Nasa probe sends back closest-ever photos of the Sun
The probe, launched in 2018, gradually moved closer to the Sun by using Venus's gravity to achieve a tighter orbit.
The newly released footage shows historic close-up images taken during the spacecraft's nearest approach to the Sun on 24 December 2024.
This new data is expected to vastly improve space weather predictions, ensuring the safety of astronauts and the protection of technology on Earth and across the solar system.
Watch the video in full above.
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The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Scientists detect biggest ever merger of two massive black holes
Scientists have detected ripples in space-time from the violent collision of two massive black holes that spiralled into one another far beyond the distant edge of the Milky Way. The black holes, each more than 100 times the mass of the sun, began circling each other long ago and finally slammed together to form an even more massive black hole about 10bn light years from Earth. The event is the most massive black hole merger ever recorded by gravitational wave detectors and has forced physicists to rethink their models of how the enormous objects form. The signal was recorded when it hit detectors on Earth sensitive enough to detect shudders in space-time thousands of times smaller than the width of a proton. 'These are the most violent events we can observe in the universe, but when the signals reach Earth, they are the weakest phenomena we can measure,' said Prof Mark Hannam, the head of the Gravity Exploration Institute at Cardiff University. 'By the time these ripples wash up on Earth they are tiny.' Evidence for the black hole collision arrived just before 2pm UK time on 23 November 2023 when two US-based detectors in Washington and Louisiana, operated by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (Ligo), twitched at the same time. The sudden spasm in space-time caused the detectors to stretch and squeeze for one tenth of a second, a fleeting moment that captured the so-called ringdown phase as the merged black holes formed a new one that 'rang' before settling down. Analysis of the signal revealed that the colliding black holes were 103 and 137 times the mass of the sun and spinning about 400,000 times faster than Earth, close to the theoretical limit for the objects. 'These are the highest masses of black holes we've confidently measured with gravitational waves,' said Hannam, a member of the Ligo scientific collaboration. 'And they're strange, because they are slap bang in the range of masses where, because of all kinds of weird things that happen, we don't expect black holes to form.' Most black holes form when massive stars run out of nuclear fuel and collapse at the end of their life cycle. The incredibly dense objects warp space-time so much that they create an event horizon, a boundary within which even light cannot escape. Physicists at Ligo suspect the black holes that merged were themselves products of earlier mergers. That would explain how they came to be so massive and why they were spinning so fast, as merging black holes tend to impart spin on the object they create. 'We've seen hints of this before, but this is the most extreme example where that's probably what's happening,' Hannam said. Scientists have detected about 300 black hole mergers from the gravitational waves they generate. Until now, the most massive merger known produced a black hole about 140 times the mass of the sun. The latest merger produced a black hole up to 265 times more massive than the sun. Details are to be presented on Monday at the GR-Amaldi meeting in Glasgow. Before the first gravitational wave detectors were built in the 1990s, scientists could observe the universe only through electromagnetic radiation such as visible light, infrared and radio waves. Gravitational wave observatories provide a new view of the cosmos, allowing researchers to see events that were otherwise hidden from them. 'Usually what happens in science is, when you look at the universe in a different way, you discover things you didn't expect and your whole picture is transformed,' said Hannam. 'The detectors we have planned for the next 10 to 15 years will be able to see all the black hole mergers in the universe, and maybe some surprises we didn't expect.'
The Sun
6 hours ago
- The Sun
How The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be unlike any Marvel movie before after major shake-up in bid to save franchise
WITH Marvel movies, casting directors typically rely on Hollywood heavyweights to help create a blockbuster Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Florence Pugh, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston . . . the list of stars to have donned superhero Spandex for the studio goes on. 11 11 But in a shake-up, the leading roles in The Fantastic Four: First Steps are filled by actors who cut their teeth at major streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+, or big online TV shows. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn and Julia Garner play the Four and their nemesis, Silver Surfer. And while a superhero usually saves the world, this team is tasked with saving the franchise after its 2005 and 2015 Fantastic Four films flopped. For them, telly wasn't a stopgap on the way to movie fame and fortune. Instead, it was their crowning moment. And with the streaming supergroup on board, it looks like Marvel may finally be on to a winner. Here, we look at the stars whose names will be on everyone's lips when the film hits our screens on July 25. EBON MOSS-BACHARACH The Thing . . . also in The Bear on Disney+ AS The Thing – a former astronaut with superhuman powers and skin that has turned to orange rock – Ebon's role in the movie is quite literally set in stone. The actor had been slowly but surely gaining traction on the indie scene, before fully earning cult TV status in 2015 with his portrayal of the insufferable Desi on Girls. But it was Disney+ hit The Bear that elevated him to the big league when it debuted in 2022. Since then, his character, Richie Jerimovich has become an icon on our TV screens, thanks to his transformation from hot-headed man child to a more refined, and all-round, likeable individual. The 48-year-old has been lauded by fans, critics and studio execs, earning him two Emmy awards for Best Supporting Actor, and now the chance to flex his chops in a major movie blockbuster. True, he's not got the same film credits as the other Marvel stars. But the American actor has a massive streamer show behind him and the talent to match. You could say he's just got that Thing. PEDRO PASCAL Mister Fantastic . . . also in The Last Of Us on HBO/Sky Atlantic AT the age of 50, Pedro – nicknamed 'the internet's boyfriend' due to his likeability – is the man du jour. Fans love his cheeky winks to the camera and dashing good looks. And as The Fantastic Four's Mister Fantastic, aka Reed Richards, the Chilean-American actor's stock is only set to rise. Pedro's version of the character promises to erase all bad memories of previous incarnations (specifically Ioan Gruffudd in 2005 and Miles Teller in 2015 – both of which were panned). So how did Pedro rise to be the internet's darling? The actor has been on the scene for a while, with roles in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Good Wife and Homeland under his belt. But he first garnered mainstream attention with his breakthrough 2014 role in HBO's Game Of Thrones, followed by his 2015 debut in Netflix hit Narcos. Disney+ drama The Mandalorian followed, before he won a Screen Actors Guild Award, plus Emmy and Golden Globe nods, for HBO zombie show The Last Of Us. It's a CV that oozes class. VANESSA KIRBY Sue Storm . . . also in The Crown on Netflix HAVING established herself as a theatre darling, British star Vanessa found worldwide fame with her scene-stealing performance as Princess Margaret in Netflix series The Crown. She has since crossed the divide to movies, with roles in Mission: Impossible, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Pieces Of A Woman and Napoleon, but she's still probably most identifiable for being Netflix's biggest breakout star. 11 Vanessa, 37, won a 2018 Best Supporting Actress Bafta for her royal role, helping the streamer on its journey to TV domination. And the defining performance helped her nab the gig as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman, who is Reed's wife. She may be following in the footsteps of former Sues Jessica Alba and Kate Mara, but this time round Vanessa's superhero is new and exciting. Firstly, she is pregnant, which Vanessa hails 'groundbreaking'. And the actress has also inserted that nuanced, flawed nature that made her Princess Margaret so acclaimed. No wonder she's TV royalty. JOSEPH QUINN Johnny Storm . . . also in Stranger Things on Netflix ANOTHER actor on the verge of being a household name, Joseph recently hit the headlines after being cast as George Harrison in Sam Mendes' upcoming four-part Beatles biopic. But he had already risen to prominence thanks to his role as Eddie Munson in Netflix's smash Stranger Things. He quickly became a fan favourite, earning himself a 2023 MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Breakthrough Performance and a Saturn Award nomination the previous year. Now, as Johnny Storm – otherwise known as The Human Torch and Sue Storm's brother – the Brit star's career is on fire. Like Vanessa, Joseph, 31, has Netflix to thank for taking a punt on a relative unknown, casting him in a global hit and heralding a new era in Hollywood casting in the process. He may be the least-known member of the Beatles biopic cast – with the remainder of the Fab Four being played by Paul Mescal, Harris Dickinson and Barry Keoghan – but his Fantastic Four movie debut promises to transform his stardom status. BADDIE 1 JULIA GARNER Silver Surfer . . . also in Ozark on Netflix IT'S not just the fantastic foursome who are set to swoop in and save the day for the franchise. The film's villain Shalla-Bal – aka the Silver Surfer – who, this time, in a surprising gender swap, is played by Julia Garner – also has a major part to play. 11 11 The actress's breakthrough role came in 2017 as butt-kicking Ruth Langmore in Netflix's Ozark, earning her three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe in 2023. She then doubled down as Netflix's TV darling with Inventing Anna – the highly acclaimed miniseries which earned her a string of big nominations for her role as real-life fraudster Anna Sorokin. Still, it's a big deal to clinch the part of a villain in a Marvel movie. And Julia has risen to the challenge, despite some backlash against the studio's decision to cast a woman in a part previously always played by men. Speaking at the film's premiere last week, the 31-year-old said: 'I'm grateful to be at this dance, to be completely honest with you.' She's earned the right to be there, too, as her TV credits and subsequent awards speak for themselves. BADDIE 2 RALPH INESON Galactus . . . also in The Office on BBC IT takes a strong man to play a gigantic cosmic being who consumes planets – but Ralph might be that guy. The British actor and star of The Office plays the other main foe to The Fantastic Four, Galactus – sending the Silver Surfer to do his dirty work while he watches on from outer space. 11 11 But, according to Ralph, Galactus isn't necessarily evil. In fact, he says, he's just 'a big, planet-eating guy, simply doing what a big, planet-eating guy does'. It's this tongue-in-cheek empathy with his nasty characters that has made the 55-year-old star so damn watchable. From his role as the detestable Finchy in The Office to his appearance in the final three Harry Potter films as the sadistic dark wizard Amycus Carrow, nobody does bad so good. A TALEOF BOX OFFICE FLOPS THE Fantastic Four first appeared in cartoon form in 1961 to compete with the growing popularity of superhero teams such as DC Comics' Justice Society of America. Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee – tired of formulaic, perfect characters – wanted to create a group of flawed humans with superpowers. And his dysfunctional crusaders gained a cult following. They made their animated telly debut in 1967, with the fourth and final version launching on Cartoon Network in 2006. But it is the later incarnations that linger in people's minds – for all the wrong reasons. The first film, which was released in 2005, may have topped the box office but the reviews weren't good. Rotten Tomatoes gave it just 27 per cent, with critics branding it 'mediocre', adding it was 'marred by goofy attempts at wit, sub-par acting and bland storytelling'. Still, the film's core four – Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Chris Evans – did return for a sequel in 2007, which was hailed a 'mild improvement' on the original. In 2015, 20th Century Fox tried again with a $120million reboot starring Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan. But it was a box office bomb, costing the studio $100million in losses and receiving just a nine per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It also had the dubious honour of winning three gongs at the Golden Raspberry Awards, which recognise the very worst in the entertainment industry. A planned sequel was quickly shelved and it took another ten years for the franchise to be revived. However, over the years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has thrived, releasing 36 films, often with crossovers, and expanding into series on Disney+. After acquiring the rights to Fantastic Four in 2019, Marvel set about rebooting the franchise. Game Of Thrones director Matt Shakman was brought in, with the studio keen to recapture the comic's Sixties-era magic. The new film has a more retro-futuristic feel, like the original comic books. It heralds the next phase of Marvel's plans for world domination – named Phase Six – which ends in 2027 with Avengers: Secret Wars. Unless a superhero saves us all before then . . .
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Why slimmers using weight-loss shots are at risk of losing their libido
Experts have sounded the alarm over a bizarre side effect that may be triggered by slimming jabs: a drop in sex drive. Once aimed at diabetes patients, drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy are now famous for bringing about rapid weight loss by reducing appetite - but it seems they're also slimming down libidos, too. The injections' side effects have been widely discussed, ranging from nausea and constipation to life-threatening organ damage, but now, top psychologists have warned that the medication may cause users' libidos to plummet because of how it impacts a certain brain chemical. Such is the concern among users of the drug, that hundreds have taken to online forums sharing how the drugs altered their sex drive, warning others that it was the 'price they paid for no longer being fat'. The injections spurs weight loss by mimicking the actions of a hormone released by in the gut after eating - GLP-1. As well as telling the pancreas to make more insulin, GLP-1 feeds back to the brain and makes us feel full - stopping patients from over-eating. According to Professor Rachel Goldman, a clinical pyschologist at New York University, GLP-1 drugs target 'the reward center in the brain', which is why people experience 'less food noise, fewer craving and less interest in alcohol use'. She told PureWow: 'It's also why what might impact your sex drive.' Dr Kent Berridge, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Michigan, also previously told that having sex with a partner, thinking of having sex with them and seeing them would normally trigger sexual desire, 'just like drug use triggers desire for drugs'. 'But if you're suppressing [dopamine activation] a little bit and cutting down those mountain peaks, sexual desire is a natural peak, so that would be plausible. Dr Berridge said: 'Now, how is it doing that? How is it suppressing dopamine systems? That we do not know.' 'It may be partly acting right on the nucleus accumbens [the brain structure known for its role in pleasure, reward and addiction], because there are receptors there.' One British study published last year in QJM: An International Journal of Medicine found new patients on the drug may experience cognitive changes in their decision-making, partly from the calorie deficit the drug induces, as well as the effects of GLP-1 on brain function. The researchers said: 'This isn't as far-fetched as it might sound.' Another 2024 study also suggested that obese men who were taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, were at a slightly higher risk of erectile dysfunction than men with obesity who weren't taking the drug. However, they added that further research needs to be done to 'understand possible underlying biologic pathways that result in sexual dysfunction side effects'. But the phenomenon has become so common that forum users are even sharing how the drugs have slashed their libido. In one Reddit forum with over 142,000 members, one user said: 'Before we started with Mounjaro we had a low but regular sex life, that was manly slowed down by us both feeling not comfortable with our bodies. 'Since Mounjaro we have developed in different directions: I feel comfortable with my body and sexy the first time in my life and I'm really horny all the time, while my wife has no sex drive at all - even though she looks marvelous. 'She says she feels like don't wanting sex at all since taking Mounjaro. So is the price for no longer being fat, the end of an active sex life?' Another wrote: 'Anyone else have a completely depleted sex drive? 'Ever since I've been on Mounjaro - second month now- I've noticed that no matter what I genuinely do not feel anything.' A third added: 'I've been on Tirzepatide [the ingredient behind Mounjaro] since February and I definitely have a much lower sex drive than I used to. 'It's really unfortunate because I feel a lot more confident in my body now but generally just don't have a desire to do anything.' According to Professor Goldman, however, the drugs may not directly be the cause of the new cause of friction in relationships. Instead, it is likely due to weight loss in general, which is 'nothing new', she said. One 2018 Swedish study of post-bariatric surgery patients found that that bariatric surgery patients who were married were 41 percent more likely to get divorced, compared to people in the general population. Rapid weight loss can affect hormone balance, as can a restricted diet, by reducing amounts of essential sex hormones testosterone and estrogen.
