Ocean Warming Speeds Up, Alarming Scientists

Heatmap of the Earth

Satellite data has revealed that sea surface temperatures are rising at an increasingly rapid pace, with warming rates now 4.5 times faster than observed in the late 1980s, according to a newly published study. The research, published in Environmental Research Letters, found that between 1985 and 1989, sea surface temperatures rose by a modest 0.06°C … Read more

Webb Unmasks Hidden Black Hole Nearby

M83 (MIRI image)

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected telltale signatures of a supermassive black hole lurking in the heart of galaxy M83, a discovery that challenges decades of assumptions about our galactic neighbor. Using Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), astronomers identified highly ionized neon gas in M83’s nucleus – specifically the emission lines of [Ne V] and … Read more

Hera’s Mars & Moon Close-Up

Sir Brian May and the rest of Hera's science team see Mars image arrive

On March 12, 2025, ESA’s Hera spacecraft pulled off something pretty special—a rare close flyby of Mars and its tiny moon Deimos. The spacecraft flew just 5,000 kilometers above the Martian surface and skimmed within 300 kilometers of Deimos. During the pass, Hera’s Asteroid Framing Camera captured stunning footage, later enhanced with color to highlight known surface features. The result? A rare and breathtaking look at these two distant worlds.

Space Antenna Breakthrough Slashes Hardware Needs

Research makes adjustment on device

European Space Agency engineers have developed a revolutionary antenna technology that could dramatically reduce the complexity, weight and power consumption of next-generation communication systems. The innovation leverages the natural symmetry of antenna arrays to eliminate half the components typically needed in beamforming systems. Tested in ESA’s echo-free chamber that simulates the vacuum of space, the … Read more

Mars May Have Been Wet When It Rusted, Upending Decades of Thinking

Mars infographic

Scientists have discovered that Mars’ iconic rust-red appearance likely developed in a wetter environment than previously thought, challenging a longstanding theory about the planet’s geological history. For decades, researchers believed the Red Planet got its distinctive hue from anhydrous hematite, an iron oxide that forms in dry conditions. But a new study published in Nature … Read more

Virtual Moon Walking The Next Giant Leap For Astronaut Training

ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer tests a VR headset while wearing the ATLAS analogue suit inside the LUNA facility.

In a vast warehouse in Cologne, Germany, astronauts are walking on the Moon without ever leaving Earth. The European Space Agency’s LUNA facility, a 700-square-metre terrain filled with 900 tonnes of artificial lunar dust, is now combining physical simulation with virtual reality to prepare humans for returning to the lunar surface. The stark contrast between … Read more

European Space Agency Tracker

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