Science & Earth

Artemis II is NASA's first crewed lunar test flight in more than 53 years, with liftoff scheduled for April 1 and an additional launch window opening April 30 for a roughly 10-day mission around the moon.

Artemis II will be the first mission in over 50 years to carry humans beyond low-Earth orbit, and its crew will include a woman, a person of color, and a Canadian.

Brazil will roll out a nationwide itinerant collection programme in March 2026 to gather empty pesticide containers and support its reverse logistics system, while new 2026 federal rules set a 32% recovery target for plastic packaging and increase traceability requirements.

On March 30, 2026, satellites tracked a Saharan dust plume driven by harmattan winds moving southwest from the Sahara toward the Atlantic, and forecasts said the dust would reach the Canary Islands and reduce visibility through April 1.

A glacial lake at South Lhonak collapsed on Oct. 3, 2023, sending a rapid outburst flood down the Teesta River that Indian authorities say killed more than 100 people; experts had installed a weather station at the lake less than three weeks earlier.

April's full pink moon will peak at 10:11 p.m. ET Wednesday and will appear in its usual gray color, while the name honors the spring bloom of moss pink (Phlox subulata).

Venus will appear as the bright 'Evening Star' in April, visible shortly after sunset low in the western sky. Its strong brightness comes from thick, highly reflective clouds, making it the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon, per NASA.

Scientists achieved fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility, and researchers are pursuing both magnetic and inertial approaches while significant materials, fuel-cycle, and engineering challenges remain.

Scientists achieved ignition at the U.S. National Ignition Facility, and teams are advancing both magnetic and inertial approaches toward commercial fusion while major engineering, materials and fuel-cycle challenges remain.

NASA began the final countdown at Cape Canaveral and held a pre-launch news conference as managers said the rocket is doing well after recent repairs.

A University of Adelaide study published in Communications Biology found that simulated microgravity disrupted sperm orientation, reducing successful navigation and lowering fertilization rates in laboratory tests. Chemical cues such as progesterone partially improved navigation, but some embryo development issues were observed in mouse experiments.

The article notes that 24 NASA astronauts flew to the Moon during Apollo and that Jim Lovell's death leaves five surviving astronauts who traveled beyond Earth orbit; it also reports that NASA's Artemis programme aims to return people to the Moon this decade and that Artemis II was delayed into 2026.

A total lunar eclipse will occur tonight into Wednesday morning and coincides with a blue moon and, for some observers, a supermoon, a NASA planetary geologist said; much of the United States could see the event.

Researchers reported an airborne electromagnetic survey detected a layer of fresh water beneath a 10-square-mile area of Great Salt Lake, with sediments showing fresh water from about 100 meters down to as much as 2.5 miles deep. The authors said additional surveys and analysis are needed to confirm how widely the reservoir extends.

Singapore will implement a national Beverage Container Return Scheme on 1 April 2026 that requires a refundable deposit on eligible plastic and metal beverage containers and sets up designated return points including reverse vending machines.

April opens with a full Pink Moon that peaks late on April 1, and the month also features an early-April sungrazing comet (MAPS) near the sun and the Lyrid meteor shower peaking April 21–22.

After a week of talks in Campo Grande, countries added 40 migratory species to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species appendices, including the snowy owl and several hammerhead sharks, to encourage stronger cross-border protections.

Canada's Jeremy Hansen is one of four astronauts on Artemis 2, planned as the first human mission to travel around the Moon since 1972; distance, cost and shifting political priorities are cited as the main reasons for the long gap.

Councils in England are now required to collect separated food waste for fuel, fertiliser or compost, and researchers say recycling recovers far less energy than is used to produce food. The article highlights shorter-term flexible meal planning and tracking household waste as two evidence-based approaches that may help lower how much food is thrown away.

Researchers at Stockholm University used ultra-fast X-ray lasers to observe deeply supercooled water and reported evidence of a critical point where two distinct liquid phases merge; the results were published in Science.

NOAA issued a geomagnetic storm watch after an X1.5 solar flare and a coronal mass ejection aimed toward Earth; auroras may be visible in up to 10 northern U.S. states around the predawn hours of March 31, with a stronger storm possibly extending visibility farther south.

Ancient DNA and isotopic analysis indicate dogs were associated with humans more than 15,000 years ago, with specimens reported from Anatolia and the UK.

Paired images from Hubble (August 2024) and the James Webb Space Telescope (November 2024) give researchers a layered view of Saturn's atmosphere, revealing features from pale-yellow bands and bright rings to infrared details such as rings that glow blue and gray-green polar emissions at about 4.3 microns.

Pope Leo XIV told the Palm Sunday congregation in St. Peter's Square that Jesus is a 'King of Peace' and that no one can use God to justify war; he also prayed for Christians in the Middle East affected by conflict.

Pope Leo XIV led Palm Sunday services that recall the final Holy Week of Pope Francis, and he is scheduled to preside over Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday liturgies.

A Finnish Scientific Diving Academy course in northern Finland trains scientists and experienced divers to work beneath Arctic and Antarctic ice to study seafloor life. The training responds to rapid polar change, with the Arctic reported as warming about four times faster than the global average.

Soil quality affects plant health through structure, drainage, pH, nutrients and soil life, and the article highlights six common soil mistakes — including compaction, poor drainage, skipping soil tests, lack of mulch, disrupting soil biology, and planting invasives — that can hinder garden growth, experts say.

Arctic sea ice this winter tied the smallest measured winter peak at about 5.52 million square miles, and unusually warm March temperatures were reported across many regions.

NASA's four-person Artemis II crew — including a woman, a person of color and a Canadian — will fly a nearly 10-day out-and-back mission around the moon that will not land but will travel farther into space than Apollo flights and provide new views of the lunar far side.

Chefs say eight types of seafood dishes can signal problems with quality, sourcing, or safety.