India's XPoSat mission is now open for proposals from Indian scientists. Launched in January 2024, this X-ray observatory offers a chance to study extreme cosmic phenomena. Sixty percent of observation time for the XSPECT payload is reserved for Indian researchers from January to December 2026. Submissions are due by November 30, 2025.

India is experiencing a significant decline in sunshine hours, with northern plains seeing the steepest annual drop. Researchers attribute this dimming to rising air pollution from industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and crop burning, compounded by increased monsoon cloud cover. This trend poses challenges for solar power generation and agricultural productivity, necessitating urgent action on air quality.

Mount Everest has captivated the world with recent stunning views from both space and the Indian plains. Astronaut Don Pettit shared a striking ISS photograph of the Himalayas, while a rare video from Bihar showed the mountain visible from the plains due to exceptional atmospheric clarity. These visuals highlight Everest's enduring allure and the grandeur of the Himalayas.

Scientists have pinpointed specific neurons and microglia, crucial for emotion and inflammation, as key players in depression. This breakthrough, using advanced brain tissue analysis, reveals disrupted gene activity in these cells. The findings offer a biological foundation for the disorder, paving the way for more targeted and effective future treatments for millions worldwide.

NASA's Artemis program is set to explore the Moon's south pole, a region of perpetual darkness holding clues to the solar system's formation. Missions will seek water ice and other frozen volatiles, potentially revealing how Earth acquired its water. This discovery could revolutionize space exploration, enabling lunar bases and Mars missions.

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.

A remarkable conservation success story unfolds as green turtles, once on the brink of extinction, are now classified as Least Concern. Decades of global efforts, including beach patrols and bycatch reduction, have led to significant population rebounds. This inspiring comeback highlights the power of sustained protection and community involvement in safeguarding marine life, though ongoing vigilance remains crucial.

Fiery streaks are lighting up the night sky as Elon Musk's Starlink satellites reenter Earth's atmosphere daily. While visually captivating, scientists express serious concerns about potential environmental impacts on the upper atmosphere and space safety. The growing number of these reentries highlights the scale of modern satellite constellations and the need for careful orbital management and stricter regulations.

A massive NASA research object landed unexpectedly on a Texas farm. Ann Walter of Edmonson, Texas, witnessed the large parachute guiding the equipment. The object, comparable to an SUV, was part of a scientific mission. NASA confirmed it was lost equipment from a high-altitude balloon launch. The team recovered the astronomical study device.

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.

Harvard professor Avi Loeb suggests the newly discovered interstellar object 3I/ATLAS might be alien technology. Unusual water emissions far from the sun and a peculiar orbit have fueled speculation, though mainstream scientists favour a natural comet explanation. This discovery offers a unique chance to study extrasolar systems.

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.

Skywatchers are in for a rare treat this October as Comet SWAN and Comet Lemmon approach Earth, potentially visible on the same night around October 21. This celestial event coincides with the peak of the Orionid meteor shower and a new moon, promising exceptionally dark skies for optimal viewing of both comets and meteors.

A remarkable yellow worm, Paralvinella hessleri, thrives near boiling, toxic hydrothermal vents in the Pacific. This deep-sea dweller ingeniously converts deadly arsenic and sulphide into a golden mineral called orpiment, forming a natural shield. This unique adaptation allows the worm to flourish in an otherwise uninhabitable environment, showcasing nature's extraordinary chemical resilience.

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.

Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These innovative materials, with exceptionally large surface areas, offer solutions for critical global challenges like water scarcity and climate change.