed its hidden motion
Physicists have found a new way to peer inside one of matter’s most elusive quantum states: the Wigner crystal, where electrons stop behaving like independent particles and organize into a crystal-like pattern. By shining light on an atomically thin material cooled close to absolute zero, researchers uncovered optical signals that reveal not just where the electrons are, but how they move…
Marine heat waves pose hidden threat to human health, researchers warn
The devastating impacts of marine heat waves extend far beyond dying coral reefs and declining fisheries, with new research warning that these extreme ocean-warming events pose a growing threat to human physical and mental health.
Three supermassive black holes discovered in a single galaxy for the first time
An international team of astronomers led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics has identified three actively accreting supermassive black holes in the galaxy J0148-4214. Matter is falling into the black holes from accretion disks surrounding them.
Perseid meteor shower peaks under perfect skies tonight — here's what to expect
Don't miss the peak of the Perseid meteor shower tonight. Here's when, where and how to see it.
Total solar eclipse to spellbind Europe
Millions of Europeans will contemplate the sky in awe on Wednesday as a rare total solar eclipse crosses part of the continent and plunges a swath of Spain into eerie daytime darkness.
Jackie, the California bald eagle who became an internet sensation, dies after illness
Jackie, the bald eagle who became an internet sensation and a symbol of the species' recovery in California, died Monday after being treated for an illness at a veterinary facility, her caretakers announced.
MRI study shows dogs can distinguish between human fear and sadness
Scientists—and dog lovers—have long known that dogs are remarkably good at interpreting our laughs, frowns and tears. But the biology behind this ability has remained largely unexplored until now. In a study published in the journal iScience on Aug. 7, researchers peered inside the brains of dogs as they viewed images of various human expressions. The brain scans revealed that dogs process smiles…
New fuel cell breakthrough could help power energy-hungry data centers
A new nanostructured carbon design lets fuel-cell catalysts use tiny amounts of platinum while remaining remarkably stable and efficient. The breakthrough could help hydrogen fuel cells become a more practical way to power data centers, vehicles, and other energy-intensive technologies.