7 Amazing And Scary Facts You Didn’t Know About Space  

1. Universe is filled with complete silence  

Sound travels on Earth through vibrations in the air, which is missing in outer space and hence, there is complete silence.  

2. Footprints of astronauts on the moon to last for a million years  

Since there is no atmosphere on the moon, so it has no breeze which can slowly erase footprints.  

3. Over one million Earths can fit in the Sun  

If we consider sun to be an empty ball, it will be able to fit 1.3 million Earths inside it.  


4. Distance between Earth and moon can be filled by all planets  

The distance between the Earth and moon becomes so vast when it is at apogee, which is the farthest point from Earth, that all the planets can fill in.  

5. Jupiter’s strong gravity protects Earth from a lot of collisions  

Jupiter has been called the ‘vacuum cleaner of the solar system’ because it eats up asteroids or comets which come nearby due to its strong gravitational force and hence, stops them from colliding with Earth.  

6. Humans will stretch like spaghetti in a black hole  

The scientific term for this phenomenon is ‘spaghettification’, and it occurs when gravity stretches a human in one direction and squeezes in another.

7. Looking at stars is actually looking back in time  

Light takes a long time to reach Earth and by the time we witness the light from the stars, years pass by. How much back in time we are seeing depends on how far away we are from the star.  

7 Amazing And Scary Facts You Didn’t Know About Space

A dead body was discovered floating in the controversial floating barriers which were installed by the authorities in Texas to block migrants from crossing into the United States, said the Mexican government on Wednesday (August 2).&nbsp;

Mexico was informed by the government authorities in the United States that "they found the body of a lifeless person stuck in the southern part of the buoys" on the Rio Grande river, said the Mexican foreign ministry in a statement.

The ministry added that the nationality of the victim and the cause of death is not known.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-at-least-six-injured-after-man-drives-into-migrant-workers-in-north-carolina-621109">US: At least six injured after man drives into migrant workers in North Carolina</a>

The Mexican ministry stated, “We are concerned about the impact on migrants’ human rights and personal security that these state policies could have, as they go in the opposite direction to close collaboration.”

The buoys were installed in the river by the authorities at a crossing point&nbsp;which is popular among migrants&nbsp;in July over the instructions of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The buoys were installed along with large razor-wire barriers on shore.&nbsp;

The Texas government, while installing the barrier in July, had stated that the buoys would “help deter illegal immigrants attempting to make the dangerous river crossing into Texas”.

<h2>US envoy calls anti-migrant river buoys 'illegal'&nbsp;</h2>

US ambassador to the Latin American country on Thursday (August 3) called the floating barrier, which was installed by the authorities of Texas to stop migrants crossing the border from Mexico, &nbsp;'illegal'.&nbsp;

"It seems to me that what Texas is doing is illegal. But they are also doing it to make migration a political issue, and not a humanitarian and economic issue," said Ken Salazar, while speaking to the reporters.

The US Justice Department, in response, filed a lawsuit in a federal court, stating that the buoys were illegally installed to obstruct river navigation and lacked federal authorisation.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated that the sovereignty of the country has been violated by the barriers.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;US-Mexico border: Migrants risk death crossing treacherous Rio Grande River | World News | WION

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As per Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena, three-quarters of the roughly 300-meter (1,000-foot) barrier has been located in Mexican territory.

She stated that two diplomatic notes were sent by the office to Washington specifying the border treaties which were being breached.

More than 60 organisations sent a joint letter to Texan state legislators on Tuesday (August 1), appealing to them to put an end to “violent border strategies” and remove the buoys from the Rio Grande, said the Border Network for Human Rights organisation in a statement.

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A dead body was discovered floating in the controversial floating barriers which were installed by the authorities in Texas to block migrants from crossing into the United States, said the Mexican government on Wednesday (August 2).

A dead body was discovered floating in the controversial floating barriers which were installed by the authorities in Texas to block migrants from crossing into the United States, said the Mexican government on Wednesday (August 2). Mexico was informed by the government authorities in the United States that "they found the body of a lifeless person stuck in the southern part of the buoys" on the Rio Grande river, said the Mexican foreign ministry in a statement. The ministry added that the nationality of the victim and the cause of death is not known. ALSO READ | US: At least six injured after man drives into migrant workers in North Carolina The Mexican ministry stated, “We are concerned about the impact on migrants’ human rights and personal security that these state policies could have, as they go in the opposite direction to close collaboration.” The buoys were installed in the river by the authorities at a crossing point which is popular among migrants in July over the instructions of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The buoys were installed along with large razor-wire barriers on shore. The Texas government, while installing the barrier in July, had stated that the buoys would “help deter illegal immigrants attempting to make the dangerous river crossing into Texas”. US envoy calls anti-migrant river buoys 'illegal' US ambassador to the Latin American country on Thursday (August 3) called the floating barrier, which was installed by the authorities of Texas to stop migrants crossing the border from Mexico, 'illegal'. "It seems to me that what Texas is doing is illegal. But they are also doing it to make migration a political issue, and not a humanitarian and economic issue," said Ken Salazar, while speaking to the reporters. The US Justice Department, in response, filed a lawsuit in a federal court, stating that the buoys were illegally installed to obstruct river navigation and lacked federal authorisation. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated that the sovereignty of the country has been violated by the barriers. WATCH | US-Mexico border: Migrants risk death crossing treacherous Rio Grande River | World News | WION As per Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena, three-quarters of the roughly 300-meter (1,000-foot) barrier has been located in Mexican territory. She stated that two diplomatic notes were sent by the office to Washington specifying the border treaties which were being breached. More than 60 organisations sent a joint letter to Texan state legislators on Tuesday (August 1), appealing to them to put an end to “violent border strategies” and remove the buoys from the Rio Grande, said the Border Network for Human Rights organisation in a statement. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Dead body of a migrant found stuck to 'floating barriers' installed on Rio Grande river

Microsoft researchers on Wednesday (August 2) alleged that a Russian government-linked hacking group targeted dozens of global organisations as part of its strategy to steal the users' login credentials by engaging them in Microsoft Teams chats and talking to them under the pretence of technical support.&nbsp;

Such "highly targeted" social engineering attacks have hit "fewer than 40 unique global organisations" since late May, stated Microsoft researchers in a blog, further adding that the company is carrying out&nbsp;an investigation.&nbsp;

No immediate response was issued by the Russian embassy in Washington over the allegations made.&nbsp;

The researchers stated that domains and accounts are set up by the researchers which look like technical support and efforts are made to engage Teams users in chats and make them give approval for multifactor authentication (MFA) prompts.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-hacks-into-email-of-us-envoy-in-beijing-nicholas-burns-617979">China hacks into email of US envoy in Beijing Nicholas Burns</a>

"Microsoft has mitigated the actor from using the domains and continues to investigate this activity and work to remediate the impact of the attack," they stated.&nbsp;

Teams is a proprietary business communication platform of Microsoft and has more than 280 million active users, as per the January financial statement of the company.&nbsp;

Security measures for the prevention of stealing credentials or hacking have&nbsp;been widely recommended by the MFAs. The ways in which the hackers are targeting the Teams suggest that they are looking for new ways to get past it.&nbsp;

<h2>Hackers' Russian connection</h2>

The researchers claim that the hacking group behind the activity, which is known as Midnight Blizzard or APT29 in the industry, is based in Russia and it has been linked to the country's foreign intelligence service by the governments of the UK and United States.&nbsp;

"The organisations targeted in this activity likely indicate specific espionage objectives by Midnight Blizzard directed at the government, non-government organizations (NGOs), IT services, technology, discrete manufacturing, and media sectors," the researchers said, without taking names of the targets.

"This latest attack, combined with past activity, further demonstrates Midnight Blizzard’s ongoing execution of their objectives using both new and common techniques," the researchers claimed.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Russian hackers demand ransom to restore systems after targeting Japan's port

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They stated that Midnight Blizzard is known for targeting similar organisations, mainly in the US and Europe.&nbsp;

The already-compromised Microsoft 365 accounts, which belong to small businesses, are being used by hackers to create new domains which appear as technical support entities and have the word "Microsoft" in them, as per the details revealed on the Microsoft blog. The researchers said accounts related to these domains then receive phishing messages aimed to bait people through Teams.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Microsoft researchers on Wednesday (August 2) alleged that a Russian government-linked hacking group targeted dozens of global organisations as part of its strategy to steal the users' login credentials by engaging them in Microsoft Teams chats and talking to them under the pretence of technical support.

Microsoft researchers on Wednesday (August 2) alleged that a Russian government-linked hacking group targeted dozens of global organisations as part of its strategy to steal the users' login credentials by engaging them in Microsoft Teams chats and talking to them under the pretence of technical support. Such "highly targeted" social engineering attacks have hit "fewer than 40 unique global organisations" since late May, stated Microsoft researchers in a blog, further adding that the company is carrying out an investigation. No immediate response was issued by the Russian embassy in Washington over the allegations made. The researchers stated that domains and accounts are set up by the researchers which look like technical support and efforts are made to engage Teams users in chats and make them give approval for multifactor authentication (MFA) prompts. ALSO READ | China hacks into email of US envoy in Beijing Nicholas Burns "Microsoft has mitigated the actor from using the domains and continues to investigate this activity and work to remediate the impact of the attack," they stated. Teams is a proprietary business communication platform of Microsoft and has more than 280 million active users, as per the January financial statement of the company. Security measures for the prevention of stealing credentials or hacking have been widely recommended by the MFAs. The ways in which the hackers are targeting the Teams suggest that they are looking for new ways to get past it. Hackers' Russian connection The researchers claim that the hacking group behind the activity, which is known as Midnight Blizzard or APT29 in the industry, is based in Russia and it has been linked to the country's foreign intelligence service by the governments of the UK and United States. "The organisations targeted in this activity likely indicate specific espionage objectives by Midnight Blizzard directed at the government, non-government organizations (NGOs), IT services, technology, discrete manufacturing, and media sectors," the researchers said, without taking names of the targets. "This latest attack, combined with past activity, further demonstrates Midnight Blizzard’s ongoing execution of their objectives using both new and common techniques," the researchers claimed. WATCH | Russian hackers demand ransom to restore systems after targeting Japan's port They stated that Midnight Blizzard is known for targeting similar organisations, mainly in the US and Europe. The already-compromised Microsoft 365 accounts, which belong to small businesses, are being used by hackers to create new domains which appear as technical support entities and have the word "Microsoft" in them, as per the details revealed on the Microsoft blog. The researchers said accounts related to these domains then receive phishing messages aimed to bait people through Teams. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Russia-linked hackers carrying out dozens of Teams phishing attacks, alleges Microsoft

A new study has found that humans successfully detect artificially generated speech only 73 per cent of the time.&nbsp;The same level of accuracy was found in English and Mandarin speakers while detecting artificially-generated speech.&nbsp;

A text-to-speech algorithm, which was trained on two publicly available datasets in English and Mandarin languages for generating &nbsp;50 deepfake speech samples in each language, was used by the researchers at University College London.&nbsp;

Deepfake AI, which is one form of generative artificial intelligence, is a kind of synthetic media which is created to resemble the voice of a real person or their appearance.

The sound samples collected by the researchers were played for 529 participants to observe if they can detect the real sample from fake speech. However, the participants successfully identified the fake speech only 73 per cent of the time. &nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/switzerland-bronze-age-arrowhead-traced-to-object-that-fell-from-the-sky-621181">Switzerland: Bronze age arrowhead traced to 'object that fell from the sky'</a>

There was a slight improvement in the number after participants were given training to recognise different aspects of deepfake speech.

<h2>Deepfake speech and the future ahead</h2>

This is the first study to assess the human ability to detect artificially generated speech in languages other than English.&nbsp;

The first author of the study, Kimberly Mai said, “In our study, we showed that training people to detect deepfakes is not necessarily a reliable way to help them to get better at it. Unfortunately, our experiments also show that at the moment automated detectors are not reliable either."

“They’re really good at detecting deepfakes if they’ve seen similar examples during their training phase if the speaker is the same or the clips are recorded in a similar audio environment, for example. But they’re not reliable when there are changes in the test audio conditions, such as if there’s a different speaker," she added.&nbsp;

She stated that it was essential to improvise automated deepfake speech detectors and for organisations to “think about strategies to mitigate the threat that deepfake content poses”.

WATCH |&nbsp;Scientist claims alien tech found in 2014 meteor

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Head of Engineering at Liverpool John Moores University, Dr Karl Jones issued a warning that the justice system of the UK is not designed in a way to protect against the use of deepfakes. “Deepfake speech is almost the perfect crime – because you don’t know that it’s been done,” he stated.&nbsp;

Executive director of Witness,&nbsp;an international nonprofit organisation, Sam Gregory said, "At Witness, we speak about a detection equity gap. The people who need the capacity to detect – journalists and factcheckers, and civil society and election officials – are the ones who don’t have access to these [detection] tools. This is a huge issue that is going to get worse if we don’t invest in those skills and resources. We may not need to have detection tools available to everyone, because that also makes them harder to be robust. But we need to think about the investment in supporting intermediaries.”

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A new study has found that humans successfully detect artificially generated speech only 73 per cent of the time. The same level of accuracy was found in English and Mandarin speakers while detecting artificially-generated speech.

A new study has found that humans successfully detect artificially generated speech only 73 per cent of the time. The same level of accuracy was found in English and Mandarin speakers while detecting artificially-generated speech. A text-to-speech algorithm, which was trained on two publicly available datasets in English and Mandarin languages for generating 50 deepfake speech samples in each language, was used by the researchers at University College London. Deepfake AI, which is one form of generative artificial intelligence, is a kind of synthetic media which is created to resemble the voice of a real person or their appearance. The sound samples collected by the researchers were played for 529 participants to observe if they can detect the real sample from fake speech. However, the participants successfully identified the fake speech only 73 per cent of the time. ALSO READ | Switzerland: Bronze age arrowhead traced to 'object that fell from the sky' There was a slight improvement in the number after participants were given training to recognise different aspects of deepfake speech. Deepfake speech and the future ahead This is the first study to assess the human ability to detect artificially generated speech in languages other than English. The first author of the study, Kimberly Mai said, “In our study, we showed that training people to detect deepfakes is not necessarily a reliable way to help them to get better at it. Unfortunately, our experiments also show that at the moment automated detectors are not reliable either." “They’re really good at detecting deepfakes if they’ve seen similar examples during their training phase if the speaker is the same or the clips are recorded in a similar audio environment, for example. But they’re not reliable when there are changes in the test audio conditions, such as if there’s a different speaker," she added. She stated that it was essential to improvise automated deepfake speech detectors and for organisations to “think about strategies to mitigate the threat that deepfake content poses”. WATCH | Scientist claims alien tech found in 2014 meteor Head of Engineering at Liverpool John Moores University, Dr Karl Jones issued a warning that the justice system of the UK is not designed in a way to protect against the use of deepfakes. “Deepfake speech is almost the perfect crime – because you don’t know that it’s been done,” he stated. Executive director of Witness, an international nonprofit organisation, Sam Gregory said, "At Witness, we speak about a detection equity gap. The people who need the capacity to detect – journalists and factcheckers, and civil society and election officials – are the ones who don’t have access to these [detection] tools. This is a huge issue that is going to get worse if we don’t invest in those skills and resources. We may not need to have detection tools available to everyone, because that also makes them harder to be robust. But we need to think about the investment in supporting intermediaries.” You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Can you say if it's real voice or AI? Humans in a study could detect only 73% deepfake speech

The national gallery of Australia is set to return to Cambodia three 9th and 10th Century bronze sculptures, which were found to have been stolen. The step has been taken after a decade-long investigation was carried out by the two nations to find the origin of the works.

The government of Cambodia welcomed the historic move as "an important step towards rectifying past injustices".

This comes amid a push on global platforms to return looted cultural goods. Originally, the three artworks came from the Champa Kingdom, which once included Vietnam and parts of Cambodia.

The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) stated that the sculptures were purchased by it from British artefacts smuggler Douglas Latchford in 2011 for A$2.3m (£1.18m; $1.5m). &nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/relief-for-australia-as-great-barrier-reef-stays-off-unesco-danger-list-621258">Relief for Australia as Great Barrier Reef stays off UNESCO danger list</a>

Latchford was implicated in antiquities' illegal trade since 2016, as per the NGA, as he faces charges of allegedly trafficking stolen and looted Cambodian artefacts in 2019.&nbsp;

As per the ABC, the three statues were excavated from a field in Tboung Khmum in the east of Cambodia in 1994 before were&nbsp;smuggled to international art dealers in Thailand and finally reached Latchford's collection.

<h2>Artefacts to be displayed at NGA in Canberra</h2>

Latchford's daughter Nawapan Kriangsak has worked along with researchers from Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the NGA to help return the goods.

The works will be put on display at the NGA in Canberra for three years as Cambodia makes preparations for its new home in Phnom Penh.

"It is an opportunity to put right a historical wrong but also to strengthen our ties and deepen our understanding," said Australia's Special Envoy for the Arts Susan Templeman, at a handover ceremony on Friday (August 4).&nbsp;

Cambodia has time and again called on international governments for recovering thousands of antiquities it said were stolen from its ancient temples, several of which it claimed were present in the Victoria and Albert and British Museums.

WATCH |&nbsp;Australia welcomes UNESCO decision after it says that coral reefs are 'not in danger' | WION

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It is the second time, a stolen art has been removed by the NGA from its collection in recent years.

The gallery in 2021 returned many artefacts to India, few dating back to the 11th Century which had links to the late New York art dealer William Wolff and alleged antiquities smuggler Subhash Kapoor.

Globally, efforts are being made to continue to repatriation of antiquities, which are culturally significant, to their original owners.&nbsp;

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The national gallery of Australia is set to return to Cambodia three 9th and 10th Century bronze sculptures, which were found to have been stolen. The step has been taken after a decade-long investigation was carried out by the two nations to find the origin of the works.

The national gallery of Australia is set to return to Cambodia three 9th and 10th Century bronze sculptures, which were found to have been stolen. The step has been taken after a decade-long investigation was carried out by the two nations to find the origin of the works. The government of Cambodia welcomed the historic move as "an important step towards rectifying past injustices". This comes amid a push on global platforms to return looted cultural goods. Originally, the three artworks came from the Champa Kingdom, which once included Vietnam and parts of Cambodia. The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) stated that the sculptures were purchased by it from British artefacts smuggler Douglas Latchford in 2011 for A$2.3m (£1.18m; $1.5m). ALSO READ | Relief for Australia as Great Barrier Reef stays off UNESCO danger list Latchford was implicated in antiquities' illegal trade since 2016, as per the NGA, as he faces charges of allegedly trafficking stolen and looted Cambodian artefacts in 2019. As per the ABC, the three statues were excavated from a field in Tboung Khmum in the east of Cambodia in 1994 before were smuggled to international art dealers in Thailand and finally reached Latchford's collection. Artefacts to be displayed at NGA in Canberra Latchford's daughter Nawapan Kriangsak has worked along with researchers from Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the NGA to help return the goods. The works will be put on display at the NGA in Canberra for three years as Cambodia makes preparations for its new home in Phnom Penh. "It is an opportunity to put right a historical wrong but also to strengthen our ties and deepen our understanding," said Australia's Special Envoy for the Arts Susan Templeman, at a handover ceremony on Friday (August 4). Cambodia has time and again called on international governments for recovering thousands of antiquities it said were stolen from its ancient temples, several of which it claimed were present in the Victoria and Albert and British Museums. WATCH | Australia welcomes UNESCO decision after it says that coral reefs are 'not in danger' | WION It is the second time, a stolen art has been removed by the NGA from its collection in recent years. The gallery in 2021 returned many artefacts to India, few dating back to the 11th Century which had links to the late New York art dealer William Wolff and alleged antiquities smuggler Subhash Kapoor. Globally, efforts are being made to continue to repatriation of antiquities, which are culturally significant, to their original owners. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Re-writing history of loot: Australia's national gallery to return stolen Cambodian artefacts

A newly-designed algorithm for discovering near-Earth asteroids, in its first, identified a "potentially hazardous asteroid," said the researchers from the University of Washington, in a statement.&nbsp;

The algorithm, which is called HelioLinc3D and was partially developed by researchers from the University of Washington, still is in its testing phase.&nbsp;

The "potentially hazardous" asteroid, which has been named 2022 SF289, is 600 feet long and was found while the algorithm was being tested in Hawaii. Scientists later confirmed that the asteroid "poses no risk to Earth for the foreseeable future."&nbsp;

Eventually, the algorithm will be used at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is a &nbsp;survey telescope constructed in Chile. The observatory has multiple goals, which include mapping the Milky Way, probing dark energy and dark matter, and it is likely to begin operating in early 2025, according to the press release of the university.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/nasa-unveils-the-trajectory-of-five-asteroids-approaching-earth-610988">NASA unveils the trajectory of five asteroids approaching Earth</a>

According to expectations, the observatory will "dramatically increase the discovery rate" of items like asteroids. The observatory will only require to look at spots twice per night in the night sky and not four times as needed in the case of telescopes, an advancement which means it can "scan the sky unprecedentedly quickly."&nbsp;

However, the new speed meant that a new type of discovery algorithm needed to be created by the researchers, because of which HelioLinc3D was eventually developed.&nbsp;

The algorithm will be able to find asteroids in Rubin's dataset, and the existing data was studied by the developers of the algorithm with too few observations to be usable by conventional algorithms.&nbsp;

<h2>'Potentially hazardous'&nbsp;asteroid 2022 SF289&nbsp;</h2>

This was one of those data sets through which the "potentially hazardous" asteroid 2022 SF289 was discovered by the algorithm.&nbsp;

Through older technology, the asteroid has been observed multiple times on different nights but because it was never observed four times in one night, hence, scientists failed to properly identify it.&nbsp;

The algorithm, by combining the multiple observations, made the discovery. In the additional observations, the discovery was confirmed and it was found that the closest approach of the asteroid will bring it within 140,000 miles of Earth's orbit, placing it closer than the moon.

WATCH |&nbsp;Numerous asteroids fast moving towards the Earth

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"This is just a small taste of what to expect with the Rubin Observatory in less than two years, when HelioLinc3D will be discovering an object like this every night," stated Rubin scientist Mario Juric, director of the DiRAC Institute, professor of astronomy at the University of Washington and leader of the team behind HelioLinc3D.&nbsp;

&nbsp;"But more broadly, it's a preview of the coming era of data-intensive astronomy. From HelioLinc3D to AI-assisted codes, the next decade of discovery will be a story of advancement in algorithms as much as in new, large, telescopes," Juric added.&nbsp;

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A newly-designed algorithm for discovering near-Earth asteroids, in its first, identified a "potentially hazardous asteroid," said the researchers from the University of Washington, in a statement.

A newly-designed algorithm for discovering near-Earth asteroids, in its first, identified a "potentially hazardous asteroid," said the researchers from the University of Washington, in a statement. The algorithm, which is called HelioLinc3D and was partially developed by researchers from the University of Washington, still is in its testing phase. The "potentially hazardous" asteroid, which has been named 2022 SF289, is 600 feet long and was found while the algorithm was being tested in Hawaii. Scientists later confirmed that the asteroid "poses no risk to Earth for the foreseeable future." Eventually, the algorithm will be used at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which is a survey telescope constructed in Chile. The observatory has multiple goals, which include mapping the Milky Way, probing dark energy and dark matter, and it is likely to begin operating in early 2025, according to the press release of the university. ALSO READ | NASA unveils the trajectory of five asteroids approaching Earth According to expectations, the observatory will "dramatically increase the discovery rate" of items like asteroids. The observatory will only require to look at spots twice per night in the night sky and not four times as needed in the case of telescopes, an advancement which means it can "scan the sky unprecedentedly quickly." However, the new speed meant that a new type of discovery algorithm needed to be created by the researchers, because of which HelioLinc3D was eventually developed. The algorithm will be able to find asteroids in Rubin's dataset, and the existing data was studied by the developers of the algorithm with too few observations to be usable by conventional algorithms. 'Potentially hazardous' asteroid 2022 SF289 This was one of those data sets through which the "potentially hazardous" asteroid 2022 SF289 was discovered by the algorithm. Through older technology, the asteroid has been observed multiple times on different nights but because it was never observed four times in one night, hence, scientists failed to properly identify it. The algorithm, by combining the multiple observations, made the discovery. In the additional observations, the discovery was confirmed and it was found that the closest approach of the asteroid will bring it within 140,000 miles of Earth's orbit, placing it closer than the moon. WATCH | Numerous asteroids fast moving towards the Earth "This is just a small taste of what to expect with the Rubin Observatory in less than two years, when HelioLinc3D will be discovering an object like this every night," stated Rubin scientist Mario Juric, director of the DiRAC Institute, professor of astronomy at the University of Washington and leader of the team behind HelioLinc3D. "But more broadly, it's a preview of the coming era of data-intensive astronomy. From HelioLinc3D to AI-assisted codes, the next decade of discovery will be a story of advancement in algorithms as much as in new, large, telescopes," Juric added. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

A 600-foot long, ‘potentially hazardous’ near-Earth asteroid is the first discovery of a new algorithm

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday (August 3) upheld the district court's order to allow the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to carry out a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi. Dismissing the plea of the Muslim side, the bench of&nbsp;Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker said that the Varanasi district court was justified in ordering the ASI survey and that the scientific survey is necessary in the interest of justice.&nbsp;

The Allahabad High Court had previously asked the ASI not to start Gyanvapi mosque’s survey in Varanasi, after the ASI’s detailed scientific survey was postponed by the Supreme Court till 5 pm on July 26. The survey’s purpose was to find out if the mosque, which is situated adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, was constructed on top of a temple.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/gyanvapi-survey-allahabad-hc-stays-asi-survey-of-mosque-premises-till-august-3-619969">Gyanvapi case: Allahabad HC reserves order for August 3, stays ASI survey till then</a>

The apex court was responding to a plea submitted against the order given by the district court which directed the ASI to carry out the controversial survey. “Allahabad HC has said that the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex is to start. Sessions court order upheld by HC,” said Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi survey case, while speaking to news agency ANI.

<h2>Gyanvapi mosque complex and the question of 'shivling'</h2>

At the heart of the case is the contention by a group of Hindu petitioners that there is a 'shivling', a holy structure of the religion, in the mosque complex which they want to worship. The Muslim representatives argue that it is a fountain.&nbsp;

In the Gyanvapi mosque case, the Supreme Court had earlier inadvertently disposed of the committee's appeal challenging the maintainability of the lawsuit which was filed by Hindus in the trial court, demanding rights to worship inside the mosque. &nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Gyanvapi mosque 'scientific survey' stayed

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However, interim relief was granted by the top court as it placed a stay on the ASI survey and the main case was disposed of on July 24. An interim plea was filed by the mosque committee with the top court in the pending petition appealing for a halt to the ASI's work.

Varanasi district judge AK Vishvesha had given the order to ASI to carry out a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex on July 21 after receiving an application from four Hindu women on May 16, 2023. However, the complex’s ablution pond area was excluded by the court, which was already sealed on the order of the top court.&nbsp;

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The Allahabad High Court on Thursday (August 3) upheld the district court's order to allow the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to carry out a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi.

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday (August 3) upheld the district court's order to allow the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to carry out a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi. Dismissing the plea of the Muslim side, the bench of Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker said that the Varanasi district court was justified in ordering the ASI survey and that the scientific survey is necessary in the interest of justice. The Allahabad High Court had previously asked the ASI not to start Gyanvapi mosque’s survey in Varanasi, after the ASI’s detailed scientific survey was postponed by the Supreme Court till 5 pm on July 26. The survey’s purpose was to find out if the mosque, which is situated adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, was constructed on top of a temple. ALSO READ | Gyanvapi case: Allahabad HC reserves order for August 3, stays ASI survey till then The apex court was responding to a plea submitted against the order given by the district court which directed the ASI to carry out the controversial survey. “Allahabad HC has said that the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex is to start. Sessions court order upheld by HC,” said Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi survey case, while speaking to news agency ANI. Gyanvapi mosque complex and the question of 'shivling' At the heart of the case is the contention by a group of Hindu petitioners that there is a 'shivling', a holy structure of the religion, in the mosque complex which they want to worship. The Muslim representatives argue that it is a fountain. In the Gyanvapi mosque case, the Supreme Court had earlier inadvertently disposed of the committee's appeal challenging the maintainability of the lawsuit which was filed by Hindus in the trial court, demanding rights to worship inside the mosque. WATCH | Gyanvapi mosque 'scientific survey' stayed However, interim relief was granted by the top court as it placed a stay on the ASI survey and the main case was disposed of on July 24. An interim plea was filed by the mosque committee with the top court in the pending petition appealing for a halt to the ASI's work. Varanasi district judge AK Vishvesha had given the order to ASI to carry out a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex on July 21 after receiving an application from four Hindu women on May 16, 2023. However, the complex’s ablution pond area was excluded by the court, which was already sealed on the order of the top court. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Allahabad High Court allows ASI to survey Gyanvapi mosque complex

The national health agency of China has started a new vaccination drive for the elderly before a possible COVID-19 wave that may sweep the country in the winter and autumn, reported state-run news agency &nbsp;Xinhua.

After the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB emerged as a dominant strain of the virus which has been circulating in the country, the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism appealed for prioritising vaccinating people above the age of 60 ahead of the colder weather, the report said.&nbsp;

XBB has been posing a major risk to the elderly and people with lower immunity because of its ability to escape immunity and its higher transmissibility, as per the new work plan published on the National Health Commission’s (NHC) website.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/morgan-stanley-upgrades-indias-rating-to-overweight-downgrades-china-621878">Morgan Stanley upgrades India’s rating to ‘overweight’, downgrades China</a>

Last winter, many elderly Chinese people, most of whom had not received their jab, were caught in the fresh wave of the virus which had swept the nation.

The coronavirus wave came soon after the zero-Covid policy was abandoned by Beijing. As a result, many funeral homes and hospitals were overwhelmed. &nbsp;

<h2>China's battle with coronavirus</h2>

As per the NHC, the highly contagious XBB subvariant emerged as the dominant form of the virus in the country by the spring.

The authorities stated that the Chinese population was likely to get hit by a mass infection because it had weaker neutralising serum antibodies to fight XBB.&nbsp;

Beijing, after removing its strict zero-Covid policy, started promoting drives for vaccinating the population, with “positive progress” to get more than 1.3 billion people jabbed across the nation, the plan said.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Why is China building a 'super dam' along India's border?

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As per official data published in December, vaccination rates of the aged people were not sufficient ahead of the previous winter wave, as only around 70 per cent of the targeted group had completely received all three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. For those in the age group of 80 and above, the rate dropped to around 40 per cent.

Many elderly people cannot make informed healthcare decisions in China because of a lack of support from health workers or limited health literacy.&nbsp;

The work plan of Beijing aims to protect people, who are below the age of 60 and have weakened immune systems or severe underlying health conditions. The groups, which have higher risks of infection, are eligible for the latest XBB antigen vaccines if they have received shots of all three COVID-19 vaccines.&nbsp;

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The national health agency of China has started a new vaccination drive for the elderly before a possible COVID-19 wave that may sweep the country in the winter and autumn, reported state-run news agency Xinhua.

The national health agency of China has started a new vaccination drive for the elderly before a possible COVID-19 wave that may sweep the country in the winter and autumn, reported state-run news agency Xinhua. After the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant XBB emerged as a dominant strain of the virus which has been circulating in the country, the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism appealed for prioritising vaccinating people above the age of 60 ahead of the colder weather, the report said. XBB has been posing a major risk to the elderly and people with lower immunity because of its ability to escape immunity and its higher transmissibility, as per the new work plan published on the National Health Commission’s (NHC) website. ALSO READ | Morgan Stanley upgrades India’s rating to ‘overweight’, downgrades China Last winter, many elderly Chinese people, most of whom had not received their jab, were caught in the fresh wave of the virus which had swept the nation. The coronavirus wave came soon after the zero-Covid policy was abandoned by Beijing. As a result, many funeral homes and hospitals were overwhelmed. China's battle with coronavirus As per the NHC, the highly contagious XBB subvariant emerged as the dominant form of the virus in the country by the spring. The authorities stated that the Chinese population was likely to get hit by a mass infection because it had weaker neutralising serum antibodies to fight XBB. Beijing, after removing its strict zero-Covid policy, started promoting drives for vaccinating the population, with “positive progress” to get more than 1.3 billion people jabbed across the nation, the plan said. WATCH | Gravitas: Why is China building a 'super dam' along India's border? As per official data published in December, vaccination rates of the aged people were not sufficient ahead of the previous winter wave, as only around 70 per cent of the targeted group had completely received all three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. For those in the age group of 80 and above, the rate dropped to around 40 per cent. Many elderly people cannot make informed healthcare decisions in China because of a lack of support from health workers or limited health literacy. The work plan of Beijing aims to protect people, who are below the age of 60 and have weakened immune systems or severe underlying health conditions. The groups, which have higher risks of infection, are eligible for the latest XBB antigen vaccines if they have received shots of all three COVID-19 vaccines. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

COVID-19: China focuses on new vaccination drive as coronavirus wave looms over nation

Ukrainian officials on Wednesday (August 2) said that no headway was made by Russian forces along the frontlines, but added that they are entrenched in heavily mined areas they control which has made it difficult for the troops of Kyiv to move east and south.

Meanwhile, Russian forces fighting on the frontline stated that they have repelled 12 Ukrainian attacks in the Donetsk region, which has remained a focal point of Russian advances for months.

The majority of Russian military activity focused on air attacks which damaged grain infrastructure in the Danube port of Izmail, Ukraine.

Russian defence ministry further stated that a Ukrainian naval drone was destroyed by its forces after it tried to attack a Russian warship which escorted a civilian vessel in the Black Sea.

A drive was launched by the Ukrainian forces in June to re-take occupied areas. The forces have now been pressing southward toward the Sea of Azov for severing the land bridge between the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula and occupied eastern Ukraine.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/grain-prices-rise-with-russian-strikes-on-danube-port-putin-reaffirms-stance-on-deal-621706">Russia reaffirms stance on grain deal, continues strikes on key Ukrainian ports</a>

<h2>Reoccupation of areas near Bakhmut</h2>

Kyiv also said that it has reoccupied areas near Bakhmut, which is an eastern city that was occupied by Russian forces in May after months of battles.

Deputy Ukrainian Defence Minister Hanna Maliar stated that Russian forces had "tried quite persistently to halt our advance in the Bakhmut sector. Without success."

Maliar, taking to the Telegram messaging app, said that the Russian forces were increasing equipment and reserves in three areas further north, where heavy fighting was reported by officials in recent weeks.

Secretary of Ukraine's Security Council Oleksiy Danilov said that there was ample time for Russian forces in months of occupation to lay extensive minefields and prepare defences.&nbsp;

"The enemy has prepared very thoroughly for these events," he said while speaking to national television. "The number of mines on the territory that our troops have retaken is utterly mad. On average, there are three, four, five mines per square metre," Danilov said.&nbsp;

"No one can set deadlines for us, except ourselves... there is no fixed schedule. I have never used the term counter-offensive. There are military operations and they are complex difficult and depend on many factors," he added.

WATCH |&nbsp;Russia-Ukraine war: Russia attacks main route for Ukranian exports since grain deal

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<h2>'Almost 15' drones downed in overnight attack on Kyiv</h2>

Ukrainian officials claimed that around 15 drones were downed during an overnight attack on Kyiv. Air defence forces "detected and destroyed almost 15 air targets", stated Sergiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration.

He added that no damage or casualties were reported in the attacks. Popko stated that a barrage of Shahed drones was used by the attackers in the onslaught which lasted for three hours.

"It became the 820th (air alert) for Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The strike was repelled a day after another massive overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital," Popko said.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos

(With inputs from agencies)

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Ukrainian officials on Wednesday (August 2) said that no headway was made by Russian forces along the frontlines, but added that they are entrenched in heavily mined areas they control which has made it difficult for the troops of Kyiv to move east and south.

Ukrainian officials on Wednesday (August 2) said that no headway was made by Russian forces along the frontlines, but added that they are entrenched in heavily mined areas they control which has made it difficult for the troops of Kyiv to move east and south. Meanwhile, Russian forces fighting on the frontline stated that they have repelled 12 Ukrainian attacks in the Donetsk region, which has remained a focal point of Russian advances for months. The majority of Russian military activity focused on air attacks which damaged grain infrastructure in the Danube port of Izmail, Ukraine. Russian defence ministry further stated that a Ukrainian naval drone was destroyed by its forces after it tried to attack a Russian warship which escorted a civilian vessel in the Black Sea. A drive was launched by the Ukrainian forces in June to re-take occupied areas. The forces have now been pressing southward toward the Sea of Azov for severing the land bridge between the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula and occupied eastern Ukraine. ALSO READ | Russia reaffirms stance on grain deal, continues strikes on key Ukrainian ports Reoccupation of areas near Bakhmut Kyiv also said that it has reoccupied areas near Bakhmut, which is an eastern city that was occupied by Russian forces in May after months of battles. Deputy Ukrainian Defence Minister Hanna Maliar stated that Russian forces had "tried quite persistently to halt our advance in the Bakhmut sector. Without success." Maliar, taking to the Telegram messaging app, said that the Russian forces were increasing equipment and reserves in three areas further north, where heavy fighting was reported by officials in recent weeks. Secretary of Ukraine's Security Council Oleksiy Danilov said that there was ample time for Russian forces in months of occupation to lay extensive minefields and prepare defences. "The enemy has prepared very thoroughly for these events," he said while speaking to national television. "The number of mines on the territory that our troops have retaken is utterly mad. On average, there are three, four, five mines per square metre," Danilov said. "No one can set deadlines for us, except ourselves... there is no fixed schedule. I have never used the term counter-offensive. There are military operations and they are complex difficult and depend on many factors," he added. WATCH | Russia-Ukraine war: Russia attacks main route for Ukranian exports since grain deal 'Almost 15' drones downed in overnight attack on Kyiv Ukrainian officials claimed that around 15 drones were downed during an overnight attack on Kyiv. Air defence forces "detected and destroyed almost 15 air targets", stated Sergiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration. He added that no damage or casualties were reported in the attacks. Popko stated that a barrage of Shahed drones was used by the attackers in the onslaught which lasted for three hours. "It became the 820th (air alert) for Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The strike was repelled a day after another massive overnight attack on the Ukrainian capital," Popko said. Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Russian forces failed to make headway along frontlines, claims Ukraine after a night of drone attacks

Two days back, the world saw the Taliban burn musical instruments&nbsp;worth thousands of dollars in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, calling the art form a major reason for causing “moral corruption". 
 
The torching of musical instruments added to the list of atrocious measures taken by the rulers of Afghanistan in the past few months, as the deafening silence of the world leaders continued to screech the ears of Afghanis waiting with hopeful eyes for a new dawn. 
 
Amid the escalating crackdown by the Taliban, the founder of the country's only music school, Afghanistan National Institute of Music, and ethnomusicologist Dr Ahmad Naser Sarmast said that the Taliban have&nbsp;been carrying out a “genocide” of the music.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/exclusive-afghan-women-react-to-veiled-attempts-to-legitimise-talibans-rule-618494">Exclusive: Afghan women react to veiled attempts to legitimise Taliban's rule</a>

“Destroying and burning musical instruments are part of music's genocide carried out by the Taliban and is a crackdown on the musical rights, artistic freedom and cultural rights of the Afghan people by the terror group. They are not just burning the musical instruments, in fact, the people of Afghanistan and musicians have been deprived of all five musical rights as identified by the International Music Council (IMC),” Dr Sarmast said while speaking to WION.

<h2>Fleeting happiness, darkening future</h2>

The bonfire of musical instruments included a guitar, a harmonium and a tabla along with amplifiers and speakers, as seen in the images posted online. 
 
Speaking about the dying hope of youth in Afghanistan, the ethnomusicologist said, “Afghan children and youth have been deprived by the Taliban of their basic human and music rights to learn music and chase their dreams of becoming a musician and to make a name for themselves through the beauty of music. The only music school in the country, Afghanistan National Institute of Music, which is often called the happiest place in Afghanistan, is shut down though it operates in Portugal.”

<h2>Keeping Afghan music alive</h2>

Dr Sarmast, who is recognised and respected internationally for his educational work in Afghanistan, has been living in Portugal and running his institute there after surviving a suicide bomb blast in which he lost his hearing ability. 
 
Explaining why it is important to keep Afghan music alive and thriving, the music saviour said, “Music always was an integral part of Afghan culture, social life and identity. In the 20 century, music played a significant role in keeping the Afghans united while promoting important messages of social and political importance at far distances of the country with the help of radio broadcasting and recording industry.”

WATCH |&nbsp;Afghan women speak to WION from the ground: 'We want our freedoms back' | WION Originals

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<h2>'Tyrants fear the ability of artists to unify people'</h2>

Speaking about why culture comes under the hammer when tyrants take over the seat of power in nations, Dr Sarmast said, “The oppressive regimes and tyrants are afraid of the power and abilities of arts and artists in unifying people and spreading the messages of resistance and unity among the people in their struggle for freedom.” 
 
Expressing his dismay at no united action taken by the music fraternity for reinstating the music rights of Afghanis, he said, “While there is a lot of sympathy from the music community for the total denial of the music rights of the Afghans by the Taliban, until now there has not been a united action taken to demand the restoration of music rights and lifting of the ban on music in Afghanistan.” 
 
Several restrictions have been imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan in the past two years under their strict interpretation of Islamic law which is being perceived by the world as a denial of basic human rights to the citizens.

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Two days back, the world saw the Taliban burn musical instruments worth thousands of dollars in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, calling the art form a major reason for causing “moral corruption".

Two days back, the world saw the Taliban burn musical instruments worth thousands of dollars in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, calling the art form a major reason for causing “moral corruption". The torching of musical instruments added to the list of atrocious measures taken by the rulers of Afghanistan in the past few months, as the deafening silence of the world leaders continued to screech the ears of Afghanis waiting with hopeful eyes for a new dawn. Amid the escalating crackdown by the Taliban, the founder of the country's only music school, Afghanistan National Institute of Music, and ethnomusicologist Dr Ahmad Naser Sarmast said that the Taliban have been carrying out a “genocide” of the music. ALSO READ | Exclusive: Afghan women react to veiled attempts to legitimise Taliban's rule “Destroying and burning musical instruments are part of music's genocide carried out by the Taliban and is a crackdown on the musical rights, artistic freedom and cultural rights of the Afghan people by the terror group. They are not just burning the musical instruments, in fact, the people of Afghanistan and musicians have been deprived of all five musical rights as identified by the International Music Council (IMC),” Dr Sarmast said while speaking to WION. Fleeting happiness, darkening future The bonfire of musical instruments included a guitar, a harmonium and a tabla along with amplifiers and speakers, as seen in the images posted online. Speaking about the dying hope of youth in Afghanistan, the ethnomusicologist said, “Afghan children and youth have been deprived by the Taliban of their basic human and music rights to learn music and chase their dreams of becoming a musician and to make a name for themselves through the beauty of music. The only music school in the country, Afghanistan National Institute of Music, which is often called the happiest place in Afghanistan, is shut down though it operates in Portugal.” Keeping Afghan music alive Dr Sarmast, who is recognised and respected internationally for his educational work in Afghanistan, has been living in Portugal and running his institute there after surviving a suicide bomb blast in which he lost his hearing ability. Explaining why it is important to keep Afghan music alive and thriving, the music saviour said, “Music always was an integral part of Afghan culture, social life and identity. In the 20 century, music played a significant role in keeping the Afghans united while promoting important messages of social and political importance at far distances of the country with the help of radio broadcasting and recording industry.” WATCH | Afghan women speak to WION from the ground: 'We want our freedoms back' | WION Originals 'Tyrants fear the ability of artists to unify people' Speaking about why culture comes under the hammer when tyrants take over the seat of power in nations, Dr Sarmast said, “The oppressive regimes and tyrants are afraid of the power and abilities of arts and artists in unifying people and spreading the messages of resistance and unity among the people in their struggle for freedom.” Expressing his dismay at no united action taken by the music fraternity for reinstating the music rights of Afghanis, he said, “While there is a lot of sympathy from the music community for the total denial of the music rights of the Afghans by the Taliban, until now there has not been a united action taken to demand the restoration of music rights and lifting of the ban on music in Afghanistan.” Several restrictions have been imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan in the past two years under their strict interpretation of Islamic law which is being perceived by the world as a denial of basic human rights to the citizens. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Exclusive: Taliban carrying out music's 'genocide' in Afghanistan, says Afghan music saviour Ahmad Sarmast

8 Carnivorous Plants That Feed On Insects

The plant is known to digest frogs very easily, leaving only the skin on the animal's feet.

As soon as the tiny hairs of the Venus Flytrap's leaves are brushed twice by an unsuspecting bug, they snap shut.

This is a meat-eating plant and its leaves are filled with rainwater. The bugs fly inside the plant but do not fly out.

Bugs are confused by the translucent windows in the leaves of the plant. They tend to believe they are escaping, but actually, they fly deeper inside.


The bristles of Butterwort have gluey hair which snag insects till the digestive juices of the plant do their work.

The plant preys on insects as well as small animals for extra nutrition. It is called a "monkey cup" because the leaves of the plant are used as cups by monkeys for drinking water.

The plant attracts thirsty bugs through what appears to them as raindrops. However, the “water” is actually a glue-like substance which traps insects.

The plants survive in the water and can trap tiny aquatic animals in cup-shaped leaves.

Antarctica, a continent which is known to be covered in snow and ice, and has no permanent human population, has come under heated debate after a mysterious triangular structure appeared in its satellite images. 
 
The images left social media users baffled and started debates&nbsp;about where this supposed 'pyramid' came from. In the satellite images of the Ellsworth Mountain range, which lies in the southern part of Antarctica, the huge pyramid-shaped mass was spotted. 
 
In the area, various strange-looking peaks were discovered with one measuring two kilometres in every direction of its square base, which is similar to Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza. 
 
However, after the images of the 'pyramids' circulated on social media, people started sharing theories on how such an enormous structure came into existence. Taking to microblogging platform X, the new version of Twitter, one user stated, “Wait how they moved the pyramids from Egypt to Antarctica?”

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/century-old-mystery-behind-antarcticas-blood-falls-finally-solved-612218">Century-old mystery behind Antarctica's Blood Falls finally SOLVED</a>

Some users went on to say that the fabled secret society, 'the Illuminati' or artificial life is behind the huge structure. Another user wrote: “This structure belongs to the civilization which existed before the flood. Around 10,000 years ago Antarctica was warm.”

<h2>Scientists explain 'pyramidal peaked mountain'</h2>

Explaining the puzzling structure, the scientists said that is a feature of glaciated areas which is called a 'pyramidal peaked mountain'. 
 
“The pyramid-shaped structures are located in the Ellsworth Mountains, which is a range more than 400 km long, so it's no surprise there are rocky peaks cropping out above the ice. The peaks are clearly composed of rock, and it's a coincidence that this particular peak has that shape,” said Dr Mitch Darcy, a geologist at the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, while speaking to IFLScience. 
 
“It's not a complicated shape, so it's not a special coincidence either. By definition, it is a nunatak, which is simply a peak of rock sticking out above a glacier or an ice sheet. This one has the shape of a pyramid, but that doesn't make it a human construction,” Darcy added.

<h2>Argentina-sized amount of sea ice missing</h2>

Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, amid the record-breaking summer, the sea ice did not return to anywhere near the expected levels. Since recordkeeping&nbsp;started 45 years ago, it remained at the lowest level at this time of the year.

WATCH |&nbsp;Antarctica's sea ice at record low as effects of climate change take shape

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/antarcticas-sea-ice-at-record-low-as-effects-of-climate-change-take-shape-611431/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The National Snow and Ice Data Centre&nbsp;(NSIDC) said that the ice was around 1.6 million square kilometres (0.6 million square miles) below the previous winter's lowest record set in 2022. 
 
In July, the sea ice was 2.6 million square kilometres (1 million square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average in Antarctica. This is equal to the size of Argentina or the combined areas of Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. 
 
Glaciologist at the University of Colorado Boulder Ted Scambos said, “The game has changed. There’s no sense talking about the odds of it happening the way the system used to be, it’s clearly telling us that the system has changed.”&nbsp;

You can&nbsp;now write for wionews.com&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Antarctica, a continent which is known to be covered in snow and ice, and has no permanent human population, has come under heated debate after a mysterious triangular structure appeared in its satellite images.

Antarctica, a continent which is known to be covered in snow and ice, and has no permanent human population, has come under heated debate after a mysterious triangular structure appeared in its satellite images. The images left social media users baffled and started debates about where this supposed 'pyramid' came from. In the satellite images of the Ellsworth Mountain range, which lies in the southern part of Antarctica, the huge pyramid-shaped mass was spotted. In the area, various strange-looking peaks were discovered with one measuring two kilometres in every direction of its square base, which is similar to Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza. However, after the images of the 'pyramids' circulated on social media, people started sharing theories on how such an enormous structure came into existence. Taking to microblogging platform X, the new version of Twitter, one user stated, “Wait how they moved the pyramids from Egypt to Antarctica?” ALSO READ | Century-old mystery behind Antarctica's Blood Falls finally SOLVED Some users went on to say that the fabled secret society, 'the Illuminati' or artificial life is behind the huge structure. Another user wrote: “This structure belongs to the civilization which existed before the flood. Around 10,000 years ago Antarctica was warm.” Scientists explain 'pyramidal peaked mountain' Explaining the puzzling structure, the scientists said that is a feature of glaciated areas which is called a 'pyramidal peaked mountain'. “The pyramid-shaped structures are located in the Ellsworth Mountains, which is a range more than 400 km long, so it's no surprise there are rocky peaks cropping out above the ice. The peaks are clearly composed of rock, and it's a coincidence that this particular peak has that shape,” said Dr Mitch Darcy, a geologist at the German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam, while speaking to IFLScience. “It's not a complicated shape, so it's not a special coincidence either. By definition, it is a nunatak, which is simply a peak of rock sticking out above a glacier or an ice sheet. This one has the shape of a pyramid, but that doesn't make it a human construction,” Darcy added. Argentina-sized amount of sea ice missing Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, amid the record-breaking summer, the sea ice did not return to anywhere near the expected levels. Since recordkeeping started 45 years ago, it remained at the lowest level at this time of the year. WATCH | Antarctica's sea ice at record low as effects of climate change take shape The National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) said that the ice was around 1.6 million square kilometres (0.6 million square miles) below the previous winter's lowest record set in 2022. In July, the sea ice was 2.6 million square kilometres (1 million square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average in Antarctica. This is equal to the size of Argentina or the combined areas of Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. Glaciologist at the University of Colorado Boulder Ted Scambos said, “The game has changed. There’s no sense talking about the odds of it happening the way the system used to be, it’s clearly telling us that the system has changed.” You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Mystery 'pyramid' appears in satellite images of Antarctica, sparks conspiracy theories

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