The Times of India News

A wildlife photographer's chance observation in Italy's Stelvio National Park led to the discovery of thousands of dinosaur footprints from the Late Triassic period. These 210-million-year-old tracks, attributed to large herbivores like Plateosaurus, reveal insights into their calm group movements and potential social behaviors. The extensive find offers a rare glimpse into prehistoric life on the European continent.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is about to make its closest appearance to Earth today. This event is significant for astronomers studying the object. The comet offers a rare opportunity to examine matter from another star system. Scientists are observing how it behaves when exposed to sunlight. The comet poses no danger to Earth.

German aerospace engineer Michaela Benthaus, a wheelchair user since 2018, is set to make history as the first person with a disability to travel to space. She will join five others on Blue Origin's 37th New Shepard mission, a suborbital flight offering a glimpse of Earth from above. This flight highlights increased accessibility in space exploration.

Space is becoming a dangerous place due to more satellites. A new CRASH Clock shows a critical risk of collisions. Solar storms can disable satellites, leading to potential chain reactions. Scientists warn urgent action is needed to prevent a space disaster. The situation is dire, with less than three days' warning possible.

Albert Einstein's dying wish for cremation and secret ash scattering was partially ignored. While his body was cremated, pathologist Thomas Harvey removed his brain and eyeballs. The eyes, given to his ophthalmologist, remain in a New York safe deposit box, their purpose unclear and their existence a quiet contradiction to Einstein's rejection of physical veneration.

La Nia returns to the Pacific after a brief neutral phase. This event, expected from September to December 2025, is considered weak. Its influence on global weather and climate patterns is being closely monitored. Changes in sea level, rainfall, and temperature are anticipated across continents. Researchers are tracking ocean temperatures and atmospheric circulation for disaster preparedness and climate outlooks.

Recent research suggests that small, carbon-rich asteroids could be invaluable economic and scientific resources, offering water, organic materials, and precious minerals for space missions. These primitive bodies, acting as time capsules, hold the key to fueling future exploration and reducing Earth's resource dependency, despite current technical challenges in large-scale mining.

Winter Solstice 2025 arrives on December 21st, marking the Northern Hemisphere's shortest day and longest night. This ancient event, when Earth's tilt causes the sun to appear stationary, signifies a turning point. Historically a symbol of hope and renewal, it reminds us that light will gradually return, heralding the end of winter's grip.

Scientists have discovered an unusually thick rock layer, approximately 20 kilometers deep, beneath the Bermuda Triangle. This geological feature, unlike any previously documented, may explain the region's elevated seafloor despite a lack of recent volcanic activity. The discovery challenges existing models of oceanic crust formation and evolution.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is set to launch 27 Amazon Leo satellites from Cape Canaveral on December 16, 2025. This mission is a significant step for Amazon's ambitious Project Kuiper, aiming to establish a global satellite internet network. The launch brings Amazon closer to competing with SpaceX's Starlink by expanding its constellation for remote internet access.

Astronomers are uncovering distant worlds beyond our solar system using ingenious indirect methods like observing stellar wobbles and dips in starlight. Advanced space telescopes are now pushing the boundaries, enabling direct detection and the study of exoplanet atmospheres, bringing us closer to finding potentially habitable Earth-like planets and understanding life's cosmic origins.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is now emitting a distinct green glow as it nears Earth, a transformation attributed to the vaporization of ice and dust after its close solar approach. This color change, caused by diatomic carbon molecules, offers a rare glimpse into the composition and behavior of objects from beyond our solar system.