Largest-ever map of universe is as big as a 13x13 feet mural, with 800,000 galaxies

What is striking about the map is its gigantic size and scale. If the Hubble telescope image of the universe is printed on a sheet of A4-size paper, the new map would be a 13-foot by 13-foot mural, said a scientist associated with the COSMOS project . Released by NASA in 2004, the Hubble image, encompassing 10,000 galaxies, had remained the most in-demand image of the universe before the release of the COSMOS map.
A team of 200 researchers from over 12 countries came together for an international project and created the COSMOS map with data from the James Webb Space Telescope. The scientists have made the raw data from the telescope publicly accessible to every student, researcher and scientist.
New Delhi: On 5 June, scientists unveiled the COSMOS map, the largest map of our universe to date, encompassing 800,000 galaxies.
Not only does the COSMOS map provide in-depth imagery of the universe, but it also challenges several notions. For instance, the number of early galaxies that existed in the universe, considering the ones captured on the COSMOS map. With the map made public, the scientists hope it will encourage more research on the universe.
Increase in captive lions in Thailand
A new study by Oxford Brookes University and Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand tracking the number of captive lions in Thailand from 2018 to 2024 has found an increase from 131 to 444 lions, marking a threefold rise in just six years.
The study has pointed out that the trend is worrying, especially in the context of white lions. Of the 101 cubs born every year in captivity in Thailand, white lions accounted for 45%. In zoos and parks, white lions are considered a Thai speciality, but their colour is due to a recessive gene caused by inbreeding.
The study has found more lions in captivity in private homes and zoos since the Thailand Wild Animal Preservation and Protection Act of 2019 came into force. It has also noted an unregulated increase in breeding among the big cats in captivity, further increasing their number—a trend detrimental to lion conservation.
The study has called for improved legislation and stricter enforcement of laws that ban keeping lions captive in private homes and ensure the safety of the already-captive lions.
Also Read: Humans depended on whales even 20,000 yrs ago. Discovery of tools in Spanish cave is proof
Natural history museums & pollution studies
A paper released on 30 May by the University of Texas, Arlington, stands out for the new way it has found to track the history of environmental pollution—museum specimens. According to the paper, natural history specimens such as preserved birds and fish can act as time capsules, helping scientists trace pollution trends over the past 200 years. The specimens, they have found, often store traces of pollutants such as metals and soot from the environments around them.
The researchers could detect pollution from eras long before modern monitoring tools existed by analysing the feathers, tissues, and dust on old bird skins. An example in the paper was of a field sparrow specimen from the Rust Belt region of the US from 1906. It was coated in black soot from coal-burning industries, whereas another field sparrow specimen from 1996 was relatively clean. The difference was a visual of how air quality has changed over time.
The authors have argued in the paper that their discovery opens up a whole new arena of research on the environment and the history of pollution.
Early cancer detection in bloodstream
Cancer, a new study by Johns Hopkins University has revealed, can be detected years before its diagnosis. Scientists involved in the research have shown that studying genetic material that tumours shed into the bloodstream of humans can detect cancers earlier than currently possible.
Published in the Cancer Discovery journal, their paper has said that cancer is detectable in the bloodstream—up to three years before diagnosis because the tumour-derived genetic material shows up in the bloodstream way before actual cancer symptoms start appearing.
The scientists, who used sensitive sequencing tools and analysed blood from a large National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded heart study, have found that multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test could catch cancer-related mutations—even years in advance. In one part of the study, four out of six people had detectable tumour DNA in samples taken more than three years before their diagnosis.
While this has huge promise for early cancer detection, the technology is still in the works, and there are certain questions on how to follow up once the test is positive.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: 007 would drool. Chinese researchers invent contact lenses that let you see even with your eyes closed

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

NDTV

3 hours ago

• NDTV

Mysterious "Dead" Satellite Sends Powerful Signal to Earth After Decades

Scientists received a mysterious radio pulse that came from a satellite that had been dead for decades. The signal was so powerful that for a moment it outshone all other objects in the sky, New Scientist reported. The radio pulse was blasted from a defunct satellite, Relay 2, which was a NASA experimental communications satellite launched in 1964. It was part of the Relay programme, which consisted of two satellites, Relay 1 and Relay 2, designed to test communications in medium Earth orbit. Both satellites were funded by NASA. The US-based space agency stopped using it in 1965, and the technical and electronic devices stopped working altogether by 1967. Last year on June 13, scientists using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) detected a small but powerful flash that lasted less than 30 nanoseconds. Clancy James at Curtin University in Australia and his colleagues were shocked as the signal came from our galaxy. "If it's nearby, we can study it through optical telescopes really easily, so we got all excited, thinking maybe we'd discovered a new pulsar or some other object," says Clancy as quoted by New Scientist. "This was an incredibly powerful radio pulse that vastly outshone everything else in the sky for a very short amount of time," Clancy added. Scientists studied the source and found that the signal came from within 20,000km of Earth. After comparing it with the locations of known satellites, they found that the pulse came from the Relay 2 satellite. As the satellite has been dead for nearly six decades, scientists believe that the signal must have come from an external factor, such as an electrostatic discharge or a micrometeorite. Either it was a spark-like flash that originated from a build-up of electricity, or it was a plasma discharge following a micrometeoroid impact. "In a world where there is a lot of space debris and there are more small, low-cost satellites with limited protection from electrostatic discharge (ESD), this radio detection may ultimately offer a new technique to evaluate electrostatic discharges in space," Karen Aplin at the University of Bristol, UK, said as quoted. The research, whose preprint is available on arXiv, has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.

News18

a day ago

• News18

What's Holding Up Axiom Mission-4 As Launch Window Closes & Crew Waits? Explained

Last Updated: With a tight timeline, further delays in lift-off could disrupt pre-scheduled July missions carrying cargo and critical supplies to the ISS, pushing back AX-4 by months The launch window for the much-anticipated Axiom Mission-4 is rapidly closing as the crew remains on standby in Florida, while National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scrambles to complete the last-minute troubleshooting on the International Space Station (ISS). The lift-off – now postponed for the fifth time in three weeks – remains without a confirmed new date. Two days before the scheduled lift-off, NASA announced that it has again decided to stand down from a launch on June 22, and target a new launch date in the coming days. While the initial air leak in the ISS's Zvezda module has already been halted by the crew on-board, NASA said it needed 'additional time to evaluate the station after recent repair work". The space station currently has seven people on board as part of Expedition 73, with four docked spacecraft — two crew and two cargo. NASA's SpaceX Crew 11 mission is also in waiting as it also planned to dock into the ISS in July. However, NASA highlighted that the AX-4 crew including Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla remains on standby and 'ready to launch when the station is ready to receive them", and it continues to review the launch opportunities along with Axiom Space and SpaceX. Axiom Mission-4 has faced a string of delays – from initial weather concerns to a last-minute liquid oxygen leak in the Falcon-9 booster that scrubbed the June 11 launch. While SpaceX has since resolved the issue, the latest setback stems from the ongoing repairs to the ISS's Zvezda module, which NASA and Roscosmos are currently addressing. The ISS was built like a Lego set, with each piece built in various countries around the world, then launched and assembled in space. Five partner agencies, Canada, Europe, Japan, NASA in the US and Russia's Roscosmos operate the ISS with each partner responsible for managing and controlling the hardware it provides. They continue to monitor it to ensure safe habitation for astronauts, carry out repairs and replacements. Over the last 25 years, ISS has hosted astronauts from multiple countries who live and work aboard it. Last week, cosmonauts aboard the ISS detected some air leaks in the back segment of ISS's Zvezda module during regular inspections. It is a core component of the Russian orbital segment, which acts as a primary living space, and provides life support. The air leak in the pressurised module was sealed immediately, but NASA said that it needs additional time to evaluate the ISS after recent repair work. 'Because of the space station's interconnected and interdependent systems, NASA wants to ensure that the station is ready for additional crew members, and it is taking that time to review data," it highlighted. The issue needs to be resolved and validated before any new spacecraft can dock with the ISS. CAN AXIOM MISSION-4 STILL MAKE IT TO ISS NOW? The tension is mounting on the space agencies, as the current launch window is available only till June 30. The lift-off possibilities are narrowing with each passing day, as it was originally designed to be a 14-day mission. There is limited time, considering further delay jeopardises the subsequent missions in July, including some carrying cargo or other essential supplies — a timeline for which is locked in months in advance. Also, ISS has limited docking ports which need to be available, especially for a private spaceflight lasting 14 days. Four ports are already occupied by spacecraft – two crew and two cargo. NASA's SpaceX Crew 11 mission is also in waiting as it also planned to dock into the ISS in July. The launch is also subject to the weather conditions at the launch site near Florida coast, as well as the ascent path of the rocket. Moreover, the four astronauts have been in quarantine for nearly three weeks, and the delay affects their mission readiness. Compounding the urgency are also the 60 carefully chosen science experiments for the 14-day mission, including the seven shortlisted by ISRO—all of which have a limited viability window. On the ground are additional challenges—technical, logistics, financial—which continue to put added strain on all space agencies involved. top videos View all ISRO, which has invested almost Rs 550 crore in this private spaceflight collaboration, has made it clear that it does not intend to take any chances. Riding on it are hopes and dreams of billions, as Gaganyaan astronaut-designate Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla prepares to become the first Indian astronaut to enter the International Space Station. The commercial collaboration was designed so that it could provide him the necessary training and exposure in space, before India's Rs 20,000 crore Gaganyaan – maiden human spaceflight mission. ISRO Chairman Dr. V Narayanan remains stationed in Florida with his team to oversee mission readiness, and emphasised that 'safety and mission integrity remain India's top priorities". Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Axiom Space nasa news18 specials Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 21, 2025, 08:00 IST News explainers What's Holding Up Axiom Mission-4 As Launch Window Closes & Crew Waits? Explained

Business Standard

a day ago

• Business Standard

Ax-4 launch halted indefinitely, Isro crew to return after Nasa stand-down

Just two days before its highly anticipated launch, the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) space mission has been indefinitely postponed, according to an official statement from Axiom Space. The mission, which was scheduled to lift off on June 22 has been delayed due to unresolved technical concerns and operational reassessments by Nasa. The setback has led the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to recall its two astronauts, who had been stationed in Florida for training ahead of the mission. These astronauts — Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who was the designated mission pilot, and Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, the back-up crew member — are part of India's prestigious Gaganyaan mission. Speaking to The New Indian Express, an Isro scientist closely associated with the mission confirmed the postponement and said, 'As the mission has been indefinitely postponed, the astronauts will be returning. There are many technical issues which need to be addressed before the mission is launched. Since Nasa has pulled out of the mission, further communication will take time.' While Axiom Space has not provided a new launch date, the Houston-based private space company confirmed that the US space agency has stepped back from the June 22 launch timeline. In a formal statement, Axiom Space said, "Nasa has decided to stand down from the launch that was scheduled for June 22, 2025. The space agency needs more time to evaluate the ISS operations following the recent repair works in the rearmost segment of the orbital laboratory of the Zvezda service module. Since the space stations are interconnected and interdependent, Nasa wants to ensure that the station is ready for any additional crew members. More time is needed to evaluate everything." As of now, the four-person crew — which included astronauts from the US, Poland, Hungary, and India — remains in quarantine. Meanwhile, the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft are still stationed on Launch Complex 39A at Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission has faced a series of delays in recent weeks. Initially targeted for May 29, the launch was postponed to June 8 due to issues with the Crew Dragon module's electrical harness. It was further pushed to June 9 because of delays in Falcon 9's preparedness, and again to June 10 following poor weather at Kennedy Space Center. On June 10, during pre-launch inspections and hot-fire tests, engineers observed an oxygen leak in the engine bay, along with anomalies in one of the engine actuators. This prompted yet another shift in the launch schedule to June 11. It was during this period that both Nasa and Isro raised concerns with Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, after detecting a new pressure signature indicating an air leak in the Zvezda service module aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Isro reportedly advised Axiom, Nasa, and SpaceX to carry out on-site repairs or replacements and conduct low-temperature leak tests to ensure system integrity before proceeding. Isro had initially announced on June 14 that the mission would launch on June 19. However, that date was also retracted the same day, with the agency promising to communicate a revised schedule soon. The indefinite postponement is a significant development for all the space agencies involved, particularly Isro, which had planned the Ax-4 participation as a precursor to its ambitious human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan. The situation remains fluid, and all eyes are now on Axiom Space and Nasa for a clearer update on the future of the mission.