The Antarctic Meteorite Collection at the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) in Japan has been recognized as a Geo-collection by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). An IUGS Geo-collection is a museum collection of global importance because of its particularly high scientific, historical, or educational relevance for geological sciences. With over 17,400 meteorites, the Antarctic Meteorite Collection offers invaluable insights into the early solar system, planetary bodies, the Moon, and Mars. Carefully classified and stored, these samples complement space mission findings, advancing global research on planetary evolution and solar system history.

Tokyo, Japan – The XRISM collaboration have discovered flows of hot gas in the core of the Centaurus Cluster. By comparing state-of-the-art X-ray measurements from the XRISM satellite with numerical simulations, they showed this is evidence for collisions between galaxy clusters, causing gas inside to “slosh”. This solves the longstanding mystery of how cluster cores stay hot, and sheds light on how our universe continues to evolve.

Are subterranean lifeforms viable on Mars? A new interpretation of Martian seismic data by scientists Ikuo Katayama of Hiroshima University and Yuya Akamatsu of Research Institute for Marine Geodynamics suggests the presence of water below the surface of Mars. “If liquid water exists on Mars,” Katayama says, “the presence of microbial activity” is possible.

The Science White Paper of the Einstein Probe (EP) mission, led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and jointly developed with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), and the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES), has been published online in the Science China: Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy. EP is an interdisciplinary mission focused on time-domain and X-ray astronomy. It aims to explore transient X-ray sources and explosive phenomena in the universe using its advanced observational instruments. The mission seeks to expand the frontiers of astronomical research by providing new insights into these dynamic cosmic events.