Plane

• Astronomers continue to debate the classification of Pluto 20 years after it was stripped of its full planet status. • The controversy centers on whether the current definition of a planet is accurate or if Pluto should be reinstated. • This ongoing dispute highlights a fundamental disagreement within the scientific community regarding how celestial bodies are categorized.

An 1857 decree to drain swamps and plant a monoculture, detritus from the trees and global heating combined to produce the conditions for the Gironde infernoThe ruinous fires that overran parts of France this summer have burned more land than ever recorded, forced more people from their homes than at any point since the second world war and caused what scientists suspect is the country’s first firestorm thundercloud. The smoke from France’s biggest inferno in nearly 80 years choked Limoges, a city 125 miles (200km) from the flames, with more toxic dust than Delhi residents inhaled on the city’s worst day of smog last year.The blaze that tore through forests outside Bordeaux in late July took just a few weeks to reforge France’s relationship with fire, but the conditions behind it were centuries in the making. Continue reading...

• Astronomers have discovered a "mega-Earth," a massive rocky planet approximately 23 times more massive than Earth. • Unlike typical planets of this size, which usually develop thick gaseous envelopes, this planet has remained predominantly rocky. • The discovery challenges current planetary formation models regarding the threshold at which a planet becomes a gas giant.

• The Facility for Outreach and Community Engagement (FORCE) hosted events to train the next generation of planetary scientists in public engagement skills. • Visitors toured the facility, met the research team, and explored equipment used to simulate planetary interiors, while interns presented their research at a poster session. • The events aimed to explain complex science in accessible ways, enabling better understanding of how planets form and evolve.

• NASA is deploying modified ER-2 jets, based on Cold War-era U-2 spy planes, to investigate wildfire-generated storms. • The agency is utilizing these specific aircraft because their high-altitude flying capabilities allow for the study of weather phenomena that are otherwise difficult to observe. • This research is critical because wildfire-driven storms are among Earth's least understood weather events, impacting both fire containment and atmospheric science.

Study of 56m-year-old leaves counters claims from Trump administration members of ‘benefits’ of fossil fuel pollutionAdding huge quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is set to cause the Earth’s forests to wither and die rather than flourish, according to a new study that counters erroneous claims that fossil fuel pollution will green the planet.An analysis of fossilized leaf cells from a period known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (or PETM), which occurred about 56 million years ago, has helped reconstruct how the world’s forests responded when planet-heating gases were previously being released at a rapid rate. Continue reading...

• Advancements in space science are being accelerated by the integration of quantum computing, nuclear fusion, and biological engineering. • Research is heavily focused on achieving controlled nuclear fusion through breakthroughs in magnetic and inertial confinement to provide a source of limitless clean energy. • These scientific developments are critical for enabling long-term interplanetary exploration and addressing the urgent global need to mitigate climate change.

• A Washington Post report reveals that the CIA questioned the validity of Israeli intelligence regarding a threat to Donald Trump prior to a plane switch in Turkey. • While the report indicates the threat was actually real, CIA officials reportedly deemed the intelligence "not compelling enough" to warrant a different response. • This incident highlights critical tensions and communication gaps between U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies during high-stakes security operations.

President says Secret Service wanted him on ‘different plane’ due to threat as Democrats call for congressional briefingHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.President Donald Trump said he slipped away from Air Force One after a trip last month in Turkey because the Secret Service and military wanted him on a “different plane” due to a threat that he insisted didn’t scare him. Continue reading...

Planes narrowly avoid collision on tarmac with Jetstar A320 forced to ‘brake firmly’ as Qatar Boeing 777 towed into its pathFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastTwo planes have narrowly avoided a collision on the tarmac of Australia’s busiest airport as it struggles with staff shortages.The Jetstar and Qatar Airways planes almost collided at Sydney airport at 7am on Sunday. Continue reading...

German authorities investigating whether a foreign state is involved as they say a ‘ripped’ detonator stopped device going offA catastrophe with multiple casualties was possibly only narrowly averted by the discovery of a drone carrying explosives at Leipzig airport, German officials said, as they examined whether a foreign state could be behind the plot.One of the Ukrainian aircrafts next to where the bomb drone was found was loaded with military ammunition, according to a classified police report quoted by the public broadcasters WDR and NDR and the Süddeutsche newspaper. Continue reading...

Investigators looking into whether incidents at Leipzig are linked after DHL plane forced to make emergency landingA DHL cargo plane was forced to make an emergency landing after colliding with an unknown object as it was climbing away from Germany’s Leipzig airport, where police later found a drone on the ground.The German government on Wednesday confirmed the incident, which led to serious disruption of air traffic. Continue reading...

• NASA is scheduled to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on August 30, 2026, using a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. • The telescope features a mirror similar in size to Hubble's but possesses a field of view approximately 100 times wider, allowing it to map dark energy and search for exoplanets. • By monitoring roughly 200 million stars for gravitational microlensing, the mission aims to discover over 1,000 planets, specifically targeting cold, distant worlds that current detection methods often miss.

Plane crashes into field after departing from the nearby city of Ica, according to local authoritiesAt least 13 people have died after a plane carrying tourists crashed into a field in Peru, local authorities said.Nazca’s municipal government said the plane was taking tourists on a sightseeing flight of the Nazca Lines, a group of extensive geoglyphs scraped into the desert around Nazca hundreds of years ago by Peru’s Indigenous inhabitants. The lines form images of animals that can only be fully appreciated from planes or viewing towers. Continue reading...

• Recent breakthroughs in astrophysics, quantum computing, and precision medicine are converging through data synergy to accelerate the overall pace of human knowledge. • Researchers are transitioning from traditional optical telescopes to advanced infrared and radio astronomy to better observe the formation of the first stars and galaxies. • This shift in technology allows scientists to peer through cosmic dust clouds, facilitating a deeper understanding of the early universe and the search for extraterrestrial biosignatures.

The A350 landed in Toulouse 24 hours and 24 minutes after leaving Melbourne as airline plans direct London serviceFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastQantas completed what is believed to be the longest-ever commercial flight when its Airbus jet landed in Toulouse on Tuesday after a flight from Melbourne lasting 24 hours and 24 minutes.The flight, which triggered a surge in online tracking, is part of the airline’s Project Sunrise in which it plans to use a new A350 jet to fly nonstop from Australia to London. Continue reading...

President flew to Ankara onboard Qatari-gifted jet, without advanced defenses, and flew home on old Air Force OneDonald Trump switched aircraft before departing Turkey earlier this month after US officials determined there was a credible threat from Iranian proxy forces targeting him and Air Force One, according to a new report from the New York Times.The threat surfaced while the US president was attending the Nato summit. He had arrived in Ankara onboard the new Qatari-donated Boeing 747-8, an aircraft that Trump acknowledged does not have the same advanced defensive systems as the older Air Force One. Continue reading...

• Non-profits including Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (Peer), Earthjustice, and DarkSky International have filed a US petition demanding a formal review of proposed space-based datacenters. • The petition targets plans from tech companies, specifically those associated with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, citing fears of severe environmental destruction. • Experts warn that these orbital facilities could be "catastrophic" for the planet, specifically highlighting risks of increased light pollution and atmospheric damage.

• NASA's Psyche spacecraft successfully completed a Mars flyby, utilizing the planet's gravity to gain momentum for its journey toward a metal-rich asteroid. • During the maneuver, the probe tested its onboard scientific instruments, capturing high-resolution imagery and data of the Red Planet. • This flyby serves as a critical technical milestone, ensuring the spacecraft's systems are fully operational before it reaches its primary target.

Such technology solves problem of longer, thinner, energy-saving wings not fitting in airports around the worldAirbus has said it will test folding wings for the next generation of its bestselling planes, as the world’s largest planemaker races to work out the shape of future commercial aircraft by the end of the decade.Longer, thinner wings made of light but strong composite materials offer the promise of energy savings but present a problem for manufacturers because they will not fit in airports around the world, many of which are already at or near full capacity. Continue reading...

• Scientists have identified a potentially habitable planet located 48 light-years away that possesses three critical requirements for life: a rocky composition, an atmosphere, and a suitable temperature. • This discovery is being highlighted as one of the closest approximations humans have found to a planet capable of supporting biological life. • The finding is significant because it provides a prime target for astronomers to study the chemical makeup of distant atmospheres in search of biosignatures.

• Astronomers have discovered an atmosphere containing helium on LHS 1140b, a rocky planet located 48 light-years away. • The planet is situated within its star's habitable zone, suggesting the potential for liquid water to exist on its surface. • This finding, published this week in the journal Science, marks a significant milestone in the search for life-friendly environments outside our Solar System.

• The United States is reportedly deploying additional warplanes to the Middle East as tensions and fighting intensify with Iran. • The IDF has attributed the death of a Lebanese soldier to an explosive device planted by Hezbollah, further escalating regional friction. • Domestically, Avigdor Liberman warned that Benjamin Netanyahu's camp may attempt to weaponize the Shin Bet against political rivals and media outlets.

• Scientists have discovered the first confirmed atmosphere surrounding a rocky exoplanet located within its star's habitable zone. • This discovery marks the first time researchers have directly identified a specific atmospheric species on any rocky planet outside our solar system. • The finding is significant as it provides critical evidence regarding the potential for life and the environmental conditions of Earth-like worlds.

• Astronomers have discovered a rocky exoplanet located 18,000 light-years away that may possess an Earth-like atmosphere capable of regulating climate. • Published in the journal Science, the study marks a significant breakthrough as researchers have previously only observed airless worlds or faint atmospheric remnants. • This discovery is critical because identifying stable atmospheres on rocky planets is a primary requirement in the search for life-sustaining environments beyond our solar system.

• Astronomers have discovered an atmosphere on a nearby Earthlike planet, marking the first time a potentially habitable world has been found to possess one. • An atmosphere is critical for life as it regulates climate, protects the surface from space radiation, and allows a planet to retain liquid water. • This discovery is significant because it establishes the planet as a primary candidate in the ongoing scientific search for extraterrestrial life.

Aircraft that transported team to match is same one used to deport dozens of Venezuelans to Cecot mega-prisonew en route to semifinal match is also one of ICE’s most used deportation planes A plane used by the Portugal men’s soccer team to fly to a World Cup match is the same one used daily for the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, and brought dozens of Venezuelans to a Salvadoran mega-prison last year against a judge’s orders.Video shows Portugal flying on a Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) aircraft en route to Dallas on 4 July ahead of their match against Spain, with the plane’s tail number, N837VA, clearly visible. A review of flight records for that Airbus shows it flew removal-related flights both the day before and after flying the Portuguese athletes. Continue reading...

• Astronomers have confirmed the presence of an atmosphere on LHS 1140 b, a rocky exoplanet located 48 light-years from Earth. • The planet is situated within its star's habitable zone, making it a primary candidate for studying the potential for liquid water and life. • This discovery is significant as it may be the first rocky planet in a habitable zone to have a confirmed atmosphere, a major milestone in two decades of exoplanet research.