A Nighttime Illusion for Stargazers Skywatchers scanning the southeastern sky will notice something unusual about Saturn. The planet will appear without its famous rings when viewed through a telescope, creating the illusion that they have vanished. The effect occurs when the ring system aligns edge-on with our viewpoint, causing the thin structure to visually collapse into an almost invisible line. This temporary disappearance marks a known astronomical event called a ring plane crossing, a phenomenon shaped by the unique tilt of Saturn’s orbit. How Saturn’s Orbit Creates the Disappearing Effect The illusion stems from Saturn’s pronounced axial tilt, which sits…
Author: Emily Harper
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Federal Review Launched After Controversial Video The Pentagon has opened a formal review into allegations of misconduct involving Sen. Mark Kelly following the release of a video in which he and several Democratic lawmakers told military personnel they are not required to follow unlawful orders. The move marks one of the most consequential clashes between civilian officials and the Defense Department in recent years, as military leaders work to reinforce standards surrounding lawful command responsibility. The review will examine whether Kelly, a retired Navy officer, violated military law by participating in the video. Officials said the inquiry could lead to…
The 2025 U.N. climate conference COP30, held in Belém on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, was promoted as a landmark moment for global climate policy. The venue in one of the planet’s most important carbon sinks, home to vast biodiversity and many Indigenous communities, was meant to highlight the urgency of protecting forests while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva championed the summit as a chance to connect climate diplomacy with conditions in the Amazon and give frontline communities greater visibility. From the outset, expectations were high. Lula’s early speeches helped rally more than…
At Old Brick Farm in Chelsea, Michigan, farmer Larry Doll has watched a national disease crisis unfold while his own barns stayed healthy. His family’s operation, founded in 1864, escaped recent waves of highly pathogenic bird flu and avian metapneumovirus that have swept through U.S. flocks, killing more than 2 million turkeys in the past three months and pushing the national turkey population to a 40-year low. The impact still reached him indirectly. The hatchery that supplies his chicks had fewer birds available, forcing Doll to plan further ahead and place orders early. He expects to bring in another 100…
Swiss private bank Julius Baer has booked fresh loan-loss allowances of 149 million Swiss francs (about $184 million), drawing a line under a review of its credit portfolio launched after losses on real estate exposure. The new charge, announced on November 24, 2025, is tied mainly to income-producing residential and commercial property loans and marks what the bank describes as the final step in addressing legacy credit issues. The bank said it is winding down a portion of its loan book that no longer fits its risk appetite or strategic focus, following earlier increases in provisions for borrowers in Switzerland…
Another Mass Abduction Stokes National Anxiety A new wave of fear swept through central Nigeria after gunmen stormed a Catholic school in the Papiri community of Niger state and abducted an unknown number of pupils. The incident, which unfolded in the early hours, comes amid growing instability across the region. Local authorities confirmed the attack and expressed concern that rescue efforts are being complicated by the remote terrain and lack of communication. Families described widespread panic as children fled in different directions, with several still missing. Niger state, one of the country’s largest, has grappled with repeated school kidnappings in…
Screens filled with red numbers have become a familiar sight for traders in recent sessions, as major equity benchmarks swing sharply in response to shifting expectations for growth, inflation and interest rates. In the United States, the Dow Jones Industrial Average recently dropped nearly 500 points, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also posted losses of around 1% in a single day. These declines followed weeks of choppy trading and raised questions about how far the rally in technology and artificial-intelligence-linked shares can go. Concerns over a potential AI-driven bubble have moved to the center of market debates. Popular…
A New Phase in the LaMelo Ball Saga The first stretch of the current NBA season has unfolded like a preview of an eventual LaMelo Ball trade race. Reports indicating the point guard’s openness to a move, followed by his sardonic social-media response, only intensified speculation around the league. Despite the flooded point guard market and a crowded field of available talent, Ball stands out for a combination of skill, youth and potential that many teams still find compelling.Concerns remain. His availability has been inconsistent for several years, he plays the most saturated position in the league and he is…
After a 43-day federal government shutdown that snarled air travel and strained security staff, the United States is heading into what is expected to be one of its busiest Thanksgiving travel periods on record. Forecasts from AAA indicate that about 81.8 million people in the U.S. will journey at least 50 miles from home between 25 November and 1 December, surpassing last year by roughly 1.6 million travellers and setting a new holiday record. The shutdown, which ran from 1 October to mid-November, forced airlines to trim schedules at about 40 major airports and left thousands of Transportation Security Administration…
Blockbuster Night Opens with Pritzker Collection Success A packed evening at Sotheby’s delivered one of the most energetic auction nights of the year as the house staged three consecutive sales of Impressionist, Modern and Surrealist works. The combined events collected more than three hundred million dollars, surpassing the upper end of expectations and reinforcing confidence across the global art market. The highlight came unexpectedly from a small group of works belonging to Cindy and Jay Pritzker. Although this segment included only thirteen lots, it generated more than one hundred million dollars and achieved a full sell through. The standout moment…
