Good Morning! 🌞 

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Happy Monday!

Earth Science

Astronomers Underestimated Sky

Even in the era of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Hubble Space Telescope still holds a key record: the deepest optical views of the Universe. Now in its 35th year, Hubble has spent more time staring at specific patches of sky than any other observatory. Its deepest image—the Hubble Ultra Deep Field—was built from 11 days of total exposure time. A subsection, the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field, doubled that. While JWST has imaged the same region, its shorter exposures mean that Hubble remains better at detecting faint sources in visible light.

But a strange pattern emerges in these deep Hubble images: distant galaxies appear to have sharp edges, as if their light just ends. That’s in contrast to nearby galaxies, which show faint halos and extended stellar streams. In 2018, researchers reanalyzed raw Hubble data and confirmed that these soft outer features do exist—but were being erased by overly aggressive image-processing methods. The faint outer light wasn’t missing from the cosmos—it was missing from the final images.

To address this, scientists developed a new image-processing pipeline called ABYSS, designed to preserve low surface-brightness features. Using the same raw data, ABYSS revealed halos and extended structures around many galaxies that had previously faded into black. These faint features are crucial for understanding how galaxies grow and interact over cosmic time. The updated approach fixed four key stages in the processing pipeline, beginning with improved sky flat fields, and reminded astronomers of a simple truth: sometimes, what you see in the final image depends just as much on how you clean the lens.

Environment

Undersea Ecosystem Thriving

On January 13, a massive iceberg the size of Chicago—named A-84—broke off from Antarctica’s George VI Ice Shelf, exposing 209 square miles of seafloor that had been hidden beneath ice for centuries. The dramatic calving event offered a rare opportunity to explore an untouched underwater world, prompting researchers aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s vessel to divert their expedition and investigate.

Using a remotely operated vehicle, the team spent eight days surveying the newly revealed ecosystem. What they found shocked them: a thriving marine community featuring corals, sponges, icefish, sea spiders, octopuses, and likely several new species. These organisms were not expected to survive under such conditions, given the absence of sunlight and surface-derived nutrients beneath nearly 500 feet of ice. The scientists now believe deep ocean currents are delivering the nutrients necessary to support life, hinting at a previously unknown resilience in these ecosystems.

The size and apparent age of the animals suggest the ecosystem has remained stable for decades, possibly even centuries—making this one of the most significant Antarctic discoveries in recent years. With Antarctic ice loss accelerating and contributing to global sea level rise, researchers also deployed gliders and analyzed satellite data to study glacial meltwater in the area. “This data helps us understand long-term changes and improve future projections,” said expedition co-lead Sasha Montelli.

Good News

Kindness Wins the Race

In the final race of her high school track career, Arkansas student-athlete Kaylee was on pace to break her personal record—a perfect ending to years of dedication. The crowd cheered as she neared the finish line, her last chance to leave it all on the track.

But then, something changed.

Just ahead, a runner from a rival school collapsed—her legs buckling from exhaustion. Without hesitation, Kaylee slowed down, stopped her own race, and turned back. She reached her competitor, lifted her under the arms, and began helping her toward the finish. Step by step, they moved forward together, the crowd now silent, watching something more powerful than a win unfold.

Kaylee crossed the line long after her expected time, but with something more meaningful than a personal best: a quiet act of sportsmanship and compassion that no medal could ever measure.

Support Daily Upsider!

Help our mission to share positive, meaningful news! Your support keeps us going without the need to bombard you with annoying ads!

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

Why did the tomato turn red?

Yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

I am a number. When you add 'G' to me, I go away. What am I?" — one (gone!) Cheri M. got this early! 🌞 

The first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected] or reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured