Science

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has sent back stunning close-up images from its lowest-ever and final orbit around the dwarf planet Ceres. This image from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft shows a boulder field near Occator crater’s eastern rim. It was obtained on June 9, 2018 from an altitude of about 30 miles (48 …

One of the difficulties of studying star and planetary formation has historically been the difficulty of confirming our hypotheses. As our understanding of the universe has expanded, our own theories have often come in for revision. We now know, based on the results of surveys like that of the Kepler …

In search of a way to rejuvenate the immune system of older adults, a team of scientists from the University of Arizona College of Medicine and elsewhere has found that the cytomegalovirus, a common viral infection affecting between 60% and 99% of adults worldwide, may not weaken, but actually boost …

The Koala Genome Consortium, a research group that includes 54 scientists from 29 different institutions across seven countries, has produced the first high-quality genomic sequence for the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), a tree-dwelling Australian marsupial that is one of the world’s most fascinating and iconic mammals. Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus). Image credit: …

According to a Durham University-led study, young Uranus was hit by a protoplanet about twice the size of Earth that caused the ice giant to tilt and could explain its extremely cold temperatures. Uranus. Image credit: NASA. “Uranus spins on its side, with its axis pointing almost at right angles …

A team of researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia, has identified an ancient gene that plays a key role in regulating the human body’s immune response to infection and disease. The discovery, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, could have intriguing implications for antiviral …

Japan’s Hayabusa 2 spacecraft has spent more than three years alone in the emptiness of space on its way to rendezvous with an asteroid. The Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) has now confirmed that Hayabusa 2 is in position to begin its primary science operations. On the agenda are numerous mapping …

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket flared to life in the early hours of Friday morning to launch a resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket carried, among other things, a floating robot head. That’s not the only reason this launch was special. Both the Falcon 9 first …

A team of scientists has identified 27 new viruses that infect European honeybees (Apis mellifera) and other bee species. Galbraith et al identified 27 novel viruses in bees. Image credit: Joanna Jankowski. “Populations of bees around the world are declining, and viruses are known to contribute to these declines. Despite …

An international research team led by University of Otago’s Professor Neil Gemmell is using the latest DNA technologies to compile a census of life in Loch Ness, a large freshwater lake best known for sightings of the long-necked ‘monster.’ Loch Ness. Image credit: Gregory J. Kingsley. “There have been more …