Space
press releases.

Space9 Jul 2025

Scientific breakthrough uses cold atoms to unlock cosmic mysteries

Scientists have used ultracold atoms to successfully demonstrate a groundbreaking method of particle acceleration that could unlock new understanding of how cosmic rays behave, a new study reveals. After more than 70 years from its formulation, researchers have observed the Fermi acceleration mechanism in a laboratory by colliding ultracold atoms against engineered movable potential barriers – delivering a significant milestone in high-energy astrophysics and beyond. Fermi acceleration is the mechanism responsible for the generation of cosmic rays, as postulated by physicist Enrico Fermi in 1949. ...

Read the release

Space9 Jul 2025

Moon-Rice: Developing the perfect crop for space-bases

The future of sustained space habitation depends on our ability to grow fresh food away from Earth. The revolutionary new collaborative Moon-Rice project is using cutting-edge experimental biology to create an ideal future food crop that can be grown in future deep-space outposts, as well as in extreme environments back on Earth. Modern space exploration relies heavily on resupplies of food from Earth, but this tends to be largely pre-prepared meals that rarely contain fresh ingredients. To counteract the negative effects that the space ...

Read the release

Space9 Jul 2025

Chang'e-6 samples unlock secrets of the Moon’s farside

The Moon's near and far sides exhibit striking asymmetry—from topography and crustal thickness to volcanic activity—yet the origins of these differences long puzzled scientists. China's Chang'e-6 mission, launched on May 3, 2024, changed this by returning 1,935.3 grams of material from the lunar farside's South Pole–Aitken Basin (SPA), the Moon's largest, deepest, and oldest known impact structure, measuring 2,500 kilometers in diameter. The samples arrived on Earth on June 25, 2024. Previous studies indicated that the SPA was formed by a colossal impact approximately 4.25 billion years ago, releasing energy greater than that of a trillion ...

Read the release

Space8 Jul 2025

Probing the cosmic Dark Ages from the far side of the Moon

Royal Astronomical Society press release RAS PR 25/26 (NAM 6) 8 July 2025 Embargoed until Wednesday 9 July 2025 at 00:01 BST Astronomers want to unlock the secrets of the 'Cosmic Dawn' by sending a miniature spacecraft to listen out for an "ancient whisper" on the far side of the Moon. The proposed mission will study the very early universe, right after the Big Bang, when it was still quite dark and empty before the first stars and galaxies appeared. But to probe the cosmic 'Dark ...

Read the release

Space8 Jul 2025

Youngest basaltic lunar meteorite fills nearly one billion-year gap in Moon’s volcanic history

A 2.35-billion-year-old meteorite with a unique chemical signature, found in Africa in 2023, plugs a major gap in our understanding of the Moon’s volcanic history. Presented today [Wednesday 9 July] at the Goldschmidt Conference in Prague, findings from analyses of the Northwest Africa 16286 meteorite offer fresh insights into how the Moon’s interior evolved, highlighting the long-lived nature of its volcanic activity. Analyses by researchers from the University of Manchester, UK, lend weight to a theory that the Moon retained internal heat-generating processes that powered ...

Read the release

Space7 Jul 2025

‘Space ice’ is less like water than we thought

“Space ice” contains tiny crystals and is not, as previously assumed, a completely disordered material like liquid water, according to a new study by scientists at UCL (University College London) and the University of Cambridge. Ice in space is different to the crystalline (highly ordered) form of ice on Earth. For decades, scientists have assumed it is amorphous (without a structure), with colder temperatures meaning it does not have enough energy to form crystals when it freezes. In the new study, ...

Read the release

Space7 Jul 2025

Dark Dwarfs lurking at the center of our Galaxy might hint at the nature of dark matter

The Anglo-USA team behind the study named them dark dwarfs. Not because they are dark bodies—on the contrary—but because of their special link with dark matter, one of the most central topics in current cosmology and astrophysics research. “We think that 25% of the universe is composed of a type of matter that doesn’t emit light, making it invisible to our eyes and telescopes. We only detect it through its gravitational effects. That’s why we call it dark matter,” explains Jeremy Sakstein, Professor of Physics at the University of Hawai‘i ...

Read the release

Space4 Jul 2025

Human wellbeing on a finite planet towards 2100: new study shows humanity at a crossroads

The peer-reviewed study, The Earth4All Scenarios: Human Wellbeing on a Finite Planet Towards 2100, uses a system dynamics-based modelling approach to explore two future scenarios: Too Little Too Late, and the Giant Leap. The model presented in the paper provides the scientific basis for the analysis and policy recommendations of Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity, published in 2022. The model’s findings show that under our current ‘business as usual’ conditions – the Too Little Too Late scenario – ...

Read the release

Space2 Jul 2025

Was Mars doomed to be a desert? Study proposes new explanation

One of the great unsolved problems in modern planetary science is written on the surface of Mars. Mars has canyons that were carved by rivers, so it was once warm enough for liquid water. How—and why—did it become it a barren desert today? A study led by University of Chicago planetary scientist Edwin Kite puts forth a new explanation for why Mars never seems to stay balmy for long. Published July 2 in Nature, their model suggests that the periods of liquid water we see in the past were initiated by the sun brightening, and that conditions on Mars mean it ...

Read the release

Space2 Jul 2025

Double detonation: New image shows remains of star destroyed by pair of explosions

For the first time, astronomers have obtained visual evidence that a star met its end by detonating twice. By studying the centuries-old remains of supernova SNR 0509-67.5 with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), they have found patterns that confirm its star suffered a pair of explosive blasts. Published today, this discovery shows some of the most important explosions in the Universe in a new light. Most supernovae are the explosive deaths of massive stars, but one important variety comes from an unassuming source. White dwarfs, the small, inactive cores left over after stars like our Sun burn ...

Read the release

Space2 Jul 2025

Milky Way-like galaxy M83 consumes high-speed clouds

Researchers discover high-velocity clouds in the nearby spiral galaxy M83. These clouds are moving at speeds significantly different to the galaxy’s overall speed of rotation. The findings suggest that these clouds likely originated outside the galaxy, offering new insights into how galaxies acquire fresh gas and sustain star formation over billions of years. This hints at how our own galaxy evolved and may evolve in the future. Maki Nagata is a graduate student and astronomer at the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Astronomy. Recently, she and her colleagues were trying to solve a long-standing question in astronomy: “How do galaxies ...

Read the release

Space30 Jun 2025

Meteorological satellites observe temperatures on Venus

Imaging data from Japan’s Himawari-8 and -9 meteorological satellites have been successfully used to monitor temporal changes in Venus’ cloud-top temperature, revealing unseen patterns in the temperature structure of various waves. A team led by the University of Tokyo collated infrared images from 2015–25 to estimate brightness temperatures on day to year scales. The results demonstrate that meteorological satellites can serve as additional eyes to access the Venusian atmosphere from space ...

Read the release

Space26 Jun 2025

Discovery of ‘mini halo’ points to how the early universe was formed

Astronomers have uncovered a vast cloud of energetic particles — a ‘mini halo’ — surrounding one of the most distant galaxy clusters ever observed, marking a major step forward in understanding the hidden forces that shape the cosmos. The mini-halo is at a distance so great that it takes light 10 billion years to reach Earth, making it the most distant ever found, doubling the previous distance known to science. The discovery demonstrates that entire galaxy clusters, among the largest ...

Read the release

Space26 Jun 2025

Muscle in space sheds light on ageing-related muscle loss

Sarcopenia, which is a progressive and extensive decline in muscle mass and strength, is common with aging and estimated to affect up to 50% of people aged 80 and older. It can lead to disability and injuries from falls and is associated with a lower quality of life and an increased mortality. Apart from lifestyle changes, there is no current clinical treatment for sarcopenia. Space flight with the associated absence of gravity and limited strain on muscles causes muscle weakness, a prominent feature of sarcopenia, within a short period of time, providing a time lapse view on age-related atrophy-associated ...

Read the release

Space26 Jun 2025

Uncovering the role of spacers in advancing portable, low-voltage OLEDs

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have transformed display and lighting technology with their vivid colors, deep contrast, and energy efficiency. As demand grows for lighter, thinner, and more energy-saving devices—especially in wearables, foldables, and portable electronics—there's increasing interest in OLEDs that can operate at lower voltages without compromising performance. A new type of OLEDs, known as exciplex upconversion OLEDs (ExUC-OLEDs), has opened newer avenues for making the display and lighting technology more ...

Read the release

Space25 Jun 2025

UNM astronomers confirm new gas giant exoplanet with help from citizen scientists worldwide

Astronomers from The University of New Mexico, along with U.S. and international researchers, have confirmed the existence of a new giant exoplanet, made possible through a collaboration with citizen sciences around the world. The discovery is detailed in a new paper published in The Astronomical Journal, with Postdoctoral Fellow Zahra Essack, Ph.D. as lead author, and Assistant Professor Diana Dragomir as co-author. The planet, TOI-4465 b, is a gas giant located approximately 400 light-years from Earth. It was first spotted by NASA’s ...

Read the release

Space25 Jun 2025

Desert lichen offers new evidence for the possibility of life on other planets

The question of whether Earth is alone in harboring life has captivated humanity for millennia. In recent years, scientists have turned to Earth-like planets in other solar systems that may show the most promise, but many revolve around stars that emit much stronger solar radiation than our own. Now, a new study offers evidence that life as we know it may be able to thrive on those Earth-like exoplanets. Published June 12th in Astrobiology, the new research demonstrated that lichen found in the Mojave Desert survived for 3 months under levels ...

Read the release

Space24 Jun 2025

A small reaction space has a big impact on polymer chemistry

Tokyo, Japan – Mimicking the incredible skill of mother nature is never easy, especially when trying to match the remarkable chemical processes that take place in living organisms. Living systems, like cells, can carry out chemical reactions in very small spaces, sometimes involving single molecules. For many years, researchers have attempted to emulate this to allow for the manufacturing of specialized chemical compounds, but with limited success. However, new research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society highlights the development of a new tool that assists with controlling chemical reactions. ...

Read the release

Space23 Jun 2025

Study finds early signs of widespread coastal marsh decline

Researchers have revealed the declining health of coastal marshes several years before visible signs of decline, providing an early warning and opportunity to protect an ecosystem that serves as the first line of defense against coastal flooding. Scientists from Colorado State University, the University of Georgia and the University of Texas at Austin developed a model to detect early signs of marsh decline using satellite observations. The model identified vulnerable marshes along Georgia’s coast by ...

Read the release

Space23 Jun 2025

Durham University scientists reveal new cosmic insights as first Rubin Observatory images released

-With images- The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has today released its long-awaited first images of the night sky, marking the beginning of the most ambitious astronomical survey in history – the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). This significant project, over two decades in the making, will provide an ultra-high-definition, time-lapse view of the southern sky over the next ten years, capturing the evolution of the Universe in motion. Each night, the Rubin Observatory ...

Read the release

Space20 Jun 2025

Cosmic signal from the very early universe will help astronomers detect the first stars

Understanding how the universe transitioned from darkness to light with the formation of the first stars and galaxies is a key turning point in the universe’s development, known as the Cosmic Dawn. However, even with the most powerful telescopes, we can’t directly observe these earliest stars, so determining their properties is one of the biggest challenges in astronomy. Now, an international group of astronomers led by the University of Cambridge have shown that we will be able to learn about the masses ...

Read the release

Space19 Jun 2025

“The models were right”: Astronomers find ‘missing’ matter

Astronomers have discovered a huge filament of hot gas bridging four galaxy clusters. At 10 times as massive as our galaxy, the thread could contain some of the Universe’s ‘missing’ matter, addressing a decades-long mystery. The astronomers used the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton and JAXA’s Suzaku X-ray space telescopes to make the discovery. Over one-third of the ‘normal’ matter in the local Universe – the visible stuff making up stars, planets, galaxies, life – is missing. It hasn’t yet been seen, but it’s needed to make our models of the cosmos work properly. Said models suggest that this elusive matter might exist ...

Read the release

Space18 Jun 2025

Astronomers capture most detailed thousand-color image of a galaxy

Astronomers have created a galactic masterpiece: an ultra-detailed image that reveals previously unseen features in the Sculptor Galaxy. Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), they observed this nearby galaxy in thousands of colours simultaneously. By capturing vast amounts of data at every single location, they created a galaxy-wide snapshot of the lives of stars within Sculptor. "Galaxies are incredibly complex systems that we are still struggling to understand," says ESO researcher Enrico Congiu, who led a new Astronomy & Astrophysics study on Sculptor. Reaching ...

Read the release

Space16 Jun 2025

USC-led team sheds light on dark matter by simulating twins of our Milky Way galaxy

A USC-led research team has created a series of supercomputer-simulated twins of our Milky Way galaxy—which could help scientists unlock new answers about one of the biggest mysteries in the universe: dark matter, the invisible substance that makes up about 85% of all matter in existence. The research was led by cosmologist Vera Gluscevic, who is an associate professor at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences; as well as Ethan Nadler, formerly a postdoc at USC and Carnegie Observatories who is now an assistant professor at University of California, San Diego; and Andrew Benson, a staff scientist at Carnegie Observatories. They called ...

Read the release

Space13 Jun 2025

Revealing the lives of planet-forming disks

An international team of astronomers including researchers at the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory has unveiled groundbreaking findings about the disks of gas and dust surrounding nearby young stars, using the powerful Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, or ALMA. The findings, published in 12 papers in a focus issue of the Astrophysical Journal, are part of an ALMA large program called the ALMA Survey of Gas Evolution of PROtoplanetary Disks, or AGE-PRO. AGE-PRO observed 30 planet-forming disks around sunlike stars to measure gas disk mass at different ages. The study revealed ...

Read the release