Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a blanket of dust over the Tarim Basin - a vast, arid region in northwestern China. 



Mountain peaks are visible through a break in the dust. These peaks are part of Tekilik Shan, a subrange of the Kunlun Mountains.



Though not as widely known as some other mountain ranges in the area, Tekilik Shan plays a significant role in shaping local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-weather-is-pushing-nature-toward-a-breaking-point/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weather</a> patterns and geography.



Its snow-covered peaks can rise above 13,000 feet, contributing to the dramatic elevation differences that define the basin’s borders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dust-storms-in-the-tarim-basin-nbsp">Dust storms in the Tarim Basin&nbsp;</h2>



Spring marks the height of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sahara-desert-dust-storms-carry-harmful-bacteria-and-fungi-around-the-globe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dust storm</a> activity in the Tarim Basin, particularly in its southern region.&nbsp;



“It’s a time of year when regional wind patterns shift in ways that cause winds and storm systems to sweep in from the northwest,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154126/a-curtain-of-dust-over-the-tarim-basin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>.



“In early spring, when landscapes in this region are especially dry and have minimal vegetation, land surfaces warm rapidly under the Sun’s heat every morning, fueling convection that can help loft dust upward by the afternoon.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fingerlike-dust-formations-nbsp">Fingerlike dust formations&nbsp;</h2>



Satellite images revealed dust formations with fingerlike shapes that mirrored the landscape below. These projections aligned with valleys, which channeled and directed the airborne dust.&nbsp;



Ralph Kahn is an atmospheric scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder and scientist emeritus at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.



According to Kahn, the dust may have been “self-lofting.” In this process, sunlight heats recently stirred-up surface dust, creating pockets of convection that lift it even higher into the air.



This interpretation is supported by hourly observations from Japan’s Himawari-9 geostationary satellite, which showed dust gradually rising into the Tekilik Shan throughout the day. By late afternoon, the storm had grown dense enough to obscure the mountains.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decline-in-atmospheric-dust">Decline in atmospheric dust</h2>



Long-term satellite data from MODIS suggest that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-storms-in-the-gulf-of-alaska-help-shape-the-global-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atmospheric dust</a> levels in this region have declined by about 1.5 percent each year since the early 2000s.&nbsp;



NASA researcher Hongbin Yu attributes this trend mainly to springtime changes - such as altered wind speeds, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-soil-moisture-can-predict-severe-storms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">soil moisture</a>, or vegetation cover - rather than shifts in other seasons.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rainfall-in-the-tarim-basin-nbsp">Rainfall in the Tarim Basin&nbsp;</h2>



“The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Takla-Makan-Desert" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Takla Makan Desert</a> is one of the driest, most barren expanses on Earth. Flanked by mountain ranges on three sides and parched by the resulting <a href="https://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Rain_shadow" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rain shadow</a>, parts of the Tarim Basin receive no more than 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) of rain per year,” noted NASA.



“Dust storms can lead to public health problems in populated areas downwind by transporting small particles, bacteria, and viruses that infiltrate human respiratory systems.”&nbsp;



NASA added that dust storms can also affect Earth’s climate by scattering and absorbing incoming solar radiation and changing the properties of clouds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-landscape-of-the-tarim-basin-nbsp">Landscape of the Tarim Basin&nbsp;</h2>



The Tarim Basin is one of the largest endorheic basins in the world, meaning that its rivers do not drain into the sea but instead flow into interior lakes or evaporate.&nbsp;



The basin is encircled by three mountain ranges: the Tien Shan to the north, the Kunlun Mountains to the south, and the Pamirs to the west. These ranges create a powerful rain shadow effect, making the region exceptionally dry.



At the heart of the Tarim Basin lies the Taklamakan Desert, one of the most extreme deserts on Earth. The desert is known for its high dunes, intense temperature swings, and minimal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-rainfall-will-wreak-havoc-on-mountain-ranges-as-warming-climate-turns-snow-to-rain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rainfall</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-history-and-geology">History and geology</h2>



Despite its harsh environment, the basin has been historically significant. It was a key section of the ancient Silk Road, with several oases such as Kashgar, Khotan, and Loulan serving as vital trading and cultural centers for centuries.



Geologically, the basin is rich in natural resources, particularly oil and natural gas, and has become a focal point for China's energy exploration and development.&nbsp;



The region’s challenging climate and remote location, however, make infrastructure development and human habitation difficult.&nbsp;



The image was captured on March 27, 2025 by the Operational Land Imager instrument on Landsat 8.



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Blanket of dust covers China’s Tarim Basin

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

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features Messier 78 (M78), a reflection nebula located in the constellation Orion about 1,350 light-years away from Earth.&nbsp;



This image was released as part of the initial series of observations from ESA's <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Euclid space mission</a>.&nbsp;



All data collected during these early observations, including a series of incredible <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/Euclid_s_first_images_the_dazzling_edge_of_darkness" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new views</a> of the nearby universe, is available to the public.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-image-of-messier-78">Image of Messier 78</h2>



Messier 78 is a dynamic region of star formation that is obscured by cosmic dust in this high-resolution image captured by the Euclid space telescope.



This specific view highlights how young stars generate winds of charged particles, carving out “cavities” in the molecular clouds around them.&nbsp;



The blue hues in the image represent ionized atomic hydrogen, which is a primary component of the cloud, while the red indicates the absorption and scattering of light by dust particles.



The image captures hundreds of stars varying in brightness, illuminating their nebulous, purple surroundings. A dark, arch-like structure stretches from the upper left to the bottom right of the frame, merging into the densest, darkest clouds at the image’s base.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-active-site-of-star-formation-nbsp">Active site of star formation&nbsp;</h2>



Messier 78 is not just a single nebula but part of a larger complex of stars and nebulous regions in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/orion-nebula-destroys-an-oceans-worth-of-water-every-month/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Orion</a>, which includes various other objects like dark nebulae that are visible as patches blocking light from behind.



This region is an active site of star formation, featuring many young stars and protostars, which are stars in the early stages of formation.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-viewing-messier-78">Viewing Messier 78</h2>



M78 is easily observable with small telescopes, and it appears as a hazy patch of light with two prominent stars near its center, which illuminate the surrounding dust.&nbsp;



The nebula is also a favorite among amateur astronomers for its beauty and relatively bright appearance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-subject-of-scientific-interest-nbsp">Subject of scientific interest&nbsp;</h2>



Messier 78 is fascinating not only for its visual beauty but also for its scientific interest, particularly in the study of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-stars-release-sneezes-of-gas-and-dust-as-they-develop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> and interstellar matter.&nbsp;



The nebula consists of dense, cold gas and dust, which are essential ingredients for the birth of new stars.&nbsp;



The intense blue light that characterizes M78 is due to the reflection of starlight off these dust particles - a process known as scattering.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-region-surrounding-messier-78-nbsp">Region surrounding Messier 78&nbsp;</h2>



The region surrounding M78 includes several other interesting features. For instance, there are Herbig-Haro objects within it, which are small patches of nebulosity associated with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-molecule-detected-in-space-where-stars-are-born/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">newly born stars</a>.&nbsp;



These objects are formed when gas ejected by young stars collides with clouds of gas and dust at high speeds, creating shock waves that glow brightly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earliest-stages-of-star-development-nbsp">Earliest stages of star development&nbsp;</h2>



Additionally, infrared observations of M78 have revealed much about the dust and colder objects in the area, which are not visible in optical light.&nbsp;



The observations have helped astronomers identify numerous young stars and brown dwarfs (objects that are too large to be planets and too small to be stars) within the nebula.&nbsp;



This makes M78 a critical area for studying the earliest stages of star development and the properties of the interstellar medium.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-euclid-space-mission-nbsp">Euclid space mission&nbsp;</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-batch-of-brilliant-images-from-the-euclid-mission-live-up-to-the-hype/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Euclid space mission</a> is designed to study the dark universe, particularly focusing on dark energy and dark matter. These components are believed to drive the accelerating expansion of the universe and shape its large-scale structure. 



The mission aims to map the geometry of the dark universe and better understand the physics of the cosmos.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-observing-billions-of-galaxies-nbsp">Observing billions of galaxies&nbsp;</h3>



Euclid uses two primary scientific instruments: a visible light camera (VIS) and a near-infrared spectrometer and photometer (NISP).&nbsp;



These instruments will allow Euclid to measure the shapes and redshifts of galaxies at distances of up to 10 billion light-years. By surveying more than a third of the sky, the mission is expected to observe several billion galaxies.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-the-dark-universe-nbsp">Studying the dark universe&nbsp;</h3>



The data collected will help astronomers in studying the effects of dark matter and dark energy in depth, testing cosmological models, and exploring new theories about the nature of the universe.&nbsp;



The mission, named after the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid, seeks to address key questions related to the structure of the universe and the fundamental laws of physics governing its evolution and expansion.



Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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Young stars shine through dense dust

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

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the star-forming region NGC 604. The nebula is located 2.73 million light-years away from Earth in the Triangulum Galaxy (M33). 



By studying regions like NGC 604, astronomers can gain insights into the complex interactions between stars and the interstellar medium, as well as the conditions that lead to the birth of stars. This, in turn, helps in understanding the evolution of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/galaxies-like-our-own-milky-way-are-not-unique/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> and the universe as a whole.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-massive-stars-of-ngc-604">Massive stars of NGC 604</h2>



"Sheltered among NGC 604’s dusty envelopes of gas are more than 200 of the hottest, most massive kinds of stars, all in the early stages of their lives," said <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



"These types of stars are known as B-types and O-types, the latter of which can be more than 100 times the mass of our own Sun. It’s quite rare to find this concentration of them in the nearby universe. In fact, there’s no similar region within our own Milky Way galaxy."



According to ESA, this concentration of massive stars, combined with its relatively close distance, means that NGC 604 gives astronomers an opportunity to study these objects at a fascinating time early in their life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gigantic-region-of-ionized-hydrogen">Gigantic region of ionized hydrogen</h2>



NGC 604 is one of the largest known regions of ionized hydrogen, also known as an H II region. This nebula is significantly larger than the Orion Nebula, which is one of the most well-known H II regions in our own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-amount-of-dark-matter-may-be-missing-from-the-milky-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way galaxy</a>.&nbsp;



NGC 604 spans about 1,500 light-years across, making it one of the largest H II regions in the Local Group of galaxies. This group includes the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, and about 54 other smaller galaxies.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ngc-604-starburst-phenomenon">NGC 604 starburst phenomenon </h2>



Within NGC 604, there are hundreds of young, hot, massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stars-at-the-edge-of-our-milky-way-galaxy-travel-more-slowly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a>. These stars have ionized the surrounding gas, causing it to glow and creating the nebula. The region is a prime example of a starburst phenomenon, where stars form at a much higher rate than in typical galactic conditions.



“The bright orange streaks in this image signify the presence of carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs," explained ESA.



"As you travel further from the immediate cavities of dust where the star is forming, the deeper red signifies molecular hydrogen. This cooler gas is a prime environment for star formation. Ionized hydrogen from ultraviolet radiation appears as a white and blue ghostly glow."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-star-formation">More about star formation </h2>



Star formation is crucial for the evolution of galaxies and the synthesis of heavy elements. In the cores of stars, elements heavier than helium are created.



The elements are spread throughout the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-stars-shakti-shiva-shaped-milky-way-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy</a> when stars reach the end of their lives and expel their material - either gently through winds or violently via supernova explosions. 



This enriching process allows for the formation of new stars and planets, and ultimately, the potential for life.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cloud collapse</h3>



The process begins when part of a molecular cloud becomes unstable and starts to collapse under its own gravity. This can be triggered by events like shock waves from nearby <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-explosions-could-damage-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernovae</a>, galactic collisions, or the influence of other massive stars.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Formation of a protostar</h3>



As the cloud collapses, it fragments into smaller clumps. Each clump will eventually form one or more stars. 



The material within these clumps continues to fall inward, heating up as it does so, eventually forming a warm core called a protostar. At this stage, the protostar is not yet hot enough for nuclear fusion (the process that powers stars) to occur.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Accretion disk</h3>



Around the protostar, material from the surrounding cloud continues to fall inward, forming a rotating disk. This material slowly accretes onto the protostar, increasing its mass.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Nuclear fusion begins</h3>



Once the core of the protostar reaches a high enough temperature and pressure, hydrogen atoms begin to fuse into helium, releasing energy in the process. This marks the transition from a protostar to a main sequence star, like our sun.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Main sequence and beyond</h3>



The star will spend the majority of its life in the main sequence stage, where it balances the gravitational forces trying to collapse it and the outward pressure from nuclear fusion. 



Eventually, the star will exhaust its hydrogen fuel. Its subsequent evolution will depend on its initial mass, leading to various end stages such as red giants, supernovae, neutron stars, or black holes.



Image Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope



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Young, massive stars in the Triangulum Galaxy

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features NGC 1792, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Columba about 43 million light-years away from Earth.&nbsp;



This galaxy, discovered by British astronomer James Dunlop in 1826, is part of the larger NGC 1808 group of galaxies.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-intimate-view-of-ngc-1792">Intimate view of NGC 1792</h2>



“An orange glow radiates from the center of NGC 1792, the heart of this stellar forge. Captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, this intimate view of NGC 1792 gives us some insight into this galactic powerhouse,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“The vast swathes of tell-tale blue seen throughout the galaxy indicate areas that are full of young, hot stars, and it is in the shades of orange, seen nearer the center, that the older, cooler stars reside.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vigorous-star-formation-nbsp">Vigorous star formation&nbsp;</h2>



NGC 1792 is notable for its vigorous star formation, classifying it as a starburst galaxy. The high rate of star birth is thought to be triggered by gravitational interactions with neighboring galaxies, though the exact cause is still under study.



“Nestled in the constellation of Columba (The Dove), NGC 1792 is both a spiral galaxy, and a starburst galaxy,” said ESA. 



“Within starburst galaxies, stars are forming at comparatively exorbitant rates. The rate of star formation can be more than 10 times faster in a starburst galaxy than in the Milky Way.”



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



ESA noted that when galaxies have a large reservoir of gas, like NGC 1792, these short-lived starburst phases can be sparked by galactic events such as mergers and tidal interactions.&nbsp;



“One might think that these starburst galaxies would easily consume all of their gas in a large forming event. However, supernova explosions and intense stellar winds produced in these powerful starbursts can inject energy into the gas and disperse it.”&nbsp;



“This halts the star formation before it can completely deplete the galaxy of all its fuel. Scientists are actively working to understand this complex interplay between the dynamics that drive and quench these fierce bursts of star formation.”



Due to its distance and brightness, NGC 1792 can be observed with medium-sized telescopes under favorable conditions.



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



Galaxy evolution refers to the process by which galaxies form and change over time. It begins in the early universe, shortly after the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-observations-disprove-big-bang-theory-universe-began-tired-light-theory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Big Bang</a>, when small density fluctuations in the primordial gas led to the collapse of matter into the first galaxies.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-mergers">Galaxy mergers</h3>



Early galaxies were small and irregular, and were composed mostly of gas and dark matter. Over billions of years, galaxies grew larger by merging with one another and by accreting gas from the surrounding space.&nbsp;



These interactions often triggered bursts of star formation, and collisions between galaxies sometimes led to the creation of new, more massive galaxies.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-structural-changes">Structural changes</h3>



As galaxies evolve, their morphology - shape and structure - can change. Early galaxies were often irregular or disk-shaped, but over time, many galaxies formed into the elliptical or spiral shapes we see today.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation">Star formation</h3>



Star formation is a key driver of galaxy evolution, but it gradually slows down as galaxies age. 



The gas that fuels <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-is-starving-its-host-galaxy-of-star-forming-fuel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> can be used up, or it can be heated and pushed out of galaxies by supernovae or black holes, reducing the galaxy's ability to form new stars.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-environment-nbsp">Galaxy environment&nbsp;</h3>



The environment in which a galaxy resides also plays a role in its evolution. Galaxies in dense clusters are more likely to interact with their neighbors, which can alter their shape or trigger bursts of star formation.&nbsp;



In contrast, galaxies in more isolated regions of space evolve more slowly and without as many dramatic interactions.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dark-matter">Dark matter</h3>



Dark matter also plays a crucial role in galaxy evolution. It provides the gravitational framework that holds galaxies together and influences their interactions with one another.&nbsp;



Supermassive <a href="https://www.earth.com/search-results/?search=Galaxies%20merge&amp;start=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black holes</a>, found at the centers of most large galaxies, can also affect their evolution by releasing energy that impacts star formation and the movement of gas within the galaxy.



Overall, galaxy evolution is a complex and ongoing process driven by interactions between stars, gas, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-dark-matter-does-not-exist-and-the-universe-is-27-billion-years-old/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark matter</a>, and black holes, and shaped by both internal processes and external influences.



Image Credit: ESA/Hubble &amp; NASA, J. Lee



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Starburst galaxy in the constellation Columba

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a brilliant stellar nursery located about 163,000 light-years away.



According to ESA, the image is one of the most photogenic examples of the many stellar nurseries observed by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope during its 30-year lifetime. 



“The portrait features the giant nebula NGC 2014 and its neighbor NGC 2020 which together form part of a vast star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-stellar-nursery">What is a stellar nursery?</h2>



Stellar nurseries are regions in space where new stars are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-stars-release-sneezes-of-gas-and-dust-as-they-develop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">born</a> - often within vast clouds of gas and dust called molecular clouds.&nbsp;



These areas are fascinating because they are cradles of stellar evolution, where gravity causes clumps of gas to collapse, eventually forming protostars.&nbsp;



Over time, the protostars will heat up and start the nuclear fusion process that powers a star.



One of the most well-known stellar nurseries is the Orion Nebula, which is visible to the naked eye and located about 1,350 light-years from Earth.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dynamic-nature-of-a-stellar-nursery-nbsp">Dynamic nature of a stellar nursery&nbsp;</h2>



Within these nurseries, the balance between gravity and pressure determines the types of stars that form, from massive, luminous stars to smaller, cooler ones like our Sun.&nbsp;



The environment is incredibly dynamic, with powerful winds from young stars shaping the clouds and triggering the birth of even more stars.



These regions are often illuminated by the light from massive newborn stars - creating stunning, colorful displays. The light reveals the intricate structure of the dust and gas, sculpted by the energy of young stars.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-stellar-nurseries-nbsp">Significance of stellar nurseries&nbsp;</h2>



Stellar nurseries are essential for understanding the early stages of planetary formation, as protoplanetary disks (the material from which <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planet-formation-new-insights-mechanics-physics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planets form</a>) are often found around young stars in these regions.



Stellar nurseries play a crucial role in the ongoing evolution of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-is-starving-its-host-galaxy-of-star-forming-fuel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a>. They are responsible for the continuous birth of new stars that enrich the interstellar medium with heavier elements. This constant recycling of material is key to the development of future generations of stars and planets.&nbsp;



Furthermore, the study of these regions helps astronomers understand the fundamental processes that govern the life cycles of stars and the overall dynamics of the universe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-local-group">The Local Group</h2>



The Local Group is a collection of over 80 galaxies that includes the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Triangulum Galaxy, along with numerous smaller dwarf galaxies. These galaxies are bound together by gravity and span a region roughly 10 million light-years across.&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-ways-thin-disk-is-billions-of-years-older-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a> and Andromeda are the dominant members, with their respective satellite galaxies orbiting them.&nbsp;



The Local Group is part of a larger structure known as the Virgo Supercluster, and its galaxies are moving toward the gravitational center of the Local Group, contributing to its dynamic nature.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-large-magellanic-cloud">Large Magellanic Cloud</h2>



The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is the fourth largest galaxy in the Local Group and can be seen with the naked eye from the Southern Hemisphere.&nbsp;



This irregular dwarf galaxy is home to the Tarantula Nebula, one of the most active star-forming regions in our cosmic neighborhood.&nbsp;



The Large Magellanic Cloud played a key role in astronomical history, particularly when the supernova SN 1987A was observed, providing valuable insights into stellar evolution.&nbsp;



The LMC's interaction with the Milky Way, along with its own companion, the Small Magellanic Cloud, is believed to influence its shape and star formation activity. Its proximity and unique properties make it a crucial object of study for understanding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-galactic-explosion-provides-clues-about-galaxy-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxy evolution</a>, star formation, and the dynamics of interacting galaxies.



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and STScI



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Hubble captures a stunning stellar nursery

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1559, located around 35 million light-years away in the southern constellation Reticulum. The image was captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.&nbsp;



"The data featured in this portrait make use of two of Webb’s instruments: the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) and Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam)," noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



"Here MIRI captures the glow of interstellar dust grains, which trace out the interstellar medium, the fuel for future star formation. NIRCam shows the light from stars, even young stars hidden behind prodigious amounts of dust. NIRCam also captures emission from ionized nebulae around young stars."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-reveals-galaxies-in-new-light">Webb reveals galaxies in new light</h2>



According to ESA, the data was collected by the <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/phangs/home">PHANGS team</a> as part of a program in which Webb will observe 55 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/james-webb-captures-galaxies-that-are-too-old-to-exist/">galaxies</a> that have also been mapped by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, and more.&nbsp;



"By combining Webb’s unprecedented view of the dust and stars with data from these other facilities, the team aims to obtain a new, highly detailed view of how stars are born, live, and die in galaxies across the Universe."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ngc-1559-a-loner-in-space">NGC 1559: A loner in space</h2>



Although NGC 1559 appears to sit close to one of our nearest neighbors in the sky - the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) - this is just a trick of perspective, noted ESA.



While it is part of the Reticulum constellation, NGC 1559 is not part of the Local Group of galaxies but instead resides in a more distant region of space.



"In reality, NGC 1559 is physically nowhere near the LMC in space; in fact it truly is a loner, lacking the company of any nearby galaxies or membership of any galaxy cluster," said ESA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation-in-ngc-1559">Star formation in NGC 1559</h2>



NGC 1559 is notable for its active star formation and strong magnetic fields. It has also been the site of several <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-explosions-could-damage-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernovae</a>, making it of particular interest to astronomers who study stellar evolution and the life cycle of stars.



The structure of NGC 1559 includes well-defined spiral arms that contain young, hot stars and regions of ionized gas, indicative of ongoing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-is-starving-its-host-galaxy-of-star-forming-fuel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-extragalactic-wonder">An extragalactic wonder</h2>



Despite being relatively small compared to larger galaxies like the Milky Way, NGC 1559 is an important object for understanding how barred spiral galaxies evolve and the processes that trigger supernovae.



The galaxy’s remote location and active nature make it a fascinating subject of study in the field of extragalactic astronomy. 



The isolation of NGC 1559 allows for a clearer view of its structure without much interference from neighboring galaxies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-barred-spiral-galaxies">Barred spiral galaxies</h2>



Barred spiral galaxies are a type of spiral galaxy characterized by a central bar-shaped structure composed of stars. This bar extends out from the core and connects to the galaxy's spiral arms, which swirl outward in a graceful pattern.



Scientists believe that the bar plays a crucial role in the evolution of the galaxy, funneling gas towards the core and potentially triggering star formation or feeding a central black hole. 



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/newly-discovered-stars-milky-way-are-old-as-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a>, our own galaxy, is an example of a barred spiral. These galaxies are quite common in the universe, making up about two-thirds of all observed spiral galaxies.



The bar itself is thought to be a temporary feature, developing as the galaxy matures and possibly disappearing over time as the dynamics of the stars change. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-reticulum-constellation">The Reticulum constellation</h2>



Reticulum is a small, faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name means "the reticle" in Latin, which refers to the crosshairs in an eyepiece of a telescope.



The constellation was named in the 18th century by the French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille to honor the reticle he used in his scientific instruments. It is one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union.



Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA, A. Leroy, J. Lee and the PHANGS Team



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Spiral galaxy glows with young stars and interstellar dust

Parallel ridges across the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/new-river-gorge-national-park-in-west-virginia/">Virginia</a> border can be seen quite clearly here in this Image of the Day. While these parallel ridges stretching across the Virginia border are located just a few kilometers away from each other, they have little else in common. The image was captured by the <a href="http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/operational-land-imager-oli/">Operational Land Imager</a> (OLI) on board the Landsat 8 satellite.

Parallel ridges across the Virginia border

Antarctica is home to some of the clearest skies on Earth, and that brutal clarity makes it the perfect place to eavesdrop on the cosmos. Hovering high above the continent, a NASA balloon carries the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna, or ANITA.



The ANITA experiment <a href="https://techport.nasa.gov/projects/94282" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">catches radio murmurs</a> born when ultra-energetic cosmic rays hit the atmosphere. 



Most of those pops behave exactly as physicists expect: the signals flip polarity after bouncing off the two-mile-thick ice sheet, a clean mirror image that tells researchers the particle came from above.



But ANITA has also logged a handful of pulses that refuse to flip. 



The implication is unsettling because the only way to produce such upward-going radio waves is for a particle to plow straight through the planet, survive more than 3,000 miles of rock, and burst out of the ice on the far side. No known particle should manage that trick.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-anita-finds-rule-breaking-pulses">ANITA finds rule-breaking pulses</h2>



Those anomalous pulses arrived at surprisingly steep angles, emerging from about 30° below the horizon instead of the gentle slopes seen in run-of-the-mill cosmic-ray echoes. 



The geometry alone flags them as outliers, yet the team verified that the pulses were real and not an instrumental hiccup.



“The radio waves that we detected were at really steep angles, like 30 degrees below the surface of the ice,” said <a href="https://science.psu.edu/physics/people/szw5718" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stephanie Wissel</a>, an associate professor of physics, astronomy and astrophysics who combs the ANITA data for unexpected patterns. 



“It’s an interesting problem because we still don't actually have an explanation for what those anomalies are, but what we do know is that they're most likely not representing neutrinos.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-helping-anita-filter-cosmic-chatter">Helping ANITA filter cosmic chatter</h2>



Separating genuine particle signatures from noise takes painstaking effort. Researchers replay thousands of hours of balloon data through computer models that mimic the detector’s response to lightning, satellite transmissions, and even the crackle of auroras. 



By comparing those simulations with real events, they can cull anything that lacks the hallmark shape of a particle-induced shower.



The ANITA collaboration also leans on cross-checks with ground networks such as <a href="https://icecube.wisc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IceCube</a> and the <a href="https://www.auger.org/observatory/auger-hybrid-detector" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pierre Auger Observatory</a>. If a pulse appears only in the balloon logs and nowhere else, it goes under the microscope. 



The handful of strange upward events survived every filter the scientists could devise, reinforcing the sense that something unfamiliar is in play.



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



The obvious culprits would be <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-breaking-ghost-particle-km3-230213a-neutrino-spotted-deep-in-the-mediterranean-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutrinos</a>, the universe’s most elusive messengers. These chargeless wisps hardly ever collide with matter, making them perfect probes of distant cataclysms, yet fiendishly hard to spot.



“You have a billion neutrinos passing through your thumbnail at any moment, but neutrinos don't really interact,” she said. 



“So, this is the double-edged sword problem. If we detect them, it means they have traveled all this way without interacting with anything else. We could be detecting a neutrino coming from the edge of the observable universe.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-listening-from-25-miles-up">Listening from 25 miles up</h2>



“We use radio detectors to try to build really, really large neutrino telescopes so that we can go after a pretty low expected event rate,” Wissel explained. 



ANITA tackles that challenge by floating roughly 25 miles above the snow, a perch that expands each antenna’s footprint to hundreds of square miles without planting a single pole in the ice.



“We have these radio antennas on a balloon that flies 40 kilometers above the ice in Antarctica,” Wissel said. “We point our antennas down at the ice and look for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rare-source-of-cosmic-rays-found-after-a-century-long-search/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutrinos</a> that interact in the ice, producing radio emissions that we can then sense with our detectors.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



When the team traced the weird signals backward, the flight paths pointed through Earth’s interior, defying the standard model of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-category-of-particles-discovered-in-the-subatomic-realm-paraparticles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">particle physics</a>. 



Additional searches in data from the IceCube and Auger neutrino detectors turned up no counterpart events, trimming the roster of ordinary explanations.



“My guess is that some interesting radio propagation effect occurs near ice and also near the horizon that I don't fully understand, but we certainly explored several of those, and we haven't been able to find any of those yet either,” Wissel said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hoping-that-pueo-can-help">Hoping that PUEO can help</h2>



The next balloon in the series is the Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations, or <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Vieregg_PUEO_MOE_June2021_TAGGED.pdf?emrc=8a9411" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PUEO</a>, set for its first Antarctic voyage in December 2025. 



It will carry more antennas and faster electronics, improving sensitivity by at least a factor of five over ANITA.



“So, right now, it's one of these long-standing mysteries, and I'm excited that when we fly PUEO, we'll have better sensitivity," Wissel concluded. 



"In principle, we should pick up more anomalies, and maybe we'll actually understand what they are. We also might detect neutrinos, which would in some ways be a lot more exciting.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



Elsewhere, instruments buried deep in ice, anchored to the seafloor, or orbiting aboard satellites are racking up their own successes. 



In February 2025 a detector beneath the Pacific seafloor logged the most energetic neutrino ever observed, underscoring how quickly the discipline is advancing.



Whether ANITA’s anomalies prove to be exotic particles or a quirk of radio propagation, upcoming missions promise fresh clues. Until then, we will all have to wait and wonder.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.121003" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physical Review Letters</a>.



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Unknown radio waves coming from deep below the Antarctic ice "defy physics"

Antarctica is home to some of the clearest skies on...

Good,Morning,,New,Day,,Weekend,,Holiday.,Happy,Middle,Aged,Woman

Night after night, our bodies cycle through light and heavy slumber. Most of us judge a good night’s rest by how spry we feel over morning coffee, but there is a deeper story. During the night, when muscles go limp and dreams fade, the brain slips into slow-wave sleep - the quietest, most restorative phase.



Researchers now point to a slow erosion of that phase as a silent warning sign for dementia. The issue is not the total number of hours you sleep each night, it's about how deeply we sleep year after year. 



Losing too much of that deep stretch appears to open the door to memory problems later in life. Even small nightly losses, study authors argue, can snowball over time and quietly shape cognitive destiny.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-slow-wave-sleep">Understanding slow-wave sleep</h2>



Often called <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sleep-clears-toxic-waste-from-the-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deep sleep</a>, slow-wave sleep is the most restorative phase of the sleep cycle. During this stage, the brain produces slow, high-amplitude delta waves, and the body enters its most relaxed state - heart rate slows, blood pressure drops, and muscles become nearly immobile.



During these spells, cerebrospinal fluid washes through brain tissue, sweeping away proteins such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleeping-may-lower-levels-of-alzheimers-abnormal-proteins/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amyloid and tau</a> that gather while we are awake.



Both are major suspects in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stopping-alzheimers-before-it-starts-early-treatment-shows-potential/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s disease</a>, which already affects about one in nine Americans older than 65.



When deep sleep shrinks, that nightly rinse falters. Laboratory work confirms that even a single restless night nudges amyloid levels upward. 



Over decades, a chronic shortfall can allow debris to pile up, fraying the circuits that handle recall, planning, and mood.



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



An analysis drawn from the <a href="https://www.framinghamheartstudy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Framingham Heart Study</a> followed 346 adults older than 60 who completed two overnight sleep studies five years apart. 



Over the next 17 years, 52 of them developed dementia, and a clear pattern emerged: each 1 percent annual drop in slow-wave sleep was linked to a 27 percent increase in risk.



“Slow-wave sleep, or deep sleep, supports the ageing brain in many ways, and we know that sleep augments the clearance of metabolic waste from the brain, including facilitating the clearance of proteins that aggregate in Alzheimer’s disease,” explained Associate Professor Matthew Pase of <a href="https://www.monash.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monash University</a>.



“However, to date we have been unsure of the role of slow-wave sleep in the development of dementia. Our findings suggest that slow-wave sleep loss may be a modifiable dementia risk factor.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-sleep-and-risk">Genes, sleep, and risk</h2>



The same project highlighted a genetic wildcard: <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5839141/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">APOE ε4</a>. Carriers of this variant lost deep sleep faster than their peers. Even without that gene, though, a steep decline in slow-wave minutes still spelled trouble.



Brain-volume measurements did not explain the trend, hinting that sleep itself is the driver. By tracking nightly brain waves, clinicians may gain an early heads-up long before symptoms appear.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-slow-wave-sleep">Studying slow-wave sleep</h2>



A <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-023-02811-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">separate study</a> at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Berkeley</a>, shows how deep sleep might soften the blow even when pathology is already in place. 



Sixty-two older volunteers spent a night undergoing electroencephalography and then tried to match names to faces. 



Those with heavy beta-amyloid deposits but plentiful slow-wave sleep performed as well as participants with cleaner brains.



“With a certain level of brain pathology, you’re not destined for cognitive symptoms or memory issues,” said <a href="https://www.abg.psychol.cam.ac.uk/staff/dr-zsofia-zavecz" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zsófia Zavecz</a>, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley’s <a href="https://www.humansleepscience.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Human Sleep Science</a>. 



“People should be aware that, despite having a certain level of pathology, there are certain lifestyle factors that will help moderate and decrease the effects. One of those factors is sleep and, specifically, deep sleep.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-keeping-memory-afloat">Keeping memory afloat</h2>



Neuroscientist <a href="https://psychology.berkeley.edu/people/matthew-p-walker" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Matthew Walker</a>, senior author of the UC Berkeley study, posed a compelling question: If sleep is truly essential for memory, could it be a missing piece in the puzzle explaining why two people with the same level of amyloid pathology experience such different memory outcomes?



He noted that if this theory proves true, it would be exciting - because sleep is something we can actually change. It’s a modifiable factor.



Walker went on to compare deep sleep to a life raft: it keeps memory afloat rather than letting it sink under the weight of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-disruptions-could-signal-the-onset-of-alzheimers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s disease</a>. 



He suggested that non-REM, slow-wave sleep may be a crucial piece in understanding cognitive reserve. Even better, it’s something we can improve, even later in life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-getting-more-slow-wave-sleep">Getting more slow-wave sleep</h2>



Laboratory gadgets cannot guarantee longer slow-wave stretches, yet everyday choices matter. 



Regular bedtimes anchor the body clock; a cool, dark bedroom keeps overheating at bay; and avoiding caffeine after lunch reduces late-night jitters. A warm shower before lights-out also nudges the brain toward <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sleep-how-slow-waves-boost-memory-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deeper stages</a>. 



“One of the advantages of this result is the application to a huge population right above the age of 65,” Zavecz said. 



“By sleeping better and doing your best to practice good sleep hygiene, which is easy to research online, you can gain the benefit of this compensatory function against this type of Alzheimer’s pathology.”



Wearable sensors are not perfect, but they now offer a glimpse into nightly slow-wave trends at home.



By understanding and supporting this critical stage of sleep through consistent habits and healthy routines, we gain a powerful, accessible tool for maintaining cognitive resilience well into older adulthood.



Spotting a downward drift early gives older adults a chance to course-correct with simple habits - an investment that could pay off in sharper memories for years to come.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2810957" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JAMA Neurology</a>.



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Scientists point to one particular sleep stage as being most important for preventing dementia

Night after night, our bodies cycle through light and heavy...

Astronomers have uncovered what may be the heaviest black hole ever directly measured. Located at the center of a galaxy nearly six billion light-years away, this ultramassive cosmic monster is estimated to weigh in at 36 billion times the mass of our Sun.



This discovery was made in the foreground galaxy of a rare gravitational lensing system known as the <a href="https://britastro.org/section_news_item/cosmic-horseshoe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cosmic Horseshoe</a>, which was first identified in 2007. 



The new research, led by Carlos R. Melo-Carneiro from the <a href="https://www.if.ufrgs.br/if/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Institute of Physics</a> at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, used a combination of gravitational lens modeling and detailed stellar dynamics to pinpoint the ultramassive black hole (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/521/3/3298/7085506" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UMBH</a>) lurking at the center of the lensing galaxy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-the-cosmic-horseshoe">What is the cosmic horseshoe</h2>



The Cosmic Horseshoe is a near-perfect example of a <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.84.2188.506">gravitational lens</a>: a phenomenon where the gravity of a massive foreground galaxy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-confirm-lone-black-hole-wandering-through-our-galaxy/">bends</a> the light of a background galaxy. 



In this case, the background galaxy appears as a luminous arc encircling the lensing galaxy, forming what’s called an <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/asset/hubble/a-gallery-of-einstein-rings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Einstein Ring</a>.



The lensing galaxy, named <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/image-detail/einstein-ring-lrg-3-757/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LRG 3-757</a>, is what astronomers refer to as a <a href="https://classic.sdss.org/dr5/products/general/edr_html/node53.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">luminous red galaxy</a>. This is a giant elliptical galaxy that shines brightly in infrared light and contains very little star formation. 



LRG 3-757 is not only huge, about 100 times more massive than the Milky Way, but is now also known to host one of the largest black holes ever measured.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-the-ultramassive-black-hole">Measuring the ultramassive black hole</h2>



Black holes, especially the largest ones, are notoriously difficult to measure. Researchers typically rely on the motion of nearby stars and gas to estimate how much mass must be present to account for their velocity. 



But at vast distances like this one, over five billion light-years away, direct observations are challenging.



Melo-Carneiro and his team took a different approach. They used detailed data from the <a href="https://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/develop/instruments/muse.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE)</a> instrument on the <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/paranal-observatory/vlt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Very Large Telescope</a>, paired with high-resolution images from the Hubble Space Telescope, to create a combined model of the galaxy’s mass.&nbsp;



The key innovation was incorporating both the gravitational lensing distortion of background light and the motion of stars within the lensing galaxy itself. 



The result was a precise mass estimate of the central black hole, weighing in at an astonishing 36 billion solar masses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-what-was-thought-possible">Beyond what was thought possible</h2>



Astronomers have long known that <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/black-holes/types/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supermassive</a> black holes lie at the centers of most large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monster-in-the-shadows-giant-black-hole-emerges-from-cosmic-dust/">galaxies</a>. 



Their masses tend to follow a predictable trend based on the speed at which stars move in the galaxy’s center, a relationship called the <a href="https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2020/02/aa36321-19/aa36321-19.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MBH–σe relation</a>, where σe stands for the effective stellar velocity dispersion. 



But the black hole in LRG 3-757 doesn’t play by these rules.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/cosmic-horseshoe_radial-arc_ultramassive-black-hole-umbh_NASA_1big.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/cosmic-horseshoe_radial-arc_ultramassive-black-hole-umbh_NASA_1s.webp" alt="HST/WFC3 color composite image of the Cosmic Horseshoe, created using the F814W, F606W, and F475W filters. The system is composed by the main deflector, the eponymous Einstein ring of the Cosmic Horseshoe, and the radial arc and its counter-image, both highlighted. The inset shows the radial arc. Credit: NASA/Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul" class="wp-image-1974107"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">HST/WFC3 color composite image of the Cosmic Horseshoe, created using the F814W, F606W, and F475W filters. The system is composed by the main deflector, the eponymous Einstein ring of the Cosmic Horseshoe, and the radial arc and its counter-image, both highlighted. The inset shows the radial arc. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NASA/Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul</figcaption></figure>



This black hole’s mass is about 1.5 standard deviations above what the MBH–σe relation would predict, based on the velocity dispersion of 366 km/s. 



That’s a significant outlier. It suggests something unusual happened in the galaxy’s past or is still happening now.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-ultramassive-black-hole-is-so-big">Why this ultramassive black hole is so big</h2>



Several theories might explain this deviation. One possibility is that LRG 3-757 underwent a dramatic history of mergers. 



During such events, central black holes from each galaxy can eventually merge, while gravitational interactions fling nearby stars outward, a process known as <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.12537" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scouring</a>. This can inflate the black hole’s mass without increasing the average stellar speed.



Another explanation is that <a href="https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Sept13/Silk/Silk8.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AGN feedback</a>, when an actively feeding black hole pumps energy into its surroundings, disrupts star formation and changes the internal structure of the galaxy.



There’s also a chance that this black hole is a fossil remnant of an ancient <a href="https://esahubble.org/wordbank/quasar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quasar</a>, an early universe black hole that grew rapidly by consuming large amounts of matter. 



In this scenario, LRG 3-757 could once have been far more active, with the black hole gaining mass much faster than its surrounding stars could evolve.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deviant-ultramassive-black-holes">Deviant ultramassive black holes</h2>



This study adds to a growing list of ultramassive black holes that deviate from the expected <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-found-something-strange-at-core-of-milky-way-galaxy-webb-meerkat/">galaxy</a>-black hole scaling laws. But what makes this finding special is its distance.



We see the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-galaxy-jwst-er1g-dark-matter-einstein-ring-mystery-solved/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cosmic Horseshoe</a> as it was over four billion years ago. 



That places it significantly earlier in the universe’s timeline than most direct mass measurements of supermassive black holes (SMBHs). It is also one of the most massive black holes ever directly measured at any redshift.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-tools-will-soon-join-the-hunt">New tools will soon join the hunt</h2>



With telescopes like <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Euclid</a> already scanning the sky, researchers expect to find hundreds of thousands of new gravitational lenses in the next five years. 



Many of these may host similarly massive galaxies, with hidden black holes that challenge our understanding of galactic evolution.



With upcoming tools like the <a href="https://elt.eso.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Extremely Large Telescope (ELT)</a>, scientists will be able to measure stellar dynamics with far greater precision, even in galaxies that are billions of light-years away.



“This new era of discovery promises to deepen our understanding of galaxy evolution and the interplay between baryonic and dark matter components,” the authors concluded in their paper.



The study is published the online journal <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.13788" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arxiv</a>.



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Astronomers discover the largest 'ultramassive' black hole ever seen

Astronomers have uncovered what may be the heaviest black hole...

Galaxy clusters pack thousands of galaxies into a volume only a few million light-years wide. They also fill the space between them with a thin plasma hotter than the Sun’s surface.



When a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spiral-galaxy-j23453268-0449256-black-hole-fury-defies-current-knowledge-base/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spiral galaxy</a> plunges through this intracluster medium, the hot plasma acts like a supersonic headwind, pushing on the galaxy’s cooler gas. NGC 4858 is currently enduring some of the strongest ram-pressure stripping ever observed.



“This galaxy, NGC 4858, is traveling very quickly through the Coma Cluster,” said Harrison Souchereau, an astronomer at <a href="https://www.yale.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yale University</a> and lead author of a new study exploring this galaxy.



“It is effectively in a wind tunnel, and its gas is in the process of being stripped away by the wind,” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-survey-of-jellyfish-galaxies">A survey of jellyfish galaxies </h2>



NGC 4858 is classified as a "jellyfish galaxy." This type of galaxy has long, trailing streams of gas and young stars extending from one side - making it resemble a jellyfish with flowing tentacles.



Earlier optical pictures showed distinct blue tentacles of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-captures-a-young-stars-jet-colliding-with-space-dust/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">young stars</a> trailing behind NGC 4858. These features confirmed that ram-pressure winds removed the galaxy’s interstellar gas and compressed it into new star-forming knots.



But optical light cannot reveal the cold molecular clouds that provide the raw material for future stars.



To map that component, Souchereau and Yale professor Jeffrey Kenney used <a href="https://www.almaobservatory.org/en/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ALMA Observatory</a>’s high resolution and sensitivity at radio wavelengths. 



Their observations - part of a broader survey of jellyfish galaxies - resolved structures just a few hundred light-years across. These were small enough to compare directly with computer simulations of ram-pressure stripping.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bunny-ears-and-inner-tails"><a></a>Bunny ears and inner tails</h2>



The ALMA images show that the galaxy’s leading edge, which faces into the wind, appears sharply compressed. On the trailing side, a short, hook-shaped plume of CO-bright gas curves back toward the disk.



Above the disk plane, two arched spiral arms stretch outward and backward, giving the galaxy a cartoonish set of “bunny ears.”



“This is likely due to a combination of the environmental wind pushing on the gas and the rotation of the galaxy,” Souchereau explained.



Models show headwinds drag unevenly on spinning galaxies, bending arms and piling gas onto one side of the disk. Stars can still form where the gas density peaks, even as other parts of the disk go without.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-galactic-fountain-effect"><a></a>The galactic fountain effect</h2>



The study highlights one of its most striking findings: clear evidence for “fallback,” a long-theorized but rarely documented process.



When ram pressure pushes gas out of the disk, the material does not always escape into intergalactic space. If it fails to reach the cluster’s escape velocity, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unraveling-gravity-quantum-nature-entanglement-mechanics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gravity</a> eventually reverses its course.



“Most people think of ram pressure stripping as removing the gas from galaxies, which is the main effect and a big deal, since gas is the raw material for <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>,” Kenney said.



“But sometimes gas can get pushed out but not stripped, since it never reaches the escape speed. So it falls back, creating a kind of galactic fountain. When this happens, the gas falling back often concentrates in distorted spiral arms on one side of the inner tail.”



In NGC 4858, the returning gas streams converge inside the bunny-ear arms and along the inner tail, triggering bursts of star formation in regions that would otherwise be quiescent.



The galaxy shows both destruction and renewal, as some forces gut certain regions while others briefly revive with recycled gas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recycling-may-change-a-galaxy-s-fate">Recycling may change a galaxy’s fate</h2>



Astronomers consider ram-pressure stripping one of the fastest ways to convert blue, star-forming spirals into red, gas-poor ellipticals inside clusters.



The new ALMA data indicate that the transformation can be messier and more gradual than simple one-way stripping models predict.



Gas recycling may prolong a galaxy’s star-forming life, albeit in distorted patches rather than orderly spiral arms. The uneven fallback suggests that angular momentum and magnetic fields steer stripped gas - key factors for next-generation simulations to model.



Upcoming optical and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-galaxies-revealed-in-a-single-webb-image/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Webb telescope</a> observations will analyze the chemical makeup of gas flowing into and out of the galaxy. These studies will test whether recycled material can eventually build a fresh, stable disk or simply fuel brief starbursts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-galaxy-survival-limits">Testing galaxy survival limits</h2>



Astronomers study NGC 4858 as a compelling case of extreme environmental effects on galaxies because it lies nearby and sits in one of the densest known clusters.



By comparing it to other jellyfish in the Coma sample - some at different angles of motion and stages of stripping - astronomers hope to build a timeline of how ram-pressure interactions unfold.



For now, the galaxy’s whimsical bunny-ear silhouette offers three key lessons. Ram-pressure winds compress and bend spiral arms; gas can cycle out and back in a galactic fountain; and even under relentless external assault, galaxies can briefly reignite pockets of star formation.



Observing these processes in real time provides a critical benchmark for theories of galaxy evolution in the universe’s most crowded neighborhoods.



A preprint of the study can be found on <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.07262" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arXiv</a>.



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Jellyfish galaxy grew ‘bunny ears’ while battling galactic wind

Galaxy clusters pack thousands of galaxies into a volume only...

A new study has revealed that corals growing in waters where temperatures swing wildly from month to month cope far better with sudden marine heatwaves than those from calm, steady seas.



The secret is not just hidden in their DNA. It’s also written in the algae and bacteria inside the coral that help defend against stress.



By tracing how those microscopic allies behave when heat strikes, scientists have found new clues to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-cant-survive-rising-sea-urchin-numbers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral reef</a> survival in a hotter world.



A team from <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McGill University</a> and the <a href="https://stri.si.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute </a>(STRI) made the discovery after comparing two reef systems on opposite sides of Panama.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-gulfs-two-climates">Two gulfs, two climates</h2>



The Gulf of Panama faces regular upwelling that brings cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface. Conditions can flip back to warm within days.



Roughly 60 miles (100 kilometers) west, the Gulf of Chiriquí enjoys placid, almost constant temperatures year-round.



The researchers gathered small fragments of the staghorn-like coral Pocillopora damicornis from both sites. They exposed the samples to simulated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-heatwaves-escalate-coral-bleaching-threats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heatwaves</a> in a specialized laboratory tank called the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-training-coral-for-heat">Training coral for heat</h2>



In the thermal tests, corals from the volatile Gulf of Panama bleached more slowly, kept higher protein stores and suffered less oxidative damage than their cousins from the calm gulf.



The team found Panama corals also kept stronger antioxidant defenses during peak heat, neutralizing harmful oxygen radicals more effectively.



“Minor genetic differences seem to contribute to thermal tolerance, but the environmental context makes a big difference,” said Rowan Barrett, a professor of biology at McGill who supervised the work.



This was an important hint that living in a place that regularly throws curve-balls may train corals to ride out extreme events still to come.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-s-microscopic-team">Coral's microscopic team</h2>



Inside every coral lives a dense population of single-celled algae known as Symbiodiniaceae plus a cloud of helpful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/highly-unusual-bacteria-discovered-in-deep-sea-corals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a>.



Under normal light and temperature these algae pump out sugars that feed their hosts, while the bacteria help corals resist pathogens and modulate stress.



When seas warm, the partnership can break down. Stressed corals purge the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/algae-revived-after-7000-years-beneath-the-baltic-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">algae</a>, lose their color and begin to starve.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unexpected-recovery-strategy">An unexpected recovery strategy </h2>



The new study probed the composition of these inner communities before, during, and after heat stress. In both regions, the bacterial consortia became less stable and more patchy as temperatures climbed, a warning sign of coral bleaching risk.



Yet corals from the Gulf of Panama recovered a more orderly microbiome once heat subsided, matching their better overall health.



Curiously, the researchers did not see the wholesale shift toward heat-hardy Durusdinium algae that often accompanies bleaching in places such as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-coral-collapse-may-help-save-the-great-barrier-reef/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Great Barrier Reef</a>. Instead, many Panamanian corals continued to host mostly Cladocopium, a genus that supplies more energy but usually less protection from heat.



“This suggests there’s a trade-off between energy supply and heat resistance,” Barrett said. Retaining the high-energy algae may help corals bounce back quickly after short bursts of stress, provided they can tolerate the initial shock.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-history-shapes-coral-survival">Heat history shapes coral survival </h2>



Field observations back up the lab results. The Gulf of Panama was ground zero for the 1982–83 El Niño, one of the strongest warming events of the twentieth century.



Reefs there were badly damaged, yet many later rebuilt their living cover. The more predictable Gulf of Chiriquí lost whole stretches of coral that have yet to recover fully.



“Understanding what makes some corals more resilient to increasing temperatures helps us figure out how reefs might survive climate change and where to focus conservation efforts,” said lead author Victoria Glynn, who conducted the work as a PhD student at McGill.



The researchers combined physiology data with high-resolution genetic scans and detailed inventories of each coral’s microbial passengers.



They found that corals from both gulfs share the bulk of their DNA, yet subtle gene variants linked to stress response appear more common in the heat-tested populations.



Still, genetics alone could not explain performance. The environmental backdrop - and the track record of daily and seasonal swings - played an outsized role in shaping the whole coral-microbe partnership.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-panama-s-tough-coral-communities">Panama's tough coral communities</h2>



“Panama’s reefs give us a natural laboratory to understand <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-may-be-more-resilient-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resilience</a>,” said co-author Sean Connolly, a scientist at STRI.



“By studying how coral communities adapt to their environment, we can better predict which reefs are most at risk - and which might bounce back.”



The work suggests that protecting places already exposed to repeated thermal variability could be a smart bet. These reefs may help repopulate damaged regions with hardier larvae or act as reservoirs of adaptive genes and microbes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strategies-to-save-coral-reefs">Strategies to save coral reefs</h2>



For reef managers, the findings highlight two priorities. First, identify hotspots of natural variability where corals are already rehearsing for future extremes.



Second, monitor not only the corals themselves but also the microscopic partners that drive their day-to-day metabolism and emergency responses.



Interventions that safeguard or restore healthy microbiomes could improve a reef’s odds during the next heatwave. Limiting nutrient runoff, which destabilizes bacterial communities, is one such approach.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-reefs-beyond-panama">Coral reefs beyond Panama</h2>



The team plans follow-up studies to test whether similar patterns hold in other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-cool-the-climate-more-than-previously-realized/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oceans</a> and among different coral species. They also hope to map the precise metabolic pathways that let certain microbes boost antioxidant defenses under stress.



Such knowledge could feed into breeding or translocation programs aimed at building reef resilience on a broader scale.



For now, the message is clear. A coral’s fate hinges on more than its own genome. It depends on the lifelong training it receives from its home waters and on the tiny partners it carries within.



Those insights provide a glimmer of hope that some reefs, armed with the right allies and honed by tough neighborhoods, can survive the heat to come.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960982225006517" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Wild temperature swings boost coral reef resilience

A new study has revealed that corals growing in waters...

This,Image,Features,A,Meticulously,Rendered,3d,Model,Of,Graphene's

A new carbon material is gaining attention for its incredible resilience, offering hope for stronger and more durable technologies. <a href="https://www.rice.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rice University</a> scientists report that <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c03769" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">monolayer amorphous carbon (MAC)</a> is eight times tougher than graphene.



This two-dimensional, single-atom-thick material combines crystalline and disordered regions, creating a unique composite structure.



The material’s unusual combination of structures results in greater toughness. 



“This unique design prevents cracks from propagating easily, allowing the material to absorb more energy before breaking,” said graduate student <a href="https://profiles.rice.edu/student/bongki-shin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bongki Shin</a>, first author of the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2590238525000438" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mac-fracture-process">MAC fracture process</h2>



Researchers at Rice used in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359646225000715" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">situ tensile testing</a> inside a scanning electron microscope to directly observe how MAC withstands stress. 



Cracks in the material were seen to slow, branch, and even stop before breaking the structure apart.



Simulations from <a href="https://web.mit.edu/mbuehler/www/research/groupmembers.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Markus Buehler’s group</a> at MIT backed this up at the atomic level. They showed how the interface between ordered and disordered regions raised the energy required to fracture the material.



“This hadn’t been done before because creating and imaging an ultrathin, disordered material at the atomic scale is extremely challenging,” said <a href="https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/yimo-han" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yimo Han</a>, assistant professor and a corresponding author.



<a href="https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/jun-lou" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Professor Jun Lou</a>, also a corresponding author, believes this internal design strategy might apply to other 2D materials as well. The goal is to make them more useful in real-world conditions where brittleness has been a barrier.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-mac-behaves-differently">Why MAC behaves differently</h2>



Molecular dynamics simulations were key to understanding why MAC behaves so differently from other carbon <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/superconductivity-achieved-at-room-temperature-with-new-materials/">materials</a>.



These models allowed researchers to watch crack behavior down to individual atoms, revealing how amorphous regions interact with stress in unexpected ways.



By adjusting the size and distribution of crystalline domains in the models, scientists saw how small structural tweaks impacted toughness. 



This helps guide experimental design and supports the idea that internal disorder can be engineered, not just tolerated.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/graphene-wonder-material-changing-the-world-is-officially-declared-safe-for-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Graphene</a> is known for being incredibly strong. It resists stretching and compressing better than most materials on Earth. But it's also brittle. When a crack starts, it tends to shoot through quickly, causing sudden failure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mac-s-unique-advantage">MAC's unique advantage</h2>



MAC, on the other hand, doesn't just resist deformation. It handles cracks by forcing them to branch or stall. This increase in fracture energy enhances the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposing-the-hidden-climate-costs-of-everyday-materials/">material</a>'s toughness.



It does this without losing stiffness, which means it could be used in the same kinds of devices that currently rely on graphene.



Two-dimensional materials have potential in flexible electronics, sensors, solar panels, and batteries. But their weakness under stress has held them back.



MAC could change that. It might protect sensitive layers in devices that need to bend or stretch without breaking.



MAC is synthesized using <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/laser-chemical-vapor-deposition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">laser‑assisted chemical vapor deposition</a>, the same method applied to graphene and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/hexagonal-boron-nitride" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hexagonal boron nitride (h‑BN)</a>. 



This means the process can be scaled up using existing equipment and know-how, which speeds up real-world adoption.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adapting-the-design">Adapting the design</h2>



Professor Lou noted that other 2D materials might benefit from a similar approach. If so, engineers could develop a new family of thin, durable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-created-carbon-14-battery-that-lasts-5700-years-without-a-recharge/">materials</a> with customizable fracture resistance.



So far, testing has focused on how MAC handles tension. Scientists want to understand how it behaves under bending, shear, and long-term stress. 



The preliminary studies indicate MAC acts as an insulator with a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/post/tunable_energy_band_gap" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tunable bandgap</a>, opening up possible applications in electronics and surface coatings.



This combination of toughness and electrical properties could lead to new designs in wearable tech, aerospace electronics, and smart coatings. 



Researchers also want to understand how to control the ratio of crystalline to amorphous regions. This balance affects not only toughness but also conductivity and weight.



Controlling this internal structure is difficult at such a small scale. But improvements in high-resolution imaging and synthesis techniques are making it possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



This is one of the first clear demonstrations that blending internal structures in 2D materials can make them tougher without adding extra layers. 



In the past, materials scientists tried to strengthen 2D materials by stacking reinforcements or applying coatings. But these added thickness and complexity.



Materials like <a href="https://lowerfriction.com/dry-solid-lubricant-powders/molybdenum-disulfide-mos2-powder/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂)</a> and hexagonal boron nitride (h‑BN) are also popular in the 2D space, each offering unique electronic or thermal properties. 



However, they too suffer from brittleness, making them vulnerable under stress.



MAC’s combination of fracture resistance and structural adaptability puts it in a different category. It doesn’t rely on external reinforcement like multilayer stacking or hybridization, which gives it a design edge for thin, high-performance applications.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-for-mac">Next steps for MAC</h2>



The internal approach shown by MAC avoids those drawbacks. It uses structure, not bulk, to achieve results.



It’s a step forward for flexible <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-electronic-skin-gives-robots-the-human-touch/">electronics</a>, especially in harsh or high-performance settings like medical sensors or foldable devices. 



With further refinement, MAC could become the standard protective layer for thin devices that need to perform under stress.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590238525000438" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Matter</a>.



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Scientists create a two-dimensional carbon material eight times stronger than graphene

A new carbon material is gaining attention for its incredible...

Pangolins in Nigeria’s Cross River forests are in trouble. Most are killed for supper, not for overseas trade in their scales. A new field survey shows that nearly every pangolin taken from the wild ends up in a cooking pot.



Scientists from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cambridge</a> spent three years talking with more than 800 hunters and traders across 33 villages. 



The team estimates that about 21,000 pangolins die each year in the region. Hunters rarely set out to look for them. They pick the animals up by hand while checking snares or working in farm plots. 



Almost three-quarters of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-meat-paradox-people-care-about-animals-but-still-eat-meat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meat</a> is eaten by the hunters’ own families, and the rest is sold locally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meat-is-the-motive-for-killing-pangolins">Meat is the motive for killing pangolins </h2>



Study lead author Dr. Charles Emogor conducted the research while pursuing his PhD in the Department of Zoology at Cambridge.



“Thousands of kilos of pangolin scales are seized at Nigeria’s ports, creating the impression that the international demand for scales is behind pangolin exploitation in West Africa,” said Dr. Emogor.



"When we spoke to hunters and traders on the ground around the Cross River forest, the largest stronghold for Nigeria’s pangolins, it was obvious that meat was the motivation for almost all of the pangolin killings.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pangolin-scales-often-hit-the-bin">Pangolin scales often hit the bin</h2>



Less than a third of the scales from those animals ever reach a trader. Most are tossed aside. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/does-hunting-fishing-connect-humans-with-nature-or-reinforce-superiority-complex/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hunters</a> said meat earns three to four times more money per animal than scales do in local markets.



“We found that dedicated pangolin hunts are virtually non-existent. Most pangolins are killed by hunters out for any type of game,” said Dr. Emogor. 



"Around a third of pangolins are caught opportunistically, often while people are working in the fields. Pangolins curl into a ball when threatened, which sadly makes them easy to catch.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-prized-taste-and-old-beliefs">A prized taste and old beliefs</h2>



Pangolin meat is considered more flavorful than beef, chicken, or even antelope in many villages. It’s sometimes prepared for pregnant women, based on the belief that it promotes strong, healthy babies. 



This cultural value, combined with the species’ slow reproductive rate, puts intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-mammals-show-how-humans-influence-animal-activity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pressure</a> on the animal's survival.



“Pangolins face a lethal combination of threats,” said Dr. Emogor. “Pangolins are easy to hunt, breed slowly, taste good to humans, and are falsely believed to have curative properties in traditional medicines. In addition, their forest habitat is being destroyed.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-local-solutions-to-save-pangolins">Local solutions to save pangolins </h2>



Because food is the real pull, the researchers argue that local solutions - better patrols, new bylaws, and help with food security - may cost less and work faster than trying to police international trafficking alone.



“Clearly in designing any intervention we need good information on what’s motivating the hunters,” said study co-author Professor Andrew Balmford. “That’s why studies such as this are vital for effective conservation of endangered species.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-losing-80-million-years-of-evolution">Losing 80 million years of evolution</h2>



Dr. Emogor now runs Pangolino, a volunteer network that helps villages write and enforce pangolin-friendly rules. His motivation is personal as well as scientific.



"If we lose the pangolin, we lose 80 million years of evolution,” said Emogor. “Pangolins are the only mammals with scales, and their ancestors existed when dinosaurs still roamed the planet."



Cameroon, Gabon, and other nations show similar habits: people value pangolins mainly for food. Until diets change or enforcement improves, Africa’s only scaly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-mammals-have-evolved-over-66-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mammals</a> will keep slipping toward extinction - one meal at a time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-pangolins-and-forest-life">Protecting pangolins and forest life</h2>



Efforts to save pangolins must go beyond curbing international trade. Protecting these animals - and the ecosystems they live in - means addressing the local drivers of hunting. 



That includes improving food security, offering economic alternatives to bushmeat, and increasing public awareness about the role pangolins play in forest health.



Education and outreach are key. Many hunters don’t realize pangolins are at risk. Some may not know the animals help control insect populations and support ecological balance. 



Wildlife conservation groups are working to spread this knowledge, while local governments and partners explore ways to boost law enforcement in remote areas.



Ultimately, protecting pangolins also helps safeguard other species that share their shrinking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/north-americas-mammals-are-seeking-refuge-in-forest-habitats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">habitats</a>. When forests are preserved and hunting is managed sustainably, entire ecosystems stand a better chance of survival.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02734-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.



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Pangolins in West Africa are hunted for meat, not medicine

Pangolins in Nigeria’s Cross River forests are in trouble. Most...

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



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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video 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.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Extensive Shanghai urban development can be seen here in this photo from the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=89853&amp;eocn=home&amp;eoci=iotd_image">NASA Earth Observatory</a>, showing just how much <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shanghai-plans-limit-population/">Shanghai</a> has changed over the past 30 years. Shanghai urban development has grown at an unprecedented rate since the 1980s, when the Chinese government began engaging in foreign trade and investment.

Shanghai urban development increasing dramatically

Lake Eyre is shown here in this Image of the Day from the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=89723">NASA Earth Observatory</a> taking a detailed look at the features of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australian-bushfire-smoke-made-its-way-around-the-globe/">Australia’s</a> largest inland lake. Lake Eyre can be easily seen from space thanks to its massive, white-floored lake bed that is usually completely dry.

Shanghai urban development increasing dramatically

News coming your way