Astronomers have confirmed that ASASSN-24fw dimmed by an extraordinary 97% over a period of more than nine months, starting in late 2024 making it one of the longest and deepest stellar eclipses ever recorded. The star, located in the Monoceros constellation, was monitored through sky surveys that track brightness changes in stars over time. The data clearly shows a prolonged and structured drop in light, far beyond what a normal planet could cause. Scientists say the most likely explanation is a massive ringed object passing in front of the star either a brown dwarf or a super Jupiter–type planet. Unlike typical transits that last hours or days, this event stretched across months, pointing to something enormous in size. The ring system itself is estimated to span about 16 million miles (25 million km), making it one of the largest ever inferred. As different parts of the rings moved across the star, they created layered dimming patterns, which allowed astronomers to study the...
Iranian state media and multiple news outlets are reporting that Major General Majid Khademi, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Intelligence Organisation, has been killed in what Iranian officials describe as enemy attacks amid the ongoing US–Israel military campaign against Iran. Iranian sources including the IRGC‑affiliated Tasnim news agency confirmed his death on April 6, 2026, describing it as occurring during continued hostilities between Iran and forces it blames on the United States and Israel.
Khademi, a senior IRGC general responsible for overseeing intelligence operations and internal security within the Guard, had led the IRGC’s intelligence arm since mid‑2025, a role that placed him at the core of Iran’s counter‑intelligence and defence strategy during escalating regional tensions. Prior to that, he served in significant military intelligence roles and was considered a key figure in Tehran’s security establishment.
Iran’s announcement did not provide specific details about how or where the attack occurred, but state reports described the incident in terms consistent with wartime losses and framed his death in ideological language, referring to “martyrdom” while condemning what Tehran calls “American‑Zionist enemy actions”.
Israeli officials, speaking through media outlets, have publicly claimed responsibility for targeting Iranian leadership figures as part of a broader campaign to degrade Iran’s military infrastructure and command networks, with statements indicating that Khademi was among those killed during coordinated strikes. An Associated Press report quoted an Israeli defence minister saying Israel will continue to target Iranian leadership “one by one.”
His death comes amid an intensifying conflict that has seen a range of Iranian senior commanders and security officials killed or injured since the outbreak of hostilities linked to joint U.S. and Israeli operations. These strikes have also included attacks on multiple strategic locations in and around Tehran, as well as reported airstrike activity targeting military and intelligence infrastructure.

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