Science / 22

NASA postpones launch of Parker Solar Probe

August 12, 2018

The next launch window opens at 3:31 am (0731 UTC) on Sunday. The Parker probe will have tools to measure the sun's expanding corona and its flowing atmosphere known as the solar wind, which was first discovered by solar physicist Eugene Parker in 1958.

Nasa launches Parker Solar Probe in mission to 'touch the sun'

August 12, 2018

By coming closer to the Sun than any spacecraft in history, the unmanned probe's main goal is to unveil the secrets of the corona , the unusual atmosphere around the Sun. The Parker Solar Probe during final pre-launch processing, its white heat shield visible at the top. NASA chief of the science mission directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen, said Parker is an "incredible hero of our scientific community".

Solar eclipse will be visible in southern China on Saturday

August 11, 2018

First solar eclipse of 2018 happened in the beginning of the year on February 15 while the second solar eclipse occurred on July 13. The partial solar eclipse is expected to take place during early hours of August 11, but only some parts of the planet will be able to witness it.

Perseid August 2018: When can I see the meteor shower?

August 11, 2018

If you're hoping to view this weekend's peak of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, dubbed one of the best each year, then we have good news with regard to Colorado's weather forecast. The Perseids arrive each year in the night skies when the Earth passes through the cosmic trail of Comet Swift-Tuttle. In contrast, clouds, showers and scattered thunderstorms will thwart prospective meteor watchers in a swath extending from the southern Great Plains northeast through the Carolinas, the Middle ...

NASA ready for trip to the sun

August 11, 2018

EDT. At its closest approach, the probe will be 3.9 million miles from the sun's surface - closer than any spacecraft in history. Scientists hope to unlock mysteries such as why the sun's corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere, is hotter than its surface.

Hundreds flee as floods sweep through camp sites in southern France

August 11, 2018

A top Gard official, Thierry Dousset, told BFM-TV about 750 people were evacuated from five campsites. French rescuers are still searching for an elderly German man who went missing after floodwaters ripped through a campsite in southern France on Thursday.

More than 100 shooting stars expected in weekend’s Perseid meteor shower peak

August 10, 2018

And human habitation in the area can be dated as far back as 10,000 years ago, making this dark sky park the most ancient site in America to view the Perseids. The August shower gets its name from the constellation Perseus because the meteors appear to originate there. "Relax, be patient, and let your eyes adapt to the darkness", J.

The best meteor shower in years is happening August 11-13

August 10, 2018

And even though it doesn't peak until the nights of August 11-12 or 12-13, it is already producing the fireball meteors that the Perseids are famous for. The Perseids radiate from the constellation Perseus in the eastern horizon and is associated with the debris of comet Swift-Tuttle which last passed by Earth in 1992.

The Perseid meteor shower is going to be unbelievable this weekend

August 10, 2018

So when is the Perseid meteor shower? While the Perseid meteor shower will be visible on Saturday night, the real show comes on Sunday, with peak shooting star activity happening the night of August 12 to 13. Unlike other celestial sightings that require a telescope or binoculars, the best way to watch a meteor shower is with the naked eye. In those cases they can actually predict that when the Earth passes through the orbital path of the comet there will be a higher than average ...

Meteor shower of the year coming up

August 09, 2018

The annual show is the result of Earth's proximity to the "gritty" debris of Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, Boyle said in a release. The phenomenon is caused by debris from the tail of the Swift-Tuttle comet entering the Earth's atmosphere and burning up, appearing as bright streaks of light crossing the sky.

How drought relief actually ends up punishing Australian farmers

August 09, 2018

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the Government stood ready to help farmers as drought conditions worsened . "We are, as we have all said, the land of droughts and flooding rains, but we haven't had a drought this bad for a very, very long time, since the Bureau of Meteorology says 1965", The Australian newspaper quoted Turnbull as saying during a visit to the central western region of New South Wales.

Trump Hails Astronauts That Will Fly on SpaceX and Boeing Spaceships

August 08, 2018

The former Yellow Jacket has been working with both companies since 2015, developing and testing spacecraft that will eventually launch Americans into space from USA soil for the first time since the shuttle program ended in 2011. Boe will be making his third trip to space. The crews would fly on spacecraft developed not by NASA, but by two corporations, SpaceX and Boeing , which are under contract to provide a taxi-like service to the International Space Station.

Hector, still Category 4 hurricane, expected to pass south of islands

August 08, 2018

There have been three named Atlantic storms this year: Subtropical Storm Alberto formed in May, followed by hurricanes Beryl and Chris. Enhanced rainfall from deep tropical moisture surrounding Hector will affect the Puna and Ka'ū Districts of the Big Island as the hurricane passes by south of the state on Wednesday and Thursday.

Hurricane Hector eyes Hawaii volcano

August 08, 2018

An erupting Hawaii volcano is causing fewer earthquakes, and there's less lava coming out of an eruption site in a neighbourhood just as the Big Island braces for an approaching hurricane. Hector will cross into the central Pacific basin tonight or early Monday. The storm was downgraded to a Category 3 this morning, but in its latest warning, the National Weather Service said it was again a category four, with winds as high as 200kph at its centre.

Astronomers Discover New Planet Not Orbiting Any Star

August 08, 2018

It also has a surface temperature of 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to minus 234 degrees Fahrenheit for Jupiter and 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit for the Sun. The first brown dwarf was discovered in 1995, although they were first theorized in the 1960s. Last year, an independent team of scientists discovered that it was actually part of a young group of stars and less massive.

SpaceX launches Indonesian satellite and kicks off new round for rocket reusability

August 07, 2018

The landing marked the 28th successful recovery of a stage one booster by SpaceX. If it works, we may very well see the same Block 5 again, perhaps in just a few short months. The satellite will be deployed approximately 32 minutes after liftoff. "The satellite is expected to have a service lifetime of 15 or more years", SpaceX said.

Massive glowing 'rogue' planet spotted 'drifting' in space

August 07, 2018

A light year is equal to about 6 trillion miles. She said that SIMP "is giving us some surprises that can potentially help us understand magnetic processes on both stars and planets". An unaccompanied brown dwarf like SIMP JO1365663+0933473, the object detected by the VLA, does not have a companion star and thus is not flying through a solar wind.

Nasa names astronauts for first commercial flights

August 06, 2018

Sunita Williams, the 52-year-old Indian-origin astronaut, will fly on Starliner's first mission with Josh Cassada . Public and private entities joining forces for these proto flights means the crewed test phase could be of the most monumental leaps in human spaceflight since NASA's Space Shuttle Program was retired in 2011.

'Bag rage' prompts backdown on plastic bag levy in Australia

August 04, 2018

While customers had been growing more and more accustomed to bringing reusable bags, many were still finding themselves one or two short at the register. Coles has set a deadline for its extended free plastic bags handout, after bowing to customer pressure in backing down on reusable bags. That decision has annoyed environmental groups, who warned the reusable bags are worse for the environment if they are discarded into waterways and habitats.

NASA announces crew for the first American spacecraft launches since 2011

August 04, 2018

NASA also announced the astronauts for the first missions, which will be long-duration and dock with the International Space Station . "This is a big deal for our country, and we want America to know we're back". Boeing's CST-100 Starliner will be launched from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. He retired from NASA after commanding the final shuttle mission in 2011, and eventually joined Boeing to help develop Starliner.

19 states vow to sue over proposed fuel efficiency rollbacks

August 03, 2018

The administration argues its proposal will reduce traffic fatalities by keeping the cost of vehicles down compared with the current emissions standards, which it claims are a safety hazard that "restrict the American people from being able to afford newer vehicles with more advanced safety features, better fuel economy , and associated environmental benefits".

Engine flaw delays Boeing test of crew capsule to 2019

August 03, 2018

The first two on the list were initially slated for this summer, but a technical failure experienced during a recent test forced Boeing to revise the entire schedule until that problem is fixed. Why is this a big deal? The report cited safety concerns and testing delays, and warned that future delays could interrupt the access of American astronauts to the International Space Station.

Trump administration reveals plans to roll back vehicle fuel standards

August 03, 2018

The 19 states, and Washington D.C, announced what is likely to be a legal showdown over the proposal . "We are prepared to go to court to put the brakes on this reckless and illegal plan". In the draft proposal published today by the EPA and the Transportation Department, the Trump administration says that the amendments are being made because current standards are "no longer appropriate and reasonable".

Sanedi calls on industry to move back Earth Overshoot Day

August 02, 2018

This equates to using up 1.7 earths . As a result of this overuse, fisheries are collapsing, freshwater is scarce, soils are being eroded and wildlife is vanishing, while the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is leading to climate change, more severe droughts, wildfires and hurricanes, the researchers said.

Astronauts Capture The Blood Moon From Space, And The Photos Are Breathtaking

August 02, 2018

In eastern Asia, Australia, and parts of the western Pacific, the eclipse will be visible before sunrise on July 28, as the moon sets. The rare celestial event said to be the longest in the 21st century , will see the moon pass through Earth's darkest shadow and take on a red sheen .

New Hybrid Whale-Dolphin Discovered Off Hawaii

August 01, 2018

Scientists from the Cascadia Research Collective observed the pair off the Hawaiian Islands and confirmed that the existence of the hybrid in August 2017. Baird continued to explain that the "morphological appearance" of the animal promoted researchers to get a biopsy sample. Many animal hybrids are possible, but few survive past the first generation.

Trump Tweets Cohen Taping 'Perhaps Illegal' but Denies Own Wrongdoing

August 01, 2018

They included Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman who is now in jail awaiting trial; Donald Trump Jr ., the president's eldest son; Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law; Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer and lobbyist with close ties to the Kremlin; Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian-American lawyer and former Soviet counterintelligence officer; Rob Goldstone, a publicist for Emin Agalarov, who is connected to Donald Trump Jr .'s attorney; and Ike Kaveladze, a ...

NASA's new planet hunting probe begins operations

August 01, 2018

The space agency plans for this mission to last two years, during which time it will likely find thousands of new planets. These events, called transits, suggest that a planet may be passing in front of its star. "With possibly more planets than stars in our universe, I look forward to the odd, fantastic worlds we're bound to discover", said Hertz. Because of the overlapping of TESS's observation sectors, the spacecraft will have an area near the pole under constant observation.

Mars close to Earth USA: How to watch approach again

August 01, 2018

Astronomers around the world trained their telescopes on the sky on July 31, when the Red Planet was 35.8 million miles (57.6 million kilometers) away. If you're having a good look out of the window you need to look to the southwestern sky and it should be visible low on the southwestern horizon with the moon shining to the upper left, according to Space.com.

This planet will be extra bright tonight

August 01, 2018

Whether microbial forms of life could lie within is a matter of debate. Mars is very cold, but the water might have been kept from freezing by dissolved salts. Indeed, the creation of dust on Earth is much different than it is on Mars. However, Stillman, who was not involved in the research, said another spacecraft, or other instruments, need to be able to confirm the discovery.

Brief glimpse of 'blood moon' over Lapland

July 30, 2018

The total eclipse will last 1 hour and 43 minutes, with the entire event lasting closer to four hours. A Mars opposition occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and the red planet and all three are arranged in a almost straight line, making the two planets also the closest to each other.

Cruise Ship Employee Kills Polar Bear Following Attack

July 30, 2018

A photograph shows a polar bear lying lifeless on a beach; mouth slightly agape, a ring of blood on its neck. A second guard fatally shot the polar bear after it attacked a guard assigned to protect tourists from the MS Bremen cruise ship on Svalbard's northernmost island , German cruise company Hapag-Lloyd Cruises said, according to the BBC .

Blood Moon dazzles, was longest lunar eclipse of 21st century

July 29, 2018

The period when the moon was completely in earth's shadow, known as the "totality", lasted for about an hour and 43 minutes. The thick monsoon clouds over the city, however, restricted a clear view of the eclipse, disappointing several photography enthusiasts.

Lunar Eclipse 2018 in India Today

July 29, 2018

It's the longest full lunar eclipse of the century, so you can be sure that there will be plenty of people with lenses pointed skyward. Aussies across the country set their alarms early and were treated to an awesome view of the rare eclipse .

Italian researchers report: Water is buried beneath Martian landscape

July 28, 2018

Water is considered a fundamental ingredient for life. "If life ever arose on Mars, I would say that what has been discovered today, that subsurface lake, is probably one of the best spots where we could find life", Chevrier said. "We found that any other explanation for these very strong echoes was not really tenable in light of the evidence that we had available", he said. "That water could be sourced from asteroids, the moon, or Mars".

Evidence of Water on Mars?

July 28, 2018

After seeing what possibly could be dark streaks of salty water that flowed down the Martian dune during warm seasons, the planetary scientists were certainly delighted. "This lake, if it really is there, would be a prime place to look for life - after all, we have similar things on Earth, like the lakes buried beneath Antarctica, and life has been found to exist and thrive down there".

Longest lunar eclipse on July 27

July 28, 2018

As we approach this remarkable event, we will tell you what to expect. "We can simply download an app on to our phone". The city is the contrast between the moon and the sky is not so bright. Although the moon is uninhabitable today, we can not definitively rule out that it has never harbored life in the past, according to a couple of American and British astrobiologists who recently published an article on the subject matter in the journal Astrobiology .

Watch SpaceX, Arianespace Launch Wednesday in Early-Morning Doubleheader

July 28, 2018

The Iridium network is comprised of six polar orbiting planes, each containing 11 crosslinked satellites for a total of 66 in the operational constellation. John Glenn in the US state of Ohio. Iridium NEXT will enable and introduce new services like the Company's next-generation broadband service, Iridium CertusSM.

Ghana to experience longest blood moon on July 27

July 28, 2018

The July 27/28, 2018 total lunar eclipse is the 17th total lunar eclipse since 2001, the beginning of this century, which will see 85 total lunar eclipses. Unlike with a solar eclipse, viewers do not need protective eye gear to observe the rare display. Nearly two weeks after, on August 11, 2018, another partial solar eclipse will take place.

Lunar Eclipse 2018: How to watch the Blood Moon eclipse today?

July 28, 2018

Interestingly, some people feel that the longest lunar eclipse has its own disadvantages. According to Hindu beliefs, celestial bodies like the sun and moon emit negative energy during an eclipse and so some temples in India were closed to minimize any disturbance.

USA won't see upcoming lunar eclipse

July 27, 2018

The total eclipse will last one hour, 42 minutes and 57 seconds, with a partial eclipse before and after. Also in the celestial mix, Mars will be in opposition on Friday - meaning it and the sun will be on opposite sides of Earth on the same day as the total lunar eclipse.

'Nigerians Can See Blood Moon Tomorrow From 6:44pm to 9:21pm'

July 27, 2018

One of the longest total lunar eclipses of the centuries will light up the skies around the world on Friday night into the wee hours of Saturday morning. ET. The eclipse is visible from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, most of Asia and South America and in the United Kingdom from around 21:00 to 22:15 BST.

This is what to expect from Friday's 'blood moon'

July 27, 2018

During an eclipse , most of the light from the Sun is blocked by the Earth as the moon travels through the Earth's shadow . The next total lunar eclipse will occur on December 31, 2028. In Portugal, the moon will rise at round 8.45pm tomorrow evening, followed shortly afterwards by the sunset. But the bending (refraction) of the rays of light caused by our atmosphere makes it feasible to see both the eclipsed Moon and the Sun at the same time - so long as you are in the right place.

All-star line-up: Blood moon eclipse and a Mars fly-by

July 27, 2018

If you were standing on the moon at the time of the eclipse , the Earth would look like a black disk outlined in glowing red. "It's safe to say the viewing across Australia will generally be pretty good; most of the capital cities will be able to see something", Ms Sturrock told AAP.

Evidence detected of lake beneath the surface of Mars

July 27, 2018

Using the MARSIS radar on the Mars Express satellite orbiting Mars , the scientists were able to identify the small lake underneath the South Pole of Earth's closest neighbour. Given its location, the lake would be below water's freezing point, but the presence of certain salts in the water could help it to remain liquid.

‘Blood moon’: How to watch the longest lunar eclipse of the century

July 26, 2018

But the eclipse that will stretch from South America to New Zealand on Friday will last nearly four hours, coming in at three hours and 55 minutes. Skywatchers will be focusing on the moon this weekend to watch the longest total lunar eclipse of the century, also known as a blood moon .

Milky Way’s colossal sibling torn apart and cannibalized by Andromeda galaxy

July 26, 2018

The universe is haunted by bits left behind from when it was around, such as an nearly invisible halo of stars larger than the Andromeda galaxy itself and an elusive stream of stars, the researchers write. The sheer size of the proposed galaxy may require a rethink to current theories regarding how galaxies evolve in the wake of large scale mergers.

There may be traces of radioactive particles in your red wine

July 26, 2018

The town of Namie was evacuated after the Fukushima nuclear planet went into meltdown after the 2011 tsunami. The researchers hoped to see whether they could find more particles of cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, in the wines made after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan melted down in 2011.

Mars set to make closest approach to Earth in 15 years

July 26, 2018

The cosmic coincidence which will see the 'God of War ' planet Mars shine in the sky during an eclipse has already got doomsday fans buzzing, but we're glad to report that it probably doesn't mean the apocalypse is nigh. Mars will be at a distance of 35.8 million miles. As Mars draws near, it will grow brighter and appear larger. "It's magnificent. It's as bright as an airplane landing light", Augensen said.

AccuWeather Alert: Heavy rain on the way for Wednesday

July 26, 2018

Some Pennsylvania residents have been evacuated from their flooded homes, and with up to eight more inches of rain predicted in parts of the Northeast, flash flooding could continue to swallow roads and bridges throughout the region. Rain chances will come down slightly by the end of the week. Quarter-sized hail and 60 miles per hour winds are possible with this storm. There's a tiny chance for a stray shower or storm, but most will be dry.

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