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Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan rover roams around the ‘Shiv Shakti Point’, which is the Vikram’ lander’s touchdown spot, on the moon. | Photo Credit: PTI On August 23, with Chandrayaan-3’s lander module making a soft landing on the moon, India became only the fourth country after the erstwhile Soviet Union, the U.S., and China to accomplish this…
ISRO will use an XL variant of the PSLV to place the Aditya-L1 spacecraft in a low earth orbit. Photo: isro.gov.in Scientists at the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) under the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) here are getting ready to unravel the secrets of the solar wind as the Aditya-L1 mission, meant to study the…
This image from video provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation shows the surface of the moon as the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft prepares for landing on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, which scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water. | Photo…
This image from video provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation shows the surface of the moon as the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft prepares for landing on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, which scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water. | Photo…
The graph of temperature variation on lunar surface. Twitter/@isro ISRO on August 27 released a graph of the temperature variation on lunar surface with increase in depth measured by the ChaSTE payload onboard Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander module. According to the space agency, Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) measured the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil…
An illustrative photograph showing the new Twitter logo rebranded as X (L) and the previous bird logo reflected in smartphone screens, July 27, 2023. | Photo Credit: AFP A survey conducted recently by the journal Nature found that researchers are leaving the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), a place they used frequently…
Read More “Scientists abandon Twitter as the platform’s landscape changes” »
An abstract illustration. We can now sequence thousands of cells from a tissue at the same time, opening big windows into the functional diversity of cells in the human body. | Photo Credit: Shubham Dhage/Unsplash The human genome has 23 pairs of chromosomes, one inherited from each of our parents. The genome is the blueprint…
Read More “Somatic genetic variants: A genomic revolution hiding inside our cells” »
A memorable black-and-white photograph from the early days of the Indian space programme shows the nose cone of a small rocket being taken to the launchpad on the carrier rack of a bicycle. It’s an incongruous sight. All around the bicycle is the dusty, palm-bedecked rural India of the 1960s. Cut to 2023, and the…
Naked mole rats have long lifespans and exceptional resistance to age-related diseases. By introducing a specific gene responsible for enhanced cellular repair and protection, therefore longevity, from naked mole rats to mice, researchers at the University of Rochester have been able to improve the health and extend the lifespan of mice, as per a release….
Read More “Has any particular gene responsible for longer lifespan been identified?” »
A small percentage of leaves on trees in tropical forests may be approaching the maximum temperature threshold for photosynthesis to work, suggests a study published in Nature. An estimated 0.01% of all leaves currently surpass this critical temperature but there are uncertainties in the range of potentially critical temperatures in tropical trees. Modelling suggests that…
Read More “Tropical forests may be getting too hot for photosynthesis” »