CANCER KILLER Common over-the-counter 3p painkiller 'prevents killer cancers from spreading'

The 3p painkiller was already thought to lower cancer risks but scientists did not know how. Now a "eureka moment" in a mouse experiment has revealed aspirin reduces levels of a chemical that blocks the action of white blood cells. This could help a patient's own immune system to tackle tumours.

Pharmaceutical companies are investing billions of pounds trying to achieve the same thing with super-expensive new drugs. But experts warn Brits should not try to treat themselves with aspirin because there is a risk of side effects. Study author Professor Rahul Roychoudhuri, from Cambridge University, said: "When cancer first spreads there's a unique window of opportunity when cells are particularly vulnerable to immune attack. "We hope that therapies that target this window of vulnerability will have tremendous scope for preventing cancer recurrence."

Co-author Dr Jie Yang added: "It was a eureka moment when we found this effect. "Aspirin has the potential to be less expensive and more accessible than antibody therapies." Aspirin is a painkiller that some people also take long-term as blood thinner to reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack. It is very cheap and available to buy in shops without a prescription.

Dr Yang found a molecule called TXA2 can suppress cancer-killing T cells, a type of white blood cell. Aspirin lowers TXA2 as part of the way it prevents the blood clotting. Mice with skin cancer that were given aspirin were then found to have a much lower risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers said this could be because the body's own white blood cells were able to kill loose tumour cells circulating in the blood. Around nine in 10 cancer deaths in humans are in patients whose disease has spread.

Cancer patients 'should not start taking aspirin'

Scientists' reaction to the study was mixed and they warned it is not a miracle cure. Professor Ruth Langley, from University College London, is leading a trial of aspirin on human cancer patients. She said: "This is an important discovery but in a small proportion of people, aspirin can cause serious side-effects, including bleeding or stomach ulcers. "It is important to understand which people with cancer are likely to benefit and always talk to your doctor before starting aspirin."

Dr Harvey Roweth, a cancer biologist at the University of Reading, added: "I don't think we can say that cancer patients should be taking aspirin. "There is some promise that it will help patients in the future but it will need to be considered alongside existing therapies. "Aspirin is

extremely unlikely to become a stand-alone treatment for cancers."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/33699118/aspirin-cheap-painkiller-

lower-risk-cancer-spread-cambridge-study/

CANCER KILLER Common over-the-counter 3p painkiller 'prevents killer cancers from spreading'

The 3p painkiller was already thought to lower cancer risks but scientists did not know how. Now a "eureka moment" in a mouse experiment has revealed aspirin reduces levels of a chemical that blocks the action of white blood cells. This could help a patient's own immune system to tackle tumours.

Pharmaceutical companies are investing billions of pounds trying to achieve the same thing with super-expensive new drugs. But experts warn Brits should not try to treat themselves with aspirin because there is a risk of side effects. Study author Professor Rahul Roychoudhuri, from Cambridge University, said: "When cancer first spreads there's a unique window of opportunity when cells are particularly vulnerable to immune attack. "We hope that therapies that target this window of vulnerability will have tremendous scope for preventing cancer recurrence."

Co-author Dr Jie Yang added: "It was a eureka moment when we found this effect. "Aspirin has the potential to be less expensive and more accessible than antibody therapies." Aspirin is a painkiller that some people also take long-term as blood thinner to reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack. It is very cheap and available to buy in shops without a prescription.

Dr Yang found a molecule called TXA2 can suppress cancer-killing T cells, a type of white blood cell. Aspirin lowers TXA2 as part of the way it prevents the blood clotting. Mice with skin cancer that were given aspirin were then found to have a much lower risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers said this could be because the body's own white blood cells were able to kill loose tumour cells circulating in the blood. Around nine in 10 cancer deaths in humans are in patients whose disease has spread.

Cancer patients 'should not start taking aspirin'

Scientists' reaction to the study was mixed and they warned it is not a miracle cure. Professor Ruth Langley, from University College London, is leading a trial of aspirin on human cancer patients. She said: "This is an important discovery but in a small proportion of people, aspirin can cause serious side-effects, including bleeding or stomach ulcers. "It is important to understand which people with cancer are likely to benefit and always talk to your doctor before starting aspirin."

Dr Harvey Roweth, a cancer biologist at the University of Reading, added: "I don't think we can say that cancer patients should be taking aspirin. "There is some promise that it will help patients in the future but it will need to be considered alongside existing therapies. "Aspirin is

extremely unlikely to become a stand-alone treatment for cancers."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/33699118/aspirin-cheap-painkiller-

lower-risk-cancer-spread-cambridge-study/

CANCER KILLER Common over-the-counter 3p painkiller 'prevents killer cancers from spreading'

The 3p painkiller was already thought to lower cancer risks but scientists did not know how. Now a "eureka moment" in a mouse experiment has revealed aspirin reduces levels of a chemical that blocks the action of white blood cells. This could help a patient's own immune system to tackle tumours.

Pharmaceutical companies are investing billions of pounds trying to achieve the same thing with super-expensive new drugs. But experts warn Brits should not try to treat themselves with aspirin because there is a risk of side effects. Study author Professor Rahul Roychoudhuri, from Cambridge University, said: "When cancer first spreads there's a unique window of opportunity when cells are particularly vulnerable to immune attack. "We hope that therapies that target this window of vulnerability will have tremendous scope for preventing cancer recurrence."

Co-author Dr Jie Yang added: "It was a eureka moment when we found this effect. "Aspirin has the potential to be less expensive and more accessible than antibody therapies." Aspirin is a painkiller that some people also take long-term as blood thinner to reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack. It is very cheap and available to buy in shops without a prescription.

Dr Yang found a molecule called TXA2 can suppress cancer-killing T cells, a type of white blood cell. Aspirin lowers TXA2 as part of the way it prevents the blood clotting. Mice with skin cancer that were given aspirin were then found to have a much lower risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers said this could be because the body's own white blood cells were able to kill loose tumour cells circulating in the blood. Around nine in 10 cancer deaths in humans are in patients whose disease has spread.

Cancer patients 'should not start taking aspirin'

Scientists' reaction to the study was mixed and they warned it is not a miracle cure. Professor Ruth Langley, from University College London, is leading a trial of aspirin on human cancer patients. She said: "This is an important discovery but in a small proportion of people, aspirin can cause serious side-effects, including bleeding or stomach ulcers. "It is important to understand which people with cancer are likely to benefit and always talk to your doctor before starting aspirin."

Dr Harvey Roweth, a cancer biologist at the University of Reading, added: "I don't think we can say that cancer patients should be taking aspirin. "There is some promise that it will help patients in the future but it will need to be considered alongside existing therapies. "Aspirin is

extremely unlikely to become a stand-alone treatment for cancers."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/33699118/aspirin-cheap-painkiller-

lower-risk-cancer-spread-cambridge-study/

CANCER KILLER Common over-the-counter 3p painkiller 'prevents killer cancers from spreading'

The 3p painkiller was already thought to lower cancer risks but scientists did not know how. Now a "eureka moment" in a mouse experiment has revealed aspirin reduces levels of a chemical that blocks the action of white blood cells. This could help a patient's own immune system to tackle tumours.

Pharmaceutical companies are investing billions of pounds trying to achieve the same thing with super-expensive new drugs. But experts warn Brits should not try to treat themselves with aspirin because there is a risk of side effects. Study author Professor Rahul Roychoudhuri, from Cambridge University, said: "When cancer first spreads there's a unique window of opportunity when cells are particularly vulnerable to immune attack. "We hope that therapies that target this window of vulnerability will have tremendous scope for preventing cancer recurrence."

Co-author Dr Jie Yang added: "It was a eureka moment when we found this effect. "Aspirin has the potential to be less expensive and more accessible than antibody therapies." Aspirin is a painkiller that some people also take long-term as blood thinner to reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack. It is very cheap and available to buy in shops without a prescription.

Dr Yang found a molecule called TXA2 can suppress cancer-killing T cells, a type of white blood cell. Aspirin lowers TXA2 as part of the way it prevents the blood clotting. Mice with skin cancer that were given aspirin were then found to have a much lower risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers said this could be because the body's own white blood cells were able to kill loose tumour cells circulating in the blood. Around nine in 10 cancer deaths in humans are in patients whose disease has spread.

Cancer patients 'should not start taking aspirin'

Scientists' reaction to the study was mixed and they warned it is not a miracle cure. Professor Ruth Langley, from University College London, is leading a trial of aspirin on human cancer patients. She said: "This is an important discovery but in a small proportion of people, aspirin can cause serious side-effects, including bleeding or stomach ulcers. "It is important to understand which people with cancer are likely to benefit and always talk to your doctor before starting aspirin."

Dr Harvey Roweth, a cancer biologist at the University of Reading, added: "I don't think we can say that cancer patients should be taking aspirin. "There is some promise that it will help patients in the future but it will need to be considered alongside existing therapies. "Aspirin is

extremely unlikely to become a stand-alone treatment for cancers."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/33699118/aspirin-cheap-painkiller-

lower-risk-cancer-spread-cambridge-study/

CANCER KILLER Common over-the-counter 3p painkiller 'prevents killer cancers from spreading'

The 3p painkiller was already thought to lower cancer risks but scientists did not know how. Now a "eureka moment" in a mouse experiment has revealed aspirin reduces levels of a chemical that blocks the action of white blood cells. This could help a patient's own immune system to tackle tumours.

Pharmaceutical companies are investing billions of pounds trying to achieve the same thing with super-expensive new drugs. But experts warn Brits should not try to treat themselves with aspirin because there is a risk of side effects. Study author Professor Rahul Roychoudhuri, from Cambridge University, said: "When cancer first spreads there's a unique window of opportunity when cells are particularly vulnerable to immune attack. "We hope that therapies that target this window of vulnerability will have tremendous scope for preventing cancer recurrence."

Co-author Dr Jie Yang added: "It was a eureka moment when we found this effect. "Aspirin has the potential to be less expensive and more accessible than antibody therapies." Aspirin is a painkiller that some people also take long-term as blood thinner to reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack. It is very cheap and available to buy in shops without a prescription.

Dr Yang found a molecule called TXA2 can suppress cancer-killing T cells, a type of white blood cell. Aspirin lowers TXA2 as part of the way it prevents the blood clotting. Mice with skin cancer that were given aspirin were then found to have a much lower risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers said this could be because the body's own white blood cells were able to kill loose tumour cells circulating in the blood. Around nine in 10 cancer deaths in humans are in patients whose disease has spread.

Cancer patients 'should not start taking aspirin'

Scientists' reaction to the study was mixed and they warned it is not a miracle cure. Professor Ruth Langley, from University College London, is leading a trial of aspirin on human cancer patients. She said: "This is an important discovery but in a small proportion of people, aspirin can cause serious side-effects, including bleeding or stomach ulcers. "It is important to understand which people with cancer are likely to benefit and always talk to your doctor before starting aspirin."

Dr Harvey Roweth, a cancer biologist at the University of Reading, added: "I don't think we can say that cancer patients should be taking aspirin. "There is some promise that it will help patients in the future but it will need to be considered alongside existing therapies. "Aspirin is

extremely unlikely to become a stand-alone treatment for cancers."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/33699118/aspirin-cheap-painkiller-

lower-risk-cancer-spread-cambridge-study/

CANCER KILLER Common over-the-counter 3p painkiller 'prevents killer cancers from spreading'

The 3p painkiller was already thought to lower cancer risks but scientists did not know how. Now a "eureka moment" in a mouse experiment has revealed aspirin reduces levels of a chemical that blocks the action of white blood cells. This could help a patient's own immune system to tackle tumours.

Pharmaceutical companies are investing billions of pounds trying to achieve the same thing with super-expensive new drugs. But experts warn Brits should not try to treat themselves with aspirin because there is a risk of side effects. Study author Professor Rahul Roychoudhuri, from Cambridge University, said: "When cancer first spreads there's a unique window of opportunity when cells are particularly vulnerable to immune attack. "We hope that therapies that target this window of vulnerability will have tremendous scope for preventing cancer recurrence."

Co-author Dr Jie Yang added: "It was a eureka moment when we found this effect. "Aspirin has the potential to be less expensive and more accessible than antibody therapies." Aspirin is a painkiller that some people also take long-term as blood thinner to reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack. It is very cheap and available to buy in shops without a prescription.

Dr Yang found a molecule called TXA2 can suppress cancer-killing T cells, a type of white blood cell. Aspirin lowers TXA2 as part of the way it prevents the blood clotting. Mice with skin cancer that were given aspirin were then found to have a much lower risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers said this could be because the body's own white blood cells were able to kill loose tumour cells circulating in the blood. Around nine in 10 cancer deaths in humans are in patients whose disease has spread.

Cancer patients 'should not start taking aspirin'

Scientists' reaction to the study was mixed and they warned it is not a miracle cure. Professor Ruth Langley, from University College London, is leading a trial of aspirin on human cancer patients. She said: "This is an important discovery but in a small proportion of people, aspirin can cause serious side-effects, including bleeding or stomach ulcers. "It is important to understand which people with cancer are likely to benefit and always talk to your doctor before starting aspirin."

Dr Harvey Roweth, a cancer biologist at the University of Reading, added: "I don't think we can say that cancer patients should be taking aspirin. "There is some promise that it will help patients in the future but it will need to be considered alongside existing therapies. "Aspirin is

extremely unlikely to become a stand-alone treatment for cancers."

https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/33699118/aspirin-cheap-painkiller-

lower-risk-cancer-spread-cambridge-study/

Read the text below and answer question.

TEXT II

TITLE: Asteroid probe snaps rare images of Martian Moon

March 13,2025 3:29 PM

By Agence France-Press

Paris -

On the way to investigate the scene of a historic asteroid collision, a European spacecraft swung by Mars and captured rare images of the red planet's mysterious small moon Deimos, the European Space Agency said Thursday.

Europe's HERA mission is aiming to find out how much of an impact a NASA spacecraft made when it deliberately smashed into an asteroid in 2022 in the first test of our planetary defenses.

But HERA will not reach the asteroid - which is 11 million kilometers from Earth in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter - until late 2026.

On the long voyage there, the spacecraft swung around Mars on Wednesday.

The spacecraft used the planet's gravity to get a “kick” that also changed its direction and saved fuel, mission analyst Pablo Munoz told a press conference.

For an hour, HERA flew as close as 5,600 kilometers from the Martian surface, at a speed of 33,480 kilometers an hour.

It used the opportunity to test some of its scientific instruments, snapping around 600 pictures, including rare ones of Deimos.

The lumpy, 12.5-kilometer-wide moon is the smaller and less well-known of the two moons of Mars.

Exactly how Deimos and the bigger Phobos were formed remains a matter of debate.

Some scientists believe they were once asteroids that were captured in the gravity of Mars, while others think they could have been shot from a massive impact on the surface.

The new images add “another piece of the puzzle” to efforts to determine their origin, Marcel Popescu of the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy said.

There are hopes that data from HERA's "HyperScout" and thermal infrared imagers - which observe colors beyond the limits of the human eye - will shed light on this mystery by discovering more about the moon's composition.

Those infrared imagers are why the red planet appears blue in some of the photos.

Next, HERA will turn its focus back to asteroid Dimorphos. When NASA's DART mission smashed into Dimorphos in 2022, it shortened the 160-meter-wide asteroid's orbit around its big brother Didymos by 33 minutes.

Although Dimorphos itself posed no threat to Earth, HERA intends to discover whether this technique could be an effective way for Earth to defend itself against possibly existence-threatening asteroids in the future.

Space agencies have been working to ramp up Earth's planetary defences, monitoring for potential threats so they can be dealt with as soon as possible.

Earlier this year, a newly discovered asteroid capable of destroying a city was briefly given a more than 3% chance of hitting Earth in 2032.

However further observations sent the chances of a direct hit back down to nearly zero.

Richard Moissl, head of the ESA's planetary defense office, said that asteroid, 2024 YR, followed a pattern that will become more common.

As we get better at scanning the skies, “we will discover asteroids at a higher rate," he said.

The ESA is developing a secondary planetary defense mission to observe the 350-meter-wide asteroid Apophis, which will fly just 32,000 kilometers from Earth on April 13, 2029.

If approved by the ESA's ministerial council, the Ramses mission will launch in 2028, reaching the asteroid two months before it approaches Earth.

(Adapted from: https://www.voanews.com/a/asteroid-probe- snaps-rare-images-of-martian-moor/8009850.html)

Read the text below and answer question.

TEXT II

TITLE: Asteroid probe snaps rare images of Martian Moon

March 13,2025 3:29 PM

By Agence France-Press

Paris -

On the way to investigate the scene of a historic asteroid collision, a European spacecraft swung by Mars and captured rare images of the red planet's mysterious small moon Deimos, the European Space Agency said Thursday.

Europe's HERA mission is aiming to find out how much of an impact a NASA spacecraft made when it deliberately smashed into an asteroid in 2022 in the first test of our planetary defenses.

But HERA will not reach the asteroid - which is 11 million kilometers from Earth in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter - until late 2026.

On the long voyage there, the spacecraft swung around Mars on Wednesday.

The spacecraft used the planet's gravity to get a “kick” that also changed its direction and saved fuel, mission analyst Pablo Munoz told a press conference.

For an hour, HERA flew as close as 5,600 kilometers from the Martian surface, at a speed of 33,480 kilometers an hour.

It used the opportunity to test some of its scientific instruments, snapping around 600 pictures, including rare ones of Deimos.

The lumpy, 12.5-kilometer-wide moon is the smaller and less well-known of the two moons of Mars.

Exactly how Deimos and the bigger Phobos were formed remains a matter of debate.

Some scientists believe they were once asteroids that were captured in the gravity of Mars, while others think they could have been shot from a massive impact on the surface.

The new images add “another piece of the puzzle” to efforts to determine their origin, Marcel Popescu of the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy said.

There are hopes that data from HERA's "HyperScout" and thermal infrared imagers - which observe colors beyond the limits of the human eye - will shed light on this mystery by discovering more about the moon's composition.

Those infrared imagers are why the red planet appears blue in some of the photos.

Next, HERA will turn its focus back to asteroid Dimorphos. When NASA's DART mission smashed into Dimorphos in 2022, it shortened the 160-meter-wide asteroid's orbit around its big brother Didymos by 33 minutes.

Although Dimorphos itself posed no threat to Earth, HERA intends to discover whether this technique could be an effective way for Earth to defend itself against possibly existence-threatening asteroids in the future.

Space agencies have been working to ramp up Earth's planetary defences, monitoring for potential threats so they can be dealt with as soon as possible.

Earlier this year, a newly discovered asteroid capable of destroying a city was briefly given a more than 3% chance of hitting Earth in 2032.

However further observations sent the chances of a direct hit back down to nearly zero.

Richard Moissl, head of the ESA's planetary defense office, said that asteroid, 2024 YR, followed a pattern that will become more common.

As we get better at scanning the skies, “we will discover asteroids at a higher rate," he said.

The ESA is developing a secondary planetary defense mission to observe the 350-meter-wide asteroid Apophis, which will fly just 32,000 kilometers from Earth on April 13, 2029.

If approved by the ESA's ministerial council, the Ramses mission will launch in 2028, reaching the asteroid two months before it approaches Earth.

(Adapted from: https://www.voanews.com/a/asteroid-probe- snaps-rare-images-of-martian-moor/8009850.html)

Read the text below and answer question.

TEXT II

TITLE: Asteroid probe snaps rare images of Martian Moon

March 13,2025 3:29 PM

By Agence France-Press

Paris -

On the way to investigate the scene of a historic asteroid collision, a European spacecraft swung by Mars and captured rare images of the red planet's mysterious small moon Deimos, the European Space Agency said Thursday.

Europe's HERA mission is aiming to find out how much of an impact a NASA spacecraft made when it deliberately smashed into an asteroid in 2022 in the first test of our planetary defenses.

But HERA will not reach the asteroid - which is 11 million kilometers from Earth in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter - until late 2026.

On the long voyage there, the spacecraft swung around Mars on Wednesday.

The spacecraft used the planet's gravity to get a “kick” that also changed its direction and saved fuel, mission analyst Pablo Munoz told a press conference.

For an hour, HERA flew as close as 5,600 kilometers from the Martian surface, at a speed of 33,480 kilometers an hour.

It used the opportunity to test some of its scientific instruments, snapping around 600 pictures, including rare ones of Deimos.

The lumpy, 12.5-kilometer-wide moon is the smaller and less well-known of the two moons of Mars.

Exactly how Deimos and the bigger Phobos were formed remains a matter of debate.

Some scientists believe they were once asteroids that were captured in the gravity of Mars, while others think they could have been shot from a massive impact on the surface.

The new images add “another piece of the puzzle” to efforts to determine their origin, Marcel Popescu of the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy said.

There are hopes that data from HERA's "HyperScout" and thermal infrared imagers - which observe colors beyond the limits of the human eye - will shed light on this mystery by discovering more about the moon's composition.

Those infrared imagers are why the red planet appears blue in some of the photos.

Next, HERA will turn its focus back to asteroid Dimorphos. When NASA's DART mission smashed into Dimorphos in 2022, it shortened the 160-meter-wide asteroid's orbit around its big brother Didymos by 33 minutes.

Although Dimorphos itself posed no threat to Earth, HERA intends to discover whether this technique could be an effective way for Earth to defend itself against possibly existence-threatening asteroids in the future.

Space agencies have been working to ramp up Earth's planetary defences, monitoring for potential threats so they can be dealt with as soon as possible.

Earlier this year, a newly discovered asteroid capable of destroying a city was briefly given a more than 3% chance of hitting Earth in 2032.

However further observations sent the chances of a direct hit back down to nearly zero.

Richard Moissl, head of the ESA's planetary defense office, said that asteroid, 2024 YR, followed a pattern that will become more common.

As we get better at scanning the skies, “we will discover asteroids at a higher rate," he said.

The ESA is developing a secondary planetary defense mission to observe the 350-meter-wide asteroid Apophis, which will fly just 32,000 kilometers from Earth on April 13, 2029.

If approved by the ESA's ministerial council, the Ramses mission will launch in 2028, reaching the asteroid two months before it approaches Earth.

(Adapted from: https://www.voanews.com/a/asteroid-probe- snaps-rare-images-of-martian-moor/8009850.html)

Read the text below and answer question.

TEXT II

TITLE: Asteroid probe snaps rare images of Martian Moon

March 13,2025 3:29 PM

By Agence France-Press

Paris -

On the way to investigate the scene of a historic asteroid collision, a European spacecraft swung by Mars and captured rare images of the red planet's mysterious small moon Deimos, the European Space Agency said Thursday.

Europe's HERA mission is aiming to find out how much of an impact a NASA spacecraft made when it deliberately smashed into an asteroid in 2022 in the first test of our planetary defenses.

But HERA will not reach the asteroid - which is 11 million kilometers from Earth in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter - until late 2026.

On the long voyage there, the spacecraft swung around Mars on Wednesday.

The spacecraft used the planet's gravity to get a “kick” that also changed its direction and saved fuel, mission analyst Pablo Munoz told a press conference.

For an hour, HERA flew as close as 5,600 kilometers from the Martian surface, at a speed of 33,480 kilometers an hour.

It used the opportunity to test some of its scientific instruments, snapping around 600 pictures, including rare ones of Deimos.

The lumpy, 12.5-kilometer-wide moon is the smaller and less well-known of the two moons of Mars.

Exactly how Deimos and the bigger Phobos were formed remains a matter of debate.

Some scientists believe they were once asteroids that were captured in the gravity of Mars, while others think they could have been shot from a massive impact on the surface.

The new images add “another piece of the puzzle” to efforts to determine their origin, Marcel Popescu of the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy said.

There are hopes that data from HERA's "HyperScout" and thermal infrared imagers - which observe colors beyond the limits of the human eye - will shed light on this mystery by discovering more about the moon's composition.

Those infrared imagers are why the red planet appears blue in some of the photos.

Next, HERA will turn its focus back to asteroid Dimorphos. When NASA's DART mission smashed into Dimorphos in 2022, it shortened the 160-meter-wide asteroid's orbit around its big brother Didymos by 33 minutes.

Although Dimorphos itself posed no threat to Earth, HERA intends to discover whether this technique could be an effective way for Earth to defend itself against possibly existence-threatening asteroids in the future.

Space agencies have been working to ramp up Earth's planetary defences, monitoring for potential threats so they can be dealt with as soon as possible.

Earlier this year, a newly discovered asteroid capable of destroying a city was briefly given a more than 3% chance of hitting Earth in 2032.

However further observations sent the chances of a direct hit back down to nearly zero.

Richard Moissl, head of the ESA's planetary defense office, said that asteroid, 2024 YR, followed a pattern that will become more common.

As we get better at scanning the skies, “we will discover asteroids at a higher rate," he said.

The ESA is developing a secondary planetary defense mission to observe the 350-meter-wide asteroid Apophis, which will fly just 32,000 kilometers from Earth on April 13, 2029.

If approved by the ESA's ministerial council, the Ramses mission will launch in 2028, reaching the asteroid two months before it approaches Earth.

(Adapted from: https://www.voanews.com/a/asteroid-probe- snaps-rare-images-of-martian-moor/8009850.html)