Science

A quake of magnitude 5 shook the surface of Mars on May 4, as per a seismometer placed by NASA’s InSight lander on the planet. The seismic event has been dubbed a “monster” quake by the space agency given that it is the strongest temblor ever detected not just on Mars but also on any

Boeing is feuding with Aerojet Rocketdyne, a key supplier for its Starliner spacecraft, as the US aerospace giant races to test launch the uncrewed astronaut capsule and mend its reputation in the space sector, people familiar with the matter said. The CST-100 Starliner is scheduled for a May 19 Florida launch atop an Atlas 5

The first ever photograph of a black hole — a fiery ring of light that surrounded a black pit of emptiness — stunned the world three years ago. The Event Horizon Telescope, a global network of synchronised radio dishes serving as one large telescope, brought that image of the black hole at the centre of

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope’s Infrared Array Camera achieved great feats for the American Space agency. The retired observatory has captured several spectacular images of the deep space until recently. It was the first of its kind to provide high-resolution images of the near- and mid-infrared universe. And, now, we are glad that it has received

A Chinese cargo vessel docked with the country’s under-construction space station Tuesday ahead of a new three-person crew expected to arrive next month. The Tianzhou-4 spacecraft was slung into space atop a Long March-7 Y5 rocket at 1:56am (11:26pm) from the Wenchang Launch Base in the southern island province of Hainan. State media said it docked

The inability to test cutting-edge theories in a laboratory setting is a key roadblock for fundamental research in physics. However, a recent breakthrough finding is allowing scientists to observe phenomena that were previously only comprehended in theory or represented in science fiction. The Unruh effect is one such theory. It’s a warm glow that appears on

The intrigue around black holes is something that fascinates every space enthusiast. The physics behind it has troubled scientists for decades. These mysterious space elements are known as powerful cosmic engines because they provide the energy for quasars and active galactic nuclei. We may be discussing the magnetic field of black holes, but black holes

Over the years, the Hubble Space Telescope has captured some breathtaking images of the cosmos, giving us a peek into a world many of us will not have even imagined. From capturing stunning galaxies hundreds of light-years away to noticing the quiet, undramatic passage of planets by Earth, Hubble has been our eyes in space.

While scientists all over the world are exploring the Moon to find ways to maintain a sustainable human presence, researchers from China have claimed that the lunar soil has the potential to generate oxygen and fuel. They say the soil on the Moon contains active compounds that can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and fuels.

Science is an important but less popular part of sports. We, as viewers, often overlook the techniques employed by players in the excitement to enjoy the spirit of the game. However, a team’s support staff is keenly on the lookout for the finer details. Consider cricket for instance. While most viewers are interested in how

With the rapid advancement of technology, the manipulation of electromagnetic waves and information has become key to the modern lifestyle. This has called for the development of intelligent metasurfaces – those that do not require manual intervention to control wave-information-matter interaction. To this end, a group of researchers tried to study the development of intelligent

Researchers at the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) here in collaboration with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed an optogenetic tool which can help understand brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, depression and schizophrenia. In a statement, the JMI said that the tool can study molecular trafficking in neurons and has been developed by

The most comprehensive genetic assessment to date of the vaquita, the world’s rarest marine mammal, is offering a glimmer of hope that this small tropical porpoise native to Mexico’s Gulf of California may avoid extinction despite its population dwindling to about 10. Researchers said on Thursday genome data from 20 vaquitas showed that while the

The universe is full of enigma and mysteries. Millions of objects move around undetected. In fact, there’s no dearth of such objects lurking in our very own Milky Way galaxy. We know very little of them, yet they continue to impact our lives in a number of ways. While the effort to study these objects

NASA shared a special surprise for Star Wars’ fans on May 4, revealing how the fictional series is inspired from the real world. The franchise has presented a fictional world to its viewers, making it difficult to imagine that the planets shown in the series would have any relation to the our universe. It turns

Autism, a development disorder, can end up impairing a person’s ability to communicate and interact. It affects the nervous system and affects cognitive, social, emotional and physical well-being of an individual. To understand the symptoms disorder in detail, a team of researchers studied lab-grown brains developed from human cells and uncovered changes in neurological structure that

A robot “chef” is being trained by Cambridge University researchers to taste food and determine if it is adequately seasoned while cooking it just like a human. The robot is being trained to even develop the ability to alter the flavour of the food, based on the preferences of the user. So, does this mean

The first exoplanet was discovered in 1992. Since then, astronomers have discovered almost 5,000 planets orbiting other stars. However, whenever a new exoplanet is discovered, little information is available about it. All that is known is that the exoplanet exists and it has a few characteristics. Everything else, though, remains a mystery. To address this

Black holes are intriguing and mysterious objects. They are dreaded, too, because their gravitational pull is so strong that they do not allow anything to pass through them, not even light, except on the rare occasions when they feed. When a black hole pulls in gas and dust from an orbiting star, it sends out

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter, the first probe to ever fly on another planet, has captured images of the landing gear that helped it and its companion, the Perseverance rover, land on Mars in February 2021. NASA has shared the images, saying the copter snapped at the wreckage during its 26th flight on the Red Planet. The