NASA is ramping up its lunar ambitions by awarding nearly $600 million for four commercial Moon landings planned for late 2028。 Each mission will carry the same trio of science instruments to improve lunar navigation, study dangerous dust kicked up during landings, and map the Moon's radiation environment。 The agency also revealed plans for new rov
Four nearby white dwarf stars have been discovered hiding in plain sight beside brighter red dwarf companions。 Hubble's ultraviolet observations finally revealed the long-hidden stellar remnants, including one just 25 light-years away that took nearly three decades to confirm。 The findings match long-standing predictions and suggest our corner of t
A new theoretical study offers a possible explanation for how the Universe can grow more complex without violating the second law of thermodynamics。 Using a quantum gravity framework called Gravity from Entropy, mathematician Ginestra Bianconi found that the Universe’s total entropy may rise as space expands, even while entropy within each unit of
The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs was likely an exceptionally rare CO chondrite from a distant region of the solar system。 Its unusual chemistry suggests that planet-cooling dust and debris, rather than sulfur inside the asteroid, may have delivered the deadliest blow
China’s Chang’e-6 samples have uncovered a surprising difference between the Moon’s two hemispheres。 Solar wind particles penetrated deeper into the far-side soil because Earth’s magnetosphere slows the particles that reach the near side。 Noble gases locked inside the lunar regolith preserved evidence of this uneven bombardment
A newly discovered turning point in the Sun’s 11-year cycle could allow scientists to predict future solar activity years earlier than before。 At this “switch-off” point, the most violent space weather abruptly ends, and the remaining number of sunspots offers clues about the next cycle’s strength。 Early projections suggest Solar Cycle 26 may be mo
MIT engineers have found a way to give chip-based lidar a wider, clearer view without relying on moving parts。 Their design uses differently shaped antennas that can sit close together without scrambling one another’s signals。 In tests, the system sharply reduced interference while steering a single precise beam across a broad field of view
Researchers are applying evolutionary theory to cancer by changing treatments before tumors have time to develop resistance。 Mathematical models suggest that rapid, carefully timed switches between multiple therapies could improve cure rates
Astronomers have found the first confirmed atmosphere around a rocky planet in another star’s habitable zone。 The planet, LHS 1140 b, revealed its atmosphere through helium slowly leaking into space。 Located 48 light-years away, the world may have preserved its atmosphere for billions of years, making it a promising target in the search for potenti
NASA's PACE satellite captured the Black Sea glowing turquoise during its annual phytoplankton bloom。 The vivid color comes from massive numbers of coccolithophores, microscopic organisms whose reflective shells brighten the water enough to be seen from space。 An astronaut aboard the International Space Station also photographed the bloom spreading
A new study suggests the brain begins making decisions much earlier than scientists previously thought。 Researchers found that even primary sensory regions are influenced by higher brain areas through rapid feedback loops, rather than simply passing information forward。 This more dynamic view of brain function could help engineers design future AI
Scientists say new technologies have reopened the debate over whether Mars could someday be terraformed, turning a once impossible idea into a serious research topic。 Before anyone tries to reshape the Red Planet, though, researchers say we must understand the risks, including what might be lost if Mars already harbors its own forms of life
A new particle detector called PLATON could replace millions of tiny detector components with a single block of light-producing material。 Using a light-field camera, highly sensitive photon sensors, and AI, it reconstructs particle paths in fast, detailed 3D。 Simulations suggest it could match or surpass today’s best detectors while being far easie