An international team of astronomers has reported the first discovery of a moon outside the Solar System, according to a research report published in Nature. The object was identified in the CD-35 2772 star system, 71 light-years from Earth, using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. Researchers describe the finding as a milestone for space science.

Scientists said the newly found moon has a mass at least equal to Jupiter’s. It orbits a brown dwarf rather than an ordinary planet; the brown dwarf is about 33 times larger than Jupiter and cannot generate the nuclear power needed to become a star. Lead author Kevin Whai of Diego Portales University said brown dwarfs occupy a position between ordinary planets and the smallest stars.

The brown dwarf was detected with an optical telescope in 2011, but the moon could not be seen directly from 71 light-years away. Whai’s team used the radial-velocity method to measure gravitational motion in the brown dwarf and confirm the moon’s presence and size. Researchers are seeking another possible moon, while the planned Extremely Large Telescope is expected to improve future searches.

Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University has developed a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification, or LAMP, test to detect the foodborne bacterium Bacillus cereus in milk, eggs and animal feed. The research was led by Associate Professor Dr Md Atikul Haque of the university’s Microbiology Department and was reported on July 26, 2026. The method can provide a confirmed result within 90 minutes, while the bacterium is associated with health risks including diarrhoea and food poisoning.

Nearly 80 percent of field samples tested positive for at least one toxin gene, according to the research. Animal feed showed the highest contamination, while significant contamination was also detected in milk and eggs. Conventional PCR testing takes three to five hours and requires an expensive thermal cycler. The LAMP test costs about US$2.5 per test and can be conducted using a basic water bath or heating block.

Researchers said the technique is about 10,000 times more sensitive and demonstrated 96.1 percent diagnostic sensitivity. Conducted with Noakhali Science and Technology University, the study was published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. Planned work includes nationwide surveillance, multiplex testing, species-specific detection and portable field kits, although researchers cited limited funding as a constraint on expansion.

University of Rochester professor Adam Frank and NASA scientist Gavin Schmidt developed the “Silurian Hypothesis” to examine whether an advanced civilization could have existed on Earth before humans and left detectable traces. Their discussion began in 2017, and they published a paper in 2018. The researchers say the project was not intended to prove such a civilization existed, but to identify what subtle evidence scientists should seek if one had existed and disappeared millions of years ago.

The inquiry links Earth’s unusual climate episodes with present-day human-driven warming. About 55 million years ago, during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, carbon emissions were associated with a global temperature increase of up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, though the precise cause remains unknown. Texas Tech University climate researcher Katharine Hayhoe, who was not involved, called the idea a thought experiment that highlights humanity’s potential vulnerability.

The researchers argue that surface structures and fossils may be difficult to preserve because of tectonic shifts, volcanic eruptions and erosion. They therefore consider chemical changes in sedimentary layers as possible evidence. Plastic, synthetic agricultural hormones, toxic chemicals and heavy metals used in electronics could remain as future markers of human civilization. Geologist Jan Zalasiewicz said cities, metal smelting and plastic waste would leave a clear footprint, and rejected the prior existence of a similarly energy-intensive civilization.

A severe wildfire spreading across Europe damaged NASA’s Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex in Robledo, Spain, prompting the evacuation of all staff on Friday. The facility, about 65 kilometres west of central Madrid, is one of NASA’s three global deep-space communications centres. The incident raised concerns that communications with distant spacecraft could be disrupted.

NASA said the fire passed through the MDSCC area and that the extent of possible damage will be assessed once conditions are safe. A NASA spokesperson confirmed the location of the complex and the safe evacuation of personnel in a statement to AFP. The agency said the safety and wellbeing of its employees remain its highest priority.

The MDSCC is part of NASA’s Deep Space Network, which communicates with spacecraft exploring distant regions of the galaxy. Its other two centres are located in Canberra, Australia, and Goldstone, California, in the United States. NASA said support for space missions is continuing without disruption through those facilities. The agency also expressed sympathy for families and residents affected by the wildfire in surrounding areas.

Archaeologists in El Salvador have discovered human remains believed to be around 3,000 years old, according to the country’s Ministry of Culture. The remains were first unearthed on July 2 from a burial site in Antiguo Cuscatlán, a suburb of San Salvador. Officials estimate the remains date back to approximately 850 BCE. A small clay vessel in the Usulután style, shaped like a sea turtle, was also found at the site, along with remnants of cassava branches preserved under layers of volcanic ash.

Researchers reported that the body was found lying face down. To confirm its age, radiocarbon testing will be conducted, and DNA analysis will determine the individual’s gender. The Ministry of Culture noted that the site may contain additional burials similar to those found in the Chalchuapa archaeological area of western El Salvador.

In the 1970s, archaeologists uncovered 33 human remains at Chalchuapa, considered the earliest evidence of human sacrifice in Mesoamerica. Many of those skeletons were found face down, some with bound limbs or signs of decapitation.

Astronomers have discovered two of the lightest giant planets ever found, located about 1,100 light-years from Earth in a distant star system. The newly identified gas planets, named TOI-791b and TOI-791c, were first detected by volunteers from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite project. Despite being similar in size to Jupiter, their masses are only 3 to 6 percent of Jupiter’s, making their densities comparable to aerogel, the lightest man-made material.

The research, led by Oxford University astrophysicist George Dransfield, describes these planets as 'super-puffs'—gas giants with extremely small cores that defy conventional planetary formation models. The phenomenon challenges existing theories, as such small cores should not be able to retain vast gaseous atmospheres. The term 'super-puff' was first introduced in 2016 by astrophysicist Eve J. Lee, who suggested that these planets form only under very specific cold and dust-free conditions.

Scientists plan to use the James Webb Space Telescope to study the structure and composition of these planets in greater detail, though a complete understanding of their motion may take nearly a century.

An amateur metal detectorist in northern Poland has discovered a remarkably well-preserved bronze sword estimated to be 2,700 years old. The weapon was found standing upright beneath clay soil in the Gdańsk Forest District near the Baltic Sea coast. The Pomeranian Provincial Heritage Conservator confirmed the discovery in early June through a Facebook post, describing it as an exceptional Bronze Age find dating between 900 and 700 BCE.

Archaeologists and heritage officials retrieved the artifact following proper excavation procedures. Photos released by the conservator show the sword intact and in excellent condition. The discoverer, Marcin Wiśniewski, had previously found Bronze Age treasures in the same region and promptly reported this find to authorities. Officials noted that similar swords were last uncovered in the 1920s but were lost during World War II.

The sword will be transferred to a museum for laboratory analysis before experts release detailed findings. The specific museum has not yet been decided, according to the provincial heritage office.

A team of astronomers has discovered a rocky exoplanet named LHS 1140b that shows clear evidence of an atmosphere, marking the first confirmed detection of such a feature on a potentially habitable rocky planet. The finding, published in the journal Science, indicates that the planet, located several light-years from our solar system, possesses a helium-rich atmosphere. Although no direct evidence of life has been found, researchers say the planet contains essential conditions for life, including a rocky surface, suitable temperature for liquid water, and an atmosphere.

LHS 1140b, first discovered in 2017, orbits a relatively quiet red dwarf star within its habitable zone, allowing the possibility of liquid water on its surface. The planet is larger and colder than Earth and completes an orbit in less than 25 days, always showing the same face to its star. Observations made in 2024 at Chile’s Las Campanas Observatory revealed helium escaping from its upper atmosphere, but this was not observed in 2025.

Scientists believe this discovery is a major step toward understanding planetary atmospheres and the search for life beyond Earth.

Scientists have discovered a sugar molecule in the interstellar region of space for the first time, marking a major breakthrough in understanding the origins of life. The finding, published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy, was led by Dr. Izaskun Jimenez-Serra of Spain’s Center for Astrobiology. Researchers identified the molecule in the Milky Way’s interstellar medium, an area filled with dust and gas between stars, long suspected to act as a natural chemical factory for complex organic compounds.

Dr. Jimenez-Serra described the confirmation of the molecule’s presence as thrilling, noting that the team conducted repeated tests to rule out observational errors. MIT astrochemist Brett McGuire, who was not part of the study, called the discovery highly significant, saying the data clearly confirm the molecule’s existence. Scientists have long known that sugars are essential for forming RNA and DNA, yet laboratory attempts to recreate them under early Earth conditions have failed.

The study suggests that such sugars may have formed in interstellar environments before stars and planets existed, later reaching Earth via asteroids and comets. Researchers estimate that between 500,000 and 50 million tons of sugar could have arrived this way, strengthening the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe.

Scientists have, for the first time, directly observed the creation of new seafloor in the Indian Ocean, marking a rare opportunity to witness Earth’s crust regenerating itself. The event occurred in 2024 when a series of earthquakes caused more than three feet of new seabed to form. The findings were published in the journal Nature, led by marine geophysicist Jean-Yves Royer, whose team had recently installed monitoring instruments in the area as part of the OHA-GEODAMS observatory project.

The observatory, consisting of 15 monitoring stations, was designed to detect seismic and geological changes on the ocean floor. Just two months after installation, the instruments captured detailed data as a section of an undersea ridge collapsed by about 13 feet and its sides moved apart by over three feet. Using underwater microphones and pressure sensors, the researchers traced the process to high-pressure magma pockets deep within the Earth that forced molten rock upward, forming new crust.

The equipment will continue collecting data until 2027, and researchers hope the project will inspire similar studies in other rapidly expanding seafloor regions.

On Wednesday, July 8, 2026, nearly 99 percent of the global population will experience daylight at the same time due to the Earth's tilt and the ongoing summer in the Northern Hemisphere. For about one minute, most of the planet’s densely populated regions will be illuminated by the sun, leaving only a small fraction of people in darkness. Around 5:10 p.m. Bangladesh time (11:10 a.m. GMT), approximately 8.2 billion people will be under daylight or twilight.

Daylight will cover most parts of North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, where the majority of the world’s population resides. Nighttime will prevail only in Australia, New Zealand, parts of Southeast Asia, Antarctica, and nearby oceanic areas.

This phenomenon is not unique to this year. Between May 18 and July 17 each year, there is a brief daily period when about 99 percent of people on Earth experience daylight or twilight simultaneously, coinciding with the Northern Hemisphere’s longest days in June before the sun gradually shifts southward.

Archaeologists in Thailand’s Phetchaburi province have discovered two gold rings believed to be between 1,900 and 2,100 years old during an excavation at the Don Yai Thong archaeological site. The rings were found alongside ancient human skeletons and other artifacts, according to local media reports. One of the rings bears an inscription in an ancient Indian script, officials from the Fine Arts Department confirmed.

Experts suggest that the inscription is in the ancient Brahmi script and that the ring may have belonged to a member of an Indian merchant community. The Fine Arts Department noted that similar Brahmi-inscribed ornaments and artifacts had previously been unearthed at the Khlong Thom and Khao Sam Kaeo archaeological sites.

The newly recovered rings are now preserved at the Phra Nakhon Khiri Museum. Authorities are accelerating the collection and preservation of bronze relics and human remains at the site due to rising groundwater levels and rainfall posing risks of damage.

A rare celestial lightning event known as 'Red Sprites' has recently drawn global attention after being captured over the skies of Omarama Clay Cliffs in New Zealand. Photographers Tom Rae from New Zealand and Dan Zafra and Jose Cantabrana from Spain recorded the phenomenon while photographing the Milky Way. The red lightning appeared to shoot upward from storm clouds toward space, lasting only a millisecond, making it nearly invisible to the naked eye. The event produced one of the most striking images combining the Milky Way and Red Sprites in a single frame.

Scientists describe Red Sprites as intense electrical discharges occurring in the upper atmosphere, triggered by positive charges during thunderstorms. The phenomenon, first photographed in 1989, has since been observed from the International Space Station, where astronaut Nicole Ayers captured a massive Red Sprite over North America. NASA has recognized similar images from Italy as its Astronomy Picture of the Day.

NASA’s ongoing 'Spritacular' project is collecting global images and data on Red Sprites to study their effects on the ozone layer and disruptions in aviation and submarine radio communications.

The International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and Physics Without Frontiers (PWF) have jointly announced the second edition of the ICTP-PWF: Physics for Bangladesh Online Summer Internship 2026. The fully online program will run from July 20 to October 20, offering Bangladeshi students hands-on research experience in theoretical physics and mathematics under the mentorship of international researchers.

The initiative aims to bridge the gap in research opportunities and global mentorship for Bangladeshi students, helping them prepare for advanced studies and international research careers. Participants will engage in short-term projects designed to move beyond textbook learning and explore modern research methods and trends.

Undergraduate and postgraduate students from any recognized university or higher education institution in Bangladesh are eligible to apply by June 30 through an online form. The internship includes four main research tracks, with the high-energy physics track covering advanced topics such as quantum field theory, string theory, conformal field theory, and algebraic combinatorics.

Professor Dr. Md. Atikul Haque, Associate Professor of Microbiology at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU), has developed a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) test method capable of detecting the foodborne bacterium Bacillus cereus within 90 minutes. The research, conducted in collaboration with Noakhali Science and Technology University, was published in the international journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. The study found that about 80 percent of field samples tested positive for at least one toxin gene, with the highest contamination in animal feed, followed by milk and eggs.

Compared to conventional PCR tests, which require 3–5 hours and expensive thermal cyclers, the LAMP method is faster, cheaper (around USD 2.5 per test), and can be performed using basic heating equipment. It is also about 10,000 times more sensitive, showing 96.1% diagnostic sensitivity. Dr. Haque stated that this innovation offers Bangladesh an effective and affordable tool for rapid bacterial detection, even in resource-limited settings.

Researchers plan to expand the study nationwide, develop multiplex and species-specific LAMP systems, and create portable field kits for on-site testing. They also aim to integrate the technology into the national food safety framework to strengthen surveillance.