Recently, an Argentina-based astronomer captured a structure that looked like a wall of plasma on the surface of the sun.   About Polar crown prominences (PCP) – These are similar to normal solar prominences, which are loops of plasma, or ionised gas, that is ejected from the solar surface by magnetic fields. They occur near… Continue reading Polar Crown Prominence

Recently, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft first time caught a glimpse of the Jupiter and Trojan asteroids.   About Trojan asteroids – These are mysterious space rocks which have been gravitationally trapped in Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun for billions of years These are thought to be remnants of the primordial material that formed the outer planets.… Continue reading Trojan Asteroids

Recently, the spectroscopic results from galaxy GN-z11 identified and confirmed that there is the complete absence of dust particles from its surroundings for an interim period despite possessing a very high star formation rate.   Details – The process of star formation and the subsequent stellar evolution inevitably generates massive amounts of dust and makes… Continue reading Galaxy GN-z11

Recently, a much-anticipated malaria vaccine developed by Oxford University has received its first approval.   About the R21 vaccine – It is the first vaccine to achieve more than 75% effectiveness. (The goal set by the World Health Organisation). It has been approved for use in children aged 5-36 months, the age group at the… Continue reading R21 Vaccine

The Raman Research Institute (RRI) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Navy’s research and development establishment to develop secure maritime communications using quantum technology.   About Raman Research Institute (RRI) – It is an autonomous research institute engaged in research in basic sciences. Location — Bangalore The institute was founded in 1948… Continue reading Raman Research Institute

Recently, researchers in the UK, led by Nobel laureate Andre Geim have found that graphene displays an anomalous giant magnetoresistance (GMR) at room temperature.   About Magnetoresistance – What is it? It is the result of the electrical resistance of a conductor affected by magnetic fields in adjacent materials. Applications — It is used in… Continue reading Magnetoresistance

Astronomers have recently made the most detailed map ever of mysterious dark matter using the universe’s very first light.   Details – Researchers from the U.S. based National Science Foundation’s (NSF) used the Atacama Cosmology Telescope to create this new map of the dark matter. The new image, made using 14 billion-year-old light from the… Continue reading Dark Matter

Recently, Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), have designed an efficient SERS substrate.   Details – Scientists have developed a new low-cost substrate that can increase the sensitivity of Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) — a vital analytical and sensing… Continue reading Raman Spectroscopy

Recently, physicists in Japan while studying the atoms of heavy elements discovered a previously unknown isotope of uranium uranium-241.   About Uranium 241 – It has an atomic number of 92 and a mass number of 241. The researchers also calculated that uranium-241 likely has a half-life of just 40 minutes.   How was uranium-241… Continue reading Uranium 241

Recently, Indian-American mathematician CR Rao awarded International Prize in Statistics, 2023.   About International Prize in Statistics – The International Prize in Statistics is awarded every two years by a collaboration among five leading international statistics organisations. The prize recognises a major achievement by an individual or team in the statistics field. The prize is… Continue reading International Prize in Statistics