Latest articles by Sharmila Kuthunur
Strange underground polygons on Mars hint at Red Planet's wet past
Buried dozens of meters under the equator of Mars is a large honeycomb pattern similar to, but much larger than, those found only near Earth's frigid poles.
India returns Chandrayaan-3 moon mission's propulsion module to Earth orbit
The spacecraft that ferried India's Chandrayaan-3 lander-rover duo to the moon has returned home to Earth orbit.
OSIRIS-APEX prepares for 1st close solar encounter on way to asteroid Apophis
NASA's revitalized OSIRIS-REx probe has begun tucking in one of its solar panels to protect itself from the sun.
James Webb Space Telescope pierces through dust to find an ancient ghostly galaxy
A ghostlike dusty galaxy from the early universe might represent a whole population of hidden galaxies.
Pluto's 'almost twin' dwarf planet Eris is surprisingly squishy
Pluto's 'almost twin' dwarf planet Eris has a rocky core blanketed by an icy shell, which appears to be flexing slowly.
NASA to train Indian astronauts for a week-long trip to ISS in 2024
NASA will train two Indian astronauts, one of whom will fly to the ISS late next year, a space agency official announced this week.
NASA's Artemis 3 astronaut moon landing unlikely before 2027, GAO report finds
NASA's endeavor to return humans to the moon during the Artemis 3 mission will likely be delayed because it is jeopardized by "multiple challenges" and an ambitious schedule.
This rare exoplanet system has 6 'sub-Neptunes' with mathematically perfect orbits
A newfound, and impressively well-maintained, planetary system full of sub-Neptunes could reveal why our solar system lacks such a world.
Gemini South Telescope in Chile to run solely on clean energy by 2027
NOIRLab says it's on track to halve its planet-warming emissions by the end of 2027.
Scientists find hydrogen in Apollo moon rocks, suggesting astronauts can harvest lunar water
A fresh analysis of moon rocks brought home during the Apollo missions suggests the presence of hydrogen, implying future astronauts could access water available right in lunar regolith.
Our Milky Way galaxy's stunning spiral structure appears to be an anomaly. But why?
A new supercomputer simulation reveals why spiral galaxies like our Milky Way are strikingly scarce in our pocket of the universe.
1st black hole ever imaged by humanity is losing huge amount of energy through 'lightsaber' jets
The first black hole ever imaged by humanity, M87*, appears to be losing energy like a spinning top decelerating over time.
After Chandrayaan-3 success, India gearing up for moon sample-return mission
India plans to bring moon samples back to Earth later in the 2020s with its Chandrayaan-4 mission.
Inside a historic trip to Antarctica, crewed by over 100 women scientists
Over 100 women scientists, including a handful of astronomers, have set sail to Antarctica.
Some exoplanets are shrinking. Here's why
Data from NASA's Kepler telescope shows why puffy sub-Neptunes are shrinking to rocky super-Earths.
High-energy cosmic rays may originate within the Milky Way galaxy
The most energetic particles in the universe appear to emerge from sources within the Milky Way, our own home.
How long is Earth's day? We now have the most precise answer to date
A laser gyroscope at an underground lab in Germany has detected the minute variations in Earth's rotation, an advance that may help scientists build better climate models.
Dark matter data salvaged from balloon-borne telescope that landed hard on Earth
Science data from a damaged balloon-borne telescope was salvaged, thanks to old-fashioned SD drives.
Icebergs are melting fast. This AI can track them 10,000 times faster than humans
A new AI method can rapidly spot and map large icebergs in satellite images, helping scientists track changes to icebergs and their meltwater.
Detecting alien life might be easier if we hunt for 'Jurassic worlds.' Here's why
"If they're out there, this analysis lets us figure out where they could be living."
These small galaxies were shredded by their larger siblings — but they survived
The rare dwarf galaxies were likely victims of galactic cannibalism.
James Webb Space Telescope reveals most distant Milky Way galaxy doppelganger
Astronomers have found the most distant Milky Way look-alike we've seen the universe, challenging theoretical predictions of galaxy evolution.
Book excerpt: 'A City on Mars'
Kelly and Zach Weinersmith discuss important unanswered questions about human space settlement in their new book, A City on Mars.
