The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the spacecraft aboard its H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center. The mission aims to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos and deliver it to Earth in 2031. Scientists hope the findings will help explain how the moons formed and how the Martian system evolved.

The launch marks the start of a journey expected to last about five years. The spacecraft must travel to Mars, study both moons, operate near Phobos, collect samples and return them to Earth. Each stage presents technical challenges, and the planned return remains a mission objective rather than a guaranteed outcome.

H3 rocket successfully deploys spacecraft

JAXA confirmed that the H3 rocket’s 10th flight lifted off at 4:41:03 a.m. Japan Standard Time on October 20. The agency reported that the rocket followed its planned flight path and released MMX into its intended orbit about one hour, 11 minutes and 13 seconds after launch.

That confirmation establishes the success of the launch and initial deployment. It does not mean MMX has arrived at Mars or begun its scientific observations.

The mission is scheduled to reach the Martian system in 2027. The spacecraft will then conduct observations of Phobos and Deimos, with particular attention to Phobos, where it is intended to collect material for return to Earth.

Why scientists are investigating Mars’ moons

Phobos and Deimos are small, irregularly shaped bodies orbiting Mars. Their origins remain an open question in planetary science.

One explanation is that the moons formed from debris created by a major impact involving Mars. Under this hypothesis, material thrown into orbit eventually gathered into the bodies seen today.

Another possibility is that Mars captured the moons from elsewhere in the Solar System. They could be asteroids that passed close enough for the planet’s gravity to hold them in orbit.

Scientists have not established which explanation is correct. Studying the moons’ composition, structure and surface material could help determine which scenario better fits the evidence.

Phobos is the mission’s main target for close observation and sample collection. MMX will also examine Deimos, although the planned sample return is from Phobos.

The findings could help researchers understand not only the moons themselves but also the history of Mars and the movement of material through the early Solar System. Mars Moon Origins is a central scientific question the mission is designed to investigate.

A rover will examine Phobos’ surface

MMX carries Idefix, a compact rover developed jointly by Germany’s Aerospace Center (DLR) and France’s space agency, CNES.

The rover is intended to descend to Phobos and examine its surface. Its instruments will investigate properties such as the ground’s composition, temperature and mechanical characteristics. These measurements should help researchers understand the environment in which the main spacecraft will attempt to land and collect samples.

Idefix weighs about 25 kilograms. DLR contributed the rover’s mobility systems and scientific instruments, including a Raman spectrometer and a radiometer. CNES contributed camera systems, equipment for assessing the ground, and key onboard systems for power, communications and computing.

The rover has not yet deployed or reached Phobos. According to DLR, its surface operations are planned for around the turn of 2028 and 2029, with an intended exploration period of about 100 days. Its observations will help the mission team assess the moon’s surface and prepare for the spacecraft’s more demanding sampling operation.

Why returning a sample matters

Remote observations can reveal a great deal about a celestial body, but laboratory analysis of returned material offers additional ways to examine its composition.

MMX aims to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos. Scientists will be able to study the returned grains and rock fragments using laboratory methods that may provide more detailed information than instruments can obtain remotely. JAXA identifies determining the origin of Mars’ moons and understanding the evolution of the Martian system as major goals of the mission.

The sample could help researchers compare the material on Phobos with what they would expect from an asteroid or from debris produced by an impact on Mars. That evidence could help distinguish between the leading explanations for the moons’ origins, although the result may not settle every question.

Researchers may also investigate whether some material on Phobos originated on Mars. Material ejected from the planet by impacts could, in principle, reach its nearby moon. Whether the returned sample contains identifiable Martian material remains unknown.

The mission therefore offers a way to study both a small moon and the wider history of its planetary environment. It is not a mission to collect a sample directly from Mars.

International partners contribute instruments and expertise

JAXA leads MMX, with contributions from the United States, France, Germany and the European Space Agency (ESA).

NASA is contributing the MEGANE instrument, which will measure gamma rays and neutrons emitted from Phobos to help determine the elements present at its surface. The measurements are intended to help scientists assess the moon’s composition and investigate its origin.

France’s CNES and Germany’s DLR jointly developed the Idefix rover. Their contributions cover the rover’s mobility, scientific measurements, imaging and operating systems. The rover will provide close-up observations to complement measurements made by the main spacecraft.

ESA is also a partner in the mission. Its published mission overview outlines the planned journey, observations, sampling operations and return to Earth.

The partnership brings together spacecraft operations, scientific instruments and surface robotics. However, the mission’s success will depend on the spacecraft and its equipment performing as planned throughout the journey.

What happens next

The mission’s principal milestones remain ahead. JAXA’s mission plan and partner-agency updates outline the following schedule. Dates are planned targets, not completed events. <Cite refs={[“turn560747search4″,”turn560747search0″,”turn560747search1”]} />

• October 2026 — Launch: MMX lifted off from Tanegashima and entered its intended orbit, as JAXA confirmed.
• 2027 — Arrival at Mars: The spacecraft is expected to reach the Martian system and begin observations.
• From 2027 — Close study of Phobos: MMX is scheduled to enter an orbit that allows detailed examination of the moon and assessment of potential landing and sampling locations.
• Around late 2028 or early 2029 — Rover operations: Idefix is expected to reach Phobos and examine its surface.
• Around 2030 — Sample collection and return journey: The mission plan calls for MMX to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos before beginning its journey home. ESA’s timeline identifies November 2030 as the planned start of the return leg.
• 2031 — Planned return to Earth: The sample-return capsule is expected to deliver the material to Earth for recovery and scientific analysis.

These stages will require the spacecraft to navigate the Martian system, operate around a small body with very weak gravity and complete a controlled sampling procedure. The returned material will have scientific value only if the spacecraft can collect, preserve and deliver it successfully.

For now, the confirmed achievement is the launch and deployment of MMX. The mission’s larger scientific goals will depend on what the spacecraft and its rover discover in the years ahead.

Journos News reporting based on JAXA’s official launch confirmation and mission documentation, NASA’s MMX mission overview, and published mission updates from DLR and ESA. No direct interviews or independent technical verification were conducted for this report.

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The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet is scheduled to announce the medicine laureate or laureates in Stockholm on Oct. 5. The official Nobel schedule lists the announcements from Oct. 5 through Oct. 12.

At the time of this report, the 2026 medicine laureate or laureates had not yet been announced.

Medicine opens the 2026 Nobel announcements

The physiology or medicine prize is traditionally the first of the Nobel awards announced during the annual Nobel announcement week.

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet is responsible for selecting the medicine laureate or laureates. The award recognizes discoveries or achievements within physiology or medicine rather than serving as a general award for medical careers or public service.

The announcement will establish the first winners of the 2026 Nobel season.

Five more announcements follow

The medicine announcement begins a week of Nobel decisions across several fields.

Physics is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 6, followed by chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday, Oct. 9, by the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo.

The final announcement will come Monday, Oct. 12, when the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel is announced.

The economics award is formally separate from the original Nobel Prizes established through Alfred Nobel’s will, although it is presented as part of the annual Nobel awards cycle.

Stockholm becomes the center of Nobel week

The announcements bring international attention to Stockholm, where Nobel-related events accompany the release of the laureates.

The Nobel Prize Museum’s Nobel Calling Stockholm program runs during the announcement period, with public events and activities connected to the annual awards. Karolinska Institutet has also highlighted Nobel Calling activities surrounding the 2026 announcements.

The week’s announcements will then lead toward the Nobel ceremonies in December, when the laureates traditionally receive their medals, diplomas and prize money.

The announcement itself, however, is the point at which each year’s laureates officially become known.

Medicine winner remains the key unanswered question

Before the official announcement, scientific predictions and Nobel-watch lists may identify researchers or fields considered possible candidates.

Those predictions should not be treated as evidence of the eventual result.

The Nobel Assembly’s decision is authoritative only when it makes the official announcement. Until then, possible candidates and speculative forecasts remain unconfirmed.

Once the medicine prize is announced, the story should be updated to identify the laureate or laureates and explain the specific discovery or contribution recognized by the Nobel Assembly.

What comes next

The 2026 Nobel announcements will continue through the week, moving from medicine to physics, chemistry and literature before the Peace Prize is announced in Oslo.

The economics prize will complete the announcement schedule on Oct. 12.

For now, the central development is that the 2026 Nobel cycle has officially begun, with the physiology or medicine prize opening the week’s announcements.

Reporting Credit: Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet; Nobel Prize; Nobel Foundation; Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences; Swedish Academy; Norwegian Nobel Committee.

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Observations made with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) detected strong methanol signatures in the comet’s coma and found an exceptionally high ratio of methanol to hydrogen cyanide. The measured ratios of about 124 and 79 on two observation dates rank among the highest recorded for comets observed at radio wavelengths.

The finding provides another chemical clue from an object that originated outside the Solar System. Because 3I/ATLAS formed around another star before entering interstellar space, its composition offers astronomers a rare opportunity to compare planetary-building material from another system with the comets found around the Sun.

Methanol stands out in the comet’s chemistry

The researchers detected methanol, or CH₃OH, together with hydrogen cyanide, or HCN, as 3I/ATLAS approached the Sun in 2025.

When sunlight warms a comet, frozen material sublimates and produces a cloud of gas and dust around the nucleus. Spectroscopic observations of that coma allow astronomers to identify individual molecules and estimate how they are being released.

In 3I/ATLAS, methanol was particularly prominent relative to HCN. The researchers found CH₃OH/HCN production-rate ratios of 124⁺³⁰₋₃₄ and 79⁺¹¹₋₁₄, depending on the observation date. Only the unusual Solar System comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) has shown a higher enrichment in comparable radio observations.

The result does not mean methanol is unique to 3I/ATLAS. Methanol is commonly detected in comets and can form on icy dust grains in interstellar environments. What makes 3I/ATLAS unusual is the relative abundance revealed by its molecular fingerprint.

Icy grains may be releasing additional methanol

The ALMA observations also provided information about where the molecules appear to originate.

The distribution of methanol suggested that at least some of its production may occur away from the nucleus, within the comet’s coma. Statistical analysis indicated production from coma sources more than about 258 kilometers from the nucleus at 99% confidence, although the researchers could not completely rule out direct production from the nucleus because of limitations in the observations.

The researchers suggest that icy grains surrounding the nucleus may act as miniature cometary sources, releasing methanol as they are warmed by sunlight.

Hydrogen cyanide behaved differently. Its distribution was consistent with direct sublimation from the nucleus, providing a contrast with the more extended methanol production.

The distinction gives astronomers a more detailed picture of how different molecules are stored and released as an interstellar comet approaches the Sun.

The chemistry points to a different birthplace

The unusually high methanol-to-HCN ratio suggests that the ices incorporated into 3I/ATLAS formed under conditions different from those experienced by most known Solar System comets.

Those conditions could reflect differences in temperature, chemistry or the availability of molecular ingredients in the planetary system where 3I/ATLAS originated. The observations cannot identify its parent star or reconstruct its entire formation history, but they provide measurable evidence that its chemical environment differed from the Solar System’s.

Earlier observations have already shown other unusual characteristics. The James Webb Space Telescope found a coma strongly dominated by carbon dioxide when 3I/ATLAS was still far from the Sun. Later observations also revealed unusual gas-outflow behavior.

Separate observations with the IRAM 30-meter telescope detected methanol, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, methyl cyanide and other molecules, while finding that several molecular abundances were at the upper end of ranges measured in Solar System comets.

A rare chemical sample from another planetary system

3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object observed passing through the Solar System. It was discovered in July 2025 by the ATLAS survey in Chile.

Unlike spacecraft missions that return samples from bodies within our planetary system, observations of 3I/ATLAS allow astronomers to study material that formed around another star without physically traveling to another planetary system.

Its chemical composition therefore serves as a kind of remote sample of planetary formation elsewhere in the galaxy.

The latest measurements do not establish exactly where 3I/ATLAS originated or what type of planetary system produced it. They instead add methanol enrichment to a growing list of characteristics that distinguish the interstellar comet from many of its Solar System counterparts.

As astronomers continue analyzing observations from different instruments, the unusual chemistry of 3I/ATLAS could help refine models of how icy bodies form and evolve around other stars.

Reporting Credit: National Radio Astronomy Observatory and ALMA — methanol and hydrogen-cyanide observations; NASA Technical Reports Server — accepted research manuscript and observational results; IRAM — independent molecular observations and compositional analysis.

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Researchers at Leipzig University found that activating the receptor, known as GPR133 or ADGRD1, increased bone formation and reduced bone-resorbing activity in laboratory studies. An experimental compound called AP503, which activates the receptor, also increased bone strength in healthy mice and improved osteoporosis-like bone loss in a mouse model.

The findings point to GPR133 as a potential therapeutic target, but the research has not yet established whether AP503 is safe or effective in humans. The current evidence comes from cellular experiments and animal studies.

GPR133 helps control bone remodeling

Healthy bone is continually remodeled through the opposing actions of two major cell types.

Osteoblasts build new bone, while osteoclasts break down older bone. Osteoporosis can develop when bone resorption outpaces formation, progressively reducing bone density and increasing the risk of fractures.

The Leipzig researchers found that mice lacking GPR133 had reduced cortical bone mass and changes in the internal structure of their bones. The researchers linked the loss of the receptor to impaired osteoblast function and increased osteoclast activity.

The receptor appears to respond partly to mechanical forces acting on bone. Its activation can stimulate a signaling pathway involving cyclic AMP and beta-catenin, helping promote the differentiation and activity of bone-forming cells.

That makes GPR133 different from a simple bone-building signal: it appears to integrate mechanical and cellular signals that influence how bone responds to its environment.

Experimental compound increased bone strength

The researchers tested AP503, a small-molecule agonist designed to activate GPR133.

In mice, repeated administration of the compound increased bone volume, the number and thickness of trabeculae and the number of bone-forming cells. Researchers also observed fewer osteoclasts and higher bone-formation rates. Mechanical testing showed that treated bones were more resistant to stress.

The compound also produced benefits in an ovariectomized mouse model, which is commonly used to study bone loss associated with reduced estrogen levels after menopause.

Researchers reported that AP503 alleviated osteoporosis-like changes in those animals, suggesting that activation of GPR133 could potentially address both reduced bone formation and excessive bone breakdown.

The research could have implications beyond bone

The interest in GPR133 extends beyond osteoporosis.

Previous work involving the receptor and AP503 has linked its activation to skeletal-muscle strength. Leipzig University said the combination of potential effects on muscle and bone could be relevant to age-related decline, in which loss of muscle and bone frequently occur together.

Researchers are continuing to investigate how GPR133 operates in different tissues and whether AP503 or related compounds could eventually be developed for medical use.

The compound remains experimental, however. AP503 is currently a research chemical and has not been established as a treatment for osteoporosis in people. Human clinical trials would be needed to determine its safety, appropriate dosing and effectiveness.

The findings nevertheless provide a potential new direction for osteoporosis research by targeting a receptor that appears capable of influencing both sides of the bone-remodeling process.

Reporting Credit: Leipzig University — research findings and development of the GPR133/AP503 bone study; Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy — peer-reviewed research on GPR133/ADGRD1 and bone formation.

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NASA’s Earth Observatory published imagery on Sept. 4 showing the three hurricanes spread across the Pacific, while NASA Earthdata released a separate satellite image from Sept. 2 capturing the systems simultaneously. The observations offer a broad view of an unusually concentrated period of tropical cyclone activity in the region.

The activity comes as eastern-Pacific ocean and atmospheric conditions favor tropical cyclone development, with NASA linking the heightened activity in part to the ongoing El Niño climate pattern.

Three Hurricanes Active Across the Pacific

Lowell, Karina and Marie developed in late August and early September, according to NASA Earthdata. The satellite imagery shows the three systems at different stages while occupying separate areas of the Pacific basin.

Seeing three organized tropical cyclones simultaneously across the same ocean basin provides a regional perspective that individual storm forecasts cannot always capture.

The systems are also spread across a large area, meaning the presence of three hurricanes does not by itself indicate that all three pose an immediate threat to populated areas.

El Niño Creates Favorable Conditions

NASA has linked heightened eastern-Pacific tropical activity to El Niño conditions.

El Niño warms portions of the equatorial Pacific and changes atmospheric circulation, creating conditions that can support tropical cyclone development in the eastern and central Pacific. Warmer ocean temperatures, greater atmospheric moisture and reduced wind shear can help storms organize and intensify.

The same climate pattern can affect other ocean basins differently. In the Atlantic, El Niño is generally associated with stronger vertical wind shear, which can make hurricane development more difficult.

Satellite Observations Reveal Storm Structure

The latest imagery demonstrates the role of Earth-observing satellites in monitoring tropical systems across vast areas of open ocean.

NASA Earthdata said its Sept. 2 image was produced using observations from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite aboard NOAA-21. The infrared imagery captured Lowell, Karina and Marie simultaneously as they moved through the Pacific.

Such observations give scientists and forecasters information about storm organization, movement and changes in structure that can complement operational weather monitoring.

Pacific Activity Reflects Broader Seasonal Conditions

The three-storm cluster comes amid an active period for tropical cyclones in the eastern Pacific during 2026.

NASA reported in August that the eastern Pacific had already experienced elevated tropical cyclone activity, consistent with atmospheric conditions associated with El Niño.

The latest satellite observations provide another snapshot of those broader conditions, showing multiple organized systems developing across the basin at the same time.

Atlantic Conditions Point in a Different Direction

The Pacific activity contrasts with expectations for the Atlantic hurricane season.

NOAA has maintained a forecast for a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season, with El Niño identified as one factor contributing to conditions less favorable for Atlantic hurricane formation.

The contrast highlights how a large-scale climate pattern can affect different tropical cyclone basins in different ways rather than producing uniformly higher activity worldwide.

Storm Tracks Determine Immediate Risk

The presence of three hurricanes does not mean that all three systems are threatening populated areas.

Their potential impacts depend on storm intensity, movement and changes in surrounding atmospheric conditions. Systems that remain over open water can pose risks primarily to maritime operations, while those approaching land can create threats to coastal communities.

Operational weather agencies remain responsible for issuing forecasts, watches and warnings as individual storm tracks develop.

NASA Offers a Basin-Wide Perspective

Satellite imagery allows NASA to document tropical weather systems across areas of the Pacific that are difficult to observe directly.

NASA’s Earth Observatory and Earthdata programs use satellite observations to examine changes in the atmosphere and oceans as well as broader Earth-system processes. The latest imagery provides a near-simultaneous view of three major tropical systems within the same basin.

That perspective helps place individual storms within the larger environmental conditions influencing their development.

Three Hurricanes Highlight Pacific El Niño Pattern

The simultaneous presence of Lowell, Karina and Marie provides a visible snapshot of the broader atmospheric and oceanic conditions affecting the eastern Pacific.

NASA’s latest observations show how multiple tropical systems can develop within a basin when environmental conditions become favorable. El Niño is one of the large-scale factors associated with those conditions in the eastern Pacific.

For forecasters, maritime operators and communities across the region, the significance of the imagery lies beyond the unusual satellite view. It provides evidence of how current ocean-atmosphere conditions are shaping tropical cyclone activity during the 2026 season.

Reporting Credit: NASA Earth Observatory; NASA Earthdata; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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Older adults commonly fall asleep earlier, wake earlier, spend less time in deep sleep and experience more fragmented sleep. The National Institute on Aging says such changes are common with aging, while maintaining adequate, quality sleep remains important for health and cognitive function.

Recent research is expanding the scientific view of sleep beyond the number of hours spent in bed. Studies are examining sleep alongside biological measures of aging and detailed patterns of brain activity, offering new ways to study how the brain and body change over time.

Aging alters the structure of sleep

Sleep consists of several stages, including lighter non-REM sleep, deeper slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep. The balance among these stages changes throughout life.

Older adults generally spend less time in the deepest stages of sleep and experience more interruptions during the night. Circadian rhythms also become less robust, contributing to a tendency to become sleepy earlier in the evening and wake earlier in the morning.

These changes do not necessarily mean that older people require substantially less sleep. Instead, aging can make it more difficult to obtain the same amount of continuous, restorative sleep.

Researchers link sleep with biological aging

A 2026 study published in Nature examined whether sleep duration was associated with biological aging across the body.

Researchers from the MULTI Consortium analyzed data from about half a million UK Biobank participants, examining sleep duration alongside 23 biological aging clocks covering 17 organ systems. The analysis incorporated imaging, protein and metabolic information into measures of biological age.

The researchers reported a broadly U-shaped relationship. Participants who reported sleeping fewer than six hours or more than eight hours tended to have faster biological-aging measures across multiple systems. The lowest biological-age measures generally occurred among people reporting about 6.4 to 7.8 hours of sleep.

The finding extends sleep research beyond the aging brain to biological measures across multiple organ systems.

But the study does not show that sleeping within that range will cause someone to age more slowly.

Association does not establish causation

The Nature research identified associations between reported sleep duration and biological-aging measures. It did not establish that changing an individual’s sleep duration would slow, reverse or prevent biological aging.

That distinction is particularly important for longer sleep. Extended sleep may reflect underlying health conditions or other factors rather than directly contributing to biological aging.

Short sleep can also have multiple causes, including medical, psychological and social factors that may themselves be related to health.

The findings therefore do not provide a prescription to increase or restrict sleep to reach a particular number. Instead, they support examining sleep duration as one component of a broader network of biological and health factors.

Brain activity may provide another measure of aging

A separate 2026 study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco examined whether sleep-related brain activity could provide information about brain aging.

The researchers used machine learning to analyze fine-scale patterns in sleep electroencephalography, or EEG, recordings. Rather than relying only on conventional measures such as sleep duration or sleep efficiency, the researchers generated an estimate of “brain age” from patterns in sleep-related brain activity.

The study included approximately 7,000 participants aged 40 to 94 who did not have dementia when the research began.

During follow-up, roughly 1,000 participants developed dementia. The researchers reported that for every 10-year increase in estimated brain age relative to chronological age, dementia risk increased by nearly 40%.

The finding does not mean that a sleep recording can diagnose dementia. Instead, it indicates that sleep EEG may contain measurable information about the condition of the aging brain that conventional measures of sleep may not capture.

Sleep EEG captures more than sleep duration

The significance of the UCSF-led research lies partly in the detail contained within sleep-related brain activity.

Electrical activity in the brain changes across sleep stages, and researchers have examined specific patterns in connection with processes such as memory and communication between brain regions.

The machine-learning model in the study incorporated 13 microstructural features of sleep EEG activity, including signals associated with deep sleep and memory consolidation.

The researchers proposed that these measurements could eventually offer a relatively accessible way to identify differences between chronological age and apparent brain aging.

That remains a research direction rather than an established clinical test.

Why sleep becomes more fragmented

Changes in sleep with age are not limited to brain activity.

Circadian rhythms become less robust, while hormonal changes, medications, chronic medical conditions, pain and changes in physical activity can also affect the ability to fall asleep or remain asleep.

The National Institute on Aging notes that older adults can experience sleep difficulties because of health conditions, medicines and other changes associated with aging.

As a result, sleep duration alone may provide an incomplete picture. Two people can spend a similar amount of time in bed while experiencing different levels of sleep continuity and different patterns of brain activity.

Deep sleep remains a major research focus

Scientists have paid particular attention to deep, slow-wave sleep because it is associated with processes important to brain function, including memory.

Slow-wave activity changes substantially with age, and researchers have also examined whether disrupted sleep may be related to biological processes associated with neurodegenerative disease.

The National Institute on Aging has reported research linking declining sleep in middle age with later accumulation of beta-amyloid and tau, proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Those findings do not establish that poor sleep directly causes Alzheimer’s disease, but they have contributed to scientific interest in the relationship between sleep and brain pathology.

The newer studies extend that research by applying more detailed biological and computational measurements to sleep.

More sleep is not necessarily better

The U-shaped relationship identified in the Nature study also complicates the assumption that more sleep is always protective.

Both shorter and longer reported sleep durations were associated with higher biological-aging measures in the study. But the findings should not be interpreted as evidence that people should deliberately reduce their sleep.

The researchers did not establish causation, and longer sleep may partly reflect underlying illness or other factors. Likewise, short sleep can result from numerous circumstances that may also affect health.

The evidence therefore points toward a more cautious interpretation: sleep duration is an important measurement, but it should not be treated as an isolated indicator of how quickly someone is aging.

Sleep could become a window into brain aging

The UCSF research raises a broader possibility for future studies: sleep could provide a relatively unobtrusive source of information about changes in the aging brain.

The study’s findings suggest that patterns recorded during sleep contain information associated with subsequent dementia risk. If such signals can be better understood and validated, they could help researchers investigate changes that occur before obvious cognitive symptoms.

For now, however, the findings concern associations and risk estimation. They do not provide certainty about whether an individual will develop dementia.

Normal aging is not the same as a sleep disorder

Some changes in sleep architecture are expected with age, but not every sleep problem should automatically be attributed to getting older.

Persistent insomnia, loud snoring, breathing interruptions, excessive daytime sleepiness or major changes in sleep can have multiple causes. The National Institute on Aging notes that sleep difficulties in older adults may arise from health conditions, medicines and other factors.

That distinction is important because normal changes in sleep do not explain every significant disruption.

Scientists are looking beyond the clock

The emerging research is changing how scientists measure the relationship between sleep and aging.

Instead of asking only how long someone sleeps, researchers can examine sleep timing, continuity, brain-wave patterns and biological indicators across the body.

The 2026 studies illustrate two parts of that shift. The Nature study examined reported sleep duration alongside biological-aging measures across multiple organ systems, while the UCSF-led research used detailed sleep EEG patterns to estimate brain age.

Neither study provides a single formula for maintaining brain health through sleep. Both instead point to sleep as a complex biological signal that may contain information about how the brain and body change with age.

The central scientific question is consequently becoming broader. Sleep is not simply a period of recovery measured by hours on a clock; it is also a measurable biological process that may help researchers understand aging itself.

Reporting Credit: Columbia University Irving Medical Center; UCSF; Nature; National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health.

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Observers in parts of Spain and Iceland will have an opportunity to see the Sun completely obscured by the Moon. Across much of Europe, the eclipse will remain partial but will cover a large portion of the Sun.

In the United Kingdom, the path of totality will remain offshore southwest of the country. Much of the UK is expected to see around 90% of the Sun covered, with the highest coverage in western areas.

The eclipse will also provide scientists and observers with a brief opportunity to view features of the Sun that are normally hidden by its bright visible surface.

Totality follows a narrow path

The path of totality will begin near the northern tip of Siberia before extending across areas between Iceland and Greenland.

Much of the route will pass over sparsely populated parts of the Arctic and the North Atlantic Ocean. The Moon’s shadow will then reach Spain, where totality will be visible from locations including Bilbao, Valencia and Palma on Mallorca.

The path will eventually cross Mallorca and Menorca before moving over the Mediterranean as the Sun sets.

For observers inside the central path, totality will be brief. In most locations, the period when the Moon completely covers the Sun will last less than two minutes.

Outside the path, the eclipse will remain partial. The supplied material gives estimated maximum coverage of about 94% in Dublin, 92% in Paris, 90% in London and 85% in Berlin.

Even a deep partial eclipse differs significantly from totality. A small remaining portion of the Sun can continue to overwhelm the much fainter solar corona and prevent the sky from reaching the darkness associated with a total eclipse.

UK will see a deep partial eclipse

The entire United Kingdom will fall within the Moon’s partial shadow.

However, the path of totality will remain offshore. Western areas are expected to receive the greatest coverage, with Cornwall and Pembrokeshire potentially seeing about 95% of the Sun obscured.

Much of the rest of the UK will experience around 90% coverage.

The eclipse is expected to reach its peak between 19:02 and 19:16 BST, depending on the observer’s location. Because the event will occur late in the day, the Sun will sit relatively low in the western sky.

That makes an unobstructed view toward the horizon particularly important. Cloud, buildings and local terrain could also affect visibility.

Spain offers the clearest European view of totality

Spain will provide some of the most accessible locations in Europe for viewing totality.

The path will include cities and areas around Bilbao, Valencia and Palma. Totality is expected to peak between 20:26 and 20:33 local time, depending on location.

Madrid and Barcelona will experience more than 99% coverage but will remain outside the path of totality.

That small difference matters. Even a tiny visible section of the Sun can continue to produce enough light to prevent the distinctive darkness and visibility of the corona associated with totality.

Totality reveals the Sun’s outer atmosphere

During a total solar eclipse, the Moon blocks the Sun’s bright visible surface. This allows the much fainter outer atmosphere, known as the corona, to become visible.

Observers may also see prominences, structures made of hot plasma that extend from the Sun and are shaped by its magnetic fields.

Some prominences can be associated with coronal mass ejections, in which solar material is released into space.

The brief alignment therefore creates unusual observing conditions. Features normally overwhelmed by sunlight become visible for a short period while the Moon completely covers the solar disk.

Why the eclipse occurs

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun and blocks some or all of the sunlight reaching a portion of Earth’s surface.

The Moon’s umbra is the darkest part of its shadow. It creates the narrow area where totality can be seen.

The surrounding penumbra produces a partial eclipse. The farther an observer is from the centre of the Moon’s shadow, the smaller the portion of the Sun that will be covered.

Solar eclipses do not occur every month because the Moon’s orbit is tilted relative to Earth’s orbit around the Sun. The necessary alignment therefore occurs only at particular points in the lunar orbit.

The apparent similarity in size between the Sun and Moon as seen from Earth also plays a role. The Sun is vastly larger than the Moon but is much farther away, allowing the two bodies to appear roughly similar in size from Earth’s surface.

The Moon is gradually moving farther from Earth. Over very long periods, that will change the geometry that currently allows total solar eclipses to occur.

Eye protection remains essential

People watching the eclipse should use purpose-made solar or eclipse glasses when viewing the Sun directly.

Ordinary sunglasses do not provide sufficient protection.

Viewers should also never look directly at the Sun through binoculars or telescopes while wearing standard eclipse glasses. Magnification can concentrate sunlight and cause serious eye injury.

The same caution applies to camera viewfinders that are not designed for safe solar observation.

For observers in the UK and other areas outside the path of totality, the Sun will remain partially visible throughout the event. Appropriate eye protection should therefore remain in place during direct viewing.

Indirect methods, including a pinhole projector, provide another way to observe the changing shape of the Sun without looking directly at it.

The eclipse will produce different experiences across Europe depending on location. Most of the continent will see a deep partial eclipse, while observers along a narrow path will briefly experience totality as the Moon, Sun and Earth align.

Reporting credit: BBC News.

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Although no telescope directly captured the moment of impact, astronomers reported detecting a plume of material consistent with the collision after the approximately four-ton upper-stage rocket struck the lunar surface at about 5,400 mph (8,700 kph).

Researchers said the findings provide compelling evidence that the inactive rocket stage completed its unintended journey and impacted the moon, drawing renewed attention to the growing challenge of managing human-made debris as lunar exploration accelerates.

Telescope observations support predicted impact

A research team led by Boston University astronomer Carl Schmidt used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile to monitor the expected impact site.

The team detected a plume of sodium and lithium extending tens of kilometers above the lunar surface that remained visible for between five and 10 minutes after the predicted collision.

“We don’t have images of the impact,” Schmidt said, but noted that the telescope observations clearly revealed the resulting debris plume.

He said the researchers are “100% certain” the observations represent evidence of the lunar impact.

Scientists say collision was inevitable

Retired astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell said observations made the night before the impact showed the rocket stage traveling directly toward the moon.

The impact is believed to have occurred near Einstein Crater, located on the moon’s sunlit western limb near the boundary between the near and far sides, an area that is difficult to observe from Earth.

“There’s no doubt in my mind” that the rocket “is now in teeny, little pieces scattered over the moon near Einstein Crater,” McDowell told The Associated Press.

He added that, based on orbital mechanics, the collision had become unavoidable.

Dutch astronomer Marco Langbroek also attempted to observe the event but did not detect a visible plume.

“We knew this would be a long shot,” Langbroek said, adding that he also has “no doubt” the rocket struck the lunar surface.

Scientists expect definitive confirmation once NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photographs the impact site during a future orbital pass.

Rocket remained in space after lunar mission

The Falcon upper stage launched from Cape Canaveral on Jan. 15, 2025, carrying Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost and ispace’s Resilience lunar landers.

After deploying both spacecraft, the upper stage remained in cislunar space instead of returning to Earth.

According to SpaceX Vice President Julianna Scheiman, the lunar impact was not intentional. She said changing solar activity and gravitational forces gradually altered the rocket’s trajectory until it intersected the moon.

Scheiman said SpaceX is working with NASA to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents on future missions.

The mission’s two lunar landers had different outcomes.

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost became the first privately developed spacecraft to achieve a successful lunar landing, while ispace’s Resilience crashed during its landing attempt.

Growing lunar activity raises debris concerns

Scientists say the incident illustrates a broader issue as lunar missions become increasingly frequent.

In 2022, another discarded rocket stage believed to belong to China unintentionally struck the moon. Researchers also suspect that additional rocket stages from earlier decades impacted the lunar surface without being detected.

The number of missions operating near the moon is expected to increase significantly over the coming years.

NASA plans additional robotic and crewed Artemis missions, while SpaceX and Blue Origin continue developing lunar landing systems intended to support future astronaut missions.

SpaceX is testing its Starship launch system, and Blue Origin is preparing its Blue Moon lunar lander for future missions.

NASA currently plans Artemis III as a docking rehearsal in Earth orbit next year before a later crewed lunar landing, with astronauts potentially returning to the moon as early as 2028.

McDowell said the increasing number of spacecraft operating around the moon means accidental impacts will become a more significant concern.

“Things are going to get a lot busier near the moon,” he said. “At that point an impact like this on the lunar surface plowing up huge amounts of dust going for hundreds of miles around is not going to be acceptable.”

This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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The U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory (NSF NSO) announced that researchers have achieved the first high-resolution detection of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) in the Sun’s photosphere. Until now, the phenomenon had existed only in theoretical models and computer simulations.

The international research team, which included scientists from the NSF National Solar Observatory, the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) High Altitude Observatory and Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, published the findings in the journal Nature.

The study combined observations from the four-meter Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope on Haleakalā, Maui, with advanced numerical simulations.

Tiny Solar Vortices Reveal Hidden Plasma Instability

Researchers observed previously unseen whirlpool-like structures forming along the edges of magnetic regions on the Sun’s surface.

According to the team, these vortices are the visible signature of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, a physical process that develops when adjacent layers of fluid or plasma move past one another at different speeds.

Although Kelvin-Helmholtz instability has been observed in Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, giant planetary atmospheres and interactions between the solar wind and planetary magnetic fields, it had never before been directly detected in the Sun’s photosphere.

Scientists said the unprecedented resolution of the Inouye Solar Telescope made it possible to identify the extremely small structures for the first time.

NSF National Solar Observatory Deputy Director David Boboltz described the discovery as a significant advance in understanding the dynamics of solar and stellar plasma.

Discovery Could Improve Understanding of Solar Eruptions

Researchers believe the newly detected instability may help explain how magnetic energy accumulates before being released during solar flares, coronal mass ejections and other forms of solar activity.

Magnetic energy generated within the Sun powers phenomena ranging from relatively small nanoflares to major eruptions capable of producing space weather that can disrupt satellites, GPS services, radio communications and electrical power systems on Earth.

Scientists have long proposed that magnetic field lines gradually twist together through a process known as flux braiding before reconnecting and releasing enormous amounts of energy.

The newly observed Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices may continuously twist magnetic field lines throughout active regions of the Sun, providing a previously missing mechanism that helps transport magnetic energy into the upper solar atmosphere.

NSF National Solar Observatory Senior Scientist Friedrich Wöger said researchers are only beginning to understand the broader implications of the discovery for magnetic plasma motion and energy transport.

Simulations Confirm Telescope Observations

To verify the findings, researchers compared telescope observations with advanced radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulations produced using the MURaM computational model.

The simulations reproduced dozens of vortex-like structures along magnetic boundaries that closely matched those observed by the telescope.

Both observations and simulations measured instability wavelengths averaging approximately 50 to 65 kilometers, providing strong evidence that the observed structures were indeed produced by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.

Researchers also found that the Sun’s constantly convecting surface naturally creates neighboring plasma layers moving at different speeds around concentrated magnetic fields, producing ideal conditions for the instability to develop.

High Altitude Observatory Senior Scientist Matthias Rempel said the observations also provide the highest-resolution validation of modern solar magnetohydrodynamic simulations to date.

Findings May Help Explain the Sun’s Superheated Corona

Beyond improving understanding of solar eruptions, researchers said the discovery could help answer one of astrophysics’ longest-standing questions: why the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, reaches temperatures of millions of degrees while the visible surface remains far cooler.

The study found that Kelvin-Helmholtz instability efficiently mixes magnetized and non-magnetized plasma, allowing magnetic energy to diffuse more effectively throughout the solar atmosphere.

Researchers said this process may contribute to transporting energy into higher atmospheric layers, helping heat the corona.

National Solar Observatory Chief Technologist Thomas Rimmele said the instability is likely one of the mechanisms responsible for the Sun’s extremely hot outer atmosphere.

The researchers also believe the discovery could improve understanding of the Sun’s approximately 11-year magnetic activity cycle.

Astronomer David Kuridze said Kelvin-Helmholtz instability may provide a previously missing source of magnetic diffusion needed to explain how solar magnetic fields evolve over time.

Telescope Opens New Window into Solar Physics

The research team plans to develop automated methods for identifying Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices across the expanding archive of high-resolution observations collected by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope.

Scientists hope the work will quantify how much energy these vortices transport into the Sun’s upper atmosphere and clarify their contribution to magnetic field evolution.

NSF Program Director Jacqueline Keane said understanding the small-scale processes occurring on the Sun is essential for improving knowledge of the space weather that affects Earth.

Researchers said the discovery highlights the capabilities of the four-meter Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, whose large primary mirror and advanced adaptive optics system enable observations that were previously impossible.

The team concluded that the findings open a new avenue for investigating how magnetic energy moves through the Sun and other stars while providing valuable observational evidence for testing theories of plasma physics and stellar magnetic activity.

This report is based on reporting by the U.S. National Science Foundation National Solar Observatory (NSF NSO).

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Located on a mountaintop in Chile, the observatory will capture hundreds of images every night for the next 10 years. Researchers say the repeated observations will help detect faint celestial objects that previous surveys could not observe.

The project is expected to produce one of the largest astronomical datasets ever assembled. Scientists around the world will use the observations to study billions of stars in the Milky Way and billions of galaxies beyond it.

“We’re going to see large numbers of scientists across the world working with this data set, studying the universe in a way that they haven’t been able to before,” said Phil Marshall, the observatory’s deputy director of operations.

Survey Designed for Repeated Sky Observations

Unlike many telescopes that concentrate on individual targets, the Rubin Observatory will repeatedly scan large sections of the southern sky. As a result, astronomers expect to identify faint objects that have previously escaped detection.

The repeated imaging will also allow researchers to monitor how celestial objects change over time. In addition, the observatory’s digital camera can capture hundreds of images each night, providing a continuous stream of scientific data throughout the survey.

Researchers Aim to Expand the Cosmic Census

Scientists hope the observations will create one of the most comprehensive maps of the universe ever produced.

The survey will record billions of stars across the Milky Way as well as billions of distant galaxies. Researchers expect these observations to improve studies of how galaxies form, evolve, and cluster over billions of years.

Furthermore, repeated observations may uncover previously unseen objects, offering new opportunities to examine the large-scale structure of the universe.

Observatory Ready After Instrument Calibration

The Rubin Observatory released its first public images last year, including detailed views of the Trifid Nebula and Lagoon Nebula, both located thousands of light-years from Earth.

Since then, engineers and researchers have calibrated the observatory’s instruments to achieve the depth and precision required for the full survey. Those preparations have now been completed, allowing routine scientific observations to begin.

Dark Matter and Dark Energy Remain Major Research Goals

In addition to mapping the cosmos, researchers hope the survey will provide new evidence about two of astronomy’s biggest mysteries: dark matter and dark energy.

The observatory is named after astronomer Vera Rubin, whose research provided early evidence that an unseen form of matter influences the motion of galaxies.

Although researchers expect the new observations to offer additional clues about dark matter and dark energy, they have not suggested that the survey will provide definitive answers. Instead, the data may help scientists better understand how these poorly understood components influence the evolution of the universe.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy. Researchers expect the decade-long project to become one of the most valuable astronomical resources for the global scientific community.

Tags: Vera C. Rubin Observatory, Vera Rubin, Space Exploration, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Dark Matter, Dark Energy, Milky Way, National Science Foundation, Chile

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