Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
ISRO Chief: Hydrogen Will Redefine India’s Space Exploration Future
Hydrogen is set to play a key role in shaping India's ambitions in space exploration, sustainable transportation, and clean energy, according to Dr V. Narayanan, Chairman of ISRO. Speaking at a national workshop on hydrogen fuel technologies at Alliance University, Bengaluru, Dr Narayanan highlighted hydrogen's transformative potential for India's scientific and industrial progress. Dr Narayanan emphasised, "The world faces twin challenges of growing energy demand and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen, one of the greenest and cleanest fuels, is a beacon of hope. It remains key in many Isro breakthroughs." In January, India launched the GSLV Mk III rocket, its 100th successful mission, powered by a cryogenic stage using liquid hydrogen and oxygen.
Once-in-a-Lifetime: Falcon-9 Photographed Cutting Through the Sun
Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy has captured a mind-boggling image showing a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket blazing through the Sun’s chromosphere, creating a stunning spectacle never seen before. The photo, taken on September 6, 2025, during a Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, reveals intricate details of the Sun’s chromosphere in hydrogen-alpha light, a wavelength that highlights the turbulent plasma layer above the Sun’s surface. Using a specially designed solar telescope combined with an astronomy camera, he captured the rocket’s silhouette cutting through fiery shockwaves in the Sun’s plasma, with light scattered and diffused by the intense rocket plume. McCarthy also used a Canon R5 camera with a solar filter on a telephoto lens to record a secondary image in white light, but the hydrogen-alpha photo stood out with its vivid orange tones and fine solar textures.
Delhi-NCR Stunned as Rare Meteor Splits the Skies
Just witnessed this incredible fire streak in the night sky
— Ujjwal Yadav (@ujjwal1710) September 19, 2025
Looks like a meteor or maybe part of a rocket burning up in the atmosphere nature’s own light show from my rooftop.
Did anyone else spot it too?#noida #delhi #Meteor #NightSky @isro @NASA pic.twitter.com/tQYs27WWrC
(Credit: X/@ujjwal1710)
New Delhi witnessed a spectacular celestial event on Friday night when a bright meteor lit up the skies, leaving residents in awe and sparking a wave of excitement online. The dazzling streak of light, followed by what appeared to be the meteor breaking apart mid-air, was visible across several cities, including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, and as far as Aligarh. Astronomy experts said the event was most likely a bolide, a type of meteor that bursts into fragments after entering the Earth’s atmosphere due to intense friction and heat. While meteors are not uncommon, a bright event visible to such a large population is considered rare. The brightness and fragmentation seen in Delhi indicate a sizeable rock from space burning up spectacularly.
Heading Toward Danger? Football Moves Under Scientific Scrutiny
A new large-scale study has raised serious concerns about the impact of soccer headers on brain health. Researchers examined 352 amateur adult soccer players and found that repeatedly heading the ball may harm the brain-even without concussions. The study, the largest of its kind, revealed that players who headed the ball over 1,000 times a year showed microscopic changes in the folds of the brain located behind the forehead and eyes. These structural changes were observed regardless of the player's age or gender. The findings suggest that repetitive, seemingly harmless headers can cause long-term brain effects, highlighting the need for more awareness and possible reforms in training practices, even at the amateur level.
