After nearly 22 years of exploring the universe’s most violent explosions, NASA’s Swift Observatory has re-entered Earth’s atmosphere over Indonesia. Originally designed to last just two years, the pioneering space telescope transformed our understanding of black holes, exploding stars, and mysterious cosmic outbursts.
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A study of nearly 5,800 adults found that heart scans measuring calcium buildup in the arteries led to the same observed rate of major cardiovascular events as traditional risk assessments, despite recommending statins to far fewer patients. Surprisingly, patients advised to take statins based on their scans were nearly three times as likely to stick with their medication, raising intriguing questions about how doctors should identify and treat heart disease risk.
November 2026 is packed with celestial events worth watching, from brilliant meteors streaking across the sky to a striking encounter between Mars and Jupiter. NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft is also approaching an extraordinary milestone, while a dazzling supermoon will close out the month. Three meteor showers offer multiple opportunities to catch shooting stars, including occasional fireballs bright enough to stand out dramatically against the night sky. Meanwhile, two of the solar system's most recognizable planets will appear unusually close together just before sunrise.
The San Juan River has carved deep, improbably curvy meanders into the desert landscape.
An unprecedented early weakening of the polar vortex is causing uncertainty amongst experts over the impact it will have on UK weather as Simon King explains.