<p>There are many strange things in the Universe. From galaxies to black holes and whatnot. But pulsars are perhaps the most interesting. Pulsars from dead stars. And black widow pulsars are still an interesting sub-category.</p>

<p>Pulsars have high magnetism and they spin around themselves very very rapidly. In addition to this they emit powerful beams of X-rays and gamma rays into the space. When these emissions are in Earth's line of sight we can detect the 'pulse' which can even be of a millisecond.</p>

<p>Black widow pulsars are a rare find. These are pulsar with which companion stars are associated. Although they are called 'companion' stars, the pulsar live off them, blasting them with radiation and devouring their stellar material.</p>

<p>The pulsar and the binary system in question is named ZTF J1406+1222. This binary system has the shortest orbital period. This brings the companion star right into the line of fire of the rapidly revolving pulsar.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-find-proof-of-extraterrestrial-photosynthesis-heres-what-it-is-how-it-can-help-us-476821">Scientists find proof of 'extraterrestrial photosynthesis'. Here's what it is, how it can help us</a></strong></p>

<p>Moreover the 'black widow' pulsar and its prey, the companion star are circling each other every 62 minutes.</p>

<p>The name of category of black widow pulsars has been derived from Black Widow Spiders. In this spider species, the mating game is most often fatal for the male spider. The female spider, after mating, eats her male companion.</p>

<p><strong>Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.</strong></p>

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There are many strange things in the Universe. From galaxies to black holes and whatnot. But pulsars are perhaps the most interesting. Pulsars from dead stars. And black widow pulsars are still an interesting sub-category.

There are many strange things in the Universe. From galaxies to black holes and whatnot. But pulsars are perhaps the most interesting. Pulsars from dead stars. And black widow pulsars are still an interesting sub-category. Pulsars have high magnetism and they spin around themselves very very rapidly. In addition to this they emit powerful beams of X-rays and gamma rays into the space. When these emissions are in Earth's line of sight we can detect the 'pulse' which can even be of a millisecond. Black widow pulsars are a rare find. These are pulsar with which companion stars are associated. Although they are called 'companion' stars, the pulsar live off them, blasting them with radiation and devouring their stellar material. The pulsar and the binary system in question is named ZTF J1406+1222. This binary system has the shortest orbital period. This brings the companion star right into the line of fire of the rapidly revolving pulsar. Also Read | Scientists find proof of 'extraterrestrial photosynthesis'. Here's what it is, how it can help us Moreover the 'black widow' pulsar and its prey, the companion star are circling each other every 62 minutes. The name of category of black widow pulsars has been derived from Black Widow Spiders. In this spider species, the mating game is most often fatal for the male spider. The female spider, after mating, eats her male companion. Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Scientists find 'black widow' pulsar that's eating a star

In Pics: SpaceX crew returns to Earth after six-month mission

In Pics: NASA shares amazing pictures of 22 black holes in Milky way

<p>A SpaceX Dragon capsule containing a team of four astronauts successfully departed the International Space Station and has started its descent back to Earth.</p>

<p>The team which spent six months in space included NASA astronauts – Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron along with European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer.</p>

<p>The mission, named 'Crew-3', was the third full-fledged long-duration group of astronauts sent to the space station by SpaceX and they will be carrying around 550 pounds of cargo back to the earth, according to NASA.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-woman-pinned-down-as-healthcare-workers-forcibly-conduct-covid-19-test-watch-476497" hreflang="en">Chinese woman pinned down as COVID-19 test conducted forcibly - WATCH</a></p>

<p>The capsule undocked from the International Space Station around 0500 GMT and the journey back to earth is expected to take around 23 hours. According to the official briefing from NASA, the spacecraft, dubbed Endurance, will parachute off the coast of Florida at 0443 GMT on Friday.</p>

<p>"Teams from @NASA &amp; @SpaceX now are targeting #Crew3 undocking at 1:05 am Thurs, May 5 from @Space_Station. Splashdown off of Florida's coast is planned about 12:37 am Fri, May 6. The new undocking time allows for shorter phasing &amp; more time to review the latest forecast info," NASA human spaceflight chief Kathy Lueders posted on Twitter.</p>

<p>"Weather is being watched closely to confirm selected primary &amp; alternate sites are good for return, and we'll conduct another weather review about 24 hours before undocking to determine whether we are GO to proceed. More to come," she added in another tweet.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-troops-fight-for-control-of-last-ukrainian-stronghold-in-mariupol-476439">Russian troops fight for control of last Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol</a></p>

<p>The four astronauts departed from the ISS after their replacement team arrived last week. The new comprises of three Russian astronauts with Oleg Artemyev assuming the command.'</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>


A SpaceX Dragon capsule containing a team of four astronauts successfully departed the International Space Station and has started its descent back to Earth. The team which spent six months in space included NASA astronauts – Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron along with European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer.

A SpaceX Dragon capsule containing a team of four astronauts successfully departed the International Space Station and has started its descent back to Earth. The team which spent six months in space included NASA astronauts – Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron along with European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer. The mission, named 'Crew-3', was the third full-fledged long-duration group of astronauts sent to the space station by SpaceX and they will be carrying around 550 pounds of cargo back to the earth, according to NASA. Also read | Chinese woman pinned down as COVID-19 test conducted forcibly - WATCH The capsule undocked from the International Space Station around 0500 GMT and the journey back to earth is expected to take around 23 hours. According to the official briefing from NASA, the spacecraft, dubbed Endurance, will parachute off the coast of Florida at 0443 GMT on Friday. "Teams from @NASA & @SpaceX now are targeting #Crew3 undocking at 1:05 am Thurs, May 5 from @Space_Station. Splashdown off of Florida's coast is planned about 12:37 am Fri, May 6. The new undocking time allows for shorter phasing & more time to review the latest forecast info," NASA human spaceflight chief Kathy Lueders posted on Twitter. "Weather is being watched closely to confirm selected primary & alternate sites are good for return, and we'll conduct another weather review about 24 hours before undocking to determine whether we are GO to proceed. More to come," she added in another tweet. Also read | Russian troops fight for control of last Ukrainian stronghold in Mariupol The four astronauts departed from the ISS after their replacement team arrived last week. The new comprises of three Russian astronauts with Oleg Artemyev assuming the command.' (With inputs from agencies)

Four SpaceX Crew-3 astronauts start journey back to Earth from International Space Station

We, humans, are a curious species, always trying to find something more. More than what we know, what we can see, and what we have. Our search for more is endless and it has expanded beyond our planet. In this quest, humanity has tried to contact aliens several times. The quest to talk to the 'green little men' actually started more than a century ago.

All the times humanity tried to communicate with aliens

<p>The Universe is expanding, this is a known fact. According to The Big Bang Theory (not the series, the actual scientific theory), the Universe originated in an unimaginably massive Big Bang, and material got thrown outwards from a single point.</p>

<p>It is thus easy to imagine that the Universe has been expanding for the last 13.8 billion years. A blast of any kind throws material outwards so expansion is quite logical.</p>

<p>Interesting thing is that instead of slowing down, the expansion of the universe has accelerated. The reason for this is Dark Energy. This form of mysterious energy has a repulsive effect greater than gravity and thus makes the entire Universe expand.</p>

<p>But scientists now think that the Universe will start contracting remarkably soon. They have put forth their research in the journal Scientific Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences.</p>

<p>The team of scientists behind this study has built a model of the Universe in which Dark Energy is not a constant force of nature but an entity called quintessence. This entity can decay over time.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-nasa-video-of-a-black-hole-goes-crazy-viral-476057">Watch: NASA video of a black hole goes crazy viral</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>So the scientists say that the acceleration of the Universe would stop in next 65 million years. In next 100 million years (a very short time when space is considered) it will stop expanding and start contracting. And billions of years after that, the Universe may meet its death (or a rebirth of time and space).</p>

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The Universe is expanding, this is a known fact. According to The Big Bang Theory (not the series, the actual scientific theory), the Universe originated in an unimaginably massive Big Bang, and material got thrown outwards from a single point.

The Universe is expanding, this is a known fact. According to The Big Bang Theory (not the series, the actual scientific theory), the Universe originated in an unimaginably massive Big Bang, and material got thrown outwards from a single point. It is thus easy to imagine that the Universe has been expanding for the last 13.8 billion years. A blast of any kind throws material outwards so expansion is quite logical. Interesting thing is that instead of slowing down, the expansion of the universe has accelerated. The reason for this is Dark Energy. This form of mysterious energy has a repulsive effect greater than gravity and thus makes the entire Universe expand. But scientists now think that the Universe will start contracting remarkably soon. They have put forth their research in the journal Scientific Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. The team of scientists behind this study has built a model of the Universe in which Dark Energy is not a constant force of nature but an entity called quintessence. This entity can decay over time. Watch: NASA video of a black hole goes crazy viral So the scientists say that the acceleration of the Universe would stop in next 65 million years. In next 100 million years (a very short time when space is considered) it will stop expanding and start contracting. And billions of years after that, the Universe may meet its death (or a rebirth of time and space). WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Our Universe may start contracting soon enough, say scientists

<p>Black holes are an enigma. We can only theorise what happens inside this mysterious celestial structure but we don't know for sure as no one, or nothing from our planet has entered black hole and returned to tell the tale. Gravitational pull of black hole is so unimaginably powerful that even light, the fastest entity in the universe, cannot escape the grip of a black hole.</p>

<p>NASA and other space agencies across that world continuously study this cosmic wonder and post beautiful photos and videos for us to marvel at.</p>

<p>A video posted by NASA has gone crazy viral.</p>

<p>It's a visualisation of a black hole.</p>

<p>“This visualization simulates the appearance of a black hole as seen on its edge, where inbound matter has collected into a thin, hot structure called an accretion disk. The black hole’s extreme gravity alters the paths of light coming from different parts of the disk, making rings of matter visible above and below. At the center lies the black hole's shadow, an area roughly twice the size of the event horizon — its point of no return,” says NASA. The video has been posted on Instagram.</p>

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<p>NASA further provides information that this visualisation was first published in September 2019. This was the period when scientists were able to take very first photo of a black hole.</p>

<p>It is tricky to 'see' a black hole. As light can't escape from it, we cannot 'see' a black hole. Its presence can only be detected with the help of the effects it has on surrounding space.</p>

<p>Within just 13 hours of posting this video, it has been seen more than 2 million times.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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Black holes are an enigma. We can only theorise what happens inside this mysterious celestial structure but we don't know for sure as no one, or nothing from our planet has entered black hole and returned to tell the tale.

Black holes are an enigma. We can only theorise what happens inside this mysterious celestial structure but we don't know for sure as no one, or nothing from our planet has entered black hole and returned to tell the tale. Gravitational pull of black hole is so unimaginably powerful that even light, the fastest entity in the universe, cannot escape the grip of a black hole. NASA and other space agencies across that world continuously study this cosmic wonder and post beautiful photos and videos for us to marvel at. A video posted by NASA has gone crazy viral. It's a visualisation of a black hole. “This visualization simulates the appearance of a black hole as seen on its edge, where inbound matter has collected into a thin, hot structure called an accretion disk. The black hole’s extreme gravity alters the paths of light coming from different parts of the disk, making rings of matter visible above and below. At the center lies the black hole's shadow, an area roughly twice the size of the event horizon — its point of no return,” says NASA. The video has been posted on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × NASA further provides information that this visualisation was first published in September 2019. This was the period when scientists were able to take very first photo of a black hole. It is tricky to 'see' a black hole. As light can't escape from it, we cannot 'see' a black hole. Its presence can only be detected with the help of the effects it has on surrounding space. Within just 13 hours of posting this video, it has been seen more than 2 million times. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Watch: NASA video of a black hole goes crazy viral 

Rocket Lab USA Inc, a small launch company, captured a falling rocket stage with a helicopter and dropped it in the ocean on Monday, appearing to complete a partial test of the company's novel cost-savings approach to recovering used rockets for multiple missions to space.

Rocket Lab captures rocket booster with helicopter, then drops it

Karachi is running out of space to bury the dead. Most cemeteries are either shut or filling up fast. But if you know the right sort of people, they will find you a plot of land. Mariam Wardak tells you more about Karachi’s ‘grave’ injustice.

South Asia Diary | Karachi running out of space for graves

The European space agency is ending cooperation with Russia on three missions to the moon. This comes as Russia continues its assault on Ukraine. On the other hand, Moscow has announced that it will be quitting the International space station.

Russia-Ukraine conflict: Europe cancels joint moon missions with Russia

<p>The origin of the world and its subsequent development has been a keen source of interest for scientists. They have conducted huge number of tests in order to determine the source of life on the planet and it seems that a latest study can hold important answer to the age-old questions.</p>

<p>A study conducted by Yasuhiro Oba of Hokkaido University’s Institute of Low Temperature Science in Japan and astrobiologist Danny Glavin of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland hints at the fact that ingredients needed for the advent of life on earth may have arrived from outer space.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-us-europe-japan-reports-first-case-of-mysterious-hepatitis-474195">After US &amp; Europe, Japan reports first case of mysterious hepatitis</a></p>

<p>The study, which was published in the journal Nature Communications, included the examination of meteorites which were found in the United States, Australia and Canada. It was found the meteorites contained three out of five chemical components needed in the formation of DNA. The other two components were also detected after the researchers adjusted the system of analysis.</p>

<p>The meteorites examined in the study were from three different sources – one from the US state of Kentucky in 1950, one from the Tagish Lake in Canada in 2000 and the third one from Victoria in Australia in 1969. All of them were carbonaceous chondrites – a carbon-rich rocky material.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india/autopsy-based-indian-study-reveals-deadly-coronavirus-goes-to-almost-all-the-organs-474199" hreflang="en">Autopsy-based Indian study reveals deadly coronavirus 'goes to almost all the organs'</a></p>

<p>According to Yasuhiro Oba, the method used in the experiment did not include strong acids in order to extract the components from the meteorites. As a result, the study further bolsters the theory that meteorites played a major role in the development of the first living organisms in the world.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Global airline capacity peaks in 2022</strong></p>

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The origin of the world and its subsequent development has been a keen source of interest for scientists. They have conducted huge number of tests in order to determine the source of life on the planet and it seems that a latest study can hold important answer to the age-old questions.

The origin of the world and its subsequent development has been a keen source of interest for scientists. They have conducted huge number of tests in order to determine the source of life on the planet and it seems that a latest study can hold important answer to the age-old questions. A study conducted by Yasuhiro Oba of Hokkaido University’s Institute of Low Temperature Science in Japan and astrobiologist Danny Glavin of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland hints at the fact that ingredients needed for the advent of life on earth may have arrived from outer space. Also read | After US & Europe, Japan reports first case of mysterious hepatitis The study, which was published in the journal Nature Communications, included the examination of meteorites which were found in the United States, Australia and Canada. It was found the meteorites contained three out of five chemical components needed in the formation of DNA. The other two components were also detected after the researchers adjusted the system of analysis. The meteorites examined in the study were from three different sources – one from the US state of Kentucky in 1950, one from the Tagish Lake in Canada in 2000 and the third one from Victoria in Australia in 1969. All of them were carbonaceous chondrites – a carbon-rich rocky material. Also read | Autopsy-based Indian study reveals deadly coronavirus 'goes to almost all the organs' According to Yasuhiro Oba, the method used in the experiment did not include strong acids in order to extract the components from the meteorites. As a result, the study further bolsters the theory that meteorites played a major role in the development of the first living organisms in the world. WATCH | Global airline capacity peaks in 2022

Study shows key ingredients needed for life on earth may have arrived from outer space

First all-private astronaut team returned to Earth from Space. The team returned from ISS and touched down in the Atlantic. The crew capsule carrying four men was in space for two weeks. It took nearly 16 hours for the crew capsule to descent from orbit.

What’s special about these astronauts returning to earth from space?

'Space tourists': First-ever all private astronaut team splashes down safely after a historic trip to ISS

<p>A research paper, which was published in Nature Astronomy, suggested that the space should receive special legal protection in order to preserve and protect its environment from debris and light pollution.</p>

<p>The study noted that there has been an increase in the volume of debris in the low orbital space – the name given to the region around 100 miles above the planet – and it has resulted in light pollution which is causing problems for the astronomers when it comes to viewing the space.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/who-is-emmanuel-macron-his-life-and-political-career-in-pictures-473486">Who is Emmanuel Macron? His life and political career in pictures</a></p>

<p>The Edinburgh University research is being treated as reference in an ongoing case before the US Court of Appeal with the goal to get legal protection for the space environment.</p>

<p>According to the study, there has been a rise in the number of satellite mega constellations with a huge number of satellites operating in the low orbital space. With most of them being utilised for various purposes, there is also a danger to pieces of debris potentially damaging a satellite.</p>

<p>As a result, the researchers have requested the authorities to draft a legal framework for the conservation of the space environment after taking space constellations into consideration.</p>

<p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dangerous-superbugs-may-get-transmitted-from-pigs-to-humans-say-scientists-473502" hreflang="en">Dangerous superbugs may get transmitted from pigs to humans, say scientists &nbsp;&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>“We are standing on a watershed in history. We can cheaply launch huge numbers of satellites and use them to the benefit of life on Earth – but this comes at a cost. As well as damaging stargazing, the space industry may be shooting itself in the foot," Professor Andy Lawrence, Regius Professor of Astronomy, University of Edinburgh Institute for Astronomy and lead author told The Scotsman.</p>

<p>Professor Lawrence was called as an expert witness during the ongoing legal case in the United States.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Twitter begins deal talks with Elon Musk</strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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A research paper, which was published in Nature Astronomy, suggested that the space should receive special legal protection in order to preserve and protect its environment from debris and light pollution.

A research paper, which was published in Nature Astronomy, suggested that the space should receive special legal protection in order to preserve and protect its environment from debris and light pollution. The study noted that there has been an increase in the volume of debris in the low orbital space – the name given to the region around 100 miles above the planet – and it has resulted in light pollution which is causing problems for the astronomers when it comes to viewing the space. Also read | Who is Emmanuel Macron? His life and political career in pictures The Edinburgh University research is being treated as reference in an ongoing case before the US Court of Appeal with the goal to get legal protection for the space environment. According to the study, there has been a rise in the number of satellite mega constellations with a huge number of satellites operating in the low orbital space. With most of them being utilised for various purposes, there is also a danger to pieces of debris potentially damaging a satellite. As a result, the researchers have requested the authorities to draft a legal framework for the conservation of the space environment after taking space constellations into consideration. Also read | Dangerous superbugs may get transmitted from pigs to humans, say scientists “We are standing on a watershed in history. We can cheaply launch huge numbers of satellites and use them to the benefit of life on Earth – but this comes at a cost. As well as damaging stargazing, the space industry may be shooting itself in the foot," Professor Andy Lawrence, Regius Professor of Astronomy, University of Edinburgh Institute for Astronomy and lead author told The Scotsman. Professor Lawrence was called as an expert witness during the ongoing legal case in the United States. WATCH | Twitter begins deal talks with Elon Musk

Space needs legal protection against debris and light pollution, suggests research

<p>Although James Webb Space Telescope is soon to open entirely new vista of space research for us, good ol' Hubble deserves its due. Humanity's very firt eye in the sky has been steadfast in sending pictures of far corners of space for last three decades. And to commemorate its 32nd year of operation, a unique image has been released.</p>

<p>The image shows five galaxies that are eventually going to collide. The galaxies are so closely situated (well in galactic terms) that it in itself is a thing of wonder.</p>

<p>This group of galaxies is called Hickson Compact Group 40. These galaxies are situated unusually close.</p>

<p>These galaxies are on a collision course, about a billion years from now, all five galaxies would collide to form a single elliptical galaxy.</p>

<p>So what are the types of galaxies present in the photo?</p>

<p>We can see three spiral galaxies, marked by orange colour visible due to space dust. The one in the middle is an elliptical galaxy. The one in the bottom right corner is a lenticular (lens-like) galaxy.</p>

<p>This galactic huddle is sitting somewhere in the direction of constellation Hydra.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/breakthrough-in-search-for-aliens-what-does-a-habitable-ice-shell-on-jupiters-moon-europa-mean-472318">Breakthrough in search for aliens? What does a habitable ice shell on Jupiter's moon Europa mean?</a></strong></p>

<p>How big is this huddle? Well all five of these galaxies would fit inside two Milky Ways.</p>

<p>Scientists think Dark Matter is playing part in merger of these galaxies. They think that the Dark Matter is forming a cloud around the group and slowing individual galaxies down.</p>


Although James Webb Space Telescope is soon to open entirely new vista of space research for us, good ol' Hubble deserves its due. Humanity's very firt eye in the sky has been steadfast in sending pictures of far corners of space for last three decades.

Although James Webb Space Telescope is soon to open entirely new vista of space research for us, good ol' Hubble deserves its due. Humanity's very firt eye in the sky has been steadfast in sending pictures of far corners of space for last three decades. And to commemorate its 32nd year of operation, a unique image has been released. The image shows five galaxies that are eventually going to collide. The galaxies are so closely situated (well in galactic terms) that it in itself is a thing of wonder. This group of galaxies is called Hickson Compact Group 40. These galaxies are situated unusually close. These galaxies are on a collision course, about a billion years from now, all five galaxies would collide to form a single elliptical galaxy. So what are the types of galaxies present in the photo? We can see three spiral galaxies, marked by orange colour visible due to space dust. The one in the middle is an elliptical galaxy. The one in the bottom right corner is a lenticular (lens-like) galaxy. This galactic huddle is sitting somewhere in the direction of constellation Hydra. Also Read | Breakthrough in search for aliens? What does a habitable ice shell on Jupiter's moon Europa mean? How big is this huddle? Well all five of these galaxies would fit inside two Milky Ways. Scientists think Dark Matter is playing part in merger of these galaxies. They think that the Dark Matter is forming a cloud around the group and slowing individual galaxies down.

Check out this fantastic Hubble image of five colliding galaxies

<p>New research might have finally found why one side of the Moon's surface is different from the other.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The research revealed that one side of the Moon's surface might have been impacted when a massive asteroid slammed into it around 4.3 billion years ago.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A research report published earlier this month revealed that ancient collisions on the Moon's south pole changed patterns of convection in the lunar mantle.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/rare-sighting-as-four-planets-line-up-in-the-sky-in-april-heres-how-to-watch-it-471784">Rare sighting as alignment of four planets will be visible through April. Here's how to watch it</a></strong></p>

<p>As per International Astronomical Union, there are more than 9,000 visible craters pockmarking the Moon. The craters have been made due to the impacts from meteors, asteroids and comets over billions of years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the marking, or the craters, are not evenly distributed as it has been seen that the far side of the moon comparatively has a higher concentration of craters than the visible near side. The experts claimed that they have found the answer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per the latest study published in the journal Science Advances, it has been revealed that the South Pole–Aitken (SPA) basin on the lunar surface would have created a massive plume of heat. The heat probably propagated through the lunar interior.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/carbon-monoxide-levels-spike-due-to-billowing-smoke-from-wildfires-fueled-by-climate-change-study-472180">Carbon monoxide levels spike due to billowing smoke from wildfires fueled by climate change: Study</a></strong></p>

<p>For the unversed, the SPA basin is an immense impact crater on the far side of the Moon. The report mentioned that the plume would have carried certain materials, which is a suite of rare-Earth and heat-producing elements — to the Moon's nearside.&nbsp;</p>

<p>That concentration of elements might have created the nearside volcanic plains and would also have contributed to the volcanism.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We know that big impacts like the one that formed SPA would create a lot of heat," said Matt Jones, who is a PhD candidate at Brown University and the study’s lead author.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The question is how that heat affects the Moon's interior dynamics. What we show is that under any plausible conditions at the time that SPA formed, it ends up concentrating these heat-producing elements on the nearside. We expect that this contributed to the mantle melting that produced the lava flows we see on the surface," Jones added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


New research might have finally found why one side of the Moon's surface is different from the other. The research revealed that one side of the Moon's surface might have been impacted when a massive asteroid slammed into it around 4.

New research might have finally found why one side of the Moon's surface is different from the other. The research revealed that one side of the Moon's surface might have been impacted when a massive asteroid slammed into it around 4.3 billion years ago. A research report published earlier this month revealed that ancient collisions on the Moon's south pole changed patterns of convection in the lunar mantle. ALSO READ | Rare sighting as alignment of four planets will be visible through April. Here's how to watch it As per International Astronomical Union, there are more than 9,000 visible craters pockmarking the Moon. The craters have been made due to the impacts from meteors, asteroids and comets over billions of years. However, the marking, or the craters, are not evenly distributed as it has been seen that the far side of the moon comparatively has a higher concentration of craters than the visible near side. The experts claimed that they have found the answer. As per the latest study published in the journal Science Advances, it has been revealed that the South Pole–Aitken (SPA) basin on the lunar surface would have created a massive plume of heat. The heat probably propagated through the lunar interior. ALSO READ | Carbon monoxide levels spike due to billowing smoke from wildfires fueled by climate change: Study For the unversed, the SPA basin is an immense impact crater on the far side of the Moon. The report mentioned that the plume would have carried certain materials, which is a suite of rare-Earth and heat-producing elements — to the Moon's nearside. That concentration of elements might have created the nearside volcanic plains and would also have contributed to the volcanism. "We know that big impacts like the one that formed SPA would create a lot of heat," said Matt Jones, who is a PhD candidate at Brown University and the study’s lead author. "The question is how that heat affects the Moon's interior dynamics. What we show is that under any plausible conditions at the time that SPA formed, it ends up concentrating these heat-producing elements on the nearside. We expect that this contributed to the mantle melting that produced the lava flows we see on the surface," Jones added.

Why is one side of the Moon different from the other? An asteroid hit, perhaps.

Two Russian astronauts ventured outside the International Space Station on April 18 for a spacewalk to install a control panel for a 37-foot-long robotic arm.

Russian astronauts take a spacewalk to install robotic arm controls on ISS

<p>We've seen it in movies. The protagonist is travelling in a spacecraft. A few beeps later, he receives a sophisticated telephone call. In other words, the person wanting to connect with our hero appears almost in flesh. A projection of the caller appears in thin air and both of them carry out conversation as if they would be talking in real life.</p>

<p>NASA made this translate into reality as it 'holoported' a surgeon to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA flight surgeon Josef Schmid conversed with astronauts as a virtual presence in real time. NASA made this information public last week. The actual holoportation took place in October 2021.</p>

<p>"This is [a] completely new manner of human communication across vast distances," says Schmid, as quoted by NASA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It is a brand-new way of human exploration, where our human entity is able to travel off the planet."</p>

<p>"NASA is demonstrating this new form of communication as a precursor for more extensive use on future missions. Plans are to use this next with two-way communication, where people on Earth are holoported to space and astronauts are placed back on earth," said the information on the NASA website.</p>

<p>The surgeon was holoported to the ISS using Microsoft Hololens technology.</p>

<p>There appears to be an exciting way ahead for such technology. Imagine something going wrong in a spacecraft millions of miles away from Earth. The best instructor or the best expert can jump into the spacecraft using holoportation and help the astronauts resolve the issue.</p>


We've seen it in movies. The protagonist is travelling in a spacecraft. A few beeps later, he receives a sophisticated telephone call. In other words, the person wanting to connect with our hero appears almost in flesh.

We've seen it in movies. The protagonist is travelling in a spacecraft. A few beeps later, he receives a sophisticated telephone call. In other words, the person wanting to connect with our hero appears almost in flesh. A projection of the caller appears in thin air and both of them carry out conversation as if they would be talking in real life. NASA made this translate into reality as it 'holoported' a surgeon to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA flight surgeon Josef Schmid conversed with astronauts as a virtual presence in real time. NASA made this information public last week. The actual holoportation took place in October 2021. "This is [a] completely new manner of human communication across vast distances," says Schmid, as quoted by NASA. "It is a brand-new way of human exploration, where our human entity is able to travel off the planet." "NASA is demonstrating this new form of communication as a precursor for more extensive use on future missions. Plans are to use this next with two-way communication, where people on Earth are holoported to space and astronauts are placed back on earth," said the information on the NASA website. The surgeon was holoported to the ISS using Microsoft Hololens technology. There appears to be an exciting way ahead for such technology. Imagine something going wrong in a spacecraft millions of miles away from Earth. The best instructor or the best expert can jump into the spacecraft using holoportation and help the astronauts resolve the issue.

NASA 'holoports' a doctor on Earth to ISS in first such achievement

US Vice President Kamala Harris has called for a global agreement to slow an anti-satellite arms race in a bid to reduce space junk. But what is space junk? Watch this report.

US Vice President Harris calls for a global agreement to slow an anti-satellite arms race

Three Chinese astronauts returned to earth on Saturday after 183 days in space, state television reported, completing the country's longest crewed space mission to date. Here are ten things you should know.

10 things about China's recent space mission

<p>NASA keeps sending brilliant pictures our way. These range from those of distant galaxies to our own backyard in the solar system, and everything in between. Sometimes these pics resemble 'Hand of God' or anything our perception allows us to see. This time, NASA has clicked a space butterfly!</p>

<p>This cosmic butterfly has been captured by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. It is a nebula. Nebulas are huge masses of gas and space dust in which new stars form. The infrared image of this 'space butterfly' shows two 'wings'.</p>

<p>In its Instagram post, NASA explains that these 'wings' are giant bubbles of hot, interstellar gas blowing from the hottest, most massive stars that are in the process of getting formed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"...Besides being beautiful, this nebula demonstrates how the formation of stars results in the destruction of the very clouds that helped create them. Inside giant clouds of gas and dust in space, the force of gravity pulls material together into dense clumps. Sometimes these clumps reach a critical density that allows stars to form at their cores. Radiation and winds coming from the most massive stars in those clouds—combined with the material spewed into space when those stars eventually explode—sometimes form bubbles like those pictured here. But these processes also disperse the gas and dust, breaking up dense clumps and reducing or halting further new star formation. In fact, the material that forms this nebula’s wings was ejected from a dense cluster of stars that lies between them..." says NASA in the Instagram post.</p>

<p>The beautiful image was posted on April 15 and within a day, it has garnered more than 700,000 likes.</p>

<p>"I wanna get lost in that Space Butterfly, can I please?" comments a user.</p>


NASA keeps sending brilliant pictures our way. These range from those of distant galaxies to our own backyard in the solar system, and everything in between. Sometimes these pics resemble 'Hand of God' or anything our perception allows us to see.

NASA keeps sending brilliant pictures our way. These range from those of distant galaxies to our own backyard in the solar system, and everything in between. Sometimes these pics resemble 'Hand of God' or anything our perception allows us to see. This time, NASA has clicked a space butterfly! This cosmic butterfly has been captured by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. It is a nebula. Nebulas are huge masses of gas and space dust in which new stars form. The infrared image of this 'space butterfly' shows two 'wings'. In its Instagram post, NASA explains that these 'wings' are giant bubbles of hot, interstellar gas blowing from the hottest, most massive stars that are in the process of getting formed. "...Besides being beautiful, this nebula demonstrates how the formation of stars results in the destruction of the very clouds that helped create them. Inside giant clouds of gas and dust in space, the force of gravity pulls material together into dense clumps. Sometimes these clumps reach a critical density that allows stars to form at their cores. Radiation and winds coming from the most massive stars in those clouds—combined with the material spewed into space when those stars eventually explode—sometimes form bubbles like those pictured here. But these processes also disperse the gas and dust, breaking up dense clumps and reducing or halting further new star formation. In fact, the material that forms this nebula’s wings was ejected from a dense cluster of stars that lies between them..." says NASA in the Instagram post. The beautiful image was posted on April 15 and within a day, it has garnered more than 700,000 likes. "I wanna get lost in that Space Butterfly, can I please?" comments a user.

NASA clicks photo of a 'space butterfly'

<p>In space, a powerful radiowave laser has been found by astronomers. This one-of-a-kind laser is known as megamaser. &nbsp;</p>

<p>It has been observed at around 5 billion light-years away from Earth, which is the most distant ever. &nbsp;</p>

<p>To reach Earth, the light from this laser has travelled 36 thousand billion billion miles (58 thousand billion billion kilometers). &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/freeze-koala-sperm-to-protect-endangered-species-from-extinction-say-reports-471084" hreflang="en">Freeze koala sperm to protect endangered species from extinction, scientists suggest</a></strong></p>

<p>The megamaser was observed by a team of international astronomers with the help of the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory's MeerKAT or Karoo Array telescope. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>What is a megamaser? &nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Marcin Glowacki, who was the leader of the team and research associate at Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Australia, said, megamasers get created when two galaxies collide with each other. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement, Glowacki said, "When galaxies collide, the gas they contain becomes extremely dense and can trigger concentrated beams of light to shoot out." &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a nutshell, a megamaser is actually a super-powerful laser, which is&nbsp;made of microwave light, said media reports.</p>

<p><strong>Named Nkalakatha &nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>MeerKAT observed this light or hydroxyl megamaser, for the first time, Glowacki added. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Long-lasting effects of Global Warming: Atmospheric rivers destabilising ice shelves</strong></p>

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<p>Hydroxl, which is a chemical group, contains one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom. It can be found when galaxies merge. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The laser has also been named Nkalakatha by the research team. It means "big boss" in isiZulu, a language of the Zulus in South Africa. &nbsp;</p>

<p>"It's impressive that, with just a single night of observations, we've already found a record-breaking megamaser. It shows just how good the telescope is," Glowacki added. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


In space, a powerful radiowave laser has been found by astronomers. This one-of-a-kind laser is known as megamaser. It has been observed at around 5 billion light-years away from Earth, which is the most distant ever.

In space, a powerful radiowave laser has been found by astronomers. This one-of-a-kind laser is known as megamaser. It has been observed at around 5 billion light-years away from Earth, which is the most distant ever. To reach Earth, the light from this laser has travelled 36 thousand billion billion miles (58 thousand billion billion kilometers). Also Read: Freeze koala sperm to protect endangered species from extinction, scientists suggest The megamaser was observed by a team of international astronomers with the help of the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory's MeerKAT or Karoo Array telescope. What is a megamaser? Marcin Glowacki, who was the leader of the team and research associate at Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Australia, said, megamasers get created when two galaxies collide with each other. In a statement, Glowacki said, "When galaxies collide, the gas they contain becomes extremely dense and can trigger concentrated beams of light to shoot out." In a nutshell, a megamaser is actually a super-powerful laser, which is made of microwave light, said media reports. Named Nkalakatha MeerKAT observed this light or hydroxyl megamaser, for the first time, Glowacki added. Watch: Long-lasting effects of Global Warming: Atmospheric rivers destabilising ice shelves × Hydroxl, which is a chemical group, contains one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom. It can be found when galaxies merge. The laser has also been named Nkalakatha by the research team. It means "big boss" in isiZulu, a language of the Zulus in South Africa. "It's impressive that, with just a single night of observations, we've already found a record-breaking megamaser. It shows just how good the telescope is," Glowacki added. (With inputs from agencies)

What is megamaser found in space by astronomers?

<p>NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) never fails to amaze us. Not only the US space agency is at the forefront of space exploration and research, but its social media feeds are also widely admired for brearthtaking images and interesting chunks of space info. And it never fails to enthral us.</p>

<p>So what's on the menu this time? An image of Earth, but with a twist.</p>

<p>As the new month dawned, NASA tweeted a pic taken by its Cassini probe that is studying Saturn. The image show Saturn in all its glory with the majestic rings. But also depicts a curious blue dot.</p>

<p>"You are here.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
In 2013, the Cassini spacecraft captured this wide-angle view of Saturn and a chunk of its rings. That pale blue dot just below the rings? That’s Earth from about 898 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away," says NASA in its tweet.</p>

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<br />
In 2013, the Cassini spacecraft captured this wide-angle view of Saturn and a chunk of its rings. That pale blue dot just below the rings? That’s Earth from about 898 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away. Explore <a href="https://twitter.com/NASASolarSystem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASASolarSystem</a>: <a href="https://t.co/9sLPATJHaE">https://t.co/9sLPATJHaE</a> <a href="https://t.co/NlTxVXRANR">pic.twitter.com/NlTxVXRANR</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1497734089692135428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>The image is perhaps a lesson for the self-centred human race which probably thinks it is the centre of the universe. As you go away from the planet, other celestial bodies dwarf us. And all conflicts appear fruitless. This is the only planet we've got. No other space rock has been found to harbour life just like ours&nbsp;Peaceful co-existence is that tough, eh?</p>


NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) never fails to amaze us. Not only the US space agency is at the forefront of space exploration and research, but its social media feeds are also widely admired for brearthtaking images and interesting chunks of space info.

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) never fails to amaze us. Not only the US space agency is at the forefront of space exploration and research, but its social media feeds are also widely admired for brearthtaking images and interesting chunks of space info. And it never fails to enthral us. So what's on the menu this time? An image of Earth, but with a twist. As the new month dawned, NASA tweeted a pic taken by its Cassini probe that is studying Saturn. The image show Saturn in all its glory with the majestic rings. But also depicts a curious blue dot. "You are here. In 2013, the Cassini spacecraft captured this wide-angle view of Saturn and a chunk of its rings. That pale blue dot just below the rings? That’s Earth from about 898 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away," says NASA in its tweet. You are here. In 2013, the Cassini spacecraft captured this wide-angle view of Saturn and a chunk of its rings. That pale blue dot just below the rings? That’s Earth from about 898 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away. Explore @NASASolarSystem: https://t.co/9sLPATJHaE pic.twitter.com/NlTxVXRANR — NASA (@NASA) February 27, 2022 × The image is perhaps a lesson for the self-centred human race which probably thinks it is the centre of the universe. As you go away from the planet, other celestial bodies dwarf us. And all conflicts appear fruitless. This is the only planet we've got. No other space rock has been found to harbour life just like ours Peaceful co-existence is that tough, eh?

NASA tweets brilliant image that may make you a bit introspective

In Pics: First private astronauts’ mission to ISS lifts off in US

<p>History has been made today. For the first time, an all-private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 1, has been sent to International Space Station (ISS). &nbsp;</p>

<p>The four-member crew, who were selected by Houston-based startup Axiom Space Inc, left for the space laboratory in a SpaceX rocket ship on Friday. It is the landmark debut spaceflight for the firm. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is sending three customers, who have paid for the flight and an Axiom employee Michael López-Alegría to the ISS for an eight-day stay. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/methane-concentration-in-earths-atmosphere-witnessed-record-rise-in-2021-469382" hreflang="en">Methane concentration in Earth’s atmosphere witnessed record rise in 2021</a></strong></p>

<p>López-Alegría, who is also a former NASA astronaut, is leading the mission. While the other three are pilot Larry Connor and mission specialists, Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy. The four astronauts will stay and work on the flying outpost. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Separation confirmed! <a href="https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Axiom_Space</a>'s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ax1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ax1</a> mission is now on its way in the <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpaceX</a> Dragon Endeavour. Next stop: the International <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>. <a href="https://t.co/Q3uLLWy2B6">pic.twitter.com/Q3uLLWy2B6</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1512454300093538304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>The flight, which is being hailed by several people as a new milestone in the commercialisation of low-Earth orbit, lifted off at 11:17 am EDT (1517 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This takes commerce to a whole new level. <a href="https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Axiom_Space</a>'s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ax1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ax1</a> mission is on its way to the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpaceX</a>'s Dragon Endeavour—a key step in our ongoing work to open opportunities for space travelers in low-Earth orbit. <a href="https://t.co/SZk7Tseykw">pic.twitter.com/SZk7Tseykw</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1512449836511121415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Axiom’s live video webcast showed the SpaceX launch vehicle, which had a Falcon 9 rocket topped by its Crew Dragon capsule, soaring towards space over Florida's Atlantic coast. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Future of the aviation sector: First of its kind electric aircraft certified for training</strong></p>

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<p>The cameras, which were inside the crew compartment, also showed footage of the four men moments before the rocket lifted off. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">LIVE: Axiom Mission 1 is lifting off from <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAKennedy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAKennedy</a> for eight days of science, outreach, and commercial activities on the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>!<br />
<br />
Launch is scheduled for 11:17am ET (15:17 UTC)—join us, <a href="https://twitter.com/Axiom_Space?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Axiom_Space</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpaceX</a> for live <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ax1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ax1</a> coverage. <a href="https://t.co/xU6PuWRCqI">https://t.co/xU6PuWRCqI</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1512434866566086662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>According to the plan, the team will arrive at the space station on Saturday. After around 20-hour-plus flight, the Crew Dragon, which is autonomously operated, will dock with the orbiting outpost around 400 km above the Earth. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The team is carrying equipment and supplies for 26 science and technology experiments, which will be conducted before they head home. &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


History has been made today. For the first time, an all-private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 1, has been sent to International Space Station (ISS). The four-member crew, who were selected by Houston-based startup Axiom Space Inc, left for the space laboratory in a SpaceX rocket ship on Friday.

History has been made today. For the first time, an all-private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 1, has been sent to International Space Station (ISS). The four-member crew, who were selected by Houston-based startup Axiom Space Inc, left for the space laboratory in a SpaceX rocket ship on Friday. It is the landmark debut spaceflight for the firm. It is sending three customers, who have paid for the flight and an Axiom employee Michael López-Alegría to the ISS for an eight-day stay. Also Read: Methane concentration in Earth’s atmosphere witnessed record rise in 2021 López-Alegría, who is also a former NASA astronaut, is leading the mission. While the other three are pilot Larry Connor and mission specialists, Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy. The four astronauts will stay and work on the flying outpost. Separation confirmed! @Axiom_Space's #Ax1 mission is now on its way in the @SpaceX Dragon Endeavour. Next stop: the International @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/Q3uLLWy2B6 — NASA (@NASA) April 8, 2022 × The flight, which is being hailed by several people as a new milestone in the commercialisation of low-Earth orbit, lifted off at 11:17 am EDT (1517 GMT) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This takes commerce to a whole new level. @Axiom_Space's #Ax1 mission is on its way to the @Space_Station in @SpaceX's Dragon Endeavour—a key step in our ongoing work to open opportunities for space travelers in low-Earth orbit. pic.twitter.com/SZk7Tseykw — NASA (@NASA) April 8, 2022 × Axiom’s live video webcast showed the SpaceX launch vehicle, which had a Falcon 9 rocket topped by its Crew Dragon capsule, soaring towards space over Florida's Atlantic coast. Watch: Future of the aviation sector: First of its kind electric aircraft certified for training × The cameras, which were inside the crew compartment, also showed footage of the four men moments before the rocket lifted off. LIVE: Axiom Mission 1 is lifting off from @NASAKennedy for eight days of science, outreach, and commercial activities on the @Space_Station! Launch is scheduled for 11:17am ET (15:17 UTC)—join us, @Axiom_Space, and @SpaceX for live #Ax1 coverage. https://t.co/xU6PuWRCqI — NASA (@NASA) April 8, 2022 × According to the plan, the team will arrive at the space station on Saturday. After around 20-hour-plus flight, the Crew Dragon, which is autonomously operated, will dock with the orbiting outpost around 400 km above the Earth. The team is carrying equipment and supplies for 26 science and technology experiments, which will be conducted before they head home. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | Scripting history: For first time, all-private astronaut mission to ISS soars in space  

<p>In January 1992, a pair of astronomers reported a discovery that changed the course of scientific history: They found planets outside our solar system.</p>

<p>The detection of the first confirmed exoplanets — the term for worlds that orbit other stars — validated dreamers who for centuries believed that “innumerable celestial bodies, stars, globes, suns and earths may be sensibly perceived therein by us,” in the words of the Renaissance polymath Giordano Bruno. One such detection — the world 51 Pegasi b in 1995 — led to the award of the 2019 Nobel Prize in physics to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz.</p>

<p>Now, 30 years later, the list of known exoplanets has just topped 5,000, according to NASA. This dazzling abundance and variety of worlds has come into view with the aid of ever-more sophisticated space telescopes. There are “hot Jupiters” that orbit scorchingly close to their stars and beefed-up versions of our planet known as “super-Earths.” Rogue planets, unmoored from their stars, wander interstellar space. And some worlds show signs of habitability, meaning they could host alien life.</p>

<p>To celebrate the milestone, experts and enthusiasts shared their favourite exoplanets or exoplanetary systems among the thousands of worlds to choose from.</p>

<p><b>A Dead Star’s Worlds</b></p>

<p>Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first confirmed exoplanets ever spotted. Alexander Wolszczan and Dale Frail detected the planets orbiting a neutron star, a type of dead star, using the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico.</p>

<p>“Not only did this discovery precede further confirmed exoplanet discoveries by three years, Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first exoplanets with Earth-like masses and the first multiplanet system,” said Frail, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.</p>

<p>“This discovery suggested that, if you can make planets around a neutron star, they should be common around all kinds of stars,” said Wolszczan, a professor at Pennsylvania State University.</p>

<p><b>No Doubt About It</b></p>

<p>Though Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first confirmed exoplanets in history, an absolutely humongous gas giant nicknamed Tadmor was spotted in 1988 by scientists based in British Columbia. The existence of Tadmor was disputed for years, even by its own discoverers, but was eventually confirmed in 2002.</p>

<p>Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut, said that “firsts” are always important to him, which is just one of the reasons that Tadmor is his favourite exoplanet.</p>

<p>“Part of the reason I like it is that it was detected by three Canadians,” said Hadfield, referring to Bruce Campbell, Gordon Walker and Stephenson Yang, “and they just couldn’t believe it.”</p>

<p>“To me, since it’s the first one, it’s the one I think ends up being the most historic and at this point, the most interesting,” he added.</p>

<p><b>Seven-in-One</b></p>

<p>With seven rocky planets and a location just 40 light-years from Earth, the TRAPPIST-1 system is a fan favourite.</p>

<p>Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, noted that the system had four planets in the habitable zone — the region around a star where liquid water could potentially exist.</p>

<p>“Wouldn’t it be incredible to find more than one habitable world around one star?” Kaltenegger said.</p>

<p>(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)</p>

<p>Tim Pyle, a multimedia producer who helped create some of the well-known visualizations of TRAPPIST-1 for NASA, noted that the view from these planets would be surreal.</p>

<p>“Having seven roughly Earth-sized planets around a single star excites my imagination,” Pyle said. “And they’re so close together that they would be looming fixtures in each other’s sky in a breathtaking way. Imagine lying on the deck of a boat on a TRAPPIST-1e ocean, looking above you, and seeing other planets as large as we see the full moon from Earth!”</p>

<p><b>Precocious Planets</b></p>

<p>TOI-1233, a sunlike star more than 200 light-years from Earth, contains five known exoplanets. Four of these worlds were spotted in 2020.</p>

<p>“TOI-1233 is an outstanding planetary system with its high number of transiting planets, sunlike host star and its proximity to the solar system,” said Tansu Daylan, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.</p>

<p>Daylan detected the system with Jasmine Wright and Kartik Pinglé, who were both high school students at the time.</p>

<p>“This system is dear to my heart because it represents my first hands-on research experience in astrophysics,” said Wright, who is now studying the subject and computer science at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Since I was 7 years old, it’s been my goal to become an astrophysicist and work for NASA, and discovering this system brought me that chance sooner than expected.”</p>

<p>Pinglé, a senior at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Massachusetts, added that there was much still to be discovered at TOI-1233.</p>

<p>“It is a prime candidate for follow-up observation, particularly from the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope,” he said.</p>

<p><b>A Super-Saturn, Maybe</b></p>

<p>The possible exoplanet J1407b is nicknamed “super-Saturn” and “Lord of the Rings” because its ring system appears to stretch as far as Earth is from the sun.</p>

<p>Ann Druyan, who created the original television series “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” with her husband, Carl Sagan, and is the creative force behind its two recent iterations, said this world made an impression on her.</p>

<p>“It was an indication of what the variety of worlds, similar to the variety of life, could be,” she said.</p>

<p>Doubts have been raised about the original detection of J1407b. That also appeals to Druyan.</p>

<p>“I love the idea that it might be there and it might not be there,” she said. “It’s a product of this relentless searching, this sacred searching, we’ve been doing for roughly 400 years.”</p>

<p><b>An Ancient Super-Earth</b></p>

<p>More than half of the 5,000 known exoplanets were spotted by Kepler, a workhorse NASA space telescope that retired in 2018. Out of them all, William Borucki, Kepler’s principal investigator, has a clear favorite: Kepler-62f, a super-Earth about 1,000 light-years from Earth.</p>

<p>“It is in the habitable zone. It is similar in size to the Earth. It could be a rocky world or a water world,” he said in an email. “It orbits a star similar to but older than our sun.”</p>

<p>He added, “Any life on the planet could be much more advanced because the planet and any life on it would/could be that much older than terrestrial life and therefore be of special interest.”</p>

<p><b>Crazy Ex-Lava Monster</b></p>

<p>Kepler-10b was the first rocky planet to be discovered by the Kepler telescope, in 2011. The planet is slightly larger in size than Earth, and about four times as massive. But its temperature exceeds 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit because of its close orbit around its star, making it a nightmarish world.</p>

<p>“I love Kepler-10b because it’s the size of Earth but with a lava ocean, so I like to imagine it’s an alternate version of Earth with an alternate version of myself living on that planet,” said actress Rachel Bloom. But instead of being the co-creator and star of the TV show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” Bloom said the Kepler-10b version of herself would be “a fearsome lava monster who still likes show tunes.”</p>

<p><b>So Close, Yet So Far</b></p>

<p>Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf that is part of the three-star Alpha Centauri system, is our star’s closest neighbour, just 4 light-years away. Over the past few years, scientists have spotted three exoplanets, Proxima b, c and d — which are especially captivating to Sharon Xuesong Wang, a scientist at Tsinghua University in Beijing.</p>

<p>“I think within our lifetime, there’s a chance that we could see a mission actually flying somewhere closer to the system to study the planets in more detail,” Wang said. “It is not very likely there is life on any of these planets though, but who knows — the universe likes to surprise us.”</p>

<p>(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)</p>

<p>Abel Méndez, director of the Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, chose Proxima Centauri b as his favorite.</p>

<p>Méndez said that with new telescopes, we should be able to see “land and ocean areas. Information about the atmosphere and surface properties would provide definitive evidence to confirm whether these are really habitable worlds.”</p>

<p><b>Two Hot Jupiters</b></p>

<p>Kelt-11b is a hot Jupiter that was first reported in 2017 with the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope. The planet is special to Kate Isaak, project scientist for the European Space Agency’s CHEOPS spacecraft, launched in 2019, because it was the first light curve, a measurement of a star’s brightness that reveals exoplanets<em>,</em>&nbsp;ever studied by the observatory.</p>

<p>“We were able to determine its size with an accuracy five times better than from Earth, setting the uncertainty in its size to around 4,200 kilometres,” Isaak said, adding that it proved the scientific potential of the CHEOPS space telescope.</p>

<p>Luis Calçada, a science visualization artist who works with the European Southern Observatory, chose another hot Jupiter: Vega b.</p>

<p>“This star, which is only 25 light-years away from us, is central to Carl Sagan’s novel ‘Contact,’ ” Calçada said. He said the book sparked an interest that led him “to pursue a university degree in astronomy. After that, I built a career as a science illustrator. So this book, Carl Sagan and Vega have been present in a defining moment of my life. So seeing a planet being discovered around it was very exciting.”</p>

<p><b>Small but Fascinating</b></p>

<p>During his years on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Wil Wheaton became familiar with fictional worlds and new forms of life. He picked YZ Ceti b, which is slightly smaller than Earth and orbits a red dwarf located 12 light-years away, making it tantalizingly close for further study.</p>

<p>“It doesn’t make sense that, in a universe as vast as ours, we are the only intelligent (sentient) species,” Wheaton said in an email. “So when I look out into the night sky, I don’t just imagine that someone else is looking back. I know they are.”</p>

<p>He added that proof was unlikely to come in our lifetimes, so “our most urgent challenge as a species right now is to take care of the only planet we can live on so that generations from now, in a future so far away we cannot imagine what it will look like, our descendants can make first contact.”</p>

<p><b>Puff Up Your Imagination</b></p>

<p>At just 500 million years old, Kepler-51 is among the youngest star systems on this list. But though it is still a baby in astronomical terms, the system is already home to multiple planets with enigmatic properties, said Peter Gao, a staff scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science.</p>

<p>Gao said the system’s three planets were nicknamed “super puffs,” with extremely low density that brings to mind Styrofoam or cotton candy and “challenge our understanding of how planets form and how they evolve.”</p>

<p>He added that, “I like them because I like a good mystery, and their existence has shown that the universe is always more imaginative than we are.”</p>


In January 1992, a pair of astronomers reported a discovery that changed the course of scientific history: They found planets outside our solar system. The detection of the first confirmed exoplanets — the term for worlds that orbit other stars — validated dreamers who for centuries believed that “innumerable celestial bodies, stars, globes, suns and earths may be sensibly perceived therein by us,” in the words of the Renaissance polymath Giordano Bruno.

In January 1992, a pair of astronomers reported a discovery that changed the course of scientific history: They found planets outside our solar system. The detection of the first confirmed exoplanets — the term for worlds that orbit other stars — validated dreamers who for centuries believed that “innumerable celestial bodies, stars, globes, suns and earths may be sensibly perceived therein by us,” in the words of the Renaissance polymath Giordano Bruno. One such detection — the world 51 Pegasi b in 1995 — led to the award of the 2019 Nobel Prize in physics to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz. Now, 30 years later, the list of known exoplanets has just topped 5,000, according to NASA. This dazzling abundance and variety of worlds has come into view with the aid of ever-more sophisticated space telescopes. There are “hot Jupiters” that orbit scorchingly close to their stars and beefed-up versions of our planet known as “super-Earths.” Rogue planets, unmoored from their stars, wander interstellar space. And some worlds show signs of habitability, meaning they could host alien life. To celebrate the milestone, experts and enthusiasts shared their favourite exoplanets or exoplanetary systems among the thousands of worlds to choose from. A Dead Star’s Worlds Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first confirmed exoplanets ever spotted. Alexander Wolszczan and Dale Frail detected the planets orbiting a neutron star, a type of dead star, using the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico. “Not only did this discovery precede further confirmed exoplanet discoveries by three years, Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first exoplanets with Earth-like masses and the first multiplanet system,” said Frail, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. “This discovery suggested that, if you can make planets around a neutron star, they should be common around all kinds of stars,” said Wolszczan, a professor at Pennsylvania State University. No Doubt About It Though Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first confirmed exoplanets in history, an absolutely humongous gas giant nicknamed Tadmor was spotted in 1988 by scientists based in British Columbia. The existence of Tadmor was disputed for years, even by its own discoverers, but was eventually confirmed in 2002. Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut, said that “firsts” are always important to him, which is just one of the reasons that Tadmor is his favourite exoplanet. “Part of the reason I like it is that it was detected by three Canadians,” said Hadfield, referring to Bruce Campbell, Gordon Walker and Stephenson Yang, “and they just couldn’t believe it.” “To me, since it’s the first one, it’s the one I think ends up being the most historic and at this point, the most interesting,” he added. Seven-in-One With seven rocky planets and a location just 40 light-years from Earth, the TRAPPIST-1 system is a fan favourite. Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, noted that the system had four planets in the habitable zone — the region around a star where liquid water could potentially exist. “Wouldn’t it be incredible to find more than one habitable world around one star?” Kaltenegger said. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) Tim Pyle, a multimedia producer who helped create some of the well-known visualizations of TRAPPIST-1 for NASA, noted that the view from these planets would be surreal. “Having seven roughly Earth-sized planets around a single star excites my imagination,” Pyle said. “And they’re so close together that they would be looming fixtures in each other’s sky in a breathtaking way. Imagine lying on the deck of a boat on a TRAPPIST-1e ocean, looking above you, and seeing other planets as large as we see the full moon from Earth!” Precocious Planets TOI-1233, a sunlike star more than 200 light-years from Earth, contains five known exoplanets. Four of these worlds were spotted in 2020. “TOI-1233 is an outstanding planetary system with its high number of transiting planets, sunlike host star and its proximity to the solar system,” said Tansu Daylan, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Daylan detected the system with Jasmine Wright and Kartik Pinglé, who were both high school students at the time. “This system is dear to my heart because it represents my first hands-on research experience in astrophysics,” said Wright, who is now studying the subject and computer science at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Since I was 7 years old, it’s been my goal to become an astrophysicist and work for NASA, and discovering this system brought me that chance sooner than expected.” Pinglé, a senior at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Massachusetts, added that there was much still to be discovered at TOI-1233. “It is a prime candidate for follow-up observation, particularly from the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope,” he said. A Super-Saturn, Maybe The possible exoplanet J1407b is nicknamed “super-Saturn” and “Lord of the Rings” because its ring system appears to stretch as far as Earth is from the sun. Ann Druyan, who created the original television series “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” with her husband, Carl Sagan, and is the creative force behind its two recent iterations, said this world made an impression on her. “It was an indication of what the variety of worlds, similar to the variety of life, could be,” she said. Doubts have been raised about the original detection of J1407b. That also appeals to Druyan. “I love the idea that it might be there and it might not be there,” she said. “It’s a product of this relentless searching, this sacred searching, we’ve been doing for roughly 400 years.” An Ancient Super-Earth More than half of the 5,000 known exoplanets were spotted by Kepler, a workhorse NASA space telescope that retired in 2018. Out of them all, William Borucki, Kepler’s principal investigator, has a clear favorite: Kepler-62f, a super-Earth about 1,000 light-years from Earth. “It is in the habitable zone. It is similar in size to the Earth. It could be a rocky world or a water world,” he said in an email. “It orbits a star similar to but older than our sun.” He added, “Any life on the planet could be much more advanced because the planet and any life on it would/could be that much older than terrestrial life and therefore be of special interest.” Crazy Ex-Lava Monster Kepler-10b was the first rocky planet to be discovered by the Kepler telescope, in 2011. The planet is slightly larger in size than Earth, and about four times as massive. But its temperature exceeds 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit because of its close orbit around its star, making it a nightmarish world. “I love Kepler-10b because it’s the size of Earth but with a lava ocean, so I like to imagine it’s an alternate version of Earth with an alternate version of myself living on that planet,” said actress Rachel Bloom. But instead of being the co-creator and star of the TV show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” Bloom said the Kepler-10b version of herself would be “a fearsome lava monster who still likes show tunes.” So Close, Yet So Far Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf that is part of the three-star Alpha Centauri system, is our star’s closest neighbour, just 4 light-years away. Over the past few years, scientists have spotted three exoplanets, Proxima b, c and d — which are especially captivating to Sharon Xuesong Wang, a scientist at Tsinghua University in Beijing. “I think within our lifetime, there’s a chance that we could see a mission actually flying somewhere closer to the system to study the planets in more detail,” Wang said. “It is not very likely there is life on any of these planets though, but who knows — the universe likes to surprise us.” (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) Abel Méndez, director of the Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, chose Proxima Centauri b as his favorite. Méndez said that with new telescopes, we should be able to see “land and ocean areas. Information about the atmosphere and surface properties would provide definitive evidence to confirm whether these are really habitable worlds.” Two Hot Jupiters Kelt-11b is a hot Jupiter that was first reported in 2017 with the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope. The planet is special to Kate Isaak, project scientist for the European Space Agency’s CHEOPS spacecraft, launched in 2019, because it was the first light curve, a measurement of a star’s brightness that reveals exoplanets, ever studied by the observatory. “We were able to determine its size with an accuracy five times better than from Earth, setting the uncertainty in its size to around 4,200 kilometres,” Isaak said, adding that it proved the scientific potential of the CHEOPS space telescope. Luis Calçada, a science visualization artist who works with the European Southern Observatory, chose another hot Jupiter: Vega b. “This star, which is only 25 light-years away from us, is central to Carl Sagan’s novel ‘Contact,’ ” Calçada said. He said the book sparked an interest that led him “to pursue a university degree in astronomy. After that, I built a career as a science illustrator. So this book, Carl Sagan and Vega have been present in a defining moment of my life. So seeing a planet being discovered around it was very exciting.” Small but Fascinating During his years on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Wil Wheaton became familiar with fictional worlds and new forms of life. He picked YZ Ceti b, which is slightly smaller than Earth and orbits a red dwarf located 12 light-years away, making it tantalizingly close for further study. “It doesn’t make sense that, in a universe as vast as ours, we are the only intelligent (sentient) species,” Wheaton said in an email. “So when I look out into the night sky, I don’t just imagine that someone else is looking back. I know they are.” He added that proof was unlikely to come in our lifetimes, so “our most urgent challenge as a species right now is to take care of the only planet we can live on so that generations from now, in a future so far away we cannot imagine what it will look like, our descendants can make first contact.” Puff Up Your Imagination At just 500 million years old, Kepler-51 is among the youngest star systems on this list. But though it is still a baby in astronomical terms, the system is already home to multiple planets with enigmatic properties, said Peter Gao, a staff scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science. Gao said the system’s three planets were nicknamed “super puffs,” with extremely low density that brings to mind Styrofoam or cotton candy and “challenge our understanding of how planets form and how they evolve.” He added that, “I like them because I like a good mystery, and their existence has shown that the universe is always more imaginative than we are.”

Imagine another world. Now imagine 5,000 more

<p>We know that black holes in space devour material around them. Even light can't escape from them. We also know that black holes are also found at the centre of galaxies just like Milky Way Galaxy has.</p>

<p>But new images from a corner of space have thrown up 14 black holes hungrily eating material in the space around them.</p>

<p>These 14 black holes (and the galaxies associated with them) are located in what is called Spiderweb protocluster.</p>

<p>The hungry feast of the black holes means that these black holes are growing.</p>

<p>The Spiderweb protocluster is named after Spiderweb galaxy that is at the center of the protocluster. The protocluster was observed over 8 days using Chandra X-Ray observatory. The hungry black holes were discovered thus.</p>

<p>The Spiderweb protocluster is a growing cluster of galaxies. It is 10.6 billion light-years away from us. This means that what we are seeing today happened 10.6 billion light years ago. So this protocluster was behaving like it was observed now 10.6 billion years ago.</p>

<p>This period is known as 'Cosmic Noon' during which star-formation was taking place at a furious rate.</p>

<p>It is held that Spiderweb protocluster will by today have evolved into a stable, massive cluster of galaxies that are gravitationally bound.</p>

<p>Study of Spiderweb protocluster and it development may give scientists opportunity to gain insight into how massive structures are formed in space.</p>


We know that black holes in space devour material around them. Even light can't escape from them. We also know that black holes are also found at the centre of galaxies just like Milky Way Galaxy has.

We know that black holes in space devour material around them. Even light can't escape from them. We also know that black holes are also found at the centre of galaxies just like Milky Way Galaxy has. But new images from a corner of space have thrown up 14 black holes hungrily eating material in the space around them. These 14 black holes (and the galaxies associated with them) are located in what is called Spiderweb protocluster. The hungry feast of the black holes means that these black holes are growing. The Spiderweb protocluster is named after Spiderweb galaxy that is at the center of the protocluster. The protocluster was observed over 8 days using Chandra X-Ray observatory. The hungry black holes were discovered thus. The Spiderweb protocluster is a growing cluster of galaxies. It is 10.6 billion light-years away from us. This means that what we are seeing today happened 10.6 billion light years ago. So this protocluster was behaving like it was observed now 10.6 billion years ago. This period is known as 'Cosmic Noon' during which star-formation was taking place at a furious rate. It is held that Spiderweb protocluster will by today have evolved into a stable, massive cluster of galaxies that are gravitationally bound. Study of Spiderweb protocluster and it development may give scientists opportunity to gain insight into how massive structures are formed in space.

Astronomers find 14 black holes feasting on surrounding space matter

<p>Indian astronomers in collaboration with their French counterpart, have found a galaxy that has a 'ghost-like' appearance. Stars are very much being formed in this galaxy. This faint galaxy was previously unseen due to the presence of a bright galaxy.</p>

<p>The galaxy was found by a team of researchers the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru and a French astronomer from College de France, Paris. The team consisted of Jyoti Yadav, Mousumi Das and Sudhanshu Barway and Francoise Combes.</p>

<p>India's Ministry of Science and Technology has made announcement about the discovery.</p>

<p>Faint galaxies form about 15 per cent of the mass of the universe. Faint galaxies are also called low surface brightness galaxies or ultra-diffuse galaxies. These galaxies are at least ten times fainter than the night sky around them. The galaxies are faint in their appearance because of low disc density.</p>

<p>The newly discovered galaxy is around 136 light-years away from Earth.</p>

<p>"The researchers measured the distance of NGC6902A, a previously known galaxy and the faint star-forming regions using emission lines in the spectra. They found that these star-forming regions are at a distance of around 136 million light-years, whereas the distance of NGC 6902A is around 825 million light-years. This means that the diffuse blue emission was from a foreground galaxy," said India's Ministry of Science and Technology.</p>

<p>The research has been published in the journal ‘Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics’.</p>


Indian astronomers in collaboration with their French counterpart, have found a galaxy that has a 'ghost-like' appearance. Stars are very much being formed in this galaxy.

Indian astronomers in collaboration with their French counterpart, have found a galaxy that has a 'ghost-like' appearance. Stars are very much being formed in this galaxy. This faint galaxy was previously unseen due to the presence of a bright galaxy. The galaxy was found by a team of researchers the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru and a French astronomer from College de France, Paris. The team consisted of Jyoti Yadav, Mousumi Das and Sudhanshu Barway and Francoise Combes. India's Ministry of Science and Technology has made announcement about the discovery. Faint galaxies form about 15 per cent of the mass of the universe. Faint galaxies are also called low surface brightness galaxies or ultra-diffuse galaxies. These galaxies are at least ten times fainter than the night sky around them. The galaxies are faint in their appearance because of low disc density. The newly discovered galaxy is around 136 light-years away from Earth. "The researchers measured the distance of NGC6902A, a previously known galaxy and the faint star-forming regions using emission lines in the spectra. They found that these star-forming regions are at a distance of around 136 million light-years, whereas the distance of NGC 6902A is around 825 million light-years. This means that the diffuse blue emission was from a foreground galaxy," said India's Ministry of Science and Technology. The research has been published in the journal ‘Astronomy & Astrophysics’.

Indian astronomers find galaxy having 'ghost-like' appearance

The International space station that so many of us often forget was launched way back in 1998 and has long been a symbol of US-Russian collaboration, now it's interesting to see how will Russia's invasion of Ukraine change things up in space?

Ukraine-Russia conflict: Can USA & Russia cooperate in space?

<p>The White House has requested allocation of &nbsp;USD 26 billion for NASA in the year 2023. If passed, these funda will be USD 2 billion more than what NASA received in the current fiscal year.</p>

<p>The budget would enable NASA to fund Artemis moon landings, Earth science, address climate change, drive economic growth, and more as the agency aims to send people to Mars by 2040, NASA officials said.</p>

<p>"Greater than a number, statistic, or fact is what the President's budget request represents," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, in a statement.</p>

<p>"This budget reflects the Biden-Harris Administration's confidence in the extraordinary workforce that makes NASA the best place to work in the federal government.</p>

<p>"It's an investment in the businesses and universities that partner with NASA in all 50 states and the good-paying jobs they are creating. It's a signal of support for our missions in a new era of exploration and discovery," Nelson said.</p>

<p>As per the proposed budget, USD 7.6 billion have been allocated for deep space exploration. &nbsp;Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and person of colour on the lunar surface, deepen the US' scientific understanding of the Moon, and test technologies that will prepare for human exploration of Mars.</p>

<p>About $4.7 billion is for Common Exploration Systems Development to support lunar missions which includes funding for the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS). The budget's $1.5 billion for astronaut Moon landers will enable NASA to increase competition in the development of the final mode of transportation needed to take astronauts to the lunar surface.</p>

<p>With $2.4 billion allocated for Earth-observing satellites and related research, the budget will increase NASA's Earth science funding for climate and weather monitoring and measurement.</p>

<p>NASA also aims to support commercial space activities. The budget's $1.4 billion for space technology research and development will support new technologies to help the US commercial space industry grow, enhance mission capabilities, create good-paying jobs, and reduce costs.</p>

<p>About $970 million has been allocated for aeronautics research. This includes $500 million to reduce aviation's climate impact through efforts including a Sustainable Flight National Partnership to develop a next-generation passenger aircraft.</p>

<p>With $150 million for the Office of STEM Engagement for education and engagement activities, this budget would allow NASA to enhance its support for educational activities, including those that focus on historically underserved communities.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The White House has requested allocation of USD 26 billion for NASA in the year 2023. If passed, these funda will be USD 2 billion more than what NASA received in the current fiscal year.

The White House has requested allocation of USD 26 billion for NASA in the year 2023. If passed, these funda will be USD 2 billion more than what NASA received in the current fiscal year. The budget would enable NASA to fund Artemis moon landings, Earth science, address climate change, drive economic growth, and more as the agency aims to send people to Mars by 2040, NASA officials said. "Greater than a number, statistic, or fact is what the President's budget request represents," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, in a statement. "This budget reflects the Biden-Harris Administration's confidence in the extraordinary workforce that makes NASA the best place to work in the federal government. "It's an investment in the businesses and universities that partner with NASA in all 50 states and the good-paying jobs they are creating. It's a signal of support for our missions in a new era of exploration and discovery," Nelson said. As per the proposed budget, USD 7.6 billion have been allocated for deep space exploration. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and person of colour on the lunar surface, deepen the US' scientific understanding of the Moon, and test technologies that will prepare for human exploration of Mars. About $4.7 billion is for Common Exploration Systems Development to support lunar missions which includes funding for the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS). The budget's $1.5 billion for astronaut Moon landers will enable NASA to increase competition in the development of the final mode of transportation needed to take astronauts to the lunar surface. With $2.4 billion allocated for Earth-observing satellites and related research, the budget will increase NASA's Earth science funding for climate and weather monitoring and measurement. NASA also aims to support commercial space activities. The budget's $1.4 billion for space technology research and development will support new technologies to help the US commercial space industry grow, enhance mission capabilities, create good-paying jobs, and reduce costs. About $970 million has been allocated for aeronautics research. This includes $500 million to reduce aviation's climate impact through efforts including a Sustainable Flight National Partnership to develop a next-generation passenger aircraft. With $150 million for the Office of STEM Engagement for education and engagement activities, this budget would allow NASA to enhance its support for educational activities, including those that focus on historically underserved communities. (With inputs from agencies)

White House proposes budget of USD 26 billion for NASA in 2023 

<p>Saturn sure makes for a grand view in the night sky. After all, it is the only planet in our solar system with easily visible majestic rings. If you have seen Saturn through an everyday telescope, it's hard to miss the mesmerising beauty of the planet.</p>

<p>Saturn's rings are made of rock, ice and dust. It is estimated that the rings are 10 to 100 million years old. That might sound a lot but not much when we know&nbsp;dinosaurs roamed the Earth just 66 million years ago.</p>

<p>Saturn may flaunt its distinct look in the night sky today but the planet is losing its rings.</p>

<p>Imagine pointing your telescope at the sky and finding no difference between Saturn and other planets! Yes, that sounds sad.</p>

<p>Saturn is losing its rings due to what is being called 'ring rain'. No, there is no mysterious rain chipping away at the rings. Saturn is itself attracting the 'ring matter' which is falling towards it from the ring and vapourising. In other words, Saturn is eating away its own rings!</p>

<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/an-astronomer-has-created-video-on-saturns-spinning-rings-375558">An astronomer has created video on Saturn's spinning rings</a></strong></p>

<p>This destructive process was revealed to The Atlantic by astronomers. It is estimated that 10 tonnes of ring matter are falling into Saturn every second!</p>

<p>NASA's Cassini Mission has studied Saturn extensively.</p>

<p>We can heave a sigh of relief though. Saturn is unlikely to lose its grandeur during our lifetimes. At the current rate of degradation, it is estimated that the core of the ring would disappear in 100 million years and the rings will completely disappear in 300 million years. But it will be a sad moment indeed, whenever it comes.</p>


Saturn sure makes for a grand view in the night sky. After all, it is the only planet in our solar system with easily visible majestic rings. If you have seen Saturn through an everyday telescope, it's hard to miss the mesmerising beauty of the planet.

Saturn sure makes for a grand view in the night sky. After all, it is the only planet in our solar system with easily visible majestic rings. If you have seen Saturn through an everyday telescope, it's hard to miss the mesmerising beauty of the planet. Saturn's rings are made of rock, ice and dust. It is estimated that the rings are 10 to 100 million years old. That might sound a lot but not much when we know dinosaurs roamed the Earth just 66 million years ago. Saturn may flaunt its distinct look in the night sky today but the planet is losing its rings. Imagine pointing your telescope at the sky and finding no difference between Saturn and other planets! Yes, that sounds sad. Saturn is losing its rings due to what is being called 'ring rain'. No, there is no mysterious rain chipping away at the rings. Saturn is itself attracting the 'ring matter' which is falling towards it from the ring and vapourising. In other words, Saturn is eating away its own rings! Also Read: An astronomer has created video on Saturn's spinning rings This destructive process was revealed to The Atlantic by astronomers. It is estimated that 10 tonnes of ring matter are falling into Saturn every second! NASA's Cassini Mission has studied Saturn extensively. We can heave a sigh of relief though. Saturn is unlikely to lose its grandeur during our lifetimes. At the current rate of degradation, it is estimated that the core of the ring would disappear in 100 million years and the rings will completely disappear in 300 million years. But it will be a sad moment indeed, whenever it comes.

Saturn is 'eating' its own rings, they may disappear altogether

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