Science

Observations of the sky recorded thousands of years ago continue to play a remarkable role in modern science, demonstrating that careful human observation has long-lasting value. One particularly significant record comes from ancient China, which documented a total solar eclipse in 709 BCE with remarkable detail. These records include descriptions of the timing and duration…

Source: Earth via X (formerly Twitter) The night of 5 December 2025 offered sky watchers a final lunar spectacle as the full Moon rose into view under a widely recognised seasonal name and a striking orbital alignment. Known traditionally as the Cold Moon, this full Moon coincided with the last supermoon of the year and…

When The Matrix came out in the last year of the last century, it broke our minds. The perfect mix of occidental and oriental philosophy wrapped in Goth motifs with unimaginable kickass action made audiences everywhere question their reality. It became so ingrained in popular culture that when landlines started disappearing, people wondered if we…

More than 60,000 African penguins vanished from two of South Africa’s most important breeding islands in less than a decade, and scientists say they now understand why. A study published in the journal Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology has revealed that the collapse of sardine stocks triggered an unprecedented wave of starvation, wiping out more…

Observing the universe has always depended on dark skies, long exposures, and instruments designed to capture signals that are often barely distinguishable from background noise. This delicate balance is beginning to shift as satellite megaconstellations expand across low Earth orbit, increasing both in number and operational complexity. These networks support global communication services, navigation systems,…

ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or Juice, has recently captured striking new observations of Comet 3I/ATLAS. In November 2025, the spacecraft employed five of its scientific instruments to study the comet, collecting crucial information about its activity, structure, and composition. These measurements are helping scientists understand the behaviour and characteristics of this interstellar visitor. Alongside…

Source: Discover Magazine Recent genetic research has uncovered that ancient humans in southern Africa lived in near-total isolation for almost 100,000 years. This long period of separation led to the development of unique genetic traits that are strikingly different from those found in modern populations. The study, which sequenced genomes from 28 ancient individuals, demonstrates…

Mars Express mission has uncovered a remarkable geological formation on Mars that resembles a butterfly. Situated in the Idaeus Fossae region, this unusual crater has intrigued scientists across the globe, providing valuable insights into the planet’s complex geological history. The butterfly shape was formed by a shallow-angle impact, which caused debris to be ejected in…

The earliest stages of the universe are often envisioned as chaotic, filled with young galaxies that lacked order or recognisable structure. Yet recent high resolution imaging from the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a galaxy that appears far more mature than expected for its epoch, offering a rare glimpse into the complexity of cosmic…

A small, rarely discussed bacterium has begun reshaping how scientists think about sterility in high security environments. Tersicoccus phoenicis was first detected in spacecraft assembly clean rooms that were engineered to be almost completely free of biological life. These facilities enforce strict contamination controls because any surviving microbe has the potential to hitch a ride…