SCIENCE IN THE NEWS WEEKLY
Isolated Bacteria Discovered 2.8 Kilometers Underground
Bacteria discovered thriving in isolation in a South African gold mine have gotten the attention of astrobiologists, who say their ability to live without light or oxygen could advance the prospect of life on other planets.
Meanwhile, astronomers have used a new technique that employs gravity from a galaxy as a "cosmic zoom lens" to see a young star-forming galaxy 11 billion light-years from Earth that could provide clues to the formation of the universe.
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft gave researchers a look at a side of Mercury they hadn't seen before in a flyby that revealed bright craters and long rays. The latest images are the first spacecraft views of the planet's northern region.
And there have been fewer sunspots so far this year than at any time since 1954, but scientists say the significance of this is not clear. The sun has been spotless on more than 200 days in 2008.