Wednesday, May 13, 2026

President Trump departed for Beijing for a three-day state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the first visit to China by a U.S. president in nearly nine years, with discussions expected to focus on trade, Taiwan, and the ongoing conflict with Iran.^[1]

Astronomers using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have created the most detailed map ever of the universe's "cosmic web"—the vast filament structure that connects galaxies across space—by analyzing more than 164,000 galaxies stretching back to when the universe was only about one billion years old.^[2]

NASA's Psyche spacecraft will perform a close flyby of Mars on May 15, passing just 2,800 miles above the planet's surface at approximately 12,333 mph to use the planet's gravity to speed up and adjust its trajectory toward the metal-rich asteroid Psyche.^[3]

Researchers at the University of Missouri have developed a specially engineered algae that can capture microplastics from water by producing limonene, an orange-scented oil that binds to the plastic particles and forms easy-to-remove clumps, while also cleaning wastewater as it grows.^[4]

Scientists have discovered a new method to detect potential alien life by looking for statistical patterns in how organic molecules are organized, finding that living systems leave behind a distinct chemical "fingerprint" in the distribution of amino acids and fatty acids.^[5]

SpaceX's CRS-34 cargo mission to the International Space Station is now scheduled for launch on May 13 after weather delayed the original May 12 attempt, with a Dragon spacecraft carrying approximately 6,500 pounds of supplies and scientific experiments including bone scaffold research for osteoporosis.^[6]

A new model of Jupiter's moon Ganymede—the largest moon in the solar system and the only one with its own magnetic field—suggests its magnetic field is powered by ongoing core formation rather than a fully formed, cooling core as previously believed.^[7]

BTS's new album "Arirang" topped Apple Music's global albums chart in 115 countries and regions, with the streaming platform reporting that the K-pop group recorded the highest daily streaming total ever by an artist on the album's release day.^[8]

Passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship affected by the hantavirus outbreak have been evacuated to their home countries after the ship left Tenerife, with the WHO stating the situation is now under control and "is not another COVID."^[9]

Radio telescope observations have confirmed a giant radio halo extending over 3.3 million light years in the galaxy cluster RXCJ0232–4420, providing new insights into how these massive structures form and evolve.^[10]