NASA News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

After seven years in space, NASA's Osiris-Rex probe has captured the world's attention with its successful return to Earth, carrying a precious chunk of asteroid sample. This achievement promises groundbreaking insights into the origins of our solar system and potential threats from asteroids. Notably, Osiris-Rex traveled billions of miles before jettisoning the precious cargo capsule back towards Earth. The Osiris-Rex spacecraft was some 63000 miles above Earth when it released the capsule carrying the asteroid sample, which fell back to Earth. The craft itself shot by the Earth.

NASA tracks all asteroids that stray close to the Earth because they could pose a potential danger. Apart from that, information about the origin of various asteroids can solve multiple mysteries about the universe. Recently NASA has successfully brought back a chunk of asteroid Bennu from space with the help of ORISIS- REX spacecraft. This asteroid sample is a huge achievement in the field of space exploration. Now, NASA is on its next asteroid mission called Psyche. According to NASA, this mission will study this metallic asteroid. The asteroid orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. As explained by NASA, the Psyche asteroid has a nickel-iron core that was essential in creating our solar system. One of the mission's main objectives is to get as close as 280 kilometers to Asteroid Psyche. The mission will help reveal various facts about the solar system and more.

The NASA Asteroid Psyche Mission was scheduled to launch from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on October 5, 2023, on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. However, the mission launch has been delayed due to further inspections and verification of the spacecraft and its equipped instruments. Now the mission has been rescheduled with a week's delay and it is scheduled to launch on October 12, 2023.

To study asteroids up close, NASA and other space agencies have launched several space missions. The purpose of these missions is to study asteroids, minimize any uncertainties around their dangers, and determine whether we could extract resources from them in the future. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was conducted last year where a spacecraft successfully collided with an asteroid to divert it from its path. Other missions include Dawn, OSIRIS-REx, and Hayabusa2.

After yesterday's close call with Asteroid 2023 SF6, which passed Earth at a close distance of just 1.4 million kilometers, yet another asteroid approach is expected today. NASA has now revealed that an asteroid is expected to just about miss Earth. While it isn't expected to impact the surface, it could pass by very closely. NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), which is responsible for monitoring the skies against the threat of rogue asteroids, has issued a warning against the close approach of an asteroid designated as Asteroid 2023 SW6.

Over the decades, NASA's Hubble Telescope has been capturing mind-blowing images of outer space objects and galaxies. According to NASA, Hubble's discoveries are too many to list. Suffice it to say that thanks to Hubble Telescope, astronomers have traced the evolution and formation of galaxies, discovered that most galaxies contain supermassive black holes, and mapped the presence of the mysterious dark matter that makes up most of the universe's mass and structure. Now, yet again, the Hubble Telescope's capabilities have surpassed all expectations as it has captured a beautiful image of the Sombrero Galaxy that is over 28 Million light-years away from Earth and located on the southern border of the Virgo cluster. Know more about the Sombrero Galaxy here.

In the past three days, we've seen several geomagnetic storms hit Earth. On September 24, a G2-class storm hit the planet and sparked rare, red auroras over Scotland. Yesterday, a G-1 geomagnetic storm was predicted to hit Earth due to a CME approaching the planet. The effects of the Sun have been felt in the form of solar storms, geomagnetic storms, and solar flares over the last few months. In turn, these phenomena have sparked further events such as auroras, blackouts, and disruption of radio communications. This solar activity is expected to increase even more as we approach the solar maximum, the period in the Sun's 11-year solar cycle where its activity is the highest.

Asteroids are huge space rocks that revolve around in their orbits in space. According to NASA, some of these ancient space rocks present a potential threat of collision with Earth while others can help discover secrets of space. While most of them are located in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, these rocks often make close approaches to Earth as their orbits bring them within a couple of million kilometers of our planet. This presents a threat - could these space rocks somehow make their way to Earth? History has taught us that it certainly is possible. This can happen if an asteroid gets knocked off course, affected by a large planet's gravitational pull. Their orbits can also bring them extremely close to Earth.

Geomagnetic storm today: NASA's Parker Solar Probe on September 5 recorded one of the most powerful Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) ever as it flew by the Sun. According to NASA, the CME hurled out interplanetary dust to about 6 million miles, which is one-sixth of the distance between the Sun and Mercury. Astonishingly, the dust floating around in space replenished it almost immediately. Guillermo Stenborg, an astrophysicist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) who led this study said, “These interactions between CMEs and dust were theorized two decades ago, but had not been observed until Parker Solar Probe viewed a CME act like a vacuum cleaner, clearing the dust out of its path.”

NASA is on a continuous mission to track and study asteroids especially the ones that come too close to the Earth for comfort. The US space agency goes to considerable lengths to increase its knowledge about the space rocks. The most recent case being the retrieval of an asteroid sample from a spacecraft it had sent out to collect it. It achieved this significant milestone yesterday by successfully retrieving the space capsule containing the samples from Asteroid Bennu. These precious samples were collected by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft in 2020 and the craft came back now. This marked NASA's inaugural attempt and triumph in acquiring samples from an asteroid.

An asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2023 SZ, is on its way towards Earth and could make its closest approach to the planet today, September 25. It is just one of the 1298148 asteroids that have been discovered by space agencies so far. NASA, with the help of its advanced space and ground-based telescopes, tracked the asteroid and shed light on details such as its speed, distance of approach, and more.

A seven-year space voyage came to its climactic end Sunday when a NASA capsule landed in the desert in the US state of Utah, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. "Touchdown of the Osiris-Rex sample return capsule!" a commentator said on NASA's live video webcast of the landing, as engineers and team members applauded at a nearby mission control center.

Asteroids are a small, but inseparable part of our solar system, but they possess a massive potential for destruction. Therefore, NASA is on a continuous mission to track asteroids and study them in order to take preventive measures in case the threat is serious. NASA actively monitors asteroids to safeguard Earth and enhance our understanding of their paths as they hold many secrets. When NASA's telescopes detect a new Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA), the agency's astronomers gather observational data and share it with the Minor Planet Center. Subsequently, the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) utilizes this information to compute the asteroid's probable orbit around the Sun. To monitor asteroids, NASA astronomers have developed a next-generation impact monitoring algorithm called Sentry-II in order to evaluate NEA impact probabilities efficiently.

The climactic end of a seven-year voyage comes Sunday when a NASA capsule is due to land in the Utah desert, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere will be perilous, but the US space agency is hoping for a soft landing, around 9:00am local (15H00 GMT), in a military test range in northwestern Utah.

Have you ever thought what would happen if Earth got hit by an asteroid? Even the thought of it is scary. While that has not happened for quite some time now, the threat is constantly present. It is also something that is inevitable and that is why space agencies like NASA keep a constant watch on all asteroids approaching Earth. While it is not in the hands of humankind to stop an approaching asteroid, NASA has successfully tested a mission where it was able to divert an asteroid from its path. This was the DART mission.

In a groundbreaking discovery, the James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled the secrets of K2-18 b, a distant world residing in the vast expanse of space far away from Earth. Astonishingly, scientists have identified the presence of carbon-based molecules, specifically methane and carbon dioxide, within the planet's enigmatic atmosphere. This celestial body, roughly 8.6 times the mass of our home planet Earth, has long been shrouded in mystery. Recent studies have hinted at a tantalising possibility – that K2-18 b's surface may be adorned with sprawling oceans of water, complemented by a hydrogen-rich veil of air. In effect, the Webb Space Telescope has revealed tantalising signs of life.

NASA's first mission to retrieve an asteroid sample and return it to US soil is expected to reach a perilous finale on Sunday with a descent into the Utah desert.

Chunks of asteroid that could tell us about the earliest days of the 4.5 billion-year-old solar system and the possible origins of water on our planet are set to land in the Utah desert Sunday.

As reports continue flying in about what were traditionally called UFOs (unidentified flying objects), NASA is taking the topic very seriously. In fact, following the publication of a report from an independent committee of experts in fields including astronomy and aviation safety, the agency has even appointed a new director of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) research.

Planet Earth is about to receive a special delivery — the biggest sample yet from an asteroid.

The Moon has always been a favorite subject for space enthusiasts. It continuously catches the attention of astronomers because of its unparalleled beauty and the fact that it is the nearest space object to Earth. Space agencies like NASA, ISRO, and ESA keep capturing space phenomena and the universe through their various space missions and sharing mesmerizing snapshots. While ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 has shared stunning pictures from the south pole of the Moon, NASA has recently shared an unprecedented mosaic of the Moon which left everyone amazed.

NASA has recently shed light on an asteroid whose orbit will bring it close to Earth. This Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) is expected to make its closest approach to Earth today, September 22. Whilst this space rock will come very close to the planet, it is not expected to impact the surface. According to NASA, Asteroid 2023 RQ6 will pass by Earth at a distance of around 6 million kilometers. It is already on its way toward the planet, traveling at a blistering speed of 33912 kilometers per hour.

Asteroids often make close approaches to Earth, making it imperative to discover and track them for potential impacts. While these space rocks may rarely ever hit Earth, their size, and history of impacts is enough to spread fear in the scientific community. But it seems like asteroids aren't only plaguing us in real life, but in video games too. Players of Starfield, Bethesda's new open-world RPG, have been reporting issues of being followed by asteroids wherever they go! Not only in space, but asteroids are also accompanying players when they touch down on a planet's surface! NASA itself had earlier reacted to Starfield in a humor-filled way.

NASA defines asteroids as ancient space rocks left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. While most of these space rocks are located in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, the orbits of some asteroids bring them closer to Earth. Apart from the asteroid belt, there is the Kuiper belt which has a huge number of comets and asteroids in it too. Notably, in recent years, there have been several close calls with asteroids that have passed close to our planet. If they come close enough, some of the asteroids are termed as Near-Earth Objects.

Since asteroids are an ever-present threat, apart from NASA, other organizations too are engaged in efforts to establish protocols for planetary protection against such threats. The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG) have joined hands in order to eliminate planetary threats. While IAWN is tasked with establishing protocols and developing communication plans to aid in decision-making, SMPAG is responsible for selecting the technology that is needed for the deflection of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) like asteroids and finalize the measures for planetary defense.

Solar activity has been rising significantly, with solar storms hitting the Earth left, right, and center with high frequency. But it is not just the Earth that is dealing with such impacts. Recently, NASA shared terrifying footage of the Parker Solar Probe flying through an intense coronal mass ejection (CME) cloud. This was the first time the NASA spacecraft had to endure such an ordeal, and it managed to come out unscathed from the incident and collected some important data along the way. However, such impacts are known to badly damage satellites and spacecraft alike, and with ISRO's Aditya-L1 mission spacecraft reaching its destination at Lagrange 1 point in four months to observe the Sun, there is a fear that it may have to suffer a similar fate.

NASA's independent study team released its highly anticipated report on UFOs on September 14, 2023.

Geomagnetic storm today: Over the last few months, the Sun has become increasingly volatile and has been spewing out solar matter such as flares, CMEs, and other particles. This is due to the approaching peak of its 11-year solar cycle, also known as the solar maximum. During this period, solar activity is extremely high and the various planets, including Earth, come in the firing line of the resultant solar storms, geomagnetic storms, and more. Their frequency is likely to increase even more as we approach the solar maximum, which could arrive in 2025. Due to its volatile nature, NASA has several instruments monitoring the Sun's activity.

An asteroid, designated as Asteroid 2023 RV9 by NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), will make its closest approach to Earth today, September 18. The space agency uses its suite of highly advanced ground and space-based telescopes to discover and track asteroids in the sky. With their help, NASA has revealed that this asteroid will pass Earth at a distance of about 3.8 million kilometers. It is dashing towards Earth at a fearsome speed of 25872 kilometers per hour.

One threat that is constantly looming on Earth is the danger from asteroids. Asteroid threat has been present for millions of years now. These ancient space rocks have periodically collided with Earth, shaping its history and causing the extinction of untold number of species. Asteroids were first discovered and recognised as such on January 1, 1801.

Our solar system never fails to amaze, especially the largest planet in it Jupiter as well as its many moons. The gargantuan planet always mesmerizes with its grand images as there is nothing small there, in fact, everything is on a giant scale. Recently, in a captivating display of celestial beauty, NASA's Juno mission has treated space enthusiasts to an extraordinary photo of Jupiter and its volcanic moon, Io.

NASA has issued a warning about a particular asteroid designated as Asteroid 2016 LY48. This near-Earth asteroid is expected to make its closest approach to Earth tomorrow, September 16. According to NASA, this space rock is approaching Earth at a fearsome speed of 38997 kilometers per hour. It is expected to pass Earth on September 16 at a distance of about 1.9 million kilometers.

NASA said Thursday that the study of UFOs will require new scientific techniques, including advanced satellites as well as a shift in how unidentified flying objects are perceived. The space agency released the findings after a yearlong study into UFOs. In its 33-page report, an independent team commissioned by NASA cautioned that the negative perception surrounding UFOs poses an obstacle to collecting data. But officials said NASA's involvement should help reduce the stigma around what it calls UAPs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena.

Asteroids that pass Earth at close proximity present a potential threat of collision with Earth. In fact, there have been several close calls with asteroids recently. In February, a 2 feet wide rock broke into pieces about 33 kilometers above the Earth's surface. On July 6, a meteor crashed, bounced off a roof, and hit a woman in the chest who was sipping coffee on her terrace in the village of Alsace in Eastern France. Now, another meteor and its impact crater was reportedly spotted by a dog walker on Portmarnock Beach in Ireland.

For millions of years, asteroids have posed a threat to Earth. Although humanity only discovered its first-ever asteroid on January 1, 1801, these ancient space rocks have time and again impacted Earth's surface, altering the course of history. To understand asteroids better, and study the ones not located in the asteroid belt, NASA launched its Lucy mission on October 16, 2021, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It is aimed at studying the Trojans, a group of asteroids that orbit the Sun in two groups, according to NASA. It is built to seek out trojan asteroids millions of kilometers from Earth. Recently, the spacecraft caught a glimpse of its first Trojan asteroid, Dinikinesh, which is about half a kilometer wide.

Asteroids are a constantly looming threat to the Earth. NASA actively monitors asteroids to safeguard the planet from potential threats. Their telescopes track newly discovered Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) by recording their positions in the sky, which are then reported to the Minor Planet Center. Subsequently, the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) utilizes this data to calculate the most likely orbit of the asteroid around the Sun. To assess the possibility of an impact and refine the asteroid's true orbit, NASA employs the Sentry program, which employs a unique algorithm. Sentry randomly selects points within the entire region of uncertainty, allowing it to focus even on extremely improbable impact scenarios. The same process was undertaken for the latest asteroid that has come racing by.

The universe is full of surprises and asteroids are included. In fact, they have shocked and awed humanity for eons. Our Space agencies keep a close watch on them as they have crashed against Earth and left a trail of destruction. Space agencies like NASA and ESA have discovered more than tens of thousands of asteroids till now. In order to be prepared for any disaster caused by asteroids, it is necessary to keep tracking them. Therefore, NASA and ESA are constantly keeping an eye on these asteroids that threaten to approach Earth a little too closely. And one such asteroid did just that.

With the solar maximum approaching in the next few years, the Sun's activity is rising and is expected to rise even more. We have already seen a vast number of solar flares, CMEs, solar storms, and geomagnetic storms this year. Astonishingly, the Sun has already exceeded the predicted number of sunspots that were expected in the solar maximum, according to experts. To monitor the Sun's volatile nature, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) carries a full suite of instruments that help it to observe solar activity.

NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office is the organization responsible for monitoring the skies and keeping a watch on various Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). The organization has issued a warning against an asteroid designated as Asteroid 2023 QC5 which is set to make its closest approach to Earth in years. This Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) is expected to make its closest approach to Earth today, September 8. Although this asteroid will come very close to the planet, it is not expected to impact the surface and cause damage.

After numerous delays, NASA's Psyche mission is set to lift off on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Speaking about this upcoming asteroid mission, Laurie Leshin, director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory said, “One month out, we are in great shape”. For the unaware, the Psyche mission will study an asteroid known as 16 Psyche, which is made up of gold, nickel, and iron deposits. According to NASA, it could be worth more than the world's economy put together! Other than its gold-rich structure, the outer surface of this asteroid is nickel-rich which resembles an early planet's core.

NASA, ESA and other space agencies have multiple ground and space-based observatories and telescopes for discovering and tracking asteroids. Despite this, one asteroid snuck past these advanced technological marvels! The asteroid, named Asteroid 2023 NT1, made its closest approach to Earth on July 13 when it entered Earth's 60,000-mile radius, which is 4 times closer than the Moon! It was not a small rock either, as scientists later revealed it was nearly 200 feet wide, about 4 times the size of the Chelyabinsk asteroid that caused massive damage in Russia. It was at last found by the Asteroid Terrestrials-Impacts Last Alert System (ATLAS) observatory in South Africa on July 15.

Have you ever seen a comet with your naked eyes or even through a telescope? Very few people have. And now, it transpires that a newly discovered comet was snapped by an amateur astronomer and not by any of these vaunted space agencies. He snapped it with his digital camera. Comets have fascinated astronomers and skywatchers for centuries and, according to NASA, these enigmatic objects are remnants from the early days of our solar system, dating back a staggering 4.6 billion years. With their iconic long, streaming tails, comets have captivated the human imagination for ages, often making rare appearances in our night skies. In what would certainly be a proud moment for him, Japanese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura has ignited excitement within the astronomical community and among skywatchers worldwide, with his new find.

NASA has issued details about an asteroid that is expected to fly past Earth at a close distance. The asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2021 JA5, is on its way towards Earth and will make its closest approach to Earth on September 6. This space rock was spotted by NASA's Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), which is responsible for monitoring the skies and keeping a watch on various Near-Earth Objects (NEOs).

India has sent its first spacecraft to study the Sun. This exciting mission, called Aditya-L1, took off from Sriharikota on a Saturday at 11:50 AM India time (06:20 AM GMT). It's going to travel really far – 1.5 million kilometers (932,000 miles) from Earth. That's only 1% of the distance between Earth and the Sun. It will take four months for Aditya-L1 to reach that far.

India's maiden solar mission successfully lifted off today, September 2 at 11:50 AM IST from the Satish Dhawan Centre in Sriharikota. The spacecraft, named Aditya-L1, has embarked on a 1.5 million-kilometer journey to the Sun, where it will be placed in the halo orbit around the first Lagrange point (L1) of the Sun-Earth system. Interestingly, Aditya-L1 will join four other spacecraft that are already placed in similar orbits - the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), Global Geospace Science (GGS) Wind and the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR).

NASA has spotted a small new crater on the Moon that was likely caused by a Russian probe crash landing on the surface around two weeks ago.

Have you ever witnessed a fire in the shape of a ring in the sky? Well, that spectacular phenomenon happens because of a solar eclipse and one is coming very soon. According to NASA, an annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun while it's at its farthest point from our planet. This unique positioning results in the Moon appearing slightly smaller than the Sun, leaving a radiant "ring of fire" around the edges of the solar disk.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has detected a new Moon crater likely caused by Russia's Luna 25 spacecraft's crash. Luna 25 experienced an anomaly during its descent, leading to its crash. This discovery showcases the collaborative efforts of space agencies and enhances our understanding of lunar exploration. Here are the key highlights of the Luna 25 crash aftermath:

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has imaged the SN 1987A, a distant supernova remnant in the Large Magellanic Cloud, 168,000 light-years away. Webb Telescope's NIRCam has uncovered intricate structures, outshining prior observations. With international collaboration from NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency, Webb aims to unravel cosmic mysteries using high-resolution imagery. Check out the highlights below:

Did you know that an asteroid struck Earth this year? While it wasn't a planet killer that wiped out entire species like another space rock did about 65 million years ago, this one did hit the surface. As per NASA, a meteorite turned into an atmospheric fireball on February 15 and crashed near McAllen, Texas. Law enforcement agencies in the McAllen region received several calls from residents who reported hearing a loud explosion. It was a 1000-pound rock that was 2 feet in diameter as it broke into pieces about 21 miles above Earth's surface.

Over the years, we have heard various stories about asteroids striking Earth and creating massive craters in various locations on Earth's surface. Scientists are constantly discovering new information about our Earth's history and so far 190 impacts have been found. Experts believe that once our planet was very sensitive to celestial objects and it had a very rough past. However, at present, it is highly unlikely that an asteroid will strike Earth any time soon.

Most asteroids are made up of carbon-rich substances, silicate materials or metals. But did you know about one space rock that is made of Earth's rarest metals? The asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, is made up of gold, nickel, and iron deposits. According to NASA, it could be worth more than the world's economy put together! Other than its gold-rich structure, the outer surface of this asteroid is nickel-rich which resembles an early planet's core. It is worth nearly $10 quadrillion, and this is why NASA has planned a mission to this asteroid to study its composition.

Over the years, we have been warned by scientists about asteroids making close approaches to Earth. Every now and then we hear about huge plane-sized asteroids closing in on our planet, but none of them so far has crashed on Earth. Scientists believe that we will not see any humanity killing asteroids hitting Earth in the near future, but they also say that asteroid impacts are very much possible. Various space organizations all over the world are studying and identifying space rocks and ways to guard the planet against them. However, back in ancient history, Earth was prone to asteroid impacts and the study says space was more violent back in those days than now. Let's have a look at some of the biggest asteroid impacts on Earth.

As we approach the solar maximum, the Sun's output is expected to increase in the coming months. As per NASA, the solar minimum occurred in 2019, which also marked the start of the solar maximum, a period where we could see the greatest number of sunspots. It is expected to peak in 2025 and the Sun could unleash CMEs, solar flares, solar storms, and other particles towards Earth with potentially disastrous consequences. Astonishingly, experts have revealed that the Sun has already exceeded the predicted number of sunspots that were expected in the current solar maximum.

Are you aware that there are various space objects existing in our solar system that can be a potential threat to Earth? Asteroids are the most worrisome of them all. Asteroids are the space rocks that orbit around the Sun. Because of their erratic orbits, they can threaten Earth. That is why the monitoring and tracking of asteroids that stray near Earth is extremely important. NASA tracks and monitors asteroids in order to prevent any potential danger to Earth. Whenever NASA's telescopes observe a new Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA), astronomers measure its positions in the sky and report them to the Minor Planet Center.

In an intriguing celestial observation, NASA's Perseverance Rover on Mars has captured a striking view of a massive sunspot, signalling a region of heightened solar solar activity on the far side of the Sun. This sunspot is rotating to face the Earth and the likelihood of a solar storm has just increased manifold.

The solar wind is a ubiquitous feature of our solar system. This relentless high-speed flow of charged particles from the sun fills interplanetary space. On Earth, it triggers geomagnetic storms that can disrupt satellites and it causes the dazzling auroras - the northern and southern lights - at high latitudes.

The ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter has uncovered a series of brief material jets emerging from the sun's outer layer, each lasting 20 to 100 seconds and expelling plasma at 100 km/s. These jets hold the potential to be the elusive source of the solar wind.

In the past decade, there have been several close calls with asteroids. While none of them have caused enough damage to wipe out life on Earth, they have impacted the surface and given us a stern indication of their destructive potential. In 2013, a mere 59 feet wide space rock, which is no bigger than a small house, was observed rushing towards Chelyabinsk in Russia at a speed of 65000 kilometers per hour and exploded over the city. While its impact was non-fatal, it still injured as many as 1400 people and damaged over 7000 buildings.

NASA and SpaceX are preparing to launch a crew of four to the International Space Station on Friday.

There are multiple space objects present in our solar system that we are unaware of. The mysteries of space are awe-inspiring as well as scary to discover. With the latest technology and expert minds at work, we can discover so many things that are present way beyond our solar system. Scientists and astronomers have discovered and studied objects that are millions of light-years away from our planet. One such object that is present near our solar system is the Oort cloud. It refers to a theorized group of icy objects collectively called the Oort cloud. Let's check out more about the object.

NASA is gearing up to launch its Psyche mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 5 at 10:38 a.m. EDT, and it has now called upon digital content creators to cover this amazing feat. The Psyche spacecraft, assisted by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, will lift off from Launch Complex 39A and will undertake a journey to an asteroid called 16 Psyche, which is located in the main asteroid belt, between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars.

Indian-born American astronaut Kalpana Chawla made history by traveling into space. Sadly, on February 1, 2003, she was on the Columbia Space Shuttle, which met with a tragic accident. The accident took the lives of her fellow astronauts including Rick Husband, David M. Brown, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, Ilan Ramon, and Laurel Clark.

In a groundbreaking achievement, India has secured its place in history as the first nation to successfully land a spacecraft near the Moon's South Pole. This remarkable feat not only marks a significant milestone for the world's most populous nation, but also highlights the prowess of its ambitious, cost-effective space program.

With the highly anticipated landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon scheduled for Wednesday, Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams has expressed her excitement and anticipation for the event.

Asteroids often make close approaches to Earth, but did you know that one of them hit the planet this year? NASA revealed that on February 15, a 1000-pound, 2 feet wide space rock turned into an atmospheric fireball and broke into pieces about 21 miles above Earth's surface and was found near McAllen, Texas. Law enforcement agencies in the McAllen region received several calls from residents who reported hearing a loud explosion. According to NASA, the space rock was travelling at about 43000 kilometers per hour and it had an energy of about 8 tons of TNT.

A mission to study the Sun, and launching a climate observation satellite, a test vehicle as part of Gaganyaan human space flight programme and an Indo-US synthetic aperture radar -- ISRO has a packed schedule ahead. In addition, XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), the country's first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions, is also ready for launch, an ISRO official said on Tuesday. Aditya-L1, the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun, is getting ready for the launch, most likely in September first week.

When to harvest is one of the most crucial decisions a winemaker can make. Too early, and the result is bitter. Too late, and it's overly sweet. It's a delicate balance—one that's increasingly being upended by the climate crisis.

After the failure of Russia's Luna-25, the world's eyes are on the Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft. India's third space mission is set to land on the lunar South Pole tomorrow, August 23, and if it succeeds, India would become the fourth nation after the USA, China, and Russia to touch down on the Moon's surface. Chandrayaan-3 is packing the latest technology that is aiding the spacecraft to fly to the moon and then land on it. From spaceflight, landing, operations, and experiments, everything is dependent on the technology packed into this spacecraft, lander, and rover. Here's everything that you need to know about the technology aboard the Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module, lander, and rover.

We know that asteroids have the potential to cause major damage, and even wipe out life on Earth. On the other hand, these space rocks can also provide us with valuable resources such as water, metals, and other minerals. Scientists study asteroids to learn more about the early solar system and the conditions that existed when the planets were forming. But now, a method has been devised to protect Earth from the Sun's intense rays, in a bid to mitigate climate change. This move, ideated by astronomer Istvan Szapudi, from the University of Hawai'i Institute for Astronomy, proposes a space-based solar radiation management (SRM) shield or shade that is tethered to an asteroid as a counterweight.

Chandrayaan-3 landing date: If any factor regarding the lander module appears unfavourable, then the landing will be shifted to August 27, said the Space Applications Centre-ISRO about Chandrayaan-3 on Monday.

Ina special moment, NASA rover on Mars has captured remarkable video footage of its helicopter flying and landing. The Martian atmosphere is very thin, just around one percent of Earth's, which makes it hard for things to lift off. However, NASA's experimental helicopter called Ingenuity was built to lift off using its special rotor in these unusual conditions. The small robot, with its four-foot wingspan, has managed to fly more than 50 times, even though NASA initially thought it would only be able to fly five times.

The Sun has been displaying its might over the last few months, and its activity is expected to increase as we move towards the peak of Solar Cycle 25, which is likely to be in 2025. During its 11-year cycle, the Sun unleashes CMEs, solar flares, solar storms, and other high energy particles which can damage electric infra on Earth. Although scientists now have the technology to predict most of these events, this cycle's activity has already exceeded the maximum threshold which was predicted earlier.

The Alvarez hypothesis, proposed by the father and son duo Luis and Walter Alvarez in 1980, states that an asteroid struck Earth more than 65 million years ago and kicked off the extinction of dinosaurs. Although its impact crater has been presumed to be in Mexico, new light has now been shed on how it reached Earth. According to the English physicist Brian Cox, the asteroid, which formed a 140-kilometer impact crater, was thrown off its course by Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System.

The Luna-25, the first Russian lunar lander in nearly 50 years, wasn't able to enter its scheduled pre-landing orbit of the moon.

Asteroids have become top billing in news ever since it was first surmised that one such space rock had caused the demise of the dinosaurs. However, did you know that asteroids are sometimes called minor planets? According to NASA, asteroids are rocky parts that were left from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. The size of the asteroids ranges from 530 km in diameter to 10 m. These space rocks are usually observed in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. However, there is a probability of asteroids being threat to our planet. Therefore, it is extremely important to track them. Sometimes, interaction with a planet's gravitational field knocks these asteroids off their trajectories and sends them towards a planet like Earth for potential impact.

Asteroids will always be a matter of concern for the Earth. Therefore, their detection and monitoring is necessary. One meteor named the Chelyabinsk meteor exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk in the southern Urals region of Russia on February 15, 2013. It injured 1,500 people with flying glass from broken windows. The Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), a branch of NASA, monitors the skies and keeps a watch on various Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). The organization has recently issued a warning against an asteroid designated as Asteroid 2023 PM1. It is just one of the millions of asteroids that have been discovered to date. NASA keeps an eye on the asteroids with the help of advanced ground and space-based telescopes and satellites.

We know that asteroids revolve around the Sun in their own elliptical orbits, and most of them are located in the main asteroid belt present between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. So how do they come close to Earth? According to NASA, this can happen if an asteroid gets knocked off course, affected by a large planet's gravitational pull. Their orbits can also bring them extremely close to Earth. Although these close approaches might threaten the planet, they can also help scientists study asteroids up close which can aid in discovering secrets of space!

Space is mostly dark and empty, yet it is marked by the most stunning colors and that is what Artechouse Studio is exhibiting in its latest show. But these visual spectacles are not randomly placed, they tell a story — the story of our universe. And this theme is being explored by Artechouse, an institution that combines art and technology to create immersive and experiential exhibitions. It is running a show called Beyond The Light that explores the artistic expression of “unseen depths of our universe”. Artechouse has collaborated with NASA for this exhibition and uses the data collected from its space telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope to create the show. It also used AI-aided visual production to bring that data to life.