A meteorite older than Earth flew through a roof last month. On July 27, a meteorite survived its trip through the atmosphere and smashed through the roof of a house in McDonough, Georgia, and shattered the floor just a few feet from the home’s resident. New analysis of a fragment of the meteorite (pictured) suggests that it likely formed around 4.56 billion years ago. Image credit: University of Georgia.
JWST may have found a planet orbiting Alpha Centauri A. Part of the Alpha Centauri triple star system four light-years away, this is the closest Sun-like star to our Solar System. Three confirmed planets had previously been found orbiting the red dwarf Proxima Centauri, but JWST’s detection of a gas giant is the first for the brighter Alpha Centauri A.
China’s crewed lunar lander passed a key test. The “Lanyue” two-person lunar lander succeeded at a comprehensive landing and takeoff test on Aug. 6. China’s first human lunar exploration mission is expected to be carried out before 2030.
The Sun may be less active than other stars because of its planets. Our Sun is about five times less magnetically active than other Sun-like stars, perhaps due to the influence of the planets. New research suggests that the combined tidal forces of the planets could “nudge” the Sun’s inner magnetic drive, curbing solar activity.
Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell has died. Lovell flew on several important crewed missions, including Gemini 7 and Gemini 12. He served as Command Module Pilot for Apollo 8, the first mission to lift off on a Saturn V rocket and orbit the Moon. Most notably, he was commander of the Apollo 13 mission, helping return the crew safely to Earth after disaster struck. Lovell passed away on Aug. 7 at the age of 97.