Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the barred spiral galaxy NGC 3783, which is located about 130 million light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. 



NGC 3783 is also the most prominent of a galaxy group (by the same name) that contains 47 galaxies.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-galaxy-groups">What are galaxy groups?</h2>



“Like galaxy clusters, galaxy groups are aggregates of gravitationally bound galaxies. Galaxy groups, however, are less massive and contain fewer members than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/titanic-galaxy-cluster-collision-defies-all-current-understanding-of-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy clusters</a> do: where galaxy clusters can contain hundreds or even thousands of constituent galaxies, galaxy groups do not typically include more than 50,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“The Milky Way is actually part of a galaxy group, known as the Local Group, which contains two other large galaxies (Andromeda and the Triangulum galaxy), as well as several dozen satellite and dwarf galaxies.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-blue-giant-star">A blue giant star</h2>



The bright object that appears to the right of the galaxy is the star HD 101274. “The perspective in this image makes the star and the galaxy look like close companions, but this is an illusion. HD 101274 lies only about 1,530 light-years from Earth, meaning it is about 85 thousand times closer than NGC 3783,” explained ESA.&nbsp;



The star is part of the NGC 3766 cluster, sometimes referred to as the Pearl Cluster, which is known for its richness in bright stars and its relatively young age.



Characterized by its high temperature and luminosity, HD 101274 is categorized as a blue giant star.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-blue-giants">Significance of blue giants</h2>



Blue giants are massive stars that have left the main sequence phase of stellar evolution and are burning helium or heavier elements in their cores. These stars are known for their short lifespans relative to smaller stars due to their rapid consumption of nuclear fuel.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-stars-scientists-discover-a-new-type-of-star-powered-by-dark-matter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stars</a> like HD 101274 are important for astronomers because they help in studying the properties of stellar populations in clusters and the dynamics of stellar evolution in different environments. 



Observations of blue giant stars can provide valuable insights into the characteristics of their atmospheres, internal structures, and the processes occurring within and around them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bright-central-region-of-ngc-3783">Bright central region of NGC 3783</h2>



One of the most interesting aspects of NGC 3783 is that it harbors an active galactic nucleus. This means that its central region is exceptionally luminous, likely due to the presence of a supermassive black hole. 



The black hole is actively accreting material, which emits a substantial amount of radiation as it spirals inward and heats up.



The galaxy has been studied extensively in the ultraviolet and X-ray light spectra to understand better the properties of the accretion disk around the black hole and the complex dynamics of the material surrounding it. 



These studies are crucial for understanding the physics of active galactic nuclei and the role they play in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/galaxies-like-our-own-milky-way-are-not-unique/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy evolution</a>.



According to ESA, NGC 3783 is a&nbsp;Type I Seyfert galaxy. “In this image it is recorded by Hubble in incredible detail, from its glowing central bar to its narrow, winding arms and the dust threaded through them, thanks to five separate images taken in different wavelengths of light," noted ESA.



“In fact, the galactic center is bright enough to Hubble that it exhibits diffraction spikes, normally only seen on stars such as HD 101274.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ngc-3783-galaxy-group">NGC 3783 galaxy group</h2>



The NGC 3783 group is part of the larger Hydra-Centaurus Supercluster, which itself is a massive collection of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shapes-of-one-million-galaxies-hint-at-the-universes-origins/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> and galaxy clusters located primarily in the constellations of Hydra and Centaurus.



The NGC 3783 group consists of several galaxies that are gravitationally bound and interact with each other. These interactions can influence the galaxies' evolution through mechanisms like tidal forces and merger events, which can trigger star formation, fuel central black holes, and reshape the galaxies' structures.



Studying the NGC 3783 group helps astronomers understand how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ceers-2112-ancient-galaxy-looks-strikingly-similar-to-ours/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> evolve together in a common gravitational environment, offering insights into the dynamics and evolution of structures on cosmic scales.



Image Credit: ESA/Hubble &amp; NASA



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Luminous spiral galaxy and a blue giant star

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the barred spiral galaxy NGC 3783, which is located about 130 million light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. NGC 3783 is also the most prominent of a galaxy group (by the same name) that contains 47 galaxies.&nbsp; What are galaxy groups? “Like galaxy clusters, galaxy groups are aggregates of gravitationally bound galaxies. Galaxy groups, however, are less massive and contain fewer members than galaxy clusters do: where galaxy clusters can contain hundreds...

Today's Image of the Day from NASA features the spiral galaxy NGC 2566, which is located 76 million light-years away in the constellation Puppis. The image was captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.



“A prominent bar of stars stretches across the center of this galaxy, and spiral arms emerge from each end of the bar. Because NGC 2566 appears tilted from our perspective, its disk takes on an almond shape, giving the galaxy the appearance of a cosmic eye,” said <a href="https://phys.org/news/2024-12-hubble-spies-spiral-galaxy-ngc.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>.



“As NGC 2566 appears to gaze at us, astronomers gaze right back, using Hubble to survey the galaxy's star clusters and star-forming regions.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-appearance-of-ngc-2566">Complex appearance of NGC 2566</h2>



NGC 2566 lies at a considerable distance from Earth, making it a challenging object for amateur astronomers to observe in detail without powerful telescopes.&nbsp;



It can be seen in the Southern Hemisphere sky and is better observed from locations with minimal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-light-pollution-influences-interest-in-astronomy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">light pollution</a>.&nbsp;



The galaxy's arms are populated with young, bright stars, regions of active star formation, and interstellar gas and dust - giving it a dynamic and complex appearance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-the-ages-of-stars">Measuring the ages of stars</h2>



According to NASA, data from Hubble is especially valuable for studying stars that are just a few million years old. “These stars are bright at the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths to which Hubble is sensitive.”



“Using these data, researchers can measure the ages of NGC 2566's stars, which helps piece together the timeline of the galaxy's star formation and the exchange of gas between star-forming clouds and the stars themselves.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation-in-galaxies">Star formation in galaxies</h2>



Star formation in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shapes-of-one-million-galaxies-hint-at-the-universes-origins/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> is a fascinating and complex process that unfolds over millions of years. It begins in vast clouds of gas and dust, known as molecular clouds, which are often found in the spiral arms of galaxies or in regions of irregular or starburst galaxies.&nbsp;



These clouds provide the raw material for star formation, consisting primarily of hydrogen and helium, with trace amounts of heavier elements.



As the molecular clouds collapse under their own gravity, regions within them begin to condense and fragment, forming dense clumps. Within these clumps, protostars emerge. Their formation is driven by the gravitational pull drawing in surrounding gas.&nbsp;



During this process, the gas heats up due to increasing pressure, eventually igniting nuclear fusion in the core, signaling the birth of a new star.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rates-of-star-formation">Rates of star formation</h2>



The rate of star formation varies across galaxies is influenced by numerous factors. In spiral galaxies like the Milky Way, star formation is most active in the spiral arms, where density waves compress gas and dust, triggering the collapse of molecular clouds.&nbsp;



Elliptical galaxies, which often have little cold gas and dust, typically exhibit low rates of star formation or none at all.



Starburst galaxies, on the other hand, experience episodes of exceptionally high star formation, often triggered by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-captures-a-galaxy-collision-with-a-radiant-smile/">galactic collisions</a> or interactions. 



These events can funnel large amounts of gas into central regions, leading to intense star-forming activity. However, such bursts are usually short-lived on cosmic timescales, exhausting the available gas quickly.



The environment within a galaxy also plays a significant role. Stellar winds and supernova explosions from existing stars can both inhibit and promote star formation. They may disperse gas, preventing further collapse, or compress nearby clouds, triggering new star formation.&nbsp;



Over time, as galaxies evolve, the availability of gas diminishes, leading to a gradual decline in star formation activity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-puppis-constellation-nbsp">The Puppis constellation&nbsp;</h2>



The Puppis constellation in the southern sky represents the stern of a ship. It was once part of a larger constellation known as Argo Navis, which depicted the mythical ship of Jason and the Argonauts.&nbsp;



However, Argo Navis was later divided into three separate constellations: Puppis, Carina (the keel), and Vela (the sails). Puppis is the largest of these three and contains many notable celestial objects.



This constellation is home to several bright stars, including Naos (Zeta Puppis), a hot, massive star that emits intense ultraviolet radiation. Puppis also hosts a wide variety of deep-sky objects, such as open <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stunning-star-clusters-captured-in-the-extreme-outskirts-of-the-milky-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star clusters</a> and nebulae.&nbsp;



Among these, Messier 46 and Messier 47 stand out. Both are beautiful star clusters that are visible through binoculars or small telescopes. The region is dense with stars because it lies along the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-collision-may-change-everything-we-know-about-our-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>, making it a prime area for stargazing and astrophotography. 



Image Credit: NASA



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Cosmic eye in the Puppis constellation

Today's Image of the Day from NASA features the spiral...

On the coast of the Arctic Circle lies Victoria Island, where the temperature is often at excruciating levels below zero&nbsp;degrees Fahrenheit. And below those layers of ice, the Arctic is hiding some secrets. Photo Credit: jackmac34/Pixabay

Victoria Island

On the coast of the Arctic Circle lies Victoria Island,...

David Kuptana is one of 2,000 people who live on Victoria Island, the eighth largest island on Earth. Few people reside there considering the island's grand size (approximately the size of Idaho). Photo Credit: Tama66/Pixabay

Population: 2000

David Kuptana is one of 2,000 people who live on...

David grew up in the small coastal district of Ulukhaktok, home to only a few hundred people. While Ulukhaktok is known for its artistic&nbsp;musk ox-horn carvings, it's not exactly known for its farmers' markets and grocery stores. Photo Credit: National Film Board Of Canada/Getty Images

Growing Up In Ulukhaktok

David grew up in the small coastal district of Ulukhaktok,...

Up north many Inuits live off of the land, rather than paying lofty prices for few-and-far-between groceries. This is where the majestic polar bears come into play. Photo Credit: 4924546/Pixabay

Home Of The Polar Bears

Up north many Inuits live off of the land, rather...

As the temperature heats up, polar bears spend more time on land, which gives the Inuit people the opportunity to hunt them. They resourcefully use their meat for food and their fur for pants and boots. These white, fluffy bears have long been a sacred part of their culture. Photo Credit: Ansgar Walk/Wikimedia Commons

Rising Temperatures

As the temperature heats up, polar bears spend more time...

As extinction started to creep up closer and closer on the polar bears, laws concerning hunting changed; however, hunting is still legal for Alaskan natives, and for Canada as a whole. The&nbsp;Ulukhaktok community is granted about a dozen polar bear hunting tags annually. Photo Credit: verostein/Reddit

Hunting Heritage

As extinction started to creep up closer and closer on...

But things got weird for David&nbsp;Kuptana and his wife while on a seemingly regular and legal hunting expedition. They drove snowmobiles across the vast ice to a cozy island cabin as per usual but wound up encountering something&nbsp;unusual. Photo Credit: rudragos/Pixabay

Cozy In The Snow

But things got weird for David&nbsp;Kuptana and his wife while...

When the two arrived at the cabin, they were shocked to find that&nbsp;someone&nbsp;had broken in, most likely looking for food. After some head-scratching, David came to the conclusion that this&nbsp;someone&nbsp;was, in fact, a bear. The two spouses left the gutted cabin and drove off to find a new one. Photo Credit: dMz/Pixabay

An Unexpected Break In

When the two arrived at the cabin, they were shocked...

Sloths are famous for their laid-back lifestyle. They cling to trees, digest food at a glacial pace, and only use the bathroom once a week. But today’s tree-dwelling sloths are just a tiny branch of what was once a vast and varied family. 



Long ago, the sloth lineup was far more impressive. Some even walked the earth instead of hanging in the treetops - and they came in all shapes and sizes, from modest desert-dwellers to elephant-sized giants.



New research from the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Museum of Natural History</a> and other institutions is offering fresh insight into this now-extinct diversity. 



Scientists combined fossil measurements, DNA, and ecological data to uncover why some sloths evolved to become massive, while others remained small and nimble. 



“They looked like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grizzly-bears-help-huckleberries-thrive-in-a-changing-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">grizzly bears</a> but five times larger,” said Rachel Narducci, a co-author of the study and collection manager of vertebrate paleontology at the museum.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-sloths-were-giant">When sloths were giant</h2>



Most extinct sloths didn’t live in trees because they were too big. The Megatherium, one of the largest species, was the size of an Asian elephant and weighed around 8,000 pounds. 



These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-in-america-coexisted-with-giant-sloths-and-mastodons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prehistoric sloths</a> roamed the land, feeding on leaves they could reach with long tongues, much like a giraffe.



Others, like the Shasta ground sloth, were much smaller and occupied very different environments. They lived in the deserts of North America and were known for their fondness for cacti. 



These sloths often made their homes in caves, where they also left behind fascinating fossilized clues.



In 1936, researchers discovered a massive pile of fossilized dung, bat guano, and packrat nests in Rampart Cave near Lake Mead. The deposit was over 20 feet thick.



Some sloths didn’t need to find caves - they made their own. Using enormous claws, they carved shelters directly into the earth. You can still find these ancient burrows today, complete with claw marks etched into the stone walls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-sloths-are-smaller-today">Why sloths are smaller today</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sloths-are-struggling-to-survive-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tree-dwelling sloths</a> today are not giant for a reason. Trees can only support so much weight. The average tree sloth weighs about 14 pounds.



Even those that split their time between ground and canopy rarely top 174 pounds. If a branch breaks, there's little a sloth can do to stop a fall. 



Although they’ve been known to survive 100-foot drops, that doesn’t mean falling is safe - especially when trees in the Amazon can reach 300 feet high.



But the puzzle scientists wanted to solve wasn’t why sloths in trees are small - it was why <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/darwins-ground-sloth-was-not-fully-vegetarian/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ground sloths</a> varied so much in size.



Some sloths stayed relatively petite, while others evolved into lumbering beasts. The team behind the new study explored everything from predator avoidance to food access to climate and shelter options. To do this, they needed a lot of data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-a-family-tree">Building a family tree</h2>



The researchers examined over 400 fossils from 17 different museums. They collected data on sloth anatomy, location, diet, and lifestyle.



At the Florida Museum, Narducci measured 117 limb bones from their vast collection of North American and Caribbean sloths - the largest such collection in the world. 



“We have the largest collection of North American and Caribbean-island sloths in the world,” she said.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sloths_giant_dna-bones-comparison_ancient-species_mystery_credit-Diego-Barletta_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sloths_giant_dna-bones-comparison_ancient-species_mystery_credit-Diego-Barletta_1s.webp" alt="Scientists analyzed ancient DNA and compared more than 400 fossils from 17 natural history museums to figure out how and why extinct sloths got so big. Credit: Florida Museum of Natural History, Kristen Grace" class="wp-image-1971080"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists analyzed ancient DNA and compared more than 400 fossils from 17 natural history museums to figure out how and why extinct sloths got so big. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Florida Museum of Natural History, Kristen Grace</figcaption></figure>



With fossil measurements and genetic data in hand, the team created a “sloth tree of life” stretching back more than 35 million years. They then layered in other key information, like whether the animals were climbers or walkers. 



Finally, the researchers used this framework to estimate sloth body weights and analyze how these changed over time. Their conclusion: habitat and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animal-extinction-risk-is-heavily-influenced-by-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> were the strongest forces driving sloth size.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-climate-shaped-sloth-evolution">Earth’s climate shaped sloth evolution</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-in-america-coexisted-with-giant-sloths-and-mastodons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Early sloths</a> likely looked more like Great Danes than elephants. The earliest known sloth, called Pseudoglyptodon, lived in Argentina about 37 million years ago. 



For the next 20 million years, sloth size stayed fairly stable, and then there was a dramatic shift.



Volcanic eruptions in the Pacific Northwest released huge amounts of lava and greenhouse gases. These eruptions aligned with a period of global warming known as the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum. Forests spread. Temperatures rose. Sloths shrank.



“It makes sense,” Narducci explained. Smaller bodies lose heat more easily and are better suited for warm, wet climates. More trees also meant more food for smaller, tree-loving species.



But the world didn’t stay hot. After about a million years, the Earth began cooling again. Sloths responded by bulking up. 



They expanded into new environments - mountains, grasslands, deserts, and forests stretching all the way to Alaska. Some species even adapted to life in the sea.



“They developed adaptations similar to those of manatees,” Narducci said. “They had dense ribs to help with buoyancy and longer snouts for eating seagrass.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-and-risks-of-bigger-bodies">Benefits and risks of bigger bodies</h2>



Being big had its perks. It helped conserve water and energy, especially in dry or cold places. 



“This would’ve allowed them to conserve energy and water and travel more efficiently across habitats with limited resources,” Narducci said. “And if you’re in an open grassland, you need protection, and being bigger provides some of that.”



“Some ground sloths also had little pebble-like osteoderms embedded in their skin,” noted Narducci. These bony growths, shared with armadillos, likely offered extra protection.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sloths_giant_ancient-species_mystery_credit-Diego-Barletta_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sloths_giant_ancient-species_mystery_credit-Diego-Barletta_1s.webp" alt="Ancient sloths lived in trees, on mountains, in deserts, boreal forests and open savannahs. These differences in habitat are primarily what drove the wide difference in size between sloth species. Credit: Diego Barletta" class="wp-image-1971078"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ancient sloths lived in trees, on mountains, in deserts, boreal forests and open savannahs. These differences in habitat are primarily what drove the wide difference in size between sloth species. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Diego Barletta</figcaption></figure>



Sloths reached their peak size during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-were-likely-the-leading-cause-of-megafauna-extinctions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pleistocene</a> ice ages. But their giant size also made sloths vulnerable. When humans arrived in North America about 15,000 years ago, they began to vanish.



“About 15,000 years ago is when you really start to see the drop-off,” Narducci said. They were too slow to escape and too large to hide. Even sloths in the Caribbean, who lived in trees, eventually disappeared after humans arrived around the time the Egyptian pyramids were built.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-giant-sloths-to-tree-huggers">From giant sloths to tree huggers</h2>



This study shows how animals adapt - or don’t - when the world around them changes. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/international-sloth-day-embracing-a-slower-pace-of-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sloths grew and shrank</a> in response to Earth’s climate shifts, much like many species do today. Their story is a reminder of how closely life on Earth is tied to the environments we live in.



As researchers continue to study extinct sloths, we get a clearer picture of what ancient ecosystems looked like - and how life has always had to find new ways to survive.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu0704" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Lost world of giant sloths: Why did they shrink and when did it happen?

Sloths are famous for their laid-back lifestyle. They cling to...

A pair of far-flung galaxies has grabbed the spotlight by engaging in a high-speed collision that stretches our understanding of cosmic interactions. One galaxy is blasting the other with intense radiation, and astronomers say this barrage is limiting new star formation in the battered galaxy.



The study was led by Pasquier Noterdaeme from the<a href="https://www.iap.fr/?langue=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Paris Institute of Astrophysics</a> and the French-Chilean Laboratory for Astronomy in Chile and Sergei Balashev from the Ioffe Institute in St Petersburg, Russia.



The researchers noted that these two galaxies are racing toward each other at about 310 miles per second. Their study describes how this collision plays out when one <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-watched-an-entire-galaxy-turn-on-the-lights-in-real-time-black-hole-awoke/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy</a> packs a powerful quasar weapon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-collision-and-a-quasar-blast">Galaxy collision and a quasar blast</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/galaxies-are-much-bigger-than-we-originally-believed-gas-clouds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> lie more than 11 billion years in the past. Our current observations reveal them when the universe was only about 18% of its present age.



“We hence call this system the ‘cosmic joust,'” said Noterdaeme. One galaxy harbors a <a href="https://www.tmt.org/page/supermassive-black-holes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supermassive black hole</a> that unleashes extreme radiation and transforms ordinary gas clouds in its unwary companion. 



A quasar forms when enormous amounts of matter spiral into a supermassive black hole, shining with brightness that can outmatch entire galaxies. Such intensity can wreak havoc on star-forming gas if it blasts through a neighboring galaxy.



“Here we see for the first time the effect of a quasar’s radiation directly on the internal structure of the gas in an otherwise regular galaxy,” explained Balashev. 



Observations reveal that only the smallest, densest pockets of gas remain intact, which appear incapable of supporting much star formation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-galaxies-and-quasars">Evolution of galaxies and quasars</h2>



The intense radiation from the quasar didn’t just scatter the gas - it compressed what was left into tiny, dense clumps. These <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/molecular-clouds" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">molecular clouds</a> are far smaller than typical star-forming regions, some measuring less than 0.02 light-years across.



Astronomers estimate that these compact clouds are at least 100,000 times denser than the surrounding space. But even with their density, they’re too small to kickstart new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/galaxy-found-in-the-early-universe-that-shouldnt-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a>. 



This points to <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/0004-637X/820/1/10" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">negative feedback</a>, a process where energy from black holes actively shuts down star formation in surrounding areas.



Even though this galactic clash happened over 11 billion years ago, it's giving scientists a rare window into how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-geomagnetic-storm-reveals-earths-technological-vulnerabilities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> and quasars evolved in the early universe. Most of what we know about these processes comes from models or indirect observations.



Seeing a real-time <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/459/3/2618/2595170" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">example</a>, frozen in light that just reached us, helps confirm long-standing theories about how radiation from black holes can shut down star formation in nearby galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-telescopes-reveal-two-galaxies">Telescopes reveal two galaxies</h2>



By combining data from the <a href="https://public.nrao.edu/telescopes/alma/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array</a> and the <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/vlt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Very Large Telescope</a>, researchers were able to study the quasar’s light as it carved through the second galaxy. They found that what once looked like a single fuzzy object in older images turned out to be two galaxies in a fierce collision.



The team identified disruptions in the attacked galaxy’s gas clouds, linking them to the quasar’s intense radiation. Astronomers also discovered that the chaos supplies fresh gas to the ravenous black hole, prolonging its brutal assault.



The data came from two observatories located in the <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/first-time-in-atacama-desert" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Atacama Desert</a>, one of the driest places on Earth. These high-altitude sites offer some of the clearest views of the night sky, with minimal atmospheric interference.



<a href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/alma/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ALMA</a>’s ability to detect fine detail in millimeter wavelengths, combined with the VLT’s precise light analysis, made it possible to separate the two galaxies and trace the radiation's path through the victim galaxy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-aftermath-of-galaxy-collisions">The aftermath of galaxy collisions </h2>



“This will certainly allow us to push forward a deeper study of this, and other systems, to better understand the evolution of quasars and their effect on host and nearby <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-telescope-confirms-hubble-constant-our-understanding-of-universe-expansion-very-wrong/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a>,” said Noterdaeme. 



The researchers predict that future instruments like the <a href="https://elt.eso.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Extremely Large Telescope</a> could investigate the aftermath of such collisions in closer detail. 



When galaxies collide, they don’t just create chaos, they also feed the supermassive black holes at their centers. These mergers funnel gas and dust inward, giving black holes the fuel they need to flare up as quasars.



This process explains why quasars were more common in the early universe. Galaxy interactions were far more frequent, and each one offered another chance for a black hole to ignite and reshape its surroundings.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08966-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



Image Credit: ESO / M. Kornmesser.



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Ancient galaxy collision reveals a quasar shutting down star birth

A pair of far-flung galaxies has grabbed the spotlight by...

Honey bees are essential for the production of many foods people enjoy daily. In recent months, beekeepers across the country have <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/650342507631075013d25a2c/t/67ee7771794a6241afde95aa/1743681414601/PAm+Complete+Colony+Losses+Survey+Summary+Apr+2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> a widespread loss of bee hives and colonies, with some commercial operations sustaining major economic hits.



<a href="https://cals.cornell.edu/wayne-anderson" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wayne Anderson</a> from Cornell University has been working behind the scenes to gather samples and investigate potential causes. 



His team hopes that a closer look at pollen, wax, and bees will offer tangible clues about what’s hurting these crucial pollinators.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-examining-bee-hive-clues">Examining bee hive clues</h2>



Researchers <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/br/ccd/index/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a> that up to 60% of managed honey bee colonies in the United States have been lost this year, leading to an estimated $139 million in financial <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/650342507631075013d25a2c/t/67ee7771794a6241afde95aa/1743681414601/PAm+Complete+Colony+Losses+Survey+Summary+Apr+2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">setbacks</a> for beekeepers. 



Many beekeepers first noticed trouble during the buildup to almond pollination season in California, which usually draws around 70% of all U.S. hives each year.



“Based on early numbers that are coming in, it’s suggestive that this will be the biggest loss of honey bee colonies in U.S. history,” said <a href="https://cals.cornell.edu/scott-mcart" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scott McArt</a>, associate professor of entomology and program director for the Dyce Lab for Honey Bee Studies at Cornell. 



Their <a href="https://cals.cornell.edu/pollinator-network/beekeeping" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> focuses on analyzing samples with mass spectrometry methods, which can detect even trace levels of harmful chemicals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chemical-questions">Chemical questions</h2>



Some beekeepers worry that certain <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19706391/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pesticides or fungicides</a> used in farming might compromise bee health. Even a small amount of chemical residue in pollen can have an impact on bee nutrition and immunity.



Wayne Anderson has been processing hundreds of these samples in a specialized lab. By looking at chemical signatures, his group hopes to reveal whether specific substances in wax or honey are contributing to colony losses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bee-hive-parasites">Bee hive parasites</h2>



<a href="https://beeaware.org.au/archive-pest/varroa-mites/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Varroa mites</a> often top the list of threats. These mites feed on bee blood and can spread viruses that weaken entire colonies.



In severe cases, the colony can collapse quickly after mite populations spiral out of control. 



Researchers at several institutions are running parallel <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/60500500/PDFFiles/501-600/582-Rinkevich--Influence%20of%20Varroa%20Mite.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> to measure how effective current mite treatments are and whether resistance to those treatments is emerging.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nutritional-challenges">Nutritional challenges</h2>



Urban expansion and the rise of single-crop agriculture reduce the variety of blooms that bees rely on for food. Many beekeepers provide supplemental sugar or protein to give hives a boost, but that is not always enough.



A shortage of high-quality forage can leave bees more vulnerable to stressors. 



Some experts suspect that limited natural nutrition might amplify the effects of viruses and chemicals, making each hive more fragile.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hopes-for-answers">Hopes for answers</h2>



Scientists at the <a href="https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2024/usda-researchers-use-an-edible-blue-green-algae-to-protect-honey-bees-against-viruses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Department of Agriculture</a> are testing bees for viruses, mites, and new pathogens. McArt’s group aims to complement those efforts by speeding up the turnaround time for pesticide analyses.



Wayne Anderson believes that results from their combined work will offer a clearer picture of what is harming bees. They hope to finish initial testing soon and share the data with apiculture groups across the country.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-collaboration-is-key">Collaboration is key</h2>



Commercial beekeepers, small-scale hobbyists, and research labs have pulled together resources to address these alarming losses. 



They regularly exchange updates about colony health, management techniques, and findings from lab analyses.



Experts say that everyone benefits when new data are made public. That openness keeps all parties informed and helps farmers reduce potential risks to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-bee-day-2025-protecting-the-pollinators-that-feed-the-world/">bees</a> during crucial pollination periods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-operations-pushed-to-the-edge">Small operations pushed to the edge</h2>



Smaller beekeeping businesses are facing especially steep challenges. Without the financial cushion of large-scale operations, many are struggling to recover from the cost of lost colonies and reduced honey output.



Some may not survive the year. Rebuilding a hive from scratch takes time, resources, and healthy queens, which are also in short supply. A small hive cannot be split to rebuild numbers, and it won’t produce honey either.



Large-scale pollination services remain a <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0004071" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">major pillar of American agriculture</a>. Some orchard owners now pay premium prices to secure strong, healthy hives for their crops.



Policymakers and extension services are also weighing in. Better habitat conservation, improved pest management, and ongoing education could give <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-dangers-threaten-the-survival-of-bees-and-pollinators/">bees</a> the support they need to bounce back.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-losing-bee-hives-has-ripple-effects">Losing bee hives has ripple effects</h2>



The pollination crisis doesn’t just affect bees and beekeepers. Farmers who rely on rented hives to pollinate almonds, apples, melons, and other crops are already seeing fewer bees available, and at higher prices.



With fewer colonies to go around, some crops may suffer from poor yields or reduced quality. This can trickle down to consumers through increased grocery bills or limited availability of certain foods.



If the pollination shortage continues, shoppers may see higher prices for fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Local honey supplies could shrink too, making it harder to find or more expensive.



There’s still hope that focused efforts can stop the decline in honey <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bee-survival-depends-on-more-than-just-pollen-abundance/">bee</a> numbers. Researchers are working hard to find practical ways for beekeepers to safeguard their hives and support a healthy environment.



Strong collaboration between scientists, farmers, and beekeepers will be key to moving forward. Everyone has a role to play in keeping pollinators, and our food system, alive and thriving.



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Scientists are highly concerned that so many bee hives have disappeared

Honey bees are essential for the production of many foods...

Caribbean,Sea,Covered,By,Sargasso,Algae.,Seaweed,Top,View

The Atlantic Ocean holds a secret: a patch of calm water ringed by swift currents, sitting about 590 miles east of Florida yet never touching land. Known as the Sargasso Sea, sailors have crossed it for centuries, but few notice the border when they slip into glassy indigo waters. 



Those who linger find the surface scattered with golden-brown seaweed - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-drives-the-great-atlantic-sargassum-belt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sargassum</a> - named for the Portuguese word sargaço, a type of grape-like algae. The plants bob in slow motion, rolling gently like tumbleweeds on a prairie of water.



Within minutes, the stillness feels uncanny. No surf pounds. No gulls scream from cliffs. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sargassum-seaweed-a-growing-problem-could-become-a-sustainable-solution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The seaweed</a>, however, bursts with residents: shrimp the size of rice grains, neon juvenile fish, porcelain-white crabs, and even young loggerhead turtles paddling their first miles of life. 



This floating cover grows so thick that early Spanish crews feared their wooden caravels would halt and “never again feel a breath of wind,” as Christopher Columbus wrote in 1492.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-sargasso-sea-holds-a-drifting-forest">The Sargasso Sea holds a drifting forest</h2>



Strip away the romance, and the Sargasso Sea looks like an 800-mile-wide nursery. Scientists call the drifting mats “habitat islands,” and for good reason. Hatchling turtles hide here until their shells harden.



Porbeagle sharks cruise the shade below, while Bermuda storm-petrels skim the fringe, plucking shrimp in mid-dive.



Researchers have counted more than 100 invertebrate species clinging to the weed—tiny colonists that hitch a ride for years before the mats eventually break apart.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-cycles-in-migration">Life cycles in migration</h2>



European and American eels begin their lives beneath these mats, no bigger than clear threads. They drift west or east on ocean currents, slip into rivers as far inland as Indiana, then, after decades in freshwater, swim back the entire 3,000-mile journey to spawn once and die. 



How they locate the same watery cradle baffles zoologists. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-humpback-whales-are-born-in-places-we-didnt-expect/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humpback whales</a> also cross the sea each spring, and high-speed tuna streak through on their way to spawning grounds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unique-climate-engine-calls-the-shots">Unique climate engine calls the shots</h2>



Longtime observers quickly learn that calm water masks heavy lifting. In summer, the surface warms to about 82–86 °F; in winter, it cools to roughly 64–68 °F. 



Those seasonal swings drive mixing that helps push warm, salty water northward and return cooler water south - a conveyor that steadies weather patterns on both sides of the Atlantic. 



The open water also pulls carbon dioxide from the air, locking it into plankton shells that eventually snow to the seafloor.



Only after two years of sampling did chemical oceanographer Nicholas Bates and colleagues at the <a href="https://bios.asu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences</a> realize just how much heat the sea was absorbing. 



“The ocean is the warmest it’s been for ‘millions and millions of years,’” he told LiveScience, warning that the trend could reshape “where it rains or where it doesn’t.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-problems-threaten-the-sargasso-sea">Human problems threaten the Sargasso Sea</h2>



Jules Verne once called the Sargasso “a perfect lake in the open Atlantic.” Today that lake collects trash from four converging currents: the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/collapse-of-main-atlantic-ocean-circulaton-current-amoc-is-already-happening/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">North Atlantic Current</a>, Canary Current, North Equatorial Current, and Antilles Current. 



Those loops act like a mile-wide drain, funneling plastic bags, bottle caps, and ghost fishing gear into a slowly rotating slick. 



One survey estimated roughly 200,000 pieces of debris per square kilometer - about 518,000 pieces per square mile - spreading for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-hotspots-currents-identified-cleanup-efforts-great-pacific-garbage-patch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">several hundred miles</a>.



Underwater microphones pick up the growl of cargo vessels cutting straight through mats. Propellers shred the weed; paint chips flake from hulls, releasing copper and zinc. 



Noise can mask the low-frequency calls of sperm whales passing beneath. Meanwhile, floating nets entangle juvenile turtles exactly where they once found refuge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-change-through-decades">Tracking change through decades</h2>



Researchers have monitored these waters near Bermuda since 1954, recording temperature, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caribbean-salt-affects-global-climate-study-reveals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">salinity</a>, dissolved oxygen, and pH every month. 



Instruments show that winter water is slightly saltier than summer water, thanks to dry winds that whisk moisture off the surface, while rainfall each June and July freshens the mix. 



Since the 1980s, the average temperature has climbed roughly 1 °C - a small number that packs a punch. Warmer layers resist vertical mixing, starving deeper water of oxygen and hoarding nutrients that would normally rise to feed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-from-africa-sparked-a-massive-phytoplankton-bloom/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plankton blooms</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sargasso-sea_map-location_credit-Bates-Johnson_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sargasso-sea_map-location_credit-Bates-Johnson_1s.webp" alt="Location map of the island of Bermuda and two ocean time-series (Hydrostation S, 1954 to present; and the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series, BATS, 1988 to present) sites. The position of the Ocean Flux Program (OFP, 1978 to present; deep ocean sediment trap program) is also shown. Ruth Curry is thanked for the main panel figure which is modified here. Credit: Bates and Johnson" class="wp-image-1970759"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Location map of the island of Bermuda and two ocean time-series (Hydrostation S, 1954 to present; and the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series, BATS, 1988 to present) sites. The position of the Ocean Flux Program (OFP, 1978 to present; deep ocean sediment trap program) is also shown. Ruth Curry is thanked for the main panel figure which is modified here. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Bates and Johnson</figcaption></figure>



Scientists have developed new metrics, such as “salinity anomaly” maps and basin-scale alkalinity indices, to compare one year to the next. 



Paired with drifting Argo floats and satellite color scans, the 60-year record has become a gold standard for tracking ocean acidification.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-race-against-warmth">Race against warmth</h2>



<a href="https://www.sargassoseacommission.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Sargasso Sea Commission</a>, an intergovernmental body formed in 2014, calls the region a “haven of biodiversity” and urges countries to designate shipping lanes that skirt dense mats. 



Marine protected area status remains complicated; no nation owns the sea, and enforcement on the high seas is costly. 



Yet conservationists note that simple steps - rerouting tankers by 50 miles or banning longline fishing during peak turtle season - could preserve critical habitat without hampering trade.



Policy moves slowly, while climate shifts quickly. 



Between stronger hurricanes and hotter summers, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/robot-discovers-surprising-food-source-sargassum-for-deep-ocean-creatures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sargassum</a> now grows so prolifically in the Caribbean that beach resorts hire bulldozers to clear it. Excess weed sinks, rots, and releases greenhouse gases, turning a carbon sink into a source. 



Paradoxically, the very organism that lends the sea its name may become a casualty of warming if rising acidity weakens its holdfasts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-importance-of-protecting-the-sargasso-sea">Importance of protecting the Sargasso Sea</h2>



If we lose the Sargasso Sea, rivers from Newfoundland to the Gulf of Mexico would send eels searching in vain for a birthplace erased by heat. 



Humpbacks might arrive in spring to find the larder bare. Storm tracks over Europe could drift, and the Atlantic might store even more of the planet’s excess heat, accelerating feedback loops we scarcely understand.



Governments are now weighing a treaty to curb plastic discharge at sea and expand no-take zones around key migratory corridors. 



Shipping firms experiment with quieter propeller designs and biodegradable packing bands. None of these fixes alone will restore the Sargasso, but together they could keep the floating forest alive long enough for cooler heads - and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-hidden-skin-could-protect-us-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cooler oceans</a> - to prevail.



For something that looks like an empty patch of blue on a map, the Sargasso Sea manages to knit continents together, nourish creatures halfway across the world, and offer humanity a running log of planetary change. 



The still water speaks softly, but its message rings clear: protect the calm, or brace for the storm that follows.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1289931/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.



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Earth has one sea that touches no land, because it has no shore

The Atlantic Ocean holds a secret: a patch of calm...

Our solar system once had nine planets, but things changed when Pluto lost its planetary status in 2006. Ever since, astronomers worldwide have hunted for signs that we might still have a ninth planet out there, hanging way beyond Neptune.



<a href="https://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/people/nikku.madhusudhan" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nikku Madhusudhan</a> from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cambridge</a> has been part of a team that found hints of life on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01264-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">K2-18b</a>, a distant exoplanet. 



<a href="https://mikebrown.caltech.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mike Brown</a> from Caltech has also studied potential evidence for a new planet in our outer neighborhood, and these investigations have sparked conversations about reviving the count to nine.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-searching-the-far-reaches">Searching the far reaches</h2>



Researchers at a university in Taiwan believe a Neptune-sized object could be wandering roughly 46.5 to 65.1 billion miles from the sun. 



Their fresh findings are based on two deep infrared surveys taken more than two decades apart, with equipment sensitive enough to detect a faint <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-ever-recorded-planetary-engulfment-event-captured-by-webb/">planetary</a> glow.



Infrared data from 1983 and 2006 offered a rare chance to see if something moved slightly between observations. 



A possible candidate popped up, and the group thinks it might take 10,000 to 20,000 years to orbit the sun.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-signs-in-the-icy-belt">Signs in the icy belt</h2>



Astronomers have long paid attention to the <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/kuiper-belt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kuiper Belt</a>, a region filled with icy bodies past Neptune. 



There are a few strange patterns in that zone, including clumps of objects that appear to be pulled together by a large, unseen force.



In addition, some Kuiper Belt objects move in the opposite direction from everything else, according to NASA. 



A planet hanging out far away could be responsible for that pull, giving weight to the idea that our cosmic family might not be done at eight members.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-pluto-s-shadow">Beyond Pluto's shadow</h2>



<a href="https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/astronomy/item/why-is-pluto-no-longer-a-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pluto got reclassified</a> because its path overlaps with other objects. The new definition says a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/habitable-exoplanet-gliese-12-b-only-40-light-years-away-earth-like-temperatures/">planet</a> must clear its orbital path of other large bodies, and Pluto doesn’t do that.



If this new world exists, it seems to be doing just that. It would reflect only a faint glimmer of sunlight, suggesting it might have a mass in the same league as Neptune and enough gravity to keep smaller objects in line.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-big-is-it-and-what-is-it-made-of">How big is it, and what is it made of</h2>



Researchers estimate that if this object exists, it could weigh between seven and seventeen times as much as Earth. That puts it in the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/examining-ice-giants-with-nasas-webb-telescope/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice giant</a> category, similar to Uranus or Neptune, rather than a rocky planet like Earth or Mars.



Because it's so far from the sun, its temperature could range from –370°F to –360°F. It may have a thick atmosphere of gas and ice, but it wouldn’t reflect much sunlight. 



This makes it hard to detect using normal telescopes, especially in visible light.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clues-from-old-surveys">Clues from old surveys</h2>



Infrared telescopes in space help scientists see objects too dim for optical telescopes. In 1983, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite scanned the sky and recorded everything from asteroids to dusty galaxies.



Then <a href="https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/data/AKARI/documentation/Doi_AKARI_FIR_AllSkySurvey.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AKARI</a>, a Japanese satellite, ran its own survey years later. Comparing both sets revealed an object that might have shifted slightly, an indication it could be a slow-moving planet rather than a stationary background source.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-surprises-in-space">Other surprises in space</h2>



Efforts to spot a new planet come at a time when exoplanet research is booming. Some astronomers studying distant worlds have already observed unusual atmospheres and molecules.



In 2020, scientists announced they found an <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/wd-1856534-b/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exoplanet</a> with the coldest temperature ever measured. These sorts of discoveries keep pushing researchers to question what else might be hiding in plain sight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cautious-optimism">Cautious optimism</h2>



Many in the field are excited, but they aren’t jumping the gun. The data so far can’t confirm a full orbit, and some astronomers want follow-up observations by powerful ground-based or space-based instruments.



The candidate only showed up in two sets of historical images, so fresh images will be crucial. A few more confirmed sightings could lock down whether this body follows a planetary path or if it’s just something else in the darkness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-moves">Next moves</h2>



Teams plan to check the same area of sky again. They hope to see if that tiny signal keeps inching along at a pace you’d expect for an object well past Neptune.



If a consistent pattern emerges, the final piece could be placed in our solar puzzle. Scientists who once thought the Pluto downgrade ended the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-planet-named-enaiposha-is-unlike-anything-in-our-solar-system/">planet</a> lineup might soon have reason to rethink the count.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-if-planet-nine-is-real">What happens if planet nine is real</h2>



If Planet Nine turns out to be real, it could force a major rewrite of astronomy textbooks. 



Our understanding of how the solar system formed would need to include a new piece: a distant giant that somehow escaped detection for decades.



It might also change how we look for planets around other stars. If our own system hides a world this far out, then similar hidden giants could be common elsewhere - and we’ve probably missed many of them.



The study is published in <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.17288" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia</a>.



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Astronomers announce evidence suggesting that our solar system has nine planets again

Our solar system once had nine planets, but things changed...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Luminous spiral galaxy and a blue giant star

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