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Elon Musk wants humans to go to Mars, but the Sun is stripping away the planet's atmosphere. A study in Science Advances showed how solar wind creates waves that carry gas into space. Lead author Chi Zhang said, "We provided clear evidence that these plasma clouds are generated by Kelvin-Helmholtz waves."
On Aug. 3, 2004, NASA launched the MESSENGER spacecraft to orbit Mercury. It blasted off on a Delta II rocket from Florida. The mission helped scientists study the planet’s huge core and icy poles. After many years of discovery, NASA ended the mission in 2015 by crashing the probe into Mercury.
University of Wollongong scientists watched, molecule by molecule, as two helper proteins rescued misfolded proteins. The study, published this week in Science Advances, showed how Hsp70 and Hsp90 work together. Professor Heath Ecroyd said, "We've essentially watched, for the first time, how the cell's protein repair crew works together."
New images from August 3, 2026, show the first three-headed asteroid, (44) Nysa. Located between Mars and Jupiter, this 47-mile-wide object has a unique shape and a tiny moon. Kate Minker said, "The images reveal a remarkably unusual object." Scientists believe it is either three connected parts or one irregular body.
Pluto’s atmosphere may be collapsing as the planet moves farther from the sun. Researchers led by Amanda Sickafoose found that atmospheric pressure fell by 16% between mid-2021 and July 2023. Scientists used starlight to track these changes. "We try to improve those data sets by collaborating with local observers," Sickafoose said.
Researchers proposed a new classification framework for lunar soil in the Soil Science Society of America Journal. This system helps scientists understand the moon’s surface for future missions. Jérôme Juilleret said, "We believe this expertise can now help guide the next era of lunar exploration." It could support sustainable human settlement.
Scientists identified a protein pathway linking aging to brain diseases like Huntington’s and ALS. Research published in Nature Aging showed that the protein EPS8 triggers toxic buildup. Dr. Seda Koyuncu said, "This study may contribute to filling in a part of that puzzle." Reducing EPS8 levels helped preserve neuronal function.
Astronomers used the Very Large Telescope to watch the black hole Swift J1727.8−1613 during its 2023 feeding frenzy. They saw the system blast material back into space instead of swallowing it all. Noel Castro Segura said, "Matter falls in, the system processes it, and a surprising amount is expelled again."
Yannick Badoux and Simon Portegies Zwart simulated 34,000 stellar encounters to see if moons survive when planets get thrown out of systems. They found that moons close to their planets stay attached during ejection. These findings show that a moon’s orbit carries clear fingerprints of how its planet was stolen.
Researchers studied Tabby’s star to explain its decade-long dimming mystery. A new study published on July 6 showed a 21-hour dip in the star’s light on Sept. 3, 2019. This signal, found using NASA’s TESS data, suggests a giant planet or brown dwarf might be blocking the star’s light.
Scientists discovered a new metal alloy in Hiroshima beach sand nearly 81 years after the 6 August 1945 atomic blast. Researchers found the unique material inside microscopic particles called hiroshimaites. The intense heat vaporised urban materials, which then cooled rapidly to form this rare structure never seen in nature before.
In 1961, Dr Frank Drake proposed an equation to determine the number of intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way. This followed a 1950 remark by Enrico Fermi, who asked, "where is everybody?" Scientists now use the principle of mediocrity to suggest that Earth is not special in the vast universe.