Ward: Society

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India space agency launches its heaviest satellite

India's space agency launched its heaviest ever payload on Wednesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the deployment "a significant stride" for the space sector.

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Life beyond Earth? Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock on the mysteries of space – podcast

Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist and science educator who has worked on a number of instruments that are revolutionising our view of the cosmos, including the James Webb Space Telescope. This year she will be giving the Royal Institution Christmas lectures, Britain’s most prestigious p…

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Moon phase today: What the moon will look like on December 24

See the moon phase expected for December 24, 2025 as well as when the next full moon is expected.

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SpaceX defends airspace safety ahead of Florida Starship launch plans

With plans to launch the massive Starship from Florida next year, SpaceX defended its commitment to airspace safety after a Wall Street Journal article claimed an explosive mission in early 2025 was a greater danger to some flights than previously reported.

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'Dracula's Chivito': Hubble reveals largest birthplace of planets ever observed

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China just carried out its second reusable launch attempt in three weeks

The launch laid "an important foundation for subsequent launches and reliable recovery."

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The stargazing events to look forward to in 2026

There are a host of celestial events to get excited about next year – including a total solar eclipse. Abigail Beall is lining up her calendar

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The essential guide to proving we’ve found alien life

From mudstones on Mars to strange gases in exoplanet atmospheres, tentative evidence for extraterrestrial life is starting to come thick and fast. But when we've found it, how will we know for sure?

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Earth and solar system may have been shaped by nearby exploding star

A new explanation for the solar system's radioactive elements suggests Earth-like planets might be found orbiting up to 50 per cent of sun-like stars

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Astrophysicists map the invisible universe using warped galaxies

By studying tiny distortions in the shapes of distant galaxies, scientists mapped dark matter and dark energy across one of the largest sky surveys ever assembled. Their results back the standard picture of the universe and show that even archival telescope images can unlock cosmic mysteries.

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Moon phase today: What the moon will look like on December 23

See the moon phase expected for December 23, 2025 as well as when the next full moon is expected.

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Black hole stars really do exist in the early universe

Mysterious ‘little red dots’ seen by the James Webb Space Telescope can be explained by a new kind of black hole enshrouded in an enormous ball of glowing gas

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First wheelchair-using astronaut touches down after ride to edge of space

Michaela Benthaus from Germany soared 65 miles above the Earth’s surface in 10-minute Blue Origin flightA paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers on Saturday, leaving her wheelchair behind to float in space while beholding Earth from o…

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