IIA, Bengaluru Scientists Discover a New Kind of Stellar Chemistry
Far away in the Ophiuchus Constellation, a peculiar star named A980, 25800 light years away, is rewriting what we know about stellar chemistry. Researchers uncovered a cosmic twist -- this mysterious star that belongs to a rare class called Extreme Helium (EHe) stars, carries surprisingly high amount of germanium—a metallic element never before observed in this type of star.
A980 was initially thought to be a hydrogen-deficient carbon star, a peculiar breed of cool star that lacks hydrogen—the most common element in the universe.
A closer look by astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) using the Hanle Echelle Spectrograph on the Himalayan Chandra Telescope in Ladakh, showed something strange. Its spectrum—essentially a stellar fingerprint—did not match what they expected.
Instead, the pattern looked a lot like that of another rare type of star, LS IV -14° 109, a known cool EHe star. These stars are so rare that only a handful have been identified. What makes them special is that they are almost entirely made of helium, and they are likely formed when two white dwarf stars—one carbon-oxygen rich and the other helium-rich—merged in a spectacular cosmic collision.
The team also spotted something no one had ever seen before in an EHe star -- singly-ionised germanium (Ge II) lines. This means that germanium atoms in the star had lost one electron, leaving a distinct trace in the star's spectrum.
Jun 20, 2025
Global Cybersecurity Alert: 16 Billion Logins Exposed in Historic Data Breach
In an alarming cybersecurity revelation, researchers uncovered a massive data breach exposing 16 billion login credentials, including passwords, from popular platforms like Apple, Google, Facebook, GitHub, and Telegram. This unprecedented breach spans multiple datasets and poses a serious threat to users and institutions worldwide, with potential implications for account takeovers, phishing attacks, and broader cybercrimes.
The breach, considered one of the largest in history, was brought to light by cybersecurity experts who discovered over 30 datasets, each containing up to 3.5 billion user records. The breach exposes current, high-value login credentials, not just outdated leaks, making it a critical cybersecurity threat in 2025.
Jun 19, 2025
Hyderabad Becomes Google's Cybersecurity Hub with GSEC Launch
In a significant boost to India's digital and cybersecurity landscape, Google launched its first Safety Engineering Centre (GSEC) in the Asia-Pacific region in Hyderabad in June 2025.
The centre, inaugurated by Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, is Google's fourth GSEC globally and aims to drive advancements in cybersecurity, responsible AI, and user safety.
The launch follows the company's announcement of its "Safety Charter for India's AI-led Transformation," reinforcing its commitment to protecting digital citizens.
The inauguration of Google's GSEC in Hyderabad marks a milestone for India's role in the global cybersecurity landscape.
With rising online threats and expanding AI capabilities, this centre positions India as a strategic digital defence hub, while promoting responsible technology development across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
Jun 18, 2025
World's Largest Digital Camera is about to Release its First Pictures
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory's LSST Camera—the world's largest and most powerful digital camera is all set to reveal its first stunning images of the universe on June 23. This marks the start of its ambitious mission: to create an ultra-HD timelapse of the night sky over the next ten years.
The telescope, which has been over two decades in the making, is designed to create the ultimate movie of the night sky using the largest camera ever built, repeatedly scanning the sky to create an ultra-wide, ultra-high-definition time-lapse record of our Universe.
Jun 16, 2025
China Blasts Laser 80,000 Miles to the Moon in Broad Daylight - A First in Space History
In a groundbreaking achievement for space exploration, China successfully fired a precision laser from Earth, sending it 80,778 miles (130,000 kilometres) to the Moon and back in broad daylight. This remarkable feat, accomplished by the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL), marks the world's first successful Earth-to-Moon laser-ranging shot under sunlight. This advancement is expected to bolster China's ambitions in lunar exploration and deep-space missions.
+91-85588-96644
