Category: Science

Efforts to shield Earth from asteroid impacts have advanced, but significant gaps remain in planetary defence systems. Robin George Andrews’ book How to Kill an Asteroid delves into the complexities of safeguarding the planet from potentially catastrophic asteroid collisions, as per a report. According to the book, the key strategy involves deflecting asteroids from their […]

Blood types, a critical factor in transfusion medicine, have been studied extensively since the early 20th century. The ABO blood group system, established by Austrian immunologist Dr. Karl Landsteiner in 1901, introduced the understanding of four main blood types: A, B, AB, and O. These discoveries, which earned Landsteiner the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physiology […]

Efforts to establish a lunar time standard have been initiated as part of preparations for increased international presence on the Moon under NASA’s Artemis programme. According to reports, the White House in April 2024 called for the creation of a unified lunar time system, essential for future missions and potential human bases. The core challenge […]

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, a next-generation observatory by NASA, has reached a pivotal stage with the delivery of its Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) to the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. The assembly, designed and constructed by L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York, forms the “eye” of the telescope and is expected to […]

S Somanath, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), emphasised the significance of adopting an economic model similar to that used by Elon Musk in space exploration. As per several reports, Somanath made the revelation at the Huddle Global 2024 event hosted by the Kerala government. The reports highlights that Somanath believes that Musk’s […]

The first phase of astronaut training for India’s Gaganyaan mission, a collaborative effort between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA, has been successfully completed. ISRO announced this milestone in an official statment, which confirmed that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the primary crew member, and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, the backup crew member, […]

A dramatic flow of lava from an active fissure near Iceland’s Blue Lagoon was captured by NASA’s satellites, highlighting the ongoing volcanic activity on the Reykjanes Peninsula. The images, taken by Landsat 9 and Suomi NPP satellites, were released on November 27, showing the intensity of the eruption that began on November 20. The infrared […]

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites was launched by SpaceX from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on November 30, 2024, at 12:00am EST (10:30am IST). According to a report, this marked the latest addition to the company’s growing Starlink constellation, designed to provide global internet coverage. Satellite Deployment and Low-Earth Orbit […]

NASA’s Curiosity rover is gearing up for a fresh phase of exploration on Mars, targeting a striking patch of surface features resembling spiderwebs. These structures, referred to as “boxwork deposits,” extend over an area of 10 to 20 kilometres and are believed to hold clues about the Red Planet’s ancient water systems, according to reports […]

Using advanced infrared imaging, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured unprecedented details of the supermassive star cluster Westerlund 1, located around 12,000 light-years from Earth. The findings, released by the Extended Westerlund 1 and 2 Open Clusters Survey (EWOCS), provide critical insights into the cluster’s stellar composition and formation processes. Spanning over 6.6 light-years […]

In a study published in Communications Earth & Environment, scientists uncovered evidence of an immense solar storm that struck Earth around 664–663 BCE. According to reports, researchers from the University of Arizona, including dendrochronologist Dr Irina Panyushkina and radiocarbon expert Dr Timothy Jull, said this “Miyake Event” left traces in ancient tree rings. These findings […]

NASA has reportedly successfully restored communications with Voyager 1, the farthest spacecraft from Earth, following a disruption in October. The spacecraft, launched in September 1977, had been unresponsive due to a fault triggered by low power levels, causing it to switch to a transmitter NASA’s Deep Space Network could not detect. The restoration, confirmed on November […]

Chinese scientists are reportedly racing against time to protect potatoes, a vital global food crop, from the adverse effects of climate change. Research conducted under the International Potato Center (CIP) in Beijing is said to have revealed alarming reductions in potato yields when exposed to higher temperatures. Potatoes grown in simulated conditions, replicating future climate […]

A recent study by researchers at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment has examined the water quality effects of a historic lithium mine in North Carolina, specifically near Kings Mountain. Conducted by a team led by Avner Vengosh, a Distinguished Professor of Environmental Quality, the study highlights the presence of elevated levels of lithium, […]

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has deployed its advanced satellite technology to closely monitor Cyclone Fengal as it nears the Tamil Nadu coast. The monitoring, which began on November 23, involves critical data collection using the EOS-06 Scatterometer, a key instrument of the Oceansat-3 mission, and the geostationary INSAT-3DR satellite. These systems have provided […]

A gas giant exoplanet, estimated to be just 3 million years old, has been identified by researchers as one of the youngest planets ever observed. The planet, named TIDYE-1b, orbits a protostar located in the Taurus molecular cloud approximately 520 light-years from Earth. Scientists have described this discovery as a rare opportunity to examine planetary […]

A discovery in Kenya has revealed that Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei, two distinct hominin species, coexisted 1.5 million years ago, according to reports. According to a study published in the journal Science on Thursday, the footprints were uncovered at Koobi Fora near Lake Turkana in 2021. These findings suggest that these two species not […]

A research paper published in the Scientific Reports journal has detailed the discovery of embalming practices by an aristocratic French family between the 16th and 17th centuries. A team from the Austrian Archaeological Institute, Université de Bordeaux, and Aix-Marseille Université uncovered remains of the dead in a shared crypt at Château des Milandes in Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, […]

In a study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, researchers have quantified the significant loss of continental crust to the mantle during the formation of major mountain ranges, including the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau. Dr. Ziyi Zhu, a Research Fellow at Monash University, along with colleagues, conducted an analysis of crustal dynamics, revealing that up to […]

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will deploy the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission on December 4, 2024, using its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Sriharikota, as per multiple sources. The mission, designed to examine the Sun’s corona, marks a significant collaboration between India and Europe. Proba-3 will attempt precision formation flying, where […]

An asteroid, identified as 2022 WJ1, exploded in a bright green fireball above southern Ontario on November 19, 2022, according to a new study published in The Planetary Science Journal. The space rock, which was only 20 inches wide, is the smallest asteroid ever measured accurately, as confirmed by researchers. It was first detected just […]

Astronomers have been perplexed by the existence of supermassive black holes detected during the universe’s earliest phases, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Recent findings, as detailed in a study submitted to the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, suggest these cosmic giants may have originated as primordial “seeds” during the […]

NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft has begun deploying its scientific instruments during its journey to Jupiter. The probe, launched on October 14, 2023 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Centre, is set to study Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. Europa is believed to possess a subsurface ocean, potentially harbouring conditions suitable for life. […]

A study published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science has reported the discovery of terrestrial micro-organisms in a sample returned from asteroid Ryugu by Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission. According to researchers, these microbes, identified as Earth-based in origin, had colonised the sample after its return to Earth in December 2020. The findings have highlighted concerns regarding the […]

Seagrass meadows, which serve as critical marine ecosystems, have been mapped more accurately using satellite-tagged green turtles compared to conventional satellite imagery, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. These underwater habitats are vital for biodiversity, carbon storage, and stabilising seabeds. However, their mapping has remained a challenge due […]

Recent studies, published in Physical Review D on September 16 and 17, have proposed that microscopic black holes may be present within the solar system, potentially affecting the paths of planets and satellites. These objects, referred to as primordial black holes, are thought to have formed during the early universe. Estimated to have asteroid-like masses […]

A major milestone in spaceflight was reached by SpaceX on Wednesday (November 27) with the successful launch of 24 Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission, conducted from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, began at 11:41 pm EST (10:11 am IST, November 28) and marked the Falcon 9’s 400th successful mission since its […]

A study published in Nature has provided new insights into the environment during the time when dinosaurs began to dominate the Earth. The analysis, conducted on samples of fossilised feces, or coprolites, has revealed undigested remnants of food, plants, and prey, offering evidence of the dietary habits and ecological role of dinosaurs approximately 200 million […]

NASA has confirmed in a press release that a contract valued at approximately $20.5 million (173.2 crore) has been awarded to the Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Maryland. The contract, which was issued on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), encompasses the development of two Suprathermal Ion Sensor instruments […]

China’s Tianzhou 7 cargo spacecraft has ended its mission after delivering essential supplies to the Tiangong space station. According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on November 17 at 8:25 am EST (6:55 pm IST), marking the conclusion of its operations. The spacecraft, launched on January 17 aboard a […]