Joker in the pack of stars
Book>> Gravity’s engines: The other side of black holes • by Caleb A Scharf • Allen Lane • Rs 1,800
Sign language from outer space
THE SCIENTIFIC SEARCH FOR EXTRAERRESTRIAL Frank Drake and Dara Sobel Published by Souvenir Press, Pages: 271, Price L16.50
Big and mysterious
The current theory of planet formation has just been proved wrong. It is time astrophysicists got back to the drawing- board
Reboot: moon
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the moon was a focus of much interest in the US and the erstwhile USSR. But that politico-scientific Cold War …
New genealogy project allows astronomers to trace ‘ancestors’
The database provides information on more than 33,000 astronomers, their advisors and universities and the links to their dissertations
Boom boom boom — like a heartbeat: Scientists pick up mysterious fast radio bursts
Properties of the signal suggest that the source lives in a very turbulent environment inside its galaxy
How visionary scientist Bernie Fanaroff put African astronomy on the map
He made a breakthrough discovery about radio galaxies during his PhD in eary 1970s
Stormwater harvesting in parks and open spaces: Managing Delhi’s water woes
Water-sensitive urban design and planning approach, which mimics the natural water cycle, can help fix water systems in the city
Study of ancient eclipses can unveil past climate trends
Climate scientists can infer the average sea level that may have happened many lakhs of years ago from measurements of radioisotopes derived from …
Research shows universe's first life was born on carbon planets
This work shows that even stars with a tiny fraction of the carbon in our solar system can host planets
Cosmic radiations originate in earth's galaxy
Latest satellite observations provide an answer to the long-standing query: What is the source of cosmic rays -- high energy radiations -- that …
Fresh light illumines search for dark matter
New evidence has emerged for the existence of dark matter -- an invisible constituent of the universe that is believed to play a key role in the …
Surprise rays from a comet
First ever X -ray emission by a comet has excited several astrophysicists who are optimistic of bringing some more dark areas of the universe …
The light show
A satellite tracks outbound electrons from the Earth's poles to understand the northern lights
Concern over gender bias in research, academic institutions on astronomy
The Working Group on Gender Equity presented results of its first survey on gender equity in the field of astronomy in India
Nobel Prize for physics awarded for gravitational waves detection
Scientists Rainer Weiss and Kip Thorne, together with Barry Barish, whose effort led to the discovery 100 years it was …
Magnetic streamers to decorate eclipsed sun, scientists predict
If the prediction comes true, it will mark a major scientific achievement and could facilitate forecasting of space weather in future
2016: the year in space and astronomy
Colliding black holes to exploding spacecraft, 2016 was an incredible year for astrophysics
We've found a new family of stars in the Milky Way that could help us work out how galaxies formed
A new discovery can help determine where all the stars in the universe's galaxies actually come from
A second too long
The world has been adding an extra second at regular intervals to keep pace with the slowing Earth. Will the practice be stopped as the US says …
Stellar showbiz
Still a source of wonder for some, no great shakes for others, the recent total solar eclipse was a memorable spectacle
Caroline Herschel was the first female astronomer, but she still lacks name recognition two centuries later
Her story reflects not only the priorities of astronomy but also how credit is assigned in the field
Looking back toward cosmic dawn — astronomers confirm the faintest galaxy ever seen
The early universe was filled with a fog made up of hydrogen atoms until the first stars and galaxies burned it away
Always look up: Earth’s top 7 asteroid defences
If an asteroid threat emerged, Earth would need to be ready. Scientists are continually working to give the planet the best range of defensive …
The most powerful space telescope ever built will look back in time to the Dark Ages of the universe
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to launch into orbit and usher in the next era of astronomy December 18, 2021