Scientists say global warming is accelerating: Here's why the world could reach the 1.5°C climate limit sooner than expected

• New research warns that up to half of the world's dams could become "functionally inoperable" by 2060 due to excessive sediment accumulation. • Currently, approximately one-fifth of global reservoirs are classified as being at high risk of filling with sediment, with the American West identified as a major hotspot.

• A segment of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is believed to have crashed into the moon after drifting in space since last year. • The incident follows concerns raised by experts, including UCL atmospheric chemist Eloise Marais, regarding the environmental impacts of space debris on the ozone hole and climate.

• A total solar eclipse is scheduled to occur on August 12, 2026, with the path of totality crossing through Greenland and Spain. • Live reporting and expert updates are currently being provided as the countdown to the event reaches its final six days.

• An international research team led by the University of Birmingham discovered a previously unknown natural process that significantly increases cloud-forming particles in the Arctic atmosphere. • Published in Nature Geoscience, the study provides the first real-world evidence that the intersection of sea ice and the open ocean serves as a major source of these particles.

• New high-resolution images published in the journal *Nature* reveal that the Sun's visible surface is teeming with a vast number of whirling vortices. • These findings highlight the extreme turmoil and complex fluid dynamics occurring on the solar surface, providing a more detailed look at solar activity than previously captured.

• A SpaceX rocket has crashed into the moon, confirming previous scientific predictions regarding its trajectory. • Although the impact was not observed in real-time, astronomers using a telescope in Chile detected a debris plume resulting from the high-speed collision.

• NASA utilized advanced mini-laboratories on the International Space Station to automate research, specifically through the 2021 ADSEP-UMAMI study on bobtail squid. • The research discovered that symbiotic interactions with beneficial microbes can reduce a host animal's stress responses to spaceflight and accelerate the growth of neurons and tissues.

• Astronomers from Ukraine’s Main Observatory claim to have discovered evidence of a technologically advanced nonhuman civilization on the lunar surface. • Using high-speed cameras and telescopes, the team recorded more than 20 giant objects exhibiting non-random, intelligent behavior.

• A four-tonne piece of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is believed to have unintentionally collided with the lunar surface on Wednesday. • The debris reportedly struck the moon at a speed of approximately 5,400 mph.

• The White House released a strategic vision titled "Science: A New Golden Age," which proposes a radical restructuring of U.S. scientific research and funding. • The plan shifts priority toward "grand challenges" and physical sciences, specifically highlighting nuclear power as a core energy theme.

• Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a giant planet previously hidden by a bright disk of cosmic dust within a well-studied planetary system. • In a separate breakthrough reported on July 23, 2026, researchers identified the first atmosphere surrounding a rocky world located within its star's habitable zone.