Tag: Scientists

Technology

Mercury continue to bewilder NASA despite Messenger mission updates about the planet

Mercury may not be stealing the spotlight like Mars so often does, but the planet is as intriguing as the Red Planet. The surface of Mercury is marked by mysterious hollows, which have puzzled scientists for decades. These depressions vary in size from 60 feet to over a mile across and can be up to 120 feet deep, with no known origin. The planet's lack of atmosphere means that wind and water couldn't have created these hollows, leaving scientists searching for alternative explanations. And this is despite the fact that NASA had sent its Mercury Messenger spacecraft to study the planet thoroughly.Some facts about MercuryAccording to NASA, Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system and is small and rocky. Notably, it does not have an atmosphere. Also, unlike Earth's 24-hour day, ...
Technology

Historic NASA asteroid mission set for perilous return

NASA's first mission to retrieve an asteroid sample and return it to US soil is expected to reach a perilous finale on Sunday with a descent into the Utah desert.Scientists hope the material -- possibly the most ever retrieved by such a mission -- will provide humanity with a better understanding on the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable. The US space probe OSIRIS-REx, launched in 2016, scooped up the sample from an asteroid called Bennu almost three years ago. Touchdown is scheduled for Sunday at around 9:00 am local time (1500 GMT), at a military testing site in the western state.Some four hours earlier, at about 67,000 miles (108,000 kilometers) away from Earth, the Osiris-Rex probe will release the capsule containing the sample.The final descent lasts 13 m...
Technology

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to help understand geomagnetic storms, prevent internet apocalypse

NASA's Parker Solar Probe (PSP) has gathered crucial data that could help prevent a potential internet apocalypse caused by solar storms. A recent study reveals that understanding the origin of solar wind is essential in predicting these storms, which can have devastating effects on satellites, the electrical grid, and communication networks on Earth. The research team suggests that fast solar winds are produced through a process called magnetic reconnection, where magnetic fields on the sun create solar storms that strike the Earth's magnetosphere, as per Hothardware reports. When this happens, it sparks geomagnetic storms on Earth and that can cripple satellites, Internet, power grids, radio communications and more on Earth.Geomagnetic storms also generate the fascinating auroras. Sc...
Technology

Earth will get under 20 min solar storm warning before it hits power grid

The world may have as little as 20 minutes to prepare for a solar storm that could severely impact power grids, it has been revealed. With solar activity expected to reach its peak in 2025, Earth's energy grids may not be adequately equipped to handle the consequences, The National News reported.The powerful bursts of energy emitted by the Sun during solar storms have the potential to cause physical damage and trigger magnetic storms that disrupt systems on the ground. Unfortunately, long-range forecasting in this field is currently inadequate, according to an official from the UK's Met Office, which is responsible for predicting space weather. While short-term forecasts are relatively accurate, predicting events over a longer timeframe proves challenging. Solar storms can also harm sa...
Technology

World Asteroid Day 2023: History, Significance, and Ways to Celebrate

World Asteroid Day is an annual event that takes place on June 30th to raise awareness about asteroids and their potential risks to our planet. This significant date was chosen to commemorate the Tunguska event, an enormous explosion caused by a asteroid in Siberia in 1908.History of World Asteroid DayThe establishment of World Asteroid Day dates back to 2014 when Brian May, known for his role in the rock group Queen, joined forces with Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, filmmaker Grig Richters, and B612 Foundation president Danica Remy. The specific date of June 30th was selected to honour the Tunguska event, which occurred on June 30, 1908. During this incident, a large asteroid exploded in the atmosphere over Siberia, Russia, resulting in the flattening of approximately 2,150 squ...
Technology

Aliens will first contact our AI, says expert

According to Avi Loeb, a renowned scientist from Harvard University, the first contact with extraterrestrials (ET) is likely to occur through artificial intelligence rather than direct interaction with humans. Loeb suggests that aliens may opt to send drones or unmanned vehicles to Earth instead of crewed spaceships, as interstellar travel is a time-consuming process and takes tens of thousands of years, if not more, Daily Star reports.However, artificial intelligence (AI) is lifeless and can stay dormant for as long as required to endure the lengthy journey. In the event of a visit by Aliens, our own AI systems could be employed to decipher and communicate with their AI counterparts. Loeb speculates that there could be an affinity between aliens and AI, potentially leading to a prefer...
Technology

Extraordinary! James Webb Space Telescope snaps explosive star birth after the Big Bang

The James Webb Space Telescope, often hailed as a time machine, continues to astound scientists and attract the public with its remarkable discoveries. Recently, astronomers utilised this telescope's cutting-edge technology to observe a distant star-forming galaxy, delving into its intricate structure with unprecedented detail. Discovery of the GalaxyHarnessing the capabilities of NASA's billion-dollar observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope's Orbiter Spacecraft has unveiled the stellar composition of GN20, one of the earliest-known galaxies in the universe. Situated a staggering 12 billion light years away, this captivating discovery represents a luminous and dust-laden star-forming galaxy of extraordinary brilliance. Significance of the GalaxyWhat makes GN20 particularly intrigu...
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Archaeologists Discover 1.8 Million-Year-Old Human Tooth In Georgia: Report

The digging at Orozmani was started by Mr Kopaliani and his team in 2019. (Representational Photo)Archeologists have discovered a tooth in Georgia belonging to an early species of human believed to be 1.8 million years old. This discovery was made last week by a research student near a digging site at the village Orozmani, 100 kilometres southwest of capital Tbilisi. The tooth is one of the oldest signs of hominids discovered outside of Africa, according to a report in USA Today.The village Orozmani is close to Dmanisi, where human skulls with ages as ancient as 1.8 million years ago were discovered in the late 1990s and early 2000s, reported The Guardian.Giorgi Kopaliani, an archaeologist with the Georgian National Museum, was quoted as saying by USA Today, "He showed the tooth to the ...