Science News Roundup: Scientists at CERN observe three "exotic" particles for first time; China rejects NASA's accusation it will take over the moon

The 27 kilometre-long (16.8 mile) LHC at CERN is the machine that found the Higgs boson particle, which along with its linked energy field is thought to be vital to the formation of the universe after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. China rejects NASA accusation it will take over the moon China on Monday rejected as an irresponsible smear a warning from the chief of NASA that China might "take over" the moon as part of a military programme, saying it has always called for the building of a community of nations in outer space.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Scientists at CERN observe three "exotic" particles for first time

Scientists working with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have discovered three subatomic particles never seen before as they work to unlock the building blocks of the universe, the European nuclear research centre CERN said on Tuesday. The 27-kilometre-long (16.8-mile) LHC at CERN is the machine that found the Higgs boson particle, which along with its linked energy field is thought to be vital to the formation of the universe after the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago.

China rejects NASA's accusation it will take over the moon

China on Monday rejected as an irresponsible smear a warning from the chief of NASA that China might "take over" the moon as part of a military programme, saying it has always called for the building of a community of nations in outer space. China has stepped up the pace of its space programme in the past decade, with the exploration of the moon a focus. China made its first lunar uncrewed landing in 2013 and expects to launch rockets powerful enough to send astronauts to the moon towards the end of this decade.

(With inputs from agencies.)