compiled by Arlene & David Kaplan

Parker -NASA

Parker Solar Probe: Nasa’s Sun mission smashes records
America’s audacious mission to “touch the Sun” has now got nearer to our star than any previous human-made object. The Parker Solar Probe passed the current record of 42.73 million km (26.55 million miles) from the Sun’s surface. The previous record was set by the German-US Helios 2…more

Solar storms

The violent solar storms that threaten Earth
A violent storm on the Sun could cripple communications on Earth and cause huge economic damage, scientists have warned. Why are solar storms such a threat?. What causes an extreme solar event?…more

-BBC

Glass component ‘made from supernovae’, Cardiff study finds
We drink out of it, we look through it, we put flowers in it. We even wear it on our face – glass is one of the most important materials we use. And thanks to research by a Cardiff scientist, we now know the main component of glass…more

Space view

Greenland ice sheet hides huge ‘impact crater’
What looks to be a large impact crater has been identified beneath the Greenland ice sheet. The 31km-wide depression came to light when scientists examined radar images of the island’s bedrock…more

ALMA in Chile

Where Will Science Take Us? To the Stars
A monthlong visit to observatories in Chile, Hawaii and Los Angeles revealed spellbinding visions of the heavens. The Atacama Desert in Chile is arguably the best place in the world to see the night sky. After 30 hours of bumping along on planes and buses, at long last…more

-SSTL

NovaSAR: UK radar satellite returns first images
Sydney Harbour and the Egyptian pyramids feature in the debut images from the first all-UK radar spacecraft. NovaSAR was developed jointly by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited of Guildford and Airbus in Portsmouth, and launched to orbit in September…more

Artwork: Barnard’s Star b

Exoplanet discovered around neighbouring star
Astronomers have discovered a planet around one of the closest stars to our Sun. Nearby planets like this are likely to be prime targets in the search for signatures of life, using the next generation of telescopes…more