Monisha Ravisetti

Monisha Ravisetti

Astronomy Channel Editor

Monisha Ravisetti is Space.com's Astronomy Editor. She covers black holes, star explosions, gravitational waves, exoplanet discoveries and other enigmas hidden across the fabric of space and time. Previously, she was a science writer at CNET, and before that, reported for The Academic Times. Prior to becoming a writer, she was an immunology researcher at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. She graduated from New York University in 2018 with a B.A. in philosophy, physics and chemistry. She spends too much time playing online chess. Her favorite planet is Earth.

Latest articles by Monisha Ravisetti

A dazzling array of stars fills the black backdrop of space, so much so that there are more stars than black. They vary in size and depth, with shooting crosshair diffraction spikes visible on the larger stars.

The biggest galaxies live in our universe's supercluster 'cities'

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Machine learning algorithms analyzed millions of galaxies to reveal where the biggest ones are.

Galaxies
A view of the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System

NASA spacecraft captures 1st photo of its giant solar sail while tumbling in space

By Monisha Ravisetti published

NASA's testing a solar sail system in space, and the spacecraft that brought the tech there has snapped a photo.

Tech
crumpled pieces of metal can be seen in the foreground; a crescent of light can be seen in the background

We finally know why Astrobotic's private Peregrine moon lander failed

By Monisha Ravisetti last updated

Astrobotic says the Peregrine lunar lander, aka the first private moon mission, failed because of a faulty valve.

The moon
Two NASA astronauts smile on the International Space Station with an inset of their Boeing Starliner capsule.

Boeing Starliner astronauts will return home on a SpaceX Dragon in 2025, NASA confirms

By Monisha Ravisetti published

NASA decided Saturday (Aug. 24) to return its two Boeing Starliner astronauts to Earth in February 2025. Their Starliner capsule will come back empty over thruster concerns.

Human Spaceflight
A bright star in the center of the screen against the dark background of space.

Scientists collect high-resolution images of the North Star's surface for 1st time

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Scientists used the CHARA Array atop Mount Wilson in California to resolve previously unknown features of the North Star.

Stars
a person against a sky full of stars reaching out with a flashlight

25 things to admire in the night sky that aren't just the moon and stars

By Monisha Ravisetti published

We've picked out 25 skywatching targets to celebrate Space.com's 25th anniversary. Can you catch them all?

Stargazing
A ton of exoplanets, many of them resembling Earth, are illustrated in front of a black screen. On the top right, there's a Space.com anniversary badge.

25 years of exoplanet hunting hasn't revealed Earth 2.0 — but is that what we're looking for?

By Monisha Ravisetti published

It's been a long ride for exoplanet science — and for Space.com itself.

Exoplanets
Three planetary orbs float in a row, slightly reflected in a dark surface just beneath them. The left and middle are the same size, both white with hints of blue, and the middle has a large blue and white swath just off center, mimicking an eyeball. The third orb is earth, and smaller.

James Webb Space Telescope suggests this exoplanet is our 'best bet' at finding an alien ocean

By Monisha Ravisetti published

James Webb Space Telescope data suggests the exoplanet LHS 1140 b is a water world in its star's habitable zone that sports a lovely, temperate ocean.

Exoplanets
looping purple lines

Earth has 7 strange quasi-moons — and you could name one of them

By Monisha Ravisetti published

The International Astronomical Union has partnered with the Radiolab podcast to present a quasi-moon-naming contest.

Earth
A man sits in a car.

A billionaire wanted to save the Hubble Telescope — here's why NASA politely declined

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Billionaire Jared Isaacman wanted to conduct a private Hubble Telescope reboost mission. NASA says 'not yet.'

Hubble Space Telescope
A metallic-wrapped spacecraft in space, which looks black, above Earth.

NASA will give a Hubble Telescope status update today. Should we be worried?

By Monisha Ravisetti last updated

One of the Hubble Telescope's three gyroscopes started glitching recently. On June 4, NASA is likely to share an update about the device's status.

Hubble Space Telescope
from high above a flat grey expanse, a single silhoutted figure stands in the center, on the bottom half of the image, dozens of other small silhouetted figures face the central one. Their shadows fall downward.

Astronomy has a bullying and harassment issue: 'Results presented in this report are bleak'

By Monisha Ravisetti published

A "damning" 2020 survey, conducted by the Royal Astronomical Society, reveals systemic bullying across the field of astronomy.

Earth
A rendering of Voyager 1 with the sun in the background.

Things are finally looking up for the Voyager 1 interstellar spacecraft

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Voyager 1's mission has been tumultuous lately, but scientists on the probe's flight team have turned optimistic about the situation.

Missions
A desert landscape aerial shows before and after tents are assembled across a vast swath of land.

Satellite images of Rafah illustrate Palestinians fleeing the city

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Satellite imagery of Rafah, Gaza, provided by commercial company Planet Labs, offers a spaceborne view of the Israel-Hamas war.

Earth
a woman wearing a nasa pin smiles with red lipstick as an old man in a suit behind her pins the neckalce of a medal hanging around her neck.

James Webb Space Telescope chief scientist Jane Rigby receives highest US civilian award

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Last week, the chief scientist of the James Webb Space Telescope, Jane Rigby, was awarded the 2024 Medal of Freedom.

James Webb Space Telescope
A diagram showing where psyche and the solar system planets were during the laser transmission.

Laser on NASA's Psyche asteroid probe beams data from 140 million miles away

By Monisha Ravisetti published

NASA's DSOC experiment passed yet another milestone, interfacing with the Psyche spacecraft and beaming data back to Earth from 140 million miles away.

Missions
A view of Earth in the back, behind the Google doodle.

The Earth Day 2024 Google doodle is a climate change reminder

By Monisha Ravisetti published

For Earth Day this year, the Google doodle is highlighting areas of our planet it sees itself in.

Earth
The moon's features are faintly visible. It is fully eclipsing the sun, which is hidden except for its corona glowing in white.

What's left of the 2024 solar eclipse lives in our hearts

By Monisha Ravisetti published

The 2024 solar eclipse, as seen from Indianapolis, connected strangers across a famous racetrack.

Eclipses
totality of a solar eclipse, like an upside down diamond ring.

My formal 2024 solar eclipse apology

By Monisha Ravisetti published

I used to be an eclipse hater, and now I'm not. That's the story.

Eclipses
Lots of people with solar eclipse viewers looking up. The image is black and white.

In Indiana, the best spot to see the 2024 solar eclipse is wherever you are

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Indiana is in the path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse, and the state's residents have different ideas about the best spot to watch the event unfold.

Eclipses
Six jets in formation fly through a cloudy blue sky over a city's center square, a tall monument tower standing in the middle with building surrounding.

I'm headed to Indiana to prove myself wrong about solar eclipses on April 8

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Solar eclipses have never felt like a big deal to me, but I'm headed to Indiana Motor Speedway to give one a chance on April 8.

Eclipses
Five cans stand on a wooden table against a blurred, non descript homey backdrop. The middle can is black with a diagonal solar eclipse progression illustrated. the other cans are white, with times on them. the leftmost can is shorter than the others.

These 15 solar eclipse beers were brewed to sip in the path of totality

By Monisha Ravisetti published

A bunch of breweries in the path of totality for the April 8 total solar eclipse have created special beers for the surreal event.

Eclipses
A total solar eclipse is seen on Aug. 21, 2017 above Madras, Oregon.

Warby Parker will give you free solar eclipse glasses for the big day on April 8

By Monisha Ravisetti last updated

Warby Parker will be handing out solar eclipse viewing glasses for free ahead of the total solar eclipse happening on April 8, 2024.

The Sun
a long spacecraft in space.

The Chandra X-ray spacecraft may soon go dark, threatening a great deal of astronomy

By Monisha Ravisetti published

NASA's recent budget request doesn't offer hope for a leading X-ray astronomy spacecraft. Scientists are pretty worried.

Missions
A view of Jupiter and Io, courtesy of New Horizons.

The James Webb Space Telescope is digging deep into the mysteries of gas planets

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Scientists are slowly getting to the bottom of how some of the universe's most mind-bending worlds came to be.

James Webb Space Telescope
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