January 30, 2025

Quasar J0742+2704 (center) became a topic of interest for astronomers in 2020 after it was discovered to have a new jet emanating from the disk around its supermassive black hole. The discovery was made using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) radio observatory. Follow-up observations were subsequently made with other observatories, with the aim of determining the properties of the galaxy and understanding what might have powered the jet. **Credit:** NASA, ESA, Kristina Nyland (US Naval Research Laboratory); Image processing: Joseph DePascala (STScI).

Hubble's Spiral Surprise: Quasar Discovery That Disproves Theories

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The Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a quasar inhabiting a spiral galaxy – a surprising discovery that challenges existing understanding of the structure of quasars and the origin of their jets of matter.
A statue of Julius Caesar, a symbol of ancient Rome, reminds us of how history repeats itself. From Wikimedia

Climate change, epidemics, and groundwater pollution in ancient Rome: Will the disregard for science and the climate crisis lead us to the fall of the West?

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Two new studies (January 2025) reveal how natural climate change and lead water contamination shaped the social and health development of ancient Rome, highlighting the need to incorporate health aspects into climate risk assessment
A poster depicting all the compounds discovered in the OSIRIS-REx sample. Credit: NASA

Nitrogen-containing organic compounds that support life were discovered in abundance on the asteroid

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Cuckoo chicks look similar to their host chicks. Cuckoo chicks (left) and their host "brothers" of different species (right) | Source: Naomi Langmore

The divergent adaptation of cuckoos

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Cuckoos develop eggs and chicks that resemble those of their hosts, to avoid detection. When they have more than one host, this can lead to the creation of new species of cuckoos – especially if they are “violent”.