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European Space Agency
A pair of European satellites have created the firstby flying in precise and fancy formation, providing hours of on-demand totality for scientists. The(ESA) unveiled the images at the Paris Air Show, showcasing a breakthrough in space observation. Launched late last year, the two satellites have been simulating solar eclipses since March by flying just 492 feet apart in orbit. One satellite blocks the sun like the moon does during a natural eclipse, while the other captures images of the corona — the sun's outer atmosphere.Known as Proba-3, the $210 million mission has already produced 10 successful eclipses during its test phase. The longest lasted five hours. Scientists hope to achieve six hours of totality per eclipse when observations begin in July.The spacecraft, each under five feet in size, maintain millimetre-level alignment using GPS, lasers, and star trackers. Unlike previous missions, Proba-3's two-satellite setup allows clearer views of the inner corona. 'We almost couldn't believe our eyes,' said lead scientist Andrei Zhukov. ESA expects up to 200 eclipses over two years, offering more than 1,000 hours of totality.
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India Today
11 hours ago
- India Today
36 billion times the size of Sun: Biggest black hole ever discovered
Astronomers have unveiled a cosmic titan that may be the most massive black hole ever detected, a discovery that stretches the boundaries of our understanding of these enigmatic ultramassive black hole, weighing in at an astonishing 36 billion times the mass of our Sun, dwarfs the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way by a factor of 10, resides in the heart of one of the largest known galaxies, nicknamed the Cosmic Horseshoe, located some 5 billion light-years from Earth. The Cosmic Horseshoe galaxy is so massive it warps spacetime itself, bending light from a more distant galaxy into a striking horseshoe-shaped Einstein is within this vast gravitational lens that researchers have detected the ultramassive black hole, using an innovative method that combines gravitational lensing—the bending of light by massive objects-with stellar kinematics, the motion of stars around the black hole."This is amongst the top 10 most massive black holes ever discovered, and quite possibly the most massive," said Professor Thomas Collett of the University of Portsmouth, who led the most black hole mass measurements, which are indirect and often uncertain, this discovery benefits from dual evidence: the black hole's immense gravitational pull distorts light from background galaxies, and stars in its vicinity move at breakneck speeds of nearly 400 kilometres per combination provides far greater certainty about its extraordinary ultramassive black hole is described as "dormant", meaning it is not currently consuming matter or shining brightly as quasars its presence is revealed solely by its gravitational effects on nearby matter and light. Lead researcher Carlos Melo of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil emphasised the significance of this approach, saying it allows astronomers to detect and measure hidden black holes even when they are discovery has profound implications for understanding the co-evolution of galaxies and their central black galaxies tend to host larger black holes, and the Cosmic Horseshoe is a "fossil group" galaxy - an end state of massive structures that have merged into a single giant one with a colossal central black hole formed by the merger of its predecessors' black our own cosmic neighbourhood, the Milky Way's black hole is a relatively modest four million solar masses, currently inactive like the Cosmic Horseshoe's but with a history of quasar activity and potential for future breakthrough method used in this research paves the way for more precise black hole mass measurements, even in the distant observations, potentially with instruments like the European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope, could uncover many more ultramassive black holes and deepen our understanding of their role in galaxy formation and discovery marks an important chapter in black hole science and cosmic exploration.- Ends
News18
13 hours ago
- News18
Two researchers to emerge from 10-day analogue space mission in Ladakh
New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI) Two researchers are set to emerge from a 10-day isolation on Monday at the human outer space exploration (HOPE) outpost in Ladakh that simulates living conditions on the Moon and Mars to help better understand the physiological and psychological aspects of long-duration space travel. For the first experiment, two researchers — Rahul Mogalapalli and Yaman Akot — started their isolation mission on August 1 at the HOPE analogue site located on the banks of the Tso Kar lake, about 160 km from Leh. 'The aim of the mission was to assess human adaptability and resilience in conditions simulating deep space environments," Siddharth Pandey, the director of Protoplanet, a company involved in space science popularisation, told PTI. He said the insights gained from these studies will be instrumental in developing robust protocols and technologies for sustained human presence beyond Earth. The high-altitude and cold desert-like conditions here serve as an 'exceptional analogue site, closely mimicking the geological and environmental conditions found on the Moon and Mars", the statement noted. HOPE comprises a specially designed eight-meter diameter habitat module for crew living and a five-meter diameter utility module for operations and support systems, which are interconnected for seamless workflow. Similar to HOPE, there are research stations such as the Mars Desert Station (United States), Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station in Canada and BIOS-3 in Russia, which look to simulate the challenges that astronauts might face in adapting to alien worlds. The HOPE station is owned and operated by Protoplanet, with contributions from The Mars Society (US and Australia), ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre, and permissions from the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council. Experiments from partner institutions such as the Indian Institute for Space Science and Technology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Bombay, and the Institute for Aerospace Medicine were carried out during the 10-day isolation period. Investigators from these institutes will examine epigenetic, genomic, physiological and psychological responses of two analogue mission crew members and validate health-monitoring protocols, planetary surface operations, and refine sample collection and microbial analysis techniques. The data generated through these analogue missions organised by the Human Space Flight Centre of the ISRO will form the basis for the design of protocols and infrastructure for future Indian human exploration missions by providing key insights into technology performance, crew workflows, and environmental adaptation, ISRO said in a statement. India plans to launch astronauts to space as part of the Gaganyaan project in 2027 and land an Indian on the moon by 2040. Scientists from ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre and representatives from the Ladakh government are expected to attend the function on Monday at the Tso Kar Valley site. PTI SKU NSD NSD view comments First Published: August 10, 2025, 20:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Indian Express
In tech city, PM Modi calls for tech self-reliance, says India on course to top 3 economies
Describing India as 'the fastest-growing major economy in the world', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday that it is in the top five globally and is 'rapidly progressing' to 'becoming one of the top three economies'. Addressing a gathering at IIIT-Bangalore emphasised that amidst evolving problems, India's next big priority should be becoming self-reliant in technology and that it was time for Indian tech companies to prioritise the country's own needs. 'Our next big priority should be becoming self-reliant in technology. Indian tech companies have made a mark globally, developing software and products for the entire world. It is now time to prioritise India's own needs more strongly and accelerate the development of new products, especially as software and apps are now being used across every domain,' he said after inaugurating critical mobility infrastructure projects in Bengaluru. He inaugurated the 19.16-km Yellow Line of Bengaluru Metro worth Rs 7,160 crore, thus expanding the city's metro network to 96 km. He also laid the foundation stone of Bengaluru Metro Phase-3 project, worth over Rs 15,610 crore, and flagged off three Vande Bharat Express trains at KSR Railway Station, Bengaluru. Vande Bharat trains were launched between Bengaluru and Belagavi, Nagpur and Pune, and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Amritsar. Modi also took a Metro ride on the newly inaugurated metro line from Ragigudda Metro station to Electronic City station. Modi said it is essential for India to reach new heights in emerging fields. Calling for focused efforts, he stressed the need to strengthen Bengaluru and Karnataka's presence in Make-in-India and the manufacturing sector. He said India's products must adhere to the Zero Defect, Zero Effect standard, meaning they should be flawless in quality and have no negative impact on the environment. Underlining India's economic strides, he said, 'India is currently the fastest-growing major economy in the world. In the past 11 years, India's economy has risen from the 10th position to the top five globally, and is rapidly progressing toward becoming one of the top three economies.' He attributed this momentum to the spirit of 'Reform, Perform and Transform', driven by 'clear intent' and 'honest efforts'. He highlighted that before 2014, India's total exports had reached only $468 billion whereas today, that figure has risen to $824 billion. He also remarked that earlier, India used to import mobile phones, but now, the country is among the top five exporters of mobile handsets. He noted that Bengaluru has played a significant role in this transformation and that India's electronics exports now have increased to nearly $38 billion from $6 billion. He also highlighted that 11 years ago, India's automobile exports stood at approximately $16 billion and that figure has more than doubled, making India the fourth-largest automobile exporter globally. Acknowledging the contribution of the youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka in Operation Sindoor, Modi highlighted the success of Indian forces in the operation, noting their capability to destroy terrorist hideouts deep across the border. He attributed the success of Operation Sindoor to the power of technology and the strength of Make-in-India in the defence sector. Sanath Prasad is a senior sub-editor and reporter with the Bengaluru bureau of Indian Express. He covers education, transport, infrastructure and trends and issues integral to Bengaluru. He holds more than two years of reporting experience in Karnataka. His major works include the impact of Hijab ban on Muslim girls in Karnataka, tracing the lives of the victims of Kerala cannibalism, exploring the trends in dairy market of Karnataka in the aftermath of Amul-Nandini controversy, and Karnataka State Elections among others. If he is not writing, he keeps himself engaged with badminton, swimming, and loves exploring. ... Read More
