Earth

A batch of dome-shaped ice volcanoes that look unlike anything else known in our solar system and may still be active have been identified on Pluto using data from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, showing that this remote frigid world is more dynamic than previously known.Scientists said on Tuesday that these cryovolcanoes — numbering perhaps 10 or more — stand anywhere from six-tenths of a mile (1 km) to 4-1/2 miles (7 km) tall. Unlike Earth volcanoes that spew gases and molten rock, this dwarf planet's cryovolcanoes…

A study of different sounds captured by NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars has revealed that sound waves behave differently on the Red Planet. The study found that sound travels much more slowly on Mars than it travels on Earth. It also behaved in some unexpected ways that could have consequences in setting up communications platforms on Mars when humans colonise it. However, the slowing down of sound waves makes sense as the speed of sound mostly depends on the density of the atmosphere sound waves are travelling. The…

Jupiter's Moon Europa is among a few celestial bodies being probed intensely to know whether it hosts or could host life. Europa, which is slightly smaller than Earth's moon, has been hiding an ocean beneath its frozen surface. Evidence indicates it could be warm, salty, and rich in life-enabling chemistry. While it is known Europa generates oxygen when sunlight and charged particles from Jupiter strike the moon's surface, for life to find a home in the subsurface ocean, oxygen has to reach there. But there's a problem.…

Mars is much more similar to Earth than previously thought. Researchers have found that the Red Planet is experiencing 'Marsquakes' due to ongoing volcanic activity beneath its dusty, barren surface, just like earthquakes strike our planet. The researchers discovered 47 previously undetected Marsquakes beneath the Martian crust in a specific region, called Cerberus Fossae, that is less than 20 million years old. This has come as a surprising new discovery. For a long time, scientists believed nothing much was happening…

Scientists are expecting a major solar storm to hit the Earth on April 14. This event could cause possible damage to Earth, researchers suggest. Space agencies say that this geomagnetic solar storm could be particularly powerful as the Sun has been quite active lately. Recently, the Sun has been flaring up more. This is because it is approaching its Solar Maxima in its 11-year solar cycle. Solar maxima is the time of greatest activity during the solar cycle. As a result, the Sun has been flaring up with Coronal Mass…

Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth safely on Saturday after spending a record six months aboard China's new space station, doubling the previous stay of the country's longest single flight in space.The Shenzhou-13 capsule carrying astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu touched down successfully at 9:56 am local time in the Dongfeng landing site in Gobi Desert, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.The medical team confirmed that the crew members are in…

The first all-private astronaut team ever to fly aboard the International Space Station (ISS) departed the orbiting outpost on Sunday to begin a descent back to Earth, capping a two-week science mission hailed as a milestone in commercial spaceflight.A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the four-man team from the Houston-based startup company Axiom Space undocked from the ISS at about 9:10pm EDT (6:40am IST) to embark on a 16-hour return flight, a live NASA webcast showed.The Axiom astronauts, garbed in their helmeted…

Ever wondered how the Earth and the Moon would appear when seen from a Martian orbit? NASA has shared an image that showed them together in a single frame. The image was caught by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) when the Earth was 142 million kilometres from Mars. In the image, only the visible parts of the Earth and the Moon can be seen. While the Earth appeared in blue, the moon looked white against a dark, black canvas. The image was taken by MRO's High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera,…

Three wealthy businessmen and a former NASA astronaut splashed down Monday off the Florida coast after spending more than two weeks aboard the International Space Station, in a landmark mission for the commercial sector.After a dizzying descent, a SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the Axiom-1 gently floated down to the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville at 1:06 pm (1706 GMT, or 10:36pm IST) on four huge parachutes.The spaceship was affectionately referred to as a "toasted marshmallow" because of the scorch marks on its heat…

Instagram has received a new feature ahead of Earth Day on April 22, i.e. 'Fundraise on Instagram Reels'. With the help of this feature, Instagram is rolling out an option for users to create and donate to fundraisers through reels. This feature will be available in more than 30 countries, and users can donate to more than 1.5 million nonprofits available to them.Meta has announced this feature as part of celebrations for the upcoming Earth Day and the company says that they want the consumers to check out a few ways to…