Science

As the Starliner saga approaches its conclusion, the mission has been marred by controversy, political statements, and technical challenges. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are set to return to Earth later this month after an extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft.

The mission began on June 5, 2024, with the two astronauts launching to the ISS for what was initially planned as an eight-day mission. However, complications with the spacecraft’s thrusters forced NASA to make the difficult decision to return an empty Starliner back to Earth, prioritizing the safety of the crew. As a result, Wilmore and Williams will instead return home aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

More than two million years ago, an extraordinary event unfolded in Lake Tanganyika, located in East Africa. This deep body of water, which stretches over 400 miles (645 kilometers) and is surrounded by rugged highlands, became a hotbed for the diversification of viruses that infect fish. Researchers have observed a rapid increase in the mutation rates of these viruses, leaving the scientific community intrigued and puzzled.

The key to this phenomenon may lie in the increased levels of cosmic radiation during the same time period. Cosmic rays are high-energy particles that travel through space at nearly the speed of light, originating from various cosmic events such as supernovae and solar flares. When these particles collide with Earth’s atmosphere, they generate secondary particles that can reach the surface, playing a significant role in shaping our environment.

On February 13, 2025, the Blue Ghost lunar lander made history by successfully entering the moon’s orbit, marking a significant milestone for its developer, Firefly Aerospace. Since then, the spacecraft has been sending back breathtaking visuals of our celestial neighbor, including a close-up look at the moon’s far side, an area that remains hidden from Earth.

The recent footage showcases the moon’s rocky terrain, dotted with impact craters, as the Blue Ghost transitioned from a high elliptical orbit to a lower orbit approximately 120 kilometers (74.6 miles) above the lunar surface. This transition was completed on February 18, just days after the lander’s initial orbital insertion.

In a groundbreaking discovery, astronomers have identified a supermassive black hole located in the galaxy LID-568 that is challenging our understanding of black hole formation and growth. This black hole, observed just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, is consuming material at an astonishing rate—more than 40 times the Eddington limit, a theoretical threshold that governs the maximum rate at which black holes can accrete matter.

The Eddington limit plays a crucial role in black hole accretion theory. As black holes consume surrounding material, it forms an accretion disk that spirals around the event horizon. The radiation pressure generated by this infalling matter eventually becomes strong enough to counterbalance further accretion, effectively capping the growth rate of the black hole. However, the black hole in LID-568 is defying this limit, exhibiting a luminosity far exceeding expectations for its size. This remarkable behavior was confirmed through observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Recent research has unveiled a fascinating glimpse into the spiritual and cultural landscape of the Chacoan civilization, which thrived in the American Southwest between A.D. 850 and 1250. Utilizing advanced laser technology, scientists have mapped a sacred road near Chaco Canyon in New Mexico that stretches nearly four miles, significantly longer than previously believed. This discovery not only sheds light on the transportation practices of Indigenous peoples but also reveals the deeper cosmological beliefs that shaped their world.

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, planets are born from swirling disks of gas and dust that encircle young stars. This intriguing process of planet formation has captivated astronomers, and understanding it is a key objective of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). One of the most promising targets in this quest is PDS 70, a nearby star that is home to two nascent planets, PDS 70b and PDS 70c, which are among the few exoplanets that have been directly imaged.

Hidden beneath layers of rock and molten metal, Earth’s inner core has long been perceived as a solid sphere. However, a groundbreaking study has revealed that this core is undergoing significant structural changes, suggesting that the center of our planet is far more dynamic than previously thought. This revelation could dramatically alter our understanding of Earth’s evolution, its magnetic field, and its rotational behaviors.

Earth’s interior is often likened to a colossal layer cake, consisting of four main layers: the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. The crust is the thin outermost layer where human life resides and is divided into massive tectonic plates that are in constant motion. Beneath this crust lies the mantle, a semi-solid layer approximately 1,800 miles deep, composed of hot rock that drives tectonic activity, leading to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

In a stunning revelation that has captured the attention of scientists and space enthusiasts alike, NASA’s Juno probe has recorded the most powerful volcanic eruption ever observed in the Solar System. This extraordinary event occurred not on Earth, but on Jupiter’s moon, Io, a celestial body renowned for its extreme volcanic activity.

Since its launch, the Juno spacecraft has been orbiting Jupiter, providing invaluable insights into the mysteries of the Jovian system. During a flyby in December 2024, Juno’s advanced instruments detected an eruption of unprecedented magnitude, surpassing any previously documented volcanic activity on Io. This discovery serves as a testament to the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of our Solar System.

On Tuesday afternoon, February 13, 2025, SpaceX is poised to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 21 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. The launch is scheduled to take place at 1:53 p.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, with backup launch windows extending until 3:43 p.m. for any unforeseen delays.

This mission marks a significant milestone as it will be the 18th flight for the Falcon 9’s first stage booster, which has a storied history of successful missions. The booster has previously supported a variety of important launches, including Crew-5, CRS-28, and several other satellite deployments. Notably, it has also completed 10 missions dedicated to the Starlink project, which aims to provide global internet coverage through a constellation of satellites.

In the vast depths of the ocean, the struggle for survival takes on many forms, even among the largest creatures on Earth. Recent research has shed light on an intriguing aspect of whale behavior: the use of sound as a stealthy method of avoiding predation by killer whales. This study categorizes different whale species into two distinct groups—those that choose to fight and those that prefer to flee.

The fight group includes species such as North Atlantic right whales, bowhead whales, humpbacks, and grey whales. These whales tend to be slower-moving and often give birth in shallow waters, where they can defend their calves against the formidable killer whales. In contrast, the flight group, which includes blue, fin, sei, minke, and Bryde’s whales, opts for a different strategy. These whales are faster and typically have their young in the open ocean, where they can quickly escape from approaching orcas.