• Evidence of rain and snow on ancient Mars

    ByReet Kaur

    Geologists from the University of Colorado Boulder report that extensive valley networks on Mars were likely formed by widespread precipitation, challenging previous theories that attributed their formation to runoff from melting ice caps. Using landscape evolution models and topographic data from NASA missions, the researchers found that valley head elevations across Mars’ southern highlands are more consistent with rain or snowmelt than with localized ice melting.

  • Astronomers detect disintegrating rocky exoplanet with longest known dust trail

    ByHarsh Vardhan

    Astronomers have uncovered a new exoplanet that’s slowly breaking apart. Located 140 light-years away, this Mercury-sized planet is losing material at an alarming rate, creating a massive trail of vaporized minerals as it orbits its star. This discovery gives scientists a rare chance to study how intense heat and gravity affect a planet’s fate.

  • NASA’s Lucy spacecraft captures images of asteroid Donaldjohanson during flyby

    ByReet Kaur

    NASA’s Lucy spacecraft flew by asteroid Donaldjohanson on April 20, 2025, capturing images of its elongated, lumpy bowling pin shape. The flyby, conducted as a test for upcoming Jupiter Trojan asteroid missions, revealed the asteroid’s dimensions as approximately 8 km (5 miles) in length and 3.5 km (2 miles) in width.

  • Signs of life detected on exoplanet K2-18b

    ByReet Kaur

    Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected molecules in the atmosphere of exoplanet K2-18b that may indicate potential biological activity. The analysis revealed the presence of dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl disulfide—compounds that, on Earth, are primarily produced by biological processes.

  • Lyrid meteor shower to light up night sky in April 2025

    ByReet Kaur

    The Lyrid meteor shower, caused by debris from Comet Thatcher, will peak from April 21 to April 22, 2025, with an expected rate of 10–15 meteors per hour. It will be best visible in the Northern Hemisphere, and rare surges and fireballs may occur under favorable conditions,

  • Supermassive black hole Ansky awakens with record-breaking X-ray flares

    ByReet Kaur

    Previously dormant supermassive black hole Ansky in galaxy SDSS1335+0728, approximately 300 million light-years away in Virgo, started emitting exceptional X-ray flares in late 2019. These quasiperiodic eruptions last 10 times longer, shine 10 times brighter, and release 100 times more energy than typical black hole bursts. ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA telescopes have recorded 165 such events since February 2024.