Science / 15

Radiation-loving fungus could protect astronauts from cosmic rays

July 28, 2020

Thankfully for those faced with a constant bombardment of space radiation, this problem might have just been solved, at least partially, as a team of United States scientists have proposed a novel way to potentially mitigate against the dangers; coating surfaces in a radiation-absorbing fungus found at the Chernobyl nuclear reactor almost three decades ago.

Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower: Peak Dates In Phoenix

July 27, 2020

The Delta Aquarids are named after the constellation Aquarius, their radiant- the region in the night sky where the meteors seemingly originate from. At its viewing peak - in the southern hemisphere on a clear dark night - the Southern Delta-Aquariids can produce up to 25 meteors an hour, NASA says.

NASA Asthros will carry a cutting-edge telescope

July 27, 2020

The telescope will observe four targets, including star-forming Carina Nebula (above) in the Milky Way . The telescope is called the Astrophysics Stratospheric Telescope for High Spectral Resolution Observations at Submillimeter-wavelengths ( ASTHROS ).

Mysterious blue hole hidden off Florida's coast will be explored

July 27, 2020

NOAA says the exploration of the hole was the team's most detailed blue hole investigation to date. But little is known about blue holes in general, due to their inaccessibility - many are located hundreds of feet underwater, with relatively small openings.

UAE space officials congratulate China on launch of its Mars probe

July 27, 2020

If the journey is successful, China will be the first country to orbit, land and deploy a rover in its inaugural mission. It features an orbiter, a lander and a rover. "There are still many uncertainties about the environment and great risks", said Geng. Though small compared to America's hulking, car-sized 1,025-kilogram (2,260-pound) Perseverance, it's nearly twice as big as the two rovers China has sent to the moon in 2013 and 2019.

COVID-19 lockdowns halve human-related seismic vibrations across globe

July 26, 2020

Seismic noise produced by humans can make it harder for sensors to pick up on natural seismic activity. Vibrations travel through the earth like waves, creating seismic noise from earthquakes, volcanoes, wind and rivers as well as human actions such as travel and industry.

The NEOWISE Comet on Utah Skies

July 26, 2020

NEOWISE will be best viewed with a telescope or binoculars, and won't return to our skies for nearly 6,800 years. This debris results in the customary tail that is visible in the night sky. "They were truly mesmerising". Comet Neowise was spotted for the first time by NASA in March this year with the help of its Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) telescope.

Nasa launches Lunar Loo challenge

July 26, 2020

Now the U.S. space agency is calling on the world's inventors to develop a toilet that works not just in microgravity, but also lunar gravity on a future lunar lander spacecraft, as part of its plans to return to the Moon by 2024 under the Artemis mission .

Tropical Storm Hanna forms; Gonzalo strength remains steady

July 25, 2020

HST on Wednesday. The storm could strengthen to Tropical Storm Hanna in the next day or so, according to the National Hurricane Center, and will make landfall in Texas on Saturday. As of 7 a.m. CDT Thursday, Tropical Depression Eight was located about 405 miles east-southeast of Port O'Connor, Texas, and was moving west-northwest at 9 mph.

NASA's Hubble sends stunning photos of Saturn rings at their brightest

July 25, 2020

NASA and ESA's Hubble space telescope has snapped a new image of Saturn and its rings that gives a glimpse at the summer season in the planet's northern hemisphere. "It's incredible that even over a few years, we're seeing seasonal changes on Saturn", said lead investigator Amy Simon of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

St Vincent and the Grenadines under Hurricane Watch

July 25, 2020

The Hurricane Center said that those in the Windward Islands should monitor the storm as it is expected to approach the islands late Friday and Saturday. The NHC said additional strengthening is expected until the system makes landfall. Much of the rest of eastern Texas will experience bands of tropical downpours.

China Launches Ambitious Mission To Mars

July 25, 2020

China successfully launched its first independent mission to Mars, dubbed Tianwen-1, from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in Hainan Province on Thursday. But that mission, Yinghuo-1, failed to leave the Earth's orbit and later broke up over the Pacific Ocean . The solar-powered, six-wheeled vehicle will use ground-penetrating radar to study Mars' internal structure and look for pockets of water ice, according to state media .

Entire earth vibrating less due to Covid-19 lockdowns

July 25, 2020

Kafka said the quieting of the Earth was noticeable on the sophisticated instruments at Weston Observatory, but even more dramatic at two low-cost seismometers known as Raspberry Shakes set up in buildings at the Boston College campus. The drops were more pronounced in more-populated areas (New York and Sri Lanka), but were observed in less-populated regions (for example, Germany's Black Forest) as well.

Hawaii bracing for rain, wind, surf impacts from major Hurricane Douglas

July 25, 2020

Gradual and steady weakening is expected to continue through the weekend, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center says. A powerful Category 3 hurricane with 120 miles per hour winds is ripping across the Pacific Ocean and is expected to hit parts of Hawaii this weekend, the National Hurricane Center said on Friday.

UAE launches Arab world's first Mars probe, establishes communication with orbiter

July 25, 2020

The United Arab Emirates team partnered with academic institutions in the USA, including the University of Colorado at Boulder, Arizona State University , and the University of California, Berkeley , all of which had experience designing instruments or equipment for deep space probes.

Elon Musk and Tom Cruise Want to Shoot a Movie in Space

July 25, 2020

Deadline are reporting that he is working on the special project with NASA and none other than Mr Space X himself, Elon Musk . NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed by tweet that "NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA's ambitious plans a reality".

China's Tianwen-1 Mars rover rockets away from Earth

July 25, 2020

China's rover will be active for roughly 92 Earth days (90 Martian days), according to Chinese news outlet Sixth Tone , and information from the rover will be relayed to Earth via the orbiter, which should be in commission for at least one Martian year (687 Earth days).

Tropical storm warning and hurricane watch in effect

July 24, 2020

It was situated approximately 685 kilometers (1,105 kilometres) east of the southern Windward Islands. It has maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour with higher gusts. The start of a rampant season could begin next week with hurricane models tracking three potential systems spinning the Caribbean and the mid Atlantic.

Microsoft Corp, Nike, Unilever, Starbucks team up to combat global carbon emissions

July 24, 2020

Other green announcements from the software giant yesterday include the launch of a new "sustainability calculator" to provide its cloud computing customers with full transparency over their operational, power and indirect carbon emissions , while it has also extended its company carbon tax - which has been levied on internal business transactions since 2012 to incentivise low carbon activities - to additionally cover its suppliers and customers.

Multi-earth procedure all around sunlike star photographed for the 1st time

July 24, 2020

The European Southern Observatory has captured a pair of exoplanets with the Very Large Telescope array (VLT), marking the first time scientists have gotten a picture of a multi-planet system around a sun-like star . Further and heavier One of the two gas giants is orbiting the Star at 160 times the distance between the Sun and Earth. But as similar as it is, this star is much younger than our own.

Astronomers getting an eyeful of Comet NEOWISE

July 24, 2020

While there is nothing that can undo the need for clear skies due northwest, there are a number of star-gazing apps that you can download on your smartphone, to figure out exactly where in the sky must you be looking at. That tail is like a wind vane, revealing the course the "solar wind" is sweeping absent substance shed by the comet. The rare comet NEOWISE has been gracing the skies since July 14 and is a treat to sky-gazers, the comet is now visible in the Indian skies.

Seismic Signals Easier To Detect During COVID-19 Related Shut Down

July 24, 2020

Typically, seismic quiet periods include weekends and the Christmas/New Year holidays, wherever those holidays are celebrated, researchers said. Now an worldwide team of researchers says that quiet extended to the ground beneath our feet, with seismic instruments detecting a sharp reduction of the background "noise" caused by humans.

Comet Neowise Spotted Over Night Sky of Minnesota

July 24, 2020

And like Neowise , it too had a blue ion or gas tail and a fan-shaped dust tail created when comets round the sun as this one did on July 3 at a close distance of 43 million kilometres. Measuring a little more than half the height of Mount Everest, this object falls into the category of a "once in a decade comet". Comet Neowise , the most impressive comet in almost 25 years , is already starting to fizzle as it comes close to Earth, making now the time to catch it.

Seoul builds up defenses with first military satellite

July 24, 2020

Is that Falcon 9 took off using the same booster (first stage of the rocket) that propelled the launch of the Crew Dragon capsule, with NASA astronauts heading for the International Space Station, on May 30. The live stream of the launch will commence fifteen minutes prior to the liftoff, approximately at 4.45 p.m EDT. As the two sections return to Earth, cold nitrogen thrusters on each one fire up to enable a stable descent.

Comet NEOWISE offers a cosmic photo op

July 24, 2020

Comet NEOWISE , discovered in March, won't appear again near Earth for at least 6,800 years, according to NASA . WEMU's Lisa Barry checks in with Eastern Michigan University astronomy professor and director of Eastern's Sherzer Observatory Norbert Vance for viewing tips and information about this rare comet appearance in the nighttime sky.

New Map of the Universe Fills in Some ‘Troublesome’ Gaps

July 24, 2020

Scientists have long known that the universe is constantly expanding as a result of the Big Bang , but the team behind this map has discovered that it is expanding faster than we previously thought, and there is no concrete explanation yet as to why that is.

Apple aims to be 100% carbon neutral for entire biz by 2030

July 23, 2020

Though Apple's corporate offices are already operating as such, the company plans to expand its focus on sustainability t0 the rest of its operations. Apple plans to do this by including more recycled materials in devices, innovative device recycling, and designing products as energy-efficient as possible.

Russian anti-satellite weapon test 'threatens peace in space'

July 23, 2020

Russian Federation isn't the only global power unnerving the US when it comes to the militarization of space: An April test by India saw that nation demonstrate a ground-to-orbit anti-satellite missile system, which NASA Administrator denied as being "not compatible with human spaceflight".

This is the world's first uncuttable material, its called 'Proteus'

July 23, 2020

So what makes this material so special? This non-cuttable material is called Proteus . The researchers say the materials could also be used to make impenetrable bike locks and protecting gear in design and upkeep. The scientists said in a statement: "Essentially cutting the material is like cutting through a jelly-filled with nuggets". "The ceramics embedded in this versatile materials are also produced of very high-quality particles which stiffen and resist the angle grinder or drill ...

Apple Extends Carbon-Neutral Policy to Entire Manufacturing Supply Chain

July 23, 2020

Apple's said its 10-year roadmap aims to lower emissions with a series of actions, including expanding the company's energy efficiency effort by identifying new ways to reduce energy use at its corporate facilities and help its supply chain make the same transition.

New coronavirus vaccine trials start in Brazil

July 23, 2020

Saudi Arabia's Asharq al-Awsat newspaper said recently that researchers should avoid being over-optimistic about the significant progress of some candidate vaccines in clinical trials, and wait for further trial results. It has produced a flu vaccine earlier with this method, and is now applying the same to produce Covid-19 vaccines. The vaccine, developed by private Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech, became the third in the world to enter Phase 3 clinical trials, or large-scale ...

China successfully launches first independent Mars mission

July 23, 2020

The second rover made a historic soft landing on the far side of the Moon, making China the first country to do so. If you've been waiting for the first official video of Mars, you'll be waiting a while - but we have the next best thing. - The Soviet Union is the only other country to successfully land a rover on Mars. The United States , Russia, Europe, Japan, and India are all countries that have previously operated - or are now operating - Mars missions .

NASA Astronauts to Return to Earth Inside Dragon Capsule in August

July 23, 2020

Nasa's Bob Behnken and Chris Cassidy floated out of the International Space Station on their fourth and final spacewalk in under a month. Behnken and Hurley have just completed another key test for the Crew Dragon while docked at the ISS, called a "habitability assessment", involving opening and closing the docking hatch, making sure they can operate the waste system as intended, and moving cargo back into Crew Dragon from the Station.

China launches independent, unmanned Mars mission

July 23, 2020

NASA will use advanced propulsion systems to enable a faster journey to the Red Planet while limiting radiation exposure for its astronauts and other mission risks, Bridenstine said on Monday while participating in a discussion with the Space Foundation, a non-profit organisation.

Incredible Image Shows a Pair of Exoplanets Around a Sun-Like Star

July 23, 2020

Now, using the same instrument , the team has captured another first, showing two exoplanets orbiting a star known as TYC 8998-760-1. The work published in today's Astrophysical Journal Letters reveals "a snapshot of an environment that is very similar to our solar system , but at a much earlier stage of its evolution", Mr Bohn said.

Tom Cruise Working With NASA to Shoot Action Film in Space

July 23, 2020

Details around the film are still pretty vague at the moment but it will literally be the first ever narrative film shot in outer space. NASA will be collaborating with the famous actor Tom Cruise for making a movie on board the International Space Station .

Earth, moon were bombarded by asteroid shower 800 million years ago

July 23, 2020

There is also evidence that an asteroid shower that impacted Earth 470 million many years ago could have brought on a fall in sea amount, icy conditions and contributed to biodiversity. Apollo 12 astronauts, the 2nd manned mission to land on the moon, sampled what they thought to be product ejected from the Copernicus crater when it was created.

Study shows dim future for polar bears

July 23, 2020

The BBC's science correspondent Victoria Gill said, 'Polar bears have become the poster species for climate change, because their survival is linked to the sea ice, which they use as a platform to hunt for seals. Half of Earth's land-based megafauna are classified as threatened with extinction, but only polar bears are endangered primarily by climate change.

Guyana expects thundershowers from Storm Gonzalo this weekend

July 23, 2020

As of Wednesday at 9 a.m., Gonzalo had maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour and was traveling WNW at 12 miles per hour. "The estimated minimum central pressure is 1009 mb [29.80 inches]". Models suggest a greater than 50 percent chance that Douglas does undergo rapid intensification sometime late Wednesday or Thursday , with the National Hurricane Center writing that "there's ...

China's First Mars Mission Tianwen-1 Unveils its Lander and Rover

July 23, 2020

The Hope Probe is the Arab world's initially interplanetary mission. Scientists working for NASA and the Chinese space agency have enjoyed a collegial relationship in the past. Yutu-2, which landed on the far-side of the Moon a year ago, has been a huge success . China came late to the space race. Not only are they cheaper , but they are also much more durable and long-lasting - no country wants to be the first to have an astronaut killed on another planet.

Astrophysicists reveal greatest ever 3D map of Universe

July 22, 2020

It represents " some of the most substantial advances in cosmology in the last decade ", one expert says. The team used the Sloan Digital Sky Survey's ( SDSS ) 2.5-metre wide optical telescope in New Mexico to conduct surveys and analysis of more than four million galaxies and ultra-bright, energy-packed quasars over 20 years.

UAE's Mars orbiter successfully launched by Mitsubishi rocket

July 22, 2020

The mission team said Friday the exact launch time is now slated to happen on July 19 at 2:58 p.m. PT, depending on weather. Al Amiri explained that the role of the mission is focussed on understanding the "atmospheric dynamics of Mars", studying Mars's climate and assessing weather events in its lower and upper atmosphere and across the geographic areas of Mars's surface.

Scientists accidentally create 'impossible' hybrid fish

July 22, 2020

Right here are two illustrations of the sturddlefish hybrid of the Russian sturgeon and American paddlefish . The sturgeon isn't really so genetically diverse from paddlefish - they belong to the identical team, Acipenseriformes. Most of them, between 62 per cent to 74 per cent, survived one month after hatching. They also be aware that the two fish species have far more in widespread than a lot of might think-they equally have spiral valve intestines, for example, and scaleless skin ...

Venus, long-considered dormant, reveals signs of volcanic activity

July 22, 2020

The researchers developed simulations of what the planet's active coronae should look like based on thermal data collected by the European Space Agency's Venus Express orbiter (whose mission ended in 2014). "This study significantly changes the view of Venus from a mostly inactive planet to one whose interior is still churning and can feed many active volcanoes".

Comet NEOWISE set to make its closest approach to Earth

July 22, 2020

Following impressing researchers and fascinating skywatchers about the environment for weeks, comet Neowise is beginning to dim . Comet Neowise now has its own Twitter account. "Most comets are half dust and half water", Kramer said. Though the local astronomical community had planned to hold several programs at the Birla Planetarium or the Osmania University's Astronomy Department for viewing the comet, they have been canceled in view of the current Coronavirus spread.

UAE probe heads to Mars on Japanese rocket

July 22, 2020

The UAE has set a goal to build a human colony on Mars by 2117. "This is a huge leap forward for the UAE's ambitious space program". "So the region has been going through tough times in the past decades, if not centuries", Sharaf said. Al Amiri said that the mission represents a future vision for Emirates and the entire Arab world to make it a global hub for technological innovation.

Sloan Digital Sky Survey Collaboration Releases New 3D Map of Universe | Astronomy

July 22, 2020

Imager credit: Anand Raichoor, EPFL / Ashley Ross, Ohio State University / SDSS Collaboration. A global consortium of astrophysicists have created the world's largest three-dimensional map of the universe, a project 20 years in the making that researchers say helps better explain the history of the cosmos.

Comet NEOWISE seen around the world

July 22, 2020

For the second time in my life, another comet that can be seen without binoculars or a telescope appeared to skywatchers earlier this month before sunrise. Like the time I saw Hale-Bopp, the moon is in a waning crescent phase this week and will not rise until the early morning, which will keep the sky dark.

Tropical development possible in the Gulf this week

July 21, 2020

We can expect rain from this system is moves northwest. The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical wave near Hispaniola that has the potential to become a tropical cyclone later this week. The good news is, regardless of development during the next couple of days, there are less favorable conditions that should limit additional strengthening by the weekend.

Comet NEOWISE tonight: Where is Comet NEOWISE now?

July 21, 2020

Throughout its closest method to Earth Neowise will be about 64 million miles absent - or about 400 periods further more away than the moon. NEOWISE gets its name from the space-based telescope that discovered it back in March: the Wide-Angle Infrared Survey Explorer, acronym WISE, that has been on the mission of seeking near-Earth objects, or NEO's.

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