Kartavya Kant Tiwari

A ginormous solar tornado and a massive eruption of plasma have been observed occurring at the same time on the sun — a phenomenon so strange and rare that it's challenging previously held theories. Both phenomena were snapped in the same photograph by the Institute of Space Science in Romania researcher Maximilian Teodorescu on Aug. 20. Solar tornadoes and plasma eruptions seem dramatic but are in fact the offshoots of changing in the sun's invisible magnetic field. They're unrelated, but to view them together is extraordinary and a thrill for scientists. Why Solar Tornadoes and Eruptions Matter As per Live Science, the solar tornado was enormous — it clocked in at about 130,000 kilometers (nearly 80,000 miles) tall. That's higher than stacking over 10 Earths on top of one another. Solar tornadoes tend to be much smaller, around 25,000 to 100,000 kilometers high. In addition to it, Teodorescu also imaged an eruptive prominence that measured some 200,000 kilometers acro...

On August 21, 2025, a U.S. military space plane, the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, is scheduled to launch its eighth mission. Though a few additional things are still classified, one experiment in particular has captured the imagination: a quantum inertial sensor meant to serve as a major new alternative to GPS. This would revolutionise navigation in areas where satellite-based systems are not available or have been degraded. Whether in deep outer space, under the sea, or in hotspots on land, there is an eagerly awaited answer for vulnerabilities in global positioning systems. X-37B Space Plane to Pioneer Quantum Navigation as GPS Alternative in Space According to reports, satellite GPS powers everything from civilian smartphones to commercial aviation, but it has critical weaknesses. Signals degrade in space, can't get through water, and are subject to jamming and spoofing in contested environments. Researchers said the X-37B's quantum inertial sensor relies on atom interferomet...

Chinese astronauts Chen Dong and Wang Jie completed a 6.5-hour spacewalk on Aug. 15 to bolster the Tiangong space station's debris shield. As part of the Shenzhou 20 crew, they also inspected and maintained exterior equipment during the EVA. State media noted this was at least the crew's second effort to install “debris protection” devices on the station (following a May 22 spacewalk). The EVA concluded at 9:27 a.m. EDT, making it Chen Dong's sixth spacewalk (the most by any Chinese astronaut) and the third for Shenzhou 20 overall. Launched from Jiuquan on April 24, the crew is now about halfway through its six-month mission. Debris Mitigation and International Cooperation: According to a 2022 government white paper, chinese officials emphasize space debris as a global concern. It pledges stronger space-traffic control and improved debris tracking and warning systems. It notes that China now passivates spent rocket stages and actively de-orbits retired spacecraft (such as t...

The most distant object in the universe ever discovered, Earendel, might not in fact be a lone star as scientists initially assumed. It was spotted on 2022 by the Hubble Space Telescope and appeared to have evolved just 900 million years after the Big Bang, at a time when the universe was a mere infant. But fresh data from the newly launched James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) indicate that Earendel may not be a massive solitary star, but rather a small group of them — a star cluster. How We Can See It As per Live Science report , Earendel is located in the Etendeka galaxy of the Sunrise Arc, some 12.9 billion light-years from Earth. We can see it thanks to the effect of a special one known as gravitational lensing. The lensing occurs when a massive galaxy cluster warps and amplifies the light from objects situated much farther away. In this one, Earendel's light was 4,000 times as bright, shining in a way that astronomers would be able to catch it. Such rare alignments lead scientis...

Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold was launched at the Made by Google event on Wednesday. The latest book-style foldable smartphone from the tech giant sports a 6.4-inch OLED cover screen and an 8-inch main OLED display. It is powered by a 3nm Tensor G5 processor and the Tensor M2 security chip. There is a triple rear camera system, headlined by a 48-megapixel primary sensor, on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The foldable handset packs a 5,015mAh battery with both wired and wireless charging support. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Price in India The price of the Google 10 Pro Fold begins at $1,799 (roughly Rs. 1,56,600) for the 256GB storage variant. It is also available in 512GB and 1TB storage options, priced at $1,919 (roughly Rs. 1,67,000) and $2,149 (roughly Rs. 1,87,000), respectively. In India, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has been introduced in a single 256GB storage variant, which is priced at Rs. 1,72,999. The handset is offered in two colour options — Moonstone and Jade. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold Features,...

For the first time, scientists have reproduced in the lab the first molecular building blocks of the universe, advancing the field of study known as carbon chemistry. Newly formed molecules, helium hydride ions (HeH+), are said to have been crucial in the creation of molecular hydrogen — the most common molecule in existence. Indeed, by permitting the formation of stars to occur even at cosmic temperatures as cold as this, these ions might have helped drive the birth of the first stars, too, and that, in turn, would call into question some of the assumptions about how fast that early star-forming process happened and why. Recreated Helium Hydride Ions Rewrite Early Universe Chemistry and Star Formation Theories According to a report published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, researchers recreated helium hydride reactions by cooling ions to minus 449 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 267 degrees Celsius) before colliding them with heavy hydrogen atoms. Conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Nu...

Google's Circle to Search feature was rolled out to select Android smartphones in January 2024, and the feature is now available on a wide range of devices. At present, it can translate any text displayed on the screen, and it also lets users search the web or identify music playing nearby. A recent report suggests that Google is experimenting with a new “Live Translate” option inside Circle to Search. The term “live” indicates that this feature is meant to extend translation from static images to dynamic content such as web pages or media like GIFs and videos. It is reportedly not polished enough to be released anytime soon. How Google's 'Live Translate' Feature Within Circle to Search Works Android Authority reports that Google is working on a Live Translate feature within Circle to Search. A test version of the tool was spotted in an APK teardown, but it is not yet ready for testing. Presently, the option appears inside Circle to Search's app drawer, which is als...

SpaceX continues to expand its broadband service by sending off 24 more starlink satellites on Aug 14. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 1:05 a.m. EDT (0505 GMT or 10:05 p.m. PDT on Aug. 13 local) from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base. About nine minutes later, after a nominal ascent, the Starlink Group 17-4 mission reached space. These regular launches are part of SpaceX's ongoing plan to blanket the Earth with satellite internet connectivity. Mission Highlights According to the official SpaceX website, the Falcon 9's first-stage booster (B1093) performed flawlessly on its fifth flight, landing upright on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. All of booster B1093's missions have been dedicated to growing SpaceX's Starlink megaconstellation. After stage separation, the rocket's upper stage (with a single Merlin engine) reached its target orbit and was on track to deploy the 24 satellites roughly one hour after liftof...

The use of IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) by NASA's international team of astronomers has brought into question the known theories of the fate of matter around a black hole. The study of incoming X-rays by astronomers, as well as measuring their light's electric field direction, has been made possible through IXPE. The degree of polarisation is an indicator of how single or multiple the vibrations are. Using a black hole's polarisation degree, scientists can estimate where its corona, an area that contains highly ionised and magnetised plasma, is located and how it produces X-rays. Unraveling the Mystery of Polarized X-Ray Emissions in Black Holes As per NASA, in X-ray binary systems, there is a super-dense object, such as a black hole, that pulls matter from a neighbouring star. This matter often starts to swirl and flatten into a structure that is recognised as an accretion disc. The accretion disc's inner layer, the corona, can reach temperatures over 1.8 ...

NASA is working with American companies to explore the possibility of raising the orbit of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, a space telescope that has studied the high-energy universe since 2004. The effort aims to demonstrate orbital boost technology, extend Swift's scientific life, and advance U.S. space servicing capabilities. Two firms—Cambrian Works of Virginia and Katalyst Space Technologies of Arizona—will develop concept designs under the agency's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. Increased solar activity has accelerated Swift's orbital decay, creating both urgency and opportunity for this mission. NASA Taps U.S. Industry to Study Swift Orbit Boost, Extend Mission, and Advance Space Servicing According to NASA, the concept studies will help determine if boosting Swift's orbit is more cost-effective than replacing its capabilities with a new observatory. The spacecraft's decaying low-Earth orbit, worsened by heightened atmospheric drag, po...