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Monisha Ravisetti

@monisharavis.bsky.social
172 followers 89 following 63 posts

Science Journalist 🪐 I like thought experiments just as much as physical experiments earthlingnews.substack.com

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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I certainly know my way around the cosmos, but have tons of experience writing about all sorts of topics — from medicine and climate change to science policy and quantum computing. I also love writing about art, philosophy and sci-fi!
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Last week, I was laid off from my role as Astronomy Editor at Space.com. It was a real treat to explore the universe with such brilliant journalists for the last 3 years, and I'll deeply miss leading this section. If you're hiring/have any freelance opportunities, please let me know!
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
"I love the feeling of smallness that comes from understanding you're not alone in the universe," Vanessa Bailey, Roman's coronagraph instrument scientist, tells me. www.space.com/astronomy/ex...
space.com
NASA's newly launched Roman Space Telescope will 'directly' image exoplanets. But what does that mean?
"When you look up at the night sky, most of those stars have planets."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
tried breaking down precisely what makes the roman space telescope so special www.space.com/astronomy/th...
space.com
The Roman Space Telescope will reveal the universe in a way the JWST and Hubble cannot
"The images it captures will be so large there is not a screen in existence large enough to show them."
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Virginia Gewin @virginiagewin.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Scientists: have you been the target of an online harassment campaign, doxxing, or weaponized FOIA requests? I'd like to talk to you about steps you had to take to protect your digital security for an upcoming Nature story. (You can be anonymous if necessary.) RTs appreciated.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
tl;dr can everyone just take a sec before adding to all the comet 3I/ATLAS misinformation plz www.space.com/astronomy/co...
space.com
No, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS hasn't 'changed color', scientists say
"We don't have any evidence for the gas coma changing colors."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
If anyone asks me how I feel about SpaceX I'll just be sending them this story from @emilycarney.bsky.social spacenews.com/the-grief-of... Alsoooo Radiohead mentioned
spacenews.com
The grief of a fandom: on Starship, Musk and losing the spark
Why do people defend someone who has done things that are frankly terrible?
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
The huge elephant in the room at AAS this month was that NASA dropped out last minute — especially because this was the first of these huge astronomy meetings to take place since Trump took office. “Honestly, it’s been a little devastating,” one scientist told me. www.space.com/astronomy/na...
space.com
NASA's been pulling out of major astronomy meetings — and scientists are feeling the effects
"We are given rules by our own institutions about what we can and cannot say."
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Space.com @space.com · 30/05/2025
More than 200 climate and weather scientists from across the U.S. are taking part in a marathon livestream on YouTube www.space.com/science/clim...
space.com
Climate scientists are hosting a 100-hour YouTube livestream in response to Trump's research funding cuts
"We really felt like the American public deserves to know what we do."
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Joanna Thompson @jojofoshosho.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
Did a little in-person reporting yesterday as NASA’s GISS lab in Manhattan was cleared out following DOGE cuts. 🧪🌏
space.com
'This is an attack on NASA.' Space agency's largest union speaks out as DOGE cuts shutter science institute located above 'Seinfeld' diner in NYC
The Trump administration is closing a historic NASA science office in the name of efficiency, but critics point out that the move won't actually save much money.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
If you're a current/former NASA employee interested in discussing workplace events following recent agency policy changes, my dms are open. You can also reach me at the emails in my bio. Comments can remain anonymous; I absolutely won't identify you unless you're okay with it. Signal: mravisetti.32
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
Must-read article from @joshdinner.bsky.social today that magnifies the injustice of Trump's DEI purge by chronicling the story of one NASA employee who was impacted: www.space.com/space-explor...
space.com
NASA celebrated this employee's story of resilience, then tried to scrub it from the internet. Then fired her.
"It feels like everything that I worked for has been taken down little by little."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 28/04/2025
"Dr. Yasmine Shnina, a Doctors Without Borders supervisor of midwives at Nasser Hospital, documented 40 miscarriages a week in recent weeks. She has recorded five women a month dying in childbirth, compared with around two a year before the war." apnews.com/article/isra...
apnews.com
A pregnant woman in Gaza’s ruins fears for her baby under Israel’s blockade
Israel’s military campaign decimating the Gaza Strip has made pregnancy and childbirth more dangerous for Palestinian women and their babies.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
An excellent article with many voices discussing why we should be super careful when talking about those newly announced possible signs of alien life: www.space.com/space-explor... @skuthunur.bsky.social
space.com
Did we actually find signs of alien life on K2-18b? 'We should expect some false alarms and this may be one'
"A needle in the haystack, or just a sharp piece of hay?"
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Reposted by Monisha Ravisetti
Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
An astonishing headline reporting on new observations from a team led to Nikku Madhusudhan claims they’ve found ‘hints of life’ on a planet orbiting a dwarf star some 124 light years away. What’s going on? (1/n) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 🔭 🧪
bbc.co.uk
Promising hints of life found on distant planet K2-18b
Scientists find new but tentative evidence that a faraway world orbiting another star may be home to life.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
substack 4/14 earthlingnews.substack.com/p/lets-not-l...
earthlingnews.substack.com
Let’s Not Lose The Plot
Unfortunately, the truth isn't the only thing that matters.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
"We would see, in this case, the majority of active science missions and in-development science missions completely wiped out," Casey Dreier, Chief of Space Policy at The Planetary Society, tells me. www.space.com/space-explor...
space.com
Trump administration could slash NASA science budget by 50%, reports suggest
Budget passback documents reportedly suggest the White House wants to cut NASA's budget by half — possibly closing down Goddard Space Flight Center.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
House Democrats say DOGE staffers have been given “unrestricted physical access” to NASA facilities: www.space.com/the-universe...
space.com
Elon Musk's DOGE team given 'alarming degree' of access to NASA systems, House Democrats say
"None of these three individuals possess the slightest background or experience in space policy or government service."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 30/03/2025
Just a really cool story I was lucky enough to write: www.space.com/the-universe...
space.com
A total solar eclipse from 2471 B.C. may have shaken Egypt's cult of the sun
"It is always difficult to establish if the eclipses were seen in the ancient past as bad omens or good omens."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Always such a pleasure to work with the brilliant @skuthunur.bsky.social!
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Spoke with climate experts and sources at (or recently let go from) NOAA about what Trump's massive, abrupt federal layoffs specifically mean for our safety. "It's a lot of expertise lost across the board, and it makes our country less safe." www.space.com/the-universe...
space.com
'Their loss diminishes us all': Scientists emphasize how Trump's mass NOAA layoffs endanger the world
"From our perspective down in the trenches actually working for the government, it feels like the people up top just have no clue about anything."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
It is always a pleasure to work with the brilliant @skuthunur.bsky.social
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DiscussingFilm @discussingfilm.net · 03/03/2025
‘NO OTHER LAND’ doesn’t have a U.S. distributor yet. It just won the #Oscar for Best Documentary See the full winners list: bit.ly/OscarWins25
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Eric Holthaus @ericholthaus.com · 24/02/2025
Over the weekend, the odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 impacting the Earth in 2032 went to zero. Its Torino Scale number is now zero. gg everyone.
(2024 YR4) -- Earth Impact Risk Summary (orbit details)
Torino Scale (maximum)	0
Palermo Scale (maximum)	-3.08
Palermo Scale (cumulative)	-3.04
Impact Probability (cumulative)	5.0e-5
Number of Potential Impacts	4
Impact Search Technique	IOBS
Vimpact	17.27 km/s
Vinfinity	13.20 km/s
H	24.0
Diameter	0.055 km
Mass	2.2e+8 kg
Energy	7.7e+0 Mt
All above are mean values
weighted by impact probability
Analysis based on 418 observations spanning 60.084 days
(2024-12-25 to 2025-02-23)
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
we're literally chillin www.space.com/asteroid-202...
space.com
NASA massively lowers impact risk of 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 to 1 in 360
Don't worry. Asteroid 2024 YR4 now has a 99.72% chance of missing Earth in 2032.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
thorough rundown of what's been going on regarding possible nasa layoffs from @skuthunur.bsky.social www.space.com/the-universe...
space.com
Over 1,000 NASA employees saved from dismissal as Trump downsizes federal workforce
"These public servants — many of whom are just starting their careers— represent the future of NASA."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
If you're a current/former NASA employee and would like to discuss your workplace experience following recent policy changes, my dms are open. You can also contact me at the emails in my bio. Comments can remain anonymous if preferred; I will absolutely not identify you unless you're okay with it.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
the story of pluto needs a netflix series pls www.space.com/the-universe...
space.com
Is Pluto a planet or not? Who cares! Our love for the King of the Kuiper Belt is stronger than ever 95 years later
The controversy endures over Pluto's true status, but the solar system underdog continues to capture hearts across the globe.
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Alexandra Witze @alexwitze.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
This morning, the US National Science Foundation fired 168 employees, approximately 10% of its workforce, for no cause other than they were the agency's most recent hires. 🧪 Co-workers are leaving supportive messages before they have to clear out of the building at 5 p.m. Sent to me by a source ⬇️
Handwritten notes on a metal table at the National Science Foundation, 2/18/25. The messages include "You deserve better! Thank you!"; "Thank you colleagues! This RIF is WRONG. These orders are immoral & illegal"; and "Your service will forever be remembered and deeply valued - ENG directorate".
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Eric Holthaus @ericholthaus.com · 11/02/2025
The main takeaways from NASA's most tragic failures over the past 50 years – the loss of the Challenger and Columbia space shuttles – was an overreliance on siloed thinking. NASA's purge of DEI may be putting its crews in jeopardy once again. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders could jeopardize safety of Nasa crews
Cuts to federal workforce due to Trump’s orders are further compounding pre-existing staffing concerns, sources say
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
"This is a ridiculous overstep and direct assault on NASA HQ employees' free speech and humanity." update by @joshdinner.bsky.social www.space.com/space-explor...
space.com
NASA HQ verbally orders employees to purge workspaces of LGBTQI+ symbols
"This is a ridiculous overstep and direct assault on NASA HQ employees' free speech and humanity."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
Emails: monisha.ravisetti@protonmail.com mravisetti@space.com You can also securely chat me on Signal: mravisetti.32
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
"She was a huge champion for women in science in particular because she faced things that were discriminatory for women — diminishing those stories is pretty disturbing, frankly." Must read by @skuthunur.bsky.social www.space.com/the-universe...
space.com
Scientists alarmed as Rubin Observatory changes biography of astronomer Vera Rubin amid Trump's push to end DEI efforts
"The idea that they can somehow obliterate these sources is dead wrong — scientists in general and astronomers in particular are not going to take these threats lying down."
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Laura Helmuth @laurahelmuth.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
When Scientific American endorsed Harris, many scientists and science-friendly people were supportive and grateful, but some said: stick to science, science isn’t political, etc. But reality-denying right-wing fanatics will absolutely come for the scientists www.washingtonpost.com/science/2025...
washingtonpost.com
Trump policies sow chaos, confusion across scientific community
U.S. scientists, unaccustomed to shock-and-awe political assaults, are reeling from President Donald Trump’s executive orders on DEI, gender and other subjects.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
If you're a current/former NASA employee and would like to discuss your workplace experience following recent policy changes, my dms are open. You can also contact me at the emails in my bio. Comments can remain anonymous if preferred; I will absolutely not identify you unless you're okay with it.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
just learned about this; simply can't move on with my day: noirlab.edu/public/news/...
noirlab.edu
Gemini North Teams Up With LOFAR to Reveal Largest Radio Jet Ever Seen in the Early Universe - The monster jet spans at least 200,000 light-years and formed when the Universe was less than 10% of its ...
Making use of the Gemini North telescope, one half of the International Gemini Observatory, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation and operated by NSF NOIRLab, astronomers have charact...
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
a baby space telescope soon to be born www.space.com/space-explor...
space.com
NASA's new SPHEREx space telescope to launch in February — it can do what the JWST can't
"We are literally mapping the entire celestial sky in 102 infrared colors for the first time in humanity's history."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
some cool rock stuff going on www.space.com/the-universe...
space.com
NASA finds key molecules for life in OSIRIS-REx asteroid samples. Here's what that means
"For me, the question is: Why didn't life form on Bennu?"
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
This JWST image of an interstellar gap is absolutely incredible -- light from a centuries-old supernova reached material within the gap (yeah, centuries later!) and heated it up. Then, the JWST captured infrared emissions coming off that material. I mean, come onnnn science.nasa.gov/missions/web...
science.nasa.gov
NASA’s Webb Reveals Intricate Layers of Interstellar Dust, Gas - NASA Science
Once upon a time, the core of a massive star collapsed, creating a shockwave that blasted outward, ripping the star apart as it went. When the shockwave reached the star’s surface, it punched through,...
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
Can’t even explain how hype I am for Rubin www.space.com/the-universe...
space.com
Rubin Observatory aces 1st image tests, gets ready to use world's largest digital camera
The first image represents just a fraction of the power the observatory's eventual camera will have.
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Cynthia Phillips, PhD @planetcynthia.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
I gave a talk last week at the @agu.org conference on a fun project I've been working on with some colleagues, including amazing grad student Leah Sacks. We found a dark albedo feature on Saturn's moon Enceladus that we can show is changing over time! Check it out: www.space.com/space-explor...
space.com
There's a weird, disappearing dark spot on Saturn's moon Enceladus
"After staring at dozens and dozens of image pairs, she found something interesting."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
“It’s more than a dream; we are dreaming with our open eyes,” Parker Solar Probe project scientist Nour Raouafi tells me. www.space.com/the-universe...
space.com
This Christmas Eve, humans will try to embrace a star
"We have been dreaming of this moment for over 16 years."
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
hello @space.com is hiring a spaceflight writer so come be the launch sequence to my science payload 🥳: apply.workable.com/futureplc/j/...
apply.workable.com
Staff Writer, Space.com - Future Publishing
This is an exciting opportunity to join one of the largest, and most successful brands at Future, and partner with a team of passionate space enthusiasts. Space.com is run by a global team of experts ...
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
on what it’s like to name a quasi-moon and why @radiolab.bsky.social had to veto the obvious option www.space.com/the-universe...
space.com
Why we can't just name a quasi-moon 'Moony McMoonface'
Naming cosmic objects can be tricker than you think.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
absolutely unhinged idea but I like it hehe www.space.com/space-explor...
space.com
How bacteria are inspiring the next generation of space-borne lasers
Photosynthesis efficiently captures and converts sunlight into something usable — so why not steal a trick from nature for our own solar-powered lasers?
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
If you live in the UK, are obsessed with telescopes, care a little too much about solar flares, and wanna hang out with me: @spacecom.bsky.social is hiring a Skywatching writer!! 🌜🌞🔭 Job listing here: apply.workable.com/futureplc/j/...
apply.workable.com
Sky Watching Writer - Future Publishing
If you’re fascinated by the night sky and have a passion to share your knowledge and wonder with a wider audience then this is the place for you. Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, ...
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 24/11/2024
Truly just a tremendous story — a perf Sunday read I’m so serious!! www.space.com/space-explor...
space.com
How a mini-team of NASA archivists is restoring astronomical history
The NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive is charged with saving and restoring priceless data from the space missions of yesteryear.
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
this is actually wild hello?? www.eso.org/public/news/...
eso.org
Astronomers take the first close-up picture of a star outside our galaxy
“For the first time, we have succeeded in taking a zoomed-in image of a dying star in a galaxy outside our own Milky Way,” says Keiichi Ohnaka, an astrophysicist from Universidad Andrés Bello in Chile...
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Monisha Ravisetti @monisharavis.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
gorgeous, heartbreaking reporting. I would recommend making time for this: www.cbsnews.com/news/steve-h...
cbsnews.com
Standing on the threshold of grief, documenting the bedrooms of kids killed in school shootings
Steve Hartman recounts his experience visiting the bedrooms of kids killed in school shootings across the country.
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