This is the highest-resolution photo of the sun ever taken (2 minute read)
The highest-resolution ever image of the sun, taken by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Maui, has been released. Astronomers built the DKIST to make precise measurements of the sun's magnetic field throughout the corona in order to find out why the corona is millions of degrees hotter than the sun's surface. It can observe structures on the sun as small as 18.5 miles. The telescope is still under construction, and in the next six months, it will have the capability to record temperature, velocity, and solar structures. DKIST has one of the world's most complex solar-adaptive optic systems. It uses deformable mirrors that adjust 2,000 times per second to offset distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere. A swimming pool of ice and 7.5 miles of pipe-distributed coolant is used to cool down the telescope during operation.
Scientists Pinpoint Axolotl Genes Involved in Their Unique Body Regeneration (2 minute read)
The axolotl was named after the Aztec god Xolotl, a hybrid deity who represented many things. Sometimes known as Mexican walking fish, axolotls are able to regenerate entire body parts if they go missing. Other salamanders are able to regenerate limbs, but the axolotl is also able to regenerate organs, including parts of the eyes, brain, and heart. The axolotl genome, which is about 10 times larger than the human genome, was sequenced in 2018. Last year, scientists identified and mapped structures within the genome, and in the process identified two genes that were involved in the axolotl's tissue regeneration. The research is still in its infancy and there may be more genes still involved in regeneration. Scientists hope to be able to find ways to one day enable humans to replicate the axolotl's regenerative abilities.