Mars: mounting evidence for subglacial lakes, but could they really host life?
Although the new findings make Mars even more interesting than before, they haven’t advanced its ranking in the list of solar system bodies …
Biodiversity, green cover: Bhopal’s ecological garden offers shot at conservation
The tree cover in Bhopal has declined by 44% in 2 decades; the urban forest can help compensate for the same
NASA images capture wet and dry cycles in Namibia’s Etosha Pan
The salt pan in Namibia receives most of the rainfall — as much as 46 cm — every year between October and March
A year around the moon
India’s second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, completed one year in orbit around the moon August 20, 2020. Space agency ISRO said it has …
Delhi notifies first-ever parking rules to restrain vehicle use, cut air pollution
The rule probibits parking in green areas, parks, footpaths, bus stops and intersections
50th anniversary of Apollo 11: Look at these panoramas from the Moon missions
It’s the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 mission, when humans stepped on the surface of the moon for the first time. The National Aeronautics …
Here is what Indian scientists achieved in 2018
Here is a collection of 15 such stories that gives a glimpse of important developments reported by Indian scientists during the year.
US scraps CO2 monitoring programme that doesn’t cost more than a battle tank
NASA's Carbon Monitoring System provides data on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon stocks to help countries evaluate their progress towards …
‘Einstein’s E = mc2 does not work in the biosphere’
Behaviour of light changes on entry into Earth's atmosphere from space; it assumes a benevolent role
‘James Webb Space Telescope will try to look at the first stars formed 13.5 billion years ago’
Scientist Jessy Jose on how James Webb Space Telescope is superior to Hubble & aims of its investigation
‘It will open up a new area of Mars exploration’
As NASA's Ingenuity touched down on Mars, Down To Earth spoke to Ingenuity’s chief engineer J (Bob) Balaram on the significance of the …
One in three large American rivers has changed colour in the last 34 years: Study
Most rivers in the United States appear green or yellow possibly due to human activities
Algorithms workers can’t see are increasingly pulling the management strings
Giving self‐learning algorithms the responsibility to execute decisions affecting workers carries a host of risks in depersonalising management …
Chandrayaan 2 in Moon’s orbit, now gets ready for ‘15 minutes of terror’
On September 7, the lander will use its four thrusters and central engine to attempt to soft land on the lunar surface
Meet satellite Aeolus; it may better predict the next Fani
Josef Aschbacher of the European Space Agency talks about the only satellite dedicated to measuring wind speeds after localised winds made it …
How dust storms are adding to pollution woes of north India
Such storms lead to increase in surface ozone, particulate matter as well as harmful greenhouse gases
Scientists recreate building blocks of life
NASA researchers recreate amino acids in lab as it may have formed billions of years ago
Chandrayaan-3 successfully launched, soft landing on Moon expected by late August
ISRO also aims to demonstrate the ability of the rover to move on the Moon and conduct a few experiments, including studying the seismicity & …
As ISRO gears up for Chandrayaan 3, here is a look at what India’s first trip to Moon achieved
It confirmed the presence of water on the Moon; the government and private agencies now hope to mine the water ice to produce air, drinking water,…
A rapidly growing rocket industry could undo decades of work to save the ozone layer — unless we act now
The ozone layer is on track to heal within four decades, which can be undone by an upsurge in rocket launches
2022 too short, too far: DTE’s reportage on global scientific research
Down To Earth recaps the primary environment, health and developmental news from 2022
Japan volcano that exploded in mid-August poses risk to ships, planes
Ash plume of Fukutoku-Okanoba higher than planes’ normal altitude; pumice blown by eruption poses hazards for ship hulls
‘WTF?’: Newly discovered ghostly circles in the sky can’t be explained by current theories, and astronomers are excited
WTF? is a picture of a ghostly circle of radio emission, hanging out in space like a cosmic smoke-ring. It had not been seen before, and …
Humans will leave Earth not to explore, but to exploit
Wing Commander (retired) Rakesh Sharma recently completed 35 years of being the first Indian to have ever set foot in space. He talked to Down To …
Did the Cow lead scientists to birth of a black hole?
A rare celestial explosion, nicknamed the Cow, has scientists scrambling for an explanation