Lead Story
Astronomers capture clearest-ever image of Betelgeuse's long-sought companion star
A team led by Miguel Montargès of the Paris Observatory used the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile to directly image what is almost certainly Betelgeuse B, the companion star long suspected to orbit the famous red supergiant, ending a search that has run for nearly a century. The image, taken in December 2024 when the companion was at its widest apparent separation from Betelgeuse and published in Astronomy & Astrophysics on July 28, 2026, drew wide new coverage this week; researchers described the observation as "visual proof" the star is not alone. The data reveal Betelgeuse B is two to three times the mass of the Sun, larger than previously thought, giving astronomers fresh insight into the fate of one of the night sky's best-known stars as it nears the end of its life.
Read more →Lead Story
Astronomers capture clearest-ever image of Betelgeuse's long-sought companion star
A team led by Miguel Montargès of the Paris Observatory used the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile to directly image what is almost certainly Betelgeuse B, the companion star long suspected to orbit the famous red supergiant, ending a search that has run for nearly a century. The image, taken in December 2024 when the companion was at its widest apparent separation from Betelgeuse and published in Astronomy & Astrophysics on July 28, 2026, drew wide new coverage this week; researchers described the observation as "visual proof" the star is not alone. The data reveal Betelgeuse B is two to three times the mass of the Sun, larger than previously thought, giving astronomers fresh insight into the fate of one of the night sky's best-known stars as it nears the end of its life.
FDA approves first oral drug for dermatomyositis, offering patients a daily pill instead of infusions
The FDA approved Lisraya (brepocitinib) tablets on August 27, 2026 as the first oral treatment indicated for dermatomyositis in adults, a rare autoimmune disease that inflames muscles and skin and has long lacked effective, easy-to-take options. In the largest dermatomyositis clinical trial ever conducted, the once-daily pill from Priovant Therapeutics and Roivant Sciences showed robust efficacy across multiple measures of disease activity along with substantial steroid-sparing benefits, letting many patients cut back on long-term steroid use. The drug is now available in US pharmacies, and eligible patients can pay as little as $0 a month through a manufacturer support program.
Read more →FDA approves first oral drug for dermatomyositis, offering patients a daily pill instead of infusions
The FDA approved Lisraya (brepocitinib) tablets on August 27, 2026 as the first oral treatment indicated for dermatomyositis in adults, a rare autoimmune disease that inflames muscles and skin and has long lacked effective, easy-to-take options. In the largest dermatomyositis clinical trial ever conducted, the once-daily pill from Priovant Therapeutics and Roivant Sciences showed robust efficacy across multiple measures of disease activity along with substantial steroid-sparing benefits, letting many patients cut back on long-term steroid use. The drug is now available in US pharmacies, and eligible patients can pay as little as $0 a month through a manufacturer support program.
"Double-punch" nanoparticles light up and destroy brain cancer left behind after surgery, mouse study finds
Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney, Harvard and Henan universities reported on August 26, 2026 a 'double punch' nanozyme platform designed to tackle glioblastoma's two hardest problems at once: a fluorescent dye on the nanoparticle glows under near-infrared light invisible to the naked eye, letting surgeons see tumor cell clusters as small as 44 micrometers — finer than current clinical imaging allows — while a targeting molecule helps the material cross the blood-brain barrier and destroy microscopic cancer cells that remain after surgery. In mice, the combined imaging-and-treatment approach led to 100% survival at 60 days and prevented tumor recurrence, compared with a median survival of just 42 days for mice that had surgery alone. The technology has not yet been tested in humans.
Read more →"Double-punch" nanoparticles light up and destroy brain cancer left behind after surgery, mouse study finds
Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney, Harvard and Henan universities reported on August 26, 2026 a 'double punch' nanozyme platform designed to tackle glioblastoma's two hardest problems at once: a fluorescent dye on the nanoparticle glows under near-infrared light invisible to the naked eye, letting surgeons see tumor cell clusters as small as 44 micrometers — finer than current clinical imaging allows — while a targeting molecule helps the material cross the blood-brain barrier and destroy microscopic cancer cells that remain after surgery. In mice, the combined imaging-and-treatment approach led to 100% survival at 60 days and prevented tumor recurrence, compared with a median survival of just 42 days for mice that had surgery alone. The technology has not yet been tested in humans.
World's solar power capacity races past 3 terawatts, with the third trillion watts added in under two years
Global installed solar capacity has crossed the 3-terawatt mark, a milestone that arrived far faster than analysts predicted, coverage highlighted this week showed: the first terawatt took nearly 68 years to build, the second arrived roughly two years later, and the third took just 19 months. The world added 664 gigawatts of new solar in 2025 alone, 12% more than the year before, with growth increasingly spread beyond China into emerging markets. The buildout is starting to reshape the global power mix — wind and solar combined generated 22% of the world's electricity in April 2026, edging out natural gas for the first time — and BloombergNEF projects the world will reach 9 terawatts of solar by 2036.
Read more →World's solar power capacity races past 3 terawatts, with the third trillion watts added in under two years
Global installed solar capacity has crossed the 3-terawatt mark, a milestone that arrived far faster than analysts predicted, coverage highlighted this week showed: the first terawatt took nearly 68 years to build, the second arrived roughly two years later, and the third took just 19 months. The world added 664 gigawatts of new solar in 2025 alone, 12% more than the year before, with growth increasingly spread beyond China into emerging markets. The buildout is starting to reshape the global power mix — wind and solar combined generated 22% of the world's electricity in April 2026, edging out natural gas for the first time — and BloombergNEF projects the world will reach 9 terawatts of solar by 2036.
Scientists identify a brain "brake" that shuts down chronic nerve pain in mice
Washington University School of Medicine researchers reported findings, highlighted August 26, 2026 and published August 17 in Current Biology, showing that receptors on cells in the locus coeruleus — the brain's main alertness and stress hub — can act as a biological brake that restrains chronic neuropathic pain. After nerve injury, circuitry running through this region can become overactive and help sustain long-term pain; the team found that engaging these receptors calmed the circuit and reduced chronic pain in mice. Because the mechanism acts precisely within a specific brain pathway rather than throughout the body, the researchers say it points toward future pain therapies that could relieve chronic pain without engaging opioid receptors elsewhere in the body.
Read more →Scientists identify a brain "brake" that shuts down chronic nerve pain in mice
Washington University School of Medicine researchers reported findings, highlighted August 26, 2026 and published August 17 in Current Biology, showing that receptors on cells in the locus coeruleus — the brain's main alertness and stress hub — can act as a biological brake that restrains chronic neuropathic pain. After nerve injury, circuitry running through this region can become overactive and help sustain long-term pain; the team found that engaging these receptors calmed the circuit and reduced chronic pain in mice. Because the mechanism acts precisely within a specific brain pathway rather than throughout the body, the researchers say it points toward future pain therapies that could relieve chronic pain without engaging opioid receptors elsewhere in the body.