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For the first time, astronomers have directly imaged a long theorised companion star orbiting Betelgeuse, the red supergiant famed for its dramatic brightness shifts visible to the naked eye. This elusive companion is believed to be the cause behind Betelgeuse’s puzzling six-year dimming cycle, a mystery that has persisted for over a thousand years. The star system’s newfound configuration, which features Betelgeuse gradually nearing the end of its life and a tightly orbiting blue-white companion, could also foretell a cosmic cannibalisation event in the distant future.

Gemini Telescope Unveils Hidden Companion of Betelgeuse, Solving Ancient Stellar Mystery

As per NASA’s announcement, the detection was made possible through observations by the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, using the ‘Alopeke instrument. Lead scientist Steve Howell of NASA Ames Research Centre credited the telescope’s high angular resolution and speckle imaging technique for the breakthrough. Past efforts with the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory had failed to reveal the companion. But Gemini’s short-exposure imaging pierced through atmospheric distortions to resolve the faint partner star.

The team found that this companion is roughly 1.5 times the mass of the Sun and orbits just four astronomical units from Betelgeuse—about four times the distance from Earth to the Sun. This makes it the closest detected companion to a red supergiant ever observed, existing deep within Betelgeuse’s extended atmosphere. Scientists believe the companion hasn’t yet ignited hydrogen fusion, suggesting it remains in an early stellar stage.

While the two stars likely formed simultaneously, their evolutionary timelines differ drastically due to mass. Betelgeuse, 700 times the size of the Sun, has aged rapidly, while the smaller star remains youthful. This disparity also sets the stage for a grim outcome: gravitational forces may eventually pull the companion into Betelgeuse, a fate predicted to unfold within the next 10,000 years.

The detection not only resolves Betelgeuse’s mysterious heartbeat-like dimming but also provides astronomers with a new path to study stellar evolution in red supergiants. Another clear view of the companion is expected in November 2027, when it reaches maximum separation from Betelgeuse. The findings were published on July 21 across two papers in The Astrophysical Journal.

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SpaceX Launches Two O3b mPOWER Satellites, Successfully Lands Falcon 9 Booster at Sea

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July 23, 2025

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SpaceX Launches Two O3b mPOWER Satellites, Successfully Lands Falcon 9 Booster at Sea

The Falcon 9 launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to MEO on July 22, at 5:12 p.m. EDT (2112 GMT) with two SES communication satellites — O3b mPOWER 9 and 10. About 8.5 minutes after launch, the rocket’s first stage returned to Earth, landing gently on the droneship “Just Read the Instructions” in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the sixth launch and landing for the booster and extended a run of spot-on recoveries and frequent orbital missions for SpaceX.

SpaceX Expands SES’s mPOWER Constellation with 89th Falcon Launch of 2025

According to a SpaceX mission update, the Falcon 9’s second stage will fire again to beat the satellites out into MEO — slowing down the satellites’ relative speed to Earth, tricks mission planners can use to reduce the moment magnitude before the ground impact. The launch was scrubbed by the abort itself but was aborted 11 seconds before the abort was actually supposed to happen. The abort was not immediately explained, and SpaceX did not immediately request help troubleshooting the issue. The satellites would bring the SES O3b mPOWER constellation up to 100 satellites, a constellation already taking shape with four launches with SpaceX in 2022 and 2024.

The spacecraft are all out of Boeing’s assembly line and weigh about 3,700 pounds each. Today’s successful launch means that SES has 10 satellites in orbit, of which 3 more are currently under construction for launch to orbit within the next 12 months. mPOWER provides a high-capacity internet service across the globe, especially in less connected parts, on-the-go assets, and industrial and large enterprise facilities.

SpaceX’s 89th Falcon launch of 2025 and a trio of Starship test hops are part of a new reliability and cadence standard. Also part of the deal is the company’s delivery of reusable launch capabilities for commercial and deep space missions.

The buildup of SES’s mPOWER fleet is a significant step toward a 13-satellite constellation and a validation of SpaceX’s role as a force in the commercial satellite and internet infrastructure business.

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Earth to Spin Faster on July 22 to Place It Among Shortest Days in History

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July 22, 2025

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Earth to Spin Faster on July 22 to Place It Among Shortest Days in History

Scientists say Earth will spin slightly faster on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, making that day roughly 1.34 milliseconds shorter than the usual 24-hour period. This subtle acceleration, detected by atomic clocks and satellites, will make July 22 the second-shortest day in recorded history. (Only July 10, 2025 — 1.36 ms short — was shorter this year.) Experts note that since 2020, Earth has repeatedly set new short-day records, a trend now under close watch by global timekeeping authorities. While imperceptible in daily life, the phenomenon may ultimately require an unprecedented “negative” leap second to keep atomic time aligned with Earth’s spin.

Earth’s Unusual Acceleration

According to previous studies, Earth’s rotation is not perfectly constant. The July 22 rotation was measured at 1.34 milliseconds less than a normal day. Reports say that 2025 is witnessing some of the fastest spins on record – the quickest since continuous measurements began in 1973.

In fact, new data showed that earlier in 2025 the shortest day occurred on July 10 (about 1.36 ms shorter than 24 hours), with July 22 a “close runner-up” at 1.34 ms below normal. If current models hold, another brief day is expected on August 5 (roughly 1.25 ms short), leaving July 22 as the second-shortest of the year. Altogether, researchers describe this as a “puzzling trend” of Earth’s rotation speeding up in recent years.

Speed-Up reasons

Scientists attribute these fluctuations to a mix of celestial and geophysical factors. The Moon’s orbit is a prime factor: in early July it reached maximum declination, pulling off-center and briefly accelerating Earth’s spin. The same lunar alignment on July 22 is expected to repeat the effect. Normally, lunar tides act as a brake, gradually lengthening days, but on these shorter timescales the Moon’s position can instead speed up the rotation.

Other subtle influences also play a role. Climate-driven mass shifts – such as melting ice sheets and moving ocean water – change Earth’s moment of inertia and can tweak day length. Even large earthquakes or seasonal atmospheric changes can nudge Earth’s rotation by tiny microseconds.

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Algae-Grown Bioplastic Passes Mars Pressure Test, Boosting Hopes for Red Planet Habitats

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July 21, 2025

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Algae-Grown Bioplastic Passes Mars Pressure Test, Boosting Hopes for Red Planet Habitats

In a major step forward for sustainable space travel, researchers have been able to successfully grow algae inside biodegradable bioplastic, which mimics the conditions of the extreme Martian environment. The experiment was intended to see how well materials made of polylactic acid could keep conditions habitable on Mars, where the surface pressure is less than 1 percent that of the Earth’s. It’s an important step toward the development of self-sustaining habitats for the human portion of the expeditionary force that require regenerative biological systems instead of expensive resupply missions from Earth.

Algae Thrive in Bioplastic Chambers Under Mars-Like Conditions, Paving Way for Space Habitats

As per a study published in Science Advances, a research team led by Robin Wordsworth of Harvard University demonstrated that the green algae Dunaliella tertiolecta could not only survive but perform photosynthesis inside 3D-printed chambers engineered to replicate Mars’s thin, carbon dioxide–rich atmosphere. The bioplastic chamber also protected the algae from ultraviolet radiation while allowing enough light for biological activity. Liquid water was stabilised using a pressure gradient within the chamber.

The researchers highlighted that bioplastics offer distinct advantages over traditional industrial

materials, which are difficult to recycle or transport in space. Since polylactic acid is derived from natural sources, it could potentially be manufactured or regenerated on-site using algae—establishing a self-sustaining loop. “If you have a habitat that is composed of bioplastic and it grows algae within it, that algae could produce more bioplastic,” Wordsworth noted in a statement.

This latest experiment builds on the team’s earlier work involving silica aerogels that replicated Earth’s greenhouse conditions. By combining algae-based bioplastic systems for material regeneration with aerogels for thermal and atmospheric control, the team sees a viable path forward to long-term extraterrestrial habitation. The chambers’ success under Mars-like conditions reinforces the possibility of using biologically sourced materials to support life beyond Earth.

In future experiments, those systems are to be tested in harsher vacuum conditions, eventually for the benefit of human spaceflight and with spinoff applications on Earth, said Wordsworth, who contends such technology can have spinoff benefits.

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