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Antarctica’s ozone hole is showing significant recovery, appearing smaller and breaking up earlier this year. Scientists attribute this positive trend to global efforts under the Montreal Protocol, which has reduced ozone-depleting chemicals. While weather plays a role, the long-term outlook for the ozone layer’s full recovery by the late 2060s remains promising.

Scientists have uncovered massive, dense rock structures deep beneath the western Pacific, challenging long-held theories about Earth’s mantle. Advanced seismic imaging reveals these anomalies, which don’t fit current models of subducting tectonic plates. Their existence suggests a more complex and ancient Earth interior than previously understood, prompting a re-evaluation of geological processes.

Four volunteers are spending a year in NASA’s 3D-printed Mars habitat, simulating life on the Red Planet. This mission, CHAPEA, tests how isolation, limited resources, and confined spaces affect human health and teamwork. Researchers are gathering crucial data on sleep, stress, and problem-solving to make future Mars missions safer and more achievable.

New research suggests Earth’s Moon formed from the catastrophic collision of our planet with its “sister” planet, Theia, born nearby. This “sibling” planet theory, supported by iron isotope evidence, explains the Moon’s composition and Earth’s stable tilt. The Moon is now seen as the last remnant of a lost world, offering insights into planetary formation.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station are set for a lavish Thanksgiving feast, a far cry from earlier, simpler meals. This year’s menu boasts turkey, clams, oysters, crab, and quail, sent up in September. This culinary comfort aims to replicate home-cooked meals, providing a vital sense of humanity for the crew orbiting Earth.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is the focus of the eighth official UN and IAWN planetary-defence exercise, running from November 27, 2025, to January 27, 2026. This live, coordinated global campaign allows experts to refine tracking methods and strengthen readiness against future Near-Earth Object threats, despite the comet posing no danger to Earth.

The total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027, will be a spectacular, yet localized, event. While parts of Africa, the Middle East, and southern Europe will witness totality, most of the world will see only a partial eclipse or no change at all. The Moon’s shadow is too narrow to darken the entire planet simultaneously.

A newly discovered, faint radio emission, the Hectometric Continuum, emerges only after sunset and pulses through Earth’s upper atmosphere for several hours. This natural radiation, undetectable from the ground, originates from plasma interactions within the magnetosphere and has surprised scientists due to its nighttime-only appearance and sensitivity to calm space weather.

India has added seven new names to the Martian geological map. Prominent Kerala locations like Periyar, Bekal, Varkala, Thumba, and Valiamala now represent features on Mars. Renowned geologist MS Krishnan is also honoured with a crater and plain designation. These recognitions highlight India’s growing contribution to planetary science and international space research.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has detected ‘mini-lightning’ on Mars for the first time, capturing faint crackles from dust-driven electrical discharges during storms. These tiny, centimetre-scale sparks, unlike Earth’s lightning, were recorded by the rover’s microphone, offering compelling evidence of atmospheric electrical activity on the Red Planet. Researchers are eager for further confirmation.