Science

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is advancing its lunar exploration efforts with the upcoming Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5 missions. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath confirmed that the designs for both missions are finalised and are awaiting government approval, as per a new report. These missions follow the successful Chandrayaan-3, which marked India as the first nation

Researchers have made a significant breakthrough that may help save the world’s bananas from a disease threatening their existence. The disease in question, fusarium wilt, has already devastated various banana types in the past, including the Gros Michel variety in the 1950s. The Cavendish banana, the most common variety consumed globally today, is now facing

Elon Musk, the influential figure behind SpaceX, has expressed a pragmatic view on the timeline for human colonization of Mars. Speaking at the Satellite 2020 conference, Musk noted the slow pace of advancements in space exploration, he may not live to see a sustainable Martian settlement. Despite SpaceX’s strides, such as successful Falcon 9 and

On August 15, 2024, NASA’s Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project, driven by citizen scientists, uncovered an astonishing discovery: an object travelling at a staggering speed of 1 million miles per hour, enough to escape the Milky Way’s gravitational grasp. This hypervelocity object, known as CWISE J124909.08+362116.0, marks the first of its kind identified with the

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a man and a woman in Pompeii, providing new insights into the tragic events of the city’s destruction during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. The two skeletons, found in a small room, offer a stark view of the last moments of these individuals as they faced

Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have cast doubt on the long-held belief that asteroid 16 Psyche is the core remnant of a protoplanet. The JWST detected hydrated minerals on Psyche’s surface, which include hydroxyl and possibly water. This finding complicates our understanding of the asteroid’s composition and its role in the

Scientists have unearthed a previously unknown marine mammal species, Ontocetus posti, which lived 2.2 million years ago. Led by Dr. Mathieu Boisville from the University of Tsukuba, this discovery provides fresh insights into the evolutionary history of walruses and the impact of environmental changes on marine life. The fossil remains, found in Norwich, UK, and

A groundbreaking project by Harvard University and Google has produced the most detailed map of human brain connections to date. This achievement focuses on a cubic millimetre of the cerebral cortex, extracted from a patient during epilepsy surgery in 2014. Over a decade, a team of biologists and machine-learning experts meticulously analysed this small tissue

New research suggests that climate change could lead to prokaryotes, the oldest and smallest microorganisms on Earth, becoming more dominant in the oceans. These tiny organisms, including bacteria and archaea, have existed for billions of years and are essential for maintaining marine ecosystems. They play a key role in nutrient cycles and support the food

Archaeologists have made a significant discovery in Lake Bolsena, central Italy — a 3,000-year-old clay figurine — believed to represent an ancient goddess. This artifact was found submerged in the volcanic lake, which holds the remains of an early Iron Age village from around the 10th or 9th century B.C. The figurine, measuring approximately 6 inches

Recent research has provided new insights into the asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago, causing a mass extinction event that led to the end of the dinosaurs. Scientists have now identified this impactor as a carbon-rich “C-type” asteroid, a type of space rock that likely originated in the asteroid belt between Mars and

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved another milestone with the successful launch of the EOS-08 Earth-observing satellite on Friday. The satellite was launched aboard the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 9:17am IST on August 16. This launch marks the third mission for the SSLV, a relatively new addition

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a warning about a severe geomagnetic storm, classified as level G4. This storm is anticipated to affect power grids, GPS systems, and radio communications. Despite these potential disruptions, it provides an extraordinary opportunity to witness vibrant auroras in high-latitude regions, especially across parts of Canada and

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has made a groundbreaking observation with its recent image of the Serpens Nebula. Captured on June 20, 2024, this image reveals a fascinating phenomenon: aligned protostellar outflows. These outflows, represented by bright red streaks in the upper left corner of the image, are jets of gas ejected by newborn stars,

A recent study reveals that a 3,500-year-old mummy, known as the “Screaming Woman,” experienced a death filled with agony. Virtual autopsies conducted on the mummy, discovered in an Egyptian tomb in 1935, show that her final moments were marked by a painful spasm, which left her face in a scream-like expression. The “Screaming Woman” was

New research based on data from NASA’s InSight mission has uncovered a vast underground reservoir on Mars, capable of filling oceans on the planet’s surface. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that water, trapped in small cracks and pores within Mars’ crust, could cover the planet to a depth

The Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s most iconic natural wonders, is facing an unprecedented threat due to the hottest sea surface temperatures recorded in 400 years. A recent study published in Nature reveals that the temperatures in the first three months of 2024 reached 0.19°C above the previous record high. This alarming rise

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are facing an extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to unresolved issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Initially, their mission was set for eight days, but problems with the spacecraft’s thrusters have delayed their return indefinitely. The Starliner, which experienced leaks and malfunctioning thrusters, may not

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captured a striking image of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft against the backdrop of a green aurora from the International Space Station (ISS). This remarkable photograph was taken during Expedition 71 in 2024, as the ISS orbited the Earth. Dominick shared the image on X, noting the aurora’s proximity due to recent

A team of international scientists led by Newcastle University has used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to uncover an unexpected structure of dust surrounding a supermassive black hole in the galaxy ESO 428-G14, located 70 million light-years away. Contrary to previous assumptions, the study reveals that the dust is heated not by radiation from