Latest articles by Sharmila Kuthunur
Jupiter's moon Europa may have signs of life in its buried ocean — but can we get to them?
"This helps future missions interpret what they find and better understand where to look for signs of habitability."
An off-the-shelf camera could help us find more black holes smashing together
"It doesn't require any new technology development, which is almost unheard of for solving a LIGO instrumentation problem."
New timelapse video shows NASA's Psyche spacecraft zooming by Mars
"We didn't anticipate big discoveries, given how extensively the planet has been studied, but we did complement Mars science with the data we collected through Psyche's unique perspective."
Scientists discover mystery molecule on Pluto and Saturn's moon Titan: 'We cannot say what it is'
Despite being separated by billions of miles, Saturn's moon Titan and the dwarf planet Pluto share an unexplained surface signature.
These 'metallic' dunes on Mars look like sci-fi. What are they really?
New images from the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter have captured strange-looking waves on the Red Planet.
Getting Vikram-1 to orbit: Inside Skyroot Aerospace's coming bid to make spaceflight history
Backed by a $1.1 billion valuation, Skyroot Aerospace is betting that its Vikram-1 rocket can help transform India's commercial launch industry. And Vikram-1 is set to fly soon.
Earth may survive the sun's death after all, new study suggests
When the sun swells into a red giant about 5 billion years from now, Earth may escape being swallowed by the dying star, a new study suggests.
'Once-in-a-millennium' asteroid flyby will be visible to much of the world in 2029
Ninety percent of the world's population could glimpse asteroid Apophis during its once-in-a-millennium close approach to Earth in 2029.
Light pollution may be erasing millions of dollars in value at US dark-sky parks
Researchers combined satellite data and visitor surveys at dark-sky parks to quantify the economic value of dark skies amid rising light pollution.
Astronomers solve the mystery of black holes' delayed cosmic 'burps'
A new study reveals why black holes let out massive radio "burps" years after eating stars, giving astronomers a chemical blueprint to predict them early.
'Best. Mars. Mission. Ever.' Scientists hail MAVEN's legacy as NASA retires Red Planet orbiter
NASA's MAVEN Mars mission ended after 11 years, having revealed how the planet lost its atmosphere and served as a key communications relay for surface missions.
James Webb Space Telescope forecasts extreme weather on exoplanet that rains rubies and sapphires
"With its unprecedented observational quality, JWST gives us the most detailed glimpses into distant planets to date."
Scientists find strange changes on sun hours before a powerful X9 solar flare: 'I was not expecting what I found'
These results could benefit space weather forecasts.
Scientists propose spraying chemicals into Earth's magnetic field to protect us from powerful solar storms
Scientists have proposed a spacecraft-based system to actively strengthen Earth's magnetic shield and reduce the impact of powerful solar storms.
Meteorite found in Sahara desert may be 1st evidence of lost solar system world
A rare meteorite recovered from the Sahara Desert contains evidence of a long-lost moon-size world that existed just a few million years after the solar system formed.
Where did Mercury get its water ice? Maybe from a single slow asteroid impact
Mercury may have gotten much of its polar ice within a single Mercurian day following a massive asteroid impact, a new study suggests.
'Very interesting wiggles' in data from silent NASA Mars spacecraft lead to unexpected solar wind discovery
Data from NASA's MAVEN spacecraft revealed a never-before-seen atmospheric effect on Mars, revealing how solar storms may shape planets without strong magnetic fields.
The universe's 'most relaxed' galaxy cluster was shaped by cosmic violence, new study finds
What's the truth behind this unusually tranquil city of galaxies?
NASA's Psyche spacecraft is flying to a metal asteroid. So, why did it just visit Mars?
NASA's Psyche flyby of Mars highlights how gravity assists help spacecraft gain speed, conserve fuel and travel across the solar system.
James Webb Space Telescope directly studies an exoplanet's surface for the 1st time: 'We see a dark, hot, barren rock'
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have directly analyzed the surface of a distant super-Earth, revealing a dark, airless, Mercury-like world.
Is Tatooine the norm? Planets may prefer living with two suns instead of one
New simulations suggest binary star systems may be ideal for planet formation, and may produce more gas giants than single-star systems.
These 'interstellar glaciers' could give water to young star systems. Could they support alien life, too?
NASA's SPHEREx space telescope reveals widespread water ice in Cygnus X, showing how dust shields molecules in star-forming regions across the Milky Way.
Dozens of hidden star streams found in the outskirts of our Milky Way galaxy
Astronomers discovered dozens of stellar streams in the Milky Way using Gaia data, offering new clues about galaxy formation and dark matter.
