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BBC News
03-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
In 2025 how and when to see July's full Moon and the Delta Aquariid meteor shower
From a meteor shower, a dual display of the Moon and Mars, to a full Moon - there are an array of celestial events to look out for after dark this first happens on Friday 4 when the July night sky will bring the greatest chance of seeing the planet Mercury in 2025. It will be at its furthest distance from the Sun, making it easier to spot in the sky just after sunset. If you look towards the low western area of the horizon during twilight you should hopefully catch a glimpse of Mercury appearing to look like a small star. But be quick before it follows the Sun and dips below the skyline. Will you or won't you see the full Moon? The full Buck Moon rises on 10 July at around 22:00 BST but whether or not you get to see it depends on where you are - and the weather conditions of course. As with the other full Moons across the year, they are named after events in nature happening around the same time. This month's full Moon was named to represent the time of year when male deer, known as bucks, begin to grow their new antlers. For many it marked the start of the game hunting to the Sky at Night magazine this month's full Moon will be a low hanging one, external, meaning that in some parts of the northern hemisphere, including the UK, it might be too close to the horizon to really see it well. More meteors for July Starting on 12 July, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower begins its annual display, peaking on the nights of 28 and 29 can expect between 15 and 20 meteors an hour especially in dark-sky locations, but you'll need to be up after midnight to see them. While they're best viewed from the southern hemisphere, observers in the northern hemisphere should still catch a decent are believed to originate from Comet 96P/Machholz, a short-period comet that orbits the Sun every five years. The meteors tend to be faint, so darker skies will enhance visibility, especially around the new Moon on 24 July when it could also be possible to see parts of the Milky Way. The Moon and Mars are a double delight Just to keep you on tenterhooks you have to wait until July ends to see a striking conjunction of the Moon and Mars on 29 JulyIf you look to the eastern sky before dawn you should be able to see the waning crescent Moon closely aligned with the red skies are clear, you may be lucky enough to observe Mars and its striking reddish forget that the weather and cloud cover in your location will have an impact on what you can see, but you can check that and the sunrise/sunset times where you are on the BBC Weather app or online.
Medscape
02-06-2025
- Business
- Medscape
Recombinant Flu Shots Extend Protection to Children
The quadrivalent recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV4) demonstrated non-inferior immune responses in children and adolescents aged 9-17 years compared with adults aged 18-49 years, with the safety profile comparable between both age groups, providing a suitable alternative to egg-based formulations for children. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a phase 3, non-randomised, immunobridging study during the 2022-2023 northern hemisphere influenza season to evaluate whether immune responses to RIV4 in children (aged 9-17 years) were non-inferior to those in adults (aged 18-49 years). They enrolled 648 children and adolescents (mean age, 13 years; 52% boys) and 660 adults (mean age, 34.3 years; 40% men). All participants received a single intramuscular dose of RIV4 (45 μg haemagglutinin of each of A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B/Victoria, and B/Yamagata strains) and were monitored for 6 months on days 9, 29, and 181. The endpoint was measured using haemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titre ratios and the difference in seroconversion rates at day 29 post-vaccination. Non-inferiority was established if the lower limit of the 95% CI exceeded 0.667 for geometric mean titre ratios and −10% or above for seroconversion, for each of the four strains. TAKEAWAY: At day 29, the ratio of geometric mean HAI titres between children and adolescents and adult groups was well above the prespecified non-inferiority margin for A/H1N1 (2.0; 95% CI, 1.7-2.3), H3N2 (3.3; 95% CI, 2.8-3.9), B/Victoria (1.6; 95% CI, 1.4-1.8), and B/Yamagata (1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4) strains. Similarly, the difference in seroconversion rates between the two groups was also above the prespecified non-inferiority margin for all the four strains. The safety profile of RIV4 was comparable between the two groups; however, solicited reactions within 7 days post-vaccination were less common in children and adolescents than in adults. None of the serious and medically attended adverse events were related to the vaccine, and no deaths or adverse events of special interest were reported in either group. IN PRACTICE: "Having multiple influenza vaccine options is crucial to successfully combating influenza, and these options need to be available for children. Prioritising children in influenza vaccine studies is an important step in combating the global burden of influenza," the authors of a commentary wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Pedro M. Folegatti, DPhil, Sanofi, Marcy-l'Étoile, France. It was published online on May 21, 2025, in The Lancet Infectious Diseases . LIMITATIONS: This study did not investigate immune responses in children younger than 9 years. The evaluation was limited to just one influenza season, and no clinical testing for influenza disease or infection was conducted, potentially accounting for some of the increased antibody responses observed. DISCLOSURES: This study was funded by Sanofi. Seven authors reported being employees of and may have held shares in Sanofi. Two other authors reported having financial ties with other pharmaceutical companies.
