Science/Tech / The Times of India
Scientists have captured the first image of two black holes orbiting each other in the quasar OJ287, confirming a long-held astronomical theory. Using radio telescopes, researchers detected particle jets from the 18-billion-solar-mass and 150-million-solar-mass black holes, locked in a 12-year orbit. This unprecedented observation offers a glimpse into binary supermassive black hole dynamics.
Astronaut Don Pettit captured a stunning video from the ISS of a SpaceX Starlink satellite train streaking over Earth's auroras. The satellites appeared as bright as Jupiter against the green northern lights, highlighting the growing visibility of the expanding satellite network. Pettit's footage offers a unique perspective on human-made objects transforming the night sky.
New research reveals fungi, not plants, were Earth's first land colonizers, emerging hundreds of millions of years earlier. These ancient fungi partnered with algae, recycled nutrients, and built proto-soils, stabilizing surfaces and releasing essential elements. This groundbreaking discovery shows fungi created the foundational ecosystems that paved the way for plants and all terrestrial life.
Witnessing a meteor, or shooting star, is a dazzling event caused by tiny space rocks burning up in Earth's atmosphere. These celestial fragments, originating from comets or asteroids, offer crucial insights into the early Solar System. Astronomers distinguish between meteoroids (in space), meteors (burning in the atmosphere), and meteorites (those that land on Earth).
Astronomers have identified the most pristine star ever observed, located in the Milky Way's halo. This ancient star, with exceptionally low levels of heavy elements, offers a rare glimpse into the universe's earliest moments, potentially formed from the remnants of the first generation of stars.
Scientists at MIT have uncovered compelling evidence that ancient sea sponges were Earth's first animals. Chemical fossils found in rocks over 541 million years old point to these soft-bodied ocean dwellers. This discovery challenges previous ideas about the dawn of animal life. It suggests sponges existed long before the Cambrian explosion, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of evolution's earliest stages.
When startled, your brain and body activate the fight-or-flight response, flooding you with stress hormones. This rapid reaction, coordinated by the amygdala and hypothalamus, quickens breathing, raises heart rate, and sharpens senses for survival. While essential, chronic activation can harm health, but managing fear through mindfulness, exercise, and support is possible.
Astronomers are stunned by interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS releasing water vapor unusually far from the Sun. This rare event, detected by NASA's Swift Observatory, suggests microscopic ice grains are sublimating, challenging existing cometary models. The discovery offers vital insights into how life's building blocks travel across the galaxy, highlighting the diverse origins of planetary materials.
A mysterious streak of light dazzled residents across Delhi, Noida, and Gurgaon, sparking speculation about its origin. Eyewitnesses reported a fiery trail fragmenting in the night sky around 1:20 AM on Saturday. While some suspected a meteor shower or satellite debris, a Grok comment suggested it could be space debris from a Chinese rocket re-entering the atmosphere.