SpaceExplainer

Webb reads the dust left by planetary collisions

Minerals, changing brightness and passing clouds reveal different parts of an impact’s aftermath. Together, they are helping astronomers reconstruct how rocky worlds take shape.

9 min read

Illustration of two rocky bodies colliding, throwing glowing debris into a disk around a star. — Artist’s concept · October 2026 · NASA, ESA, CSA, J. Olmsted (STScI) / CC BY 4.0

THE DAYBREAK / THE MORNING LETTER

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The sporting weekend

Szmyt’s 56-yarder lifts Browns after Steelers erase fourteen-point lead

Cleveland wins 27–24 after Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf bring Pittsburgh back. Deshaun Watson supplies another late drive, and Andre Szmyt finishes it with a career-long field goal.

5 min read

Andre Szmyt in a white Browns number 25 practice jersey, holding his helmet on a training field. — File photograph · August 2026 · Erik Drost / CC BY 4.0

Your teams & this week’s watch guide

A wider view

BusinessReporting

Boeing’s engineers approve a richer contract, with trust still to rebuild

A second offer passed after an August rejection. The pay rises are substantial, but the technical unit’s narrow vote and limits on job protections leave work to do on the employment relationship.

4 min read

Aerial view of Boeing’s broad assembly buildings, aircraft and surrounding roads in Everett. — File photograph · March 9, 2008 · Maurice King / CC BY 2.0

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