Science News

Alaska’s forests face harsh winters with temperatures near minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In extreme cases, it drops as low as minus 80 degrees. Most frogs avoid such conditions by hiding underwater, where temperatures stay slightly warmer.

'Robot Dog' powered by AI competes and plays badminton skillfully against humans — watch video here

Researchers trained a quadruped robot named ANYmal to play rallies of up to ten shots. The dog-like machine weighs around 50 kilograms and usually stands half a metre tall.

Asteroid Bennu holds stardust older than the Sun, hinting at clues to our Solar System's birth

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected Bennu’s samples in 2020 during a swift touch-and-go. The material contains ancient stardust, interstellar organic matter, and minerals formed from melted ice inside Bennu’s parent body.

NASA's picture of the day, September 5: Globular stellar cluster with thousands of stars lights up the southern sky

The cluster, also called NGC 104, sits 13,000 light-years away. It is the second brightest globular cluster seen from Earth after Omega Centauri.

Meet Amit Kshatriya: Indian-origin space scientist rises to NASA’s top civil service role

Amit Kshatriya, Indian-origin scientist and 20-year NASA veteran, has been appointed Associate Administrator to lead Artemis Moon-to-Mars missions.

A giant 110-foot asteroid is heading towards Earth at high speed today, NASA warns

NASA has confirmed asteroid 2025 OG1 is travelling towards Earth. The rock measures nearly 110 feet in size and is moving at 9,343 miles per hour.

From Saltwater Crocodiles to Red Sea Urchins: 10 superagers of nature that can live over 100 years

Some animals outlive centuries, defying ageing with incredible lifespans. From ancient crocodiles to hardy sea urchins, discover the natural world’s longest-living creatures and their secrets to surviving over 100 years.

Blood Moon 2025: Why the Moon glows red during a total lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse happens when the moon moves into Earth's darkest shadow, the umbra.

Meet the Potoo Bird: The master of camouflage that disappears in plain sight

Native to tropical parts of the Americas, the potoo bird is a master of disguise. It is found in southern Mexico, Central America and South America.

RRI develops tiny, credit card-sized computer to catch whispers from the early universe

PRATUSH is a conceptual space payload to orbit the far side of the Moon. This quiet region is shielded from Earth’s radio noise and ionospheric distortions.

NASA's picture of the day, September 4: Needle galaxy shines as celestial gem in northern sky

The galaxy is officially named NGC 4565. It is seen edge-on from Earth, giving it a slim and elegant appearance.

NASA’s Webb and Hubble capture a cosmic butterfly in space, watch video here

The object is officially known as IRAS 04302. It is a protostar cocooned within cold gas and dust, hidden from direct view.

Final missing auroral footprint from Jupiter’s moons found by Juno

Io, Europa and Ganymede had already shown their footprints through earlier observations. But Callisto, the farthest Galilean moon, remained a mystery.

Rare purple-and-white panda crabs found in Thailand’s Kaeng Krachan

The crabs are formally named in honour of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. However, they are more commonly known as panda crabs.

Study claims universe is 27 billion years old and dark matter may be unnecessary

For decades scientists believed the universe was built on ordinary matter, dark matter and dark energy. These unseen forces have shaped textbooks and missions, even though neither has ever been directly detected.

Meet Titanoboa: The 45-foot prehistoric giant snake that ruled Earth after dinosaurs

The largest modern snake, the green anaconda, is impressive. Yet it reaches only 30 feet and weighs 500 pounds. Titanoboa was nearly twice as long and five times heavier.

59 Years Ago: Remembering the world’s first view of Earth from the Moon in 1966

n 23 August 1966, NASA’s Lunar Orbiter 1 sent home a grainy black-and-white photo showing our planet as a crescent above the moon’s surface.

Meet the Portuguese Man o’ War: One of the deadliest and weirdest creatures in the ocean

The Portuguese Man o’ War (Physalia physalis) is one of the ocean’s deadliest and weirdest creatures. With 30-meter venomous tentacles and colony-like structure, it fascinates and terrifies beachgoers worldwide.

Meet Splash: The world’s first search and rescue otter

Asian small-clawed otters are intelligent, social and excellent scent trackers. Weighing under 10 pounds and about two feet long, they are agile in water.

520-million-year-old Cambrian larva fossil preserves brain, nerves and gut in astonishing detail

The fossil, described as Youti yuanshi, was found in Yunnan, China. It belonged to an ancient arthropod from the Cambrian Period.

How astronauts eat in space: Shubhanshu Shukla breaks it down in this video

Discover how astronauts eat in space as Shubhanshu Shukla explains the challenges of zero-gravity meals, mindful eating tips, and how digestion works without gravity. Watch the full video here.

IRS Officer photographs Mount Kailash shining under stars with Lake Mansarovar reflecting like heaven

A rare night view of Mount Kailash shows its snow-clad face glowing under moonlight, mirrored in Mansarovar Lake, with a shooting star adding divine beauty to the timeless landscape.

A rare orchid species recorded in Arunachal Pradesh’s remote forests

The orchid is Gastrochilus pechei, previously known only from Myanmar. A team of researchers confirmed its presence in Vijoynagar.

NASA's picture of the day, September 3: Africa nebula shines bright, revealing powerful star jet mysteries

The Africa Nebula is a supernova remnant linked to Circinus X-1, an X-ray-emitting neutron star. It also surrounds the companion star that Cir X-1 orbits.

70-million-year-old apex predator who ate dinosaurs found in Patagonia, named after Egyptian god

The creature is named Kostensuchus atrox. Its name combines the fierce Patagonian wind called “the Kosten” with Sobek, the crocodile-headed god from Egypt also known as Suchus.

Meet the Hooded Pitohui: World’s only toxic bird in New Guinea you shouldn’t touch

The hooded pitohui’s bright plumage signals danger to predators. This strategy, called aposematism, warns attackers to stay away.

Lunar Eclipse 2025: Rare 'Blood Moon' to dazzle skies worldwide; here’s how to watch 82-Minute 'chandra grahan'

A blood moon occurs when Earth blocks direct sunlight. The planet’s shadow falls across the lunar surface completely.

A massive 71-foot asteroid will pass by Earth today at high speed, NASA confirms

Astronomers are tracking asteroid 2025 QD8, a space rock passing close to Earth on 3 September.

Fighting bird flu: Can New Zealand's vaccination trial protect the World's fattest and most endangered parrots?

Tens of millions of wild birds have already died worldwide. Since 2021, the H5N1 strain has devastated colonies of seabirds and marine mammals. New Zealand, however, has remained free from infection.

Space photo of the week: Hubble reveals striking spiral arms of galaxy NGC 7456 in stunning detail

Hubble highlights patchy spiral arms filled with dark dust. Bright pink blossoms mark gas clouds where stars are forming.

Comet 3I/ATLAS surprises astronomers with carbon dioxide-rich coma discovery

Astronomers suggest possible origins for this strange CO₂ ratio. It could have formed under intense ultraviolet radiation exposure.

Rare cassowary chick hatches at Paignton Zoo after 21-year wait

Cassowaries are considered one of the most challenging bird species to breed and care for. Their rarity makes each successful hatching a boost for the wider European population.

The Pillow Nebula: NASA shares the brightest stellar explosion ever recorded that stuns astronomers

Scientists say NGC 7027 began expanding around 600 years ago. Since then, it has shed shells of gas clearly seen in blue.

NASA's picture of the day, September 2: The beautiful Horsehead and Flame Nebulae glow in the Orion constellation

The Horsehead Nebula is one of the sky’s best known. It sits in the Orion constellation, glowing near other star fields.

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla spins through NASA’s rigorous space training simulator, watch video here

Shubhanshu Shukla shared a video from the Marshall Space Flight Centre. It showed him strapped inside the Multi-Axis Trainer, also known as the Gimbal Rig or Vomit Comet Chair.

NASA tracks a massive 43-foot asteroid on a collision course with Earth today

NASA is tracking an asteroid measuring about 43 feet wide, travelling at 18,583 miles per hour

Meet Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken: The rare bird that looks surprisingly like a vibrant rabbit

This rare prairie-chicken baffles birdwatchers with its rabbit-like look. With vibrant features and surprising charm, it’s one of nature’s most unusual optical illusions.

We’re killing animals smarter than Dogs’: Scientists warn of ‘octopus farming horror’

Octopuses have around 500 million neurones in their bodies. Many of these neurones are spread through their arms. This allows them to act and sense independently.

Could a rectangular telescope instead of a circular one make Earth 2.0 discovery easier? Here’s how it could change the game

Earth is the only planet known to host life. All living systems depend heavily on liquid water. While single-celled life appeared early, complex life took billions. Human existence is tiny compared to Earth’s age.

Astronomers spot carbon-heavy disk around young star, challenging planet formation models

Conventional models predict water vapour in a disk’s inner regions, as icy pebbles drift inward and vaporise. But Webb’s MIRI instrument revealed a strong carbon dioxide signal instead.

Scientists find Mars’ core is more rocky road than smooth shortbread, revealing a messy birth past

Mars and other rocky planets formed 4.5 billion years ago. During this time, massive collisions shaped their early surfaces. Researchers believe planet-sized objects struck Mars in violent impacts.

NASA's picture of the Day, September 1: Jupiter’s Moon Callisto, a dirty iceball, may hide ocean beneath its surface

Callisto's surface is the Solar System's most heavily cratered. Voyager 2 took a dramatic photo of this cratered world in 1979.

Lightning pollution tracked in real time by NASA Satellite Observations

When lightning strikes, air molecules are split by heat. The reaction produces nitrogen oxides, gases also created by car exhausts. Lightning contributes 10% to 15% of global nitrogen oxides.

From gemstones to fiery grime: James Webb captures clues to Earth’s origins in dazzling butterfly nebula

The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed the Butterfly Nebula. It lies 3,400 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.

September 2025 skywatching events: From Blood Moon to solar eclipse, here's what to watch in the sky

From eclipses painting the sky red to Saturn glowing at its brightest, September 2025 offers rare celestial shows that promise to keep skywatchers awake through the month.

Florida uses high-tech robot rabbits to control Burmese python invasion

Burmese pythons are not native to Florida’s wetlands. Their population surged in the 1990s after the exotic pet trade and a reptile facility collapse during Hurricane Andrew.

Astronomers find first exoplanet in multi-ring disk, a baby world still feeding

The planet is a gas giant about the size of Jupiter. At just 5 million years old, it is still considered an infant compared with our 4.6-billion-year-old solar system.

World’s strongest solar telescope records first giant flare in stunning detail

Coronal loops often appear before solar flares erupt. Flares occur when magnetic fields twist, snap, and reconnect. Until now, telescopes only resolved loop bundles, not individual strands.

From 4.7 billion kilometres away, Voyager 2 captured its final Solar System view that still resonates 36 years later

Voyager 2 launched in 1977 to tour the outer planets. It visited Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, returning data that transformed scientific understanding.

Scientists tag whale with camera, footage leaves them speechless – Here’s what they found

Researchers from Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary placed a suction-cup tag on a whale named Spell. The non-invasive device collects data and occasionally records video.