EurekAlert! In the Spotlight - Global Astronomy Month

Welcome to In the Spotlight, where each month we shine a light on something exciting, timely, or simply fascinating from the world of science.

In honor of Global Astronomy Month, we’re exploring the science of space. Learn how astronomy connects us through curiosity, discovery, and a shared wonder for what lies beyond.

Latest News Releases

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 28-Oct-2025 19:11 ET (28-Oct-2025 23:11 GMT/UTC)

Glass beads offer a window into the Moon’s hidden depths

Curtin University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

An international study featuring scientists from Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Space Science and Technology Centre offers new insights into the Moon’s history and provide a better understanding of what lies beneath its cratered surface.

Researchers from Curtin University, Nanjing University and The Australian National University analysed tiny, green glass beads collected by Chang’e-5 — the Chinese National Space Administration mission to the Moon.

Journal: Science Advances

Tough microbes found in NASA cleanrooms hold clues to space survival and biotech

King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study by scientists at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and several institutes across India and Saudi Arabia has reported 26 novel bacterial species growing inside cleanrooms associated with NASA space missions. These unknown and newly described species carry genetic traits associated with resilience to extreme environments such as those found in space, highlighting the importance of rigorous contamination control to prevent unintentional microbial transfer during space missions.

Journal: Microbiome

What NASA is learning from the biggest geomagnetic storm in 20 years

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

On May 10, 2024, the first G5 or “severe” geomagnetic storm in over two decades hit Earth. The event, named the Gannon storm in memory of leading space weather physicist Jennifer Gannon, did not cause any catastrophic damages. But a year on, key insights from the Gannon storm are helping us understand and prepare for future geomagnetic storms.

Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics

Pennington Biomedical welcomes Dr. Stefan Pasiakos as Director of the Center for Human Performance Optimization

Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Business Announcement

Pennington Biomedical Research Center is pleased to announce that Stefan Pasiakos, PhD, has joined the faculty as Professor and Director of Human Performance Optimization. In this role, Dr. Pasiakos will lead groundbreaking research aimed at enhancing human performance and physiology across diverse environments – from the battlefield to deep space.

The Squid Galaxy’s neutrino game just leveled up

University of California - Los Angeles
Peer-Reviewed Publication

In space, energetic neutrinos are usually paired with energetic gamma rays. Galaxy NGC 1068, however, emits strong neutrinos and weak gamma rays, which presents a puzzle for scientists to solve. A new paper posits that helium nuclei collide with ultraviolet photons emitted by the galaxy’s central region and fragment, releasing neutrons that subsequently decay into neutrinos without producing gamma rays. The finding offers insight into the extreme environment around the supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies like NGC 1068 and our own and enhances our understanding of the relationships between radiation and elementary particles that could lead to technological advances we haven’t yet imagined.

Journal: Physical Review Letters

All of the biggest U.S. cities are sinking

Columbia Climate School
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study of the 28 most populous U.S. cities finds that all are sinking to one degree or another. The cities include not just those on the coasts, where relative sea level is a concern, but many in the interior. Furthermore, using newly granular data, the study finds that some cities are sinking at different rates in different spots, or sinking in some places and rising in others, potentially introducing stresses that could affect buildings and other infrastructure.

Journal: Nature Cities