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An international team led by researchers from The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has made a major breakthrough in planetary science: for the first time, they have systematically classified six distinct tectonic regimes that govern how rocky planets evolve.

The outer planets of the solar system are swarmed by ice-wrapped moons. Some of these, such as Saturn's moon Enceladus, harbor hidden oceans of liquid water between an icy crust and a rocky core—making them prime candidates in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Dusty Star-Forming Galaxies (DSFGs) are the monsters of the early universe. They churn out stars at incredible rates—sometimes thousands of solar masses per year. But they are notoriously hard to find because they are shrouded in thick clouds of dust that block visible light. Recently, a team led by Longji Bing was inspecting the COSMOS field when they stumbled upon a surprise: a massive galaxy, designated AC-2168, existing just 800 million years after the Big Bang.

Tracing the origins of Earth's lost neighbor, Theia: 4.5 billion years ago, a collision with this Mars-sized body led to the formation of the Moon. Scientists analyze isotopic fingerprints in rocks to uncover Theia's history, suggesting it once orbited closer to the Sun alongside Earth.

Cosmic rays constantly bombard Earth, but their energy spectrum isn't a smooth line. Around 3 PeV (quadrillion electron volts), the number of rays drops sharply, creating a "knee" in the graph. The cause of this drop has been a mystery for nearly seven decades. Now, groundbreaking results from the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) have pinpointed the source of these high-energy particles: micro-quasars within our own Milky Way.

Ancient Mars was wet, but is there liquid water today? In 2018, the MARSIS radar instrument detected a bright reflection under the south polar ice, suggesting a 20km-wide buried lake. This would be huge for habitability. But keeping water liquid there requires impossible amounts of salt or heat. Now, a second radar instrument, SHARAD, has taken a closer look using a special maneuver, and the results challenge the "lake" theory.

A visual representation of recent discoveries and questions regarding the Kuiper Belt's structure. The analysis of 1,650 objects reveals a 'kernel' with circular orbits, raising possibilities of a larger structure or an additional distinct entity. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory aims to provide further clarity on this cosmic mystery.

While skywatchers from Florida to northern Europe marveled at brilliant auroras, researchers at NJIT's Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research (CSTR) were watching a different kind of light show. Their network of radio telescopes captured how a relentless barrage of X-class flares jolted the ionosphere—the layer of Earth's atmosphere critical for GPS and radio signals.

For years, astronomers have hunted for Population III (Pop III) stars. These are the first stars ever born, composed *only* of the hydrogen and helium left over from the Big Bang. They were massive, lived short, violent lives, and died out long ago. Now, a team led by Ari Visbal believes they've spotted their signature in a distant galaxy called LAP1-B, and it's the first candidate to match all theoretical predictions.

Johns Hopkins researchers may have identified a compelling clue in the ongoing hunt to prove the existence of dark matter. A mysterious diffuse glow of gamma rays near the center of the Milky Way has stumped researchers for decades. Now, new research published in Physical Review Letters suggests two leading theories—colliding dark matter particles or rapidly spinning neutron stars—are equally likely to be the cause.

Astronomers have captured the clearest picture yet of how massive stars are born. A team led by Dr. Qizhou Zhang from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to conduct the largest and most detailed survey to date of magnetic fields in 17 regions where clusters of massive stars are forming.

For twenty years, two European spacecraft have been watching the red planet. Now, by combing through their vast archives, scientists have done something remarkable: they've created the first global map of Martian "dust devils," the tornado-like whirlwinds that sculpt the planet's surface. The findings, published in Science Advances, track over a thousand of these twisters, revealing a dynamic weather system with winds far faster than we ever expected.