Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
Scientists have long assumed the Oort Cloud, one of the most mysterious structures in our solar system, to be spherical. But during the pre-production of their new space show, "Encounters in the Milky Way," researchers noticed a strange spiral pattern in the middle of the cloud. It immediately attracted the attention of astronomers and animators, despite not being a part of the project and only happening by chance. It was later explained that the spiral shape in the Oort Cloud happened because of the galactic tide. Although the Sun's gravity controls everything in our solar system, the Oort Cloud is so far away from the Sun that its gravity becomes weaker and it starts to affect the objects there. So, instead of pulling them straight, it twists the way they orbit, giving it a spiral pattern look. The spiral pattern could help scientists better understand how solar systems form and evolve over time.
🌞 See the Sun from a whole new angle.
— European Space Agency (@esa) June 11, 2025
For the first time, our Solar Orbiter mission has captured close-up images of the Sun’s mysterious poles, regions long hidden from our view.
In 2025, Solar Orbiter gave us a first-ever look at the Sun’s south pole.
Remarkably, it… pic.twitter.com/EhyYxtDyaR
(Credit: X/@esa)
The new images from ESA's Solar Orbiter show a view of our star that no human or spacecraft has ever recorded before. While Earth and the other planets orbit relatively in line with the sun's equator on an invisible plane called the ecliptic, Solar Orbiter spent the last several months tilting its orbit to 17 degrees below the solar equator — bringing our star's enigmatic south pole into view for the first time ever. These data will help improve our understanding of the solar wind, space weather and the sun's roughly 11-year activity cycle for years to come, according to ESA.
A new island has appeared in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, a research expedition has confirmed. The island, which does not have a name yet, is located 19 miles (30 kilometers) southwest of another island called Maly Zhemchuzhny. The island is only slightly elevated above the water level, and its surface was damp and mostly flat but covered in sand ridges at the time of the expedition. The new island emerged due to a drop in the Caspian Sea's water levels. Meanwhile, the Caspian Sea, which lies at the junction between Europe and Asia, is the largest inland body of water in the world when measured by its surface area of 143,200 square miles (371,000 square kilometers).
Songbirds were on the menu 2,000 years ago on the Roman island of Mallorca, archaeological evidence reveals. Bones of the small thrushes were discovered in a trash pit near the ancient ruins of a fast-food shop, giving researchers new clues about Roman-era street food. A collection of animal bones discovered in the ancient city of Pollentia, which was established after the Romans conquered the Balearic Islands in 123 B.C. Pollentia quickly became an active Roman port, and the city expanded to include a forum, temples, cemeteries and a network of shops. Historical records show that Roman game hunters often caught song birds in large groups using nets or pit traps, and then sold them to retail establishments that cooked and distributed them as food.
