compiled by Arlene & David Kaplan

Spotting Dots on the Sun In the short time since its launch in February 2020, Solar Orbiter has already returned some incredible photos and data of the Sun. The joint European Space Agency–NASA mission is expected to have its biggest scientific breakthroughs when it tilts its orbit to be able to see the Sun’s poles — a region that we’ve never photographed…more

Mystery of the Sun’s Chemical Makeup lingers An international team of astronomers says it has just solved a solar mystery that’s stood for well over a decade. There are two ways to work out what the Sun is made of. The first, called spectroscopy, looks at the Sun’s spectrum. Precise wavelengths of light are missing from this spectrum…more

Hear the Weird Sounds of a Black Hole Singing In space you can’t hear a black hole scream, but apparently you can hear it sing. In 2003 astrophysicists working with NASA’s orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory detected a pattern of ripples in the X-ray glow of a giant cluster of galaxies in the constellation Perseus…more

Shards of the Planet Mercury May Be Hiding on Earth New research explains how meteorites called aubrites may actually be shattered pieces of the planet closest to the sun from the early days of the solar system. Mercury does not make sense. It is a bizarre hunk of rock with a composition that is unlike its neighboring rocky planets…more

Interstellar probe: A mission for the generations Imagine working on a project you know you have no hope of seeing through to completion. Would you have the motivation to even get it going? Absolutely, says Ralph McNutt from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU-APL) in the US. McNutt, with colleagues, has just published a detailed report…more

Large hadron collider: A revamp that could revolutionize physics Deep underground amidst the Alps, scientists are barely able to contain their excitement. They whisper about discoveries that would radically alter our understanding of the Universe. “I’ve been hunting for the fifth force for as long as I’ve been a particle physicist,” says Dr Sam Harper. “Maybe this is the year”…more

Perseverance: Nasa rover begins key drive to find life on Mars Nasa’s Perseverance rover has reached a big moment in its mission on Mars. Tuesday will see the six-wheeled robot begin the climb up an ancient delta feature in the crater where it landed. It will roll uphill, stopping every so often to examine rocks that look to have the best chance of retaining evidence of past life on the planet…more

This NASA Mission Listened to Mars Shake, but Soon It Will Go Silent The InSight spacecraft, which carries a seismometer and studies the red planet’s insides, is expected to cease functioning by the end of the year. InSight, a stationary robotic probe on Mars, has been steadily growing weaker as dust accumulates on its solar panels…more

Asteroid mining “They essentially hold on to the side of the asteroid for dear life as it screams through the solar system.” Mitch Hunter-Scullion is describing a six-legged robot called Scar-e, the Space Capable Asteroid Robotic Explorer, which he aims to send to an asteroid to drill for precious metals such as iron, nickel and platinum…more

Moon soil used to grow plants for first time in breakthrough test Scientists have grown plants in lunar soil for the first time, an important step towards making long-term stays on the moon possible. Researchers used small samples of dust collected during the 1969-1972 Apollo missions to grow a type of cress. Much to their surprise, the seeds sprouted after two days…more

Northumberland shooting star caught on one-in-million photo A family photo with the Northern Lights became a “one-in-a-million” shot after a shooting star flew in the background. Steve Swan, his partner Louise Redpath and their children were posing during a stargazing night in Northumberland on Saturday when the out-of-this-world event took place. Photographer Wil Cheung said he knew he would “never get that shot again”…more