BENGALURU: Lightning does more than light up the sky and shake the ground. A new India-wide study shows that powerful lightning strikes can briefly disturb the ionosphere, the electrically charged layer of the atmosphere crucial for satellite navigation and radio communication.The research, published in Remote Sensing Letters, combines data from Isro’s Lightning Detection Sensor Network…
For decades, scientists have debated a simple question with a surprisingly complicated answer: could Australia’s extinct giant kangaroos actually hop like the ones alive today? Modern kangaroos are built for efficient movement, using powerful hind legs and spring-like tendons to travel long distances. But when ancient species grew to enormous sizes, some weighing up to…
For years, the public face of ocean pollution has been the same: floating bottles, drifting bags, and beaches littered with waste. But scientists say the most dangerous build-up is happening far below the surface, on the seafloor, where debris settles and remains for decades. A global scientific review led by Professor Miquel Canals at the…
Sierra Space has been working on Dream Chaser for years, mostly out of view, as schedules slipped and plans adjusted. This week, the company set out a different path for the spaceplane’s first flight. Instead of beginning with a cargo run to the International Space Station, Dream Chaser will fly first as a free-flying demonstration…
Why Antarctica is known as the ‘Continent of Science’ (Image source: AI- Generated) When one considers the term “Continent of Science,” one may think of an area filled with the presence of universities or other hubs of science or technology. But, within the geographical and science communities, the title of “Continent of Science” is usually…
Something unusual is happening in the Pacific and it may affect weather worldwide Changes are unfolding across the central Pacific Ocean, though they are not obvious at first glance. Winds are behaving less predictably, surface temperatures are drifting, and pressure patterns are starting to lose their usual shape. Data from Severe Weather Europe suggest the…
When astronauts describe Earth, they rarely speak in terms of countries or borders. From orbit, the planet appears as a living, interconnected system where patterns of light, colour, and movement replace political lines on a map. This idea came through clearly when Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams appeared on Raj Shamani’s podcast and reflected on her…
Scientists warn! Earth’s darkness is at risk from thousands of space mirrors (AI-generated) The idea sounds simple enough when reduced to its basics. Put reflective surfaces in orbit and redirect sunlight back to Earth after sunset. A California startup plans to test that idea with a small satellite launch. It is presented as a way…
What looks invisible to the naked eye is now easy to spot. A portable medical device developed by Chinese firm Vivolight has gone viral after a short demo clip was shared in a post from the Chinese Embassy spokesperson in India. The video shows the device producing a live vein map on an arm, making…
This black hole jet is draining matter from its galaxy Astronomers have identified a nearby galaxy whose central activity seems to be changing its long-term future. This galaxy, VV 340a, contains a supermassive black hole, which is sucking matter in and producing a strong jet that goes outward through its disc. Scientists have revealed that…
