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: 24-Jul-2025 10:11 ET (24-Jul-2025 14:11 GMT/UTC)

17-Jun-2025

University College Dublin experts awarded ERC Advanced Grants for cutting-edge research

UCD Research & Innovation
Grant and Award Announcement

University College Dublin researchers Assoc Prof Barry Wardell and Prof Kylie Jarrett receive a total of €5 million for projects exploring gravitational waves and livelihoods generated by digital platforms.

Funder: HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council

17-Jun-2025

4 ERC Advanced Grants: 10 million Euro for ISTA

Institute of Science and Technology Austria
Grant and Award Announcement

The Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) in Klosterneuburg receives over 10 million Euro by the European Research Council (ERC). Four research projects – in astrophysics, neuroscience, brain imaging, and math – were awarded around 2.5 million Euro each in the form of a competitive ERC Advanced Grant. ISTA is one of the most successful institutions at winning grants from this EU funding body.

Funder: European Research Council

17-Jun-2025

Distant super-massive black hole shows high velocity sign of over-eating

University of Leicester
Peer-Reviewed Publication

- Publication of three linked papers in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS) by University of Leicester scientists describe how the capture of new matter - lasting a few days and corresponding to several Earth masses - formed a ring around the hole, before being partly swallowed by the hole, with excess matter ejected as a high velocity wind

- SMBH are found in the nucleus of all but the smallest galaxies, including our local Milky Way Galaxy, typically being identified by a bright or 'active' nucleus (AGN)

Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

17-Jun-2025

European high school students on first-of-its-kind simulated Mars mission

International Science Council Committee on Space Research

Alqueva, Portugal, 16 June 2025: The ground-breaking EXPLORE project is set to launch its first analog mission 23-27 June 2025, near Monsaraz, Portugal. Nine young Europeans from three different countries will experience life in an isolated and challenging environment that will simulate Mars—in the heart of the Alentejo region. The mission is part of the European project EXPLORE (EXpeditionary Program for Learning OppoRtunities in analog space Exploration), an EU co funded Erasmus+ program which aims to bring the future of space exploration into classrooms. At the end of the mission, on 27 June, there will be a press conference that will include the opportunity to photograph and interact with the team.

16-Jun-2025

Lunar dust less toxic than city pollution, study finds

University of Technology Sydney
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As NASA prepares to send astronauts back to the moon for the first time in over 50 years, new research from the UTS has found that lunar dust is less harmful to human lung cells than previously feared, and significantly less toxic than common Earth-based air pollution.

Journal: Life Sciences in Space Research
Funder: Australian Government

16-Jun-2025

How virtual signals are making 5g smarter, faster, and more precise

Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Reliable 5G positioning is vital for smart cities, driverless cars, and next-gen mobile services. Yet in dense urban landscapes, high-rise buildings often distort signals, leading to major positioning errors.

Journal: Satellite Navigation