Science news this week: A unique new blood type and 'spiderwebs' on Mars
This week's science news kicked off with a staggering first look at images taken by the newly operational Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. Boasting the world's largest digital camera, Rubin's first photo of the night sky included 10 million galaxies in and around the Virgo cluster, many of which have never been seen before.
The observatory, which will become fully operational by the end of 2025, promises to gather more data than all other existing optical observatories combined in its first year alone, representatives said in a statement. It's hoped that this data will enable scientists to discover the locations of previously unseen asteroids and gain new insights into the properties of dark matter and dark energy, among other things.
After years of analysis and observation, scientists have identified a new blood group, called Gwada negative, that has so far only been identified in only one person on the planet.
The 68-year-old from the French overseas region of Guadeloupe became a subject of medical interest in 2011 after routine blood tests were unable to identify her blood type or any compatible matches. Roughly a decade later, and after two years of detailed genome sequencing, it was confirmed that the woman carried a previously unknown blood type thanks to a unique genetic mutation.
It is unclear how many other people carry this mutation, if any, but as it stands the patient is the only person in the world with a blood type compatible with her own.
Discover more health news
—Some early-onset cancers are on the rise. Why?
—Fungus that may have caused 'King Tut's curse' shows promise in treating cancer
—New 'breathalyzer' could detect signs of disease in human breath, scientists say
From birds of prey to tiny insects, animals have evolved an impressive spectrum of visual adaptations to help them see in their environment — whether escaping predators or hunting for prey. But pinpointing exactly which animal has the best eyesight is easier said than done.
—If you enjoyed this, sign up for our Life's Little Mysteries newsletter
Queen Hatshepsut ruled as pharaoh between 1473 and 1458 B.C. and, until recently, it was thought that after her death her nephew and successor smashed all of her statues to erase her from public memory. However, new research suggests this might not have been the case.
Researchers now say that, while Hatshepsut's statues were indeed intentionally broken, it was not to blot out her existence. Rather, her statues are thought to have been broken to "deactivate" their supposed supernatural powers.
Discover more archaeology news
—'Thriving and densely-built': Archaeologists unearth 'tower' houses and ceremonial building in ancient Egyptian city of Imet
—'God-king' born from incest in ancient Ireland wasn't a god or a king, new study finds
—40,000-year-old mammoth tusk boomerang is oldest in Europe — and possibly the world
—Threaten an AI chatbot and it will lie, cheat and 'let you die' in an effort to stop you, study warns
—'Pulsing, like a heartbeat': Rhythmic mantle plume rising beneath Ethiopia is creating a new ocean
—'Ring of fire' thunderstorms loom around 'heat dome' as season's first tropical storm, Andrea, named in the Atlantic
—Intrepid baby-faced robot dons a jetpack for its next adventure — becoming the first humanoid robot to fly
Back in November, orcas off the coast of Washington brought back a bizarre trend that hadn't been reported since the 1980s: balancing dead salmon on their heads. Now, the same orca pod has been filmed giving each other "massages" with seaweed, a behavior that has never been reported before.
The footage shows the orcas breaking off sections of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), pressing the stems against the body of another orca and rolling the kelp between their bodies, in what seems to be a newly described grooming ritual.
The researchers believe it is the first example of tool manufacture by marine mammals, the first known tool used in wild animals that benefits two individuals at once, and the first time non-human animals have been observed manipulating a tool with the core of their bodies, rather than an appendage.
If you're looking for something a little longer to read over the weekend, here are some of the best long reads, book excerpts and interviews published this week.
—AI hallucinates more frequently as it gets more advanced — is there any way to stop it from happening, and should we even try? (Analysis)
—The San Andreas Fault: Facts about the crack in California's crust that could unleash the 'Big One' (Fact file)
—How to photograph your microscope specimens (Feature)
And something for the skywatchers
—You can see a giant 'hole' shoot across Saturn this summer — and it won't happen again until 2040
Mysterious patterns on Mars, spanning up to 12 miles (20 kilometers), have been photographed up close for the first time. The spiderweb-like structures, known as "boxwork," are made up of criss-crossing ridges of mineral-rich rock that scientists believe may have been left behind by ancient groundwater on the Red Planet.
The web-like structures were photographed by NASA's Curiosity rover, and scientists hope that studying them up close could reveal more about Mars' watery past and provide clues about whether the planet once harbored life.
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Giant 'X' appears over Chile as 2 celestial beams of light cross
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK FACTS What it is: The luminous band of the Milky Way and the faint glow of zodiacal light Where it is: Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile When it was shared: Aug. 6, 2025 This stunning image from astrophotographer Petr Horálek captures two of the night sky's most glorious sights in one — the glowing heart of the Milky Way and the elusive "zodiacal light." Despite appearing alongside one another, these two streaks of light could not be more different in origin and composition. Astronomers have constructed some of humanity's best telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere to better see the bright core of the Milky Way — dense with stars and nebulae. That core passes through constellations including Scorpius, Sagittarius and Ophiuchus, which are higher in the sky the farther south they're viewed from. This image was taken at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), located at an altitude of 7,200 feet (2,200 meters) in the Chilean Andes within the southern Atacama Desert. At this height, above the densest and warmest part of Earth's atmosphere, incredibly clear and dark skies are the norm, enabling observers to see not only the bright band of the Milky Way but something less obvious that resides in the solar system — zodiacal light. The biggest visible solar system phenomenon in the night sky, zodiacal light is a faint, diffuse glow in the night sky that casual observers often miss. It consists of sunlight reflecting off dust in our cosmic neighborhood, possibly from passing asteroids and comets or from the leftovers of planet formation. In 2020, a paper also claimed that zodiacal light may be primarily made of dust blown off Mars. Either way, the glow of the solar system is an arresting sight, but hard to see. MORE SPACE PHOTOS —James Webb telescope captures one of the deepest-ever views of the universe —NASA unveils 9 stunning snapshots of the cosmos in X-ray vision —'Fighting dragons' light up little-known constellation in the Southern sky Zodiacal light is at its brightest around the equinoxes and is visible along the ecliptic — the apparent path the sun takes through the sky — as a triangular beam of light on the horizon a few hours before sunrise or after sunset. That timing has led to it being called either the "false dawn" or "false dusk," though its name comes from the fact that it's visible over the 13 constellations that make up the zodiac. Horálek's spectacular image was taken in 2022 when he was an audiovisual ambassador for NOIRLab, which operates CTIO. In the photo, from left to right, are the U.S. Naval Observatory Deep South Telescope, the DIMM1 Seeing Monitor, the Chilean Automatic Supernova Search dome, the UBC Southern Observatory and the Planetary Defense 1.0-meter Telescope. Solve the daily Crossword
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San Andreas fault could unleash an earthquake unlike any seen before, study of deadly Myanmar quake suggests
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Milky Way and zodiacal light glow above telescopes in Chile
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Recently, the Chilean night sky was illuminated by the glow of the Milky Way galaxy as it was seen above the domes of telescopes at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), a facility of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) NOIRLab. What is it? A cone of zodiacal light intersects the iconic Milky Way, creating an x-shape in the night sky. NOIRLab highlighted this x-shape in a recent LinkedIn post, saying: " X marks the spot at Cerro Tololo!" Zodiacal light extends in a triangular shape from Earth's horizon along the ecliptic, the apparent annual path of the sun across the sky, serving as the baseline for positions of the planets and zodiac constellations. This special light is the reflection of sunlight off particles and dust in the solar system. Astronomers can study zodiacal light to map the distributions and possible origins of cosmic dust, revealing further insights about the processes happening in our solar system. Where is it? This image was taken at the CTIO facility, around 310 miles (500 km) north of Santiago, Chile at an elevation of 7,200 feet (2200 meters). Its location allows it to avoid light pollution from urban areas. Why is it amazing? As a major astronomical research facility, the CTIO hosts nearly 40 telescopes at it site, which offers exceptionally clear dark skies to peer deep into space. These telescopes are used for many different projects, from studying near-Earth asteroids to space debris to exoplanets. CTIO's mission is to provide world-class observing capabilities to the global astronomical community, supporting key discoveries while helping us to further understand more about our universe. Want to learn more? You can read more about telescopes based in Chile and night sky photography. Solve the daily Crossword
