ESA

The cosmic wave in red and blue, with stars above the galactic disk in red and the ones below it in blue

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An article published in the journal “Astronomy and Astrophysics” reports the results of a study that provides evidence that a sort of giant cosmic wave is crossing the Milky Way, propagating from the center outward from the galactic disk, causing a corrugation. A team of researchers led by Eloisa Poggio of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics used data collected by ESA’s Gaia space probe to map the motions of thousands of young giant stars and Cepheids within the corrugation, reconstructing the wave that generates them. The cause may be the aftermath of an ancient collision with a dwarf galaxy, but follow-up studies are needed to assess this and other possible explanations.

The Crew Dragon Grace spacecraft after splashing down (Image courtesy Axiom Space)

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A little while ago, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Grace spacecraft concluded its Ax-4 mission by splashing down without problems. On board were Shubhanshu Shukla, Peggy Whitson, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Tibor Kapu, who ended this completely private space mission in the Atlantic Ocean after leaving the International Space Station almost 48 hours earlier. Shortly after splashing down, SpaceX’s recovery ship went to retrieve the Grace and its crew to transport them to the coast.

Arcadia Planitia on Mars

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ESA has published a photo of the Arcadia Planitia region on Mars captured by its Mars Express space probe’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). This is an interesting region from a geological point of view because it’s northwest of the large volcanoes of Tharsis, the largest in the entire solar system, and traces of ancient lava flows are still visible. It could be important for the exploration of the red planet if confirmation of the presence of frozen water right under the surface were to arrive.

The Sun observed across eight different wavelengths by the Solar Orbiter space probe

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ESA has released the first information, including the first images, of the Sun’s South Pole, captured between March 16 and 17, 2025, by the Solar Orbiter space probe, a mission operated in collaboration with NASA. Three of the scientific instruments on board made it possible to observe that area in different electromagnetic bands: Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI), Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI), and Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE). The Sun’s poles aren’t visible from Earth, and Solar Orbiter is observing them as never before. The first observations have already revealed some surprises.

The Biomass satellite blasting off atop a Vega-C rocket (Image courtesy Arianespace)

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A little while ago, the Biomass satellite was launched atop a Vega-C rocket from the Kourou base in French Guiana. After about 58 minutes, it successfully separated from the rocket’s last stage and set off on a course that will take it to its Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 666 kilometres, where it will study the biomass of forests around the world. This work will help us better understand the global carbon cycle and forest ecosystems.