Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
The Florida skies lit up in the early hours of Monday when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket created a glowing, cloud-like trail during its return to Earth. The spectacle came after Elon Musk's SpaceX launched its 32nd uncrewed cargo mission (CRS-32) to the International Space Station. As the rocket's first stage separated from the second stage and began heading back to land, it performed a special maneuver called a "boostback burn.” People saw it from miles away and immediately freaked out like it was the northern lights on steroids or an alien rave invitation. This happens when rocket exhaust hits super thin air way up high, turning normal physics into sci-fi wallpaper. The exhaust from that firing created this ethereal glow, resembling the colourful, glowing gases of a nebula.
A rare geological process is tearing the Indian Plate apart deep beneath the surface, scientists have discovered. In a study published by the American Geophysical Union, researchers revealed the plate is delaminating—its dense lower layer peeling off and sinking into the Earth’s mantle. This shift could reshape earthquake patterns across the Himalayas and beyond, challenging long-held views of how continents behave. The implications are vast, from seismic risk to tectonic theory, and may herald a new era in Earth sciences. This finding, weeks after the devastating Myanmar earthquake, adds a dramatic twist to our understanding of how the Himalayas formed and continue to evolve on a daily basis.
India would add another 100-150 satellites to cover the entire country over the next three years as part of enhancing border security and coastal surveillance, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan confirmed. Currently, India operates about 55 satellites and for a country which has a vast border and 7,500 km of shoreline, that is not sufficient, according to him. “Through space sector reforms, we can bring in private players to build satellites and we can handhold them. In three years, we will be adding another 100-150 satellites. With all those satellites, we can monitor the country completely." ISRO chief said at an event recently.
The Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled a stunning new image of the iconic Sombrero Galaxy a.k.a Messier 104 as part of its 35th anniversary celebrations. Located about 30 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, the Sombrero Galaxy is instantly recognizable for its bright central bulge and sharply defined dusty disc, which together resemble the rounded crown and broad brim of a Mexican sombrero hat. The image is actually a mosaic stitched from multiple Hubble observations, since the galaxy’s size exceeds Hubble’s narrow field of view.
