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Space News
Brighter Side of News
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Image Credit: Brighter Side of News
Jupiter-sized interstellar visitor may have reshaped our solar system
- New research proposes that a single cosmic event, such as a flyby of a massive interstellar object, could provide answers to the mystery about the slightly eccentric and tilted orbits of the Solar System’s gas giants.
- Planetary orbits today reflects billions of years of interactions, as planets coalesced from a rotating disk of gas and dust around the Sun, following conservation of angular momentum shaped their orbits into a flat plane.
- While planet-planet interactions were common, rare visits by interstellar objects likely played pivotal roles in shaping planet formation.
- A study by a team from the University of Toronto suggests that a single encounter with an object between two and fifty times the mass of Jupiter could explain the observed eccentricities and tilts of the Solar System’s giant planets.
- The flyby hypothesis addresses gaps in traditional theories that struggle to explain the orbits of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune which deviate from perfect circles and alignments.
- The researchers have found one-in-one-hundred odds that such scenario involving a massive interstellar object passing at a perihelion distance of less than 20 astronomical units would have occurred.
- The flyby hypothesis is a theoretical model that requires further validation and observational campaigns could identify remnants of past interstellar visitors, lending credibility to the theory.
- The recognition of an interconnected galaxy where planets and interstellar objects frequently influence one another could provide a better understanding of potential life-sustaining environments elsewhere in the universe.
- Future research will likely focus on identifying other systems where rogue planets have played similar roles.
- Advances in telescopes and detection methods could reveal more interstellar objects, providing opportunities to study their interactions with established planetary systems.
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Livescience
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Image Credit: Livescience
James Webb telescope spots more than 100 new asteroids between Jupiter and Mars — and some are heading toward Earth
- The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered a vast population of small asteroids in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The newfound asteroids range in size from that of a bus to several stadiums, and the discovery could lead to better tracking of the tiny but powerful space rocks that frequently approach Earth. Only a decade ago, an asteroid just tens of meters in size took everyone by surprise when it exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, and released 30 times more energy than the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima in WWII. The newfound asteroids collide with Earth 10,000 times more frequently than their larger counterparts, but their small size makes it challenging for surveys to detect them well in advance.
- Julien de Wit, an associate professor of planetary science at MIT, has been testing a computationally-intensive method to identify passing asteroids in telescope images of faraway stars. By applying this method to thousands of JWST images of the host star in about 40 light-years distant TRAPPIST-1 system, the researchers found 138 new decameter asteroids in the main asteroid belt among which six appear to have been gravitationally nudged by nearby planets into trajectories that will bring them close to Earth.
- Fresh look at archival images of the TRAPPIST-1 system led to the discovery of the asteroids that are remnants of collisions among bigger, kilometer-sized space rocks The newfound asteroids are the tiniest yet to be detected in the main asteroid belt, and JWST proved ideal for the discovery due to its sharp infrared eyes that detect the asteroids' thermal emissions. Upcoming JWST observations are expected to lead to the discovery of thousands more decameter asteroids in our solar system.
- Newer telescopes will also help uncover thousands of small asteroids in our solar system. Chief among them is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which will capture images that each cover an area equivalent to 40 full moons. High frequency and resolution is expected to detect up to 2.4 million asteroids, nearly double the current catalog, within its first six months. "We now have a way of spotting these small asteroids when they are much farther away, so we can do more precise orbital tracking, which is key for planetary defense," says one of the researchers.
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Earthsky
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Image Credit: Earthsky
Seals ride icebergs strategically to scoot around seas
- Seals ride icebergs strategically to move around Earth's seas.
- Seal moms in icy parts of the world use icebergs as platforms to give birth and care for their young.
- During the pupping season, seals prefer slow-moving icebergs, while during the molting season, they prefer faster-moving icebergs near food sources.
- Climate change affects the glaciers and icebergs, which in turn impact the seals' habitat and behavior.
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Livescience
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Image Credit: Livescience
Ursid meteor shower 2024: Where and when to see the final meteor shower of the year
- The Ursid meteor shower will peak overnight from Dec. 21-22.
- The Ursids will be visible from Dec. 17 to 26, peaking on the night of Dec. 21-22 with about 10 meteors per hour.
- The Ursids' radiant is the constellation Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Dipper.
- To get the best views, plan on looking for the Ursids around midnight, when the moon is still low in the sky.
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Knowridge
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Image Credit: Knowridge
Small but mighty: MIT scientists spot tiny asteroids in the main belt
- Astronomers at MIT have discovered the smallest asteroids ever detected in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
- These tiny asteroids, some as small as 10 meters across, could still have a significant impact if they were to reach Earth.
- Using a new approach called "shift and stack", researchers identified over 100 tiny asteroids, shedding light on their origins and potential paths towards Earth.
- Studying these asteroids helps scientists understand the evolution of asteroids and aids in planetary defense to track potential collision risks.
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Earthsky
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Image Credit: Earthsky
The Orion Nebula (M42) is a starry nursery
- The Orion Nebula is one of the most familiar celestial objects, easily visible to the unaided eye below the 3 stars of Orion’s Belt.
- It's a place where new stars are forming and is a vast stellar nursery.
- To locate the Orion Nebula, find the three medium-bright stars in a short, straight row that represent Orion’s Belt.
- Next, find the curved line of stars “hanging” from the same 3 Belt stars, representing Orion’s Sword, and look for the Orion Nebula about midway down that Sword of Orion.
- It's description is like a star encased in a globe of luminescent fog.
- One can see the Orion Nebula with the unaided eye on a dark, moonless night, and it's visible nearly all year.
- Modern astronomers consider it an enormous cloud of gas and dust about 30 light-years in diameter that's giving birth to approximately 1000 stars.
- There's an Orion Nebula Star Cluster that's also thought to exist inside the nebula.
- It seems to have a black hole at its center, reported by an international group of astronomers in 2012.
- The Orion Nebula’s position is Right Ascension: 5h 35m; Declination: 5 degrees 23′ south.
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Livescience
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Image Credit: Livescience
Space photo of the week: The sun's corona blooms during back-to-back solar eclipses
- This stunning image shows the sun's corona during two total solar eclipses — on April 20, 2023, and April 8, 2024.
- The photo, snapped by a team of eclipse-chasing astrophotographers known as the Solar Wind Sherpas, is significant because it shows the sun during solar maximum, the peak in its roughly 11-year cycle.
- The sun's corona is the hottest and outermost layer of the star's atmosphere; it extends millions of miles into space.
- The image shows the combined results of images of the corona taken during two separate totalities and in multiple wavelengths, providing important information for solar physicists' attempts to understand the corona and its temperature.
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Knowridge
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Image Credit: Knowridge
How to track hidden comets that could threaten earth
- Research led by Samantha Hemmelgarn at Northern Arizona University focuses on using meteor showers to locate long-period comets.
- Long-period comets, with orbits longer than 200 years, are difficult to detect until they're dangerously close to Earth.
- The study developed a model that connects meteor showers to their parent comets, allowing astronomers to trace the comets' locations in space.
- By using telescopes to locate these hidden comets early, scientists can better prepare for potential impacts and mitigate risks.
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Universe Today
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Image Credit: Universe Today
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Reaches the Top Rim of the Jezero Crater
- NASA’s Perseverance rover has scaled to the top of the Jezero Crater’s rim, covering 500 vertical meters and making science observations along the way.
- Perseverance will now commence a year-long 'Northern Rim' campaign, driving 6.4 km and visiting up to four sites of interest where it will obtain geological samples.
- During its mission, the rover has completed four science campaigns, including exploring the Máaz formation, different sections of Jezero’s delta fan and obtaining samples of rock and clay.
- Perseverance's latest campaign will explore a region of Mars unlike anything it has investigated before, providing insight into the early Martian crust.
- The rover will travel about 1.6 km back up the rim to investigate an outcropping of blocks called megabreccia, believed to be the remains of ancient bedrock broken by another impact.
- This geological epoch saw extensive erosion by flowing water, indicated by river valley networks that Mars was still geologically active.
- The ultimate goal is to find biosignatures from the 'warmer, wetter' period that indicate that Mars could have had life.
- Perseverance's science team shared information on the rover, their science operations, and future plans at a media briefing during the American Geophysical Union meeting.
- Perseverance is expected to drive over the next year, visiting several sites of scientific interest.
- This marks a transition in Perseverance's mission, exploring rocks that were thrown upward to form the crater rim after impact.
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Medium
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Image Credit: Medium
How AI Influencers Helped Me Boost My Brand Engagement
- Utilizing AI Influencers to boost brand engagement has proven to be highly effective.
- AI Influencers deliver tailored content that resonates with the target audience, resulting in increased engagement rates.
- The integration of AI Influencers into marketing strategies has led to significant growth in follower count and sales.
- AI Influencers provide a seamless and time-saving way to enhance brand image and reach a wider audience.
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Universe Today
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Image Credit: Universe Today
Antimatter Propulsion Is Still Far Away, But It Could Change Everything
- Getting to places in space quickly has been the goal for propulsion research, and antimatter could be the answer. Antimatter is the rarest substance in the universe and theoretically could power a crewed mission to another star in a single human lifetime.
- Antimatter is tricky to work with since it will self-annihilate with anything it comes into contact with, and the longest it has been contained is about 16 minutes.
- A ship could contain enough antimatter to intentionally create an annihilation explosion, using the relativistic particles as a form of thrust and potentially using the gamma rays as a source of power.
- Antiprotons would have 100 times greater energy density than a nuclear fission or fusion reactor.
- It takes absurd amounts of energy to create antimatter, making it expensive. It costs over $4M at average electricity rates, making it one of the most expensive substances on Earth
- Antimatter research is relatively limited, with around 100-125 papers per year being produced on the subject.
- It will probably be some time before we end up with an antimatter ship drive. Preliminary energy-producing technologies such as fusion that could significantly lower energy cost may be needed.
- The possibility of achieving the goal of traveling at near-relativistic speeds and potentially getting actual humans to another star is an ambitious goal that space and exploration enthusiasts will continue to pursue, no matter how long it takes.
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Designyoutrust
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Image Credit: Designyoutrust
Maayan Sophia Weisstub’s Sculpture “The Bed” Is an Effort to Bring Attention to the Problem of Domestic Violence
- A sculptor named Maayan Sophia Weisstub has created a sculpture called 'The Bed' to draw attention to the issue of domestic violence.
- The sculpture replaces the clean linen of a typical bed with bruised and battered skin, symbolizing abuse and trauma.
- The artwork aims to engage the audience in understanding the hidden abuse and trauma that occurs behind closed doors.
- Weisstub hopes that the installation will encourage greater commitment to stopping domestic abuse and promote treatment and healing for survivors.
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Knowridge
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Image Credit: Knowridge
Scientists discover sun-like stars produce superflares every 100 years
- Scientists have discovered that stars similar to our sun may produce superflares, enormous bursts of energy, approximately once every century.
- Superflares release more than one octillion joules of energy in a short time, which could potentially cause massive disruptions on Earth.
- To study the frequency of superflares, scientists analyzed data from NASA's Kepler space telescope, observing 2,527 sun-like stars and identifying 2,889 superflares over 220,000 years of stellar activity.
- The study emphasizes the need for better space weather forecasting and preparations to protect against the sun's extreme outbursts.
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Knowridge
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Image Credit: Knowridge
Webb weighs an early twin of the Milky Way
- The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a small early galaxy, nicknamed Firefly Sparkle, that is similar to what the Milky Way may have appeared billions of years ago.
- The light from Firefly Sparkle, which is behind a large cluster of galaxies, is gravitationally lensed, making it bright enough for Webb to see.
- The distortion caused by gravitational lensing gives an exploded view of the galaxy, showing clumps of active star-forming regions and stages of star formation.
- The overall mass of Firefly Sparkle is very similar to the hypothetical mass of the Milky Way at that age, and it also has companion dwarf galaxies.
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Livescience
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Image Credit: Livescience
Alien life may look nothing like life on Earth — so how should we go about looking for it?
- Astrobiologists are questioning how to look for alien life when they don't know what it might look like
- The most abundant form of extraterrestrial life is likely to be microbial
- To date, around 5,000 exoplanets - planets orbiting other stars - have been found
- Many exoplanets are small and rocky, like Earth, and in the habitable zones of their stars
- The definition of life creates uncertainty for researchers, as it varies depending on who you ask
- NASA suggests life is a self-sustaining chemical reaction capable of Darwinian evolution
- Scientists have explored alternatives to terrestrial biochemistry to identify suitable conditions for other life forms
- Examples of alternative biochemistries include sulfuric acid, ammonia, liquid carbon dioxide and even liquid sulfur
- Astrobiologists haven't ruled out searching for minerals on rocky exoplanets as a potential sign of life
- Researchers may also find evidence of life on other planets by detecting artificial radio signals from a distant civilization
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