Author: Anina Jacob

The Psyche mission is a voyage to a special metal asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. The exposed nickel-iron core of an early planet, one of the components of our solar system, is what appears to distinguish the asteroid Psyche from other asteroids. A metallic asteroid orbiting the sun between Mars and Jupiter is set to be investigated by NASA’s Psyche mission in 2024. On Friday, October 29, NASA made the decision to move forward with the Psyche project, with a launch window expected to open up on October 10, 2024, according to NASA’s official announcement. Due to…

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The brilliant burst of gamma rays was recorded by Swift Space Telescope  Lighting up a distant galaxy, BOAT, or the Brightest of All Time by astronomers, is now considered to be the brightest gamma-ray burst ever recorded. These bursts of energetic explosions are set off when a large star dies and leaves behind a black hole or a neutron star. This collapse leads to jets of gamma rays picking away at the former star, if pointed coincidentally at Earth, astronomers can see them clearly as they burst forward. Researchers announced, on October 13, that This burst, in particular, named GRB…

Leiden University says Tim de Zeeuw abused his position of authority and power; allegedly intimidated and bullied women.  Leiden University professor, theoretical astronomer and former head of ESO, Tim De Zeeuw was removed from his position due to ‘extremely unacceptable’ behaviour towards colleagues, particularly towards women for a ‘very long time’. Zeeuw will no longer be a part of the university and or supervise PhD candidates. His actions included “intimidation, systematic vilification, and unwanted physical contact with one of the staff members,” according to Annetje Ottow, head of Leiden’s executive board. However, he will still retain his professional title. While…

New research on M Dwarf Star proves to be disappointing for fostering potential life on other planets Life harbouring planets facing a dramatic drop, according to scientists. The most common type of star in our universe, star M dwarf, was studied to provide a suitable environment for life sustenance for nearby planets as they are rich with carbon. However, recent studies prove a disappointing halt to that hope: researchers in a new study of a world that orbited an M dwarf star, existing about 66 light-years away from earth Earth, found no indication that such planets could hold onto a…

NASA launches a 16-member team to study and collect data on the possibilities of extraterrestrial life. 16 individuals have been selected to participate in an independent scientific study to foray into the investigation of UFOs (unidentified flying objects) and UAPs (unexplained aerial phenomena), according to NASA on Friday. The commissioning of the team was first announced in June of this year.  The program seeks to allocate already existing data effectively for research and analysis and how to collect future data efficiently, so as to use the data to create a better understanding of UAPs and UFOs.The research will be unclassified…

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IIT Madras to study variations of microbes found on the ISS IIT Madras (Indian Institute of Technology) and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory researchers have studied the interactivity between potential disease microbes in the International Space Station (ISS). The study seeks to plan strategies for the mitigation and disinfection of space stations to minimise health hazards that may affect the health of astronauts onboard. This study, in particular, was motivated by earlier observations of Klebsiella Pneumoniae domination on the surfaces of the ISS. The pathogen has been known to cause pneumonia-like infections. The key areas of interest for the institute are…

Canadian Government set to support NASA’s Atmosphere Observing System with instrumentation to study and fight climate change On October 18, the Canadian government announced that it will be funding the development of a satellite and supporting instruments contributing to the NASA-led Atmosphere Observing System program. The multi major- satellite program, slated to launch in 2028 and 2031, is launched with the expectation to improve climate modelling, extreme weather prediction, and the monitoring of disasters. As extreme weather conditions continue to disturb our Earth in increasing frequency and intensity, better environmental prediction is necessary to build better resilience for sustainable adaption…

Former NASA Astronaut James McDvitt, commander of the Gemini IV and Apollo 9 missions has died at the age of 93. WASHINGTON: James A. McDivitt, former test pilot, Korean War Veteran, and commander of the Apollo 9 mission and Gemini IV, died Thursday at the age of 93 in his sleep, in Tucson, Arizona, according to NASA. McDivitt’s work on the Apollo 9 mission was crucial in assisting the Apollo 11 mission, which allowed the first humans to land on the moon. His work on Gemini IV also contributed to the nearly tripling of astronauts’ stay in space during that…