Today's space and astronomy news features lunar observations, celestial mechanics, and related scientific discoveries including moon-planet conjunctions and atmospheric research.

A young crescent moon will journey past Venus and Jupiter in the western sky over the coming evenings, offering skywatchers a beautiful sequence of celestial alignments to observe after sunset this week.

Researchers have discovered high levels of toxic 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) off the coast of southern England, with concentrations in the Solent reaching 13 times safe limits in some places, largely sourced from treated sewage.

A humpback whale has set a new migration record, traveling 15,000km from Brazil to north-east Australia over 22 years, demonstrating remarkable navigational abilities across ocean basins.

De-extinction firm Colossal Biosciences has achieved a breakthrough in artificial eggshell development for reviving the extinct giant flightless moa of New Zealand, though other scientists remain skeptical about scaling up the incubation system.

Russia is planning to advertise on rockets and spacecraft, marking a novel approach to commercial space operations and monetization of launch vehicles.

Stardust Solutions proposes using tiny reflective particles to cool the planet by reflecting the sun's rays, but critics argue private companies should not unilaterally alter Earth's atmosphere.

Scientists warn that bird flu (H5N1) could pose a pandemic risk if it makes the jump to humans in 2026, potentially creating an outbreak worse than Covid-19.

An Egyptian mummy from the Roman era was discovered buried with a copy of Homer's 'Iliad,' suggesting Greek literature may have served as a spiritual guide for the afterlife in ancient Egypt.