This collection of four pioneering studies showcases the transformative capabilities of the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), whose unmatched sensitivity (>100 TeV) and hybrid detector system (KM2A/WCDA) are redefining ultra-high-energy (UHE) gamma-ray astronomy. Key breakthroughs include: (1) Identifying young star-forming region W43 as a Galactic cosmic-ray accelerator (up to hundreds of TeV), evidenced by extended emission coinciding with dense gas and OB stars; (2) Resolving particle acceleration to 300 TeV within the pulsar wind nebula (PWN) of composite SNR CTA1, revealing advection-dominated transport under ≈4.5 μG magnetic fields; (3) Detecting extended VHE emissions around pulsar J0248+6021, providing critical insights into PWN-to-halo evolutionary transitions; and (4) Unraveling the mysterious UHE source J0056+6346u, potentially powered by hidden pulsars or SNR candidate. These results leverage LHAASO's ​​exceptional detector performance​​ to constrain both particle transport dynamics and extreme acceleration mechanisms across the 1 TeV–1 PeV energy range. LHAASO is ushering in a new era of UHE astrophysics, bringing us closer than ever to solving century-old cosmic-ray mysteries.

MONSARAZ, PORTUGAL – 30 June 2025 – The silence was broken by cheers and the snap of camera shutters as nine European high school students stepped out of a simulated Mars environment in Portugal, successfully completing the first-of-its-kind EXPLORE analog mission. From 23 to 27 June 2025, these students from Austria, Greece, and Portugal traded their everyday lives for a challenging five-day immersion in an isolated, Mars-like landscape near Monsaraz, in the wilds of the Alentejo province.

Astronomers have uncovered a vast cloud of energetic particles — a ‘mini halo’ —  surrounding one of the most distant galaxy clusters ever observed, marking a major step forward in understanding the hidden forces that shape the cosmos.