Thursday, January 2, 2025

This week’s Discovery newsletter dives into a forgotten WWII battlefield, sees what’s reshaping religion ... and discovers a potent defender against destructive asteroids hurtling toward us.

PHOTOGRAPH BY EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY/THAYERMAHAN, INC./NOAA OCEAN EXPLORATION 

Six months after Pearl Harbor, U.S. and Japanese forces squared off in the waters off Alaska—and Japanese troops captured two islands until they were driven off a year later. The grim campaign took place on land and sea in an area that is now uninhabited, and only now is the full scope coming into view.

Related: Wreck of German U-boat found off Virginia
From the vault: Shipwreck of legendary ‘Goonies’ Spanish galleon found off Oregon coast

PHOTOGRAPH BY LEE JIN-MAN, AP PHOTO 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY NASA, ESA, CSA, CRISTINA THOMAS, IAN WONG 

The world’s largest telescope has a new job: Hunting asteroids. Even small asteroids hurtling our way can do a lot of damage—and this telescope seems adapt at early detection of the tiniest of space rocks.
See how. 

In other news: Suspicious about nighttime drones, origins of other weirdness? Here are 5 times the U.S. government revealed secrets it tried to keep hidden.

Today’s Soundtrack: Cheer Up Free Your Mind, Jenny O.

Today’s newsletter was edited and curated by David Beard and produced by Alisher Egamov. Sign up here to get tomorrow’s Top Ten stories of the week or catch Sunday’s Photo of The Week.