The Times of India

Indian-origin astrophysicist Shri Kulkarni has received the Royal Astronomical Society's Gold Medal, its highest honour, for revolutionizing time-domain astronomy. His groundbreaking work, from discovering millisecond pulsars to developing advanced sky-scanning instruments like ZTF, has transformed our understanding of the universe's dynamic nature. This prestigious award recognizes his immense contributions to astrophysics.

Nalini Joshi, an Indian-origin mathematician, has been named New South Wales Scientist of the Year, the first mathematician to receive this top Australian science honour. Her pioneering work in applied mathematics, particularly in integrable systems, has significantly advanced fields like fibre-optic technology and quantum cryptography, highlighting mathematics' crucial role in addressing modern challenges.

Angel Falls in Venezuela presents a unique spectacle. Its immense height causes water to turn into mist before it reaches the ground. Air resistance and the sheer scale of the fall break the water into droplets. This fine spray then drifts into the surrounding jungle. Some moisture does reach lower levels, nourishing the environment.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy are privately funding four ambitious telescope projects, including the space telescope Lazuli, designed to be a modern Hubble successor. This initiative aims to accelerate astronomical discovery through faster development timelines and open access to data for scientists worldwide, utilizing modular ground-based designs and advanced computing.

A planned spacewalk on the International Space Station has been postponed due to a medical concern with a Crew-11 astronaut. NASA is closely monitoring the situation, which is stable, and is evaluating all options, including a potential early end to the mission. Astronaut safety remains paramount as updates are expected soon.

New research indicates Europa's ocean might be less active than previously thought. Scientists studied Europa's interior and found its seafloor may be still. This suggests less energy for life to start and persist. Future missions like Europa Clipper will gather more data. These missions aim to understand the moon better, even if they do not find life.

Elon Musk, through his work with SpaceX, stated that if any credible evidence of alien life were found, it would be immediately publicized. He believes governments would have an incentive to reveal, not hide, alien encounters, citing the lack of any detected alien spacecraft by SpaceX's 9,000 satellites as evidence of their absence.

Scientists have weighed a rogue planet, the size of Saturn, floating alone in space. This planet has no sun and no orbit. Its gravity bent starlight as it passed a distant star. Telescopes on Earth and the Gaia spacecraft observed this rare event. This finding helps understand how planets form and become isolated.

NASA's Artemis 2 mission, launching in early 2026, marks a deliberate return to lunar space, focusing on testing systems and astronaut safety for future deep space endeavors. Unlike Apollo's rapid pace, this mission emphasizes careful observation and practice, proving humans can live and work safely beyond Earth's orbit, a crucial step for Mars exploration.