Deepa Jain

Deepa Jain

Live Science contributor

Deepa Jain is a freelance science writer from Bengaluru, India. Her educational background consists of a master's degree in biology from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and an almost-completed bachelor's degree in archaeology from the University of Leicester, UK. She enjoys writing about astronomy, the natural world and archaeology. 

Articles by: Deepa Jain

An illustration of a ringed planet

Earth's moon could've had Saturn-like rings, new study hints

By Deepa Jain published

A new study implies that in the past, moons in our solar system may have had rings just like planets do — deepening the mystery of why no ringed moons exist today.

a black and white image of an irregularly-shaped comet

Comets played a 'major' role in making life on Earth possible, new study hints

By Deepa Jain published

A reanalysis of the data from the "rubber-ducky" comet 67P, collected nearly a decade ago, suggests comets may have deposited a lot more water on Earth than scientists previously thought.

A rendering of an asteroid flying through space

'God of chaos' asteroid may be transformed by tremors and landslides during 2029 flyby of Earth, study finds

By Deepa Jain published

When the 'God of chaos' asteroid Apophis makes an ultraclose flyby of Earth in 2029, our planet's gravity may trigger tremors and landslides that totally change the asteroid's surface.

A diagram showing a direct image of Betelgeuse on the left, and its position in the Orion constellation's shoulder on the right

Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse? One of the brightest stars in the sky may actually be 2 stars, study hints

By Deepa Jain published

Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the sky, may have a secret sunlike companion that drives the star’s mysterious six-year-long "heartbeat," new research suggests.

This artist's concept depicts the 140-mile-wide (226-kilometer-wide) asteroid Psyche, which lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

$100,000 quadrillion asteroid Psyche may be rusting, James Webb telescope reveals

By Deepa Jain published

A new James Webb Space Telescope analysis of the giant, metal-rich asteroid Psyche reveals signs of hydration in the form of rust. This could help pin down the mysterious rock's origins.

A rendered photo of Mercury with rainbow colors across its surface

9-mile-thick layer of solid diamonds may lurk beneath Mercury's surface, study hints

By Deepa Jain last updated

New simulations suggest that a 9-mile-thick layer of solid diamonds may lurk deep below the surface of Mercury. The gems almost certainly can't be mined for bling — but they may help solve some of the planet's biggest mysteries.

A top down photograph of a large purple-colored mountain on the surface of Mars

The speed of sound on Mars is constantly changing, bizarre study finds

By Deepa Jain published

New research shows that the speed of sound on Mars varies considerably by location and temperature. The findings could help scientists understand sounds picked up by Martian rovers, as well as make future crewed ventures safer.

This image shows the "moonrise" of the strange satellite Selam as it emerges from behind asteroid Dinkinesh as seen by NASA's Lucy spacecraft.

'Dinky' asteroid imaged by NASA has ultra-rare double moon, study confirms

By Deepa Jain published

Researchers have proposed a model for how a double moon named Selam formed around the tiny asteroid Dinkinesh. This is the first 'contact binary' moon ever discovered, scientists say.

a diamond

Scientists grow diamonds from scratch in 15 minutes thanks to groundbreaking new process

By Deepa Jain published

Scientists have used a new technique to synthesize diamonds at normal, atmospheric pressure and without a starter gem, which could make the precious gemstones easier to grow in the lab.

Uranus.

Uranus and Neptune aren't made of what we thought, new study hints

By Deepa Jain published

A study suggests the ice giants Uranus and Neptune aren't quite as watery as previously thought. They may also contain huge amounts of frozen methane, potentially solving the puzzle of how they formed.

This illustration depicts asteroid Phaethon being heated by the Sun. The asteroid’s surface gets so hot that sodium inside Phaethon’s rock likely vaporizes and vents into space, causing it to brighten like a comet and form a tail.

The Geminid meteors may be 10 times older than we thought, simulations of oddball asteroid Phaethon suggest

By Deepa Jain published

The comet-like asteroid Phaethon likely lobbed thousands of rocky fragments toward Earth while rapidly spinning around the sun 18,000 years ago, new research suggests ― and it may fling some more soon.

Unknown planet beyond our solar system.

5 Earth-like worlds may lurk in the outer reaches of the solar system, simulations suggest

By Deepa Jain published

The young sun may have captured several Mars- or Mercury-size exoplanets that now orbit in the outer reaches of the solar system, but identifying them will be extremely challenging.

This computer-simulated image shows a supermassive black hole at the core of a galaxy.

Tiny black holes from the dawn of time may be altering our planet's orbit, new study suggests

By Deepa Jain published

A study suggests primordial black holes may make planets and moons near us wobble. If measured experimentally, this will provide the first concrete proof such objects exist.

Aerial view of Barringer crater (meteor impact) in Arizona.

Barringer Crater may have been formed by a cosmic 'curveball,' asteroid simulations show

By Deepa Jain published

Asteroids with different spins and bonding strengths may be responsible for the vast variety of impact craters on Earth, including Arizona's Barringer Crater, new simulations show.