Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the galaxy ESO 300-16, which is located 28.7 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus. 



The galaxy is part of the ESO (European Southern Observatory) catalog, which includes a vast collection of galaxies observed in the southern hemisphere.



ESO 300-16 is notable for its chaotic structure, lacking the well-defined <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/hubble-captures-a-collection-of-spiral-galaxies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spiral arms</a> or elliptical shape seen in many other galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ghostly-assemblage-of-stars">Ghostly assemblage of stars</h2>



According to <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>, ESO 300-16 is a ghostly assemblage of stars which resembles a sparkling cloud.&nbsp;



"A rogue’s gallery of distant galaxies and foreground stars complete this astronomical portrait, which was captured by the Advanced Camera for Surveys," said ESA.



"This observation is one of a series which aims to get to know our galactic neighbors; around three quarters of the known galaxies suspected to lie within 10 megaparsecs of Earth have been observed by Hubble in enough detail to resolve their brightest stars and establish the distances to these galaxies."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-irregular-galaxy-structure">Irregular galaxy structure </h2>



ESO 300-16 lies at a relatively close distance to Earth compared to many other extragalactic objects, making it an interesting target for studies on galaxy formation and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-galactic-explosion-provides-clues-about-galaxy-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolution</a>. 



The galaxy's irregular structure suggests that it may have undergone past interactions with other galaxies or is in a stage of dynamic evolution.



One of the most striking features of ESO 300-16 is its wispy, diffuse appearance, with scattered patches of bright star-forming regions embedded within a fainter background. This indicates ongoing star formation, which is a common characteristic of irregular galaxies. 



Unlike large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-mesmerizing-beauty-of-spiral-galaxies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spiral galaxies</a>, where star formation is often concentrated in well-organized arms, ESO 300-16's active regions are more randomly distributed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-raw-material-for-star-formation">Raw material for star formation</h2>



Due to its irregular nature, the galaxy does not have a well-defined nucleus. Instead, it appears as a loose collection of stars, gas, and dust, which astronomers can study to understand the processes shaping such galaxies. 



Irregular galaxies like ESO 300-16 are often rich in gas and dust, providing the raw material for new stars to form. 



Observations in different wavelengths, such as infrared and ultraviolet, can help reveal the presence of young, hot stars and cooler dust clouds that might be sites of future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/star-formation-reignited-in-the-galaxy-leo-p-after-billions-of-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-the-evolution-of-galaxies">Studying the evolution of galaxies </h2>



Hubble observations of ESO 300-16 provide insight into the structure and stellar populations of the galaxy, helping astronomers piece together its history and evolutionary path. 



The study of galaxies like ESO 300-16 contributes to our broader understanding of how galaxies form and evolve, especially those that do not fit into the traditional classifications of spirals and ellipticals.



Because irregular galaxies are often shaped by gravitational interactions or past mergers, ESO 300-16 may have had a turbulent past. 



It could have once been part of a larger system before being disrupted, or it might have formed in an environment where gravitational influences from nearby galaxies prevented it from developing a more regular shape. 



Studying its motion and the distribution of its stars can provide clues about any past interactions it may have experienced.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-glimpse-into-the-early-universe">A glimpse into the early universe </h2>



ESO 300-16 also provides a glimpse into what some galaxies in the early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/universe-is-expanding-faster-than-science-can-explain-hubble-tension-physics-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a> might have looked like. 



Many early galaxies were irregular in shape before evolving into more structured forms over time. As a result, studying nearby irregular galaxies like ESO 300-16 can offer valuable analogs for understanding galaxy formation in the distant past.



Although ESO 300-16 is not one of the most famous galaxies, it remains an important object for astronomers studying irregular galaxies, star formation, and the role of interactions in shaping galactic structures. 



Image Credit: ESA



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Ghostly galaxy in the constellation Eridanus

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the galaxy ESO 300-16, which is located 28.7 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus. The galaxy is part of the ESO (European Southern Observatory) catalog, which includes a vast collection of galaxies observed in the southern hemisphere. ESO 300-16 is notable for its chaotic structure, lacking the well-defined spiral arms or elliptical shape seen in many other galaxies. Ghostly assemblage of stars According to ESA, ESO 300-16 is a ghostly...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a portion of the Rosetta Nebula, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope.



The Rosetta Nebula is a vast cloud of gas and dust located in the constellation Monoceros, also known as the Unicorn. Shaped like a blooming rose in deep space, it lies about 5,200 light-years from Earth and spans roughly 100 light-years in diameter.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-image-of-the-rosetta-nebula-nbsp">Image of the Rosetta Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



“<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/35-years-of-hubble-the-telescope-that-changed-our-view-of-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble</a> zooms into a small portion of the nebula that is only four light-years across (the approximate distance between our Sun and the neighboring Alpha Centauri star system),” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“Dark clouds of hydrogen gas laced with dust are silhouetted across the image. The clouds are being eroded and shaped by the seething radiation from the cluster of larger stars in the center of the nebula.”&nbsp;



“An embedded star seen at the tip of a dark cloud in the upper right portion of the image is launching jets of plasma that are crashing into the cold cloud around it. The resulting shock wave is causing a red glow. The colors come from the presence of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-distinct-appearance-of-rosetta">Distinct appearance of Rosetta</h2>



Stellar winds and ultraviolet light are gradually carving out a cavity in the nebula’s center while simultaneously triggering new waves of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> along its dense edges.&nbsp;



The Rosetta Nebula is often studied to understand the life cycle of stars and the complex interactions between radiation and interstellar material.&nbsp;



Its intricate structure and visual appeal have made it a favorite target for both professional astronomers and astrophotographers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nebulae-that-are-similar-to-rosetta-nbsp">Nebulae that are similar to Rosetta&nbsp;</h2>



Compared to other famous nebulae, the Rosetta Nebula stands out for its symmetry and floral appearance, which give it a distinct, iconic look. It's often compared to the Orion Nebula, which is much closer to Earth at about 1,300 light-years away and far brighter in the night sky.&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/orion-nebula-destroys-an-oceans-worth-of-water-every-month/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orion Nebula</a> is a bustling stellar nursery visible even to the naked eye, while the Rosetta requires a telescope and is more diffuse and fainter despite being larger in actual size.



The Eagle Nebula, home to the famous "Pillars of Creation," shares a similar process of star formation and sculpting by radiation, but the Eagle has more dramatic, finger-like structures.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stellar-feedback-and-cosmic-evolution">Stellar feedback and cosmic evolution</h2>



The Lagoon Nebula and the Trifid Nebula, both in the constellation Sagittarius, also resemble the Rosetta in that they are active star-forming regions, but they lie in a denser part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-found-something-strange-at-core-of-milky-way-galaxy-webb-meerkat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a> and are often surrounded by a rich starfield.



What makes the Rosetta Nebula particularly interesting scientifically is the clear interaction between its central star cluster and the surrounding gas, offering a textbook example of how massive stars influence their environment.&nbsp;



It may not be as visually iconic as the Orion or as dynamic as the Eagle, but it's a beautiful and instructive example of stellar feedback and cosmic evolution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-history-of-the-rosetta-nebula-nbsp">History of the Rosetta Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



The history of the Rosetta Nebula, like many deep-sky objects, is a blend of observational discovery and increasing scientific understanding over time.&nbsp;



Although it was likely spotted by earlier astronomers, its first documented observation was in the late 17th century by John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal of England.&nbsp;



However, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nebula</a> itself was not fully recognized as a distinct object until the advent of astrophotography and improved telescopes in the 19th and 20th centuries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-clusters-of-the-enormous-cloud">Star clusters of the enormous cloud</h2>



The central star cluster, NGC 2244, was cataloged separately by William Herschel in the 18th century. Over time, astronomers realized that this cluster was embedded in a much larger, complex nebular structure.&nbsp;



As telescope technology advanced, astronomers identified several parts of the Rosetta Nebula and gave them separate designations, including NGC 2237, NGC 2238, NGC 2239, and NGC 2246 - essentially referring to different regions of the same enormous cloud.



Observations from space-based telescopes like Chandra (X-rays) and Spitzer (infrared) helped map the energetic processes inside the nebula, revealing how radiation and stellar winds from NGC 2244 are triggering the birth of new stars in its surrounding regions.



Image Credit: ESA



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Rosetta Nebula: Sculpted by starlight over millions of years

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the first major snowstorm of fall 2021 in South America. The photograph captures snow on the Andes Mountains near central Chile and Argentina. 

While this particular snowfall event was typical, a rare storm occurred in the region four months earlier in the middle of austral summer.

“These are beneficial storms, forming the seasonal snowpack during winter that gives water in spring and summer,” said René Garreaud, an Earth scientist at the University of Chile. “Central Chile has experienced a prolonged drought, so all of these winter storms are truly welcome.”

“The January event was truly extraordinary. Central Chile is bone-dry during summer, except for a few scattered convective storms over the highest peak of the Andes. But this event was like a winter storm - and quite a surprise.”

Given that the summer snowstorm occurred in a relatively warm environment, snow was restricted to the highest peaks and areas over 3,500 meters in elevation, explained NASA. Most of the precipitation fell as rain, causing flash flooding and damaging landslides. 

The image was acquired on May 23, 2021 with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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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

First snowstorm of 2021 in South America

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Satellite imagery exposes illegal gold mining in Ghana Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> shows gold mining encroachment in the Upper Wassaw Forest Reserve in southwestern Ghana. Out of 28 protected areas in this region, Upper Wassaw has the most gold mining. 

Ghana is the seventh leading producer of gold in the world. According to<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=nasa&amp;cvid=ede71ed84daa4580afd4bdc292505335&amp;aqs=edge.0.69i59j0l6.992j0j9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> NASA</a>, large commercial companies mine the majority of it using heavy machinery, but about 35 percent is extracted through small-scale mines, many of which operate informally or without a valid license. Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It spans along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean, sharing borders with the Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east, the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean in the south. Ghana covers an area of 238,535 km (92,099 sq mi), with a population of 31 million. It is the second-most populous country in West Africa, after Nigeria; and Accra is its capital and largest city. Satellite imagery exposes illegal gold mining in Ghana

“Local authorities may have knowledge about a specific area, but if the mines are scattered all over the place, then they are difficult to find,” said Foster Mensah, executive director at the Center for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services (CERSGIS) in Ghana. “The maps and products we can generate through satellite imagery help them see areas that need attention and intervention.”

The CERSGIS team has been working with Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency and its Forestry Commission to highlight areas where mining is affecting forest coverage and degradation. 

“It boils down to providing authorities information and data they did not have before, especially over a wide area,” said Mensah. “The satellite data is cost effective and gives them a head start on how to pinpoint mining hot spots that need immediate attention.”

The image was captured on April 30, 2020, by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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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

Satellite imagery exposes illegal gold mining in Ghana

Satellite imagery exposes illegal gold mining in Ghana Today's Image...

Popigai crater is one of the largest on Earth Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the Popigai crater in northern Siberia, which is the fourth largest verified impact crater on Earth.

Popigai crater is one of the largest on Earth The crater was formed about 36 million years ago by an asteroid between three and five miles wide that was moving at a speed of about 12 miles per second. 

The depression sinks about 500 to 650 feet below the surrounding land. It is located about 100 kilometers from the Laptev Sea coast. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north%20america&amp;qs=n&amp;form=QBRE&amp;sp=-1&amp;pq=&amp;sc=0-0&amp;sk=&amp;cvid=2A486C7EEB7F4DC9A48B1971A274D39A">North America</a> is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The image was created using Blue Marble data, a cloud-free composite of monthly observations from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations. 

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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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

Popigai crater is one of the largest on Earth

Popigai crater is one of the largest on Earth Today's...

The city of Dehli, India's national capital territory Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Delhi, the capital territory of India and the fifth largest urban region in the world. 

In 2021, the population of Delhi and the surrounding metropolitan areas surpassed 31 million people. This region now links the surrounding cities of Ghaziabad, Greater Noida, Faridabad, and Gurgaon.

According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-will-soon-observe-thousands-of-exploding-stars/">NASA,</a> this urbanized area collectively stretches for 45 miles along the Yamuna River. 

The city of Dehli, India's national capital territory The image was captured by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS)  on February 23, 2021. 

Image C North America is a continent entirely within the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north%20america&amp;qs=n&amp;form=QBRE&amp;sp=-1&amp;pq=&amp;sc=0-0&amp;sk=&amp;cvid=2A486C7EEB7F4DC9A48B1971A274D39A">Northern Hemisphere</a> and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.redit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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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

The city of Dehli, India's national capital territory

The city of Dehli, India's national capital territory Today's Image...

The Eponymous NGC 691

Hubble captures the spiral galaxy NGC 691 Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the spiral galaxy NGC 691, captured in remarkable detail by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Located in the constellation Aries, the galaxy is located at a distance of about 120 million light years from Earth. North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Hubble uses a range of filters to view objects such as NGC 691, which was discovered by William Herschel on November 13, 1786. 

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

Hubble captures the spiral galaxy NGC 691

Hubble captures the spiral galaxy NGC 691 Today's Image of...

Radar image of Houston, Texas Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features a satellite view of Houston, Texas from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar mission.

The city appears in shades of white and grey, while the surrounding land appears in shades of yellow. The Gulf of Mexico, as well as the bayous that dissect Houston, are dark blue.

Buffalo Bayou is a slow-moving river that cuts through the city before joining Galveston Bay, the largest estuary in Texas.  North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The Port of Houston, which spreads across 50 miles in the northwest section of the bay, is one of the busiest ports in the world.

With a population of over 2.3 million people, Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States.

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

Radar image of Houston, Texas

Radar image of Houston, Texas Today's Image of the Day...

Cyclone Yaas flooded hundreds of villages in Bangladesh Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Cyclone Yaas, which hit the northeast region of India in the Bay of Bengal.

The India Meteorological Department reports that Cyclone Yaas made landfall on the north Odisha coast near Balasore at 10:30 local time on May 26, 2021. The storm had sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, the equivalent of a category 1 hurricane. 

According to<a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-will-soon-observe-thousands-of-exploding-stars/"> NASA,</a> Yaas coincided with a perigean spring tide - an especially high tide caused by the Moon and Sun being slightly closer to Earth than usual. North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface

The storm flooded hundreds of villages in Bangladesh, as well as tens of thousands of mud houses in West Bengal.

The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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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

Cyclone Yaas flooded hundreds of villages in Bangladesh

Cyclone Yaas flooded hundreds of villages in Bangladesh Today's Image...

The North and South Islands of New Zealand The North and South Islands of New Zealand Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Cook Strait, which separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand.

The North and South Islands of New Zealand The snow-covered Southern Alps are visible along the west coast of the South Island. On the other side of the island are bright turquoise colors in the water that represent sediment mixing with the ocean water and the presence of algal blooms. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north%20america&amp;qs=n&amp;form=QBRE&amp;sp=-1&amp;pq=&amp;sc=0-0&amp;sk=&amp;cvid=2A486C7EEB7F4DC9A48B1971A274D39A">North America</a> is a continent entirely within the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=north%20america&amp;qs=n&amp;form=QBRE&amp;sp=-1&amp;pq=&amp;sc=0-0&amp;sk=&amp;cvid=2A486C7EEB7F4DC9A48B1971A274D39A">Northern Hemisphere</a> and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe. North America is a continent entirely within the Northern Hemisphere and almost all within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically. North America covers an area of about 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), about 16.5% of the Earth's land area and about 4.8% of its total surface. North America is the third-largest continent by area, following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by population after Asia, Africa, and Europe.

A body of water called Lake Wairarapa can be seen on the southern tip of the North Island. This lake is surrounded by wetlands and farms, and contains visibly high concentrations of sediment.

The image was captured on August 22, 2018 by the Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite.

Image Credit: ESA  

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The North and South Islands of New Zealand

 The North and South Islands of New Zealand The North...

Scientists have proposed a new explanation for dark matter and how the elusive substance that anchors galaxies might have taken shape in the newborn universe.



The scenario begins with weightless particles zipping through the cosmic furnace and ends with a chill population of massive pairs that could still be drifting through space today.



The work - carried out by physicists at <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dartmouth College</a> - offers predictions that astronomers can check against existing observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background, the after-glow of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/if-the-big-bang-theory-is-correct-what-exactly-happened/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Big Bang</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-particles-after-the-big-bang">Particles after the Big Bang </h2>



“Dark matter <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/existence-of-dark-matter-confirmed-by-new-study/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">started its life</a> as near-massless relativistic particles, almost like light,” said Robert Caldwell, senior author of the study. “That’s totally antithetical to what dark matter is thought to be - it is cold lumps that give galaxies their mass.”



In the model designed by Caldwell and undergraduate researcher Guanming Liang, countless high-energy quanta filled the universe just after the Big Bang. These particles, similar to the photons that carry light, hurtled about at near-light speed.



Under certain conditions, two such quanta could lock together because their spins pointed in opposite directions, rather like the attraction between the north and south poles of tiny magnets. 



The moment they bonded, the new entity’s energy plummeted and its inertia skyrocketed. Within a flash it went from a racing ray to a hefty relic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-sudden-drop-in-energy"><a></a>A sudden drop in energy</h2>



“The most unexpected part of our mathematical model was the energy plummet that bridges the high-density energy and the lumpy low energy,” Liang explained.



The researchers liken the transformation to steam condensing into water - a hot, diffuse gas suddenly collapses into a cooler, denser phase.



“At that stage, it's like these pairs were getting ready to become dark matter,” Caldwell said. “This phase transition helps explain the abundance of dark matter we can detect today. It sprang from the high-density cluster of extremely energetic particles that was the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-planets-formed-in-the-harsh-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early universe</a>.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cooper-pairs-as-a-clue"><a></a>Cooper pairs as a clue</h2>



The paper introduces a brand-new particle to trigger the shift, yet the authors argue that nature already provides a parallel. In certain superconducting metals, two <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massless-dirac-electrons-seen-moving-in-four-dimensions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">electrons</a> with opposite spins form so-called Cooper pairs that glide without electrical resistance.



“We looked toward superconductivity for clues as to whether a certain interaction could cause energy to drop so suddenly,” Caldwell noted. “Cooper pairs prove that the mechanism exists.”



If the analogy holds, the relic pairs born in the cosmic dawn would have cooled into a nearly pressure-free state - a key hallmark of the unseen matter whose <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/theory-gravity-exists-without-mass-so-dark-matter-does-not-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravity</a> sculpts galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-simple-model-for-dark-matter">A simple model for dark matter</h2>



Dark matter accounts for roughly eighty-five percent of all mass, yet the universe’s overall energy density has fallen dramatically since its first moments.



Liang points out that the new theory addresses both facts at once: “Structures get their mass due to the density of cold dark matter, but there also has to be a mechanism wherein energy density drops to close to what we see today.”



The abrupt condensation of massless quanta into massive pairs drains energy from the radiation budget while boosting the matter budget, squaring theory with observation.



“The mathematical model of our theory is really beautiful because it's rather simplistic - you don't need to build a lot of things into the system for it to work,” said Liang. “It builds on concepts and timelines we know exist.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-signature-written-in-ancient-light">A signature written in ancient light</h2>



Because the transition would have left the paired particles almost motionless, the team predicts a distinctive imprint on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/universe-more-complicated-less-clumpy-than-it-should-be-cosmic-microwave-background-cmb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic microwave background</a>.



The CMB has already been mapped by satellites and ground-based projects, and more precise surveys are under way at the Simons Observatory in Chile and in planned CMB Stage-4 experiments.



“It's exciting,” Caldwell said. “We're presenting a new approach to thinking about and possibly identifying dark matter.”



The researchers emphasize that their proposal is testable: if future CMB data reveal the subtle pattern predicted by their equations, the case for heavy pairs born from light-like quanta will strengthen. If not, the idea will need revision or replacement - exactly how science should proceed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-dark-matter-research">Future of dark matter research</h2>



For now the paper stakes out a middle ground between theoretical elegance and observational reach. 



Upcoming missions will either expose the predicted CMB trace or tighten the limits on how dark matter could have formed. Either outcome will refine our view of the invisible framework that holds the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-than-one-big-bang-may-explain-cosmic-expansion-without-dark-matter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmos</a> together.



Should the ancient sky bear the scar of those primordial pairings, physicists might finally glimpse how ghostly matter traded light speed for lasting weight - and reshaped the universe in the process.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.191004" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physical Review Letters</a>.



Image Credit: NASA, ESA and M. Montes (University of New South Wales)



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Where did dark matter come from? The answer may be surprisingly simple

Scientists have proposed a new explanation for dark matter and...

Nearly half a century after its launch, NASA’s Voyager 1 has pulled off another feat of longevity. 



A team of researchers has reawakened a quartet of roll thrusters that went silent in 2004, restoring a crucial backup system just months before the only Earth antenna capable of sending Voyager commands goes offline for major upgrades.



The rescue, led by the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL), required forensic electronics work, split-second timing, and a dash of nerve - but the payoff could keep humanity’s most distant spacecraft talking to Earth for years to come.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-voyager-1-s-roll-thrusters">Voyager 1's roll thrusters</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/voyager-1-resumes-sending-data-to-earth-from-interstellar-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Voyager 1</a>, launched in 1977 and now more than 15 billion miles away, relies on thrusters to nudge its 12-foot antenna toward our planet. Among them is a special subset that controls “roll” - the rotation you’d see if you spun the spacecraft the way a record turns on a turntable. 



Roll keeps Voyager’s star tracker locked on a guide star; without that pinpoint reference, communications falter. Each Voyager carries a set of primary roll <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spaceship-thruster-technology-fueled-by-any-type-of-metal-could-fly-indefinitely/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thrusters</a> and an identical backup set. 



Voyager 1’s primaries stopped firing in 2004 when two tiny heater circuits lost power, preventing the hydrazine fuel from staying warm enough to ignite. Engineers wrote them off and switched to the backups, confident they would last the few remaining years they thought the mission had left.



“I think at that time, the team was OK with accepting that the primary roll thrusters didn’t work, because they had a perfectly good backup,” noted Kareem Badaruddin, Voyager mission manager at JPL. “And, frankly, they probably didn’t think the Voyagers were going to keep going for another 20 years.”



But time crawled on, and a new threat appeared: residual deposits in the hydrazine feed lines began clogging the backup thrusters. Left unchecked, the buildup could choke them as early as autumn 2025. The mission needed another option, and that meant revisiting the “dead” thrusters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diagnosing-a-20-year-old-malfunction"><a></a>Diagnosing a 20-year-old malfunction</h2>



Over months, JPL engineers dug into telemetry archives and wiring diagrams. They now suspect the heaters themselves never failed; instead, a glitch in the power-distribution circuitry may have flipped an internal switch, cutting electricity to the units.



If the team could send a carefully crafted command sequence to reset that switch, the heaters - and the thrusters - might live again.



The maneuver carried risk: as soon as heaters came back, the onboard software could interpret the roll attitude as out of tolerance and trigger an immediate thruster pulse. If that happened before fuel lines warmed, a small explosion was possible.



Flight controllers therefore had to point the star tracker with razor-sharp precision, minimizing any need for instant firing during the warm-up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-communication-capacity-in-deep-space">Communication capacity in deep space </h2>



An additional deadline loomed. On May 4, 2025, NASA began a ten-month overhaul of Deep Space Station 43 (DSS-43), the 70-meter dish in Canberra, Australia. 



DSS-43 is the only antenna with enough transmitting power to communicate with the Voyagers; when it is mostly offline, mission ops must make do with short command windows in August and December.



Suzanne Dodd is the Voyager project manager and head of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/communicating-with-missions/dsn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA’s Interplanetary Network</a>.



“These antenna upgrades are important for future crewed lunar landings, and they also increase communications capacity for our science missions in deep space, some of which are building on the discoveries Voyager made," said Dodd.



Still, the downtime meant Voyager 1 had to regain its lost thrusters before May or risk flying blind until 2026.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-twenty-three-hours-of-suspense"><a></a>Twenty-three hours of suspense</h2>



Commands left Earth on 19 March. They would need 23 hours to cross <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/threads-of-the-universe-cosmic-web-revealed-in-unprecedented-detail/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interstellar space</a> at light speed; Voyager’s response would require another 23 hours to get back. 



On 20 March, the operations room lit up as telemetry lines revived. Within minutes, engineers saw a temperature spike in the heater sensors - exactly what they had hoped for.



“It was such a glorious moment. Team morale was very high that day,” said Todd Barber, propulsion lead at JPL.



“These thrusters were considered dead. And that was a legitimate conclusion. It’s just that one of our engineers had this insight that maybe there was this other possible cause and it was fixable. It was yet another miracle save for Voyager.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-revival-means"><a></a>What the revival means</h2>



The restored primaries will not replace the partially clogged backups immediately; instead, they provide redundancy should the backups fail during the Canberra outage.



If both sets eventually succumb to clogging, Voyager can still use a third group - trajectory-correction thrusters last employed during its planetary flybys - but those cannot perform roll control. By reviving the original roll pair, the team retains every possible option.



Voyager 1 and its twin, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-lost-contact-with-voyager-2-spacecraft-12-billion-miles-away/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Voyager 2</a>, continue to return data on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-space-cosmic-rays-from-supernova-sparked-rapid-earth-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cosmic rays</a>, magnetic fields, and plasma density at the frontier of interstellar space. 



Each byte depends on precise antenna pointing, itself dependent on thrusters designed a long time ago. That they still answer the call reflects not only durable engineering but also the determination of the people tending them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-perseverance-of-voyager-1-thrusters">Perseverance of Voyager 1 thrusters</h2>



With power dwindling and instruments shutting down one by one, both Voyagers are on borrowed time. Yet each time a new hurdle emerges - whether frozen hydrazine or a communications blackout - engineers find a workaround. 



Their latest triumph keeps an aging explorer alive and embodies the mission’s ethos: never assume a component is beyond saving until every possibility has been exhausted. 



As Voyager 1 presses onward, its revived thrusters stand as a reminder that in space exploration, small victories can yield vast horizons - sometimes 15 billion miles wide.



The research was published by <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-voyager-1-revives-backup-thrusters-before-command-pause/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>.



Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech



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Voyager 1's thrusters brought back to life after 21 years

Nearly half a century after its launch, NASA’s Voyager 1...

In Uganda’s Budongo Forest, chimpanzees are doing more than just surviving. They’re treating their wounds with plants, cleaning each other’s injuries, and pulling snares off their companions’ limbs. 



These behaviors, documented in a new study, hint at something profound. Perhaps the roots of human medicine run deeper than we thought.



Elodie Freymann, a researcher from the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a> and the study’s lead author, believes these findings offer a fresh perspective on how our ancestors might have first learned to care for wounds. 



“<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-mix-vocal-calls-to-create-new-meanings-like-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Animals</a> are helping each other out. They’re capable of identifying others in need and then addressing those specific needs,” Freymann said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-chimpanzees-treat-wounds">How chimpanzees treat wounds</h2>



For eight months, researchers watched two chimpanzee communities in Budongo - Sonso and Waibira. Injuries were common, from bites and scratches to deadly snares left by humans.



In Sonso alone, nearly 40% of the chimps bore snare scars. Freymann and her team saw twelve injuries in Sonso and five in Waibira during the study period. The injured chimps weren’t just tending to their own wounds. They were also helping each other.



A male chimp named KT managed to pull a nylon snare off his wrist. Another <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-use-rhythmic-drumming-to-communicate-in-forests/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chimpanzee</a>, HW, licked the wound of a female after she had been attacked. 



In yet another case, a juvenile female chewed leaves, dabbed them onto her mother’s wounds, then licked her fingers and pressed them onto the injured area. This behavior wasn’t isolated to relatives. In four instances, chimps helped others unrelated to them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chimpanzees-recognize-medicinal-plants">Chimpanzees recognize medicinal plants </h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-wild-chimpanzees-can-teach-us-about-parenting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chimpanzees</a> don’t just grab any leaf when they get hurt. They seem to know which plants help wounds heal. 



Freymann’s team documented several plant species used in wound care. Acalypha sp., for example, is known for its antimicrobial properties. Pseudospondias microcarpa has a reputation for soothing pain and reducing inflammation.



One chimp chewed Acalypha leaves, then pressed the pulp onto a cut. Another used Lasiodiscus pervillei leaves to wipe away dirt and blood. 



A juvenile male named KO even mashed the stem bark of Argomuellera macrophylla and rubbed it into a wound on his leg. The behavior mirrored traditional African medicine, where these plants treat everything from skin infections to digestive issues.



“It’s likely that our shared common ancestor also would have been capable of these care behaviors as well,” Freymann noted. If chimps know which plants heal wounds, maybe early humans learned from them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-social-side-of-care">The social side of care</h2>



Prosocial care - helping others - is rare among non-human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-share-alcoholic-fruit-to-increase-social-bonding/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animals</a>. But Budongo’s chimps are doing it. During the study, researchers documented seven cases of one chimp helping another. In three of these instances, the caregiver and the injured chimp were unrelated.



A male chimp named ZG licked the blood off a female’s wound after she was attacked by other chimps. In another case, NT, a juvenile female, watched her mother chew leaves and press them onto a wound. NT then did the same, imitating her mother’s technique.



Freymann sees this as evidence that chimps aren’t just mimicking; they’re actively learning. 



“Our research helps illuminate the evolutionary roots of human medicine and healthcare systems,” said Freymann. “By documenting how chimpanzees identify and utilize medicinal plants and provide care to others, we gain insight into the cognitive and social foundations of human healthcare behaviors.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-threats-to-chimpanzee-healthcare">Threats to chimpanzee healthcare</h2>



Chimpanzees in Budongo face a constant threat from human snares. Nearly 40% of the Sonso chimps bear scars from these traps. 



Freymann’s team observed multiple instances of snare removal, some self-directed and others involving help from group members. But the danger remains.



The findings also suggest that chimpanzees in Budongo, Gabon, and other regions might share similar care behaviors. This could mean that these practices are widespread, not isolated. But there’s still much to learn.



For Freymann, the implications extend beyond chimpanzees and their use of plants. Observing how these primates use plants for healing might provide clues for new medicinal compounds. 



“If we want to hone in on these amazing medicinal resources, watching and learning from the animals is an incredibly effective way to do it if it’s done ethically and responsibly,” she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-plant-medicine-from-chimpanzees">Learning plant medicine from chimpanzees</h2>



The study doesn’t just document chimpanzee healthcare. It challenges how we think about the origins of medicine. Watching chimps chew leaves and press them onto wounds, it’s easy to imagine early humans doing the same. Maybe they learned from the chimps. Maybe they figured it out together.



Budongo’s chimpanzees aren’t doctors, but they are healers. And in their actions, we might find the echoes of our own ancient medical traditions.



Freymann’s work reminds us that medicine is not just a human invention. It might be a shared legacy, passed down from ancestors who walked the forests long before us.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2025.1540922/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Evolution and Ecology</a>.



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Chimpanzees know which plants to use for healing wounds

In Uganda’s Budongo Forest, chimpanzees are doing more than just...

Scientists have detected oxygen in a galaxy so distant that its light traveled for 13.4 billion years to reach us. This discovery offers an exciting peek back into cosmic events that happened only a few hundred million years after everything got started.



The researchers say it is the most faraway system confirmed to show such atomic signals, highlighting the power of advanced telescopes that work together. They also identified intense star formation and a relatively low level of heavier elements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scanning-the-galaxy-for-oxygen">Scanning the galaxy for oxygen</h2>



Jorge Zavala, an astronomer at the East Asian <a href="https://public.nrao.edu/telescopes/alma/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ALMA</a> Regional Center at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, played a key role in this effort.



“We pointed the more than forty 12-m antennas of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the 6.5-m James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for several hours at a sky position that would appear totally empty to the naked human eye," said Zavala.



The goal was to catch a signal from one of the most distant astronomical objects known to date, he noted. 



The team successfully detected the emission from excited atoms of different elements such as hydrogen and oxygen. These emissions give scientists a clue about the materials that built the earliest stars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unusual-conditions-for-a-galaxy">Unusual conditions for a galaxy</h2>



The galaxy, called <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.10238" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GHZ2</a>, has a mass of a few hundred million times our Sun but appears to fit into a region only a few hundred light-years across. 



That density might resemble what is seen in tight star clusters, which sparks questions about how such crowded structures formed so early in the universe's history.



The metallicity - the portion of heavier elements - is around one-tenth of what we find in our Sun’s neighborhood. That is not surprising for something that appeared when the universe was still young; yet it shows that metals built up faster than initially expected.



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



Hot, short-lived stars dominate this object, which explains its brilliant shine and unusual energy signature. 



The radiation of the stars is strong enough to generate elements across the galaxy such as ionized oxygen and hydrogen. It shines in a way that intrigues astronomers who compare it to star <a href="http://earth.com/news/four-small-planets-discovered-orbiting-the-nearest-single-star-to-earth-barnards-star/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">factories </a>in far more mature galaxies.



Observations indicate that star birth happens quickly in that environment, indicating a burst-like cycle rather than a slow pace. 



Many think these flurries of activity involving oxygen happened more frequently in the ancient universe, which possibly accounts for how certain galaxies grew so large, so rapidly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-possible-clues-to-star-clusters">Possible clues to star clusters</h2>



Studies suggest that GHZ2 might hold insights into the origin of <a href="https://esahubble.org/wordbank/globular-cluster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">globular clusters</a>, which are long-lived, tightly packed groups of stars. 



Some of these features, such as similar element patterns and high-density populations, echo what we see in those clusters inside the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-found-something-strange-at-core-of-milky-way-galaxy-webb-meerkat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>.



Researchers are still evaluating whether galaxies like GHZ2 might have seeded these ancient stellar gatherings. If so, it could fill a major gap in astrophysics by explaining how such clusters emerged.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-the-early-universe">Evolution of the early universe </h2>



Tom Bakx is an astronomer at <a href="https://www.chalmers.se/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chalmers University</a> in Sweden, and former researcher at Nagoya University.



“This study is a crown on the multi-year endeavor to understand galaxies in the early Universe,” said Bakx. "Additional telescope time will be key to investigating how metals, star formation, and black holes evolved in the early universe."



The analysis of multiple emission lines enabled several key tests of galaxy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/messier-33-m33-unusual-galaxy-without-central-black-hole/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">properties</a>, and demonstrated the capabilities of ALMA through a synergy of telescopes like the JWST. 



The researchers explained that current results open the door to deeper inquiries into the dawn of galaxy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-galaxies-discovery-would-upend-current-understanding-of-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">assembly</a>.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxygen-detection-in-galaxies">Oxygen detection in galaxies</h2>



Experts also note that each new detection highlights the advantage of combining data from tools that specialize in imaging at different wavelengths. 



By merging radio and infrared observations, researchers can unravel the building blocks of galaxies that thrived only a few hundred million years after everything began.



Scientists have now turned their focus to capturing additional emission lines that could reveal the structure and chemistry of these distant systems. Those signals may shed light on black hole growth patterns, as well as the cosmic influences that shaped large-scale structures.



Eventually, a more complete picture of the early universe could clarify how stars and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/runaway-star-may-be-dragging-a-planet-along-with-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clusters</a> formed under harsh conditions. Although it sounds challenging, every new breakthrough brings us closer to understanding how galaxies grew from humble beginnings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions </h2>



GHZ2 stands out as a reminder that cosmic evolution took off at a swift pace. Researchers believe similar objects might still lie undiscovered, waiting to add new pieces to the puzzle.



This analysis signals a big leap in pinpointing when and how the earliest stellar communities arose. Scientists hope that follow-up observations will confirm details about the galaxy’s structure and oxygen's role in cosmic history.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02397-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Astronomy</a>.



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Oxygen detected in the most distant and primitive galaxy ever analyzed

Scientists have detected oxygen in a galaxy so distant that...

Yellowstone’s seething terraces and steaming pools draw visitors for their color and heat, but to microbiologists they offer something else: a peek at the sort of place where the earliest stirrings of life may have taken hold in the form of giant viruses.



One acidic creek in the park, forever gurgling around 112 °F, has now revealed an unexpected cast of microbial giants that could have nudged evolution along.



Giant viruses found in Yellowstone's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hot-springs-may-have-played-a-key-role-in-the-emergence-of-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hot springs</a> - organisms so large they sometimes escape standard filters - have been turning up in many odd corners of the planet. Yet their role in shaping early ecosystems has remained hazy. 



A fresh look at a green algal mat in Yellowstone suggests these outsized invaders were not latecomers but long-standing residents whose presence dates back a billion-plus years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yellowstone-s-living-time-capsules">Yellowstone’s living time capsules</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shanay-timpishka-river-amazon-rainforest-is-so-hot-that-it-literally-boils-destroying-nearby-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hot springs</a> change, dry up and reappear over geological time, but each one preserves chemical and physical traits once common on early Earth. 



The creek known as Lemonade runs through a narrow channel lined with bright-green filaments of red algae, or Rhodophyta. In water that hits pH 2, those algae thrive alongside sulfur-loving microbes that shrug off toxins such as arsenic.



After skimming DNA from the mat, nearby soil and the spaces between stones, researchers filtered out familiar bacterial, archaeal and algal sequences. 



Roughly 3,700 potential viral fragments remained, and almost two-thirds belonged to the giant class. Computer sleuthing pieced together most of the genomes of about 25 distinct viruses. 



“The connections between the viruses and [their hosts] are ancient,” <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rutgers University</a> genome scientist Debashish Bhattacharya explains, pointing to proteins whose tightly packed shapes suit a habitat that seldom cools below 112 °F.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giant-viruses-and-yellowstone-hot-springs">Giant viruses and Yellowstone hot springs</h2>



Giant-virus DNA carries the same three-letter code preferences as other creek dwellers, signaling a long residence rather than a recent arrival from cooler pools. 



When the team built a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-microbial-ancestors-developed-virus-defenses-one-billion-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">viral family tree</a>, the Lemonade Creek line split near the very base, implying the partnership with red algae may stretch back 1.5 billion years. 



“Understanding ancient virus evolution may be key to our understanding of [life’s] early developments,” notes Simon Roux, a microbiologist at the Department of Energy’s <a href="https://jgi.doe.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joint Genome Institute</a> who was not involved in the work.



Many hot-spring inhabitants borrow genes to cope with heat and toxins. Exactly how a complex eukaryote such as algae grabs DNA from simple bacteria has puzzled biochemists. 



Andreas Weber, a biochemist at <a href="https://www.hhu.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf</a>, calls hot springs “time capsules that provide a window into early eukaryotic life.” 



He suspects giant viruses act as middlemen, grabbing genes from bacteria or archaea, then handing them to the algae they infect. 



In that shuttle role, “the viruses likely play an important role in the long-term stability of the hot spring communities,” he adds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-separate-worlds-inches-apart">Separate worlds inches apart</h2>



Sampling revealed three viral neighborhoods: one on the algal mat, one in adjacent soil and one wedged between rocks. 



“I would have thought that there would be more exchange between neighboring sites that are sometimes only a few centimeters apart,” Weber admits. 



Their isolation “points out how little we really know about the diversity and role of viruses in microbial communities,” observes Mark Young, an environmental virologist emeritus at <a href="https://www.montana.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Montana State University</a> who was not involved with the work.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-yellowstone-s-giant-viruses-matter">Why Yellowstone's giant viruses matter</h2>



Giant viruses are not the only curiosities to surface in the park. Scientists George Rice and Mark Young spotted another virus drifting among heat-loving archaea in the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/places/000/midway-geyser-basin-trailhead.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Midway Geyser Basin</a>. 



Archaea are thermophiles that flourish in pools between 158 °F and 197 °F and at pH values as low as 1; they have yielded just 36 viruses out of more than 5,000 known. 



"Anywhere there's life, we expect viruses," Young says, stressing how protected reserves aid such finds. 



"This is a stellar example of why we need places that are protected for scientists to come in and look for new discoveries," park geologist Hank Heasler agrees.



Rice’s team reported that the Yellowstone virus’s protein shell resembles coats from viruses that infect bacteria and animals. 



"Thermophiles are deeply rooted in the tree of life," Young notes, hinting that the virus predates the split between bacteria, archaea and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-oldest-organisms-ever-discovered-show-dazzling-diversity-and-complexity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eukaryotes</a> roughly 3.5 billion years ago. Genetic work backs the idea. 



"The genes look different [from those of other viruses] so they probably do different things," Rice says.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viruses-and-the-search-for-alien-life">Viruses and the search for alien life</h2>



Viruses shuttle genes with abandon. "They're not just a passenger," Young emphasizes. "They are the major source of biological material on this planet. They have a huge role in moving genes around." 



That talent intrigues astrobiologists: "If we're going to go to non-Earth-based bodies to look for life, this discovery gives <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a> an approach for looking for life in hot-temperature environments, which we know to exist off of Earth," Young points out. 



Enzymes that stay stable in boiling water could also feed medical diagnostics or industrial reactions that now falter under heat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-learned-from-yellowstone-s-giant-viruses">Lessons learned from Yellowstone's giant viruses</h2>



The story flowing from a modest creek in Yellowstone widens our picture of life’s early days. 



Giant viruses, once dismissed as curiosities, appear to have stood shoulder to shoulder with the first eukaryotes, swapping genes, recycling nutrients and carving out niches even when resources were scarce. 



On a planet where every drop of hot water seems to shelter a unique community, each discovery reminds us how much more waits beneath the steam.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-05931-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Biology</a>.



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Giant viruses found in Yellowstone's hot springs may be near the root of all life on Earth

Yellowstone’s seething terraces and steaming pools draw visitors for their...

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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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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



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

Ghostly galaxy in the constellation Eridanus

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