Dutch photographer Neo recently photographed a magnificent and rare astronomical phenomenon: plasma rain falling from the Sun at an incredible 200,000 kilometres per hour. This breathtaking footage highlights the dynamic nature of our star and provides a rare insight into its turbulent atmosphere. Plasma rain, also known as coronal rain, happens when ionised gas, or plasma, falls back to the Sun's surface from its outer atmosphere, the corona. This phenomenon occurs as plasma cools and condenses within the Sun's magnetic fields. As the plasma cools, it condenses and grows denser before fal
In April-July 2024, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processed ₹80.8 lakh crore ($964 billion), a 37% increase over the previous year. In 2023, UPI processed an amazing 3,729 transactions per second, outpacing worldwide giants such as Alipay, PayPal, and Brazil's PIX, which handled 117.6 billion transactions. This represents a 58% increase over 2022's 2,348 transactions per second. In July 2024, UPI had its highest-ever monthly transaction value of ₹20.64 lakh crore ($247 billion), with three consecutive months above ₹20 lakh crore. As the number of digital payments grows worldwi
On Sunday, President Droupadi Murmu introduced the Supreme Court's new flag and insignia to commemorate the 75th anniversary of its establishment. The National Institute of Fashion Technology Delhi developed the new flag and insignia for the Supreme Court, which symbolises justice and democracy. This freshly designed flag prominently depicts the Ashoka Chakra, representing the perpetual wheel of law, the Supreme Court building, symbolising the judiciary's role in protecting justice, and the Indian Constitution, emphasising the importance of constitutional supremacy in the country. The flag
Jared Isaacman, the wealthy founder of Shift4 Payments, is preparing for his second space trip, the Polaris Dawn. This mission, backed by SpaceX and Elon Musk, aspires to reach the highest orbit ever achieved by a crewed flight, 1,400 kilometres above Earth. Isaacman will lead a four-person crew that includes SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, on their first orbital voyage. Isaacman's spacewalk is a major highlight of the trip since he becomes the first private civilian to venture outside a spacecraft in space. In addition to studying radiation exposure and testing cutting-ed
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) reports that over Rs 25,000 crore worth of business was transacted during the Janmashtami celebrations in India. Sales of flowers, fruits, sweets, god costumes, ornamental things, fasting sweets, dairy products, and dry fruits all went up during the festival, which is a reflection of the festival's enormous economic influence. According to CAIT National General Secretary Praveen Khandelwal, Janmashtami and other celebrations are great for the Sanatan economy and the nation's finances. According to BC Bhartia, national president of CAIT, the fes
Manette Baillie, a 102-year-old British woman and WWII veteran, has completed a tandem jump in eastern England, making her the UK's oldest skydiver. The skydive took place just days after her birthday, breaking the previous record set in 2017 by a 101-year-old. Following her jump, Baillie told BBC Radio 4 that it was "a bit scary." I must admit that I closed my eyes extremely tightly." She urged those in their 80s and 90s not to give up on life, saying, "Just keep going." Baillie leapt to collect funds for three causes: the East Anglian Air Ambulance, the Motor Neurone Disease Associati
On the one-year anniversary of India's historic Moon landing, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) made scientific data from the Chandrayaan-3 mission available to researchers worldwide. This move demonstrates ISRO's commitment to advance worldwide lunar research. On August 23, 2023, Chandrayaan-3 made a gentle landing near the Moon's south pole, a previously unknown region. In recognition of this accomplishment, the Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) has made over 55 gigabytes of data from the mission's five payloads—three on the Vikram lander and two on the Pragyan rover
Following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera, Tomiko Itooka, who was born on May 23, 1908, was named the oldest living person in the world at 116 years old. The Gerontology Research Group and Guinness World Records have both confirmed her age. Tomiko lived with her daughters until she was 110 years old, at which point she went into a nursing home in Ashiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Even though she has hearing loss, Tomiko can communicate well and shows her carers her appreciation frequently. She drinks Calpis every day and likes bananas. She was raised in Osaka, participated i
Citizens of 35 countries, including China, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, will be able to enter Sri Lanka visa-free for six months beginning October 1, 2024. Participating countries include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan Indonesia, Thailand and Australia. The program's overarching goal is to increase tourism. This is in continuation of a previous initiative that ran from last year to March 2024. The visa-on-arrival option would still be available to Indian travellers until the new policy takes effect. T
The Indian diaspora in Warsaw welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi with open arms before he made history as the first prime minister to pay tributes at the Jam Saheb of Nawanagar Memorial. Additionally, he paid his respects at two Warsaw memorials—the Monte Cassino and the Kolhapur. The history of these memorials has a unique connection between India and Poland, according to Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs. Maharaja Jam Sahib of Nawanagar (now in Gujarat) saved Jewish children from Poland and gave them a safe home in India during WWII. Jam Saheb Digv