Hyderabad-born Rohan P. 'Naidu is the lead author of the paper published in the journal Nature on August 12. The object resembles an enormous star, spanning the size of our solar system.
Hyderabad-born Rohan P. Naidu is among the many astronomers who have discovered the mysterious, strange object that they now call 'Black Hole Star.'Naidu is the lead author of the paper published in the journal Nature on August 12. The research analyses the latest discovery in space, about 'Little Red Dots', which look like stars but aren't really ones.“You have something that looks a bit like a star but is 100 billion times brighter,” Naidu said while explaining his discovery.Astronomers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and elsewhere said in their latest report that they spotted an extremely bright red spot in the early universe.The object resembles an enormous star, spanning the size of our solar system. But it is also putting out "100 billion times more energy than any known star can physically produce. In fact, such energies are closer to what a black hole might generate," the report stated.The object has been named as MoM-BH*-1. It is believed to be a mashup of a black hole and an enormous star, which has never been seen before and could explain the mysterious "little red dots" often found in deep-space images. An analysis suggests that the red spot is an entirely new type of astrophysical source.Naidu, who is the lead author of this research, said, "Our picture of this object is evolving very rapidly." He explained, "We think there is a central black hole that is 100,000 times as massive as the sun. And around this black hole, there would be this very extended envelope of gas that looks like a star the size of the solar system. It’s huge.”This mysterious red object existed only 660 million years after the Big Bang.Who is Rohan Naidu?Rohan Naidu is a NASA Hubble Fellow (2022-2025) and Pappalardo Fellow in Physics (2025-2027) at MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research (MKI).According to his profile on the MIT website, Rohan Naidu is interested in the first galaxies that formed after the Big Bang. He studies the first stars, galaxies, and black holes that formed immediately after the Big Bang."I am a regular user of the JWST observatory via several PI and co-I programs. These experiments are uncovering entirely new classes of astrophysical objects such as 'Little Red Dots' and 'Black Hole Stars' that are reshaping our story of the early Universe," Naidu wrote in his blog.Born in Hyderabad, India, Rohan dropped out of engineering school at age 18, bought his first-ever plane ticket, and joined the founding class of 150 students at Yale-NUS College, Singapore.He received his PhD in astronomy from Harvard in May 2022.Naidu is also an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaiʻi.Outside astronomy, Rohan is a quiz-bowl/trivia enthusiast, published poet, and is always down to watch test cricket.Story behind Naidu's discoveryAn MIT report stated that Naidu and his colleagues didn’t intend to find a black hole star. They were looking for the most distant, earliest galaxies, as part of a survey that they named “Mirage or Miracle” (MoM).The team used the NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to look into deep space, back when the universe was a few hundred million years old. Their goal was to look for galaxies that actually formed at those early times.As they looked through telescope's images for intriguing sources to target with their survey, they noticed a feature that stood out from the rest: "a dot that was very red, and very bright."The team also observed another strange pattern: The dot’s light was extremely bright, except below certain wavelengths, where the light completely disappeared.What’s more, the red dot’s light contained almost no signature of metals or any elements other than hydrogen and helium. “It was truly singular in so many ways,” Naidu says.Researchers then tried to determine the source of the red dot. After much analysis, they concluded that the most likely scenario to explain the red dot is a 'black hole star'."Specifically, the object
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are now husband and wife. The couple got married in New York City on Friday, July 3. Their wedding was confirmed by a “JUST&T MARRIED!” sign on a video screen, which was placed right outside the wedding venue, Madison Square Garden, around 7:30 pm ET.Taylor Swift and Travis KelceAs per the Hollywood Reporter, Swift's longtime publicist, Tree Paine also confirmed the wedding on Friday. The much-awaited wedding saw several celebrities in attendance in New York City.Adam SandlerReportedly, Adam Sandler officiated the wedding ceremony of the pop singer and her NFL tight end partner. It is said that Swift and Kelce skipped bridesmaids and groomsmen. Instead, Austin Swift was Taylor Swift’s man of honour while Jason Kelce was the best man for Travis Kelce.Quick answers to key questions•5 QUESTIONSTaylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married on Friday, July 3, in New York City.Adam Sandler officiated the wedding ceremony for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.Austin Swift served as Taylor Swift’s Man of Honor, while Jason Kelce was the Best Man for Travis Kelce.The wedding had tight security with street closures around Madison Square Garden and guests were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements.Taylor Swift wore a custom haute couture gown by Jonathan Anderson for Christian Dior and paired it with Cartier jewelry.Celebs at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce weddingMany celebrities were spotted arriving at the World’s Most Famous Arena in Midtown Manhattan on Friday, including Selena Gomez, Jack Antonoff, Bradley Cooper and Lena Dunham.View full ImageCelebs at Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce wedding.(AFP/ Getty Images/ X)On the other hand Ed Sheeran, Jessica Chastain, Dakota Johnson, Jason Sudeikis, Benson Boone, Hugh Grant, Kelsea Ballerini, Camila Cabello, Karlie Kloss and Josh Kushner, Ethan Hawke, Zoë Kravitz, Mariska Hargitay and Peter Hermann, the Haim sisters, the Chainsmokers (Alex Pall and Drew Taggart), Erin Andrews, Charissa Thompson, soccer player Abby Wambach and author wife Glennon Doyle, LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and wife Kelly, Nikki Glaser, Ellie Goulding, George Stephanopoulos, Aaron Dessner, Julianne Moore, George Kittle, Eric Stonestreet, San Francisco 49ers' Kyle Juszczyk and wife Kristin, Seattle Seahawks' Cooper Kupp, Graham Norton, Joe Buck and wife Michelle Beisner-Buck, Barbara Corcoran, Jenny Han, Tommy Hilfiger, The Chicks, Sombr, Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Saturday Night Live breakout Marcello Hernandez and Jimmy Fallon were spotted at the wedding, as reporter by Hollywood Reporter.Swift’s longtime best friend Abigail Anderson was also among the guests.Several pictures and videos from Madison Square Garden have surfaced online with no sight of the bride and groom.The couple hosted a rehearsal dinner on Thursday night at the Infosys Theater within the Garden. It is believed that it was for about 100 guests.Tight security has been placed owing to the high-profile event with a star-studded guest list. Several streets around the arena were said to be shut to vehicle traffic and, in some cases, even for pedestrian movement.It is believed that guests at the wedding were reportedly asked to sign non-disclosure agreements. No phones were allowed at the event either.What did Taylor Swift wearReportedly, Taylor Swift wore a custom haute couture gown by Jonathan Anderson of Christian Dior for her special day. Travis Kelce, on the other hand, also wore a haute couture look by Anderson for Dior, reports added.Both the bride and groom reportedly wore Christian Louboutin shoes. Taylor Swift opted for Cartier jewelry.Meanwhile, fans across the globe continue to wait for the official pictures from the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce wedding.A press statement is expected shortly.Reportedly, heavy rain began in the city shortly after Swift and Kelce's wedding was announced.About the AuthorSneha BiswasSneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisatio
NASA is preparing an unprecedented mission to rescue one of its aging space telescopes before it falls back to Earth.The agency has partnered with startup Katalyst Space Technologies to launch a robotic spacecraft that will capture the Swift Observatory, lift it into a higher orbit and extend its scientific life. If successful, it would mark the first American mission to physically rescue and reposition a satellite already in orbit, potentially paving the way for future servicing of major space observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope.Why does Swift need to be rescued?Launched in 2004, the Swift Observatory was designed to detect some of the universe's most powerful explosions, including:Gamma-ray burstsExploding stars (supernovae)Black hole activityNeutron star collisionsAfter more than two decades in orbit, Swift has been steadily losing altitude.The main reason is increased solar activity. The Sun is currently near the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, producing stronger solar flares and heating Earth's upper atmosphere.This causes the atmosphere to expand, creating greater drag on satellites in low Earth orbit and pulling them downward faster than usual.Why is the mission urgent?Swift currently orbits about 360 kilometers (224 miles) above Earth.NASA says it must remain above 300 kilometers (185 miles) for a rescue mission to be feasible.If it falls below that altitude—expected around October—the spacecraft could descend too quickly for a successful capture.To buy more time, NASA shut down Swift's scientific instruments in February to reduce drag and slow its orbital decay.How will NASA rescue Swift?NASA awarded Katalyst Space Technologies a $30 million contract to carry out the rescue.The mission will use a robotic spacecraft called Link, which features:Three robotic armsFinger-like gripping mechanismsAutonomous navigation softwareSatellite capture technologyAfter launch aboard an air-launched Pegasus rocket from the Marshall Islands, Link will spend about one month catching up with Swift.Once attached, it will gradually raise Swift's orbit from:360 km (224 miles) to600 km (373 miles)The entire orbit-raising process is expected to take another two months.If everything goes according to plan, Swift could resume scientific observations by September.Why is this mission difficult?Swift was never designed to be serviced or repaired.Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope—which astronauts repeatedly repaired during Space Shuttle missions—Swift has:-No docking port-No capture handles-No servicing interfaceThe rescue robot must therefore identify suitable places to grip the telescope without damaging delicate equipment.Company officials acknowledge there is no guarantee the mission will succeed.Has anyone done this before?Only China has previously carried out a similar mission.In 2022, China successfully used a robotic spacecraft to dock with and move an aging satellite into a higher "graveyard orbit."If Katalyst succeeds, this would become the first U.S. robotic satellite life-extension mission.Why is Swift so valuable?Although more than 20 years old, Swift remains one of NASA's most important astronomical observatories.It acts as NASA's "first responder" by rapidly turning toward sudden cosmic events discovered by other telescopes.Its quick response capability complements powerful observatories such as:-James Webb Space Telescope-The upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space TelescopeWithout Swift, astronomers could lose the ability to rapidly study short-lived cosmic explosions.NASA officials say replacing Swift would cost hundreds of millions of dollars—money the agency currently does not have.Could Hubble be next?Swift is not the only telescope losing altitude.The 36-year-old Hubble Space Telescope is also gradually descending because of increased atmospheric drag.Katalyst says its next-generation robotic spacecraft, expected to be ready within the next few years, could perform a similar orbit-boost mission for Hubble around 2028.Unlik
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