Things go bump on Mars on a fairly regular basis. That’s the conclusion of a year of listening for quake signals on the planet by the InSight lander. The US space agency-led probe has detected over 450 significant seismic events since touching down in 2018. None are particularly big – at most, they’re only 3 […]
A sarcophagus discovered in the remains of an ancient temple in Rome is causing a stir among historians who cannot agree if it belongs to the Italian city’s legendary founder, Romulus. The stone tomb, along with circular altar, dates from the 6th Century BC. According to legend, Romulus founded the city on Palatine Hill in […]
Scientists say they have seen a remarkable collection of blue whales in the coastal waters around the UK sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. Their 23-day survey counted 55 animals – a total that is unprecedented in the decades since commercial whaling ended. South Georgia was the epicentre for hunting in the early 20th Century. The […]
Broadcaster and astronomer Heather Couper has died at the age of 70. Dr Couper appeared on the BBC’s Blue Peter and The Sky At Night programmes, as well as presenting and producing acclaimed science documentaries. She also hosted radio series including the BBC World Service’s long-running Seeing Stars and BBC Radio 4’s Cosmic Quest and […]
The UK’s first industrial contribution to the International Space Station (ISS) will be delivered on Tuesday. The communications antenna is part of consignment of supplies that is due to arrive on a Cygnus freighter. Made by MDA UK, the Columbus Ka-band (COLKa) Terminal will enable astronauts to connect with scientists and family on Earth at […]
An EU research head says that he is “optimistic” that there will continue to be close scientific collaboration with the UK after Brexit. Prof Mauro Ferrari said that science bodies on both sides of the Channel want close existing links to continue. Prof Ferrari is the new president of the European Research Council, which funds […]
Scientists say they have “decisively” overturned the prevailing theory for how planets in our Solar System formed. The established view is that material violently crashed together to form ever larger clumps until they became worlds. New results suggest the process was less catastrophic – with matter gently clumping together instead. The study appears in Science […]
Up to one fifth of the Amazon rainforest is emitting more CO2 than it absorbs, new research suggests. Results from a decade-long study of greenhouse gases over the Amazon basin appear to show around 20% of the total area has become a net source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One of the main causes […]
Media playback is unsupported on your device Europe’s audacious Solar Orbiter probe has lifted off on its quest to study the Sun from close quarters. The €1.5bn (£1.3bn) mission is packed with cameras and sensors that should reveal remarkable new insights on the workings of our star. Scientists want to better understand what drives its […]
Four rare mountain gorillas, including a pregnant female, have died in Uganda after being hit by lightning, a conservation group says. The three adult females and a male infant were found in Uganda’s Mgahinga National Park with “gross lesions” on their bodies indicating electrocution. The Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC) called this a “big loss […]