NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover captured this view of a mountain nearly 57 miles (91 kilometers) away and outside of Gale Crater, where Curiosity landed in 2012. The rover is currently in the foothills of Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain within the crater.
Estimated to be 8,202 feet (2,500 meters) tall, the mountain’s summit just peeks over the crater rim in the panorama. It has never been viewed with this much detail. Toward the lower left, dark rocky outcrops are visible.
Curiosity captured the view with its black-and-white Remote Micro Imager, or RMI. Part of the rover’s ChemCam instrument, RMI can be used like a small telescope to see distant features, creating a circular “spyglass” view. Ten RMI images taken on Aug. 28, 2025 (the 4,643rd Martian day, or sol of the mission) were stitched together to create the mosaic.
Curiosity was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, developed ChemCam in partnership with scientists and engineers funded by the French national space agency (CNES), the University of Toulouse, and the French national research agency (CNRS).
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its ChemCam instrument to capture Peace Vallis, an ancient river channel descending Gale Crater’s rim, on Sept. 1, 2025 (the 4,647th Martian day, or sol, of the mission). The channel was about 19 miles (30 kilometers) from Curiosity as it explores the foothills of Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall (5-kilometer-tall) mountain.
The dark features scattered just left of center within the channel are rocky outcrops. While Curiosity has taken pictures of Peace Vallis in the past, this is the first time details like these have been seen within it. Water and sediment are believed to have flowed down Peace Vallis into Gale Crater billions of years ago, creating a fan of sediment across the crater floor. Studying the crater’s watery past is part of Curiosity’s overall mission to understand where and how well the ancient Martian landscape could have supported microbial life, if any ever formed there.
ChemCam is equipped with the Remote Micro Imager, or RMI, a black-and-white camera that can be used like a small telescope to see distant features, creating a circular “spyglass” image. Ten RMI images were stitched together on Earth into a mosaic to create the panorama seen here.
Curiosity was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program portfolio. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, developed ChemCam in partnership with scientists and engineers funded by the French national space agency CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), the University of Toulouse, and the French national research agency (CNRS).
Haris Rauf made it clear that Pakistan’s players were unaffected by the off-field storm that surrounded their Asia Cup group-stage clash against the UAE, as the side led by Salman Ali Agha brushed aside uncertainty to secure a berth in the Super 4s.
Tension had loomed over the fixture after the PCB lodged multiple complaints with the ICC demanding the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft, following the now-infamous handshake controversy in the India game. The ICC rejected the request several times before Pycroft himself stepped in to clarify matters with the team management, paving the way for the match to go ahead—albeit with a delayed start.
For Rauf, though, none of it mattered once he crossed the boundary rope.
“I wasn’t feeling any pressure. This is not in my control. These are decisions for the board; it’s their headache,” Rauf said at the post-match press conference. “For me, I had to play the match, my focus was on that. The management have handled things pretty well.”
The fast bowler, back in the XI, played his part as Pakistan claimed a dragged-out win, with Shaheen Afridi leading the way in an all-round show. It was the response the team needed after being comprehensively beaten by India earlier in the tournament.
But doubts remain about whether this Pakistan side can really emulate the Champions Trophy-winning squad of 2017, who overcame chaos to script a famous triumph.
“It’s not my domain to speak on who plays and who doesn’t—that’s for the coaches and captain,” Rauf said when asked about parallels to that side. “As a player, if we get the opportunity, it’s on us to make the most of it. As for the batsmen, I’m sure they are discussing things among themselves. We have a few days before the next game, so hopefully we can prepare well.”
That next game is a blockbuster: a Super 4 showdown against defending champions India on September 21. After the off-field noise and the setback in their first meeting, Pakistan will have to put distractions firmly behind them if they are to spark a turnaround.
Harley-Davidson’s liquid-cooled Revolution Max V-twin platform was meant to usher in the Bronx—a muscular streetfighter that, to the disappointment of many, never left the drawing board. Instead, we got the Pan America and the Sportster S.
One is a capable—if odd-looking—adventure tourer; the other is a stylistic mash-up that doesn’t quite land. But both are ripe for customization, provided you know where to start.
Enter CNCPT Moto. Founded by Tim Somers and his team at Powerbrick in the Netherlands, CNCPT has developed custom kits tailored to the Harley-Davidson Pan America and Sportster S. Their Pan America kit strips Harley’s portly ADV down to a lean, mean street ripper, while the Sportster S kit sharpens the bike’s strengths and neatly sidesteps its missteps.
Available now via the Bike EXIF store, the kits are sold in modular sets, so how far you want to take your project is entirely up to you. Installation is genuinely plug-and-play: all you’ll need is a handful of tools, a working knowledge of motorcycle mechanics, and a generous pour of your favorite beverage.
CNCPT Moto Harley-Davidson Pan America kit
In stock form, the Pan America’s bodywork has enough real estate to accommodate a wide range of adventure touring needs. The CNCPT kit does away with the bulkiest bits, turning the Pan Am into a svelte streetfighter with razor-sharp proportions.
The first big hit is the CNCPT Moto Pan-America front-end kit. It does away with most of the front fairing and its associated bracketry, replacing it with a bolt-on stainless steel structure that remounts the OEM nose cone and TFT dashboard, but lower down and more streamlined. Shipped with CNC-machined risers and a set of LSL handlebars, the kit is powder-coated in black and comes with a full set of stainless steel fasteners.
Complementing the pared-down front-end is the comprehensive, and extremely compact, CNCPT Moto rear-end kit. Using a seven-piece billet aluminum subframe as a foundation, it bolts directly to the Pan America’s main frame without the need to put the bike on a lift first.
The tail section kit includes every conceivable part needed to complete the job. The subframe comes pre-anodized in matte black, with a set of aluminum side covers and an aluminum tray to hold the stock ECU. A stainless steel seat pan sits up top, which can be ordered bare or with a seat pad with leather and Alcantara upholstery.
You also get a full set of Venhill hydraulic brake lines, a cover for the ABS module, and a license plate bracket with a Koso LED plate light. The kit re-uses the Pan America’s original taillight but comes with its own LED turn signals; all the lights are wired to plug straight into the stock wiring harness.
CNCPT’s tail kit will work with the original Pan America exhaust—but you can spec it with either a single or double stainless steel muffler setup, depending on your needs and which model Pan America you have.
With both the front- and rear-end kits fitted, the chunky plastic strip that runs over the top of the Pan America’s fuel tank sticks out like a sore thumb. CNCPT Moto suggests removing it and installing their Pan America fuel cap instead. And if you want to go the whole hog, there’s a gorgeous set of Rotobox carbon fiber wheels on offer too, measuring 17” front and back for aggressive street riding.
CNCPT Moto Harley-Davidson Sportster S kit
CNCPT’s Sportster S parts focus on subtle changes that add up to a big transformation. Once again, most of the heavy lifting happens up front, with a ruthless teardown of the Sportster’s clunky cockpit layout.
CNCPT Moto offers two Harley-Davidson Sportster S front-end kits—one that’s set up for clip-on bars, and another that accommodates a traditional handlebar setup. Both kits include anodized billet aluminum yokes, complete with a steering stem and OEM bearings, making them true drop-in replacements.
One setup comes with custom-made clip-ons and a clean top yoke, while the other comes with handlebar clamps and a set of LSL drag bars. The kits are designed to accommodate the stock speedo, headlight, and controls, and come with new Venhill brake hoses and stainless steel fasteners.
CNCPT Moto also offers a bolt-on nacelle for the Harley’s pillbox-style LED headlight. Shipped with its own bracket and stainless steel bolts, it can be fitted directly to either of their front-end kits.
Next up is a full pie-cut, TIG-welded stainless steel twin exhaust system. Modeled after the custom exhaust on CNCPT’s flagship Sportster S build, the system repurposes the original emissions sensors and includes mufflers with internal baffles designed specifically for the Revolution Max engine. It cuts a much sharper line than the humongous stock system, with a rowdy soundtrack to match.
To tidy up the bulky Sportster S further, CNCPT Moto stocks an aluminum radiator, handmade by RC Racing in Italy. Like everything else on the list, it’s a direct replacement for the stock unit—but it looks a hundred times cooler.
You can hook it up to the stock hoses, or order a full set of color-coded Samco coolant hoses (for either the Sportster S or Pan America). Finally, a CNCPT Moto license plate mount, designed to attach to the swingarm, offers a low-profile solution for the Sportster S.
If you’ve got a Harley Pan America or Sportster S sitting in the garage, begging for a makeover, CNCPT Moto has you covered. Well, almost—you’ll need to figure out paint and upholstery yourself.
Scientists have found thousands of exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) throughout the galaxy. Most can be studied only indirectly, but scientists know they vary widely, as depicted in this artist’s concept, from small, rocky worlds and gas giants to water-rich planets and those as hot as stars. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Larger image
The official number of exoplanets — planets outside our solar system — tracked by NASA has reached 6,000. Confirmed planets are added to the count on a rolling basis by scientists from around the world, so no single planet is considered the 6,000th entry. The number is monitored by NASA’s Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI), based at Caltech’s IPAC in Pasadena, California. There are more than 8,000 additional candidate planets awaiting confirmation, with NASA leading the world in searching for life in the universe.
“This milestone represents decades of cosmic exploration driven by NASA space telescopes — exploration that has completely changed the way humanity views the night sky,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Step by step, from discovery to characterization, NASA missions have built the foundation to answering a fundamental question: Are we alone? Now, with our upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and Habitable Worlds Observatory, America will lead the next giant leap — studying worlds like our own around stars like our Sun. This is American ingenuity, and a promise of discovery that unites us all.”
The milestone comes 30 years after the first exoplanet was discovered around a star similar to our Sun, in 1995. (Prior to that, a few planets had been identified around stars that had burned all their fuel and collapsed.) Although researchers think there are billions of planets in the Milky Way galaxy, finding them remains a challenge. In addition to discovering many individual planets with fascinating characteristics as the total number of known exoplanets climbs, scientists are able to see how the general planet population compares to the planets of our own solar system.
For example, while our solar system hosts an equal number of rocky and giant planets, rocky planets appear to be more common in the universe. Researchers have also found a range of planets entirely different from those in our solar system. There are Jupiter-size planets that orbit closer to their parent star than Mercury orbits the Sun; planets that orbit two stars, no stars, and dead stars; planets covered in lava; some with the density of Styrofoam; and others with clouds made of gemstones.
“Each of the different types of planets we discover gives us information about the conditions under which planets can form and, ultimately, how common planets like Earth might be, and where we should be looking for them,” said Dawn Gelino, head of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program (ExEP), located at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “If we want to find out if we’re alone in the universe, all of this knowledge is essential.”
Searching for other worlds
Fewer than 100 exoplanets have been directly imaged, because most planets are so faint they get lost in the light from their parent star. The other four methods of planet detection are indirect. With the transit method, for instance, astronomers look for a star to dim for a short period as an orbiting planet passes in front of it.
To account for the possibility that something other than an exoplanet is responsible for a particular signal, most exoplanet candidates must be confirmed by follow-up observations, often using an additional telescope, and that takes time. That’s why there is a long list of candidates in the NASA Exoplanet Archive (hosted by NExScI) waiting to be confirmed.
“We really need the whole community working together if we want to maximize our investments in these missions that are churning out exoplanets candidates,” said Aurora Kesseli, the deputy science lead for the NASA Exoplanet Archive at IPAC. “A big part of what we do at NExScI is build tools that help the community go out and turn candidate planets into confirmed planets.”
The rate of exoplanet discoveries has accelerated in recent years (the database reached 5,000 confirmed exoplanets just three years ago), and this trend seems likely to continue. Kesseli and her colleagues anticipate receiving thousands of additional exoplanet candidates from the ESA (European Space Agency) Gaia mission, which finds planets through a technique called astrometry, and NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which will discover thousands of new exoplanets primarily through a technique called gravitational microlensing.
Future exoplanets
At NASA, the future of exoplanet science will emphasize finding rocky planets similar to Earth and studying their atmospheres for biosignatures — any characteristic, element, molecule, substance, or feature that can be used as evidence of past or present life. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has already analyzed the chemistry of over 100 exoplanet atmospheres.
But studying the atmospheres of planets the size and temperature of Earth will require new technology. Specifically, scientists need better tools to block the glare of the star a planet orbits. And in the case of an Earth-like planet, the glare would be significant: The Sun is about 10 billion times brighter than Earth — which would be more than enough to drown out our home planet’s light if viewed by a distant observer.
NASA has two main initiatives to try overcoming this hurdle. The Roman telescope will carry a technology demonstration instrument called the Roman Coronagraph that will test new technologies for blocking starlight and making faint planets visible. At its peak performance, the coronagraph should be able to directly image a planet the size and temperature of Jupiter orbiting a star like our Sun, and at a similar distance from that star. With its microlensing survey and coronagraphic observations, Roman will reveal new details about the diversity of planetary systems, showing how common solar systems like our own may be across the galaxy.
Additional advances in coronagraph technology will be needed to build a coronagraph that can detect a planet like Earth. NASA is working on a concept for such a mission, currently named the Habitable Worlds Observatory.
More about ExEP, NExScI
NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program is responsible for implementing the agency’s plans for the discovery and understanding of planetary systems around nearby stars. It acts as a focal point for exoplanet science and technology and integrates cohesive strategies for future discoveries. The science operations and analysis center for ExEP is NExScI, based at IPAC, a science and data center for astrophysics and planetary science at Caltech. JPL is managed by Caltech for NASA.
Chelsea endured a disappointing return to the Champions League as they succumbed to a Harry Kane double in a 3-1 loss at Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening. The Blues – competing in Europe’s premier club competition for the first time since 2022-23 – played well for large spells but they could not build on Cole Palmer’s brilliant first-half strike as Vincent Kompany’s men emerged victorious at the Allianz Arena.
Enzo Maresca’s side started the game brightly, creating a few half chances through the marauding Malo Gusto down the right-hand side, but they fell behind when Michael Olise’s low cross was put into his own net by Trevoh Chalobah. And it looked like it was going to be a long evening for Chelsea when Moises Caicedo brought down Bayern star Kane inside the penalty area, with the England international converting the resulting spot-kick in emphatic fashion.
The visitors didn’t give up, though, and they reduced the arrears just two minutes later when Palmer – Chelsea’s main man once again – curled a beautiful effort past Manuel Neuer. However Maresca’s men found it difficult to make inroads in the second half and after Gusto lost possession in a perilous position, Kane then latched onto Serge Gnabry’s pass to kill the contest.
Here, GOAL rates the Chelsea players on show at the Allianz Arena…
Forget just hearing a new album; last night, London lived one. Together with Spotify,Ed Sheeran pulled off a surprise event that redefined how fans can connect with their favorite artists.
The evening began with an exclusive, immersive listening party for Ed’s new album, Play, at London’s Lightroom space. Fans were surrounded by world-class audio and exclusive footage from Ed’s recording process, making for a multisensory journey into the creative heart of Play.
But the real showstopper? When the lights came up, Ed Sheeran himself walked onto the stage for a surprise chat with host Nihal Arthanayake. The artist pulled back the curtain on Play, sharing stories about its creation, writing music for his wife, Cherry, and collaborating with producer Fred again..
On work-life balance, Ed said, “In my early career, it was 100% work, 0% personal life. Now it’s 70% family, 30% music. Balance isn’t just healthy, it’s success. When I look back at these years with my family and friends, I want to say: I lived those days and I enjoyed every minute.”
He spoke about writing for—and about—Cherry: “Cherry knows I write about everything, not just the good stuff,” he said. “Songs like ‘Perfect’ exist, but so do the ones about real conflict. That’s part of any relationship, and I think it’s important to be honest about it.”
And as for working with Fred again.., Ed said, “Fred taught me pace. You get the idea down first—don’t overthink it. If it’s great, we’ll figure it out. We’d write five songs in a day, just bang, bang, bang, then come back a month later and pick what’s worth finishing.” He added, “It’s the antithesis of the Swedish pop way, where you spend a week on one song. With Fred, it’s energy first, then polish.”
The PlayStation Portal was released back in November of 2023, but I still haven’t ever seen a discount on a brand new unit, even during Sony’s Days of Play Sale back in June. Fortunately, there is a way to get a used one at a huge discount. Amazon Resale just dropped the price of the “Used: Like New” PS Portal to $140.41 after a 25% off coupon that’s automatically applied during checkout. Amazon Resale is Amazon’s official outlet for used items. “Like New” items are usually brand new and never used with damage to the packaging but not to the contents themselves. You still get the 30-day Amazon return policy so it’s a much safer option than buying a used controller off Facebook Marketplace.
PlayStation Portal (Used: Like New) for $140.41
PlayStation Portal
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The PS Portal, Sony’s handheld gaming accessory for the PS5 console, looks very much like an extended split-pad DualSense controller with an 8-inch 1080p LCD screen in the middle of it. It turns your PS5 into a gaming handheld by letting you stream games from your console at up to 60fps. The controller mirrors the same features found on the DualSense, including haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and a touchscreen interface that replaces the Dualsense’s touchpad. The Portal can stream your games even when you’re outside of your home, with the caveat that you have access to very stable, very fast internet connection. Keep in mind that the PS Portal is not a standalone device. This is strictly a remote player for the PlayStation 5, so you will need a PS5 to use it.
You no longer need a PS5 to play games on the PS Portal. Now, rather than being limited to simply streaming games from a $500 console to a $200 handheld, Sony has introduced a feature that lets owners stream games directly from its PlayStation Now cloud streaming service. No PS5 required. Portal owners can either connect the Portal to their PS5 or directly to Sony’s cloud servers (with some new quality of life beta updates that launched in April). Choose the latter and suddenly you have access to a library of more than 120 games, including Ghost of Tsushima, Resident Evil 3 Remake, The Last of Us Part 1 Remastered, and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. It’s worth noting you must be a subscriber to the highest tier of PlayStation Plus, but $18 a month is much more attractive than paying for every new game.
It should be said that the PlayStation Portal isn’t the only way to stream your PS5 games over Wi-Fi within your home. You can mimic its functionality by downloading the PS Remote Play app on a mobile device, including other gaming handhelds like the Steam Deck. That said, it’s more complicated to set up and you’ll lose out on some of the Dualsense’s features.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Models weren’t just rocking runway looks this New York Fashion Week—their off-duty ensembles offered some major style inspiration.
Some models followed the trends, like Stella Hanan and Carol Monteiro, who both put their spin on the capris trend. Hanan styled hers with a sporty windbreaker while Monteiro chose a white, off-the-shoulder top and strappy sandals. Vivienne Rohner, meanwhile, tried out jelly shoes, pairing her translucent fishermen sandals with a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts.
The classic go-see look was also a popular choice, with many of the models opting for basics. While slim-fitting jeans and tank tops were a popular choice, Loli Bahia offered her take with a tomboyish fit: a boxy white tee, baggy jeans, suede Adidas, and a Prada chore coat.
While summer doesn’t officially end for a few days, we also got some pointers on fall fashion. Leather jackets were a favorite, as were baggy trousers. With London, Milan, and Paris ahead, we’ll be keeping an eye on model street style all throughout fashion month. Below, see what models wore during NYFW.
