Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
For the first time, droplets have been seen shattering into a 'quantum rain' in a degenerate, ultracold fluid of potassium and rubidium isotopes, bridging the classical world of fluid dynamics with the ethereal landscape of atomic gases.In physics, it is known that the surface tension of a liquid, caused by intermolecular cohesive forces, tends to minimize the surface area. This mechanism is responsible for macroscopic phenomena such as the formation of raindrops or soap bubbles. Surface tension is at the origin of capillary instability, also known as Plateau-Rayleigh instability, whereby a thin liquid jet breaks, forming a sequence of drops. The study and understanding of this phenomenon has important implications in the industrial, biomedical and nanotechnology fields.
LIFTOFF! 🚀 @esa's Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space has launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, bound for the @Space_Station 🛰️.
— Human Spaceflight (@esaspaceflight) April 21, 2025
Next stop: orbit, where #ACES will test Einstein, redefine time and synchronise the world, one tick at a time ⏱️💫.@AirbusSpace @CNES @SafranNT
📸:… pic.twitter.com/cUgDkXiNWN
(Credit: X/@esaspaceflight)
NASA, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), has launched two state-of-the-art atomic clocks to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) mission. The atomic clocks were launched aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to the ISS, along with food, resupplies and new experiments for the astronauts. The atomic clock payload to be installed on the ISS’s Columbus module, aims to push the boundaries of precision timekeeping and fundamental physics research. An atomic clock is the most accurate type of clock in the world and it keeps time using the vibrations of atoms, usually cesium-133 or rubidium-87, as its timekeeping element.
Our #LucyMission took a look at asteroid Donaldjohanson, its second asteroid encounter on its journey to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. The first images reveal a unique fragment of an asteroid that formed about 150 million years ago! Find out more: https://t.co/Bgg5CkQfYd pic.twitter.com/lgZRG8Qngh
— NASA (@NASA) April 21, 2025
(Credit: X/@NASA)
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft completed a close flyby of the small main belt asteroid Donaldjohanson, marking a critical milestone in its 12-year mission to explore Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. The spacecraft approached the asteroid at a closest distance of approximately 960 kilometers, executing a complex observational sequence designed to simulate its upcoming encounters with the Trojan asteroids. To protect its sensitive instruments from intense sunlight, Lucy ceased tracking Donaldjohanson about 40 seconds before closest approach, a unique precaution due to the challenging geometry of this encounter. The flyby will provide valuable insights into its shape, surface geology, and cratering history, contributing to a broader understanding of solar system formation and evolution.
Global sea surface temperatures (SST) have been rising 4.5 times faster since 2019 as climate change worsens the situation worldwide. During the period between 1985 and 1989, a warming of 0.06 Celsius per decade was observed, while the temperatures rose by 0.27 Celsius per decade from 2019 to 2023, as per the recently published study supported by European Space Agency’s (ESA) Climate Change Initiative (CCI). It highlights that more greenhouse gas emissions have contributed to an increase in ocean temperatures across the globe. Even though certain weather phenomena, such as El Nio and volcanic eruptions, influence the warming of the Earth, they do not contribute significantly to long-term warming trends.
