Scientists have spotted a "mystery mollusc" within the ocean’s midnight zone. The "sea slug" is a nudibranch that glows, swims, and has an apple-sized body with a paddle-like tail and a large gelatinous hood. It is Bathydevius caudactylus, the first known nudibranch of its kind. Nudibranchs are also known as sea slugs and are soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs.

The discovery was made by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who say that the sea slug is completely different from other sea slugs. Their discovery has been published in the journal Deep Sea Research Part I and describes the new species.

The sea slug is the first to be found in the deep ocean, more than 7,220 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Most sea slugs typically live on the seafloor or in coastal environments like tide pools. Only a handful of them live in open water near the surface.

Bruce Robison and Steven Haddock, senior scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute first spotted the marine creature in 2000 using a subsea research robot during a deep-water dive expedition. Since then, they say that it has been seen more than 150 times.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/deaf-mosquitoes-cant-have-sex-so-scientists-see-it-as-a-way-to-combat-dengue-773481">Deaf mosquitoes can't have sex, so scientists see it as a way to combat dengue</a>

<h2>Studying the deep midwaters is tough</h2>

Scientists have faced challenges studying the deep midwaters because of their depth. They are now hoping that studying the Bathydevius and its adaptations can help them understand more about the midnight zone. Notably, it is the largest habitat on Earth and 70 per cent of all seawater on the planet exists in this region.

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“Our discovery is a new piece of the puzzle that can help better understand the largest habitat on Earth," co-lead study author Robison said.

Bathydevius slug's body glows with bioluminescence, putting all its organs on display. The researchers described the slug they had seen in the sea with a large, gaping hood and a fringed tail. It has translucent skin and roseate internal organs which were clearly visible. When it felt threatened, it lit up with a bioluminescent glow.

The scientists say the glow seems to be a defence mechanism, along with something else seen in a familiar reptile. One of the tendrils on the slug's tail glowed steadily, was rotating, and was eventually detached, just like how a lizard leaves its tail behind.&nbsp;

Scientists have spotted a "mystery mollusc" within the ocean’s midnight zone. The "sea slug" is a nudibranch that glows, swims, and has an apple-sized body with a paddle-like tail and a large gelatinous hood.

Scientists have spotted a "mystery mollusc" within the ocean’s midnight zone. The "sea slug" is a nudibranch that glows, swims, and has an apple-sized body with a paddle-like tail and a large gelatinous hood. It is Bathydevius caudactylus, the first known nudibranch of its kind. Nudibranchs are also known as sea slugs and are soft-bodied marine gastropod molluscs. The discovery was made by researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute who say that the sea slug is completely different from other sea slugs. Their discovery has been published in the journal Deep Sea Research Part I and describes the new species. The sea slug is the first to be found in the deep ocean, more than 7,220 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Most sea slugs typically live on the seafloor or in coastal environments like tide pools. Only a handful of them live in open water near the surface. Bruce Robison and Steven Haddock, senior scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute first spotted the marine creature in 2000 using a subsea research robot during a deep-water dive expedition. Since then, they say that it has been seen more than 150 times. Also Read: Deaf mosquitoes can't have sex, so scientists see it as a way to combat dengue Studying the deep midwaters is tough Scientists have faced challenges studying the deep midwaters because of their depth. They are now hoping that studying the Bathydevius and its adaptations can help them understand more about the midnight zone. Notably, it is the largest habitat on Earth and 70 per cent of all seawater on the planet exists in this region. × “Our discovery is a new piece of the puzzle that can help better understand the largest habitat on Earth," co-lead study author Robison said. Bathydevius slug's body glows with bioluminescence, putting all its organs on display. The researchers described the slug they had seen in the sea with a large, gaping hood and a fringed tail. It has translucent skin and roseate internal organs which were clearly visible. When it felt threatened, it lit up with a bioluminescent glow. The scientists say the glow seems to be a defence mechanism, along with something else seen in a familiar reptile. One of the tendrils on the slug's tail glowed steadily, was rotating, and was eventually detached, just like how a lizard leaves its tail behind.

Glowing 'mystery sea slug' that detaches part of its body stuns scientists

Scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have found a way to generate power on Mars in the future using thermoelectric generators. They conducted a study which shows that thermoelectric generators operating under modest temperature differences can help CO2 conversion.

The findings have led them to believe that temperature differentials in different environments can help convert CO2 to different types of useful fuels and chemicals.

The paper has been published in the journal Device.

They are particularly intrigued by the possibility of its application in the cold environment of Mars where CO2 is present in abundance in the red planet's atmosphere.

“The environment on Mars really got me interested in the long-term potential of this technology combination,” said Dr Abhishek Soni, a postdoctoral research fellow at UBC and first author of the study.

“This is a harsh environment where large temperature differences could be leveraged to not only generate power with thermoelectric generators but to convert the abundant CO2 in Mars’ atmosphere into useful products that could supply a colony.”

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/uranus-not-a-hot-mess-a-mistimed-encounter-between-voyager-2-in-1986-messed-up-data-775505">Uranus not a hot mess: A mistimed encounter between Voyager 2 in 1986 messed up data</a>

The researchers attached the generators to two different temperatures and found that when the difference between the two faces was at least 40 degrees Celsius, enough steady current was released to power an electrolyser that converts CO2 to CO.

<h2>Colonising Mars</h2>

On Mars, the process becomes a bit more challenging. The Martian atmosphere comprises 95 per cent carbon dioxide. Temperatures on the red planet range from 20 degrees C to -153 degrees C.

A biodome would need to be created on Mars and maintained at room temperature. Thermoelectric generators placed on the dome’s surface will use the difference between indoor temperatures and the frigid outside temperatures to generate power. This power can drive CO2 conversion into other carbon-based products, such as fuels and chemicals.&nbsp;

The researchers are excited by the various possibilities this technology can lead to.&nbsp;

“This paper shows a fun way to make carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals,” Professor Curtis P. Berlinguette, principal investigator at UBC, said. It can help create plastic that might be needed on Mars one day, and "this technology shows one way we can make it there," he said.

Scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have found a way to generate power on Mars in the future using thermoelectric generators. They conducted a study which shows that thermoelectric generators operating under modest temperature differences can help CO2 conversion.

Scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have found a way to generate power on Mars in the future using thermoelectric generators. They conducted a study which shows that thermoelectric generators operating under modest temperature differences can help CO2 conversion. The findings have led them to believe that temperature differentials in different environments can help convert CO2 to different types of useful fuels and chemicals. The paper has been published in the journal Device. They are particularly intrigued by the possibility of its application in the cold environment of Mars where CO2 is present in abundance in the red planet's atmosphere. “The environment on Mars really got me interested in the long-term potential of this technology combination,” said Dr Abhishek Soni, a postdoctoral research fellow at UBC and first author of the study. “This is a harsh environment where large temperature differences could be leveraged to not only generate power with thermoelectric generators but to convert the abundant CO2 in Mars’ atmosphere into useful products that could supply a colony.” Also Read: Uranus not a hot mess: A mistimed encounter between Voyager 2 in 1986 messed up data The researchers attached the generators to two different temperatures and found that when the difference between the two faces was at least 40 degrees Celsius, enough steady current was released to power an electrolyser that converts CO2 to CO. Colonising Mars On Mars, the process becomes a bit more challenging. The Martian atmosphere comprises 95 per cent carbon dioxide. Temperatures on the red planet range from 20 degrees C to -153 degrees C. A biodome would need to be created on Mars and maintained at room temperature. Thermoelectric generators placed on the dome’s surface will use the difference between indoor temperatures and the frigid outside temperatures to generate power. This power can drive CO2 conversion into other carbon-based products, such as fuels and chemicals. The researchers are excited by the various possibilities this technology can lead to. “This paper shows a fun way to make carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals,” Professor Curtis P. Berlinguette, principal investigator at UBC, said. It can help create plastic that might be needed on Mars one day, and "this technology shows one way we can make it there," he said.

Mars is full of CO2. Scientists want to make fuel and plastic out of it

Comets are common in the universe, but not a lot of them are frequent visitors to our solar system. Those that do take the trip, do so after an interval of years. Some of them even have a 200-year period of return, making it harder to detect them. They are born towards the outer edges of the solar system and are known as long-period comets (LPCs).&nbsp;

Such comets pose a risk to Earth and can ram into the planet without being detected beforehand. As per estimates, such comets can cause up to six per cent of all impacts on Earth.

Halley's Comet probably has the shortest cycle and visits Earth every 76 years. It last came in 1986 and will next approach us in 2061. This helps scientists prepare for it. But some comets, like the recent A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, visit unannounced.

Scientists have found a way to know when such a comet might fly by Earth - Follow the trail.&nbsp;

Comets leave behind a breadcrumb-like trail of meteoroids. These cosmic visitors are icy bodies that when approaching the sun, heat up a bit, causing much of its ice to vapourise. The comet's rocks and dust turn into a meteoroid stream, and their path parallels the comet's.

When these meteoroid streams strike Earth, some of them rain down the atmosphere as meteor showers. Scientists say that these trails can help learn about the meteoroid's speed and direction of travel, leading to the discovery of the parent comets.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/happy-new-year-on-mars-nasa-celebrates-as-rovers-join-the-party-775767">Happy New Year... on Mars! NASA celebrates as rovers join the party</a>

<h2>Locating parent comets</h2>

The study authors tested the theory by looking at 17 meteor showers with known parent LPCs. Based on each shower's properties, they generated one family of synthetic LPCs for each meteoroid stream.

They then virtually placed the comet clusters at distances from where they were bright enough only for the Rubin Observatory. To know how accurate they were, they matched the locations of these synthetic comet families with the real comets' positions.&nbsp;

Most of the actual parent comets were found to largely lie in the same area, close to the centres of their respective artificial clusters. They also found that back-projecting the meteoroid streams made the field to check for parent comets much narrower.

They also found that locating comets that were billions of miles away and one day might potentially hit Earth gave experts years to do something about the incoming impact.

Samantha Hemmelgarn, a graduate student at Northern Arizona University and the study's first author, said that there are at least 247 orphaned meteoroid streams whose paths cross with Earth. "Hopefully with LSST, we will be able to detect comets on Earth crossing orbits much sooner than we can now," she said.

Comets are common in the universe, but not a lot of them are frequent visitors to our solar system. Those that do take the trip, do so after an interval of years.

Comets are common in the universe, but not a lot of them are frequent visitors to our solar system. Those that do take the trip, do so after an interval of years. Some of them even have a 200-year period of return, making it harder to detect them. They are born towards the outer edges of the solar system and are known as long-period comets (LPCs). Such comets pose a risk to Earth and can ram into the planet without being detected beforehand. As per estimates, such comets can cause up to six per cent of all impacts on Earth. Halley's Comet probably has the shortest cycle and visits Earth every 76 years. It last came in 1986 and will next approach us in 2061. This helps scientists prepare for it. But some comets, like the recent A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, visit unannounced. Scientists have found a way to know when such a comet might fly by Earth - Follow the trail. Comets leave behind a breadcrumb-like trail of meteoroids. These cosmic visitors are icy bodies that when approaching the sun, heat up a bit, causing much of its ice to vapourise. The comet's rocks and dust turn into a meteoroid stream, and their path parallels the comet's. When these meteoroid streams strike Earth, some of them rain down the atmosphere as meteor showers. Scientists say that these trails can help learn about the meteoroid's speed and direction of travel, leading to the discovery of the parent comets. Also Read: Happy New Year... on Mars! NASA celebrates as rovers join the party Locating parent comets The study authors tested the theory by looking at 17 meteor showers with known parent LPCs. Based on each shower's properties, they generated one family of synthetic LPCs for each meteoroid stream. They then virtually placed the comet clusters at distances from where they were bright enough only for the Rubin Observatory. To know how accurate they were, they matched the locations of these synthetic comet families with the real comets' positions. Most of the actual parent comets were found to largely lie in the same area, close to the centres of their respective artificial clusters. They also found that back-projecting the meteoroid streams made the field to check for parent comets much narrower. They also found that locating comets that were billions of miles away and one day might potentially hit Earth gave experts years to do something about the incoming impact. Samantha Hemmelgarn, a graduate student at Northern Arizona University and the study's first author, said that there are at least 247 orphaned meteoroid streams whose paths cross with Earth. "Hopefully with LSST, we will be able to detect comets on Earth crossing orbits much sooner than we can now," she said.

How to spot comets that can impact Earth? Look at the t(r)ail, scientists suggest

Happy New Year! We know that the year 2025 is still a few weeks away on Earth, but our neighbour Mars is entering a new year today. The red planet has begun its next revolution of the sun which happens after a long wait.&nbsp;

While Earth revolves in orbit around the sun in 365 days, six hours and nine minutes, it takes Mars 687 Earth days to complete one orbit of the star. The last time it celebrated its new year was on Dec 26, 2022.&nbsp;

NASA posted a message on the social media platform X from its NASA Mars handle, informing readers that Mars is ushering in its new year on Nov 13, 2024. It wrote, "Happy New Year... on Mars!"

"Because the Red Planet takes longer to orbit the Sun than Earth, its year is longer. 687 days, in fact. The last one was celebrated on Dec. 26, 2022."

It also posted a video about Mars' new year, further writing, "Confused? Don't be. This "Mars in a Minute" video has the answers."

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Happy New Year... on Mars! 🎉 
 
Because the Red Planet takes longer to orbit the Sun than Earth, its year is longer. 687 days, in fact. The last one was celebrated on Dec. 26, 2022. 
 
Confused? Don't be. This "Mars in a Minute" video has the answers. <a href="https://t.co/jq2KI11Tf2">pic.twitter.com/jq2KI11Tf2</a>
— NASA Mars (@NASAMars) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAMars/status/1856441539767218456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Perseverance Mars Rover also joined in the party, with its handle posting a fun comment under the original post.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mars-is-full-of-co2-scientists-want-to-make-fuel-and-plastic-out-of-it-775736">Mars is full of CO2. Scientists want to make fuel and plastic out of it</a>

"Happy Mars New Year! This is my second trip around the Sun on the Red Planet, and I can't wait for what's yet to explore and discover."

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Happy Mars New Year! 
 
This is my second trip around the Sun on the Red Planet, and I can't wait for what's yet to explore and discover.
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1856445534397182130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Since a year on Mars is longer than Earth's, humans are way younger on the red planet.

Perseverance landed on the red planet in Feb 2021 and has been tasked with the work of exploring the Jezero Crater and figuring out if life ever existed on the planet, and if yes, then what made it vanish?&nbsp;

The rover is currently climbing the steep slopes of the crater to reach its rim. It is expected to reach the rim by early December.&nbsp;

NASA's video gave a shoutout to the Curiosity rover that landed on Mars in 2012 and was supposed to spend only one Martian year there. However, it is still going strong and exploring the dusty planet. Curiosity's X handle also commented on the post.

"Oh wow, what a throwback to my first extended mission in 2014. And I’m still rollin' and explorin'. Happy (Martian) New Year!"

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Oh wow, what a throwback to my first extended mission in 2014. And I’m still rollin' and explorin'. 
 
Happy (Martian) New Year!
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarsCuriosity/status/1856442008216449374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Since Mars has a longer year than Earth, that translates to longer seasons as well. This means that the Martian winter is also much longer, limiting access to sunlight. The rovers on the red planet face challenges during this time and need to conserve their energy since there is no sunlight to charge their solar panels.&nbsp;

Happy New Year! We know that the year 2025 is still a few weeks away on Earth, but our neighbour Mars is entering a new year today. The red planet has begun its next revolution of the sun which happens after a long wait.

Happy New Year! We know that the year 2025 is still a few weeks away on Earth, but our neighbour Mars is entering a new year today. The red planet has begun its next revolution of the sun which happens after a long wait. While Earth revolves in orbit around the sun in 365 days, six hours and nine minutes, it takes Mars 687 Earth days to complete one orbit of the star. The last time it celebrated its new year was on Dec 26, 2022. NASA posted a message on the social media platform X from its NASA Mars handle, informing readers that Mars is ushering in its new year on Nov 13, 2024. It wrote, "Happy New Year... on Mars!" "Because the Red Planet takes longer to orbit the Sun than Earth, its year is longer. 687 days, in fact. The last one was celebrated on Dec. 26, 2022." It also posted a video about Mars' new year, further writing, "Confused? Don't be. This "Mars in a Minute" video has the answers." Happy New Year... on Mars! 🎉 Because the Red Planet takes longer to orbit the Sun than Earth, its year is longer. 687 days, in fact. The last one was celebrated on Dec. 26, 2022. Confused? Don't be. This "Mars in a Minute" video has the answers. pic.twitter.com/jq2KI11Tf2 — NASA Mars (@NASAMars) November 12, 2024 × Perseverance Mars Rover also joined in the party, with its handle posting a fun comment under the original post. Also Read: Mars is full of CO2. Scientists want to make fuel and plastic out of it "Happy Mars New Year! This is my second trip around the Sun on the Red Planet, and I can't wait for what's yet to explore and discover." Happy Mars New Year! This is my second trip around the Sun on the Red Planet, and I can't wait for what's yet to explore and discover. — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) November 12, 2024 × Since a year on Mars is longer than Earth's, humans are way younger on the red planet. Perseverance landed on the red planet in Feb 2021 and has been tasked with the work of exploring the Jezero Crater and figuring out if life ever existed on the planet, and if yes, then what made it vanish? The rover is currently climbing the steep slopes of the crater to reach its rim. It is expected to reach the rim by early December. NASA's video gave a shoutout to the Curiosity rover that landed on Mars in 2012 and was supposed to spend only one Martian year there. However, it is still going strong and exploring the dusty planet. Curiosity's X handle also commented on the post. "Oh wow, what a throwback to my first extended mission in 2014. And I’m still rollin' and explorin'. Happy (Martian) New Year!" Oh wow, what a throwback to my first extended mission in 2014. And I’m still rollin' and explorin'. Happy (Martian) New Year! — Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) November 12, 2024 × Since Mars has a longer year than Earth, that translates to longer seasons as well. This means that the Martian winter is also much longer, limiting access to sunlight. The rovers on the red planet face challenges during this time and need to conserve their energy since there is no sunlight to charge their solar panels.

Happy New Year... on Mars! NASA celebrates as rovers join the party

The people in the midwest United States—covering Colorado,&nbsp;Texas,&nbsp;Oklahoma and Kansas—were&nbsp;left baffled when they saw mysterious glowing objects falling from the sky and breaking into pieces over various states.&nbsp;

The streaks of glowing lights appeared over the states, which left many questioning if it was a fireball, meteor shower, or some kind of alien attack.

The phenomena were reported by dozens of people at around 9 pm ET who said that the lights appeared streaking across the sky for around 60 seconds before they disappeared.&nbsp;

The spectacular show was captured by many people who saw red and orange shining streaks breaking into various parts before they dimmed and disappeared in the night sky, reported The Daily Mail.

Speaking about it, a Texas resident said, "It first seemed like it was going straight up toward the sky then went directly over our head, and we could see it breaking up as it travelled directly over us."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/asteroid-hits-earth-near-california-moments-after-being-discovered-770523">Asteroid hits Earth near California moments after being discovered</a>

In the Lone Star State, another resident said that it was "by far the brightest meteor event I have ever witnessed."

<h2>What was the truth behind these shining streaks?</h2>

Astronomer and orbital debris expert Jonathan McDowell revealed that the mysterious light show was the result of the breaking up&nbsp;of a SpaceX&nbsp;Starlink satellite when it re-entered Earth's atmosphere.&nbsp;

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BREAKING — Thousands across the Southwest, United States, especially in Oklahoma and Texas, are witnessing a mysterious object breaking apart in the sky, creating a dramatic display. Bright, glowing debris fragments scattered across the sky, visible from miles away. 
 
Witnesses… <a href="https://t.co/9nFGDUV0yb">pic.twitter.com/9nFGDUV0yb</a>
— News is Dead (@newsisdead) <a href="https://twitter.com/newsisdead/status/1855477458792763490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Thousands of SpaceX's Starlink satellites continue to orbit Earth and ensure that internet access reaches the remote areas.&nbsp;

When their missions come to an end, internet satellites make a re-entry into the atmosphere of Earth to avoid filling the orbit of the planet with any space debris.&nbsp;

Speaking to Space.com, McDowell said that these satellites "are dominating' the clutter in Earth's atmosphere, adding that 'there is now a Starlink reentry almost every day, sometimes multiple."&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Space Agency NASA Issues Asteroid Warning

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When this satellite re-entered, it flew over Washington state and moved southeast before it disappeared over northern Texas.

Speaking about the satellite, an Oklahoma resident said that it appeared like a "bright fireball heading southeast, slow-moving, looked like it split into 3 parts,' while another called it 'the coolest thing I've seen."

In the last five years, the number of Starlink satellites which have reentered the atmosphere has increased drastically.&nbsp;

"We are seeing a similar increase in the number of satellites now that hundreds of Starlink satellites are starting to come down," said McDowell, while speaking to Space.com.

(With inputs from agencies)

The people in the midwest United States—covering Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas—were left baffled when they saw mysterious glowing objects falling from the sky and breaking into pieces over various states.

The people in the midwest United States—covering Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas—were left baffled when they saw mysterious glowing objects falling from the sky and breaking into pieces over various states. The streaks of glowing lights appeared over the states, which left many questioning if it was a fireball, meteor shower, or some kind of alien attack. The phenomena were reported by dozens of people at around 9 pm ET who said that the lights appeared streaking across the sky for around 60 seconds before they disappeared. The spectacular show was captured by many people who saw red and orange shining streaks breaking into various parts before they dimmed and disappeared in the night sky, reported The Daily Mail. Speaking about it, a Texas resident said, "It first seemed like it was going straight up toward the sky then went directly over our head, and we could see it breaking up as it travelled directly over us." Also Read: Asteroid hits Earth near California moments after being discovered In the Lone Star State, another resident said that it was "by far the brightest meteor event I have ever witnessed." What was the truth behind these shining streaks? Astronomer and orbital debris expert Jonathan McDowell revealed that the mysterious light show was the result of the breaking up of a SpaceX Starlink satellite when it re-entered Earth's atmosphere. BREAKING — Thousands across the Southwest, United States, especially in Oklahoma and Texas, are witnessing a mysterious object breaking apart in the sky, creating a dramatic display. Bright, glowing debris fragments scattered across the sky, visible from miles away. Witnesses… pic.twitter.com/9nFGDUV0yb — News is Dead (@newsisdead) November 10, 2024 × Thousands of SpaceX's Starlink satellites continue to orbit Earth and ensure that internet access reaches the remote areas. When their missions come to an end, internet satellites make a re-entry into the atmosphere of Earth to avoid filling the orbit of the planet with any space debris. Speaking to Space.com, McDowell said that these satellites "are dominating' the clutter in Earth's atmosphere, adding that 'there is now a Starlink reentry almost every day, sometimes multiple." Watch: Space Agency NASA Issues Asteroid Warning When this satellite re-entered, it flew over Washington state and moved southeast before it disappeared over northern Texas. Speaking about the satellite, an Oklahoma resident said that it appeared like a "bright fireball heading southeast, slow-moving, looked like it split into 3 parts,' while another called it 'the coolest thing I've seen." In the last five years, the number of Starlink satellites which have reentered the atmosphere has increased drastically. "We are seeing a similar increase in the number of satellites now that hundreds of Starlink satellites are starting to come down," said McDowell, while speaking to Space.com. (With inputs from agencies)

Alien attack or meteor shower? Mysterious glowing objects fall from sky in midwest US

Millions of years ago, several supernova explosions led to the creation of a unique low-density bubble called the Local Hot Bubble (LHB). At least this is what scientists believe built this structure. Our solar system sits inside this cavity that stretches at least 1,000 light-years. It is a million degrees in temperature, but since its atoms are so sparse, the heat doesn't affect everything that resides inside it.&nbsp;

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) recently found something astounding inside the LHB. Astrophysicist Michael Yeung, Michael Freyberg, and their team members discovered the presence of an interstellar tunnel towards Centaurus.

The study was published in Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics.

Yeung and other members of the team used eROSITA, a powerful X-ray telescope aboard a space observatory, to map the LHB in detail. The telescope operates 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, giving it a unique view of the X-ray sky.&nbsp;

They divided the sky into 2,000 sections and analysed each of them. They discovered that LHB is not a uniform sphere. Instead, it is more perpendicular to the galactic plane.&nbsp;

Freyberg then noted that the bubble is shaped like a bipolar nebula. Along with this, they found the startling interstellar tunnel.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/uranus-not-a-hot-mess-a-mistimed-encounter-between-voyager-2-in-1986-messed-up-data-775505">Uranus not a hot mess: A mistimed encounter between Voyager 2 in 1986 messed up data</a>

"What we didn't know was the existence of an interstellar tunnel towards Centaurus, which carves a gap in the cooler interstellar medium," Freyberg stated.

<h2>Where does the interstellar tunnel go?</h2>

The discovery of the tunnel brings to light a 1974 theory that states our galaxy has several interconnected hot bubbles and tunnels. However, there has never been any evidence that such a network exists.&nbsp;

Scientists believe the tunnel could be acting as a connector between the LHB and another superbubble or the Gum Nebula. The tunnel doesn't sit there all alone. The researchers' model showed that the northern region of the tunnel was hotter than the southern. This likely means that supernova events in the last few million years have likely reheated parts of the bubble.

The discovery of the tunnel towards Centaurus hints at the existence of a vast network of hot bubbles and tunnels in the Milky Way. These findings can help learn about the history of the galaxy, experts say. 
&nbsp;

Millions of years ago, several supernova explosions led to the creation of a unique low-density bubble called the Local Hot Bubble (LHB). At least this is what scientists believe built this structure.

Millions of years ago, several supernova explosions led to the creation of a unique low-density bubble called the Local Hot Bubble (LHB). At least this is what scientists believe built this structure. Our solar system sits inside this cavity that stretches at least 1,000 light-years. It is a million degrees in temperature, but since its atoms are so sparse, the heat doesn't affect everything that resides inside it. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) recently found something astounding inside the LHB. Astrophysicist Michael Yeung, Michael Freyberg, and their team members discovered the presence of an interstellar tunnel towards Centaurus. The study was published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Yeung and other members of the team used eROSITA, a powerful X-ray telescope aboard a space observatory, to map the LHB in detail. The telescope operates 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, giving it a unique view of the X-ray sky. They divided the sky into 2,000 sections and analysed each of them. They discovered that LHB is not a uniform sphere. Instead, it is more perpendicular to the galactic plane. Freyberg then noted that the bubble is shaped like a bipolar nebula. Along with this, they found the startling interstellar tunnel. Also Read: Uranus not a hot mess: A mistimed encounter between Voyager 2 in 1986 messed up data "What we didn't know was the existence of an interstellar tunnel towards Centaurus, which carves a gap in the cooler interstellar medium," Freyberg stated. Where does the interstellar tunnel go? The discovery of the tunnel brings to light a 1974 theory that states our galaxy has several interconnected hot bubbles and tunnels. However, there has never been any evidence that such a network exists. Scientists believe the tunnel could be acting as a connector between the LHB and another superbubble or the Gum Nebula. The tunnel doesn't sit there all alone. The researchers' model showed that the northern region of the tunnel was hotter than the southern. This likely means that supernova events in the last few million years have likely reheated parts of the bubble. The discovery of the tunnel towards Centaurus hints at the existence of a vast network of hot bubbles and tunnels in the Milky Way. These findings can help learn about the history of the galaxy, experts say.

Interstellar tunnel near solar system might connect us to other worlds

Uranus is not what astronomers have thought it to be for the last several years. Our initial perception of the planet is based on data collected by Voyager 2. In 1986, when the mission flew past Uranus, it observed its magnetic field which appeared to be messy, off-centre and unusual.

This was very different from everything else that has been observed in the solar system. Astronomers have been trying to dive into the mysterious past of the planet and working to understand what makes its magnetic field such a hot mess.

However, a study has now raised questions over everything Voyager beamed back about Uranus. Space plasma physicist Jamie Jasinski of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology says that the planet might not have an extreme magnetospheric environment as believed.

Jasinski and his team have discovered that at the time Voyager 2 flew by Uranus, it was likely battling intense solar activity, which was messing with the planet.&nbsp;

He told ScienceAlert that he looked at the solar wind data at Uranus and "saw that Voyager 2 measured a dramatic increase in the solar wind dynamic pressure just before the flyby".

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/experts-stumble-upon-a-crime-scene-in-space-who-committed-it-and-when-775115">Experts stumble upon a crime scene in space. Who committed it and when?</a>

"I realised that the magnetosphere must have been squashed to 20 per cent of its volume just before the flyby happened, which would have affected the discoveries we made with Voyager 2!," Jasinski said.

<h2>Voyager 2 mission and its data</h2>

Scientists say that since Uranus is extremely far away, it has been hard to learn about it. Voyager 2's measurements are the best and the closest observations of the planet to date. But solar system is not a static place and things are at the mercy of the vagaries of the space weather at a certain time.&nbsp;

Uranian magnetosphere had intense radiation belts and much less plasma than was expected, based on data about the other planets.

Jasinski, who earlier worked on NASA's MESSENGER mission, which studied the planet Mercury, observed that intense solar activity sometimes "completely eroded the entire magnetic field". This led him to wonder if the same could be the case with Uranus.

"The Voyager 2 flyby of Uranus lasted just five days, so I thought we may have observed Uranus at just the wrong time," he said.

The researchers again studied Voyager 2's data and found that the dynamic solar wind pressure had increased a week before the flyby.&nbsp;

The observations led the team to conclude that if the solar wind was flowing at its normal rate, then Uranus's magnetic field would be similar to the magnetic fields of the other gas giants, such as Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune.

The latest discovery means that the assumption that the interior of Uranus,&nbsp;where the magnetic field is generated, was unique in the Solar System, might be flawed.&nbsp;

Uranus is not what astronomers have thought it to be for the last several years. Our initial perception of the planet is based on data collected by Voyager 2. In 1986, when the mission flew past Uranus, it observed its magnetic field which appeared to be messy, off-centre and unusual.

Uranus is not what astronomers have thought it to be for the last several years. Our initial perception of the planet is based on data collected by Voyager 2. In 1986, when the mission flew past Uranus, it observed its magnetic field which appeared to be messy, off-centre and unusual. This was very different from everything else that has been observed in the solar system. Astronomers have been trying to dive into the mysterious past of the planet and working to understand what makes its magnetic field such a hot mess. However, a study has now raised questions over everything Voyager beamed back about Uranus. Space plasma physicist Jamie Jasinski of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology says that the planet might not have an extreme magnetospheric environment as believed. Jasinski and his team have discovered that at the time Voyager 2 flew by Uranus, it was likely battling intense solar activity, which was messing with the planet. He told ScienceAlert that he looked at the solar wind data at Uranus and "saw that Voyager 2 measured a dramatic increase in the solar wind dynamic pressure just before the flyby". Also Read: Experts stumble upon a crime scene in space. Who committed it and when? "I realised that the magnetosphere must have been squashed to 20 per cent of its volume just before the flyby happened, which would have affected the discoveries we made with Voyager 2!," Jasinski said. Voyager 2 mission and its data Scientists say that since Uranus is extremely far away, it has been hard to learn about it. Voyager 2's measurements are the best and the closest observations of the planet to date. But solar system is not a static place and things are at the mercy of the vagaries of the space weather at a certain time. Uranian magnetosphere had intense radiation belts and much less plasma than was expected, based on data about the other planets. Jasinski, who earlier worked on NASA's MESSENGER mission, which studied the planet Mercury, observed that intense solar activity sometimes "completely eroded the entire magnetic field". This led him to wonder if the same could be the case with Uranus. "The Voyager 2 flyby of Uranus lasted just five days, so I thought we may have observed Uranus at just the wrong time," he said. The researchers again studied Voyager 2's data and found that the dynamic solar wind pressure had increased a week before the flyby. The observations led the team to conclude that if the solar wind was flowing at its normal rate, then Uranus's magnetic field would be similar to the magnetic fields of the other gas giants, such as Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. The latest discovery means that the assumption that the interior of Uranus, where the magnetic field is generated, was unique in the Solar System, might be flawed.

Uranus not a hot mess: A mistimed encounter between Voyager 2 in 1986 messed up data

A volcanic comet moving around in the inner solar system has suddenly become extremely violent, blasting out four times in 48 hours. Researchers say that the activity has caused it to spew out so much energy that it is now nearly 300 times brighter than normal. This comet is known as a centaur and is only one among 500 that race around the inner solar system their entire lives.&nbsp;

Known as 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann (29P), the large icy object measures 60 kilometres. Scientists are scratching their heads, trying to figure out the reason behind its sudden awakening. Notably, the latest explosions are the most violent in more than three years.&nbsp;

Comet 29P is not only a centaur, a rare group of comets, but also a cryovolcanic, or a cold volcano comet, numbering only a few hundred in the universe.&nbsp;

Cryovolcanic comets have an icy shell, or nucleus, filled with ice, dust and gas. Moving near the sun, the comet at one stage soaks up so much radiation that its frosty insides get superheated. When the pressure builds within the nucleus, the shell cracks and the comet's icy guts, or cryomagma, are thrown outside into space.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/is-there-a-planet-nine-nasas-new-telescope-might-soon-answer-the-question-774356">Is Planet Nine lurking in the solar system? We might know in 2025</a>

This leads the comet to become even brighter because its coma — a fuzzy, reflective cloud of cryomagma — expands after an explosion and reflects more of the sun's rays.&nbsp;

Comet 29P experienced its first major eruption on Nov. 2, according to observations listed by the British Astronomical Association (BAA). Three more large outbursts followed in less than 48 hours. BAA astronomers, who have been closely tracking 29P, say that the four eruptions expelled a cloud of debris that reflected 289 times more light than the comet's nucleus.

<h2>'Devil Comet' with horns&nbsp;</h2>

Last year, a similar comet with "horns" hogged the limelight following several explosions. It was comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "the devil comet". The horns were a result of the several blasts the comet had.

Experts say something similar can be expected from 29P as well since explosions can lead comets to take on odd shapes.&nbsp;

The last time 29P had an outburst was in November 2022, when it spewed more than one million tonnes of debris into space. Before that, the comet underwent five major explosions in quick succession in September 2021. The Nov. 2 blasts were larger and more violent than this one.&nbsp;

Cryovolcanic comets move around the sun in elliptical orbits and can travel to the edges of the outer solar system for decades, centuries or even thousands of years. Once they return to the inner solar system, they undergo violent explosions and are later flung back to the outer solar system.

A volcanic comet moving around in the inner solar system has suddenly become extremely violent, blasting out four times in 48 hours. Researchers say that the activity has caused it to spew out so much energy that it is now nearly 300 times brighter than normal.

A volcanic comet moving around in the inner solar system has suddenly become extremely violent, blasting out four times in 48 hours. Researchers say that the activity has caused it to spew out so much energy that it is now nearly 300 times brighter than normal. This comet is known as a centaur and is only one among 500 that race around the inner solar system their entire lives. Known as 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann (29P), the large icy object measures 60 kilometres. Scientists are scratching their heads, trying to figure out the reason behind its sudden awakening. Notably, the latest explosions are the most violent in more than three years. Comet 29P is not only a centaur, a rare group of comets, but also a cryovolcanic, or a cold volcano comet, numbering only a few hundred in the universe. Cryovolcanic comets have an icy shell, or nucleus, filled with ice, dust and gas. Moving near the sun, the comet at one stage soaks up so much radiation that its frosty insides get superheated. When the pressure builds within the nucleus, the shell cracks and the comet's icy guts, or cryomagma, are thrown outside into space. Also Read: Is Planet Nine lurking in the solar system? We might know in 2025 This leads the comet to become even brighter because its coma — a fuzzy, reflective cloud of cryomagma — expands after an explosion and reflects more of the sun's rays. Comet 29P experienced its first major eruption on Nov. 2, according to observations listed by the British Astronomical Association (BAA). Three more large outbursts followed in less than 48 hours. BAA astronomers, who have been closely tracking 29P, say that the four eruptions expelled a cloud of debris that reflected 289 times more light than the comet's nucleus. 'Devil Comet' with horns Last year, a similar comet with "horns" hogged the limelight following several explosions. It was comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, also known as "the devil comet". The horns were a result of the several blasts the comet had. Experts say something similar can be expected from 29P as well since explosions can lead comets to take on odd shapes. The last time 29P had an outburst was in November 2022, when it spewed more than one million tonnes of debris into space. Before that, the comet underwent five major explosions in quick succession in September 2021. The Nov. 2 blasts were larger and more violent than this one. Cryovolcanic comets move around the sun in elliptical orbits and can travel to the edges of the outer solar system for decades, centuries or even thousands of years. Once they return to the inner solar system, they undergo violent explosions and are later flung back to the outer solar system.

Another 'devil' comet? Volcanic icy body witnesses multiple violent explosions

A mystery object travelling at a great speed hit a satellite and gorged a hole in it, sending scientists on a wild goose chase to find the culprit. However, they might never know what caused it. It could either be a micrometeoroid or a piece of space debris.

NanoAvionics, a satellite company, released images showing the damage caused to its MP42 satellite which was launched in 2022. The satellite was made to host several instruments for different customers.&nbsp;

The company has raised concerns about the need to be more responsible in space operations.&nbsp;

"Whether this impact was from a micrometeoroid or a piece of space debris, the collision highlights the need for responsible space operations in orbit and makes us reflect on satellite resilience against these types of events," NanoAvionics wrote online.

Impacts from small meteoroids are a constant danger in space. However, avoiding them is not possible. But experts have been raising the issue of space debris for years which can lead to more such hits in the coming years. The increasing space debris can lead to the Kessler effect where a domino effect is triggered leading to more and more space collisions.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/another-devil-comet-volcanic-icy-body-witnesses-multiple-violent-explosions-775068">Another 'devil' comet? Volcanic icy body witnesses multiple violent explosions</a>

The company says that the impact in this case did not lead to more debris, but left a small hole in a solar panel.&nbsp;

Posting a photo of the satellite, the company wrote on social media, "This space debris or micrometeoroid impact would have been left unnoticed if not for MP42's selfie camera."

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This space debris or micrometeoroid impact would have been left unnoticed if not for MP42's selfie camera. 
 
But two questions still remain unanswered: 
 
When the impact occurred and what caused it. 
 
(🧵1/3) <a href="https://t.co/zHd2P3aqnO">pic.twitter.com/zHd2P3aqnO</a>
— Kongsberg NanoAvionics (@NanoAvionics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NanoAvionics/status/1851637431751086247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

"But two questions still remain unanswered: When the impact occurred and what caused it."

<h2>Who is the culprit?</h2>

What caused the hole? The company doesn't have a direct answer yet, but hinted that the odds don't look good for man-made space debris.&nbsp;Quoting ESA,&nbsp;NanoAvionics wrote, "Our best bets are on a piece of space debris or a micrometeoroid."

"So, what are the odds for either of those?"

Quoting the European Space Agency, NanoAvionics wrote,&nbsp;"Nearly 3 million kg of man-made objects orbit within 2000 km of Earth, whereas only 200 kg of meteoroid mass is present within 2000 km of Earth's surface at any given moment."

As per ESA,&nbsp;"A collision with a 1cm particle travelling 10 km/s (of which there are about a million in orbit) releases the same energy as a small car crashing at 40 km/h."

Putting out the timeline of the incident, it&nbsp;said that the impact seems to have happened "sometime between April of 2023 and October of 2024. That probably doesn't help much."

A mystery object travelling at a great speed hit a satellite and gorged a hole in it, sending scientists on a wild goose chase to find the culprit. However, they might never know what caused it.

A mystery object travelling at a great speed hit a satellite and gorged a hole in it, sending scientists on a wild goose chase to find the culprit. However, they might never know what caused it. It could either be a micrometeoroid or a piece of space debris. NanoAvionics, a satellite company, released images showing the damage caused to its MP42 satellite which was launched in 2022. The satellite was made to host several instruments for different customers. The company has raised concerns about the need to be more responsible in space operations. "Whether this impact was from a micrometeoroid or a piece of space debris, the collision highlights the need for responsible space operations in orbit and makes us reflect on satellite resilience against these types of events," NanoAvionics wrote online. Impacts from small meteoroids are a constant danger in space. However, avoiding them is not possible. But experts have been raising the issue of space debris for years which can lead to more such hits in the coming years. The increasing space debris can lead to the Kessler effect where a domino effect is triggered leading to more and more space collisions. Also Read: Another 'devil' comet? Volcanic icy body witnesses multiple violent explosions The company says that the impact in this case did not lead to more debris, but left a small hole in a solar panel. Posting a photo of the satellite, the company wrote on social media, "This space debris or micrometeoroid impact would have been left unnoticed if not for MP42's selfie camera." This space debris or micrometeoroid impact would have been left unnoticed if not for MP42's selfie camera. But two questions still remain unanswered: When the impact occurred and what caused it. (🧵1/3) pic.twitter.com/zHd2P3aqnO — Kongsberg NanoAvionics (@NanoAvionics) October 30, 2024 × "But two questions still remain unanswered: When the impact occurred and what caused it." Who is the culprit? What caused the hole? The company doesn't have a direct answer yet, but hinted that the odds don't look good for man-made space debris. Quoting ESA, NanoAvionics wrote, "Our best bets are on a piece of space debris or a micrometeoroid." "So, what are the odds for either of those?" Quoting the European Space Agency, NanoAvionics wrote, "Nearly 3 million kg of man-made objects orbit within 2000 km of Earth, whereas only 200 kg of meteoroid mass is present within 2000 km of Earth's surface at any given moment." As per ESA, "A collision with a 1cm particle travelling 10 km/s (of which there are about a million in orbit) releases the same energy as a small car crashing at 40 km/h." Putting out the timeline of the incident, it said that the impact seems to have happened "sometime between April of 2023 and October of 2024. That probably doesn't help much."

Experts stumble upon a crime scene in space. Who committed it and when?

Scientists have come up with a radical plan for stopping the melting of massive Antarctic glaciers, which can lead to catastrophic flooding on the US East Coast.

The researchers have said that by installing a giant&nbsp;underwater curtain, they can thicken the artificial glaciers with seawater or they can cool the bedrock to mitigate warm waters from entering the Thwaites Glacier, also called the "Doomsday Glacier".

The&nbsp;Thwaites Glacier has been melting at an accelerated speed because of climate change&nbsp;and is likely to raise global sea levels by 10 feet, with some fearing that coastal cities like New York,&nbsp;Charleston, Atlantic City, and Miami will be flooded.

To avoid this catastrophic flooding, researchers headed by the Climate Systems Engineering Initiative at the University of&nbsp;Chicago published a report in which they called the proposed idea a "major initiative".&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-figure-out-a-way-to-refreeze-ice-in-arctic-amid-bleak-glacial-future-761830">Scientists figure out a way to refreeze ice in Arctic amid bleak glacial future</a>

Professor of geophysical sciences and co-author of the white paper, Douglas MacAyeal, said, "Our argument is that we should start funding this research now, so that we aren't making panicked decisions down the road when the water is already lapping at our ankles."

<h2>Here's how researchers plan to save 'Doomsday Glacier'</h2>

In the new report, one proposal said that seawater can be pumped on the surface of the Doomsday Glacier where it will freeze because of cold air temperatures and thicken the glacier. However, the idea comes with its risks and costs, warned the authors.

The seawater's salinity can damage the ice's structural integrity and energy is required for pumping large volumes of seawater.

UK startup Real Ice has been working on the idea of pumping seawater since 2019. Earlier, the field trials showed promising results in Canada, however, its deployment at a large scale will cost around $6 billion per year and need enormous energy input.

Watch:&nbsp;Melting Glaciers Raise Eruption Risk Worldwide

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/melting-glaciers-raise-eruption-risk-worldwide-771018/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Scientists also proposed other geoengineering solutions for stopping the melting of the glacier.

According to some experts, the ideas are "radical" and said that geoengineering "would be difficult or impossible to achieve and draw focus away from the more necessary&nbsp; conversation of reducing carbon emissions."

Climate economist at the Columbia Climate School, Gernot Wagner, said, "When we talk about glacial geoengineering, we need to tell the truth, which is that it's not a solution to climate change - at best, it's a painkiller."

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have come up with a radical plan for stopping the melting of massive Antarctic glaciers, which can lead to catastrophic flooding on the US East Coast.

Scientists have come up with a radical plan for stopping the melting of massive Antarctic glaciers, which can lead to catastrophic flooding on the US East Coast. The researchers have said that by installing a giant underwater curtain, they can thicken the artificial glaciers with seawater or they can cool the bedrock to mitigate warm waters from entering the Thwaites Glacier, also called the "Doomsday Glacier". The Thwaites Glacier has been melting at an accelerated speed because of climate change and is likely to raise global sea levels by 10 feet, with some fearing that coastal cities like New York, Charleston, Atlantic City, and Miami will be flooded. To avoid this catastrophic flooding, researchers headed by the Climate Systems Engineering Initiative at the University of Chicago published a report in which they called the proposed idea a "major initiative". Also Read: Scientists figure out a way to refreeze ice in Arctic amid bleak glacial future Professor of geophysical sciences and co-author of the white paper, Douglas MacAyeal, said, "Our argument is that we should start funding this research now, so that we aren't making panicked decisions down the road when the water is already lapping at our ankles." Here's how researchers plan to save 'Doomsday Glacier' In the new report, one proposal said that seawater can be pumped on the surface of the Doomsday Glacier where it will freeze because of cold air temperatures and thicken the glacier. However, the idea comes with its risks and costs, warned the authors. The seawater's salinity can damage the ice's structural integrity and energy is required for pumping large volumes of seawater. UK startup Real Ice has been working on the idea of pumping seawater since 2019. Earlier, the field trials showed promising results in Canada, however, its deployment at a large scale will cost around $6 billion per year and need enormous energy input. Watch: Melting Glaciers Raise Eruption Risk Worldwide Scientists also proposed other geoengineering solutions for stopping the melting of the glacier. According to some experts, the ideas are "radical" and said that geoengineering "would be difficult or impossible to achieve and draw focus away from the more necessary conversation of reducing carbon emissions." Climate economist at the Columbia Climate School, Gernot Wagner, said, "When we talk about glacial geoengineering, we need to tell the truth, which is that it's not a solution to climate change - at best, it's a painkiller." (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists plan to install giant underwater curtain to stop 'Doomsday Glacier' from melting

In a shocking discovery, the scientists have now hinted that "The Two Maidens" who have been found tragically clutching each other in the ruins of Pompeii were probably gay lovers.&nbsp;

The people of Pompeii had died tragically after Mount Vesuvius erupted 2,000 years ago and their preserved bodies have been telling tragic tales of their final moments.&nbsp;

The bodies hugging each other were given the name "The Two Maidens" because they were trapped in an eternal embrace.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/archaeologists-discover-a-4000-year-old-coffin-inside-another-coffin-of-egyptian-priestess-774193">Archaeologists discover a 4000-year-old coffin inside another coffin of Egyptian priestess</a>

However, the bodies' new DNA analysis suggested that probably the pair needs a new name.

<h2>Here's what scientists found</h2>

In the new DNA analysis, the researchers from the Max Planck Institute have found that at least one, if not both of them, was a man.

One of the authors of the study, David Reich said, "A pair of individuals thought to be sisters, or mother and daughter, were found to include at least one genetic male. These findings challenge traditional gender and familial assumptions."

Even though the true nature of their relationship is unclear, as per experts they can be gay lovers.

Superintendent of the Pompeii archaeological site Massimo Osanna said, "The fact that they were lovers is a hypothesis that cannot be dismissed."

Earlier, it was believed that the two of them were mother and daughter, two sisters or lovers. However, the new discovery that one of them was a man has challenged this theory.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/archaeologists-find-4000-year-old-bronze-age-town-in-saudi-arabia-772949">Archaeologists find 4,000-year-old Bronze Age town in Saudi Arabia</a>

In the study, the researchers stated, "CT scanning of skeletal elements preserved within the casts led to an age estimate of 14–19 for individual 21 and a young adult age for individual 22."

The experts had even earlier said that their relationship can "never be verified".

"When this discovery was made, that they were not two young girls, some scholars suggested there could have been an emotional connection between the pair," said Professor Stefano Vanacore, who headed a research team which examined the pair back in 2017.&nbsp;

"But we are talking about hypotheses that can never be verified. What is certain is that the two parties were not relatives, neither brothers nor a father and son," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a shocking discovery, the scientists have now hinted that "The Two Maidens" who have been found tragically clutching each other in the ruins of Pompeii were probably gay lovers.

In a shocking discovery, the scientists have now hinted that "The Two Maidens" who have been found tragically clutching each other in the ruins of Pompeii were probably gay lovers. The people of Pompeii had died tragically after Mount Vesuvius erupted 2,000 years ago and their preserved bodies have been telling tragic tales of their final moments. The bodies hugging each other were given the name "The Two Maidens" because they were trapped in an eternal embrace. Also Read: Archaeologists discover a 4000-year-old coffin inside another coffin of Egyptian priestess However, the bodies' new DNA analysis suggested that probably the pair needs a new name. Here's what scientists found In the new DNA analysis, the researchers from the Max Planck Institute have found that at least one, if not both of them, was a man. One of the authors of the study, David Reich said, "A pair of individuals thought to be sisters, or mother and daughter, were found to include at least one genetic male. These findings challenge traditional gender and familial assumptions." Even though the true nature of their relationship is unclear, as per experts they can be gay lovers. Superintendent of the Pompeii archaeological site Massimo Osanna said, "The fact that they were lovers is a hypothesis that cannot be dismissed." Earlier, it was believed that the two of them were mother and daughter, two sisters or lovers. However, the new discovery that one of them was a man has challenged this theory. Also Read: Archaeologists find 4,000-year-old Bronze Age town in Saudi Arabia In the study, the researchers stated, "CT scanning of skeletal elements preserved within the casts led to an age estimate of 14–19 for individual 21 and a young adult age for individual 22." The experts had even earlier said that their relationship can "never be verified". "When this discovery was made, that they were not two young girls, some scholars suggested there could have been an emotional connection between the pair," said Professor Stefano Vanacore, who headed a research team which examined the pair back in 2017. "But we are talking about hypotheses that can never be verified. What is certain is that the two parties were not relatives, neither brothers nor a father and son," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists claim Pompeii's two maidens' were probably gay lovers

Scientists have been looking for Planet Nine for quite some time now. For years it has been debated that another planet lives in the solar system. But no one has been able to find it. There have been advocates for it and against it.&nbsp;

But going by data gathered in the past few years, a ninth planet is likely to be lurking somewhere.&nbsp;

Gravitational anomalies along with unusual orbital patterns in the Kuiper Belt have triggered debate over the existence of Planet Nine. NASA is developing a new telescope that can survey the entire night sky. It will be ready by end of 2025 and can determine whether Planet Nine exists or not.

Researchers of a study said a few months back that they had found the strongest evidence yet that a planet is hiding in the solar system and might be the Planet Nine they have been looking for. They say this planet is likely located in the Kuiper Belt.&nbsp;

It is small and only has a mass between 1.5 and 3 times that of Earth. However, they are not sure of its composition and say it can be anything - &nbsp;an icy, rocky Earth, or a super-Pluto.&nbsp;

They believe that its large mass means that it probably has great internal energy and could even sustain subsurface oceans. "Its orbit would be very distant, much beyond Neptune, and much more inclined compared to the known planets," Patryk Sofia Lykawka, associate professor of Planetary Sciences at Kindai University in Japan and co-author of the study, said.

<h2>Past theories about Planet Nine</h2>

The search for Planet Nine has been on since 2014 when Konstantin Batygin and Michael Brown stated that a planet bigger than Earth and one that humans haven't found till now might be roaming somewhere in the solar system.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/hungriest-supermassive-black-hole-discovered-in-early-universe-by-astronomers-774197">Hungriest supermassive black hole discovered in early universe by astronomers</a>

The two scientists strongly believe that the planet is altering the paths of distant bodies in the Kuiper Belt. According to them, it is a "super-Earth" and about five to seven times the mass of our planet.&nbsp;

<h2>Strange orbits of objects in Kuiper Belt</h2>

Several other astronomers in the past have also presented the theory that something is affecting the orbits of several known trans-Neptunian objects.

Before Brown and Batygin proposed that a body is affecting objects in the Kuiper Belt, an astronomer named Scott Sheppard and Chadwick Trujillo noticed that several known trans-Neptunian objects have strangely clustered orbits.

"Since Neptune was successfully discovered in 1846, at least 30 astronomers have proposed the existence of various types of trans-Neptunian objects and have always been wrong," Batygin, a professor of Planetary Science at the California Institute of Technology, said.

Meanwhile, there are other who believe that the strange orbits are being caused by a primordial black hole that was created just after the big bang. Our solar system likely captured it as it moved across the galaxy.

Scientists have been looking for Planet Nine for quite some time now. For years it has been debated that another planet lives in the solar system. But no one has been able to find it.

Scientists have been looking for Planet Nine for quite some time now. For years it has been debated that another planet lives in the solar system. But no one has been able to find it. There have been advocates for it and against it. But going by data gathered in the past few years, a ninth planet is likely to be lurking somewhere. Gravitational anomalies along with unusual orbital patterns in the Kuiper Belt have triggered debate over the existence of Planet Nine. NASA is developing a new telescope that can survey the entire night sky. It will be ready by end of 2025 and can determine whether Planet Nine exists or not. Researchers of a study said a few months back that they had found the strongest evidence yet that a planet is hiding in the solar system and might be the Planet Nine they have been looking for. They say this planet is likely located in the Kuiper Belt. It is small and only has a mass between 1.5 and 3 times that of Earth. However, they are not sure of its composition and say it can be anything - an icy, rocky Earth, or a super-Pluto. They believe that its large mass means that it probably has great internal energy and could even sustain subsurface oceans. "Its orbit would be very distant, much beyond Neptune, and much more inclined compared to the known planets," Patryk Sofia Lykawka, associate professor of Planetary Sciences at Kindai University in Japan and co-author of the study, said. Past theories about Planet Nine The search for Planet Nine has been on since 2014 when Konstantin Batygin and Michael Brown stated that a planet bigger than Earth and one that humans haven't found till now might be roaming somewhere in the solar system. Also Read: Hungriest supermassive black hole discovered in early universe by astronomers The two scientists strongly believe that the planet is altering the paths of distant bodies in the Kuiper Belt. According to them, it is a "super-Earth" and about five to seven times the mass of our planet. Strange orbits of objects in Kuiper Belt Several other astronomers in the past have also presented the theory that something is affecting the orbits of several known trans-Neptunian objects. Before Brown and Batygin proposed that a body is affecting objects in the Kuiper Belt, an astronomer named Scott Sheppard and Chadwick Trujillo noticed that several known trans-Neptunian objects have strangely clustered orbits. "Since Neptune was successfully discovered in 1846, at least 30 astronomers have proposed the existence of various types of trans-Neptunian objects and have always been wrong," Batygin, a professor of Planetary Science at the California Institute of Technology, said. Meanwhile, there are other who believe that the strange orbits are being caused by a primordial black hole that was created just after the big bang. Our solar system likely captured it as it moved across the galaxy.

Is Planet Nine lurking in the solar system? We might know in 2025

An ocean of water existed on Mars nearly 3.5 billion years ago, as per the latest finding. China’s Zhurong Mars rover has stumbled upon evidence of an ancient coastline on the red planet.&nbsp;

The findings were reported in the journal Scientific Reports. The rover found the coastline in the southern Utopia region which is a remnant of a sea that likely existed during the early history of Mars for a short period of time.

Scientists have long believed that as much as a third of the Red Planet was covered by an ocean billions of years ago.&nbsp;

The Zhurong rover has been studying the deposits in Vastitas Borealis, a low plain in the planet’s northern hemisphere after landing there in May 2021. This particular region is thought to have harboured an ocean once. The presence of fine grains of minerals like hydrated silica is likely a result of a coastline rather than volcanic activity.

Lead study author Bo Wu of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University told news agency AFP that several features in the area suggest that an ocean once lay around Zhurong's landing area in the past. These features include "pitted cones, polygonal troughs and etched flows". &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/is-there-a-planet-nine-nasas-new-telescope-might-soon-answer-the-question-774356">Is Planet Nine lurking in the solar system? We might know in 2025</a>

As per previous research, crater-like pitted cones could have formed from mud volcanoes in areas where there had been water or ice.

<h2>Features hint at existence of ocean</h2>

Data gathered by the rover, as well as satellites, combined with analysis on Earth, also suggested that a shoreline was once near the area, according to the study.

The researchers believe that the ocean was formed by flooding nearly 3.7 billion years ago. Researchers analysed data from the Zhurong rover and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to estimate surface ages and compositions of minerals found in the southern Utopia Planitia.

The existence of geological features like troughs and sediment channels in this part of the planet hints at an ancient nearshore zone. This is why researchers were forced to believe that the deposits were formed by a possible flooding event about 3.68 billion years ago.&nbsp;

“We conducted a comprehensive geomorphological analysis of the landing area using remote sensing data, supplemented by in situ observations, and unveiled features consistent with the existence of a nearshore zone in southern Utopia,” the researchers say.

However, scientists say that the rover's data does not present direct evidence that an ancient ocean once existed on Mars.

An ocean of water existed on Mars nearly 3.5 billion years ago, as per the latest finding. China’s Zhurong Mars rover has stumbled upon evidence of an ancient coastline on the red planet.

An ocean of water existed on Mars nearly 3.5 billion years ago, as per the latest finding. China’s Zhurong Mars rover has stumbled upon evidence of an ancient coastline on the red planet. The findings were reported in the journal Scientific Reports. The rover found the coastline in the southern Utopia region which is a remnant of a sea that likely existed during the early history of Mars for a short period of time. Scientists have long believed that as much as a third of the Red Planet was covered by an ocean billions of years ago. The Zhurong rover has been studying the deposits in Vastitas Borealis, a low plain in the planet’s northern hemisphere after landing there in May 2021. This particular region is thought to have harboured an ocean once. The presence of fine grains of minerals like hydrated silica is likely a result of a coastline rather than volcanic activity. Lead study author Bo Wu of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University told news agency AFP that several features in the area suggest that an ocean once lay around Zhurong's landing area in the past. These features include "pitted cones, polygonal troughs and etched flows". Also Read: Is Planet Nine lurking in the solar system? We might know in 2025 As per previous research, crater-like pitted cones could have formed from mud volcanoes in areas where there had been water or ice. Features hint at existence of ocean Data gathered by the rover, as well as satellites, combined with analysis on Earth, also suggested that a shoreline was once near the area, according to the study. The researchers believe that the ocean was formed by flooding nearly 3.7 billion years ago. Researchers analysed data from the Zhurong rover and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to estimate surface ages and compositions of minerals found in the southern Utopia Planitia. The existence of geological features like troughs and sediment channels in this part of the planet hints at an ancient nearshore zone. This is why researchers were forced to believe that the deposits were formed by a possible flooding event about 3.68 billion years ago. “We conducted a comprehensive geomorphological analysis of the landing area using remote sensing data, supplemented by in situ observations, and unveiled features consistent with the existence of a nearshore zone in southern Utopia,” the researchers say. However, scientists say that the rover's data does not present direct evidence that an ancient ocean once existed on Mars.

Mars had a large ocean 3.5 billion years ago, Chinese rover finds

Do you want to know how lonely our planet actually is? Just check out the latest images taken by the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft. As it flew towards an asteroid, the probe captured photos of Earth and the Moon, floating in the darkness of space with nothing else around.&nbsp;

Our planet and its lunar satellite start to get smaller and smaller as Hera travels from around 1.4 million km to 3.8 million kilometres away in October.

Hera took off for the asteroid moon Dimorphos on October 7, 2024, and will investigate the changes it underwent after being struck by the DART mission in 2022.&nbsp;

During its journey, it clicked surreal pictures of the two, giving a peek into how alone we really are in the universe. The images were taken as part of a test of its Thermal Infrared Imager (TIRI) instrument, a contribution by JAXA.&nbsp;

The photos were taken between October 10 (1.4 million km away) and October 15 (3.8 million km away).

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As <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HeraMission?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HeraMission</a> sped away from its homeworld it witnessed the Moon orbiting Earth. 
 
In this sequence, acquired by <a href="https://twitter.com/JAXA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JAXA</a>'s TIRI infrared imager from 10 to 15 Oct, the Moon shifts from a half to full-Moon &amp; Earth shrinks as Hera moves from 1.4 to 3.8 million km away… <a href="https://t.co/Yxj8hsa99m">pic.twitter.com/Yxj8hsa99m</a>
— ESA's Hera mission (@ESA_Hera) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESA_Hera/status/1853701200757113059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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"As #HeraMission sped away from its homeworld it witnessed the Moon orbiting Earth," the agency posted online.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-saga-continues-mission-to-probe-crime-scene-on-dimorphos-ready-for-blast-off-764738">Mission to probe 'crime scene' on Dimorphos ready for blast off</a>

The photos give a sense of how far away everything from each other is in space. It shows the moon revolving around Earth at a great distance. Notably, the moon is located about 384,633 km from us. At its nearest point to us, it is about 364,000 km away, while at its farthest, it’s about 406,000 km away.

<h2>Hera to probe asteroid moon</h2>

The Hera spacecraft is only about the size of a car and is preparing to land on Dimorphos. It will reach its destination in Dec 2026 and will be about 195 million kilometres from Earth at that time.&nbsp;

Dimorphos does not pose a threat to Earth. The DART mission impacted the asteroid moon to understand whether humans can deflect a potentially dangerous asteroid in the future. Hera will land on its surface and gather data&nbsp;

Following the impact mission, Dimorphos shed a lot of material and its orbit around Didymos shortened by 33 minutes. Scientists say it is probably just a pile of rubble held together by gravity. So the impact did not create a crater,&nbsp;instead, it changed its form to a large extent.

The Hera probe has two nanosatellites on board, one of which - Juventas - will land on Dimorphos, a first on such a small asteroid. The second nanosatellite - Milani - will hover above and use cameras and other instruments to study the asteroid's composition. In its final days, Hera will also land on Dimorphos or Didymos before it finally goes to sleep. 
&nbsp;

Do you want to know how lonely our planet actually is? Just check out the latest images taken by the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft. As it flew towards an asteroid, the probe captured photos of Earth and the Moon, floating in the darkness of space with nothing else around.

Do you want to know how lonely our planet actually is? Just check out the latest images taken by the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft. As it flew towards an asteroid, the probe captured photos of Earth and the Moon, floating in the darkness of space with nothing else around. Our planet and its lunar satellite start to get smaller and smaller as Hera travels from around 1.4 million km to 3.8 million kilometres away in October. Hera took off for the asteroid moon Dimorphos on October 7, 2024, and will investigate the changes it underwent after being struck by the DART mission in 2022. During its journey, it clicked surreal pictures of the two, giving a peek into how alone we really are in the universe. The images were taken as part of a test of its Thermal Infrared Imager (TIRI) instrument, a contribution by JAXA. The photos were taken between October 10 (1.4 million km away) and October 15 (3.8 million km away). As #HeraMission sped away from its homeworld it witnessed the Moon orbiting Earth. In this sequence, acquired by @JAXA's TIRI infrared imager from 10 to 15 Oct, the Moon shifts from a half to full-Moon & Earth shrinks as Hera moves from 1.4 to 3.8 million km away… pic.twitter.com/Yxj8hsa99m — ESA's Hera mission (@ESA_Hera) November 5, 2024 × "As #HeraMission sped away from its homeworld it witnessed the Moon orbiting Earth," the agency posted online. Also Read: Mission to probe 'crime scene' on Dimorphos ready for blast off The photos give a sense of how far away everything from each other is in space. It shows the moon revolving around Earth at a great distance. Notably, the moon is located about 384,633 km from us. At its nearest point to us, it is about 364,000 km away, while at its farthest, it’s about 406,000 km away. Hera to probe asteroid moon The Hera spacecraft is only about the size of a car and is preparing to land on Dimorphos. It will reach its destination in Dec 2026 and will be about 195 million kilometres from Earth at that time. Dimorphos does not pose a threat to Earth. The DART mission impacted the asteroid moon to understand whether humans can deflect a potentially dangerous asteroid in the future. Hera will land on its surface and gather data Following the impact mission, Dimorphos shed a lot of material and its orbit around Didymos shortened by 33 minutes. Scientists say it is probably just a pile of rubble held together by gravity. So the impact did not create a crater, instead, it changed its form to a large extent. The Hera probe has two nanosatellites on board, one of which - Juventas - will land on Dimorphos, a first on such a small asteroid. The second nanosatellite - Milani - will hover above and use cameras and other instruments to study the asteroid's composition. In its final days, Hera will also land on Dimorphos or Didymos before it finally goes to sleep.

Spot a 'lonely' Earth and Moon in vast expanse of space captured by asteroid probe

The latest pictures of Sunita Williams from the International Space Station have raised concerns among some doctors, who think her health is taking a beating because of the prolonged stay in space.&nbsp;

Photos show Williams with hollow cheeks, as she seems to have undergone extreme weight loss. Notably, Williams and Butch Wilmore were only supposed to spend eight days on the ISS, but have been in space for more than 152 days now.&nbsp;

The Boeing Starliner that took them to space developed several faults even before it was launched on June 5. As it docked, more problems occurred and NASA tried to fix them from Earth. However, nothing worked, and so it returned to Earth without its crew in September. Now, Williams and Wilmore are scheduled to fly back in February 2025.&nbsp;

The photos show Williams observing the making of a pizza. Dr Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist and veteran in Seattle, told Daily Mail that the picture raises concerns about the astronaut's&nbsp;health.&nbsp;

He said it looks like she is "experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods."

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/spot-a-lonely-earth-and-moon-in-vast-expanse-of-space-captured-by-asteroid-probe-774283">Spot a 'lonely' Earth and Moon in vast expanse of space captured by asteroid probe</a>

"Her cheeks appear a bit sunken,"&nbsp;said Dr Gupta which usually happens due to total body weight loss. He added that it appears Williams has been on a "significant calorie deficit".

He added that Williams does not seem to have "sort of healthy body weight".

"There's just things that the human body cannot adjust to, and one of which is, you know, she's probably losing more calories than she's intaking."

<h2>Spaceflight affects women more&nbsp;</h2>

Life in the harsh conditions of space take a toll on astronauts' health. The body faces the challenge of adjusting to changes in gravity and maintaining its temperature in the cold conditions. To prevent muscle and bone loss, they also exercise about 2.5 hours a day. All this adds up to them losing weight.

As per a study done by NASA in 2014, women are at a greater risk of their body breaking down. They face greater loss of blood plasma volume than men during spaceflight. As per another study done in 2023 by Ball University, they also lose more muscle than men.

The latest pictures of Sunita Williams from the International Space Station have raised concerns among some doctors, who think her health is taking a beating because of the prolonged stay in space.

The latest pictures of Sunita Williams from the International Space Station have raised concerns among some doctors, who think her health is taking a beating because of the prolonged stay in space. Photos show Williams with hollow cheeks, as she seems to have undergone extreme weight loss. Notably, Williams and Butch Wilmore were only supposed to spend eight days on the ISS, but have been in space for more than 152 days now. The Boeing Starliner that took them to space developed several faults even before it was launched on June 5. As it docked, more problems occurred and NASA tried to fix them from Earth. However, nothing worked, and so it returned to Earth without its crew in September. Now, Williams and Wilmore are scheduled to fly back in February 2025. The photos show Williams observing the making of a pizza. Dr Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist and veteran in Seattle, told Daily Mail that the picture raises concerns about the astronaut's health. He said it looks like she is "experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods." Also Read: Spot a 'lonely' Earth and Moon in vast expanse of space captured by asteroid probe "Her cheeks appear a bit sunken," said Dr Gupta which usually happens due to total body weight loss. He added that it appears Williams has been on a "significant calorie deficit". He added that Williams does not seem to have "sort of healthy body weight". "There's just things that the human body cannot adjust to, and one of which is, you know, she's probably losing more calories than she's intaking." Spaceflight affects women more Life in the harsh conditions of space take a toll on astronauts' health. The body faces the challenge of adjusting to changes in gravity and maintaining its temperature in the cold conditions. To prevent muscle and bone loss, they also exercise about 2.5 hours a day. All this adds up to them losing weight. As per a study done by NASA in 2014, women are at a greater risk of their body breaking down. They face greater loss of blood plasma volume than men during spaceflight. As per another study done in 2023 by Ball University, they also lose more muscle than men.

Is prolonged stay in space affecting Sunita Williams' health? Doctor raises concern

One of the most iconic Egyptian relics, the death mask of King Tutankhamun, perhaps was never made for the late pharaoh, according to a new study carried out by a team from the University of York in the UK.

According to the researchers, the mask was actually created for a high-status female who most likely was the stepmother of King Tut, whose body was never discovered.&nbsp;

According to a hypothesis of the researchers, the sudden death of Tutankhamun may have led to his face getting grafted on the top of the mask's true owner.

Speaking about the mask, Professor Joann Fletcher said, "This mask was not made for an adult male pharaoh; when the gold was compared, [they found] the face is made of completely different gold to the rest."

The new theory was finalised by the researchers after they re-examined the 1922 excavation's historical records and found mentions of body modifications which did not match with the ancient Egyptian tradition.

In one document it was stated, "Honed in on one long-overlooked feature... the decidedly pierced ears on the death mask."

According to the researchers, although the pharaohs wore earrings, similar modifications were not done on the death mask.&nbsp;

The piercings were only made on the masks of children and queens.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/archaeologists-discover-a-4000-year-old-coffin-inside-another-coffin-of-egyptian-priestess-774193">Archaeologists discover a 4000-year-old coffin inside another coffin of Egyptian priestess</a>

The revelations were made by Professor Fletcher in a newly-released documentary in which she said that she is sure the death mask was not designed specifically for King Tut.

<h2>All about&nbsp;Tutankhamun's step-mother&nbsp;Nefertiti </h2>

In 2015, Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves first proposed the idea and claimed that the golden mask belonged to the young king's stepmother, Queen Nefertiti.

Nefertiti married Tutankhamun's father, Akhenaten, however, her tomb has not been discovered as of yet.

King Tutankhamun&nbsp;was just nine years old when he ascended to the Egyptian throne and ruled from 1332 BC to 1323 BC.

British archaeologist Howard Carter found the mask&nbsp;in the lavish tomb of Tut in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile River.

In those times, a death mask was created for both pharaohs and locals to honour the deceased and set up his/her connection with the spiritual world.

The mask of the pharaoh was made of gold or silver, while those of the locals were made of wood or clay. The mask used to be similar to the face of the deceased.

(With inputs from agencies)

One of the most iconic Egyptian relics, the death mask of King Tutankhamun, perhaps was never made for the late pharaoh, according to a new study carried out by a team from the University of York in the UK.

One of the most iconic Egyptian relics, the death mask of King Tutankhamun, perhaps was never made for the late pharaoh, according to a new study carried out by a team from the University of York in the UK. According to the researchers, the mask was actually created for a high-status female who most likely was the stepmother of King Tut, whose body was never discovered. According to a hypothesis of the researchers, the sudden death of Tutankhamun may have led to his face getting grafted on the top of the mask's true owner. Speaking about the mask, Professor Joann Fletcher said, "This mask was not made for an adult male pharaoh; when the gold was compared, [they found] the face is made of completely different gold to the rest." The new theory was finalised by the researchers after they re-examined the 1922 excavation's historical records and found mentions of body modifications which did not match with the ancient Egyptian tradition. In one document it was stated, "Honed in on one long-overlooked feature... the decidedly pierced ears on the death mask." According to the researchers, although the pharaohs wore earrings, similar modifications were not done on the death mask. The piercings were only made on the masks of children and queens. Also Read: Archaeologists discover a 4000-year-old coffin inside another coffin of Egyptian priestess The revelations were made by Professor Fletcher in a newly-released documentary in which she said that she is sure the death mask was not designed specifically for King Tut. All about Tutankhamun's step-mother Nefertiti In 2015, Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves first proposed the idea and claimed that the golden mask belonged to the young king's stepmother, Queen Nefertiti. Nefertiti married Tutankhamun's father, Akhenaten, however, her tomb has not been discovered as of yet. King Tutankhamun was just nine years old when he ascended to the Egyptian throne and ruled from 1332 BC to 1323 BC. British archaeologist Howard Carter found the mask in the lavish tomb of Tut in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile River. In those times, a death mask was created for both pharaohs and locals to honour the deceased and set up his/her connection with the spiritual world. The mask of the pharaoh was made of gold or silver, while those of the locals were made of wood or clay. The mask used to be similar to the face of the deceased. (With inputs from agencies)

Iconic death mask of Tutankhamun did not belong to the boy-king. Shocking study reveals...

The universe is full of mysteries, some of which have still not been decoded by scientists. One such astonishing cosmic feature is the missing solid ground on the planet Jupiter.

Jupiter has no solid ground, any grass or dirt and no one can either walk&nbsp;on it or land on it through a spaceship.

But how is it possible? If not the surface, then what is holding Jupiter together?

<h2>Here's what Jupiter comprises of</h2>

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun, which is between Mars and Saturn. It is the solar system's largest planet and is big enough to fit more than&nbsp;1,000 Earths.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasas-europa-clipper-successfully-lifts-off-to-hunt-life-on-jupiters-moon-767435">NASA's Europa Clipper successfully lifts off to find alien life on Jupiter's moon</a>

Although four planets of the solar system—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—have a solid surface, that is not the case with Jupiter.

Jupiter is a ball of turbulent and stormy gas.&nbsp;On planet Jupiter, some places have winds with a speed of more than 400 mph, which is three times faster in comparison to the Category 5 hurricane on Earth.

On Jupiter, the top layer is mostly covered with hydrogen and helium atmosphere and the pressure in the gas giant increases as one moves deeper and deeper.

The pressure is very intense deep inside the planet and its intensity is so high that a human body can implode.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/cosmic-giant-300-light-years-away-in-great-bear-is-11-times-more-massive-than-jupiter-759348">Cosmic giant 300 light-years away in Great Bear is 11 times more massive than Jupiter</a>

The gas eventually forms liquid hydrogen and creates what is believed to be the largest ocean in the solar system, but one without water.

In this liquid metallic hydrogen, the atoms remain squeezed so tightly that the electrons are free to roam.

The nature of the material present at the core of Jupiter has remained a mystery for scientists. It is not solid but like a hot and dense metallic mixture of liquid and solid. The pressure also remains very high at the core of the planet.

(With inputs from agencies)

The universe is full of mysteries, some of which have still not been decoded by scientists. One such astonishing cosmic feature is the missing solid ground on the planet Jupiter.

The universe is full of mysteries, some of which have still not been decoded by scientists. One such astonishing cosmic feature is the missing solid ground on the planet Jupiter. Jupiter has no solid ground, any grass or dirt and no one can either walk on it or land on it through a spaceship. But how is it possible? If not the surface, then what is holding Jupiter together? Here's what Jupiter comprises of Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun, which is between Mars and Saturn. It is the solar system's largest planet and is big enough to fit more than 1,000 Earths. Also Read: NASA's Europa Clipper successfully lifts off to find alien life on Jupiter's moon Although four planets of the solar system—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—have a solid surface, that is not the case with Jupiter. Jupiter is a ball of turbulent and stormy gas. On planet Jupiter, some places have winds with a speed of more than 400 mph, which is three times faster in comparison to the Category 5 hurricane on Earth. On Jupiter, the top layer is mostly covered with hydrogen and helium atmosphere and the pressure in the gas giant increases as one moves deeper and deeper. The pressure is very intense deep inside the planet and its intensity is so high that a human body can implode. Also Read: Cosmic giant 300 light-years away in Great Bear is 11 times more massive than Jupiter The gas eventually forms liquid hydrogen and creates what is believed to be the largest ocean in the solar system, but one without water. In this liquid metallic hydrogen, the atoms remain squeezed so tightly that the electrons are free to roam. The nature of the material present at the core of Jupiter has remained a mystery for scientists. It is not solid but like a hot and dense metallic mixture of liquid and solid. The pressure also remains very high at the core of the planet. (With inputs from agencies)

THIS planet doesn't have a surface and no one can walk or land on it. Here's why

Astronomers have detected the hungriest black hole in the early universe with the help of Chandra X-ray Observatory and NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

It has been found that the black hole has a voracious appetite and can consume more than seven million solar masses in a span of 12 million years, which is more than the theoretical maximum growth rate. The discovery of this black hole also explains how black holes grow massive in a short span of time in the early universe.

"This black hole is having a feast," said study co-author Julia Scharwächter, of the International Gemini Observatory, in a&nbsp;statement.

The&nbsp;Hubble Space Telescope and JWST have found galaxies containing black holes which have hundreds of millions or billions of solar masses in the early universe.&nbsp;

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/are-black-holes-hiding-inside-planets-like-earth-heres-what-scientists-suggest-765215">&nbsp;Are black holes hiding inside planets like Earth? Here's what scientists suggest</a>

The scientists have not been able to understand how the black holes formed and grew massive in size so quickly. However, with the help of the telescopes, scientists have spotted one such black hole in the process of turning massive.

<h2>Black hole caught in frenzy feasting</h2>

Black hole LID-568 was found to have existed 1.5 billion years after the&nbsp;Big Bang and for the first time was spotted in a survey of objects emitting luminous X-rays in the distant&nbsp;universe.

However, it was difficult to determine its exact position on the basis of the X-ray.

“Owing to its faint nature, the detection of LID-568 would be impossible without JWST. Using the integral field spectrograph was innovative and necessary for getting our observation,” said co-author Emanuele Farina, who is an astronomer at the International Gemini Observatory.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/colossal-space-reservoir-containing-water-100-trillion-times-of-earths-oceans-discovered-773082">Colossal space reservoir containing water 100 trillion times of Earth's oceans discovered</a>

In the observation, it was found that something remarkable was unfolding inside LID-568.&nbsp;

“This black hole is having a feast,” said co-author Julia Scharwächter, an astronomer at the International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab.&nbsp;

“This extreme case shows that a fast-feeding mechanism above the Eddington limit is one of the possible explanations for why we see these very heavy black holes so early in the Universe," she added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Astronomers have detected the hungriest black hole in the early universe with the help of Chandra X-ray Observatory and NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Astronomers have detected the hungriest black hole in the early universe with the help of Chandra X-ray Observatory and NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It has been found that the black hole has a voracious appetite and can consume more than seven million solar masses in a span of 12 million years, which is more than the theoretical maximum growth rate. The discovery of this black hole also explains how black holes grow massive in a short span of time in the early universe. "This black hole is having a feast," said study co-author Julia Scharwächter, of the International Gemini Observatory, in a statement. The Hubble Space Telescope and JWST have found galaxies containing black holes which have hundreds of millions or billions of solar masses in the early universe. Also Read: Are black holes hiding inside planets like Earth? Here's what scientists suggest The scientists have not been able to understand how the black holes formed and grew massive in size so quickly. However, with the help of the telescopes, scientists have spotted one such black hole in the process of turning massive. Black hole caught in frenzy feasting Black hole LID-568 was found to have existed 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang and for the first time was spotted in a survey of objects emitting luminous X-rays in the distant universe. However, it was difficult to determine its exact position on the basis of the X-ray. “Owing to its faint nature, the detection of LID-568 would be impossible without JWST. Using the integral field spectrograph was innovative and necessary for getting our observation,” said co-author Emanuele Farina, who is an astronomer at the International Gemini Observatory. Also Read: Colossal space reservoir containing water 100 trillion times of Earth's oceans discovered In the observation, it was found that something remarkable was unfolding inside LID-568. “This black hole is having a feast,” said co-author Julia Scharwächter, an astronomer at the International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab. “This extreme case shows that a fast-feeding mechanism above the Eddington limit is one of the possible explanations for why we see these very heavy black holes so early in the Universe," she added. (With inputs from agencies)

Hungriest supermassive black hole discovered in early universe by astronomers

The archaeologists have made a stunning discovery of a 4000-year-old 'extraordinary' burial chamber of an Egyptian priestess which is interestingly a coffin within another coffin.&nbsp;

The burial has been found in the city of&nbsp;Asyut, which is 200 miles south of Cairo and is believed to belong to the Idy, daughter of a wealthy governor Djefai-Hapi I who lived around 1800 BC.

In a Facebook post, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said that he was “one of the most important rulers of the territories in ancient Egypt.”

“Djefai-Hapi I was deified in ancient times and his tomb was an integral part of the cultural memory of ancient Egypt for more than 2000 years,” said Professor Jochem Kahl, who is an archaeologist at Freie Universität Berlin who led the discovery, while speaking to the Daily Mail.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-royal-piece-of-cloth-archaeologists-find-alexander-the-greats-tunic-at-a-tomb-772295">A royal piece of cloth? Archaeologists find Alexander the Great's tunic at a tomb</a>

“Idy was a priestess of the goddess Hathor and was called ‘mistress of the house,’ which identifies her as a woman from a wealthy family," said Kahl.

<h2>Here's what archaeologists found in Idy's coffin</h2>

According to the archaeologists, these are "some of the most amazing coffins ever found" and were covered with illustrations and texts "describing the journey of the deceased in the afterlife".&nbsp;

&nbsp;After her death, the internal organs of Idy - spleen, liver, intestines and lungs - were removed from the body and kept in jars.

The body of Idy was then mummified - which is a process through which the body is preserved after death by deliberately embalming or drying the flesh.

&nbsp;In the preliminary study of the bones, it was found that the princess died before the age of 40 &nbsp;after she had a congenital foot defect.&nbsp;

The archaeologists also found her with grave goods which included a dagger and wooden figurines, which were likely kept with the intention that she may use them in her afterlife.

Archaeologist at Freie Universitat&nbsp;Berlin&nbsp;Professor Jochem Kahl, who headed the discovery, called it "both aesthetically and scientifically extraordinary".&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/hidden-2000-year-old-skeletons-and-holy-grail-cup-found-in-secret-tomb-where-indiana-jones-was-filmed-767760">Hidden 2,000-year-old skeletons and ‘Holy Grail’ cup&nbsp;found in secret tomb where ‘Indiana Jones’ was filmed</a>

According to Kahl, the study will allow “new and far-reaching statements to be made about the position of women and the transfer of knowledge in ancient Egypt.”

Kahl added that there is a need to further study the discovery which will throw light on the lives of Idy and her father.

“After an initial conservational consolidation of the wooden objects in the burial chamber and the subsequent laborious recovery from the narrow, 14-meter deep shaft, the finds will be handed over to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

The archaeologists have made a stunning discovery of a 4000-year-old 'extraordinary' burial chamber of an Egyptian priestess which is interestingly a coffin within another coffin.

The archaeologists have made a stunning discovery of a 4000-year-old 'extraordinary' burial chamber of an Egyptian priestess which is interestingly a coffin within another coffin. The burial has been found in the city of Asyut, which is 200 miles south of Cairo and is believed to belong to the Idy, daughter of a wealthy governor Djefai-Hapi I who lived around 1800 BC. In a Facebook post, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said that he was “one of the most important rulers of the territories in ancient Egypt.” “Djefai-Hapi I was deified in ancient times and his tomb was an integral part of the cultural memory of ancient Egypt for more than 2000 years,” said Professor Jochem Kahl, who is an archaeologist at Freie Universität Berlin who led the discovery, while speaking to the Daily Mail. Also Read: A royal piece of cloth? Archaeologists find Alexander the Great's tunic at a tomb “Idy was a priestess of the goddess Hathor and was called ‘mistress of the house,’ which identifies her as a woman from a wealthy family," said Kahl. Here's what archaeologists found in Idy's coffin According to the archaeologists, these are "some of the most amazing coffins ever found" and were covered with illustrations and texts "describing the journey of the deceased in the afterlife". After her death, the internal organs of Idy - spleen, liver, intestines and lungs - were removed from the body and kept in jars. The body of Idy was then mummified - which is a process through which the body is preserved after death by deliberately embalming or drying the flesh. In the preliminary study of the bones, it was found that the princess died before the age of 40 after she had a congenital foot defect. The archaeologists also found her with grave goods which included a dagger and wooden figurines, which were likely kept with the intention that she may use them in her afterlife. Archaeologist at Freie Universitat Berlin Professor Jochem Kahl, who headed the discovery, called it "both aesthetically and scientifically extraordinary". Also Read: Hidden 2,000-year-old skeletons and ‘Holy Grail’ cup found in secret tomb where ‘Indiana Jones’ was filmed According to Kahl, the study will allow “new and far-reaching statements to be made about the position of women and the transfer of knowledge in ancient Egypt.” Kahl added that there is a need to further study the discovery which will throw light on the lives of Idy and her father. “After an initial conservational consolidation of the wooden objects in the burial chamber and the subsequent laborious recovery from the narrow, 14-meter deep shaft, the finds will be handed over to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism,” he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Archaeologists discover a 4000-year-old coffin inside another coffin of Egyptian priestess

Scientists have come up with a strange solution to stop the breeding of mosquitoes and combat diseases like dengue and Zika—make the male deaf so they are unable to mate and breed.

Mosquitoes mate on the basis of their hearing power while flying in mid-air. They hear the attractive wingbeats of female mosquitoes to find a mate. Researchers arrived at this conclusion after conducting an experiment in which they altered a genetic pathway used by male mosquitoes to hear.

They found that such mosquitoes did not make physical contact with females despite being with them in the same cage for three days. When mosquitoes stop breeding, the numbers will automatically come down.

Female mosquitoes are the ones responsible for causing most of the diseases, and the method can rein in their numbers.

<h2>Wild (non-mutant) mosquitoes fertilised almost all the females</h2>

The experiment was conducted by a team from the University of California, Irvine.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nightmares-can-be-tamed-with-music-and-some-manipulation-of-emotions-new-study-shows-772214">Nightmares can be tamed with music and some manipulation of emotions, new study shows</a>

They observed the mating habits of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for spreading viruses to nearly 400 million people every year.

Mosquitoes can mate from a few seconds to almost a minute.&nbsp;

They then came up with an idea. The scientists targeted a protein called trpVa which is believed to be important for hearing. In the mosquitoes that were experimented on, neurons that help detect sound, showed no response to the flight tones or wingbeats of female mates. In other words, the mosquitoes could not hear anything.

Meanwhile, other mosquitoes mated multiple times with almost all the females in their cages.

The study was published in the journal PNAS. The researchers wrote in the study that the effect of knocking out the gene was "absolute" and the deaf males did not mate at all.&nbsp;

Scientists believe the method can help make the female mosquitoes extinct.

Scientists have come up with a strange solution to stop the breeding of mosquitoes and combat diseases like dengue and Zika—make the male deaf so they are unable to mate and breed.

Scientists have come up with a strange solution to stop the breeding of mosquitoes and combat diseases like dengue and Zika—make the male deaf so they are unable to mate and breed. Mosquitoes mate on the basis of their hearing power while flying in mid-air. They hear the attractive wingbeats of female mosquitoes to find a mate. Researchers arrived at this conclusion after conducting an experiment in which they altered a genetic pathway used by male mosquitoes to hear. They found that such mosquitoes did not make physical contact with females despite being with them in the same cage for three days. When mosquitoes stop breeding, the numbers will automatically come down. Female mosquitoes are the ones responsible for causing most of the diseases, and the method can rein in their numbers. Wild (non-mutant) mosquitoes fertilised almost all the females The experiment was conducted by a team from the University of California, Irvine. Also Read: Nightmares can be tamed with music and some manipulation of emotions, new study shows They observed the mating habits of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, responsible for spreading viruses to nearly 400 million people every year. Mosquitoes can mate from a few seconds to almost a minute. They then came up with an idea. The scientists targeted a protein called trpVa which is believed to be important for hearing. In the mosquitoes that were experimented on, neurons that help detect sound, showed no response to the flight tones or wingbeats of female mates. In other words, the mosquitoes could not hear anything. Meanwhile, other mosquitoes mated multiple times with almost all the females in their cages. The study was published in the journal PNAS. The researchers wrote in the study that the effect of knocking out the gene was "absolute" and the deaf males did not mate at all. Scientists believe the method can help make the female mosquitoes extinct.

Deaf mosquitoes can't have sex, so scientists see it as a way to combat dengue

Conspiracy theories about alien spacecraft visiting Earth have been abound for decades. In the 1960s and 70s, UFOs were seen hovering over military bases in the United States, leading people to speculate that an alien invasion might be on the horizon.

While all such reports have been dismissed since then, every now and then someone speaks up about the stories, claiming them to be true. A UFO expert has now claimed that the spaceships visited "every major nuclear missile base" in those years, and they still do.&nbsp;

The revelation was made by Robert Hastings based on several interviews he conducted with several Army personnel, as per The Daily Mail. "The ones that are currently operational, have been visited repeatedly year after year according to the sources that I have interviewed," he says in his recent book UFOs and Nuke.

He had earlier claimed that more than 120 former service members admitted to having encountered flying objects near nuclear weapon storage and testing grounds. Hastings says in his new book that these extraterrestrial beings seem to be "greatly interested in our nuclear weapons."

"Perhaps they have a use for our planet, let's say for scientific purposes, and know that global nuclear warfare will disrupt their data-gathering and/or experiments," he writes.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-mars-photo-shows-the-dying-spot-of-a-chopperand-a-missions-kick-off-point-772289">New Mars photo shows the dying spot of a chopper...and a mission's kick-off point</a>

Hastings further alleges in his book that these sightings have never been properly investigated because of dubious layers of classification.

These claims come just weeks after new government records showed other UFO sightings near military sites. This includes 17 nights in December 2023 when several UFOs were spotted over Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

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&nbsp;

Nothing has been revealed yet about those UFOs to date, despite the Pentagon, police and even NASA's high-altitude research plane, the WB-57F, being involved in the investigation, Daily Mail reported.

<h2>'Alien&nbsp;intelligence understands atomics'</h2>

In June this year, a study on UFO sightings concluded that "this intelligence understands atomics, and they understand atomic weaponry."

The study, conducted by a retired US Air Force staff sergeant, data analyst affiliated with Harvard's UFO-hunting Galileo Project Ian Porrit and a research team, analysed over 500 of the most credible UFO cases reported during the Cold War. The group focused on official military and police reports of UFOs from 1945 to 1975. Only those with strong backing, like multiple witnesses and signal evidence, were taken into account and anything ambiguous was avoided.&nbsp;

Reports of UFOs spotted above non-nuclear army bases and nearby civilian centres were also taken into account in the study.&nbsp;

The researchers noted that from 1948 through 1975, &nbsp;America's rise to nuclear power was carefully monitored by extraterrestrials or some other intelligence. 
&nbsp;

Conspiracy theories about alien spacecraft visiting Earth have been abound for decades. In the 1960s and 70s, UFOs were seen hovering over military bases in the United States, leading people to speculate that an alien invasion might be on the horizon.

Conspiracy theories about alien spacecraft visiting Earth have been abound for decades. In the 1960s and 70s, UFOs were seen hovering over military bases in the United States, leading people to speculate that an alien invasion might be on the horizon. While all such reports have been dismissed since then, every now and then someone speaks up about the stories, claiming them to be true. A UFO expert has now claimed that the spaceships visited "every major nuclear missile base" in those years, and they still do. The revelation was made by Robert Hastings based on several interviews he conducted with several Army personnel, as per The Daily Mail. "The ones that are currently operational, have been visited repeatedly year after year according to the sources that I have interviewed," he says in his recent book UFOs and Nuke. He had earlier claimed that more than 120 former service members admitted to having encountered flying objects near nuclear weapon storage and testing grounds. Hastings says in his new book that these extraterrestrial beings seem to be "greatly interested in our nuclear weapons." "Perhaps they have a use for our planet, let's say for scientific purposes, and know that global nuclear warfare will disrupt their data-gathering and/or experiments," he writes. Also Read: New Mars photo shows the dying spot of a chopper...and a mission's kick-off point Hastings further alleges in his book that these sightings have never been properly investigated because of dubious layers of classification. These claims come just weeks after new government records showed other UFO sightings near military sites. This includes 17 nights in December 2023 when several UFOs were spotted over Joint Base Langley-Eustis. × Nothing has been revealed yet about those UFOs to date, despite the Pentagon, police and even NASA's high-altitude research plane, the WB-57F, being involved in the investigation, Daily Mail reported. 'Alien intelligence understands atomics' In June this year, a study on UFO sightings concluded that "this intelligence understands atomics, and they understand atomic weaponry." The study, conducted by a retired US Air Force staff sergeant, data analyst affiliated with Harvard's UFO-hunting Galileo Project Ian Porrit and a research team, analysed over 500 of the most credible UFO cases reported during the Cold War. The group focused on official military and police reports of UFOs from 1945 to 1975. Only those with strong backing, like multiple witnesses and signal evidence, were taken into account and anything ambiguous was avoided. Reports of UFOs spotted above non-nuclear army bases and nearby civilian centres were also taken into account in the study. The researchers noted that from 1948 through 1975, America's rise to nuclear power was carefully monitored by extraterrestrials or some other intelligence.

Aliens have been watching over US nuclear missile bases for decades, UFO expert claims

The 'god of chaos' asteroid Apophis is set to have a close encounter with Earth in 2029. Experts say that the peanut-shaped asteroid will undergo physical transformation following its journey. It will experience landslides and earthquakes that will alter its landscape dramatically.

The 1,100-foot-long asteroid was first discovered in 2021, and since then it has intrigued astronomers who have been constantly studying it. Apophis was initially feared to be on a collision course with Earth, but now experts say it has a much smaller chance of hitting the planet than earlier feared.&nbsp;

It will come as close as 32,000 kilometres to Earth on April 13, 2029. While Earth itself won't be affected, the planet's gravitational pull will lead rocks on the asteroid to tumble and toss around, altering the rocky visitor.&nbsp;

Ronald-Louis Ballouz, an asteroid scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory researched the implications of the flyby on Apophis. The study is currently available on the arXiv preprint database and has been accepted for publication in The Planetary Science Journal.

He told Live Science that asteroids normally face constant bombardment by tiny meteoroids in a process called space weathering. However, asteroids that pass close to planets like Earth do not have weathered surfaces. What happens to it?

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/colossal-space-reservoir-containing-water-100-trillion-times-of-earths-oceans-discovered-773082">Colossal space reservoir containing water 100 trillion times of Earth's oceans discovered</a>

Experts believe that a planet's gravity pulls the rocks from the surface, revealing a smoother underlayer. Using computer models, Ballouz and other researchers created a specimen based on another two-lobed asteroid, Itokawa. They simulated the models moving towards Earth and noted all the changes that happened in the process.&nbsp;

<h2>Tremors and landslides on Apophis</h2>

The team found that Earth will shape Apophis in two ways during its 2029 encounter. Quakes will start to shake the surface of the asteroid around an hour before Apophis reaches its closest point to Earth. These tremors will continue for some more time after it has left Earth's region.

"Apophis' gravity is about 250,000 times smaller than Earth's. So, we think that events of much smaller magnitude could plausibly shake things up on its surface," he said.

Some rocks will get uprooted and escape the asteroids, while others will fall back creating noticeable patterns on their surface.&nbsp;

The other change will be in the speed of its rotation. Asteroids tumble through space since they don't have a fixed axis. When Apophis comes in contact with Earth's gravity, it will either start to spin more quickly or more slowly.

This will destabilise the sloping faces of surface rocks and can potentially trigger landslides, resulting in changes that will occur over tens of thousands of years.

NASA's OSIRIS-APEX mission will study Apophis during its 2029 encounter and note the changes that have occurred over a period of 18 months.

The 'god of chaos' asteroid Apophis is set to have a close encounter with Earth in 2029. Experts say that the peanut-shaped asteroid will undergo physical transformation following its journey.

The 'god of chaos' asteroid Apophis is set to have a close encounter with Earth in 2029. Experts say that the peanut-shaped asteroid will undergo physical transformation following its journey. It will experience landslides and earthquakes that will alter its landscape dramatically. The 1,100-foot-long asteroid was first discovered in 2021, and since then it has intrigued astronomers who have been constantly studying it. Apophis was initially feared to be on a collision course with Earth, but now experts say it has a much smaller chance of hitting the planet than earlier feared. It will come as close as 32,000 kilometres to Earth on April 13, 2029. While Earth itself won't be affected, the planet's gravitational pull will lead rocks on the asteroid to tumble and toss around, altering the rocky visitor. Ronald-Louis Ballouz, an asteroid scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory researched the implications of the flyby on Apophis. The study is currently available on the arXiv preprint database and has been accepted for publication in The Planetary Science Journal. He told Live Science that asteroids normally face constant bombardment by tiny meteoroids in a process called space weathering. However, asteroids that pass close to planets like Earth do not have weathered surfaces. What happens to it? Also Read: Colossal space reservoir containing water 100 trillion times of Earth's oceans discovered Experts believe that a planet's gravity pulls the rocks from the surface, revealing a smoother underlayer. Using computer models, Ballouz and other researchers created a specimen based on another two-lobed asteroid, Itokawa. They simulated the models moving towards Earth and noted all the changes that happened in the process. Tremors and landslides on Apophis The team found that Earth will shape Apophis in two ways during its 2029 encounter. Quakes will start to shake the surface of the asteroid around an hour before Apophis reaches its closest point to Earth. These tremors will continue for some more time after it has left Earth's region. "Apophis' gravity is about 250,000 times smaller than Earth's. So, we think that events of much smaller magnitude could plausibly shake things up on its surface," he said. Some rocks will get uprooted and escape the asteroids, while others will fall back creating noticeable patterns on their surface. The other change will be in the speed of its rotation. Asteroids tumble through space since they don't have a fixed axis. When Apophis comes in contact with Earth's gravity, it will either start to spin more quickly or more slowly. This will destabilise the sloping faces of surface rocks and can potentially trigger landslides, resulting in changes that will occur over tens of thousands of years. NASA's OSIRIS-APEX mission will study Apophis during its 2029 encounter and note the changes that have occurred over a period of 18 months.

What will happen to Apophis during its close call with Earth in 2029? A study answers the question

A planetary parade is set to become visible in the night sky in January 2025. Six planets will come in line and will be visible together for weeks after that. A seventh member of the solar system will later join them, giving skygazers a New Year's treat.&nbsp;

Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus can be seen together, shining in the sky in the first month of 2025. These six planets will start becoming visible in the days before Jan. 21, 2025. They will remain there for around four weeks afterwards.&nbsp;

Four of these planets - Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn - are likely to be visible to the naked eye. However, you'll need a telescope to watch Uranus and Neptune.

The best time to watch the planetary parade is after sunset, at around 8:30 pm local time.&nbsp;Venus, Saturn and Neptune won't stay up for long and will be on the horizon for only some time. They will go below the horizon from 11:30 pm to midnight.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will remain in the sky for almost the entire night. They will also slowly start setting with Mars last to go down just before sunrise.

While there have been a few planetary parades in the past, this one is expected to be the best of all since it will continue to remain visible for a long time.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-voyager-1-re-establishes-contact-using-1981-radio-transmitter-772687">NASA’s Voyager 1 re-establishes contact using 1981 radio transmitter</a>

The planets will be sitting in the best positions and will present a spectacular view for weeks, at least until the end of February.

<h2>Seven planets will be visible later&nbsp;</h2>

The exciting thing about this cosmic spectacle is that it will turn into a seven-planet parade for a few days. All the other seven planets of our solar system will be visible at the same time when Mercury also joins the party. However, it might be hard to catch all of them together since Saturn, Mercury and Neptune would be too close to the Sun when it sets.&nbsp;

Their visibility will decrease by the start of March as Mercury, Saturn and Neptune would have moved too close to the sun. Soon Venus will also become less and less visible. Jupiter, Mars and Uranus would be left there for the next few weeks.

<h2>Where will the planetary parade be visible?</h2>

The planetary parade is expected to be visible at almost all locations, not only in the US but also in Mexico, Canada and India since the spectacle will remain in the sky for weeks.&nbsp;

<h2>Best days to watch the planetary parade</h2>

The best viewing window will be between Jan 21, 2025, and Feb 21, 2025. The week of Jan 29 during the new moon will be the most ideal time to watch the planetary parade.

A planetary parade is set to become visible in the night sky in January 2025. Six planets will come in line and will be visible together for weeks after that. A seventh member of the solar system will later join them, giving skygazers a New Year's treat.

A planetary parade is set to become visible in the night sky in January 2025. Six planets will come in line and will be visible together for weeks after that. A seventh member of the solar system will later join them, giving skygazers a New Year's treat. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus can be seen together, shining in the sky in the first month of 2025. These six planets will start becoming visible in the days before Jan. 21, 2025. They will remain there for around four weeks afterwards. Four of these planets - Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn - are likely to be visible to the naked eye. However, you'll need a telescope to watch Uranus and Neptune. The best time to watch the planetary parade is after sunset, at around 8:30 pm local time. Venus, Saturn and Neptune won't stay up for long and will be on the horizon for only some time. They will go below the horizon from 11:30 pm to midnight. Meanwhile, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus will remain in the sky for almost the entire night. They will also slowly start setting with Mars last to go down just before sunrise. While there have been a few planetary parades in the past, this one is expected to be the best of all since it will continue to remain visible for a long time. Also Read: NASA’s Voyager 1 re-establishes contact using 1981 radio transmitter The planets will be sitting in the best positions and will present a spectacular view for weeks, at least until the end of February. Seven planets will be visible later The exciting thing about this cosmic spectacle is that it will turn into a seven-planet parade for a few days. All the other seven planets of our solar system will be visible at the same time when Mercury also joins the party. However, it might be hard to catch all of them together since Saturn, Mercury and Neptune would be too close to the Sun when it sets. Their visibility will decrease by the start of March as Mercury, Saturn and Neptune would have moved too close to the sun. Soon Venus will also become less and less visible. Jupiter, Mars and Uranus would be left there for the next few weeks. Where will the planetary parade be visible? The planetary parade is expected to be visible at almost all locations, not only in the US but also in Mexico, Canada and India since the spectacle will remain in the sky for weeks. Best days to watch the planetary parade The best viewing window will be between Jan 21, 2025, and Feb 21, 2025. The week of Jan 29 during the new moon will be the most ideal time to watch the planetary parade.

Get ready for a planetary parade featuring all 7 of the other planets

In a new study, scientists have found that a huge black hole - with a mass of about six Suns - is feasting upon a giant star and releasing intense radiation in deep space.

The star is as big as three solar masses and the cosmic event is taking place in V4641 Sagittarii which is a system around 20,000 light-years away from Earth. The system is in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.&nbsp;

The photons have now been detected by the astronomers from V4641 Sagittarii which have a staggering 200 teraelectronvolts (TeV) energy in it.

According to scientists, gamma rays mostly originate in&nbsp;quasars, which are galactic cores, in which a huge amount of supermassive black holes are released.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/centaur-an-icy-body-in-space-is-shooting-multiple-jets-of-hot-gas-whats-going-on-764764">Centaur, an icy body in space, is shooting multiple jets of hot gas. What's going on?</a>

V4641 Sagittarii is a&nbsp;microquasar and functions like a mini version of a regular quasar.&nbsp;

"Photons detected from microquasars have usually much lower energies than those from quasars,"&nbsp;said Sabrina Casanova, of the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN).

"Usually, we are talking about values of the order of tens of gigaelectronvolts. Meanwhile, we have observed something quite incredible in the data recorded by the detectors of the [High-Altitude Water Cherenkov]&nbsp;observatory: photons coming from a microquasar lying in our galaxy, and yet carrying energies tens of thousands of times higher than typical," he added.

<h2>How are gamma rays detected in space?</h2>

The HAWC gamma-ray observatory is situated on the side of the extinct Sierra Negra volcano in Mexico and has been designed to detect high-energy particles. For detecting the rays, it has 300 big steel tanks which are filled with purified water.

When the high-energy particles enter the tank, they begin a cascade of other particles which travel through the water faster in comparison to light.&nbsp;

Because of this, a flash of light known as Cherenkov radiation is created which is the electromagnetic version&nbsp;of a sonic boom.

Watch:&nbsp;China Sends Three Astronauts To Tiangong Space Station

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At any given time, HAWC is able to see 15 per cent of the sky and can scan two-thirds of the sky every 24 hours and eventually create a cosmic map.

V4641 Sagittarii with unexpected gamma rays appeared in one of these maps.&nbsp;

"While reviewing the sky maps in search of my next project, I noticed a region five degrees away from our galactic plane with bright emissions that had not been visible in previous datasets,"&nbsp;said physicist Xiaojie Wang.

"No gamma-ray source has been identified nor analysed in this region – so I seized the opportunity and led the analysis," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a new study, scientists have found that a huge black hole - with a mass of about six Suns - is feasting upon a giant star and releasing intense radiation in deep space.

In a new study, scientists have found that a huge black hole - with a mass of about six Suns - is feasting upon a giant star and releasing intense radiation in deep space. The star is as big as three solar masses and the cosmic event is taking place in V4641 Sagittarii which is a system around 20,000 light-years away from Earth. The system is in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. The photons have now been detected by the astronomers from V4641 Sagittarii which have a staggering 200 teraelectronvolts (TeV) energy in it. According to scientists, gamma rays mostly originate in quasars, which are galactic cores, in which a huge amount of supermassive black holes are released. Also Read: Centaur, an icy body in space, is shooting multiple jets of hot gas. What's going on? V4641 Sagittarii is a microquasar and functions like a mini version of a regular quasar. "Photons detected from microquasars have usually much lower energies than those from quasars," said Sabrina Casanova, of the Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN). "Usually, we are talking about values of the order of tens of gigaelectronvolts. Meanwhile, we have observed something quite incredible in the data recorded by the detectors of the [High-Altitude Water Cherenkov] observatory: photons coming from a microquasar lying in our galaxy, and yet carrying energies tens of thousands of times higher than typical," he added. How are gamma rays detected in space? The HAWC gamma-ray observatory is situated on the side of the extinct Sierra Negra volcano in Mexico and has been designed to detect high-energy particles. For detecting the rays, it has 300 big steel tanks which are filled with purified water. When the high-energy particles enter the tank, they begin a cascade of other particles which travel through the water faster in comparison to light. Because of this, a flash of light known as Cherenkov radiation is created which is the electromagnetic version of a sonic boom. Watch: China Sends Three Astronauts To Tiangong Space Station At any given time, HAWC is able to see 15 per cent of the sky and can scan two-thirds of the sky every 24 hours and eventually create a cosmic map. V4641 Sagittarii with unexpected gamma rays appeared in one of these maps. "While reviewing the sky maps in search of my next project, I noticed a region five degrees away from our galactic plane with bright emissions that had not been visible in previous datasets," said physicist Xiaojie Wang. "No gamma-ray source has been identified nor analysed in this region – so I seized the opportunity and led the analysis," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Black hole, with mass of six Suns, is devouring a giant star and releasing intense radiation

Archaeologists&nbsp;have made a stunning discovery of a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age town in the Arabian Peninsula where nearly 500 people used to live.&nbsp;

The discovery has shed light on how ancient societies transitioned from nomadic lifestyle to urban living.

French archaeologist Guillaume Charloux, along with Saudi researchers, discovered the al-Natah settlement close to the Khaybar Oasis.

According to the researchers, al-Natah spans around 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres) and was constructed in 2400 BCE. The town remained inhabited till roughly 1300 BCE.

“Our findings suggest that the people of al-Natah engaged in a slower, region-specific process of urbanisation,” Charloux said while speaking to AFP.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mayan-city-with-buildings-and-plazas-hiding-in-plain-sight-has-only-now-been-found-771559">Mayan city with buildings and plazas hiding in plain sight has only now been found</a>

He emphasised that the structure and stone barriers of the town suggested that inhabitants were socially organised and the area was traditionally dominated by nomadic communities.&nbsp;

<h2>All about al-Natah</h2>

The site near the city of Al-Ula in western Saudi Arabia's Hejaz region was found by the archaeologists and it was named "al-Natah."&nbsp;

A 9-mile-long (14.5 kilometre) wall is believed to have encircled Al-Natah and protected it.

According to the archaeologists, a carefully planned settlement was created which had a central administrative zone, walled gardens, a necropolis and a residential district with interconnected streets.

There were circular stepped tower tombs and multiple artefacts in the necropolis.

Archaeologists also discovered axes, daggers, precious stone rings made of agate and pieces of pottery on the site.

In the research conducted in al-Natah and other sites, it was found that urbanisation was slow in the Arabian Peninsula.&nbsp;

"Settlements in northern Arabia were in a transitional stage of urbanisation during the third to second millennium [B.C.]," said the researchers, in the statement.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-royal-piece-of-cloth-archaeologists-find-alexander-the-greats-tunic-at-a-tomb-772295">A royal piece of cloth? Archaeologists find Alexander the Great's tunic at a tomb</a>

This phase was called "low urbanisation" because it described a transitional stage between pastoralism and complex urban settlements.

"While urbanisation began in Mesopotamia and Egypt in the 4th millennium B.C., our study tends to show that social complexity increased late in north-western Arabia," said Charloux.

A similar fortification from the same epoch was found by the archaeologists in the neighbouring Tayma Oasis in January.

Archaeologists have still not figured out why al-Natah was abandoned between 1500–1300 BCE. “It’s a pertinent question that we can’t answer at the moment,” said Charloux, adding that extensive work is still required in this area.

(With inputs from agencies)

Archaeologists have made a stunning discovery of a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age town in the Arabian Peninsula where nearly 500 people used to live. The discovery has shed light on how ancient societies transitioned from nomadic lifestyle to urban living.

Archaeologists have made a stunning discovery of a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age town in the Arabian Peninsula where nearly 500 people used to live. The discovery has shed light on how ancient societies transitioned from nomadic lifestyle to urban living. French archaeologist Guillaume Charloux, along with Saudi researchers, discovered the al-Natah settlement close to the Khaybar Oasis. According to the researchers, al-Natah spans around 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres) and was constructed in 2400 BCE. The town remained inhabited till roughly 1300 BCE. “Our findings suggest that the people of al-Natah engaged in a slower, region-specific process of urbanisation,” Charloux said while speaking to AFP. Also Read: Mayan city with buildings and plazas hiding in plain sight has only now been found He emphasised that the structure and stone barriers of the town suggested that inhabitants were socially organised and the area was traditionally dominated by nomadic communities. All about al-Natah The site near the city of Al-Ula in western Saudi Arabia's Hejaz region was found by the archaeologists and it was named "al-Natah." A 9-mile-long (14.5 kilometre) wall is believed to have encircled Al-Natah and protected it. According to the archaeologists, a carefully planned settlement was created which had a central administrative zone, walled gardens, a necropolis and a residential district with interconnected streets. There were circular stepped tower tombs and multiple artefacts in the necropolis. Archaeologists also discovered axes, daggers, precious stone rings made of agate and pieces of pottery on the site. In the research conducted in al-Natah and other sites, it was found that urbanisation was slow in the Arabian Peninsula. "Settlements in northern Arabia were in a transitional stage of urbanisation during the third to second millennium [B.C.]," said the researchers, in the statement. Also Read: A royal piece of cloth? Archaeologists find Alexander the Great's tunic at a tomb This phase was called "low urbanisation" because it described a transitional stage between pastoralism and complex urban settlements. "While urbanisation began in Mesopotamia and Egypt in the 4th millennium B.C., our study tends to show that social complexity increased late in north-western Arabia," said Charloux. A similar fortification from the same epoch was found by the archaeologists in the neighbouring Tayma Oasis in January. Archaeologists have still not figured out why al-Natah was abandoned between 1500–1300 BCE. “It’s a pertinent question that we can’t answer at the moment,” said Charloux, adding that extensive work is still required in this area. (With inputs from agencies)

Archaeologists find 4,000-year-old Bronze Age town in Saudi Arabia

NASA’s 47-year-old Voyager 1 spacecraft established communication with Earth on October 24 using a 1981 radio transmitter after a technical issue resulted in a days-long disruption in contact, as the team continues to resolve the issue.

Launched in September 1977, components of Voyager 1 were turned off to conserve power, enabling it to send back data from 15 billion miles away from Earth.

It is the farthest spacecraft from Earth that continues to observe interstellar space. In recent months, it has faced many technical issues due to its age, however, the team keeps resolving the issues creatively so it continues its journey through the space.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-mars-photo-shows-the-dying-spot-of-a-chopperand-a-missions-kick-off-point-772289">New Mars photo shows the dying spot of a chopper...and a mission's kick-off point</a>

<h2>Voyager 1 faces technical issues</h2>

On October 16, the team sent a command to turn on its heater, which helps reverse radiation damage to the spacecraft. This triggered the autonomous fault protection system, which shut down some non-essential systems to conserve power. The team discovered the issue when the Deep Space Network could not detect the spacecraft’s response signal on October 18, reported CNN.

The communication with Voyager 1 is overlooked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California through the Deep Space Network. The spacecraft takes about 23 hours to communicate a message one way.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-captures-eerie-green-swirls-from-space-on-nevada-lake-heres-what-it-is-772248">NASA captures eerie green swirls from space on Nevada Lake. Here's what it is</a>

Voyager 1 has been using an X-band radio transmitter to communicate, while the S-band, which uses a different frequency hasn’t been used since 1981 as its signal is much weaker.

While the Voyager 1’s team were not sure whether the S-band signal could be detected, Deep Space Network engineers detected the signal and were able to locate the spacecraft.

“The S-band signal is too weak to use long-term,” said Bruce Waggoner, the Voyager mission assurance manager. “So far, the team has not been able to use it to get telemetry (information about the health and status of the spacecraft), let alone science data. But it allows us to at least send commands and make sure the spacecraft is still pointed at Earth.”

The team will not turn on the X-band transmitter until it figures out what triggered the fault protection system, which may take weeks.

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA’s 47-year-old Voyager 1 spacecraft established communication with Earth on October 24 using a 1981 radio transmitter after a technical issue resulted in a days-long disruption in contact, as the team continues to resolve the issue.

NASA’s 47-year-old Voyager 1 spacecraft established communication with Earth on October 24 using a 1981 radio transmitter after a technical issue resulted in a days-long disruption in contact, as the team continues to resolve the issue. Launched in September 1977, components of Voyager 1 were turned off to conserve power, enabling it to send back data from 15 billion miles away from Earth. It is the farthest spacecraft from Earth that continues to observe interstellar space. In recent months, it has faced many technical issues due to its age, however, the team keeps resolving the issues creatively so it continues its journey through the space. Also read | New Mars photo shows the dying spot of a chopper...and a mission's kick-off point Voyager 1 faces technical issues On October 16, the team sent a command to turn on its heater, which helps reverse radiation damage to the spacecraft. This triggered the autonomous fault protection system, which shut down some non-essential systems to conserve power. The team discovered the issue when the Deep Space Network could not detect the spacecraft’s response signal on October 18, reported CNN. The communication with Voyager 1 is overlooked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California through the Deep Space Network. The spacecraft takes about 23 hours to communicate a message one way. Also read | NASA captures eerie green swirls from space on Nevada Lake. Here's what it is Voyager 1 has been using an X-band radio transmitter to communicate, while the S-band, which uses a different frequency hasn’t been used since 1981 as its signal is much weaker. While the Voyager 1’s team were not sure whether the S-band signal could be detected, Deep Space Network engineers detected the signal and were able to locate the spacecraft. “The S-band signal is too weak to use long-term,” said Bruce Waggoner, the Voyager mission assurance manager. “So far, the team has not been able to use it to get telemetry (information about the health and status of the spacecraft), let alone science data. But it allows us to at least send commands and make sure the spacecraft is still pointed at Earth.” The team will not turn on the X-band transmitter until it figures out what triggered the fault protection system, which may take weeks. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA’s Voyager 1 re-establishes contact using 1981 radio transmitter

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