During the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8 over North America, NASA plans to launch three sounding rockets to study how the event affects the ionosphere. These rockets will be launched before, during, and after the eclipse to gather data on the atmospheric disturbances caused by the sudden changes in energy. By studying these impacts, scientists aim to improve predictions and ensure smooth communication systems in our technology-dependent world.

In a groundbreaking test in 2022, NASA deliberately crashed its Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft into the tiny asteroid Dimorphos to assess our ability to divert dangerous space rocks. The collision successfully altered Dimorphos’s trajectory, scattering boulders and dust. While these debris won’t reach Earth, they will cross Mars’ orbit. This event not only showcased NASA’s asteroid diversion capabilities but also highlighted the natural meteor storm processes occurring in the solar system and beyond.

Using the Event Horizon Telescope, astronomers recently captured a remarkable image of Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, revealing its magnetic fields in polarized light for the first time. This image, reminiscent of the black hole in the M87 galaxy, suggests commonalities in the magnetic field structure of supermassive black holes. The study of these magnetic fields provides insights into how black holes interact with surrounding matter, shedding light on their behavior over time.