2020 in science

A number of significant scientific events occurred in 2020.

July: The UAE , [ 1 ] China , [ 2 ] and the United States [ 3 ] launch probes to Mars .
3 July: Via analysis of satellite images , scientists show that certified "sustainable" palm oil production resulted in deforestation of tropical forests of Sumatra and Borneo and endangered mammals' habitat degradation in the last 30 years. [ 12 ]
8 July: Researchers report that they succeeded in using a genetically-altered variant of R. sulfidophilum to produce spidroins , the main proteins in spider silk . [ 28 ]
10 July: Scientists report that the Moon formed slightly later than thought (4.425 ±0.025 bya) and that it hosted an ocean of magma for much longer than previously thought (~200 My). [ 42 ] Image: the thermal state of the Moon at age 100 My (from the study)
13 July: Researchers report the development of a reusable aluminium surface for efficient solar-based water sanitation . [ 51 ]
15 July: In two studies of the Global Carbon Project researchers summarise and analyse new estimates of the global methane budget and provide data and insights on sources and sinks for the geographical regions and economic sectors where the rising anthropogenic methane emissions have changed the most over recent decades. [ 55 ]
16 July: Scientists, using public biological data on 1.75 m people with known lifespans overall, identify 10 genomic loci which appear to intrinsically influence healthspan , lifespan , and longevity and identify haem metabolism as a promising candidate for further research within the field. [ 62 ]
22 July: Astronomers publish the first photo of multiple exoplanets orbiting a sunlike star – TYC 8998-760-1 . [ 68 ]
22 July: Scientists confirm the first detected active leak of sea-bed methane in Antarctica . [ 69 ]
28 July: Marine biologists report that aerobic microorganisms (mainly), in " quasi-suspended animation ", were found in organically-poor sediments , up to 101.5 million years old, 68.9 metres (226 feet) below the seafloor in the South Pacific Gyre (SPG) ("the deadest spot in the ocean"), and could be the longest-living life forms ever found. [ 89 ]
29 July: Scientists report that work honored by the Nobel Prize clusters in only a few scientific fields . [ 92 ]
1 August: Brazil's NISR reports that satellite data shows that the number of fires in the Amazon increased by 28% to ~6,800 fires in July compared to the ~5,300 wildfires in July 2019. [ 102 ] (Image acquired by MODIS on NASA's Aqua satellite on August 1, 2020.) [ 103 ]
5 August: The flora of New Guinea - long known the "Last Botanical Frontier" - is thoroughly cataloged by researchers for the first time. Bulbophyllum is the most diverse plant genus in New Guinea with 658 native species, 91% of them endemic. [ 118 ]
10 August: The dwarf planet Ceres is confirmed to be a water-rich body. [ 134 ]
13 August: Melting of the Greenland ice sheet is shown to have passed the point of no return, based on 40 years of satellite data. The switch to a dynamic state of sustained mass loss resulted from widespread retreat in 2000–2005. [ 147 ]
20 August: Scientists report that the Greenland ice sheet lost a record amount of ice during 2019. [ 184 ]
14 September: Scientists announce the detection of phosphine in Venus ' atmosphere , which is known to be a strong predictor for the presence of microbial life . [ 227 ] (This image is the first received photo sent from the surface of another planet, Venus) . [ 228 ]
18 September: Astronomers report evidence of an exoplanet located in the Whirlpool Galaxy . [ 301 ]
Science Summary for this section (October)
7 October: A quantification of global N 2 O sources and sinks. [ 373 ]
13 October: Betelgeuse is shown to be 25% smaller and closer than previously thought. [ 374 ]
14 October: Room-temperature superconductivity is demonstrated at 15°C, an improvement of 35°C on the previous record. Report is not reliable ( retracted article [ 402 ] ). The image shows a magnet levitating over a superconductor
14 October: A study shows the impact of the C19-pandemic in global CO 2 emissions . [ 403 ]
15 October: The discovery of cyclopropenylidene in the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan is announced. [ 417 ]
20 October: NASA's spacecraft OSIRIS-REx collects a sample from asteroid Bennu , becoming the world's third spacecraft to do so. [ 431 ]
26 October: Astronomers report detecting molecular water on the sunlit surface of the Moon outside of the lunar south pole . [ 438 ]
28 October: the study "Water, energy and land insecurity in global supply chains" explained by a video
29 October: Scientists recommend a healthy preparation procedure of rice. [ 458 ]
Science Summary for this section (November)
4 November: Scientists announce the discovery of Kylinxia which could be at the evolutionary root of arthropods . [ 468 ]
11 November: Scientists report the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RBD antibodies as early as 3 September 2019, which could establish a substantially earlier start time of the C19 pandemic . [ 492 ]
30 November: The 50-year problem of protein structure prediction is reported to be largely solved with an AI algorithm. [ 515 ]
Science Summary for this section (December)
1 December: the Arecibo telescope collapses. [ 531 ]
2 December: The world's first regulatory approval for a cultivated meat product is granted. [ 535 ] (Image shows other cultured meat)
2 December: Scientists confirm 2020 SO to be rocket booster space junk . [ 536 ]
8 December: Second successful retrieval of pristine asteroid-samples via Hayabusa2. [ 547 ]
11 December: the orbital motion for HD 106906 b may be useful for attempts to predict the semi-major axis of the hypothetical Solar System object called Planet Nine . [ 563 ]
16 December: Chinese Chang'e 5 spacecraft return the first lunar sample since 1976. [ 579 ]
18 December: News reports about the detection of candidate ETI radio signal, BLC1 , apparently from the direction of Proxima Centauri , the closest star to the Sun. [ 583 ]