
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

Earth-size planet found orbiting nearby star that will outlive the sun by 100 billion years
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
An Earth-size planet discovered around a nearby star offers astronomers their first chance for exoplanetary geology.

Strange, red-glowing planet may be 'melting from within,' scientists report
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Scientists have discovered a bizarre, red-glowing exoplanet named TOI-6713.01, which is loaded with active volcanoes and may be 'melting from within.'

Molecule responsible for robbing Venus of its water may finally have been identified
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A new water loss mechanism on Venus explains how the planet lost all its water, turning the planet from a potentially habitable world into the parched hellscape we know today.

Mars may have been more Earth-like than we thought, discovery of oxygen-rich rocks reveals
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Newfound rocks on Mars suggest the planet may have once sported an oxygen-rich atmosphere, making it more Earth-like and hospitable to life than previously thought.

Enormous explosion in 'Cigar Galaxy' reveals rare type of star never seen beyond the Milky Way
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
An incredibly brief, ultrabright explosion has led astronomers to a newfound magnetic star outside the Milky Way, which could be the first of many extragalactic magnetars, according to new research.

Packs of dog-shaped robots could one day roam the moon — if they can find their footing on Earth first
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A dog-like, bio-inspired robot called Spirit is still learning to walk, but could one day be deployed on the moon to explore steep, potentially hazardous areas with a team of robot companions.

Venus is leaking carbon and oxygen, and scientists aren't totally sure why
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Observations of Venus taken with the BepiColombo space probe show that our cosmic neighbor is leaking significant amounts of carbon and oxygen from its atmosphere, and researchers can't totally explain why.

Gravitational waves reveal 1st-of-its-kind merger between neutron star and mystery object
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Ripples in space-time point to the merger of a neutron star with another mystery object. The object, which falls right within the mass-gap range, sheds light on a long-sought, murky realm.

There's a baby star 'sneezing' in the constellation Taurus — and it could solve a longstanding cosmic mystery
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
In a rare observation, scientists found a baby star "sneezing" gas, dust and magnetic energy out of its disk. This behavior could help solve a longstanding mystery about how stars form without tearing themselves apart.

Largest 3D map of our universe could 'turn cosmology upside down'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Scientists using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument have unveiled the largest 3D map of the universe ever. The results suggest that dark energy, the mysterious force pulling the universe apart, may be weakening, challenging prevailing theories of cosmology.

Watch live! The total solar eclipse has begun over North America.
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The long-awaited total solar eclipse of 2024 has begun — and you can watch NASA's unparalleled view of totality right now in this free live stream.

Group of 60 ultra-faint stars orbiting the Milky Way could be new type of galaxy never seen before
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A new satellite galaxy discovered orbiting the Milky Way is either an incredibly ancient, soon-to-fragment clump of stars or the most dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy ever found.

Why NASA is launching 3 rockets into the solar eclipse next week
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Three rockets ferrying science instruments will be launched into the eclipse's shadow on April 8. Here's what scientists hope to learn.

1st detection of 'hiccupping' black hole leads to surprising discovery of 2nd black hole orbiting around it
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Scientists found a monster black hole that 'hiccups' every 8.5 days, and a smaller black hole that keeps punching through its accretion disk may be to blame.

NASA only needs a single grain of ice to detect alien life on Enceladus, study finds
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
The icy moons of Saturn and Jupiter shoot enormous geysers into space that may contain evidence of life. New research shows that NASA only needs to grab a few grains of ice from these plumes to find out for sure.

'Potentially hazardous' asteroid Bennu contains the building blocks of life and minerals unseen on Earth, scientists reveal in 1st comprehensive analysis
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Scientists shared the first comprehensive science results from NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling mission at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, revealing the out-of-this-world makeup of asteroid Bennu.

James Webb telescope detects oldest 'dead' galaxy in the known universe — and its death could challenge cosmology
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected the oldest "dead" galaxy ever observed, at just 700 million years after the Big Bang. The stalled-out relic defies explanation by our current knowledge of the early cosmos.

'Everything has changed since Apollo': Why landing on the moon is still incredibly difficult in 2024
By Sharmila Kuthunur last updated
More than 50 years after the Apollo era, major governments and well-funded private companies still struggle with lunar landing missions. Why is landing on the moon so hard in 2024?

James Webb telescope spots trouble in Orion Nebula: Stellar winds are eroding planet-forming material around a young star
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A group of extremely bright stars may be slowly reshaping the Orion Nebula and stopping one of their neighbors from forming planets, new James Webb Space Telescope observations suggest.

'Mathematically perfect' star system being investigated for potential alien technology
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A distant star system housing 6 planets that move in 'mathematically perfect' orbits has ignited a search for possible alien technosignatures.

Mysterious 'Green Monster' lurking in James Webb photo of supernova remnant is finally explained
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
A green "Grinch-like" shape in a supernova remnant imaged by the James Webb telescope may have come from a blast debris field, scientists proposed

Missions to the moon, Mars, Jupiter and more: These are the coolest space missions in 2024
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Ambitious new missions to the moon, Venus, Jupiter and more are planned for 2024. Here is a preview of the exciting year in space ahead.

1st evidence of nuclear fission in stars hints at elements 'never produced on Earth'
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
An analysis of 42 ancient stars in the Milky Way reveals the first hints of nuclear fission in the cosmos, hinting at the existence of elements far heavier than anything found naturally on Earth.

'What is that material?': Potentially hazardous asteroid Bennu stumps scientists with its odd makeup
By Sharmila Kuthunur published
Scientists found signs of organic molecules in the first samples of potentially hazardous asteroid Bennu, as well as a 'head scratching' material that has yet to be identified.
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