Astronomers Identify Rare Binary Star System Producing Radio Pulses Every Eight Minutes

Posted on November 14, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Astronomers have traced mysterious repeating radio signals from space to an unusual pair of stars located more than 5,000 light-years from Earth. The system, designated GPM J071507−114153, consists of a rapidly rotating white dwarf and a companion star similar to the Sun.

The discovery was made by researchers at the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR). It marks the first time astronomers have detected radio pulses from a white dwarf orbiting a Sun-like star, offering new insights into a rare class of astronomical objects.

White dwarf and Sun-like star form an unusual pairing

The newly identified system contains two stars orbiting each other: a white dwarf, the dense core left behind after a star dies, and a G-type star comparable to the Sun.

The white dwarf produces radio pulses at intervals of approximately eight minutes. Such signals are associated with a class of astronomical objects known as long-period transients (LPTs), which emit radio waves intermittently over periods ranging from minutes to hours.

Around a dozen LPT systems have been identified since the first discovery by the same ICRAR research team in 2021. Although several previously identified systems contain a white dwarf and another star, astronomers have struggled to establish which star produces the radio emissions.

The latest observation provides clearer evidence by revealing the white dwarf’s movement as it orbits its companion.

“This is the first time the pulses are clear enough to see the white dwarf moving in its orbit around its companion, so we know that the pulsations are coming from a region close to the white dwarf, or possibly even from the white dwarf itself,” said lead author Dr Sam McSweeney, a commissioning scientist with the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO).

Radio signals reveal stellar activity thousands of light-years away

The researchers analysed more than 100 hours of radio observations using the Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre to validate and understand the white dwarf’s orbital movement.

The observations also revealed activity on the companion star. Associate Professor Natasha Hurley-Walker, a co-author of the study, said the white dwarf’s radio pulses helped the team detect stellar flares on the Sun-like star. These flares are similar to the solar activity responsible for producing auroras on Earth.

The team also observed the white dwarf moving behind a region with a strong magnetic field, which they believe is likely to be a stellar prominence. Such structures are large loops of plasma that erupt from a star’s surface.

Hurley-Walker said, “It’s amazing that by using radio wavelengths we can detect the storms on a star over 5000 light-years away.”

Multiple observatories helped identify the star system

The discovery began with a large survey conducted using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), which scans the Milky Way visible from Australia. Researchers subsequently used South Africa’s MeerKAT radio telescope to establish the system’s precise location.

Optical observations from the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii then confirmed its association with a G-type star.

The research involved several radio astronomy facilities that also serve as precursors to the Square Kilometre Array telescopes. These include the MWA at the CSIRO Murchison Radio-Astronomy Observatory in Western Australia and MeerKAT, operated by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.

Discovery offers a preview of future radio astronomy capabilities

The identification of GPM J071507−114153 adds to the growing number of known long-period transient systems and provides stronger evidence about the origins of their radio emissions.

Researchers expect future observations to help establish how these unusual stellar pairs generate their signals and how their magnetic environments influence the process.

Dr McSweeney said, “If we are already making such discoveries with precursor telescopes, just imagine how many more star systems we will be able to find, and what a beautifully detailed view of their signals we will have, once the SKAO telescopes are completely built.”

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X-Ray Observations Could Help Astronomers Predict Black Hole Jet Ejections Days in Advance

Posted on November 12, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Researchers from Japan have identified changes in X-ray emissions that could help predict when black holes are likely to eject powerful jets of particles and high-energy radiation. The warning signs, observed up to 10 days before jet ejections, could give astronomers valuable time to prepare follow-up observations.

The study, led by the University of Toyama in collaboration with Nagoya University, examined four black hole binary systems. The findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal on November 5, 2026.

Black holes are known for pulling surrounding matter inward, but they can also produce powerful jets that travel through space at speeds approaching that of light. Understanding what triggers these ejections remains a major challenge in astrophysics.

Changes in Accretion Disks May Provide Early Warning Signs

Matter drawn towards a black hole forms an accretion disk, where gas heats up as it spirals inward and emits X-rays. Researchers have previously observed changes in these X-ray emissions before jet ejections, including alterations in the X-ray spectrum and reductions in variability.

However, these observations have not consistently provided enough information to predict when a jet will emerge.

To investigate the possibility of more reliable forecasting, a team led by Professor Toshihiro Kawaguchi of the University of Toyama analysed archived X-ray and radio observations from four black hole binary systems.

The research built on a 2025 study of XTE J1859+226, which suggested that jets could be launched when the inner edge of an accretion disk rapidly moves towards the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO). This is the closest orbit around a black hole in which matter can maintain a stable circular path.

The latest investigation examined three additional systems: XTE J1550-564, GX 339-4, and MAXI J1820+070.

Four Black Hole Systems Reveal a Common Pattern

The researchers tracked three main parameters: the inner radius of the accretion disk, changes in X-ray variability, and the rate at which gas flows towards the black hole.

They compared these measurements with radio observations, using radio flares as indicators of jet ejection activity.

The analysis revealed a recurring pattern across all four systems. The inner radius of the accretion disk and X-ray variability both decreased approximately one to 10 days before a jet ejection.

However, the researchers did not observe any major increase in the rate of gas flowing towards the black holes.

Another important finding concerned the Eddington limit, which represents the theoretical threshold at which the outward pressure of radiation balances the inward pull of gravity.

In two of the four systems, jets formed when the gas flow rate was below this threshold. This challenges models that explain jet ejections primarily through unusually high accretion rates.

Researchers Propose a Black Hole Jet Forecasting System

The findings suggest that monitoring changes in the accretion disk’s inner radius could help astronomers anticipate jet ejections.

“Monitoring of Rin seems to be suitable for predicting the timing of jet ejections,” said Professor Kawaguchi.

The research team proposes developing an alert system that would notify astronomers when the inner radius and X-ray variability continue to decline, particularly as the disk approaches the ISCO.

Such alerts could provide an observation window ranging from several hours to several days, allowing researchers to coordinate telescope facilities and collect data around the expected time of an ejection.

“The development of a ‘jet forecast’ would enable us to concentrate observing facilities on the expected timing of jet ejections, thereby accelerating our understanding of jet physics,” Professor Kawaguchi added.

Understanding the Wider Effects of Black Hole Jets

Predicting jet ejections could help scientists investigate the physical processes responsible for some of the universe’s most energetic phenomena.

These jets release high-energy photons and particles, including neutrinos and cosmic rays, which can travel across vast distances and interact with their surroundings.

“Jet ejections in the Universe produce high-energy photons and particles, such as neutrinos, and such cosmic rays have long influenced the evolution of living creatures on Earth, including human beings,” Professor Kawaguchi said.

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Graphene-Based Network Could Make Lithium-Ion Batteries More Powerful and Efficient

Posted on November 6, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Researchers at Yokohama National University have demonstrated how a porous graphene material could improve the performance of commercial lithium-ion batteries. The material, known as graphene mesosponge (GMS), helps electrons and lithium ions move more efficiently through densely packed battery electrodes, potentially improving both energy density and power density.

The study, published in Advanced Energy Materials on October 8, 2026, identifies graphene mesosponge as a promising conductive additive for high-performance batteries. The findings could support the development of batteries that store more energy while delivering power more efficiently, including applications in electric vehicles and consumer electronics.

Why Conventional Lithium-Ion Batteries Face Performance Limitations

Lithium-ion batteries power a wide range of devices, from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles. However, improving their energy density without compromising charging and discharging performance remains a major challenge.

One approach involves increasing the amount of active material in battery electrodes while reducing components such as conductive additives and polymer binders, which do not directly store electricity. However, reducing these components can make it harder for electrons and lithium ions to move through densely packed electrodes.

Researchers have also investigated nickel-rich electrode materials to increase energy storage capacity. Pure nickel oxide, for example, has been explored as a potential candidate for high-energy batteries, but high-voltage operation can cause material degradation and affect battery performance.

“Achieving efficient electron and ion transport in high-loading, densely packed electrodes remains a major challenge for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries,” said Naoaki Yabuuchi, a professor at Yokohama National University.

Graphene Mesosponge Creates Three-Dimensional Transport Networks

To address these limitations, the research team compared three carbon-based materials as potential conductive additives: acetylene black, single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene mesosponge.

The researchers found that graphene mesosponge performed particularly well because of its interconnected, sponge-like porous structure. Even a small amount of the material helped establish three-dimensional pathways for electron and ion transport within the electrode.

Its interconnected carbon framework supports electronic conduction, while its tiny pores retain the battery’s electrolyte, allowing ions to move more efficiently through the electrode. This structure helps overcome transport limitations that typically emerge when electrodes contain high concentrations of active materials.

“The porous GMS architecture forms a three-dimensional electron- and ion-transport network, with electrolyte retained within its mesopores facilitating ion transport and resulting in superior rate capability,” said Yabuuchi.

The team also used focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) tomography, a three-dimensional imaging technique, to examine the internal structure of the electrodes. The analysis showed that graphene mesosponge helped create a more uniformly distributed electrode structure, supporting efficient movement of electrons throughout the material.

Improving Energy Density and Power Density in Future Batteries

The findings suggest that graphene mesosponge could help battery manufacturers improve energy and power densities simultaneously. Its ability to support efficient transport in densely packed electrodes makes it particularly promising for batteries designed to operate under practical conditions and at high current densities.

The research team sees functional conductive additives as an important way to improve battery performance without relying solely on changes to active electrode materials.

“Our results demonstrate that graphene mesosponge is a transformative conductive additive for simultaneously improving energy and power densities in practical lithium-ion batteries through rational microstructural design of dense composite electrodes,” said Yabuuchi.

The researchers are continuing their work, with a particular focus on enabling faster charging in batteries that use graphite as the negative electrode. Their longer-term objective is to develop practical lithium-ion batteries that combine high energy density, high power density and fast-charging capabilities.

“Our ultimate goal is to achieve fast-charging capability with a graphite negative electrode, thereby enabling the development of practical lithium-ion batteries that combine high energy density, high power density, and fast-charging capability,” said Yabuuchi.

The research team includes scientists from Yokohama National University, Yonsei University and 3DC Corporation. The project received support from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

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European Orbiter Finds Possible Signs of Dormant Volcanic Activity on Mars

Posted on November 6, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

New observations from the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) have revealed evidence that volcanic activity may still be occurring beneath the Martian surface. Researchers detected unusual concentrations of hydrogen chloride gas above volcanic fissures near Alba Mons, suggesting that gases from underground magma could be escaping into the atmosphere.

The findings, led by an international research team under Alexander Trokhimovskiy, indicate that Mars may retain enough internal heat to support dormant or intermittent volcanic processes. The study, published in Science Advances, offers new insights into the planet’s geological activity and the possibility of habitable environments beneath its surface.

Hydrogen Chloride Spikes Point to Possible Volcanic Activity

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter first detected hydrogen chloride in the Martian atmosphere in 2021. On Earth, this gas is commonly released through magmatic vents, prompting scientists to investigate whether a similar process could be taking place on Mars.

Hydrogen chloride concentrations on Mars typically follow seasonal patterns. Levels generally peak during the northern hemisphere’s winter and decline during summer, with much of this variation associated with dust and water cycles.

However, researchers identified an unusual exception. During early summer, hydrogen chloride concentrations increased above volcanic fissures on the flanks of Alba Mons. The gas appeared repeatedly in the same location and season, suggesting a possible connection to geological activity beneath the surface.

“Our findings suggest that Mars has retained enough internal heat to support volcanic activity until recently, and possibly still does,” says Daniel Mège, Professor at the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences and co-lead author of the study.

Fresh Fissures Reveal Possible Routes for Underground Gases

Researchers combined atmospheric observations with geological analysis to investigate the source of the hydrogen chloride. Infrared spectrometers aboard TGO’s Atmospheric Chemistry Suite detected the gas, while the spacecraft’s CaSSIS camera captured images of the Alba Mons region.

The images revealed narrow, apparently fresh fissures, some extending hundreds of metres, accompanied by changes in surface colour. Scientists believe these openings could provide pathways for magmatic gases to reach the Martian atmosphere.

“The Trace Gas Orbiter was able to find the smoking gun. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It’s truly amazing that it spotted a handful of molecules from a perhaps intermittent source, whilst moving continuously along its orbit to monitor the whole martian atmosphere,” explains Daniel.

The research team proposes that the fissures remain blocked by ice during the Martian winter, when temperatures can fall to -120°C. As temperatures rise in early summer and the ice sublimates, hydrogen chloride and other gases may escape through the openings.

The discolouration surrounding the fissures could also result from deposits left behind by escaping gases, similar to formations found around fumaroles, or volcanic gas vents, on Earth.

“Looking at the spatial distribution of the seeping, it became instantly obvious to me that there was something volcanic behind it, but it had to be demonstrated” concedes Daniel.

Scientists also examined alternative chemical processes that could explain the presence of hydrogen chloride before linking the observations to possible volcanic activity.

“A huge part of the work consisted of examining all the possible chemical processes going on in the martian atmosphere. We needed to be rigorous, critical and creative to explain the presence of hydrogen chloride. The data were complex, but also excellent brain food,” adds Daniel.

The researchers suggest that the gas release may be connected to a dormant magma chamber beneath Alba Mons, indicating that Mars could still have an active geological system deep underground.

Could Volcanic Activity Create Habitable Environments on Mars?

The findings also raise questions about the possibility of microbial life beneath the Martian surface. Magmatic gases may have been more abundant in the planet’s past, potentially contributing to a thicker atmosphere, warmer temperatures and conditions that allowed liquid water to exist across large areas.

Researchers suggest that interactions between rising magma and underground water could create warm environments suitable for microbial activity. Such hydrothermal systems could provide microorganisms with essential chemical ingredients and energy while offering protection from the harsh conditions on the surface.

“Looking for martian life in the seeping fissures of the Alba Mons region would make a lot of sense. If hydrothermal systems are active, they could contain the ingredients and energy needed for microorganisms to develop, and shield microorganisms from the hostile and changing environment above the surface,” ponders Daniel.

Although scientists have not observed any new lava flows or volcanic eruptions on Mars, evidence from orbital imagery and marsquake detections has already raised the possibility of recent or ongoing geological activity.

“These findings may prove to be TGO’s greatest success yet,” highlights Colin Wilson, ESA’s project scientist for the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.

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Indian Astronomers Discover UBC 63 Is Actually Two Star Clusters After Close Encounter

Posted on November 6, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

A team of Indian astronomers has discovered that UBC 63, previously classified as a single star cluster, is actually made up of two distinct stellar systems that passed remarkably close to each other several million years ago. The discovery offers new insights into how gravitational interactions influence the structure and evolution of star clusters in the Milky Way.

Located approximately 4,892 light-years from Earth, UBC 63 is a loosely gravitationally bound group of stars known as a galactic open cluster. Earlier research had treated it as a single cluster, with only limited information available about its properties.

The latest study, however, reveals that the system consists of two separate clusters, designated UBC 63A and UBC 63B. Researchers identified the two populations using data from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Gaia mission, which provides highly precise measurements of stellar positions and movements across the Milky Way.

The discovery provides an opportunity to investigate the aftermath of a close encounter between two stellar systems and understand how such interactions affect their long-term evolution.

Gaia Data Reveals Two Distinct Stellar Populations

The research began as an investigation into the star formation dynamics of UBC 63. A team led by Indian astronomers from Gauhati University and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), used Gaia observations to examine the cluster’s stellar properties.

The researchers initially noticed that the stars appeared to form two separate sequences in a colour-magnitude diagram, an important astronomical tool used to study the brightness, colours and evolutionary stages of stars.

This observation suggested that UBC 63 might contain two distinct stellar populations rather than one unified cluster.

Further examination of stellar movements and other properties, supported by machine learning techniques and advanced dynamical simulations using high-performance computing, confirmed the presence of two separate clusters.

The analysis also revealed a substantial difference in their ages. UBC 63A is estimated to be approximately 21 million years old, while UBC 63B is considerably older, with an estimated age of around 562 million years.

This significant age difference indicates that the two clusters did not form as a single stellar system.

Two Star Clusters Passed Within 23 Light-Years of Each Other

After identifying the two clusters, researchers investigated how stellar systems with such different formation histories came to occupy nearby regions of the Milky Way.

By simulating their movements through the galaxy, the team reconstructed their past trajectories and identified evidence of a remarkably close encounter.

According to the simulations, when the younger cluster formed, the two systems were separated by approximately 60 parsecs, equivalent to around 196 light-years.

However, approximately six million years ago, they approached each other to within just seven parsecs, or roughly 23 light-years.

Today, UBC 63A and UBC 63B are separated by approximately 26 parsecs, equivalent to around 85 light-years.

Their present movements indicate that the clusters are not gravitationally bound to one another. Instead, they are moving apart following their close encounter.

Such interactions between star clusters are relatively uncommon, making the discovery particularly useful for studying how gravitational encounters influence stellar systems.

Study Highlights the Role of Gaia and Machine Learning in Astronomy

The discovery demonstrates how modern astronomical surveys can reveal structures that may remain hidden when stars are examined only through their apparent positions in the sky.

Gaia’s precise measurements of stellar positions and movements allowed researchers to distinguish the two populations within what was previously considered a single cluster.

The use of machine learning and high-performance computing further helped the team examine stellar properties and reconstruct the clusters’ dynamical histories.

The findings provide an opportunity to study how close encounters between stellar systems influence their structure, movement and evolution within the Milky Way.

Indian Research Team Publishes Findings in The Astronomical Journal

The research was published in The Astronomical Journal and involved an international team of astronomers.

The authors include Samrat Biswas, an INSPIRE Senior Research Fellow at Gauhati University; Biman J. Medhi of Gauhati University; Sergio Messina of the INAF Catania Astrophysical Observatory; Zhanpeng Zhu of Shanghai Normal University; Songmei Qin of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory; Sukanta Deb of Cotton University; A. H. Sheikh, also an INSPIRE Senior Research Fellow at Gauhati University; H. S. Das of Assam University; Motohide Tamura of the University of Tokyo; Maheswar Gopinathan and Ram Sagar of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.

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India Targets Debris-Free Space by 2030 as Cosmoserve Space Opens Hyderabad Facility

Posted on November 6, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

India is stepping up its efforts to tackle the growing problem of space debris, with Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh announcing a vision to achieve debris-free space by 2030. The initiative reflects India’s growing capabilities in space technology and its efforts to develop solutions for safer and more sustainable space operations.

The announcement was made on November 5, 2026, during the inauguration of Cosmoserve Space’s Base 1 facility at VSD Tech Park in Gachibowli, Hyderabad. Dr. Jitendra Singh attended the event virtually from Kartavya Bhawan in New Delhi, while Telangana’s IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu attended as the Guest of Honour alongside Cosmoserve Space Founder and CEO Dr. Chiranjeevi Phanindra.

The facility will focus on Active Space Debris Removal (ADR) and in-orbit servicing, two areas of technology aimed at addressing the challenges posed by inactive satellites and other objects orbiting Earth.

Cosmoserve Space Opens Advanced Robotics and Debris Removal Facility

Congratulating the company on the inauguration, Dr. Jitendra Singh described Base 1 as an advanced facility covering approximately 14,800 square feet. It brings together capabilities for designing, developing, testing and operating space robotics systems under simulated space conditions.

The facility includes orbital rendezvous and capture laboratories, space robotics innovation labs, microgravity simulation platforms and satellite integration clean rooms. These facilities are intended to support the development and testing of technologies required for future space missions.

The Minister also highlighted Cosmoserve Space’s work on active debris removal and in-orbit servicing. Its Mission EMBRACE conducted an in-space test of soft robotic petals in July 2026, less than a year after the company’s establishment.

Dr. Jitendra Singh praised the team’s experience in ISRO and the Gaganyaan programme, noting how its technical expertise is being translated into collaborative innovation within India’s private space sector.

The company has also established partnerships with Pixxel for satellite systems, Dhruv Aerospace Netherlands for propulsion systems and Skyroot Aerospace for launch services. According to the Minister, these collaborations demonstrate how private companies are combining indigenous technologies, satellite systems, battery capabilities and launch infrastructure to develop integrated space missions.

India’s Space Economy Projected to Reach $40-45 Billion

Dr. Jitendra Singh highlighted the expansion of India’s space industry following the space sector reforms introduced under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He noted that the establishment of NewSpace India Limited and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) helped reshape the country’s space ecosystem by creating opportunities for private companies and startups.

India’s space economy has grown to nearly $9 billion and is projected to reach $40-45 billion over the coming decade. The country’s space startup ecosystem has also expanded significantly, growing from single-digit numbers to nearly 450 enterprises.

The Minister said India already had considerable scientific talent and technological capabilities, but required a supportive ecosystem to allow young innovators and entrepreneurs to contribute to the sector.

He encouraged domestic and international investors to increase their participation in India’s space industry. He also called for greater philanthropic investment in scientific research and innovation to support emerging technologies and strengthen industry collaborations.

India Focuses on Space Sustainability and Technological Self-Reliance

The Minister emphasised that India’s space ambitions extend beyond commercial growth, with technological self-reliance and the development of sovereign capabilities remaining key priorities.

He pointed to India’s Chandrayaan missions and the Gaganyaan programme as examples of the country’s ability to undertake sophisticated space projects at comparatively lower costs. He also highlighted the contribution of space technology to activities on Earth, including the Gati Shakti initiative, smart city development and disaster preparedness.

Dr. Jitendra Singh described Cosmoserve Space’s work as an example of Vishwa Bandhu Bharat, reflecting India’s commitment to extending the benefits of space technology and sustainability beyond national boundaries.

He said initiatives focused on removing space debris and servicing satellites could contribute to a safer orbital environment for the international community while strengthening India’s position in the global space sector.

The Minister congratulated Cosmoserve Space and its team for their contribution to space sustainability and expressed his intention to visit the Hyderabad facility in person to interact with its members.

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Kishtwar Inaugurates New Seismological Observatory in High Seismic Zone

Posted on November 2, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated a new Seismological Observatory in Kishtwar on November 2, 2026, highlighting the expansion of scientific and weather monitoring infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir. Established under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the facility will strengthen earthquake monitoring and support disaster preparedness in the region’s high seismic zone.

The observatory is equipped with digital seismic equipment that will transmit data in real time to the 24×7 Earthquake Monitoring Centre of the National Centre for Seismology in New Delhi.

With this addition, Jammu and Kashmir now has four Seismological Observatories, located in Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur and Kishtwar. The new facility will continuously monitor seismic activity and generate information to help authorities understand regional earthquake hazards, plan safer infrastructure and improve responses by district administrations and rescue teams.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted the expansion of meteorological infrastructure since 2014, particularly in the erstwhile Doda district. He also referred to additional installations following the Chasoti cloudburst tragedy last year.

Doppler Weather Radar Network to Expand to Eight Installations

The Minister said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had significantly expanded its weather monitoring network in Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2014, the region had no Doppler Weather Radar installations. Since then, four radars have been installed at Banihal, Jot, Jammu and Srinagar. Another four are scheduled for commissioning in 2027 at Doda, Kishtwar, Anantnag and Baramulla, taking the total number to eight.

Dr Jitendra Singh also highlighted the expansion of the Automatic Weather Station network. From three stations previously located in Udhampur, Kathua and Ramban, the network has grown to 12 following the addition of nine stations.

The current distribution includes four stations in Kishtwar, two each in Doda and Ramban, and one in Kathua, alongside the existing network.

Rainfall Monitoring and Panchayat-Level Weather Services Expanded

The rainfall monitoring network has also expanded across the five districts of the parliamentary constituency. The number of Rain Gauge Stations has increased from nine to 15, providing regular rainfall information and strengthening local weather monitoring.

The Minister further stated that weather forecasts are now disseminated at the Panchayat level across all Panchayats in the five districts. Weather forecast and agrometeorological advisory services have reached 5,467 beneficiaries.

Other meteorological facilities in the region include the High-Altitude Cloud Physics Laboratory at Patnitop and the Regional Meteorological Centre established in Jammu to provide weather and early warning services.

According to Dr Jitendra Singh, the expansion of scientific infrastructure has been guided by the region’s geographical vulnerabilities and the need to improve early warning systems in areas exposed to earthquakes, landslides and weather-related hazards.

Minister Urges Public to Follow Scientific Weather Warnings

Emphasising the importance of public cooperation, the Minister said that timely weather information could help save lives only when people followed official warnings and advisories.

He recalled an instance in which traffic restrictions were imposed following a weather alert, with subsequent damage to the highway demonstrating the importance of acting on advance warnings.

“Information is important, but following the information is equally important,” he emphasised, urging citizens to cooperate with the administration during weather alerts.

He also called for greater reliance on scientific and evidence-based communication to counter unverified and alarmist information about weather conditions and predictions.

The Minister highlighted the opportunities created by digital information platforms and social media, particularly for young people in remote areas, and encouraged them to use these opportunities constructively.

Officials Highlight Regional Infrastructure Development

The event was attended by Dr Srinivasa Kumar Tummala, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, senior scientist Suresh, MLA Padder-Nagseni and Leader of Opposition in the J&K Legislative Assembly Sunil Sharma, Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar, Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Sharma and SSP Sunny Gupta, among other dignitaries.

Dr Jitendra Singh also referred to improvements in regional connectivity and the development of Kishtwar as a major power hub, highlighting ongoing efforts to strengthen scientific and infrastructure capabilities alongside public safety.

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24-Year X-ray Study Reveals Changing Accretion Behaviour of Bright Source in Nearby Galaxy

Posted on November 2, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Astronomers have traced the changing X-ray behaviour of NGC 4490 ULX-8 through observations spanning 24 years, offering new insights into the compact object powering this exceptionally bright source.

Astronomers have investigated the long-term X-ray behaviour of NGC 4490 ULX-8, one of the brightest X-ray sources in a nearby galaxy, by analysing observations collected between 2000 and 2024. The findings could help scientists understand the compact objects powering ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) and how these objects grow under extreme conditions.

ULXs are among the brightest X-ray emitters in nearby galaxies, apart from the emission produced by supermassive black holes at galactic centres. They are thought to contain either neutron stars or black holes that draw matter from a companion star. As this material moves inward, it heats up and releases intense X-rays.

These sources appear brighter than the maximum luminosity expected from the balance between gravity pulling matter inward and radiation pushing it outward. This threshold is known as the Eddington limit and serves as a benchmark for the brightness of an accreting object.

Understanding the compact object powering a ULX is important for studying super-Eddington accretion, powerful gas outflows and the growth of compact objects in extreme environments.

Researchers Track 24 Years of X-ray Observations

A research team from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and the Raman Research Institute, both autonomous institutes under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), along with researchers from other institutions, identified long-term changes in the X-ray spectrum of ULX-8. These changes point to evolving accretion conditions around the compact object.

The team analysed archival and recent observations of ULX-8 in the interacting galaxy pair NGC 4490/4485. The data came from three space-based X-ray telescopes: Chandra, XMM-Newton and Swift, covering the period from 2000 to 2024.

“We analysed archival and recent observations of ULX-8 in the interacting galaxy pair NGC 4490/4485, obtained with Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Swift space-based X-ray telescopes between 2000 and 2024, enabling one of the longest X-ray studies of this source to date”, explained Aru Beri, a faculty member at IIA and a co-author of the study.

Findings Point to a Black Hole Powering ULX-8

The observations showed that ULX-8 remained an exceptionally luminous X-ray source throughout the 24-year period, although its brightness varied substantially over time.

Despite these variations, researchers found no evidence of the dramatic transitions between different accretion states commonly seen in many black hole X-ray binaries. Instead, the source retained X-ray emission characteristics consistent with a persistently active ultraluminous accretion flow.

The findings suggest that ULX-8 is most likely powered by a stellar-mass black hole accreting matter at or near the Eddington limit. The results provide strong evidence that the source is powered by a black hole accreting at rates exceeding the classical Eddington limit.

According to the researchers, ULX-8 offers an important opportunity to study how compact objects sustain extreme rates of mass accretion and generate enormous amounts of energy. The study also demonstrates the importance of long-term observations using multiple space missions to investigate the nature of bright X-ray sources.

Future Missions Could Improve ULX Observations

Future observatories are expected to provide better sensitivity and monitoring capabilities for studying ULXs. These include the European Space Agency’s (ESA) NewAthena mission and India’s proposed next-generation timing and spectroscopy mission, XSat.

Continued long-term observations could help scientists understand how these extreme systems evolve and provide deeper insights into the physics of super-Eddington accretion and the nature of some of the brightest X-ray sources in the nearby Universe.

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ISS Crew Conducts Space Crop Research and Technology Experiments After Solar Array Spacewalk

Posted on November 2, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station continued research into space-based agriculture, plant diseases, virtual reality and advanced technologies following the installation of a new roll-out solar array.

The Expedition 75 crew completed a week of scientific activities following the first of two planned spacewalks to upgrade the International Space Station’s power generation system. Alongside the station’s power upgrades, astronauts conducted experiments involving space crops, plant diseases, virtual reality and super intelligence tools.

The new roll-out solar array began generating power after NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Joshua Kutryk installed it during a spacewalk on Thursday. The two astronauts spent seven hours and 11 minutes outside the station, attaching the array to the port-side truss structure and releasing its tension bolts. This allowed the array to unfurl over a ten-minute process.

Final Solar Array Installation Scheduled for November 5

Menon and Kutryk are scheduled to install one more roll-out solar array on Thursday, November 5, completing a process that began in June 2021 to increase the station’s power generation capacity.

The eighth and final array will be installed on the starboard side of the truss structure. Once deployed, the eight arrays will increase the station’s power generation capacity from 160 kilowatts to approximately 215 kilowatts.

Research Explores Plant Growth and Disease Prevention in Space

Following the spacewalk, Menon worked on a space botany investigation in the Kibo laboratory module. The research examines how microgravity affects cell division in green algae and cultured tobacco cells. The findings may support the production of food crops on the Moon and Mars.

NASA flight engineer Luke Delaney also conducted research on space-based crops, focusing on preventing plant diseases in microgravity. He inoculated thale cress plant samples after exposing them to a fungal pathogen and placed the samples inside an artificial gravity-generating incubator. The results may help improve crop disease resistance both on Earth and in space.

Meanwhile, Kutryk used the European Enhanced Exploration Exercise Device (E4D), a compact exercise cycle in the Columbus laboratory module. The device is being tested to assess its ability to keep crew members physically fit during long-term spaceflight.

Astronauts Continue Experiments in Virtual Reality and Advanced Technologies

NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins spent her shift servicing research equipment aboard the station. She removed and photographed components inside a device that powers experiments launched aboard spacecraft. She also replaced moisture absorbers in portable science freezers used to transport frozen research samples between the station and Earth for analysis.

Station commander Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos worked on a physics experiment involving the replacement of hardware inside a temperature-controlled chamber. The research explores the manufacturing of high-purity semiconductor crystals in microgravity.

Flight engineer Sergey Teteryatnikov used a virtual reality headset to respond to computer-generated visual stimuli. The experiment examines how his sense of balance and orientation adapts to microgravity.

Another crew member, flight engineer Anna Kikina, studied how super intelligence tools could improve operational and communication efficiency aboard a spacecraft.

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Helps Scientists Study Martian Dust

NASA Announces Schedule of Key Events for MAX POWER Aerospace Expo and Air Show

Posted on November 2, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

NASA has released the schedule of key activities for MAX POWER, an aerospace expo and air show taking place near Kennedy Space Center in Florida from November 6 to 8, 2026.

NASA has announced the main events and media opportunities for MAX POWER, described as America’s newest aerospace expo and air show. The three-day event will run from Friday, November 6, through Sunday, November 8, at locations on and near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The event will bring together NASA and external collaborators to showcase aircraft, autonomous vehicles, technologies and other developments shaping the future of air and space exploration. NASA will display its quiet supersonic X-59 aircraft, while agency partners will present Moon rovers, spacecraft and other technologies.

MAX POWER will also mark the culmination of NASA’s recent Inspiration Tour, which featured multiple flyovers highlighting the agency’s aircraft fleet. The latest event schedule is available on NASA’s official MAX POWER website.

Public Events to Feature Astronauts, Scientists and Aerospace Experts

The expo will offer visitors opportunities to meet NASA leadership, astronauts, engineers, scientists and other subject matter experts. The family-friendly public events will open their gates at 9 a.m. EST on November 7 and 8.

NASA will also share updates throughout the weekend, including a news conference at 5 p.m. on November 7 covering the latest developments in its Moon Base programme. Located near the lunar South Pole, the Moon Base is described by NASA as humanity’s first outpost for long-term lunar exploration.

The news conference will be streamed online through multiple platforms. Details about the broadcast are available on NASA’s live coverage page.

NASA’s MAX POWER Schedule for November 6

On Friday, November 6, NASA will offer media representatives one-on-one opportunities to preview the weekend’s MAX POWER activities. The sessions are scheduled from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the NASA Press Site.

Key Events on Saturday, November 7

Saturday’s programme will feature several NASA presentations, astronaut appearances and aircraft demonstrations.

10 a.m.: A Nuclear NASA media gathering at the UP.Summit Main Stage, featuring Cynthia Simmons, director of the Space Reactors Division.
11:30 a.m.: Opening air show remarks by NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson at the Air Dot Show Main Stage.
11:58 a.m.: An F-5 flyover during the Air Dot Show featuring NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.
12:45 p.m.: A session titled Meet the Astronauts: NASA’s Artemis III Crew at the Air Dot Show Main Stage. Participants include NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, mission commander; ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano, pilot; NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, mission specialist; and NASA astronaut Bob Hines, backup crew member. NASA will hold a media gathering with the crew immediately afterwards.
1:31 p.m.: A MiG-29 flyover featuring Isaacman.
2 p.m.: A presentation on NASA’s Roman Space Telescope at the Journey to Mars Theater inside the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Julie McEnery, senior project scientist for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope at NASA Goddard, will deliver remarks.
5 p.m.: A Moon Base news conference at the Press Site Auditorium. Participants include NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Carlos García-Galán, manager of the Moon Base Program; Nicky Fox, associate administrator for Science at NASA Headquarters; and Dayna Ise, acting director of the Utility and Infrastructure Office of the Moon Base Program. NASA subject matter experts will be available for individual interviews following the announcement.

Sunday, November 8: X-59, Student Challenge and Astronaut Sessions

Sunday’s activities will include discussions about NASA’s X-59 aircraft, a student challenge announcement and additional astronaut appearances.

9 a.m.: An X-59 media gathering at the UP.Summit Exhibit Area, featuring Laurie Grindle, director of NASA’s Aeronautics Division; Peter Coen, NASA Quesst mission manager at NASA Langley; and Jim “Clue” Less, X-59 test pilot at NASA Armstrong.
10 a.m.: A student challenge announcement at the Rocket Garden in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and Carlos García-Galán, manager of the Moon Base Program, will participate. NASA experts may be available for interviews. Media representatives interested in attending must contact Lauren Low by 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 5.
11:58 a.m.: An F-5 flyover during the Air Dot Show featuring Isaacman.
12:45 p.m.: A United States Space Academy session at the UP.Summit Main Stage, featuring NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson.
12:45 p.m.: A Meet the Astronauts: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-12 session at the Air Dot Show Main Stage, featuring NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway.
1:31 p.m.: A MiG-29 flyover featuring Isaacman.

NASA has closed media credentialing for MAX POWER. Approved media representatives must request interviews in advance. Seating for the Moon Base news conference is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Media representatives may also participate virtually.

Marine Heatwaves Disrupt Nutrition and Reproductive Flexibility in Humpback Whales

MIT Develops Nanoparticle Platform for Personalized Cancer Vaccines

Posted on November 2, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a nanoscale delivery system that could advance the development of personalized cancer vaccines. The platform uses modified, harmless viruses to carry cancer antigens, allowing researchers to customize vaccines to target specific proteins found in individual patients’ tumors.

The vaccine delivery system is built around M13, a bacteriophage that forms a nanofiber and can be coated with cancer antigens. By controlling the density of these antigens on the particle’s surface, the researchers found that they could strengthen the immune response against tumors.

In experiments involving mice, vaccines developed using this approach helped prevent the development of colon tumors and reduced the likelihood of tumor formation in another cancer model.

“The great thing about this is that it’s modular and we could switch out different antigens on demand, so you could design it to be patient-specific and target a known antigen for a particular kind of cancer,” says Angela Belcher, the James Mason Crafts Professor of Biological Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at MIT and a member of the Koch Institute.

How the M13 Bacteriophage Delivers Cancer Antigens

The M13 bacteriophage is a virus that does not harm humans. It consists of a single strand of DNA enclosed within a protein shell, known as a capsid. For more than two decades, Belcher’s laboratory has engineered these viruses to assemble into nanoscale structures for different applications, including batteries, semiconductors, solar cells and catalysts.

The researchers are now adapting this technology for medical applications, particularly vaccine delivery.

To create the cancer vaccine, they modified a protein called pVIII, which forms the long filament-like structure of the virus. By attaching cancer antigens to the ends of these proteins, the team created particles capable of presenting specific tumor targets to the immune system.

The antigen density is important because it influences how effectively the vaccine can stimulate an immune response. Huang found that adding one or two negatively charged amino acids to the modified pVIII protein increased antigen density. The researchers could further adjust the density by introducing a genetic mutation that slows the production of the antigen protein.

“We’re taking this toolkit that we’ve worked on and developed over decades and formatting it to be specific for vaccine therapeutics,” Belcher says. “Some of the lessons learned from making batteries and all these other things are now being fine-tuned to make personalized vaccines.”

Researchers Control Antigen Density to Strengthen Immune Response

The team also modified the bacteriophage’s genetic sequence to improve its ability to act as a vaccine adjuvant. Adjuvants are substances that help stimulate a stronger immune response and are commonly included in vaccines.

M13 can perform this function because its single-stranded DNA activates a pathway called TLR9, which is part of the body’s innate immune system. This allows the researchers to genetically control both the antigen presentation and the adjuvant properties of the vaccine platform.

“We can control the exact length. We can control the exact antigen expression, density, pattern, the exact adjuvant amount. A lot of times with a vaccine, you’ll have to put a different adjuvant with it, but now it’s all genetically encoded,” Belcher says.

Using the platform, researchers produced particles carrying an antigen called SIINFEKL at densities ranging from 6% to 70%. This small protein is commonly used as a model antigen to evaluate vaccine effectiveness.

The team tested vaccines with antigen densities of 6% and 35% in mice. The higher-density vaccine provided greater protection. Mice that received it were less likely to develop tumors after exposure to melanoma cancer cells expressing SIINFEKL. They also produced more T cells targeting the antigen.

The researchers found that dendritic cells, which help activate T cells, were more likely to take up vaccines with higher antigen density.

Personalized Vaccines Show Promise Against Colon Tumors

In another experiment, the researchers developed a vaccine carrying ADPGK, a neoantigen specifically expressed by colon tumors in a mouse cancer model. A neoantigen is a protein found in tumor cells that can serve as a target for the immune system.

Mice receiving the higher-density vaccine were significantly less likely to develop colon tumors.

The current study focused on preventing cancer development. In previous work, the researchers had adapted the platform to treat colon tumors that had already formed in mice. They now hope to investigate its potential against other cancer types.

“This interesting work adds another cog to improve the translational potential of the M13 phage platform for cancer immunotherapeutics,” said Alberto Danielli, an associate professor of molecular biology at the University of Bologna who was not involved in the study. “I look forward to seeing whether this platform is also effective against established tumors and whether additional tumor antigens can be displayed with comparable molecular and immunological efficacy.”

The modular design could make it possible to replace one antigen with another depending on the cancer being targeted.

“Because this is a modularly engineered platform, we can change the antigen we are interested in. For colon cancer, we use this specific antigen. For other types of cancer, we can just plug in other antigens and they can be assembled in this platform,” Huang says.

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NASA’s Perseverance Rover Helps Scientists Study Martian Dust

Posted on November 2, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Future astronauts travelling to Mars will have to contend with one persistent environmental challenge: dust. A new study led by Washington University in St. Louis examines how Martian dust interacts with spacesuit materials and other surfaces, providing insights that could help engineers prepare for human missions to the Red Planet.

Scientists used small swatches of spacesuit material attached to NASA’s Perseverance rover, alongside other materials such as Teflon, to examine the effects of prolonged exposure to Martian dust. Each swatch measures less than a square inch and is positioned among the rover’s scientific instruments and navigation equipment. Although the rover does not require a spacesuit, these samples allow researchers to assess how dust could damage equipment and materials used by future astronauts.

“Mars is a very dusty place,” said VanBommel. “Astronauts to Mars will have to be prepared.”

Martian Dust May Be Less Abrasive Than Lunar Dust

The Apollo missions demonstrated how dangerous dust can be during space exploration. Despite their relatively short duration, lunar missions exposed astronauts and equipment to abrasive particles that scratched visors and degraded spacesuits. Dust particles also clung to astronauts’ clothing, entered the lunar module and eventually reached their lungs, causing hay fever-like symptoms in some cases.

The new findings suggest that Martian dust may be less abrasive and irritating than lunar dust. After 1,645 Martian days of exposure, the spacesuit material samples showed little visible wear.

Researchers also found that Martian dust particles were considerably smoother than the jagged grains found on the Moon. VanBommel explained that prolonged exposure to wind may have gradually rounded the particles, giving them shapes similar to pebbles found in rivers.

“The particles in the Martian atmosphere have been blowing in the wind for potentially billions of years, so they tend to be well rounded, like pebbles in a river,” VanBommel said.

However, smoother particles do not eliminate the risks associated with Martian dust.

Ultrafine Particles Could Pose Health Risks

One of the study’s major findings concerns the extremely small size of some Martian dust particles. VanBommel developed a method to estimate individual particle sizes and identified ultrafine particles measuring as little as 100 nanometers across, equivalent to one ten-thousandth of a millimeter.

On Earth, ultrafine particles released by smoke and air pollution are considered a significant health concern because they can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream.

Although astronauts will not breathe the Martian atmosphere directly, these microscopic particles could still create problems if they enter habitats or attach to spacesuits and equipment. Engineers will therefore need to consider their potential effects when designing protective clothing, habitat systems and air filters.

The researchers also found that Martian dust has electrostatic properties that influence how it interacts with different surfaces.

“The electrostatic properties of Martian dust are likely causing it to preferentially adhere to some surfaces,” said study co-author Abigail Knight, a staff scientist who helped develop and conduct the analysis.

Potentially Toxic Compounds Add to Mission Challenges

Using data from Perseverance’s PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) instrument, the researchers also examined the chemical composition of Martian dust.

Unlike lunar dust, the material on Mars contains perchlorates and other potentially toxic compounds. The samples were also enriched in sulfur, iron and silica.

The health risks associated with these substances will depend on the level and duration of exposure. Brief contact may not necessarily pose a serious threat, but their presence introduces additional considerations for the design of future human missions.

Perseverance Provides Insights for Future Human Exploration

NASA’s Perseverance rover and earlier Mars missions have helped scientists understand the planet’s geological history and present-day conditions. Their work also provides opportunities to test technologies and study environmental challenges that could affect future human exploration.

Researchers have now been operating rovers on Mars continuously for more than two decades, building a better understanding of how equipment performs in the planet’s dusty environment.

“We’ve been operating rovers on the surface of Mars continuously for more than 20 years at this point,” VanBommel said. “We know that dust will be a challenge, but it’s something we can prepare for and overcome.”

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Marine Heatwaves Disrupt Nutrition and Reproductive Flexibility in Humpback Whales

Posted on October 30, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Climate change is driving increasingly intense marine heatwaves, raising concerns about their effects on marine wildlife. A new study led by researchers at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa has revealed how extreme ocean warming disrupts the metabolism, nutrition and reproductive success of humpback whales, shedding light on the biological mechanisms behind population declines observed during previous warming events.

Earlier reports from NOAA, academic researchers and regional monitoring programmes documented troubling changes during the 2014–2016 Pacific marine heatwave, known as the Blob. These included fewer humpback whale sightings in Hawai‘i and Alaska, declines in calf numbers and widespread signs of nutritional stress. However, the physiological mechanisms behind these population-level changes remained unclear. The new study, published in iScience, helps explain how extreme ocean temperatures affect whales internally.

“These findings give us a window into how whales actually cope with extreme environmental stress,” said lead author Ching-Tsun Chang, a former graduate student in the Department of Oceanography at the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology and now an assistant professor at National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. “We’ve known from previous reports that humpback whales declined in number and body condition during the Blob. What we show here is the physiological story behind those patterns: how whales adjust their metabolism, how nutrient use shifts, and how reproduction may be compromised.”

How Humpback Whales Respond to Extreme Ocean Warming

To investigate the physiological effects of marine heatwaves, researchers analysed nearly eight years of biochemical records preserved in the baleen of stranded female humpback whales from Hawai‘i. Baleen, the filtering structure whales use to feed, grows continuously and preserves a timeline of biochemical signals that can reveal changes in an animal’s nutritional and reproductive history.

“Baleen is an extraordinary archive,” said co-author Kristi West, Director of the UH Health and Stranding Lab and associate researcher in Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences at the UH Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience. “It lets us reconstruct an animal’s nutritional and reproductive history with fine detail. By pairing these biochemical records with bioenergetic models, we can finally see how climate extremes ripple through a whale’s body.”

The team combined compound-specific isotope analysis of amino acids with bioenergetic models, which estimate how animals use and allocate energy. This approach allowed researchers to reconstruct how whales used nutrients and mobilised energy reserves before, during and after the marine heatwave.

The results revealed the physiological mechanisms behind the declines documented during previous warming events. During the heatwave, whales essentially “powered down”, slowing their metabolism to stretch limited food supplies. This reduced nutritional availability made it more difficult for females to maintain early pregnancies, even after becoming pregnant.

Researchers also examined one whale’s decades-long history, which revealed the cumulative effects of environmental change. Its baleen preserved a five-year record showing how changing ocean conditions affected its body late in life.

Why Marine Heatwaves Threaten Whale Reproduction

Humpback whales are capital breeders, meaning they rely on energy reserves accumulated during feeding seasons to support migration, pregnancy and lactation. This reproductive strategy makes them particularly vulnerable when marine heatwaves disrupt feeding conditions and reduce food availability.

When whales cannot replenish their energy reserves, they have limited opportunities to compensate for nutritional shortages. The findings suggest that reduced nutrient availability during marine heatwaves can affect not only whales’ metabolic processes but also their ability to sustain pregnancy and successfully reproduce.

These physiological effects help explain why previous monitoring programmes observed declines in calf numbers and signs of poor body condition during the 2014–2016 Blob. The study connects those population-level observations with changes in how whales regulate their metabolism, use nutrients and allocate energy to reproduction.

What the Developing 2026–2027 El Niño Could Mean for Humpback Whales

The findings arrive as the Pacific enters a developing 2026–2027 El Niño, which is expected to be one of the strongest on record, bringing unusually warm conditions across the North Pacific.

Seasonal forecasts from international climate centres project widespread surface ocean warming that could reduce prey availability in key humpback whale feeding regions. Although this developing event is distinct from the 2014–2016 Blob, the anticipated warming highlights the importance of understanding how whales respond physiologically to extreme environmental stress.

“As marine heatwaves become more frequent, capital-breeding species like humpback whales may face increasing challenges in a rapidly warming ocean,” said Brian Popp, co-author and professor of Earth Sciences at the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. “Understanding these physiological responses is essential for anticipating how populations will fare in the decades ahead.”

POSTECH Researchers Develop Fingerprint Authentication Without Storing Biometric Data

AI-designed virus administered to human for first time? Startup hopeful

Posted on October 24, 2026 by Sridhar P

A California biotechnology startup says it has reached a milestone in artificial intelligence-driven medicine by administering AI-designed viruses to a human patient with an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection, opening a new front in the fight against infections that no longer respond to conventional drugs.

Radical Numerics announced on October 20 that bacteriophages designed using its artificial intelligence model, Omnii-1, had been given to a patient through an authorised, physician-led compassionate-use pathway. The company described the treatment as the first clinical use of AI-designed phages.

The announcement has attracted attention because antibiotic resistance is making some bacterial infections increasingly difficult to treat, while conventional phage therapy can require extensive laboratory work to identify viruses capable of attacking a particular bacterial strain.

But the breakthrough claim comes with important qualifications. The company’s technical report has not been peer-reviewed, the patient’s identity and treating medical team have not been disclosed, and the startup has not released information about the patient’s condition following treatment.

The distinction is crucial: the reported administration of an AI-designed therapy represents a step towards clinical use, but it does not establish that the treatment worked or that the approach is safe and effective for other patients.

According to the company’s report, its researchers tested AI-generated phage variants in the laboratory and evaluated their activity against bacterial strains before the treatment was administered. The startup said a cocktail containing its designed phages eliminated the patient’s bacterial isolate in laboratory testing.

The company has withheld details of the patient’s clinical course, citing privacy concerns. Its announcement therefore offers no independently verifiable evidence that the infection was cleared in the patient.

What is an AI-designed virus, and how could it fight superbugs?

The word “virus” can make the development sound alarming, but bacteriophages are a distinct class of viruses that infect bacteria rather than human cells. They attach to specific bacterial targets, introduce their genetic material and use the bacterial machinery to reproduce. Many phages eventually cause the infected bacteria to rupture.

Their specificity is one of the reasons scientists are interested in phage therapy. Broad-spectrum antibiotics can affect beneficial bacteria alongside disease-causing organisms, whereas a suitably matched phage can target particular bacterial strains.

The difficulty is finding the right match. A phage that destroys one strain of a bacterium may be ineffective against another, even when both belong to the same species. Researchers have traditionally searched environmental and laboratory collections for suitable candidates, tested their activity and assembled therapies tailored to individual infections.

That process can be time-consuming, particularly when a patient has a severe infection and conventional treatment options are running out.

Radical Numerics says Omnii-1 is designed to accelerate this process by learning from genomic sequences, phage genomes and experimentally measured interactions between phages and their bacterial hosts. The model can help identify promising candidates and generate new variants for laboratory testing.

The company reported experiments involving T7, a well-studied bacteriophage that infects E. coli. Its researchers investigated changes to the phage’s tail-fibre protein, a component involved in recognising and attaching to bacterial cells.

In one set of laboratory experiments, the company reported that 69.9% of designed variants involving 11 to 15 amino-acid changes were recovered, compared with 4.8% of random controls. Recovery is a measure of whether an attempted design produces a detectable phage; it does not, by itself, establish therapeutic effectiveness.

The company also reported that some engineered variants retained activity despite substantial changes to their sequences. These findings are laboratory results, not evidence that every AI-designed phage will work against a patient’s infection.

The reported human treatment followed this laboratory work. According to Radical Numerics, the phage cocktail was administered under an authorised compassionate-use pathway for a patient with an antibiotic-resistant infection who had few remaining medical options.

Compassionate use allows eligible patients with serious conditions to access investigational treatments outside conventional clinical trials when satisfactory alternatives are unavailable and the relevant regulatory requirements are met. It is not the same as regulatory approval for general medical use.

The evidence gap: Can AI-designed phages become a reliable treatment?

The announcement raises an important question for medicine: can AI reduce the time needed to develop personalised treatments without compromising the testing required to establish safety and efficacy?

For now, the available evidence supports a narrower conclusion than the headline suggests. Radical Numerics says its model generated viable phages, helped identify variants with activity against target bacteria and contributed to a treatment administered to a human patient. The company has not disclosed the clinical outcome, and independent researchers have not yet had the opportunity to evaluate a peer-reviewed clinical report.

Scientists outside the company have expressed interest while urging caution. Harvard microbiologist Michael Baym, who was not involved in the work, told The New York Times: “If it works, that’s incredible,” while adding that his initial response was scepticism. He said researchers would need to assess the treatment and establish how novel the viruses actually were.

That scrutiny matters because several separate questions must be answered before the approach can become an established treatment.

First, laboratory activity must translate into a meaningful clinical benefit. A phage that kills bacteria in a controlled experiment may behave differently in a human body, where immune responses, tissue conditions, bacterial populations and the location of an infection can affect treatment.

Second, researchers need evidence on safety, including potential adverse reactions and the circumstances in which a treatment should or should not be used. The fact that a phage targets bacteria does not eliminate the need for clinical safety monitoring.

Third, the approach must prove reproducible. An AI system may generate promising candidates, but each proposed therapy still requires suitable laboratory validation, quality-controlled manufacturing and clinical oversight. A successful result in one patient would not establish effectiveness across different bacterial strains or infections.

Finally, independent evaluation is essential. Peer review and transparent reporting would allow other researchers to assess the company’s methods, experimental results and the limits of its claims.

The potential public-health implications are substantial. The World Health Organization has identified antimicrobial resistance as a major global health threat. A 2019 global analysis estimated that bacterial antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths and associated with 4.95 million deaths that year. These figures describe the broader burden of bacterial antimicrobial resistance, not deaths that could necessarily be prevented through phage therapy.

AI-assisted phage design could eventually help doctors respond more quickly when standard antibiotics fail. However, its value will depend on whether it can consistently identify effective candidates, shorten the time to treatment and deliver measurable benefits to patients.

The development also highlights a broader shift in biotechnology: AI is moving beyond analysing existing biological data towards helping researchers design biological systems for specific purposes. That shift creates opportunities in medicine but also places greater importance on biosafety, responsible research and oversight.

For now, Radical Numerics’ announcement is an early clinical milestone rather than proof of a new, established treatment. The next decisive evidence will be a transparent account of the clinical findings and independent scientific assessment of the model’s performance.

If those findings support the company’s claims, AI-designed bacteriophages could become another tool against drug-resistant infections. Until then, the distinction between a promising laboratory design and a proven medical treatment remains central.

FAQs:

Has an AI-designed virus been administered to a human?

Radical Numerics reported on October 20, 2026, that phages designed using its Omnii-1 model had been administered to a patient with an antibiotic-resistant infection under an authorised compassionate-use pathway. The claim awaits independent peer-reviewed scrutiny.

Is the AI-designed virus intended to infect humans?

No. The reported treatment uses bacteriophages, which target bacteria rather than human cells. Their effectiveness depends on whether they can infect the particular bacterial strain causing the infection.

Did the treatment cure the patient?

The company has not disclosed the patient’s clinical outcome. It reported that the phage cocktail eliminated the patient’s bacterial isolate in laboratory testing, but that does not establish that the infection was cleared in the patient.

What is Omnii-1?

Omnii-1 is a multimodal biological AI model developed by Radical Numerics. The company says it can analyse genomic information, model phage-host interactions and help generate and prioritise candidate phages for laboratory testing.

Does this mean antibiotic-resistant infections can now be cured with AI?

No. The announcement describes an early investigational application. Further evidence is needed to establish safety, clinical effectiveness, reproducibility and whether the approach can be used reliably across different infections.

POSTECH Researchers Develop Fingerprint Authentication Without Storing Biometric Data

Posted on October 23, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

Researchers at South Korea’s POSTECH have developed a fingerprint authentication system that identifies users without digitally storing fingerprint information. The technology uses ultrasound and specially designed metasurfaces to make authentication decisions through physical computation.

Fingerprint recognition is widely used to unlock smartphones, authorise financial transactions and control access to secure facilities. However, fingerprints cannot easily be changed if compromised, making the protection of biometric data a significant security concern.

Conventional systems typically convert fingerprints into digital data and compare them with previously stored information. Even when this information is encrypted, the authentication process still requires access to biometric data, potentially creating security vulnerabilities.

Rather than improving how fingerprints are stored, the research team sought to eliminate the need for digital storage and comparison altogether. Led by Professor Junsuk Rho, alongside Dr. Seokho Lee and integrated M.S.–Ph.D. student Beomseok Oh, the team developed the technology at the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH). The study was published in the journal Nature Sensors.

How Ultrasound-Based Authentication Works

The researchers developed a system called a metasurface-driven loop-diffractive neural network, or loop-DNN. A metasurface is an artificial structure that can precisely control the direction, intensity and phase of waves. In this system, it manipulates ultrasound to process fingerprint information without sending it to a computer for conventional digital analysis.

When ultrasound passes through the metasurface, its energy is directed towards different locations depending on the fingerprint presented. A registered fingerprint concentrates acoustic energy in a designated region, while an unregistered fingerprint directs it towards a different region.

The system determines authentication by comparing signal intensities in these two regions. It does not need to reconstruct a fingerprint image or separately extract fingerprint features through digital computation.

The team also controlled the ultrasound’s phase, amplitude and transmission states, allowing the metasurface to manipulate the waves with greater flexibility than conventional diffractive neural networks, which primarily modulate phase.

Experimental Results Show Promising Accuracy

In experiments involving fingerprints from four individuals, the system achieved 97.92% accuracy across 192 validation samples. Additional numerical analysis using an international fingerprint recognition database demonstrated accuracy of up to 99.75% for a single registered user.

The researchers also found that recognition performance generally improved as the number of design parameters available for controlling the metasurface increased.

By shifting authentication from a store-and-compare model to physical computation and direct decision-making, the approach could reduce the risk of biometric data exposure. Potential applications include smartphones, automobiles, wearable devices and security-sensitive sectors such as finance, healthcare and defence.

Further Development Needed Before Practical Use

Despite the promising results, the technology requires further development before widespread implementation. The current experimental system operates at approximately 40 kHz, while industrial sensors commonly use frequencies in the megahertz range. The researchers also need to expand the system to support multiple registered users.

The team plans to advance the platform by combining multilayer metasurfaces with digital technologies.

Professor Junsuk Rho said, “Rather than developing a faster algorithm or stronger encryption technology, this study changes the starting point of biometric authentication itself. By eliminating the need to separately store biometric information, we expect this approach to develop into a new authentication method that can reduce the risk of fingerprint information being exposed through hacking.”

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NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Advances to Final Science Commissioning Phase

Posted on October 23, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has entered its science commissioning phase after successfully completing comprehensive checks of its observatory systems and primary instrument performance. Engineers are now refining image quality and calibrating instruments ahead of scientific operations.

“We’ve established that the observatory is fully functional,” said Julie McEnery, Roman’s senior project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “The telescope can guide and take exposures, data flows appropriately, and we can slew from one place to another for observations. So now we’re drilling into the fine details of the quality of the images we’re collecting.”

Early tests have also shown that Roman can observe challenging regions of space, including crowded star fields and nebulae obscured by dense dust. Scientists had questioned whether its fine guidance system could reliably track individual stars in these conditions.

“The way Roman locks onto a target is by holding steady on individual stars found in the direction it needs to point,” said Tom Barclay, Roman operations project scientist at NASA Goddard. “We had a concern that in regions where stars are either packed extremely close together or embedded in thick dust, the fine guidance system might get confused or have trouble staying tethered to those stars. But test observations of such regions have shown that Roman performs wonderfully in all cases.”

Refining Image Quality for Precise Observations

During commissioning, the team is conducting carefully planned observations to measure the observatory’s performance, calibrate instrument responses to light and improve image quality. Consistent results are essential because variations in brightness or sharpness could make it difficult for scientists to determine whether changes in cosmic objects are real or caused by the telescope itself.

“To achieve the groundbreaking science we expect from Roman, we need to have a crystal clear window into space, not one marred by pointing jitter or out-of-focus images,” said Josh Schlieder, Roman’s Wide Field Instrument scientist at NASA Goddard. “Any imperfections that affect image quality must be minimized because even very small flaws could mask the small signals we are aiming to measure.”

Initial test observations have performed well, allowing scientists to begin assessing the telescope’s ability to survey large areas of the sky quickly.

High-Speed Surveys Could Reveal Unexpected Discoveries

Roman’s observing speed is expected to help researchers capture enormous cosmic vistas filled with stars, planets and galaxies. Large mosaics of the sky, which previously required special observing campaigns, could become routine as the mission progresses.

“During commissioning, we are taking several test observations of famous parts of the sky,” said Jeremy Perkins, an astrophysicist serving as Roman’s observatory integration and test scientist at NASA Goddard. “I am marveling at the level of detail Roman provides in very short time periods.”

The telescope’s Wide Field Instrument will also be able to detect extremely faint objects, expanding opportunities to study distant and previously difficult-to-observe parts of the universe.

“In a typical observation with Roman’s Wide Field Instrument, we’ll see objects that are a hundred million times fainter than the human eye can detect,” Schlieder said. “So just imagine what strange and unexpected things might be buried in all that data.”

Some observatory systems are already performing better than required, potentially creating opportunities for additional scientific capabilities. The team will continue fine-tuning image quality and completing calibration work before Roman transitions to full science operations.

Tibet earthquake Leaves 16 killed, 54 injured; Rescue teams rush to spot

ISS Crew Conducts Blood Vessel Bioprinting, Spacesuit Checks and Robotics Training

Posted on October 23, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

The Expedition 75 crew aboard the International Space Station carried out blood vessel bioprinting, spacesuit preparations, robotic arm training and Earth photography on Thursday, supporting scientific research and an upcoming spacewalk.

NASA flight engineer Luke Delaney operated the station’s BioFabrication Facility inside the Columbus laboratory module to begin printing blood vessels using vascular cells. He retrieved the cells from a science freezer, thawed them and mixed them with biological printing material before loading the mixture into the bioprinter.

NASA flight engineer Anil Menon later preserved and nourished the printed tissues inside the facility for cultivation. The experiment contributes to research into bioprinting biological tissues in space.

Spacesuit Checks Ahead of Spacewalk

Menon and NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins assisted Canadian Space Agency astronaut Josh Kutryk as he practised putting on a spacesuit inside the station’s Quest airlock simulator. The checks assessed fit, comfort and system functionality, while accounting for physical changes such as spinal elongation that can occur in microgravity.

Menon and Kutryk are scheduled to conduct a spacewalk on October 29 to install a roll-out solar array on the station’s port-side truss structure.

Delaney also trained to operate the Canadarm2 robotic arm, which will assist the spacewalkers during the installation. He and Watkins are expected to help the astronauts with their spacesuits and provide support during the planned six-hour-and-45-minute excursion.

Robotics Training and Earth Photography

Roscosmos flight engineer Sergey Teteryatnikov practised operating the European robotic arm attached to the Nauka science module. He subsequently configured and activated Earth-observation equipment to photograph landmarks in Asia and South America using visible and near-infrared wavelengths during the crew’s sleep period.

Roscosmos flight engineer Anna Kikina photographed lakes in eastern Africa through a window in the Zvezda service module and assisted Teteryatnikov with configuring the Earth-observation camera.

Meanwhile, station commander Pyotr Dubrov of Roscosmos handled plumbing tasks inside Zvezda before photographing fellow crew members at work aboard the orbital laboratory.

The day’s activities combined biological research, preparations for station maintenance and Earth-observation work, reflecting the range of scientific and operational tasks undertaken by the Expedition 75 crew.

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NASA to Discuss Lunar Exploration and Space Technology at 2026 Symposium

Posted on October 23, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

NASA will join the 2026 von Braun Space Exploration Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, from October 26 to 28, to discuss lunar exploration, sustainable Moon infrastructure, advanced propulsion and the future space workforce.

Organised by the American Astronautical Society in collaboration with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the annual event will take place at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Discussions will cover NASA’s Artemis II and III missions, space nuclear technology, lunar infrastructure, supply chain resilience and advances in space propulsion.

The programme will also feature sessions on workforce development and engineering, alongside keynote addresses and awards presentations.

NASA Officials to Participate

Speakers include NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Casey Swails, Marshall Space Flight Center Director Stephen Cash, Science Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Nicky Fox, and Artemis II Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson. Other participants include Steve Creech, Human Landing System programme manager, and Debbie Whitis Korth, acting Orion programme manager.

Media representatives seeking interviews must contact Lance D. Davis at lance.d.davis@nasa.gov and Joel Wallace at joel.w.wallace@nasa.gov. Those wishing to attend in person or online must register through the American Astronautical Society.

The symposium brings together government, industry, policy and academic leaders to discuss developments in space exploration and future priorities.

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NASA Satellites Reveal 2026 El Niño May Rival the Record-Setting 1997 Event

Posted on October 23, 2026 by Shelton Rozario

NASA satellite observations indicate that the El Niño developing in 2026 could rival some of the strongest events recorded over the past three decades. By comparing ocean surface height measurements from October 1997 and October 2026, scientists have identified similarities that could offer clues about the weather impacts expected in the coming months.

El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern that develops roughly every two to seven years. It involves warmer-than-normal water across parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean and can disrupt weather patterns worldwide. Previous strong events, particularly those in 1997-98 and 2015-16, were associated with wildfires in Indonesia and the Amazon, drought-related crop failures in southern Africa, and heavy rainfall and coastal flooding in Southern California.

According to Josh Willis, project scientist for sea level missions at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), each El Niño develops differently depending on where warm water accumulates in the Pacific and how the atmosphere responds.

“The search for the ‘typical’ El Niño is very elusive,” Willis said. “They’re all different in terms of where they land and how their impacts play out.”

How Satellites Track El Niño’s Development

El Niño develops through interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere. Under normal conditions, trade winds push warm surface water towards the western Pacific, where sea levels are higher than in the east. When these winds weaken, warm water moves eastward, further weakening the winds and sometimes reversing their direction. This feedback loop allows more warm water to accumulate in the central and eastern Pacific.

NASA uses satellite altimetry to measure changes in sea surface height, helping scientists track the movement and accumulation of warm water. As seawater warms, it expands, contributing to higher-than-average sea levels. These changes provide an indicator of the heat building up across the equatorial Pacific.

The October 13, 1997, map was created using data from the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite, while the October 12, 2026, map uses observations from the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite. Scientists at JPL processed the data, removing seasonal variations and long-term trends to highlight short-term sea level anomalies associated with El Niño and other natural phenomena.

The resulting maps use red to indicate higher-than-average sea levels, white for near-normal conditions and blue for lower-than-average levels.

Willis said the satellite record is particularly valuable because it spans 35 years and includes missions that overlap and follow nearly identical ground tracks.

“What’s unique about altimetry is that we have a 35-year record from nearly identical satellites flying almost the same ground track, with each mission overlapping the next,” Willis said. “That lets us look back in time and compare this El Niño to what happened in 1997. And right now, this one is on track to be even bigger.”

How the 2026 Event Compares With 1997 and 2015

Although the 2026 El Niño developed more suddenly than the 1997-98 event, satellite observations show similarities in their structure. Both display lower sea levels in the western Pacific and elevated sea levels extending eastward towards South America.

These similarities suggest that the two events could produce comparable weather impacts. During the 1997-98 El Niño, for example, California and the southern United States experienced substantial rainfall.

The powerful 2015-16 El Niño, however, developed a different pattern. Satellite maps from October 2015 show that the exceptionally warm water along the equator did not extend towards the South American coast as strongly as it did in 1997 and 2026.

That difference was associated with a different distribution of rainfall during the winter of 2015-16. Impacts were concentrated more heavily over Central America and the southeastern United States, while Mexico experienced significant flooding.

The comparison highlights why the strength of an El Niño alone cannot fully predict its consequences. The location of elevated sea levels and the distribution of warm water across the Pacific also influence how the event affects regional weather.

Strong El Niño Conditions Expected to Continue Into 2027

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s October 8, 2026, outlook estimated an 83 percent chance that a strong-to-very strong El Niño would persist through the first three months of 2027.

However, scientists caution that the eventual impacts of the 2026-27 winter remain uncertain. El Niño influences weather through the atmosphere, a complex and chaotic system in which climate signals can become less clear as they spread beyond the tropics.

Willis warned against assuming that the similarities with 1997 guarantee identical outcomes.

“There’s always a bit of a dice roll here,” Willis said. “Just because this El Niño looks like 1997 doesn’t mean it will be exactly the same—it’s just our best guess at the moment.”

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Tibet earthquake Leaves 16 killed, 54 injured; Rescue teams rush to spot

Posted on October 23, 2026 by Sridhar P

A powerful magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck China’s Tibet region late Thursday, October 22, killing at least 16 people and injuring 54 others, as rescue teams searched damaged buildings and authorities rushed emergency supplies to the affected communities.

The earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu City at 10:33 p.m. local time, according to Chinese authorities. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) placed the epicentre about 191 kilometres east-northeast of Nagqu, at a depth of 18 kilometres. China’s earthquake monitoring agency measured the quake at a depth of 10 kilometres.

The affected area is sparsely populated and lies at an average altitude of about 4,800 metres, complicating emergency response efforts. Nagqu is located more than 300 kilometres north of Lhasa, the Tibetan regional capital. “Checks are under way in villages across the township,” Lhawang Dagpo, deputy head of Maru Township, said, according to Xinhua.

The death toll and extent of the damage were still being assessed on Friday, October 23, while emergency personnel continued rescue, evacuation and relief operations.

Hundreds of homes damaged as rescue teams mobilise

The earthquake caused at least 339 homes to collapse or sustain damage and affected 20 livestock sheds, according to local authorities cited by Chinese state media. Eleven of the injured were reported to be in serious condition, while 35 sustained minor injuries in the initial casualty assessment.

More than 1,600 personnel from the affected county were deployed for rescue and relief work. Regional fire and rescue authorities also sent additional rescuers, fire engines, search dogs and equipment to the disaster zone.

Emergency supplies included 1,000 prefabricated housing units, more than 3,200 tents and over 2,800 folding beds, alongside quilts, stoves, clothing and other essentials. The supplies were intended to help residents whose homes were damaged or who could not safely return to their houses.

China activated emergency response mechanisms at regional and national levels. The regional government initiated a Level-II earthquake disaster response, while the national earthquake relief authorities and the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level-IV response and dispatched a team to assist local officials.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for maximum efforts in rescue operations and medical assistance, according to reports by state media.

Railway disruption, road closures complicate relief efforts

The earthquake disrupted transport and communications in parts of the affected region. Railway authorities temporarily halted trains on sections of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway while inspecting tracks and equipment. Some trains were delayed as officials assessed potential damage.

Rockfalls also forced the closure of part of National Highway 317, with access restricted to emergency, rescue and official support vehicles while crews worked to clear debris. Communications were reported to be down in some affected areas, creating additional challenges for rescue coordination and damage assessments.

A hotel owner identified only by the surname Wang described the experience to China News Service, “The whole building was shaking.” Wang said plates and bowls were falling in a friend’s restaurant. He and his guests went downstairs after the shaking eased. No one at his hotel was injured, the report said.

The USGS recorded several aftershocks following the main earthquake, including tremors measuring between magnitude 4.3 and 5.2. Authorities continued monitoring seismic activity as rescue operations proceeded.

Weather conditions could further complicate the response. Chinese state media reported that intermittent snowfall was expected in the earthquake-hit area over the following three days, raising concerns about conditions for residents and emergency workers in the high-altitude region.

The earthquake is the strongest reported in the region in five years, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV. The disaster comes less than two years after a magnitude-6.8 earthquake struck Dingri County in Tibet’s Xigaze region on January 7, 2025, killing 126 people.

Authorities are continuing to verify casualties, assess structural damage and provide emergency assistance as the rescue effort develops.

FAQs

1. Where did the October 2026 earthquake strike?

The earthquake struck Baqen County in Nagqu City in China’s Tibet region at 10:33 p.m. local time on October 22.

2. How many people were killed or injured?

At least 16 people were killed and 46 injured, according to the initial casualty figures reported by local authorities on October 23.

3. How strong was the earthquake?

The earthquake measured magnitude 7.0 according to Chinese monitoring authorities. The USGS also reported a magnitude-7.0 earthquake but estimated its depth at 18 kilometres, compared with the 10-kilometre depth reported by China’s monitoring agency.

4. What damage did the earthquake cause?

Local authorities reported that 339 homes had collapsed or sustained damage and 20 livestock sheds were affected. Transport and communications were also disrupted in parts of the region.

5. What is China doing to help earthquake victims?

Authorities deployed rescue personnel and emergency equipment, supplied temporary housing, tents, beds and other essential items, and activated regional and national disaster-response mechanisms.

6. Could weather conditions affect rescue operations?

Yes. Forecast snowfall in the high-altitude region could complicate access, evacuation and the delivery of relief supplies.