
Sharmila Kuthunur
Sharmila Kuthunur is a Seattle-based science journalist focusing on astronomy and space exploration. Her work has also appeared in Scientific American, Astronomy and Space.com, among other publications. She has earned a master's degree in journalism from Northeastern University in Boston. Follow her on BlueSky @skuthunur.bsky.social
Latest articles by Sharmila Kuthunur

Astronomers catch black holes 'cooking' their own meals in bizarre, endless feeding cycle
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Black holes can actively regulate the material they consume, using powerful jets of gas blasted into space, according to a new study. It suggests many such cosmic beasts effectively "cook" their own meals.

Doorbell camera captures 1st-ever video of the sound and sight of a meteorite crash-landing
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A doorbell camera recorded a rare video of the moment a meteorite fell outside a home.

'It was very fortunate timing': Astronomers watch 1st black hole to 'shut off' blast back to life
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The first black hole that astronomers observed "turning off" just turned back on, releasing jets of hot gas into the cosmos.

Coolest space missions coming in 2025
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
From a death swirl into Jupiter to "Ghost Riders in the Sky," here are some of the most exciting space missions coming in 2025.

Potentially habitable planet TRAPPIST-1b may have a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The innermost Earth-like planet in the famous TRAPPIST-1 system might be capable of supporting a thick atmosphere after all, according to new research.

Parker Solar Probe survives historic closest-ever flyby of the sun, NASA confirms
By Sharmila Kuthunur last updated
On Christmas Eve, NASA's Parker Solar Probe flew closer to the sun than any human-made object ever — a stunning technological feat that scientists liken to the historic Apollo moon landing in 1969. Now, we know it survived.

Auroras could light up the skies on Christmas, thanks to a powerful solar flare heading toward Earth
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A display of auroras is expected to light up the skies on Christmas Day, thanks to a powerful M8.9 solar flare enroute to Earth.

Scientists discover 2 stars dancing around the Milky Way's black hole — and they could point to a type of planet never seen before
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Astronomers have discovered a pair of young stars near the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy. Studying them can offer a rare glimpse into how stars can endure — at least briefly — the immense gravity exerted by such cosmic behemoths.

Surprise discovery in alien planet's atmosphere could upend decades of planet formation theory
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The odd atmosphere of a fledgling exoplanet is causing astronomers to question leading theories of how planets form.

James Webb telescope spots more than 100 new asteroids between Jupiter and Mars — and some are heading toward Earth
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Astronomers analyzing archival images from JWST have discovered an unexpectedly vast population of the smallest asteroids ever seen in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

China's Mars rover Zhurong finds possible shoreline of ancient Red Planet ocean
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Data from China's Zhurong rover has revealed what appears to be an ancient shoreline streaking through Mars' northern hemisphere.

Where do fast radio bursts come from? Astronomers tie mysterious eruptions to massive galaxies.
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Fast radio bursts — powerful and poorly understood cosmic eruptions — tend to occur in massive galaxies that host long-dead stars known as magnetars, a new study suggests.

Teeny tardigrades can survive space and lethal radiation. Scientists may finally know how.
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A new species of tardigrades with thousands of genes that become more active when exposed to radiation could help in devising better protection for astronauts on long missions.

NASA's Chandra X-ray telescope sees 'knots' blasting from nearby black hole jets
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A fresh analysis of decades-old X-ray black hole jet data has revealed bright, lumpy features with mysterious speed changes.

India targets 2028 for Chandrayaan-4 sample-return mission to moon's south pole
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
India is eyeing a 2028 launch for its Chandrayaan-4 moon sample-return mission, followed by an uncrewed lunar lander and rover in collaboration with Japan.

Astronomers prepare for once-in-a-lifetime event: A 'new star' in the night sky
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A rare nova explosion will soon bring a "new star" to the night sky, and scientists are excited.

The bubbling surface of a distant star was captured on video for the 1st time ever
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Astronomers have gotten the first-ever detailed views of turbulent activity on a star other than our own sun.

Infamous 'Wow! signal' that hinted at aliens may actually be an exceptionally rare cosmic event
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The source of a supposed alien broadcast that made researchers go "Wow!" may instead have been the result of a remarkably rare cosmic event, a new study suggests.

Large patch of the Atlantic Ocean near the equator has been cooling at record speeds — and scientists can't figure out why
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Scientists are trying to decipher what drove the recent dramatic cooling of the tropical Atlantic, but so far few clues have emerged. "We are still scratching our heads as to what's actually happening," the researchers said.

Astronomers find black hole's favorite snack: 'The star appears to be living to die another day'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Astronomers have pinned down a faraway black hole's snack schedule after watching it devour a star across years.

Intense solar storm opens '2-way highway' for charged particles, sparking rare auroras on the sun
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Last year, Earth spewed charged particles into the sun in a rare cosmic event that has surprised scientists.

Dinosaur-killing asteroid was a rare rock from beyond Jupiter, new study reveals
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Scientists have uncovered the "genetic fingerprint" of the dinosaur-killing Chicxulub impactor, potentially revealing the fateful rock's origins in the outer reaches of our solar system.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe finds fresh clues to decades-old mystery surrounding the sun
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has found news clues in the longstanding mystery of why the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, is so much hotter than our star's surface.
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