The launch of Chandrayaan-2.

Here are the top stories of the week.

A Year Since Chandrayaan-2 Launch, India Prepares to Touch the Moon with Chandrayaan-3

In spite of the failure in the Vikram Lander aspect of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, ISRO has remained intent on stepping foot on the Moon, and it aims to achieve the same by next year through the Chandrayaan-3 mission. To know more about the C3 mission and its current status, see here.

Mars Lays Red Carpet: Three Earthly Visitors Take Flight Towards the Red Planet Within 11 Days

The enthusiasm to explore the possibility of life beyond the planet Earth and the curiosity to understand the origin of our solar system are at peak in the 21st century. A top contender in the list of possible hosts to establish future human colonies is Mars. Therefore, launches for multiple missions to the Red Planet have been lined up for the next few days. Check them all out here!

Scientists Discover 37 Sleeping Volcanoes on Venus; Evidence Hints at Planet Being Geologically Active

As many as 37 recently active volcanic structures have been identified on Venus, thereby providing ground-breaking evidence that Earths neighbouring planet remains a geologically active world. These findings could now help identify where the geologic instruments should be placed for future Venus missions. Full story here.

India Begins Production of Oxford Coronavirus Vaccine Covidshield; SII to Create 30 Crore Doses by Year-End

Representational image

The production of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine named Covidshieldone of the frontrunner COVID-19 vaccine candidates in the worldhas begun in India. Initial estimates suggest at least one billion doses of the vaccine will be produced in India, which would make the country the largest producer of the COVID-19 vaccine on the planet. Full story here.

Homemade Single-Layer Cloth Masks Not Enough to Prevent COVID-19 Spread; At Least Two Layers Needed: Study

Homemade cloth face masks need at least two layers, and preferably three, in order to successfully prevent the dispersal of COVID-19-causing viral droplets from nose and mouth, a new study has indicated. Further, the study found 3-ply surgical face mask the most effective at reducing airborne droplet dispersal. More details here.

Ancient Genes Make South Asian Population Vulnerable to COVID-19: Study

As the world grapples with COVID-19, researchers are still trying to understand the virus better. Now, preliminary evidence suggests that the traces of ancient genes in our body may have some link to our vulnerability to the ongoing outbreak of novel coronavirus. More on this here.

First Bout of Monsoon Rains Knock Out Delhi's Daily Life on Sunday (PHOTOS)

A DTC bus almost submerged at waterlogged Minto Bridge underpass after rains in New Delhi on Sunday.

Strong winds, heavy rains and thunderwhile this may sound just the ideal Sunday morning for many Delhiites, there were scores in Delhi who wouldn't agree, as heavy rains reportedly killed four people, damaged houses and flooded roads last Sunday. A few glimpses of monsoon's first bout on the capital here.

Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2020: The Funniest Entries So Far (PHOTOS)

The Mars Petcare Comedy Pet Photo Awards 2020 is well underway, and entries continue to pour in from across the world! As we wait to see the most hilarious photos of the year, the Awards have released some of the best submissions they have received thus far. Check these funny shots out here!

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Weekly Digest (July 20-24, 2020): Top Weather, Environment and Science Stories of the Week - The Weather Channel