Sharmila Kuthunur
Sharmila Kuthunur is a Seattle-based science journalist covering astronomy, astrophysics and space exploration. Follow her on X @skuthunur.
Latest articles by Sharmila Kuthunur
NASA announces 9 possible moon landing sites for Artemis 3 lunar mission
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
NASA has refined its list of potential landing sites near the moon's south pole for its Artemis 3 mission, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface no earlier than 2026.
1st image of our Milky Way's black hole may be inaccurate, scientists say
By Sharmila Kuthunur last updated
The famous doughnut-shaped image of the Milky Way's supermassive black hole may not be fully accurate, an independent analysis of EHT data suggests.
Mysterious features on asteroid Vesta may be explained by saltwater
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Temporary flows of saltwater could explain mysterious gullies and fan-shaped deposits spotted across asteroid Vesta.
New study of Apollo 16 moon samples reveals hidden lunar history
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Soil-like pebbles in moon samples brought home by Apollo 16 astronauts have revealed new details about lunar history.
'Superluminous' nova from rare stellar duo spotted in Milky Way's galactic neighbor
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
An ultraluminous nova in a nearby galaxy offers a glimpse into the mysterious workings of a rare stellar duo.
To land safely on Mars and the moon, we may need to measure dust
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A new radar instrument designed to measure nearby dust and debris could make spacecraft landings on the moon and Mars safer.
Hubble Telescope sees 'stellar volcano' erupt in amazing colors (video, photo)
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an intricate portrait of R Aquarii, an odd nearby binary star system that occasionally erupts into spectacular novae.
Find your way across countless young stars in this image of a faraway stellar nursery (image)
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A new telescope image reveals in intricate detail a slice of a well-studied faraway stellar nursery.
Astronomers prepare for once-in-a-lifetime event: A 'new star' in the night sky
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A rare nova explosion will soon bring a "new star" to the night sky, and scientists are excited.
'That's weird': James Webb Space Telescope spies a strange galaxy outshining its stars
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
An oddball galaxy in the early universe shines so brightly it outshines its stars.
Radar images capture snowman-shaped object tumbling past Earth
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Radar images have captured snowman-shaped 2024 ON asteroid tumbling through space.
Citizen scientists bring intriguing 'hot Jupiter' exoplanet into sharp focus
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Yet another faraway world has come to sharper focus thanks to the collective scientific muscle of citizen scientists.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is enroute to conduct 1st crater rim study at 'Dox Castle'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover will soon arrive at its first stop during its arduous trek to the western edge of Jezero Crater.
India aims for 2028 launch of Venus orbiter as part of ambitious space roadmap
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The Indian government has greenlit four high-profile space projects, including the highly anticipated Chandrayaan-4 moon sample return mission and the first space station module.
Europe's Hera probe to launch Oct. 7 to inspect asteroid NASA smacked in 2022
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Europe's Hera mission to the asteroid Dimorphos, which NASA's DART probe hit in September 2022, has arrived at its launch site in Florida ahead of its planned Oct. 7 liftoff.
NASA's Europa Clipper on track for Oct. 10 launch to Jupiter's icy moon despite radiation worries
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The Europa Clipper will determine whether Jupiter’s icy moon has the right conditions for life as we know it.
Magnetic mystery at Mercury revealed by BepiColombo probe (video)
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The BepiColombo probe's flybys of Mercury have revealed just how sharply and rapidly the planet's local environment changes in response to the solar wind.
Earth had Saturn-like rings 466 million years ago, new study suggests
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Earth may have had a Saturn-like ring system long ago, created from the debris of a passing asteroid that our planet tore apart.
Best-ever 'Cloud Atlas' of Mars showcases stunning cloud patterns (photos)
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The most comprehensive map of clouds on Mars includes a variety of cloud patterns, including some that are unlike anything seen on Earth.
Tiny NASA satellite detects its 1st massive gamma ray burst
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A NASA satellite designed to search for the universe's most powerful and violent explosions has successfully scouted its first burst, space agency officials announced earlier this week.
The bubbling surface of a distant star was captured on video for the 1st time ever
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Astronomers have gotten the first-ever detailed views of turbulent activity on a star other than our own sun.
Hot 'Salsa:' European satellite burns up in landmark controlled reentry (photo)
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The European Space Agency's Salsa satellite safely deorbited on Sunday (Sept. 8) over a hand-picked region of the South Pacific Ocean.
China moves Mars sample-return launch up 2 years, to 2028
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
China has moved the launch of its Tianwen 3 Mars sample return mission up two years, to 2028. The new timeline suggests China could get Mars samples to Earth as soon as 2031.
Just how dark is the universe? NASA's New Horizons probe gives us best estimate yet
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, which flew by Pluto in 2015, has offered the best-yet estimates of how dark deep space truly is.
SpaceX's Polaris Dawn astronauts will make a daring trek into Earth's Van Allen radiation belt
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
SpaceX's trailblazing Polaris Dawn mission will make a daring trek into Earth orbit, one that will ferry the crew through belts of radiation wrapped around our planet.
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