Current Affairs - Persons - Discussion

Ramya Manjunath Anche is an Indian-origin astrophysicist leading NASA’s PUFFINS mission. She works as an assistant research professor at the Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona. PUFFINS stands for Polarimetry in the Ultraviolet to Find Features in Interstellar dust. The mission has received a $20 million grant through NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers initiative and is targeted for launch in 2030. It aims to study interstellar dust around approximately 70 stars using ultraviolet observations and polarimetry. The research will help scientists understand the properties of dust particles and their influence on the formation of stars and planets.