Good Morning! 🌞 

Check out these incredible cliff divers! My palms are sweaty after watching this 😅 

Science

Astronomers Fight Back

Recently we did an article on the Stunning Photos from the $2 Billion Space Telescope. In it we mentioned that the space telescope, one NASA’s Great Observatories, may soon face an untimely end.

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory, an orbiting telescope launched in 1999 aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, is under financial threat in NASA’s latest budget proposal. Significant cuts to its funding could lead to layoffs for half of its staff by October and potentially end the mission prematurely around 2026. Astronomers fear that losing this vital telescope could set back high-energy cosmic studies by decades. In response, astronomers are grouping together in an effort to save the incredible telescope.

In an open letter, a group of astronomers asserted that Chandra “is capable of many more years of operation and scientific discovery” and that reducing the budget of this flagship X-ray mission would severely impact both U.S. high-energy astrophysics research and the broader astronomy community.

Samantha Wong, an astronomer at McGill University, emphasized the importance of maintaining such observatories: “It’s a huge monetary and environmental toll to put an observatory up in space, so I think it’s really important to value that and to not treat these instruments as disposable,”. Wong continued, “People outside of astronomy contribute to the cost of these instruments (both literally and in terms of environmental and satellite pollution), so it’s in everyone’s best interest that we use Chandra to the full extent it’s capable of.”

Launched in the 90s along with the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope (decommissioned in 2020), and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (which ended in 2000), Chandra was initially intended to operate for five years. However, its outstanding performance has made it a cornerstone of astronomy research for the past 25 years. Despite the natural degradation over time, Chandra continues to produce excellent scientific results. A recent NASA senior review deemed it “the most powerful X-ray facility in orbit,” with the potential to operate for another decade if the ground team can continue their work.

Entertainment

Clooney and Pitt Reunite in Action-Packed 'Wolfs' Trailer

George Clooney and Brad Pitt team up in the upcoming movie "Wolfs," where they are hired as fixers for the same job. The Apple Studios film also features Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, and Poorna Jagannathan.

This film marks their reunion after working together in "Burn After Reading" (2008) and the "Ocean’s Eleven" series.

Directed by Jon Watts, "Wolfs" is set for release in September.

Sports

Usyk vs Fury Rematch Set for December

Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will face off again on December 21, according to the chairman of Saudi Arabia's general entertainment authority. Usyk previously defeated Fury by split decision on May 18, making him the first undisputed champion of the four-belt era.

The rematch was initially planned for October, but Turki Alalshikh announced the date has been moved to December.

Usyk, the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999, added Fury's WBC belt to his WBA, WBO, and IBF titles in their May bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 37-year-old Ukrainian remains undefeated in his 22 professional fights.

While Alalshikh did not specify the venue for the rematch, he mentioned it will take place during Riyadh Season, an annual winter entertainment festival that has hosted major boxing events since 2019.

This rematch offers 35-year-old Fury a chance to avenge his first career defeat in his 16-year professional career. However, it is unlikely that all four belts will be on the line, as the IBF plans to strip Usyk for not facing its mandatory challenger next.

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

Yesterday’s Answers to the Mind Stretchers:
A Volcano 🌋 

Chris Hostetler got the correct answer first!

Be 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 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.