Science Alert
Catch up on the latest science news, from space and technology to life and environmental research- all the discoveries shaping our world today.
Updated: 2 hours 2 min ago
Meteor Showers 2026: Complete guide to dates, peak times and best viewing locations
Get ready for a dazzling 2026 meteor shower season! From the swift Quadrantids in January to the highly anticipated Perseids in August and the spectacular Geminids in December, Earth's journey through cosmic dust promises breathtaking celestial displays. Look out for bright fireballs and unique viewing opportunities throughout the year, offering a dynamic glimpse of our solar system.
The Arctic Ocean is warming silently, and it may reshape winter weather worldwide
Arctic sea ice is melting at an accelerated rate, leading to a warmer ocean that absorbs more sunlight. This loss of ice disrupts the polar vortex, potentially causing colder Arctic air to spill south and affect winter weather patterns in lower latitudes. Scientists are closely monitoring these changes due to multiple warning signs.
When is the next full moon in 2026: Full Moon dates and timings
The next full moon in 2026 is detailed for India. Full moons occur when Earth is between the Sun and Moon, fully illuminating the Moon's face. This celestial event happens approximately every 29.5 days. The article lists all full moon dates for 2026, adjusted for Indian Standard Time, offering a guide for sky gazers.
Why does Earth get colder when we are closest to the Sun
Earth reaches its closest point to the Sun in early January, a phenomenon known as perihelion. Despite this proximity, the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter because its tilt away from the Sun causes sunlight to spread out and warm less effectively. This celestial alignment, driven by Earth's axial tilt, dictates seasonal changes rather than distance alone.
NASA found something unexpected on top of Mars’s biggest volcano
Mars's giant volcano, Olympus Mons, is a marvel of planetary geology. Its immense size and formation on a static crust differ greatly from Earth's dynamic plate tectonics. Recent discoveries of frost near its summit add to its enigmatic nature. Scientists continue to study this colossal structure to understand planetary evolution. Olympus Mons offers a unique window into Mars's ancient past.
2024 YR4 — The asteroid that might hit the moon seven years from now
Asteroid 2024 YR4, a 60-meter-wide space rock, has a 4% chance of impacting the Moon in December 2032, potentially creating a kilometer-wide crater and a visible flash from Earth. Scientists are awaiting further observations to refine its trajectory and assess potential debris risks or opportunities for defense system testing.
Clouds that condense into diamonds: NASA discovers an exoplanet with a baffling composition
The James Webb Space Telescope has found a unique exoplanet. This Jupiter-sized world orbits a pulsar closely. Its atmosphere is made of helium and carbon, with soot clouds. Scientists are surprised by this composition. The planet's gravity is stretched by the pulsar. This discovery challenges current understanding of planet formation. Read here to know more!
Wormholes, bridges, and more: The science behind Stranger Things season 5
Stranger Things Season 5 reinterprets the Upside Down as a wormhole, a theoretical spacetime bridge. While real wormholes face stability and energy challenges, science fiction, including this show, uses them for narrative convenience, enabling faster-than-light travel and interdimensional connections. This concept, rooted in Einstein's theories, allows for dramatic storytelling about reality's fragility.
Recreating the human womb in the lab: How early-stage embryos implant, communicate, and offer new insights into pregnancy
Scientists have engineered an artificial womb lining, a breakthrough allowing unprecedented observation of early human embryo implantation. This innovative model mimics the uterine environment, enabling researchers to study the crucial 'chatter' between embryos and the lining. Understanding these interactions is key to unraveling implantation failures and improving pregnancy success rates.
Asteroid alert! Apophis to zoom just 32,000 km from Earth in 2029; rare flyby may reveal cosmic secrets
Asteroid Apophis will make a historic close approach to Earth on April 13, 2029, passing within 32,000 kilometers. While initial fears of a collision were widespread, years of observation and simulations have confirmed Apophis poses no threat for at least a century. This harmless encounter offers a unique scientific opportunity to study the asteroid in unprecedented detail.
With days left on Baba Vanga’s 2025 alien prediction, scientists explain what first contact would look like
A new hypothesis from Columbia University astrophysicist David Kipping suggests humanity’s first sign of alien life won’t be a greeting, but evidence of collapse. Drawing on astronomy’s detection bias, he argues we’re most likely to notice civilisations at their loudest and most unstable moments, not at their peak, a bleak twist on decades of first-contact expectations.
Will Earth really switch to 25 hours days as its rotation slowing down
Earth's days are slowly getting longer. This change is driven by the Moon's gravity and shifts in Earth's mass due to melting ice and rising seas. Scientists use advanced tools to measure these tiny shifts. A 25-hour day is a distant future event, taking millions of years. The current changes are imperceptible.
A rare space image links Earth’s glow with the Andromeda Galaxy
A stunning photo from the International Space Station connects Earth's aurora and city lights with the distant Andromeda Galaxy. This image, shared by astronaut Don Pettit, highlights how space-based observation reveals atmospheric phenomena, human activity, and our place in the vast cosmos. Such visuals foster scientific understanding and public engagement with astronomy.
Skywatching in 2026: Complete guide to eclipses, supermoons, meteor showers, planetary alignments and NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission
Get ready for a celestial spectacle in 2026! Witness a 'ring of fire' solar eclipse, a deep red lunar eclipse, and a rare Blue Moon. The year culminates with a spectacular total solar eclipse paired with the Perseid meteor shower, plus a supermoon on Christmas Eve. Don't miss NASA's Artemis II lunar mission!
Astronomers spot wobbling jets on rare interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is revealing surprising details about its journey. Scientists observed unusual, wobbling jet-like features in its sun-facing anti-tail, suggesting a rotation period of about 15.5 hours. This offers a rare glimpse into the behaviour of a pristine object from another star system reacting to solar heat for the first time, aiding our understanding of planetary formation elsewhere.
What is behind the mysterious red lights seen over the Pacific?
Vast red glows observed from above the Pacific Ocean reveal extensive human activity: massive Chinese fishing fleets using red LED lights to attract giant squid. This artificial illumination, visible from thousands of meters, highlights the scale of modern distant water fishing and raises ecological concerns about disrupting marine life and predator-prey dynamics.
How far have Earth’s radio signals really travelled into space
Earth's radio bubble, a century-old expansion of broadcast signals, now spans over 119 light-years. While these waves have reached nearby stars like Proxima Centauri, they are too faint and blended with cosmic noise for any civilization to decipher. Modern communication methods are also reducing the energy leaked into space, making Earth quieter.
