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ESA Releases Mosaic of Images Captured by SOHO

Montage of 25 images captured by SOHO. (SOHO/ESA/NASA)
Montage of 25 images captured by SOHO. (SOHO/ESA/NASA)
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ESA Releases Mosaic of Images Captured by SOHO

Montage of 25 images captured by SOHO. (SOHO/ESA/NASA)
Montage of 25 images captured by SOHO. (SOHO/ESA/NASA)

The European Space Agency (ESA) compiled a wonderful mosaic of images, and NASA put together a remarkable SOHO "greatest hits" video covering the top missions in the history of the probe which launched in December, 25 years ago.

SOHO was designed to observe the Sun and its atmosphere for two years only. But the spacecraft showed itself to be a workhorse, and the mission was so successful that ESA and NASA decided to prolong its life several times.

The probe has collected massive data used in nearly 6,000 scientific papers, including the compiled mosaic designed by ESA. According to a report published Sunday by the Science Alert website, the mosaic includes the first images ever of a star's convection zone and of the structure of sunspots below the surface, the most detailed and precise measurements of the temperature structure, the interior rotation, and gas flows in the solar interior. It also includes images of the new dynamic solar phenomena such as coronal waves and solar tornadoes.

"These images are the greatest achievement of this probe, which has been a cornerstone of modern solar physics," said Professor Peter Gallagher, director of Dunsink Observatory in Dublin Ireland, and head of Astrophysics at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS).

The scientific payload of SOHO comprises 12 complementary instruments, developed and furnished by an international consortium of 29 institutes from 15 countries. More than 1,500 scientists in countries from around the world are either directly involved in SOHO's instruments or have used SOHO data in their research programs.

Astrophysicist Karl Battams, who is the principal investigator for one of SOHO's instruments, said on Twitter that when he was an undergrad in 2001, his solar physics professor "told us that if we had any solar physics textbooks published before SOHO, we should not use them for her class. SOHO literally re-wrote the books on solar physics.

"It has been, and continues to be, an absolute honor and privilege to work on such an incredible mission, with such an amazing team of scientists and engineers!" added Battams.

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Varieties

Typhoon Exposes Centuries-old Shipwreck Off Vietnam Port

People stand next to a centuries-old shipwreck uncovered in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi on a beach off the Hoi An coast in central Vietnam, on November 10, 2025. (Photo by Tam Xuan / AFP)
People stand next to a centuries-old shipwreck uncovered in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi on a beach off the Hoi An coast in central Vietnam, on November 10, 2025. (Photo by Tam Xuan / AFP)
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Typhoon Exposes Centuries-old Shipwreck Off Vietnam Port

People stand next to a centuries-old shipwreck uncovered in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi on a beach off the Hoi An coast in central Vietnam, on November 10, 2025. (Photo by Tam Xuan / AFP)
People stand next to a centuries-old shipwreck uncovered in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi on a beach off the Hoi An coast in central Vietnam, on November 10, 2025. (Photo by Tam Xuan / AFP)

Severe coastal erosion caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi exposed a centuries-old shipwreck in Vietnam, providing a narrow window to salvage what experts say could be a historically significant find.

Initially discovered in 2023 off the coast of Hoi An, the at least 17.4-metre (57-foot) vessel -- whose heavy wood-ribbed hull survived hundreds of years of rough seas almost perfectly intact -- was resubmerged before authorities could reclaim it.

Experts have not yet dated the wreck, but preliminary findings suggest it was built between the 14th and 16th centuries -- when UNESCO-listed Hoi An was at the center of a thriving regional trade in silk, ceramics and spices.

"We are currently preparing to apply for an emergency excavation (permit)," Pham Phu Ngoc, director of the Hoi An Center for the Preservation of World Cultural Heritage, told AFP on Monday after the wreck resurfaced following the passage of Typhoon Kalmaegi last week.

"The discovery of this ancient ship is clear evidence of Hoi An's significant historical role in regional trade," he said, adding more of the ship had been exposed this time "which could provide us with more information.”

A team of experts from the Hoi An preservation center, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City and a local museum surveyed the wreck last year.

In addition to the rough age estimate, they found it had been made from "durable and high-strength timber" and reinforced with waterproofing materials to seal its joints.

"The ship's structure suggests that it was capable of long-distance voyages, likely used for maritime trade or naval operations," the Hoi An center said in an earlier statement.

The relic is at risk of "serious deterioration without immediate conservation actions" given the severe coastal erosion and the ship's frequent exposure to harsh weather conditions, it said.

The wreck was still clearly visible on Monday, with crowds gathered on the beach to view its striking skeletal frame.

Varieties

German Bread Could be More Famous Than the French Baguette

According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country
According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country
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German Bread Could be More Famous Than the French Baguette

According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country
According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country

You’ve seen the French sauntering around with slender baguettes under their arms or sporting jaunty berets as they pedal bicycles laden with crusty bread.

Those cinematic scenes are nice, but when you really get down to business — as my countrymen are inclined to do — it’s obvious that the world’s best bread comes from Germany, according to CNN news.

It said Germans have more varieties of bread than most other countries.

According to the bread register of the German Institute for Bread, there are now more than 3,200 officially recognized types of bread in the country. German bread culture was officially added by UNESCO to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2015.

A key German term rests upon those hearty loaves: one of the words for work is Broterwerb, literally “gaining one’s bread.”

Bread is a staple for most meals in Germany: at breakfast, break-time (sometimes called Pausenbrot, or “break bread”) and dinner or Abendbrot, literally the “bread of the evening.”

“It sells like sliced bread” is a German proverb describing fast-selling items.

Bread even stars on TV: a talking loaf named Bernd has become a popular character among German children. The comedy series “Bernd das Brot.” hosted by the titular character, began airing on the children’s channel KI.KA since 2000.

One of the reasons for this immense variety in bread products is the fragmented history of Germany up until the 19th century.

Until then, what is known as Germany now was a cluster of hundreds of small duchies or kingdoms, all with their own distinct culture and dialect, and with their own bread.

So, bread has evolved in Germany from a staple food to a strong symbol of cultural and historical identity, and a source of national pride no less valuable than any of its famous landmarks.

Varieties

British University Calls Charles Dickens a Racist

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) 
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) 
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British University Calls Charles Dickens a Racist

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) 
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) 

In a move that sparked widespread debate in academic and cultural circles, the University of Manchester accused Britain's greatest novelist, Charles Dickens, of expressing “racist views” because he wrote an essay in 1851 criticizing the Chinese society.

The University, which has around 9,000 students from mainland China, said Dickens “expresses racist views, particularly against Chinese people.”

It wrote that any undergraduates “concerned” about reading the article are invited to discuss it with the course tutor at the university.

Critics branded the warning “historically illiterate” and accused the university of prioritizing its commercial links with the communist state.

The controversy comes days after it emerged Sheffield Hallam University had stopped one of its academics from investigating human rights abuses in China under pressure from the Chinese authorities, according to the Daily Mail.

The British newspaper said staff from China's National Security Agency are reported to have threatened the university's employees in China in an effort to get Professor Laura Murphy's research stopped.

They also blocked access to the university's websites from China meaning it could no longer recruit students, who pay several times what UK based undergraduates do.

The University of Manchester's warning, details of which have been obtained by this newspaper under Freedom of Information laws, has been issued to students studying an English Literature module called Victorian Rights: Victorian Wrongs.

It applies to an 1851 magazine article entitled The Great Exhibition and the Little One which Dickens co–authored with poet and critic Richard Horne.

The article praised England for maintaining commercial contacts with the whole world and criticized China for “coming to a dead stop.”

To illustrate their point, the authors compared the scientific and technological wonders on display in the Great Exhibition of 1851 with an exhibition of traditional Chinese arts and crafts running concurrently at Hyde Park Place in London.