Sharmila Kuthunur is an independent space journalist based in Bengaluru, India. Her work has also appeared in Scientific American, Science, Astronomy and Live Science, among other publications. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Northeastern University in Boston.
Latest articles by Sharmila Kuthunur

1st Indian astronaut to visit ISS welcomed home as a hero
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
"Since I landed in Lucknow around 7:30 this morning, I must have clicked about 2,000 selfies."

Galactic cannonballs: The mystery of hypervelocity white dwarfs may just have been solved
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Astronomers may have solved the mystery of how hypervelocity white dwarfs rocket out of the Milky Way at breakneck speeds.

Perseverance Mars rover stumbles upon wind-carved 'megaripples' on the Red Planet
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
NASA's Perseverance rover captured a striking new image of massive, wind-carved sand formations known as "megaripples" during its latest exploration stop on the Red Planet.

Dwarf planet Ceres may have once been suitable for life, new study suggests
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Even if life never took hold on Ceres, the discovery could help broaden the range of environments that could potentially be habitable.

'Alien auroras' on Jupiter reveal a new kind of plasma wave, scientists say
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Scientists using NASA's Juno spacecraft have discovered a new plasma wave in Jupiter's auroras, offering fresh insight into space weather and magnetism.

Reining in the sun: Venus, Earth and Jupiter may work together to reduce the risk of extreme solar storms
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Tidal forces from Earth, Venus and Jupiter may help keep the sun calm, reducing the risk of powerful solar storms that threaten Earth, a new study suggests.

Hubble telescope uncovers rare star born from cosmic collision: 'A very different history from what we would have guessed'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
"It's a discovery that underlines things may be different from what they appear to us at first glance."

This baby star's big explosion fired back: 'Nature is far more complex than humans think'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Astronomers discovered a star-triggered explosion shaping its dusty disk, revealing a far more chaotic and intense environment than previously thought.

AI helps astronomers make a potentially major find — an exploding star being attacked by a black hole
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Artificial intelligence helps astronomers observe what may be the first known case of a star exploding while interacting with a black hole.

Scientists capture bridge of stray stars being sucked from one galaxy to another
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Astronomers spot a rare stellar bridge in Abell 3667, revealing an aggressive galaxy merger and new clues about dark matter.

Scientists find oldest-known black hole in the universe: 'This is about as far back as you can practically go'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A newfound supermassive black hole from the dawn of the universe challenges how early cosmic giants formed.

A laser-propelled mini spacecraft could travel to a nearby black hole, astrophysicist says
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A bold new proposal envisions launching laser-propelled nanocraft to a nearby black hole to test Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.

Curiosity rover celebrates 13 years on Mars with well-deserved naps and Red Planet 'coral'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Thirteen years into its mission, NASA's Curiosity rover is still uncovering Martian mysteries while learning to do more with less.

NASA's Europa Clipper radar passes key test during Mars flyby
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft successfully tested its ice-penetrating radar system during a close flyby of Mars earlier this year.

Moonquakes could pose threat to future lunar bases, scientists say
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
New research suggests moonquakes rooted in ancient fault systems could threaten modern moon missions.

Stunning 'sun dogs' could sparkle in alien skies, James Webb Space Telescope suggests
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
High-speed winds on exoplanet WASP-17b may align quartz crystals in its atmosphere and create dazzling light effects like "sun dogs."

This new 'CosmoCube' moon orbiter could eavesdrop on whispers from the early universe
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
U.K. scientists plan to send a small spacecraft to the moon's far side to detect faint radio signals emitted shortly after the Big Bang.

This wild bioplastic made of algae just aced a Mars pressure test. Can astronauts use it to build on the Red Planet?
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Scientists have grown algae in bioplastic habitats under Mars-like conditions, a step that could bring long-term space colonization closer to reality.

James Webb Space Telescope celebrates 3 years of science with dazzling 'toe beans' image of Cat's Paw Nebula
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is celebrating three years of transformational science with a striking new image of the Cat's Paw Nebula.
 
A newly forming ocean may split Africa apart, scientists say
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A plume of molten rock deep beneath eastern Africa is pulsing upward in rhythmic surges, slowly splitting the continent and potentially marking the birth of a new ocean, a new study reports.

A hidden asteroid family may share Venus' orbit: 'It's like discovering a continent you didn't know existed'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Simulations of asteroids near Venus reveal gaps in our ability to detect them.

'Star Trek' actor William Shatner and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson's space bromance takes off in new 'The Universe Is Absurd' show
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
"The word 'absurd,' in our everyday language, is crazy, stupid. But absurd can also mean outlandishly true."

Tiny galaxies may have helped our universe out of its dark ages, JWST finds
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
"These small galaxies punch well above their weight."

Astronomers discover ultrapowerful black hole jet as bright as 10 trillion suns lit by Big Bang's afterglow
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
"It's like looking for candlelight in close vicinity to a flashlight that's blazing toward us."

JWST spies frigid alien world on bizarre orbit: 'One of the coldest, oldest and faintest planets that we've imaged to date'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The James Webb Space Telescope has notched another milestone, capturing a direct image of one of the coldest and oldest known exoplanets.
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