Why some people sneeze when they look at the sun For a lot of people, going outside into the bright sun makes them feel warm or clear. For some, it makes them sneeze out of nowhere. Doctors and scientists have been trying to figure out this strange reaction for decades. A person walks from a…
Mars in 30 days – Russian scientists are building a plasma engine that could slash travel time Long before any spacecraft can attempt a faster journey to Mars, scientists must first solve one of space exploration’s biggest challenges: propulsion. Chemical rockets, used to launch spacecraft into space from Earth, burn fuel quickly and produce a…
The Worm Moon is one of those quiet wonders of early spring. It rises around March, just when the nights are still long but the days are hinting at warmth. The name comes from earthworms, which start appearing as the ground thaws. It’s the third full Moon of 2026, set to rise on 3 March….
Can humans cause earthquakes and can they ever be prevented Earthquakes are usually linked to natural movements along faults deep inside the Earth, but in certain situations, human activity can also produce measurable seismic events. Scientists distinguish natural tectonic earthquakes and vibrations or quakes triggered by human actions such as mining, reservoir filling, or the…
For hundreds of years, night didn’t mean a long sleep. Long before electric lights lit up homes and streets, people lived their lives according to the natural rise and fall of daylight. People changed their routines when the Sun went down and darkness came quickly. Historical records indicate that in various regions of Europe, Africa,…
Planets are often described as ancient, unchanging worlds. Planets are born out of chaos, shaped by violent collisions and swirling dust. They grow, they evolve, and in their own way, they age. Some endure for staggering lengths of time. Others meet surprisingly dramatic ends. So what is the typical lifespan of a planet? The answer…
What is the difference between asteroids, comets, and meteors Space around the Sun contains far more than planets. Scattered through it are smaller bodies made of rock, metal, ice and dust. These objects move on their own paths, sometimes quietly beyond Jupiter, sometimes crossing close to Earth. The terms ‘asteroid’, ‘comet’ and ‘meteor’ are often…
Across large parts of rural Australia, farmers are facing harsher conditions. Rainfall is less reliable. Soils are losing structure. Fields that once supported crops are increasingly turning to dust. Years of drought and intensive farming have stripped soil of organic matter, making it harder for land to absorb and retain water. For many growers, the…
Psychrobacter SC65A.3 is a 5,000-year-old cold-adapted bacterium resistant to multiple modern antibiotics/ AI Illustration A team of Romanian researchers has identified a bacterium preserved for roughly 5,000 years inside an underground ice deposit that can already withstand multiple modern antibiotics. The organism, recovered from Scărișoara Ice Cave in north-west Romania, survived frozen conditions for millennia…
The Helix nebula, imaged here, lies 650 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius. Also known as NGC 7293, it is a typical example of planetary nebulae. (Image credit: Nasa) As children, many of us remember lying on terraces or open fields, trying to count stars. One, two, three and then losing track. Your parents would…