Major Science Headlines — Nov 24, 2025
Here’s a look at the top science news for Nov 24, 2025: a groundbreaking but grim health report, a puzzling Martian find, and cosmic drama as a comet breaks apart.
1. First Human Fatality from H5N5 Bird Flu
A person in Washington state has died from complications after being infected with the H5N5 bird flu strain, marking the first known human fatality tied to this virusThe patient, an older adult with prior health issues, kept a mixed backyard flock, which is suspected to be the source of infection.While serious, health officials say H5N5 doesn’t currently pose a greater risk than H5N1, which has been more widely tracked.
2. A Truly Alien Rock on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover spotted a rock on Mars that’s unlike anything else on the Red Planet — so different, scientists say it may have come from somewhere else entirely. The discovery raises important questions about meteorite impacts, Mars’s geological history, and how much material from other parts of the solar system has visited the planet.
3. The “Other” Comet ATLAS Is Disintegrating
Comet C/2025 K1 (ATLAS) — not to be confused with the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS — is breaking apart in real time. Images captured by the Virtual Telescope Project show the comet has split into three bright fragments. Astronomers suspect the intense gravitational pull from the Sun caused the fragmentation.
4. CDC Turmoil Enters Its Next Chapter
Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is facing internal turmoil. Their website recently began promoting previously debunked anti-vaccine information, according to reports. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed in an interview that he personally ordered the change. This controversy has reignited debates about the credibility and leadership of the agency
