Tag: space news

ISRO XPoSat launch date: Pioneering x-ray polarimeter satellite all set for D-day
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ISRO XPoSat launch date: Pioneering x-ray polarimeter satellite all set for D-day

[ad_1] In a significant stride towards unravelling the mysteries of the cosmos, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is poised to launch the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) on January 1. Representing India's maiden dedicated polarimeter mission, XPoSat aims to explore the intricate dynamics of luminous astronomical X-ray sources thriving in extreme conditions.Scheduled for liftoff at 9:10 AM, XPoSat will ride the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) into a low earth orbit. Carrying two cutting-edge payloads, this mission promises groundbreaking revelations that will augment our comprehension of the vast astronomical expanse. The primary payload, POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays), is designed to measure polarimetry parameters, including the degree and angle of polar...
James Webb Space Telescope just unraveled mystery of vanishing neon, NASA says
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James Webb Space Telescope just unraveled mystery of vanishing neon, NASA says

[ad_1] In a groundbreaking revelation, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has observed a significant transformation in a planet-forming disk, shedding light on the fleeting nature of these cosmic nurseries. NASA says that unlike traditional observations that capture planetary disks as static snapshots over vast timescales, the James Webb Telescope has offered a dynamic glimpse into the evolution of one such disk. The Neon Puzzle UnveiledBack in 2008, researchers led by Catherine Espaillat, then at the University of Michigan and now at Boston University, detected a distinctive infrared emission line associated with doubly ionized neon ([Ne III]) in the planet-forming disk encircling the young star SZ Chamaeleontis (SZ Cha) using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, Space.com reported. Ini...
Amazing aurora after solar storm strike! Just check out this NASA image of Utah sky from ISS
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Amazing aurora after solar storm strike! Just check out this NASA image of Utah sky from ISS

[ad_1] Prepare to be captivated by the latest visual treat from NASA as the space agency has unveiled a breathtaking image of an aurora taken from the International Space Station (ISS) after a solar storm strike. The celestial spectacle unfolded above Utah, USA, on a Sunday night, casting a radiant green glow that painted the night sky with an otherworldly charm."Cloudy with a chance of glow. An aurora dances in Earth's atmosphere as the International Space Station (@ISS) soared 260 miles (418 km) above Utah during orbital nighttime. Auroras are brilliant ribbons of light weaving across Earth's northern or southern polar regions," stated NASA in their recent post. We are now on WhatsApp. Click to join. Accompanying the image was an enlightening caption from NASA, elucidating that aurora...
This 2-faced white dwarf star defies astrophysical norms
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This 2-faced white dwarf star defies astrophysical norms

[ad_1] Behold Janus, a celestial enigma that defies conventional norms! Unlike the figurative phrase denoting two-facedness, this white dwarf star embodies the very essence of duality, quite literally. Drawing inspiration from the ancient Roman god, Janus, with one face gazing forward and the other backward, symbolizing transitions, this peculiar stellar remnant has earned its fitting moniker. Scientists have been captivated by the unique composition of Janus, as it bears an extraordinary feature - hydrogen dominates one side, while helium graces the other.The magnetic field's role in an unconventional StarJanus, located about 1,300 light years from Earth in the direction of the Cygnus constellation, is fairly massive for a white dwarf. Its mass is 20% larger than that of our sun, compr...
Stargazing delight! Mars, Venus, and Mercury to align with the crescent Moon tonight
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Stargazing delight! Mars, Venus, and Mercury to align with the crescent Moon tonight

[ad_1] Get ready for an extraordinary celestial treat tonight as the night sky unveils a mesmerising gathering of celestial bodies shortly after sunset. Despite hazy skies caused by Canadian wildfires in some parts of North America, the moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars are all set to grace the heavens with their dazzling performance.Gathering of PlanetsRight after sunset, cast your gaze to the western sky where you'll find a faint sliver of a two-day-old crescent moon, captivatingly low on the horizon. Accompanying this celestial beauty will be three of our solar system's inner planets, adorning the Leo constellation, also known as the Lion, according to Space.com. For those in New York City, the captivating quartet will make their appearance just as the sun bids adieu to the day, and twi...
Solar Storm may illuminate the skies with spectacular auroras on Friday in this country
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Solar Storm may illuminate the skies with spectacular auroras on Friday in this country

[ad_1] Prepare for a celestial spectacle this weekend! Canadians are being urged to direct their gaze towards the heavens as a solar storm is expected to hit the Earth on Friday and spark beatiful auroras in the night sky. Yes, there will be breathtaking displays of the Northern Lights.This follows the extremely explosive events on the Sun on Monday night, when a colossal active region, designated as AR 3559, discharged an enormous cloud of charged solar particles into space, known as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). This solar storm took just three days to traverse the 150 million-kilometre journey from the Sun to the Earth and it is homing in on our planet. Experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center says that the CME will re...
World Asteroid Day 2023: History, Significance, and Ways to Celebrate
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World Asteroid Day 2023: History, Significance, and Ways to Celebrate

[ad_1] 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 2,1...
474-meter Asteroid 2001 LD to speed past Earth at 18952 km/second today
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474-meter Asteroid 2001 LD to speed past Earth at 18952 km/second today

[ad_1] It is going to be a remarkable Sunday for cosmic enthusiasts as Asteroid 2001 LD, belonging to the Apollo group, will have a chillingly close encounter with Earth. This colossal celestial body, estimated to be at most 474 meters in size, about the size of a football stadium, and it will zoom past our planet at an astonishing speed of 18952 km/s, according to spacereference.org! The velocity at which 2001 LD is travelling is mind-boggling, considering its massive size.At its closest approach, our planet and 2001 LD will be separated by a mere 8.84 million kilometers. The journey of asteroid 2001 LD is a remarkable feat in itself. It follows an orbital period of 618 days, taking a scenic route around the sun. It reaches a maximum distance of 292 million kilometers before swinging b...
Catastrophic collision! New hazardous asteroid discovered
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Catastrophic collision! New hazardous asteroid discovered

[ad_1] An international team of astronomers on Monday announced the discovery of a large asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Earth, creating a small chance far in the future of a catastrophic collision.The 1.5 kilometer- (0.9 mile-) wide asteroid, named 2022 AP7, was discovered in area notoriously difficult to spot objects due to the glare from the Sun. It was found along with two other near-Earth asteroids using a high-tech instrument on the Victor M. Blanco telescope in Chile that was originally developed to study dark matter. "2022 AP7 crosses Earth's orbit, which makes it a potentially hazardous asteroid, but it currently does not now or anytime in the future have a trajectory that will have it collide with the Earth," said lead author of the findings, astronomer Scott Sheppard of...
Signatures of alien technology could be how humanity first finds extraterrestrial life
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Signatures of alien technology could be how humanity first finds extraterrestrial life

[ad_1] Signatures of alien technology could be how humanity first finds extraterrestrial life If an alien were to look at Earth, many human technologies – from cell towers to fluorescent light bulbs – could be a beacon signifying the presence of life.We are two astronomers who work on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence – or SETI. In our research, we try to characterise and detect signs of technology originating from beyond Earth. These are called technosignatures. While scanning the sky for a TV broadcast of some extraterrestrial Olympics may sound straightforward, searching for signs of distant, advanced civilisations is a much more nuanced and difficult task than it might seem. Saying ‘hello' with radios and lasersThe modern scientific search for extraterrestrial intellige...