Monisha Ravisetti

Monisha Ravisetti

Astronomy Channel Editor

Monisha Ravisetti is Space.com's Astronomy Editor. She covers black holes, star explosions, gravitational waves, exoplanet discoveries and other enigmas hidden across the fabric of space and time. Previously, she was a science writer at CNET, and before that, reported for The Academic Times. Prior to becoming a writer, she was an immunology researcher at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. She graduated from New York University in 2018 with a B.A. in philosophy, physics and chemistry. She spends too much time playing online chess. Her favorite planet is Earth.

Latest articles by Monisha Ravisetti

Artist's impression of the Vela pulsar, in the center, and its magnetosphere, whose edge is marked by the bright circle. The blue tracks travelling outwards represent paths of accelerated particles. These produce gamma radiation along the arms of a rotating spiral by colliding with infrared photons emitted in the magnetosphere (in red).

Pulsar surprises astronomers with record-breaking gamma-rays

By Monisha Ravisetti published

The well-known Vela Pulsar just smashed a record for the highest-energy radiation ever detected from one of these highly magnetized spinning neutron stars.

Stars
Artist’s concept illustration depicting the spacecraft of NASA’s Psyche mission near the mission’s target, the metal asteroid Psyche.

NASA's Psyche probe will launch to a metal asteroid on Oct. 12 — and scientists are sneaking a peek at the target

By Monisha Ravisetti published

The James Webb Space Telescope and the now-retired SOFIA telescope, impressive as they may be, have hit their limits when it comes to studying Psyche.

Launches & Spacecraft
An artist's depiction of NASA's Parker Solar Probe flying past Venus.

'Lightning' on Venus may not be lightning at all, Parker Solar Probe finds

By Monisha Ravisetti published

For years, experts haven't agreed on whether Venus' lightning is truly lightning. New data from NASA's sun-kissing spacecraft may have settled the debate.

Venus
The BlueWalker 3 satellite streaks above Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.

The BlueWalker 3 satellite is officially one of the brightest objects in the sky

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Astronomers worry that an impending future of widespread satellite constellations could darken our bridge to the stars.

Satellites
an orange ribbon of plasma stretches across the center of a starry view.

Time-lapse video shows a supernova's aftermath ballooning into space

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Two decades of Hubble Space Telescope data reveal the stunning threads of a dead star's leftovers.

Stars
A pale blue sphere with blue striations sits within an indented piece of marble.

The artist who sculpted the 4-dimensional fabric of space and time

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Ashley Zelinskie calls herself the scientific artistic translator, taking our understanding of the universe and showing us how to interpret it.

The Universe
a panoramic view of the surface of Mars from the top of a ridge, littered with rocks and hills

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover reaches perilous ridge on Red Planet after 3 failed attempts

By Monisha Ravisetti published

This spot on Mars has preserved information about ancient landslides and evidence of Red Planet water.

Mars Rovers
A bright pink, glowing splotch is seen toward the top left. Many galaxies and stars are visible in the background and there are gray-ish wisps throughout.

Powerful observatories reveal 5 breathtaking corners of the universe hidden to human eyes (images)

By Monisha Ravisetti published

NASA has highlighted a new set of vibrant cosmic images, each one painted by the observatories that help us see what our eyes cannot.

The Universe
A large galaxy takes up the entirety of the image. The galaxy has a bright white core, and several large spiral arms extending out from that core, rotating clockwise. The arms are light blue with many pink speckles and clumps littering the arms. The background is also filled with a smattering of white and pink dots.

James Webb Space Telescope deepens major debate over universe's expansion rate

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Scientists still can't nail down the rate at which our universe is expanding. New JWST observations didn't make things any easier.

James Webb Space Telescope
People in clean room white suits lowering a golden box into Perserverance.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover wraps up MOXIE oxygen-making experiment

By Monisha Ravisetti published

The Perseverance rover's MOXIE experiment produced a total of 122 grams of oxygen on Mars. At its most efficient, it generated 12 grams of the life-sustaining element every hour.

Mars Rovers
The back of a man with a white shirt sitting at a desk. Lights in the room change colors.

Sleeping on the ISS isn't easy. This lamp for astronauts could help

By Monisha Ravisetti published

To assist astronauts with their sleep schedules, scientists developed a lamp synchronized to their circadian rhythms.

International Space Station
vibrant orange spiral galaxy with bright shining central star

James Webb Space Telescope gazes into the Whirlpool galaxy's hypnotic spiral arms (photos)

By Monisha Ravisetti published

A James Webb Space Telescope image of M51 boasts amber hues and reddish streaks, capturing the galaxy's gravitational relationship with a neighboring realm.

James Webb Space Telescope
Tracks in lunar soil made by the Pragyan rover.

India's Chandrayaan-3 takes the moon's temperature near lunar south pole for 1st time

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Chandrayaan-3 creates first temperature profile near the moon's south pole; ISRO offers more updates on the historic lunar mission.

Moon Rovers
This animation of the James Webb Space Telescope shows how light is reflected from its mirrors onto its scientific instruments.

James Webb Space Telescope instrument experiences glitch — but observatory remains in 'good health'

By Monisha Ravisetti published

The JWST team announced that a mode of one of the observatory's infrared sensors indicated a reduction in the amount of light registered by the instrument.

James Webb Space Telescope
An artist's illustration of the brown dwarf studied. It looks like a bright brown orb with stringy, lobed magnetic fields prortuding.

'Failed star' with radiation belt could be a big deal for astronomy. Here's why

By Monisha Ravisetti published

A brown dwarf just 18.5 light-years from Earth has been found to host a radiation belt. But why are scientists are so excited about this?

Stars
An illustration of a black hole leaving behind a trail of debris.

Supermassive black hole chews up huge star, spits stellar 'guts' into space (video)

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Scientists might have found the most massive star to be seen ravaged by a supermassive black hole.

Black Holes
A side-by-side view of the Ring Nebula, imaged by the JWST.

James Webb Space Telescope offers a mesmerizing look at the Ring Nebula (photos)

By Monisha Ravisetti published

The James Webb Space Telescope strikes again, this time with a beautiful new view of a famous planetary nebula. But don't be fooled  — none of this has anything to do with planets.

James Webb Space Telescope
Two views of a galaxy cluster are seen. On the right, areas where dark matter is expected to exist are shaded in blue.

We still don't know what dark matter is, but here's what it's not

By Monisha Ravisetti published

An experimental detector can now rule out dark matter particles down to about a fifth of a proton's mass.

The Universe
A crowd of oval-shaped elliptical galaxies gather around the largest in the center. They are surrounded by more distant stars and galaxies, that have many shapes and sizes but all are smaller, on a dark background.

Hubble images a museum of galaxies, and some are gravitationally warped (photo)

By Monisha Ravisetti published

A new image released by NASA shows-off the galaxies of Abell 3322.

Hubble Space Telescope
Progression of blue planet become hazier as clouds dissipate

Neptune's clouds have vanished, and the sun may be to blame (video)

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Thanks to the sun's 11-year-long cycle, Neptune might be systematically purged of its clouds.

Neptune
An aerial view of Hawaii, taken by the International Space Station camera.

Deadly wildfires in Hawaii seen from International Space Station (photo)

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Not only is the devastation being thoroughly documented around the world, but it's also being recorded from space.

Climate Change
a map showing regions of heat across the globe. Almost all areas are highlighted in red, showing that temperatures are rising way quicker than they should be.

July 2023 was the hottest month on Earth since at least 1880 'by a longshot,' NASA says

By Monisha Ravisetti published

In the wake of Hawaii's tragic wildfires, NASA experts discuss our planet's critically rising temperatures.

Climate Change
An artist's depiction of NASA's Parker Solar Probe flying past Venus.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe to make closest flyby of Venus on Aug. 21

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Thanks to some precise maneuvering on Aug. 3, NASA says Parker is on-track to make its sixth and closest flyby of Venus on Aug. 21.

Parker Solar Probe
An image of the sun.

Sun blasts out highest-energy radiation ever recorded, raising questions for solar physics

By Monisha Ravisetti published

Using a 24/7 observatory that can detect when charged particles interact with water, scientists identified record-breaking rays coming from the sun.

The Sun
Various warped galaxies are seen as elongated lines, loops, arcs and smudges against the background of space. The JWST's iconic diffraction spikes are seen toward the center-right of the image.

James Webb Space Telescope unveils the gravitationally warped galaxies of 'El Gordo'

By Monisha Ravisetti published

The enormous galaxy cluster, El Gordo, has been imaged by Hubble in the past — now, the JWST has offered us a fresh new view.

James Webb Space Telescope
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