360The questions behind the news
Clear answers in 60 words, with the full explanation in 360 words or fewer.
- Explainer
What is a solar eclipse, and when is the next one?
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and casts a shadow on our planet. In a total eclipse, the Moon covers the whole Sun and day turns to twilight for a few minutes. The next total eclipses cross Spain in 2026, Egypt and Saudi Arabia in 2027, and Australia in 2028.
- Explainer
How do US midterm elections work?
US midterm elections are held halfway through a president's four-year term. Voters elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives, about a third of the 100 senators, and many state governors. The president is not on the ballot, but the results decide which party controls Congress, which writes laws and approves the budget.
- Explainer
What is a COP climate conference?
A COP, or Conference of the Parties, is the yearly United Nations climate summit, where almost every country meets to negotiate how to tackle climate change. COP21 produced the Paris Agreement in 2015. COP31 takes place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. Decisions need the agreement of all countries, so talks often run late.
- Explainer
What is a cyclone, and how is it different from a hurricane?
Cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons are the same kind of storm: a huge, spinning tropical storm that forms over warm seas. The name depends on where it happens. In the Atlantic they are hurricanes, in the northwest Pacific typhoons, and in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific cyclones. They bring destructive winds, heavy rain and storm surges.
- Explainer
What is NASA's Artemis programme?
Artemis is NASA's programme to return astronauts to the Moon, for the first time since 1972, and to stay longer. Artemis I flew around the Moon without crew in 2022, and Artemis II carried four astronauts around it in 2026. NASA plans an Earth-orbit test of moon landers in 2027 and a crewed landing near the south pole around 2028.
- Explainer
Why do we have leap years?
A year on Earth, the time it takes to orbit the Sun, is about 365 and a quarter days. To keep the calendar in step with the seasons, an extra day, 29 February, is added almost every four years. Century years are leap years only if they divide by 400, so 2000 was one, but 2100 will not be.