NASA is about to visit never-before-seen worlds

Plus: Volcanoes erupt, hurricanes swirl, new views of Mercury and much more!

                                                                                                                                                                               

Science October 4, 2021

Images of Mercury snapped from 1,500 miles away will blow your mind Hello, humans! This week's email is a super short one because it's a public holiday in Australia and I am fully vaccinated, which means I can be out in the sun and enjoying life after 100+ days in lockdown. While I love you all dearly, that's too fun to pass up. But of course, plenty of wonderful science writing happened on CNET last week and I didn't want you to miss any of it, so here I am! Above, you'll find the first images of Mercury snapped by the BepiColombo probe. The black-and-white photos are mesmerizing and give us an inkling of what to expect when the probe finally sheds its speed and gets into the innermost planet's orbit in 2025. Below? We've got all you need to know about NASA's Lucy mission -- the first spacecraft to visit the Trojan asteroids near Jupiter. That mission launches this month, so brush up on what it's doing and what it hopes to achieve. What else? We have a big explainer on COP26, the most important climate conference of the year (of many years, perhaps) and stories on an ocean drone trapped in a hurricane, mummy faces, secret correspondence with Marie Antoinette and much, much more! Back to regular programming next week. Have a belter week, humans! Remember, if you do have any burning questions (ask about Mercury!), send me an email or a message on Twitter! And if you're enjoying this email, please forward it to your friends! Enim scientia et astra! Jackson Ryan Science Editor, CNET NASA's Lucy mission to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids: What to know The spacecraft could reveal secrets of the early solar system. See this Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts, lava fountains spew into the sky See this Drone caught inside Hurricane Sam films hair-raising video See this COP26 is the biggest conference in the world. Here's why it matters See this If mummies had faces: How Egyptians may have looked See this Scientists X-ray letters between Marie Antoinette, secret lover See this 'Horned crocodile-faced hell heron' terrorized the dinosaurs See this The Great Red Spot is speeding up. Scientists aren't sure why See this LAPTOP ALTERNATIVE  Top Chromebooks for work or school These machines are a solid choice for people who live their lives on the web and don't need to install Windows or Mac software. Read more

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