Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
Indian astronomer Dorje Angchuk, engineer-in-charge at Ladakh’s Indian Astronomical Observatory, braved freezing nights to film a hypnotic time-lapse of Earth’s rotation against the Milky Way’s stillness. “Stars don’t move, but Earth never sleeps,” he says, highlighting our planet’s silent cosmic dance.
Initially aiming to frame Orion, Ladakh’s latitude made it tricky. Sub-zero temperatures drained batteries and strained gear. Over four nights, Dorje battled storage crashes, dead cameras, and faulty timers, refining his setup each time. Using a star tracker and smartphone controls, he balanced exposures to capture Earth’s spin seamlessly. Post-editing required cropping shaky frames for a polished clip.
Watch it looped full-screen, he advises, to feel Earth’s rhythm beneath the stars. Beyond showcasing Ladakh’s pristine skies, Dorje hopes to ignite curiosity about astronomy—proving even in tech glitches and icy trials, the universe whispers its wonders.
A Day in Motion – Capturing Earth’s Rotation
— Dorje Angchuk (@dorje1974) January 31, 2025
The stars remain still, but Earth never stops spinning. My goal was to capture a full 24-hour time-lapse, revealing the transition from day to night and back again. @IIABengaluru @asipoec (1/n) pic.twitter.com/LnCQNXJC9R
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams just smashed the record for the longest spacewalk time by a woman- logging an epic 62 hours and 6 minutes outside the ISS! Teaming up with crewmate Butch Wilmore during their extended stay (stranded since June 2024 due to Boeing’s glitchy Starliner), the duo tackled a 5.5-hour mission Thursday, yanking out old radio gear and hunting for space microbes. This was Williams’ ninth cosmic stroll, pushing her past Peggy Whitson’s milestone. The 59-year-old space legend, who once ran a triathlon in orbit (yes, strapped to a treadmill!), now ranks fourth on NASA’s all-time spacewalk list. While their ride home got delayed, NASA switched them to a SpaceX capsule for a March return. Talk about making the best of a spaced-out detour!
Ancient rivers may have shaped Earth’s landscape as far back as 3.5 billion years ago, according to rocks in China and South Africa. These time capsules reveal chemical clues suggesting continents were already weathering, washing minerals into oceans- a potential spark for early coastal life. By analyzing banded iron formations, researchers spotted a shift in germanium and silicon ratios, a smoking gun for river activity. This pushes continental emergence over a billion years earlier than some estimates, hinting at landmasses ripe for shallow marine habitats. While tiny islands might’ve existed earlier, this marks when rivers became major ocean influencers.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman just unveiled a bold Rs 20,000 crore Nuclear Energy Mission in the 2025-26 Budget, signaling India’s big leap toward clean power. The plan? Launch five cutting-edge Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) by 2033, alongside homegrown Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs). These SMRs are slick—smaller (about a third the size of conventional plants), factory-built for faster setup, and cost-friendly. Their modular design means we can scale up energy output as needed. Perfect for remote regions, they pack advanced safety tech that kicks in automatically during emergencies. Plus, they’re versatile—think electricity, desalination, or heating. This push aligns with India’s net-zero-by-2070 vision, slashing emissions while boosting energy security.
