Universe is a wonderful place. It generates life, but also has a place for gigantic, unimaginable explosions that dwarf even our most dangerous nuclear weapons. The result is a constant flux of celestial activity.

Many of these cosmic events have effect on us on Earth. From solar flares to cosmic rays, we are just one planet in the cosmos that goes through everything it throws at us.

But an 'alien' isotope found in Earth's crust has scientists interested. This isotope is radioactive Iron.

Building atoms is serious business. Making simple atoms like Helium and Hydrogen takes massive power of a star. But building radioactive atoms takes massive firepower of a literal explosion of a star, a Supernova.

Scientists at Australian National University have found such a radioactive isotope of Iron (Iron 60) 1500 metres below Pacific Ocean. This is a 'blink-and-you-miss-it' sort of an isotope which has a very short half-life on cosmic scale.

Presence of Iron-60 isotope indicates that Earth was subjected to energy released by supernovas in our immediate neighbourhood. The isotope has been formed due to an 'alien' cosmic activity.

The rock sample containing Iron-60 is being analysed more. The scientists have published their findings in the scientific journal Science

Universe is a wonderful place. It generates life, but also has a place for gigantic, unimaginable explosions that dwarf even our most dangerous nuclear weapons. The result is a constant flux of celestial activity.

Universe is a wonderful place. It generates life, but also has a place for gigantic, unimaginable explosions that dwarf even our most dangerous nuclear weapons. The result is a constant flux of celestial activity. Many of these cosmic events have effect on us on Earth. From solar flares to cosmic rays, we are just one planet in the cosmos that goes through everything it throws at us. But an 'alien' isotope found in Earth's crust has scientists interested. This isotope is radioactive Iron. Building atoms is serious business. Making simple atoms like Helium and Hydrogen takes massive power of a star. But building radioactive atoms takes massive firepower of a literal explosion of a star, a Supernova. Scientists at Australian National University have found such a radioactive isotope of Iron (Iron 60) 1500 metres below Pacific Ocean. This is a 'blink-and-you-miss-it' sort of an isotope which has a very short half-life on cosmic scale. Presence of Iron-60 isotope indicates that Earth was subjected to energy released by supernovas in our immediate neighbourhood. The isotope has been formed due to an 'alien' cosmic activity. The rock sample containing Iron-60 is being analysed more. The scientists have published their findings in the scientific journal Science

'Alien' isotope found in Earth's crust

We just have one planet. We may advance our know-how and dream of moving en-masse to other planets but no planet in the universe will nurture us like Mother Earth. And it is because of this, images of Earth taken from space have a special place. Sure, we'll have plenty of stars, planets and galaxies to click. But images of our blue planet will always be cherished. NASA has posted new images of Earth.

These new images have been captured from International Space Station (ISS). NASA has posted these images from their Instagram account.

The new images are in celebration of Earth Day, which is fast approaching (April 22).

"...Leading up to Earth Day, we invite you to celebrate our blue marble!..." says NASA in its Instagram post. The 'blue marble' is of course our Earth.

"In these stunning images, the natural systems – land, water, air, ice – connect to each other to bring life. No matter whether we are on land or in space, we are unified by this tiny blue planet – and that’s something to celebrate..." NASA said

It has posted four photos in total. Check them out below. Click on the arrows to see the next image in the frame below.

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In this universe, our gaze may be deep and wide. We may have the capacity to uncover deepest mysteries of the universe. But sometimes, once in a while, it doesn't hurt to look back and appreciate the planet that has let our roots grow strong.

We just have one planet. We may advance our know-how and dream of moving en-masse to other planets but no planet in the universe will nurture us like Mother Earth.

We just have one planet. We may advance our know-how and dream of moving en-masse to other planets but no planet in the universe will nurture us like Mother Earth. And it is because of this, images of Earth taken from space have a special place. Sure, we'll have plenty of stars, planets and galaxies to click. But images of our blue planet will always be cherished. NASA has posted new images of Earth. These new images have been captured from International Space Station (ISS). NASA has posted these images from their Instagram account. The new images are in celebration of Earth Day, which is fast approaching (April 22). "...Leading up to Earth Day, we invite you to celebrate our blue marble!..." says NASA in its Instagram post. The 'blue marble' is of course our Earth. "In these stunning images, the natural systems – land, water, air, ice – connect to each other to bring life. No matter whether we are on land or in space, we are unified by this tiny blue planet – and that’s something to celebrate..." NASA said It has posted four photos in total. Check them out below. Click on the arrows to see the next image in the frame below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × In this universe, our gaze may be deep and wide. We may have the capacity to uncover deepest mysteries of the universe. But sometimes, once in a while, it doesn't hurt to look back and appreciate the planet that has let our roots grow strong.

NASA posts stunning new photos of Earth captured from International Space Station

Death is a thing that can't be defeated. It comes for us and also for astronomical bodies. An image of a galaxy captured by NASA's Hubble space telescope looks so solemn that it is sure to make anyone looking at it just a little contemplative.

The galaxy is dying!

One look at the image and it seems as if the life force is dissipating away from this celestial structure. The galaxy, named NGC 1947 is 45.7 million light-years away from us. The galaxy is slowly on the decline. The contrast between the dying galaxy and other specs of lively lights is very clear in the picture. While the universe around the galaxy is still rife with activity, the galaxy appears distant from it.

It is a rare type of galaxy called lenticular galaxy. Such galaxies are similar in structure to the Milky Way galaxy but they lack spiral arms.&nbsp;

The 'star-stuff' in this galaxy is spent and hence, no new stars are being formed. The present stellar material is fading.

As they travel through space, galaxies usually absorb new material. However, in the case of NGC 1947 such infusion of new material looks difficult at least for now.

And in the absence of new star-stuff, the galaxy is destined to slowly fade away in our universe teeming with stellar activity and life.

 
&nbsp;

Death is a thing that can't be defeated. It comes for us and also for astronomical bodies. An image of a galaxy captured by NASA's Hubble space telescope looks so solemn that it is sure to make anyone looking at it just a little contemplative.

Death is a thing that can't be defeated. It comes for us and also for astronomical bodies. An image of a galaxy captured by NASA's Hubble space telescope looks so solemn that it is sure to make anyone looking at it just a little contemplative. The galaxy is dying! One look at the image and it seems as if the life force is dissipating away from this celestial structure. The galaxy, named NGC 1947 is 45.7 million light-years away from us. The galaxy is slowly on the decline. The contrast between the dying galaxy and other specs of lively lights is very clear in the picture. While the universe around the galaxy is still rife with activity, the galaxy appears distant from it. It is a rare type of galaxy called lenticular galaxy. Such galaxies are similar in structure to the Milky Way galaxy but they lack spiral arms. The 'star-stuff' in this galaxy is spent and hence, no new stars are being formed. The present stellar material is fading. As they travel through space, galaxies usually absorb new material. However, in the case of NGC 1947 such infusion of new material looks difficult at least for now. And in the absence of new star-stuff, the galaxy is destined to slowly fade away in our universe teeming with stellar activity and life.

NASA's Hubble telescope clicks haunting image of a dying galaxy

If there is any planet that first catches our fancy when we are young, it is Saturn. The distinct rings is what makes Saturn a mesmerising thing. Who wants spherical planets when you can throw a funky ring around one of them eh? These rings can be witnessed using just an amateur stargazer's telescope.

We will be forgiven to think that it's just one ring surrounding Saturn. But the 'single' ring is made of seven major rings. All these rings are made of ice and chunks of rock.

Saturn and its rings behave just like our Solar System. As planets in our Solar System revolve around the Sun, material in Saturn's rings revolves around the planet.

A former NASA astronomer has made an interesting video that depicts how the rings revolve around Saturn.

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Countless shards of frozen water ice form Saturn's rings, which range in size from microscopic icy dust to bus-sized ice bergs. Each piece has its own orbit: close to Saturn they orbit fast, far away they orbit slow. Major ring segments are A-to-F (labelled in order of discovery) <a href="https://t.co/h4QjIz3eY8">pic.twitter.com/h4QjIz3eY8</a>
— Dr. James O'Donoghue (@physicsJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/physicsJ/status/1272121370109865985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Material closer to Saturn orbits faster otherwise it would fall in. Ring material farther from Saturn has the liberty to revolve at a slower speed.

The logic is just the same as that of the Solar System.

The slowest, outmost ring travels at about 37,000 mph (16.4 kilometers per second). While the innermost and fastest ring spins at a mindboggling speed of 52,000 mph (23.2 kilometers per second).

If there is any planet that first catches our fancy when we are young, it is Saturn. The distinct rings is what makes Saturn a mesmerising thing. Who wants spherical planets when you can throw a funky ring around one of them eh?

If there is any planet that first catches our fancy when we are young, it is Saturn. The distinct rings is what makes Saturn a mesmerising thing. Who wants spherical planets when you can throw a funky ring around one of them eh? These rings can be witnessed using just an amateur stargazer's telescope. We will be forgiven to think that it's just one ring surrounding Saturn. But the 'single' ring is made of seven major rings. All these rings are made of ice and chunks of rock. Saturn and its rings behave just like our Solar System. As planets in our Solar System revolve around the Sun, material in Saturn's rings revolves around the planet. A former NASA astronomer has made an interesting video that depicts how the rings revolve around Saturn. Countless shards of frozen water ice form Saturn's rings, which range in size from microscopic icy dust to bus-sized ice bergs. Each piece has its own orbit: close to Saturn they orbit fast, far away they orbit slow. Major ring segments are A-to-F (labelled in order of discovery) pic.twitter.com/h4QjIz3eY8 — Dr. James O'Donoghue (@physicsJ) June 14, 2020 × Material closer to Saturn orbits faster otherwise it would fall in. Ring material farther from Saturn has the liberty to revolve at a slower speed. The logic is just the same as that of the Solar System. The slowest, outmost ring travels at about 37,000 mph (16.4 kilometers per second). While the innermost and fastest ring spins at a mindboggling speed of 52,000 mph (23.2 kilometers per second).

An astronomer has created video on Saturn's spinning rings

Artificial satellites and space waste orbiting the Earth can make the night sky brighter, researchers have found, warning that light pollution from these could affect astronomers work to study the universe.&nbsp;

The European Space Agency (ESA) said that more than 9,200 tonnes of space objects present in the Earth's orbit, that include defunct satellites, reports The Guardian.&nbsp;

Such objects not just capable of light pollution, but also poses a collision risk.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-observe-most-pristine-comet-from-outer-space-in-solar-system-374505">Astronomers observe most 'pristine' comet from outer space in Solar system</a>

Scientists in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society detail how sunlight that is reflected and scattered from space objects can look like streaks in observations made by telescopes from the ground.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/researchers-reveal-how-human-heart-adapts-to-space-374276">Researchers reveal how human heart adapts to space</a>

"Because the streaks are often comparable to or brighter than objects of astrophysical interest, their presence tends to compromise astronomical data and poses the threat of irretrievable loss of information," the researchers wrote.&nbsp;

They also said, "when observed with relatively low-sensitivity detectors like the unaided human eye, or with low-angular-resolution photometers, their combined effect is that of a diffuse night sky brightness component, much like the unresolved integrated starlight background of the Milky Way."

According to their calculations, the glow could rise up to 10 per cent of the natural sky brightness, a light pollution level earlier set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as being the limit that is acceptable at astronomical observatory regions.&nbsp;

Though the scientists stress that natural levels of brightness have their own challenges, they said the current situation could become worse once more satellites, including "mega-constellations", are launched.

 
&nbsp;

Artificial satellites and space waste orbiting the Earth can make the night sky brighter, researchers have found, warning that light pollution from these could affect astronomers work to study the universe.

Artificial satellites and space waste orbiting the Earth can make the night sky brighter, researchers have found, warning that light pollution from these could affect astronomers work to study the universe. The European Space Agency (ESA) said that more than 9,200 tonnes of space objects present in the Earth's orbit, that include defunct satellites, reports The Guardian. Such objects not just capable of light pollution, but also poses a collision risk. Also read | Astronomers observe most 'pristine' comet from outer space in Solar system Scientists in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society detail how sunlight that is reflected and scattered from space objects can look like streaks in observations made by telescopes from the ground. Also read | Researchers reveal how human heart adapts to space "Because the streaks are often comparable to or brighter than objects of astrophysical interest, their presence tends to compromise astronomical data and poses the threat of irretrievable loss of information," the researchers wrote. They also said, "when observed with relatively low-sensitivity detectors like the unaided human eye, or with low-angular-resolution photometers, their combined effect is that of a diffuse night sky brightness component, much like the unresolved integrated starlight background of the Milky Way." According to their calculations, the glow could rise up to 10 per cent of the natural sky brightness, a light pollution level earlier set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) as being the limit that is acceptable at astronomical observatory regions. Though the scientists stress that natural levels of brightness have their own challenges, they said the current situation could become worse once more satellites, including "mega-constellations", are launched.

Light pollution from satellites, space waste poses risk to astronomy

The field of Astronomy has made progress&nbsp;by leaps and bounds. We not only peer deep into space but also theorise to find answers to questions such as how the universe came to be and what lies in future.

With the tremendous knowledge and technology we have today, it is hard to believe that there are things that are still unknown to us.

We think we know it all, but the universe always has something up its sleeve to surprise us every time.

A new analysis of Gaia satellite data has revealed that the closest star cluster to our Solar System is being torn apart due to some reason. Scientists believe that gravitational pull from something massive is causing this.

We do not know what this is.

Scientists think that dark matter is causing the star cluster to fall apart.

What is dark matter?

'Normal' matter is the one we can see, feel and so on. But dark matter is a tricky thing as is not possible to see or feel it. This becomes its detection very hard.

Scientists and researchers can only predict presence of dark matter by looking for effects of its gravitational pull on nearby 'visible' matter.

It has been said that dark matter makes up 80 per cent of all matter in the universe. Dark matter is considered to be important for the formation of galaxies.

It is possible, as per the scientists that dark matter may be the reason why the closest star structure to our solar system is being torn apart.

The field of Astronomy has made progress by leaps and bounds. We not only peer deep into space but also theorise to find answers to questions such as how the universe came to be and what lies in future.

The field of Astronomy has made progress by leaps and bounds. We not only peer deep into space but also theorise to find answers to questions such as how the universe came to be and what lies in future. With the tremendous knowledge and technology we have today, it is hard to believe that there are things that are still unknown to us. We think we know it all, but the universe always has something up its sleeve to surprise us every time. A new analysis of Gaia satellite data has revealed that the closest star cluster to our Solar System is being torn apart due to some reason. Scientists believe that gravitational pull from something massive is causing this. We do not know what this is. Scientists think that dark matter is causing the star cluster to fall apart. What is dark matter? 'Normal' matter is the one we can see, feel and so on. But dark matter is a tricky thing as is not possible to see or feel it. This becomes its detection very hard. Scientists and researchers can only predict presence of dark matter by looking for effects of its gravitational pull on nearby 'visible' matter. It has been said that dark matter makes up 80 per cent of all matter in the universe. Dark matter is considered to be important for the formation of galaxies. It is possible, as per the scientists that dark matter may be the reason why the closest star structure to our solar system is being torn apart.

Something is tearing apart star cluster closest to Solar System

Interstellar travel has always caught the imagination of humankind. Though our scientific knowledge and imagination have long conceptualised interstellar space travel, actual travel is a massive undertaking. Till date, only two spacecraft&nbsp;(Voyager 1 and 2) have crossed the solar system boundary. More spacecraft&nbsp;will surely follow in future.

The main issue in interstellar travel is that a person aboard the spacecraft sees a different starscape than that from Earth. The astronaut will see position and movement of stars differently than on Earth.&nbsp;

Why does this matter?

This may throw up problems while navigating the spacecraft. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are controlled from Earth. But for a man in space, it may get difficult to navigate accurately. This has potential of creating huge problem as the spacecraft may get lost in space.

Coryn A.L. Bailer-Jones, an astronomer working at Max Plack Institute in Germany, has come up with a navigation system. This may enable navigation of the spacecraft from space rather than from Earth.

He has presented his idea in a paper that has been published in Arxiv. The paper is awaiting peer review.

Bailer-Jones has proposed that by measuring the angular distance between pairs of stars and comparing it with star charts that we already have, the spacecraft will be able to determine its co-ordinates in space.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astrophotographer-creates-a-remarkable-mosaic-of-the-milky-way-galaxy-372060">Astrophotographer creates a remarkable mosaic of the Milky Way galaxy</a>

In effect, the astronaut aboard the spacecraft will be able to determine where the spacecraft exactly is. And he/she will be able to do so without any help from Earth.

Interstellar space travel may really become independent of Earth's control after all!

Interstellar travel has always caught the imagination of humankind. Though our scientific knowledge and imagination have long conceptualised interstellar space travel, actual travel is a massive undertaking.

Interstellar travel has always caught the imagination of humankind. Though our scientific knowledge and imagination have long conceptualised interstellar space travel, actual travel is a massive undertaking. Till date, only two spacecraft (Voyager 1 and 2) have crossed the solar system boundary. More spacecraft will surely follow in future. The main issue in interstellar travel is that a person aboard the spacecraft sees a different starscape than that from Earth. The astronaut will see position and movement of stars differently than on Earth. Why does this matter? This may throw up problems while navigating the spacecraft. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are controlled from Earth. But for a man in space, it may get difficult to navigate accurately. This has potential of creating huge problem as the spacecraft may get lost in space. Coryn A.L. Bailer-Jones, an astronomer working at Max Plack Institute in Germany, has come up with a navigation system. This may enable navigation of the spacecraft from space rather than from Earth. He has presented his idea in a paper that has been published in Arxiv. The paper is awaiting peer review. Bailer-Jones has proposed that by measuring the angular distance between pairs of stars and comparing it with star charts that we already have, the spacecraft will be able to determine its co-ordinates in space. Also Read | Astrophotographer creates a remarkable mosaic of the Milky Way galaxy In effect, the astronaut aboard the spacecraft will be able to determine where the spacecraft exactly is. And he/she will be able to do so without any help from Earth. Interstellar space travel may really become independent of Earth's control after all!

Astronomer makes navigation system for interstellar space travel

“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I bet they’d live a lot differently”

Many of us know this iconic line from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. But it's not always possible for us to look at the infinite beauty of the universe each night.

In smartphone era, we are busier looking down at our phones rather than up in the sky.&nbsp;

But thanks to NASA, we can marvel at the beauty of stars and planets on our devices. NASA hasn't disappointed this time as well. It has posted yet another brilliant image of starscape far far away. It's a galaxy, and it's fifth brightest in the sky.

The name of the galaxy is Centaurus A. NASA has clicked the beautiful galaxy with the help of its James Webb Space telescope.

The galaxy is a beautiful splash of pink. But its colours tell a deeper story.

"...Each light wavelength tells us something different! Dark dust lanes and young blue star clusters, which crisscross its central region, can be seen in visible and near-infrared light. But by switching to X-ray and radio light views, a much more active scene unfolds: spectacular jets of material have erupted from its active supermassive black hole sending material into space well beyond the galaxy's limits," NASA has said in its Instagram post. 
⁣

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Centaurus-A galaxy is also known as NGC 5128. It is 10-16 million lightyears away from Earth. It is one of the closest radio galaxies to Earth. At the centre of the galaxy there is a supermassive black hole 55 million times the mass of the Sun.

“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I bet they’d live a lot differently” Many of us know this iconic line from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes.

“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I bet they’d live a lot differently” Many of us know this iconic line from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. But it's not always possible for us to look at the infinite beauty of the universe each night. In smartphone era, we are busier looking down at our phones rather than up in the sky. But thanks to NASA, we can marvel at the beauty of stars and planets on our devices. NASA hasn't disappointed this time as well. It has posted yet another brilliant image of starscape far far away. It's a galaxy, and it's fifth brightest in the sky. The name of the galaxy is Centaurus A. NASA has clicked the beautiful galaxy with the help of its James Webb Space telescope. The galaxy is a beautiful splash of pink. But its colours tell a deeper story. "...Each light wavelength tells us something different! Dark dust lanes and young blue star clusters, which crisscross its central region, can be seen in visible and near-infrared light. But by switching to X-ray and radio light views, a much more active scene unfolds: spectacular jets of material have erupted from its active supermassive black hole sending material into space well beyond the galaxy's limits," NASA has said in its Instagram post. ⁣ View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × Centaurus-A galaxy is also known as NGC 5128. It is 10-16 million lightyears away from Earth. It is one of the closest radio galaxies to Earth. At the centre of the galaxy there is a supermassive black hole 55 million times the mass of the Sun.

NASA posts beautiful photo of fifth brightest galaxy in the sky

For the most part, our knowledge of the word 'planet' revolves around the idea is that its a huge space rock, cooler than the stars, deriving energy from the one it revolves around. We can't be blamed because Earth is one such space rock. It is (much) cooler than the Sun and derives all the life forming energy from it.

But universe, as infinite it is, has ways to surprise our minds and set ideas we tend to have about it.&nbsp;

Can you imagine a space body almost hot as our Sun all the while being a 'planet'? Well, there are such planets.

Meet Kelt-9 b! It's a planet 670 lightyears away from Earth. It was found in 2016.

It has been found that this planet has a temperature of 5000 K (4726 degree Celsius). This makes this planet hotter than 80 per cent of all individual&nbsp;stars in the universe.

Kelt-9 b is a gaseous planet and it is 1.8 times bigger than Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system. It revolves around its star that is twice as hot as the Sun. In addition, Kelt-9 b has a very very short radius of revolution. It means that it revolves around its star in a very close orbit that is smaller even than that of Mercury in our Solar System.

Kelt-9 b is tidally locked with its star. That means that one side of the planet always faces the star when it makes its revolution.

Why studying Kelt-9 b is important

Planets like Kelt-9 b are called 'hot Jupiters' because of their gaseous nature, gigantic size and extremely hot temperature. This means that behaviour of such planets gives us a brilliant opportunity to study Physics in conditions that are nearly impossible to reproduce on Earth.

In other words, these planets can roughly be called giant labs in space!

The universe truly has amazing secrets!

For the most part, our knowledge of the word 'planet' revolves around the idea is that its a huge space rock, cooler than the stars, deriving energy from the one it revolves around.

For the most part, our knowledge of the word 'planet' revolves around the idea is that its a huge space rock, cooler than the stars, deriving energy from the one it revolves around. We can't be blamed because Earth is one such space rock. It is (much) cooler than the Sun and derives all the life forming energy from it. But universe, as infinite it is, has ways to surprise our minds and set ideas we tend to have about it. Can you imagine a space body almost hot as our Sun all the while being a 'planet'? Well, there are such planets. Meet Kelt-9 b! It's a planet 670 lightyears away from Earth. It was found in 2016. It has been found that this planet has a temperature of 5000 K (4726 degree Celsius). This makes this planet hotter than 80 per cent of all individual stars in the universe. Kelt-9 b is a gaseous planet and it is 1.8 times bigger than Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system. It revolves around its star that is twice as hot as the Sun. In addition, Kelt-9 b has a very very short radius of revolution. It means that it revolves around its star in a very close orbit that is smaller even than that of Mercury in our Solar System. Kelt-9 b is tidally locked with its star. That means that one side of the planet always faces the star when it makes its revolution. Why studying Kelt-9 b is important Planets like Kelt-9 b are called 'hot Jupiters' because of their gaseous nature, gigantic size and extremely hot temperature. This means that behaviour of such planets gives us a brilliant opportunity to study Physics in conditions that are nearly impossible to reproduce on Earth. In other words, these planets can roughly be called giant labs in space! The universe truly has amazing secrets!

This planet is hotter than 80 per cent of stars in the universe

We have our eyes glued to the sky for possible signs of alien life. We look for planets with water, planets with atmosphere and other things that can be helpful to sustain life. There is an 'exciting' planet that had scientists cheering for it. It had an atmosphere and was once hailed as one of the most important planets outside Solar System.

The planet lost the atmosphere!

And 'regrew' it!

Planet GJ 1132 b was discovered in the year 2015. It's a rocky planet about 1.16 times the size of Earth. And it's situated at a sweet distance of just 41 lightyears away. Though this distance may appear to be a lot in human terms, it's nothing considering the size of space.

Scientists used a giant telescope in Chile to observe the planet as it revolved around its star and found out that it indeed had an atmosphere. It was found that the planet had an atmosphere made up of Hydrogen. The researchers made a computer model and found that "atmospheric loss" took place on the planet.

Also&nbsp;Read&nbsp;| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-perseverance-rover-hunts-for-life-on-mars-369699">NASA's Perseverance rover hunts for life on Mars</a>

But later, as more observations were made through Hubble space telescope, the planet was shown to have atmosphere containing hydrogen, hydrogen cyanide, methane, and ammonia. This was a surprise.

The planet appeared to have 'regrown' the atmosphere.

In their paper in The Astronomical Journal, the researchers said that it was possible that the Hydrogen in the atmosphere was absorbed by the magma on the surface. They also say that core of the planet is still hot and volcanic activity on the surface has resulted in formation of a new atmosphere but with a different composition.

We have our eyes glued to the sky for possible signs of alien life. We look for planets with water, planets with atmosphere and other things that can be helpful to sustain life.

We have our eyes glued to the sky for possible signs of alien life. We look for planets with water, planets with atmosphere and other things that can be helpful to sustain life. There is an 'exciting' planet that had scientists cheering for it. It had an atmosphere and was once hailed as one of the most important planets outside Solar System. The planet lost the atmosphere! And 'regrew' it! Planet GJ 1132 b was discovered in the year 2015. It's a rocky planet about 1.16 times the size of Earth. And it's situated at a sweet distance of just 41 lightyears away. Though this distance may appear to be a lot in human terms, it's nothing considering the size of space. Scientists used a giant telescope in Chile to observe the planet as it revolved around its star and found out that it indeed had an atmosphere. It was found that the planet had an atmosphere made up of Hydrogen. The researchers made a computer model and found that "atmospheric loss" took place on the planet. Also Read | NASA's Perseverance rover hunts for life on Mars But later, as more observations were made through Hubble space telescope, the planet was shown to have atmosphere containing hydrogen, hydrogen cyanide, methane, and ammonia. This was a surprise. The planet appeared to have 'regrown' the atmosphere. In their paper in The Astronomical Journal, the researchers said that it was possible that the Hydrogen in the atmosphere was absorbed by the magma on the surface. They also say that core of the planet is still hot and volcanic activity on the surface has resulted in formation of a new atmosphere but with a different composition.

This planet lost its atmosphere and 'regrew' it

Scientists recently discovered the most distant radio blast known to mankind. The blast emanated from a quasar which is situated far away, and took at least 13 billion years to reach Earth, implying that the signals are from a long time ago - precisely when the universe was just 780 million years old.

But what are quasars? Among the brightest objects in the universe, quasars are found at the centre of some galaxies and are powered by black holes that are supermassive. The quasar in question is peculiar for it is "radio-loud". Such quasars have jets that throw out radio emissions, and only 10 per cent of all quasars are able to do this.

This marks the first time radio jets have been found from so farther off in the universe. Scientists have been able to find many objects dating back to the first billion years of the universe in the last 10 years. Even then, finding objects that emit radio signals has remained difficult.

The quasar is named P172+18, and is powered by a massive black hole - 300 times bigger than our own Sun, which continues to devour everything around it, and remains one of the fastest-growing black holes observed.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-detect-best-place-and-time-to-live-in-milky-way-368901" hreflang="en">Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way</a> 
 
Chiara Mazzucchelli, one of the scientists from the European Southern Observatory who found the object told The Independent newspaper that it holds the "building block" to understanding the ancient Universe, which in turn would help us understand our origins.

The scientists inspected the quasar from the Magellan Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, after which they found that the radio blast was emanating from a far-off quasar.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-releases-beautiful-photo-of-a-galaxy-far-far-away-368896" hreflang="en">NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away</a>

Thanks to sophisticated equipment including the ESO's "Very Large Telescope" enabled scientists to observe the black hole and the quasar in detail. The findings from the paper titled "The discovery of a highly accreting, radio-loud quasar at z=6.82'' is set to be published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Scientists recently discovered the most distant radio blast known to mankind. The blast emanated from a quasar which is situated far away, and took at least 13 billion years to reach Earth, implying that the signals are from a long time ago - precisely when the universe was just 780 million years old.

Scientists recently discovered the most distant radio blast known to mankind. The blast emanated from a quasar which is situated far away, and took at least 13 billion years to reach Earth, implying that the signals are from a long time ago - precisely when the universe was just 780 million years old. But what are quasars? Among the brightest objects in the universe, quasars are found at the centre of some galaxies and are powered by black holes that are supermassive. The quasar in question is peculiar for it is "radio-loud". Such quasars have jets that throw out radio emissions, and only 10 per cent of all quasars are able to do this. This marks the first time radio jets have been found from so farther off in the universe. Scientists have been able to find many objects dating back to the first billion years of the universe in the last 10 years. Even then, finding objects that emit radio signals has remained difficult. The quasar is named P172+18, and is powered by a massive black hole - 300 times bigger than our own Sun, which continues to devour everything around it, and remains one of the fastest-growing black holes observed. Also read: Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way Chiara Mazzucchelli, one of the scientists from the European Southern Observatory who found the object told The Independent newspaper that it holds the "building block" to understanding the ancient Universe, which in turn would help us understand our origins. The scientists inspected the quasar from the Magellan Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, after which they found that the radio blast was emanating from a far-off quasar. Also read: NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away Thanks to sophisticated equipment including the ESO's "Very Large Telescope" enabled scientists to observe the black hole and the quasar in detail. The findings from the paper titled "The discovery of a highly accreting, radio-loud quasar at z=6.82'' is set to be published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Scientists just spotted most distant radio blast to ever reach Earth!

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill.

NASA hasn't disappointed this time as well. It has tweeted a beautiful picture of a galaxy far far away. The name of the galaxy is NGC 2336 in scientist speak. The galaxy was discovered in 19th century. The image shows that the galaxy is a spiral, similar to our own Milky Way Galaxy.

"Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away. Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble &nbsp;shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy," NASA tweeted.

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Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away.✨ 
 
Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAHubble?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAHubble</a> shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy. 
 
Find out how it gets its blue glow: <a href="https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO">https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO</a> <a href="https://t.co/XRh9MMNyy7">pic.twitter.com/XRh9MMNyy7</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1368687911600787457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The galaxy is 100 million light-years away! It means that even if we make a spaceship that travels at the speed of light, (~ 300 thousand kilometres per second) it will take us 100 million years to reach this galaxy.

This means an&nbsp;interesting thing.

The light from this galaxy that we see now, was emitted 100 million years ago! None of us or even our ancestors were alive when the light that reaches Earth today was emitted by the galaxy.

This leads to another interesting bit.

The galaxy NGC 2336 may have changed shape, collided with another galaxy, or may even have got obliterated. But we may only know that 100 million years after the event takes place. Because light from such an event will take that much time to reach us.

Space is super super huge. Feeling small yet?

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill.

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill. NASA hasn't disappointed this time as well. It has tweeted a beautiful picture of a galaxy far far away. The name of the galaxy is NGC 2336 in scientist speak. The galaxy was discovered in 19th century. The image shows that the galaxy is a spiral, similar to our own Milky Way Galaxy. "Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away. Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy," NASA tweeted. Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away.✨ Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy. Find out how it gets its blue glow: https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO pic.twitter.com/XRh9MMNyy7 — NASA (@NASA) March 7, 2021 × The galaxy is 100 million light-years away! It means that even if we make a spaceship that travels at the speed of light, (~ 300 thousand kilometres per second) it will take us 100 million years to reach this galaxy. This means an interesting thing. The light from this galaxy that we see now, was emitted 100 million years ago! None of us or even our ancestors were alive when the light that reaches Earth today was emitted by the galaxy. This leads to another interesting bit. The galaxy NGC 2336 may have changed shape, collided with another galaxy, or may even have got obliterated. But we may only know that 100 million years after the event takes place. Because light from such an event will take that much time to reach us. Space is super super huge. Feeling small yet?

NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away

NASA on Friday released spectacular new images from its Mars mission, which saw the successful landing of the rover Perseverance. New images are coloured as opposed to black and white ones sent by the rover earlier. New images also include the one taken when the rover was being lowered on the surface of Mars. Such an image has been captured for the first time.

The high-resolution still was extracted from a video taken by the descent stage of the spacecraft that had transported the rover from Earth.

At that moment, the descent stage was using its six-engined jetpack to slow to a speed of about 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) per hour as part of the "skycrane maneuver," the final phase of landing.

"You can see the dust kicked up by the rover's engines," said Adam Steltzner, Perseverance's chief engineer, who estimated the shot was taken about two meters (six feet) or so above the ground.

The three straight lines are mechanical bridles holding the rover underneath the descent stage, while the curly cable was used to transmit the data from the cameras to Perseverance.

As the rover touched down on the surface, it cut the 21-foot-long cables tugs allowing the descent stage to fly away for its own landing.

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Another new image, taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, captures Perseverance as it was parachuting down through the atmosphere at hundreds of miles an hour.

Jezero crator where Perseverance has landed has a river and deep lake existed billions of years ago.

A second colour image shows one of the rover's six wheels, with several honeycombed rocks thought to be more than 3.6 billion years old lying next to it.

<img alt="NASA Mars perseverance" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6db402ac-e9e8-471f-8ece-e7c4a33d78da" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_93E28D.jpg" />

"One of the questions we'll ask first is whether these rocks represent a volcanic or sedimentary origin," said NASA deputy project scientist Katie Stack Morgan.

Volcanic rocks in particular can be dated with very high precision once the samples are brought back to Earth on a future return mission -- an exciting development from a planetary science perspective.

As the first images came in, "it was exhilarating, the team went wild," said mission operations system manager Pauline Hwang.

Check out | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/nasas-perseverance-rover-beams-first-pictures-from-martian-surface-364748">NASA's Perseverance rover beams first pictures from Martian surface</a>

"The science team immediately started looking at all those rocks and zooming in and going, 'What is that!' -- it couldn't have been better."

The first two images were released on Thursday shortly after the rover landed, but they were lower resolution and in black-and-white because of the limited data rate available.

NASA hopes to have more high resolution photos and videos in the coming days, but doesn't know yet if it has successfully recorded sound on Mars for the first time using microphones.

That might be known later this weekend or early next week, said Steltzner.

NASA on Friday released spectacular new images from its Mars mission, which saw the successful landing of the rover Perseverance. New images are coloured as opposed to black and white ones sent by the rover earlier.

NASA on Friday released spectacular new images from its Mars mission, which saw the successful landing of the rover Perseverance. New images are coloured as opposed to black and white ones sent by the rover earlier. New images also include the one taken when the rover was being lowered on the surface of Mars. Such an image has been captured for the first time. The high-resolution still was extracted from a video taken by the descent stage of the spacecraft that had transported the rover from Earth. At that moment, the descent stage was using its six-engined jetpack to slow to a speed of about 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) per hour as part of the "skycrane maneuver," the final phase of landing. "You can see the dust kicked up by the rover's engines," said Adam Steltzner, Perseverance's chief engineer, who estimated the shot was taken about two meters (six feet) or so above the ground. The three straight lines are mechanical bridles holding the rover underneath the descent stage, while the curly cable was used to transmit the data from the cameras to Perseverance. As the rover touched down on the surface, it cut the 21-foot-long cables tugs allowing the descent stage to fly away for its own landing. Another new image, taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, captures Perseverance as it was parachuting down through the atmosphere at hundreds of miles an hour. Jezero crator where Perseverance has landed has a river and deep lake existed billions of years ago. A second colour image shows one of the rover's six wheels, with several honeycombed rocks thought to be more than 3.6 billion years old lying next to it. "One of the questions we'll ask first is whether these rocks represent a volcanic or sedimentary origin," said NASA deputy project scientist Katie Stack Morgan. Volcanic rocks in particular can be dated with very high precision once the samples are brought back to Earth on a future return mission -- an exciting development from a planetary science perspective. As the first images came in, "it was exhilarating, the team went wild," said mission operations system manager Pauline Hwang. Check out | NASA's Perseverance rover beams first pictures from Martian surface "The science team immediately started looking at all those rocks and zooming in and going, 'What is that!' -- it couldn't have been better." The first two images were released on Thursday shortly after the rover landed, but they were lower resolution and in black-and-white because of the limited data rate available. NASA hopes to have more high resolution photos and videos in the coming days, but doesn't know yet if it has successfully recorded sound on Mars for the first time using microphones. That might be known later this weekend or early next week, said Steltzner.

Mars landing: NASA's Perseverance sends spectacular new colour images

Asteroids are beautiful things as long as they put on a stellar show while burning to dust in Earth's atmosphere. Asteroids that are a bit bigger leave space rocks on Earths surface for scientists to study. Anything bigger than that, well, ask dinosaurs what happens when such a thing strikes the Earth.

An asteroid by the name of Apophis is approaching our home planet. Apophis is the Egyptian God of chaos and darkness. Anything named after such a deity is surely not going to be anything sweet. On top of it, it's an asteroid.

Apophis, known officially as &nbsp;99942 Apophis (2004 MN4) is three football-fields wide. It may appear to be small given how huge Earth is. But remember, asteroids zap around in space at speeds of thousands of kms an hour. And that's why if any of the astroids strikes the Earth, the explosion would be comparable to one caused by several exploding atomic bombs.

Apophis is going to have a very close flyby past Earth in 2029. At its closest point, Apophis will be at an altitude of some of our artificial satellites. Previously, Apophis had a 3 per cent chance of hitting the Earth. This again may sound pretty small a number. But for a space body as large as Apophis, this is a terrifying figure.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/potentially-hazardous-largest-known-asteroid-to-fly-past-earth-in-2021-362083">'Potentially hazardous': Largest known asteroid to fly past Earth in 2021</a>

Fortunately, scientists have now able to determine that Apophis will not hit the Earth 2029.

But while 2029 seems a bit away, it may scare you to know that another close approach is scheduled to take place this year. Next month to be precise.

Apophis will fly by Earth on March 5, 2021. This time though it will be at a much greater distance away from Earth than its approach scheduled to take place in 2029.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/life-on-mars-study-gives-fresh-evidence-to-back-the-claim-362767">Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim</a>

But both of these events are going to provide scientists with an opportunity to study the trajectory and motion of Apophis.&nbsp;

Why the study?

Because Apophis will make another close call to Earth in the year 2068 and it will give all of us relief if know 100 per cent that it will not strike the Earth at that time.

Asteroids are beautiful things as long as they put on a stellar show while burning to dust in Earth's atmosphere. Asteroids that are a bit bigger leave space rocks on Earths surface for scientists to study.

Asteroids are beautiful things as long as they put on a stellar show while burning to dust in Earth's atmosphere. Asteroids that are a bit bigger leave space rocks on Earths surface for scientists to study. Anything bigger than that, well, ask dinosaurs what happens when such a thing strikes the Earth. An asteroid by the name of Apophis is approaching our home planet. Apophis is the Egyptian God of chaos and darkness. Anything named after such a deity is surely not going to be anything sweet. On top of it, it's an asteroid. Apophis, known officially as 99942 Apophis (2004 MN4) is three football-fields wide. It may appear to be small given how huge Earth is. But remember, asteroids zap around in space at speeds of thousands of kms an hour. And that's why if any of the astroids strikes the Earth, the explosion would be comparable to one caused by several exploding atomic bombs. Apophis is going to have a very close flyby past Earth in 2029. At its closest point, Apophis will be at an altitude of some of our artificial satellites. Previously, Apophis had a 3 per cent chance of hitting the Earth. This again may sound pretty small a number. But for a space body as large as Apophis, this is a terrifying figure. Also Read | 'Potentially hazardous': Largest known asteroid to fly past Earth in 2021 Fortunately, scientists have now able to determine that Apophis will not hit the Earth 2029. But while 2029 seems a bit away, it may scare you to know that another close approach is scheduled to take place this year. Next month to be precise. Apophis will fly by Earth on March 5, 2021. This time though it will be at a much greater distance away from Earth than its approach scheduled to take place in 2029. Also Read | Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim But both of these events are going to provide scientists with an opportunity to study the trajectory and motion of Apophis. Why the study? Because Apophis will make another close call to Earth in the year 2068 and it will give all of us relief if know 100 per cent that it will not strike the Earth at that time.

Asteroid Apophis approaches Earth, scientists have their eyes set

Yep, that's the name and the space object 'FarFarOut' is Really far away in our solar system. For comparisan, Pluto takes 246 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. This alone tells us how far Pluto is. But FarFarOut takes 800 years to take a single round trip around the Sun! That means last time FarFarOut was where it today is, Genghis Khan was expanding its empire in Asia and was knocking on the doors of Europe.

FarFarOut is 132 astronomical units away from the Sun (1 astronomical unit = 150 million kilometres) and is just 400 kilometres across (250 miles) in size. It was discovered in 2018.

The story behind how it got its nickname is funny.

Before its discovery, another very distant space object was discovered in 2018. It was 124 astronomical units away from the Sun. The object was really far out, and a surprised exclamation from Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science gave it a nickname Farout.

And what's more distant than Farout? Yep. FarFarOut!

The distances involved in studying FarFarout are so huge that constant astronomical observations are needed to take place for several years just to plot its trajectory.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/life-on-mars-study-gives-fresh-evidence-to-back-the-claim-362767">Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim</a>

Talking about trajectory, FarFarOut has a weird orbit around the Sun. It is wildly oval. At its furthest, FarFarOut is 175 astronomical units away from the Sun while at its nearest, it is 27 astronomical units away.

Scientists think that Neptune's gravity is the reason why FarFarOut has such a wild orbit around the Sun.

It is expected that more interaction between Neptune and FarFarOut is likely in the future.

Yep, that's the name and the space object 'FarFarOut' is Really far away in our solar system. For comparisan, Pluto takes 246 years to complete one orbit around the Sun.

Yep, that's the name and the space object 'FarFarOut' is Really far away in our solar system. For comparisan, Pluto takes 246 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. This alone tells us how far Pluto is. But FarFarOut takes 800 years to take a single round trip around the Sun! That means last time FarFarOut was where it today is, Genghis Khan was expanding its empire in Asia and was knocking on the doors of Europe. FarFarOut is 132 astronomical units away from the Sun (1 astronomical unit = 150 million kilometres) and is just 400 kilometres across (250 miles) in size. It was discovered in 2018. The story behind how it got its nickname is funny. Before its discovery, another very distant space object was discovered in 2018. It was 124 astronomical units away from the Sun. The object was really far out, and a surprised exclamation from Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science gave it a nickname Farout. And what's more distant than Farout? Yep. FarFarOut! The distances involved in studying FarFarout are so huge that constant astronomical observations are needed to take place for several years just to plot its trajectory. Also Read | Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim Talking about trajectory, FarFarOut has a weird orbit around the Sun. It is wildly oval. At its furthest, FarFarOut is 175 astronomical units away from the Sun while at its nearest, it is 27 astronomical units away. Scientists think that Neptune's gravity is the reason why FarFarOut has such a wild orbit around the Sun. It is expected that more interaction between Neptune and FarFarOut is likely in the future.

Space object named 'FarFarOut' is the most distant thing in solar system

Alien-hunting has been a favourite topic among scientists and the public alike. While public has the luxury to go wild with its imagination about aliens, scientists need to rely on hard scientific proof in order to confirm the existence of alien life and extra-terrestrial intelligence. Scientists continue to look into the space to study it primarily and to seek signs of whether we are not alone in this universe.

Now, an international team of scientists has received radio signals from a planet far far away. The planet is located in the star system named Tau Bootis which is 51 light-years away. The system contains a binary star and an exoplanet.

The team is led by Jake Turner (postdoctoral researcher in Cornell University), Philippe Zarka (Observatoire de Paris - Paris Sciences et Lettres University) and Jean-Mathias Griessmeier from Université d’Orléans.

The observation and the research has been published in scientific journal Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics.

“The signal is from the Tau Boötes system, which contains a binary star and an exoplanet. We make the case for an emission by the planet itself. From the strength and polarization of the radio signal and the planet’s magnetic field, it is compatible with theoretical predictions,” said Jake Turner. He was quoted by Cornell University

Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-nasa-captures-himalayan-mountains-delhis-city-lights-from-space-350259">NASA captures Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space</a> 
 
If the research and observation is confirmed through follow-up observations, this is likely to open new ways for us to study alien worlds both, to check for extraterrestrial life and also to tap their viability for human habitation.

Alien-hunting has been a favourite topic among scientists and the public alike. While public has the luxury to go wild with its imagination about aliens, scientists need to rely on hard scientific proof in order to confirm the existence of alien life and extra-terrestrial intelligence.

Alien-hunting has been a favourite topic among scientists and the public alike. While public has the luxury to go wild with its imagination about aliens, scientists need to rely on hard scientific proof in order to confirm the existence of alien life and extra-terrestrial intelligence. Scientists continue to look into the space to study it primarily and to seek signs of whether we are not alone in this universe. Now, an international team of scientists has received radio signals from a planet far far away. The planet is located in the star system named Tau Bootis which is 51 light-years away. The system contains a binary star and an exoplanet. The team is led by Jake Turner (postdoctoral researcher in Cornell University), Philippe Zarka (Observatoire de Paris - Paris Sciences et Lettres University) and Jean-Mathias Griessmeier from Université d’Orléans. The observation and the research has been published in scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. “The signal is from the Tau Boötes system, which contains a binary star and an exoplanet. We make the case for an emission by the planet itself. From the strength and polarization of the radio signal and the planet’s magnetic field, it is compatible with theoretical predictions,” said Jake Turner. He was quoted by Cornell University Watch: NASA captures Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space If the research and observation is confirmed through follow-up observations, this is likely to open new ways for us to study alien worlds both, to check for extraterrestrial life and also to tap their viability for human habitation.

Aliens calling? Scientists receive radio signals from faraway planet

2020 has given us a lot to clutch our heads and scream. While coronavirus pandemic was the major reason, the year will live in infamy due to many horrible reasons. And just as when we thought we were slipping past its grip, the news has arrived that five asteroids are slated to make a close call to Earth in a single week. And two of them are going to flyby at a distance less than that between Earth and the Moon

Remember what happened last time an asteroid struck Earth? It wiped out 95 per cent of life on the planet including the dinosaurs who were the dominant species then.

No prize for guessing which dominant species on Earth will be wiped out now if a space rock is to strike our planet at a speed of thousands of kilometres per hour

So let's take a look

Asteroid 2020 XF4 is just 11 metres across but its superspeed gives it a deadly momentum. It's a good thing then it is going to miss the Earth. However, it will come closer to Earth than the Moon. It will fly past Earth at a distance of 343,047 km. Distance between Earth and the Moon is 386,000 km

Asteroid 2020 VY1 is slightly bigger. This 24-metre space-rock will fly by at a distance of 5 million kilometres.

Then there is asteroid 2020 XS5 which will hurtle past Earth at distance of 2 million km&nbsp;

Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-nasa-captures-himalayan-mountains-delhis-city-lights-from-space-350259">NASA captures Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space</a>

However, asteroid 2020 XX3 will come much much closer. It will give Earth a miss at only 57 thousand kilometres. This distance may appear to be a lot but considering measurements in Space, this is not much.

Finally, asteroid 2020 XF3 will pass by Earth. But it will cut a wide berth at 6.9 million kilometres.

Let's hope the year 2020 does not have any more surprises.

2020 has given us a lot to clutch our heads and scream. While coronavirus pandemic was the major reason, the year will live in infamy due to many horrible reasons.

2020 has given us a lot to clutch our heads and scream. While coronavirus pandemic was the major reason, the year will live in infamy due to many horrible reasons. And just as when we thought we were slipping past its grip, the news has arrived that five asteroids are slated to make a close call to Earth in a single week. And two of them are going to flyby at a distance less than that between Earth and the Moon Remember what happened last time an asteroid struck Earth? It wiped out 95 per cent of life on the planet including the dinosaurs who were the dominant species then. No prize for guessing which dominant species on Earth will be wiped out now if a space rock is to strike our planet at a speed of thousands of kilometres per hour So let's take a look Asteroid 2020 XF4 is just 11 metres across but its superspeed gives it a deadly momentum. It's a good thing then it is going to miss the Earth. However, it will come closer to Earth than the Moon. It will fly past Earth at a distance of 343,047 km. Distance between Earth and the Moon is 386,000 km Asteroid 2020 VY1 is slightly bigger. This 24-metre space-rock will fly by at a distance of 5 million kilometres. Then there is asteroid 2020 XS5 which will hurtle past Earth at distance of 2 million km Watch: NASA captures Himalayan mountains, Delhi's city lights from space However, asteroid 2020 XX3 will come much much closer. It will give Earth a miss at only 57 thousand kilometres. This distance may appear to be a lot but considering measurements in Space, this is not much. Finally, asteroid 2020 XF3 will pass by Earth. But it will cut a wide berth at 6.9 million kilometres. Let's hope the year 2020 does not have any more surprises.

Five asteroids to make close call to Earth this week

A decade ago, a band of astronomers set out to investigate one of the oldest questions taunting philosophers, scientists, priests, astronomers, mystics and the rest of the human race: How many more Earths are out there, if any? How many far-flung planets exist that could harbor life as we know it?

Their tool was the Kepler spacecraft, which was launched in March 2009 on a 3-1/2-year mission to monitor 150,000 stars in a patch of sky in the Milky Way. It looked for tiny dips in starlight caused by an exoplanet passing in front of its home star.

“It’s not E.T., but it’s E.T.’s home,” said William Borucki when the mission was launched in March 2009. It was Borucki, an astronomer now retired from NASA’s Ames Research Center, who dreamed up the project and spent two decades convincing NASA to do it.

Before the spacecraft finally gave out in 2018, it had discovered more than 4,000 candidate worlds among those stars. So far, none have shown any sign of life or habitation. (Granted, they are very far away and hard to study.) Extrapolated, that figure suggests that there are billions of exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. But how many of those are potentially habitable?

After crunching Kepler’s data for two years, a team of 44 astronomers led by Steve Bryson of NASA Ames has landed on what they say is the definitive answer, at least for now. Their paper has been accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-uncover-oldest-evidence-of-slingshot-tongue-341109">Scientists uncover oldest evidence of 'slingshot' tongue</a> 
 
Kepler’s formal goal was to measure a number called eta-Earth: the fraction of sunlike stars that have an Earth-size object orbiting them in the “goldilocks” or habitable zone, where it is warm enough for the surface to retain liquid water.

The team calculated that at least one-third, and perhaps as many as 90%, of stars similar in mass and brightness to our sun have rocks like Earth in their habitable zones, with the range reflecting the researchers’ confidence in their various methods and assumptions. That is no small bonanza, however you look at it.

According to NASA estimates there are at least 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, of which about 4 billion are sunlike. If only 7% of those stars have habitable planets — a seriously conservative estimate — there could be as many as 300 million potentially habitable Earths out there in the whole Milky Way alone.

“We want to be very conservative in case nature has any surprises regarding habitability,” said Ravi Kumar Kopparapu, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and one of the authors of the report. “So we are lowballing the estimates intentionally.”

On average, the astronomers calculated, the nearest such planet should be about 20 light-years away, and there should be four of them within 30 light-years or so of the sun.

“It took 11 years from launch to publication, but this is it,” said Natalie Batalha, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who directed the Kepler mission during most of its life and was one of the authors of the new paper, in a triumphant email. “This is the science result we’ve all been waiting for — the reason that Kepler was selected for flight in December 2001.”

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/did-we-just-discover-the-moons-long-lost-sibling-340734">Did we just discover the Moon's long-lost sibling?</a>

The new result means that the galaxy is at least twice as fertile as estimated in one of the first analyses of Kepler data, in 2013. That finding, by Andrew Howard, Erik Petigura and Geoffrey Marcy, who were not part of the Kepler team, concluded that about one-fifth of sunlike stars harbored planets in their habitable zones.

Batalha said that one improvement this time around was the addition of data from the European GAIA satellite, which has measured the position and brightness of 1 billion stars. That knowledge allowed the Kepler scientists to more precisely chart the habitable zones of their stars.

Another improvement was better handling of the statistics, although, as Batalha noted, “surveys are inherently incomplete. You can’t call up every citizen; you can’t observe every star.”

In the case of Kepler, that limitation was serious. The spacecraft’s orientation system failed before Kepler could complete its prime survey, which limited it to detecting planets that had orbital periods of less than about 700 days — about twice the duration of an Earth year.

In an email, David Charbonneau, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said he was slightly skeptical of the results: “The Kepler Mission didn’t detect many (arguably, any) true Earth analogues, i.e. planets with the same radius as Earth AND orbiting at the same period, and hence receiving the same amount of light, AND orbiting sun-like stars.”

As Batalha said at the time, “We don’t yet have any planet candidates that are exact analogues of the Earth in terms of size, orbit or star type.” We still don’t. As a result, the astronomers had to extrapolate data from the planets they did see.

Although these Kepler planets are Earth-size — one-half to 1 1/2 the radius of Earth — and are presumably rocky, nobody knows what they are like in any detail, nor whether anything does, or could, live on them. They are too far away for further study. So far we know of only one planet, our own, that harbors life.

But there are plenty of opportunities yet to find one. The Kepler measurement of eta-Earth only pertains to stars like the sun, but in the galaxy those stars are vastly outnumbered by smaller, dimmer stars known as red dwarfs. One-quarter to one-half of red dwarfs also harbor habitable-zone planets, according to work by Courtney Dressing, now at the University of California, Berkeley, although some astronomers worry that radiation flares from such stars would doom any life trying to get started there. Red dwarf planets were not included in the new analysis of eta-Earth.

The red dwarf planets are relevant to the search for life because Kepler has passed the torch to a spacecraft called the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, which was launched in 2018 to scour the entire sky for exoplanets within a few hundred light years of Earth — the local neighborhood. So far TESS has discovered 66 new exoplanets and has cataloged more than 2,000 candidates.

Most of those planets were expected to be found circling red dwarfs, said George Ricker, an astrophysicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and principal investigator for the mission, in an email: “Since about three-fourths of the stars in the solar neighborhood are M dwarfs, that leaves open a very large discovery space for TESS in the decade ahead!”

Batalha said that young scientists in the future might yet find a way to improve the value of eta-Earth; “until then, this will be the de facto standard.”

The value of eta-Earth is an important and hitherto unknown factor in a mathematical expression known as the Drake equation. It is used by astronomers to estimate how many technological civilizations might exist in the galaxy — and that we might be able to contact by radio or other means some cosmic day.

It’s time to move on the next factor in the Drake equation for extraterrestrial civilizations: the fraction of these worlds on which life emerges. The search for even a single slime mold on some alien rock would revolutionize biology, and it is a worthy agenda for the next half-century as humans continue the climb out of ourselves and into the universe in the endless quest to end our cosmic loneliness.

A decade ago, a band of astronomers set out to investigate one of the oldest questions taunting philosophers, scientists, priests, astronomers, mystics and the rest of the human race: How many more Earths are out there, if any?

A decade ago, a band of astronomers set out to investigate one of the oldest questions taunting philosophers, scientists, priests, astronomers, mystics and the rest of the human race: How many more Earths are out there, if any? How many far-flung planets exist that could harbor life as we know it? Their tool was the Kepler spacecraft, which was launched in March 2009 on a 3-1/2-year mission to monitor 150,000 stars in a patch of sky in the Milky Way. It looked for tiny dips in starlight caused by an exoplanet passing in front of its home star. “It’s not E.T., but it’s E.T.’s home,” said William Borucki when the mission was launched in March 2009. It was Borucki, an astronomer now retired from NASA’s Ames Research Center, who dreamed up the project and spent two decades convincing NASA to do it. Before the spacecraft finally gave out in 2018, it had discovered more than 4,000 candidate worlds among those stars. So far, none have shown any sign of life or habitation. (Granted, they are very far away and hard to study.) Extrapolated, that figure suggests that there are billions of exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. But how many of those are potentially habitable? After crunching Kepler’s data for two years, a team of 44 astronomers led by Steve Bryson of NASA Ames has landed on what they say is the definitive answer, at least for now. Their paper has been accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal. Also Read | Scientists uncover oldest evidence of 'slingshot' tongue Kepler’s formal goal was to measure a number called eta-Earth: the fraction of sunlike stars that have an Earth-size object orbiting them in the “goldilocks” or habitable zone, where it is warm enough for the surface to retain liquid water. The team calculated that at least one-third, and perhaps as many as 90%, of stars similar in mass and brightness to our sun have rocks like Earth in their habitable zones, with the range reflecting the researchers’ confidence in their various methods and assumptions. That is no small bonanza, however you look at it. According to NASA estimates there are at least 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, of which about 4 billion are sunlike. If only 7% of those stars have habitable planets — a seriously conservative estimate — there could be as many as 300 million potentially habitable Earths out there in the whole Milky Way alone. “We want to be very conservative in case nature has any surprises regarding habitability,” said Ravi Kumar Kopparapu, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and one of the authors of the report. “So we are lowballing the estimates intentionally.” On average, the astronomers calculated, the nearest such planet should be about 20 light-years away, and there should be four of them within 30 light-years or so of the sun. “It took 11 years from launch to publication, but this is it,” said Natalie Batalha, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who directed the Kepler mission during most of its life and was one of the authors of the new paper, in a triumphant email. “This is the science result we’ve all been waiting for — the reason that Kepler was selected for flight in December 2001.” Also Read | Did we just discover the Moon's long-lost sibling? The new result means that the galaxy is at least twice as fertile as estimated in one of the first analyses of Kepler data, in 2013. That finding, by Andrew Howard, Erik Petigura and Geoffrey Marcy, who were not part of the Kepler team, concluded that about one-fifth of sunlike stars harbored planets in their habitable zones. Batalha said that one improvement this time around was the addition of data from the European GAIA satellite, which has measured the position and brightness of 1 billion stars. That knowledge allowed the Kepler scientists to more precisely chart the habitable zones of their stars. Another improvement was better handling of the statistics, although, as Batalha noted, “surveys are inherently incomplete. You can’t call up every citizen; you can’t observe every star.” In the case of Kepler, that limitation was serious. The spacecraft’s orientation system failed before Kepler could complete its prime survey, which limited it to detecting planets that had orbital periods of less than about 700 days — about twice the duration of an Earth year. In an email, David Charbonneau, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said he was slightly skeptical of the results: “The Kepler Mission didn’t detect many (arguably, any) true Earth analogues, i.e. planets with the same radius as Earth AND orbiting at the same period, and hence receiving the same amount of light, AND orbiting sun-like stars.” As Batalha said at the time, “We don’t yet have any planet candidates that are exact analogues of the Earth in terms of size, orbit or star type.” We still don’t. As a result, the astronomers had to extrapolate data from the planets they did see. Although these Kepler planets are Earth-size — one-half to 1 1/2 the radius of Earth — and are presumably rocky, nobody knows what they are like in any detail, nor whether anything does, or could, live on them. They are too far away for further study. So far we know of only one planet, our own, that harbors life. But there are plenty of opportunities yet to find one. The Kepler measurement of eta-Earth only pertains to stars like the sun, but in the galaxy those stars are vastly outnumbered by smaller, dimmer stars known as red dwarfs. One-quarter to one-half of red dwarfs also harbor habitable-zone planets, according to work by Courtney Dressing, now at the University of California, Berkeley, although some astronomers worry that radiation flares from such stars would doom any life trying to get started there. Red dwarf planets were not included in the new analysis of eta-Earth. The red dwarf planets are relevant to the search for life because Kepler has passed the torch to a spacecraft called the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, which was launched in 2018 to scour the entire sky for exoplanets within a few hundred light years of Earth — the local neighborhood. So far TESS has discovered 66 new exoplanets and has cataloged more than 2,000 candidates. Most of those planets were expected to be found circling red dwarfs, said George Ricker, an astrophysicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and principal investigator for the mission, in an email: “Since about three-fourths of the stars in the solar neighborhood are M dwarfs, that leaves open a very large discovery space for TESS in the decade ahead!” Batalha said that young scientists in the future might yet find a way to improve the value of eta-Earth; “until then, this will be the de facto standard.” The value of eta-Earth is an important and hitherto unknown factor in a mathematical expression known as the Drake equation. It is used by astronomers to estimate how many technological civilizations might exist in the galaxy — and that we might be able to contact by radio or other means some cosmic day. It’s time to move on the next factor in the Drake equation for extraterrestrial civilizations: the fraction of these worlds on which life emerges. The search for even a single slime mold on some alien rock would revolutionize biology, and it is a worthy agenda for the next half-century as humans continue the climb out of ourselves and into the universe in the endless quest to end our cosmic loneliness.

Looking for another Earth? Here are 300 million, maybe

The fact that the Moon has water on its surface is widely known. But now, latest observations say that water may be more widespread on the lunar surface than previously thought. These water molecules are trapped within mineral grains on the lunar surface. And more water may be there in ice patches on the part of the Moon that is permanently in the shadow.

While research 11 years ago indicated the water was relatively widespread in small amounts on the moon, a team of scientists is now reporting the first unambiguous detection of water molecules on the lunar surface. At the same time, another team is reporting that the moon possesses roughly 15,000 square miles (40,000 square kilometers) of permanent shadows that potentially could harbor hidden pockets of water in the form of ice.

Water is a precious resource and a relatively plentiful lunar presence could prove important to future astronaut and robotic missions seeking to extract and utilize water for purposes such as a drinking supply or a fuel ingredient.

A team of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland has now detected molecular water on the Moon's surface. These molecules are trapped within natural glasses or between debris grains.

Previous observations have suffered from ambiguity between water and its molecular cousin hydroxyl, but the new detection used a method that yielded unambiguous findings.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/hubble-telescope-gives-closer-look-at-rare-asteroid-worth-70000-times-the-global-economy-338984">Hubble telescope gives closer look at rare asteroid worth 70,000 times the global economy</a> 
 
The only way for this water to survive on the sunlit lunar surfaces where it was observed was to be embedded within mineral grains, protecting it from the frigid and foreboding environment. The researchers used data from the SOFIA airborne observatory, a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a telescope.

“A lot of people think that the detection I’ve made is water ice, which is not true. It’s just the water molecules - because they’re so spread out they don’t interact with each other to form water ice or even liquid water,” Honniball said.

The second study, also published in the journal Nature Astronomy, focused upon so-called cold traps on the moon, regions of its surface that exist in a state of perpetual darkness where temperatures are below about negative 260 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 163 degrees Celsius). That is cold enough that frozen water can remain stable for billions of years.

Using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, researchers led by planetary scientist Paul Hayne of the University of Colorado, Boulder detected what may be tens of billions of small shadows, many no bigger than a small coin. Most are located in the polar regions.

“Our research shows that a multitude of previously unknown regions of the moon could harbor water ice,” Hayne said. “Our results suggest that water could be much more widespread in the moon’s polar regions than previously thought, making it easier to access, extract and analyze.”

NASA is planning a return of astronauts to the moon, a mission envisioned as paving the way for a later journey carrying a crew to Mars. Accessible sources where water can be harvested on the moon would beneficial to those endeavors.

“Water is not just constrained to the polar region. It’s more spread out than we thought it was,” Honniball said.

Another mystery that remains unsolved is the source of the lunar water.

“The origin of water on the moon is one of the big-picture questions we are trying to answer through this and other research,” Hayne said. “Currently, the major contenders are comets, asteroids or small interplanetary dust particles, the solar wind, and the moon itself through outgassing from volcanic eruptions.”

Earth is a wet world, with vast salty oceans, large freshwater lakes and ice caps that serve as water reservoirs.

“As our closest planetary companion, understanding the origins of water on the moon can also shed light on the origins of Earth’s water - still an open question in planetary science,” Hayne added.

(With Reuters inputs)

The fact that the Moon has water on its surface is widely known. But now, latest observations say that water may be more widespread on the lunar surface than previously thought.

The fact that the Moon has water on its surface is widely known. But now, latest observations say that water may be more widespread on the lunar surface than previously thought. These water molecules are trapped within mineral grains on the lunar surface. And more water may be there in ice patches on the part of the Moon that is permanently in the shadow. While research 11 years ago indicated the water was relatively widespread in small amounts on the moon, a team of scientists is now reporting the first unambiguous detection of water molecules on the lunar surface. At the same time, another team is reporting that the moon possesses roughly 15,000 square miles (40,000 square kilometers) of permanent shadows that potentially could harbor hidden pockets of water in the form of ice. Water is a precious resource and a relatively plentiful lunar presence could prove important to future astronaut and robotic missions seeking to extract and utilize water for purposes such as a drinking supply or a fuel ingredient. A team of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland has now detected molecular water on the Moon's surface. These molecules are trapped within natural glasses or between debris grains. Previous observations have suffered from ambiguity between water and its molecular cousin hydroxyl, but the new detection used a method that yielded unambiguous findings. Also Read | Hubble telescope gives closer look at rare asteroid worth 70,000 times the global economy The only way for this water to survive on the sunlit lunar surfaces where it was observed was to be embedded within mineral grains, protecting it from the frigid and foreboding environment. The researchers used data from the SOFIA airborne observatory, a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a telescope. “A lot of people think that the detection I’ve made is water ice, which is not true. It’s just the water molecules - because they’re so spread out they don’t interact with each other to form water ice or even liquid water,” Honniball said. The second study, also published in the journal Nature Astronomy, focused upon so-called cold traps on the moon, regions of its surface that exist in a state of perpetual darkness where temperatures are below about negative 260 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 163 degrees Celsius). That is cold enough that frozen water can remain stable for billions of years. Using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, researchers led by planetary scientist Paul Hayne of the University of Colorado, Boulder detected what may be tens of billions of small shadows, many no bigger than a small coin. Most are located in the polar regions. “Our research shows that a multitude of previously unknown regions of the moon could harbor water ice,” Hayne said. “Our results suggest that water could be much more widespread in the moon’s polar regions than previously thought, making it easier to access, extract and analyze.” NASA is planning a return of astronauts to the moon, a mission envisioned as paving the way for a later journey carrying a crew to Mars. Accessible sources where water can be harvested on the moon would beneficial to those endeavors. “Water is not just constrained to the polar region. It’s more spread out than we thought it was,” Honniball said. Another mystery that remains unsolved is the source of the lunar water. “The origin of water on the moon is one of the big-picture questions we are trying to answer through this and other research,” Hayne said. “Currently, the major contenders are comets, asteroids or small interplanetary dust particles, the solar wind, and the moon itself through outgassing from volcanic eruptions.” Earth is a wet world, with vast salty oceans, large freshwater lakes and ice caps that serve as water reservoirs. “As our closest planetary companion, understanding the origins of water on the moon can also shed light on the origins of Earth’s water - still an open question in planetary science,” Hayne added. (With Reuters inputs)

Water more widespread on Moon than previously thought

Scientists have discovered that 'Fireball' meteorite that fell to Earth in January 2018 has a rich inventory of extraterrestrial organic compounds, that is, compounds that formed in outer space. The meteorite is 12 million-year-old and was collected soon after it fell on Earth in 2018. Scientists were able to obtain a piece of the fallen meteorite relatively quickly before it got contaminated by conditions prevalent on the Earth.

The meteorite lit up the sky as it fell on Earth on January 16, 2018. What helped in its quick discovery was weather radar. Usually weather radar is used for weather-related predictions and observations. But the size-range of the meteorite made it detectable by weather radar.

A piece of the meteorite was found by the scientists on a frozen lake in Michigan. The rock was found to be in a 'pristine' condition.

Early detection and collection of extraterrestrial objects is essential for accurate analysis of their contents and chemical composition. The pieces of meteorite on Earth start get affected due to Oxygen, water and other elements and agents on the Earth's surface. Researchers were able to scoop the piece of the meteorite two days after it had fallen to Earth. The chemical composition was found to be largely unaltered. The findings have been published in Meteoritics &amp; Planetary Science journal.

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Philipp Heck, professor at University of Chicago and lead author of the study said that the meteorite was found to have rich inventory of extraterrestrial compounds. He was quoted by CNN.

As per one theory of origin of life on Earth, basic building blocks for life were delivered to Earth by meteorites. Earth has been battered by countless meteorites even before it had life. It is believed by school of scientists that meteorites were responsible for initiation of life on Earth.

Scientists have discovered that 'Fireball' meteorite that fell to Earth in January 2018 has a rich inventory of extraterrestrial organic compounds, that is, compounds that formed in outer space.

Scientists have discovered that 'Fireball' meteorite that fell to Earth in January 2018 has a rich inventory of extraterrestrial organic compounds, that is, compounds that formed in outer space. The meteorite is 12 million-year-old and was collected soon after it fell on Earth in 2018. Scientists were able to obtain a piece of the fallen meteorite relatively quickly before it got contaminated by conditions prevalent on the Earth. The meteorite lit up the sky as it fell on Earth on January 16, 2018. What helped in its quick discovery was weather radar. Usually weather radar is used for weather-related predictions and observations. But the size-range of the meteorite made it detectable by weather radar. A piece of the meteorite was found by the scientists on a frozen lake in Michigan. The rock was found to be in a 'pristine' condition. Early detection and collection of extraterrestrial objects is essential for accurate analysis of their contents and chemical composition. The pieces of meteorite on Earth start get affected due to Oxygen, water and other elements and agents on the Earth's surface. Researchers were able to scoop the piece of the meteorite two days after it had fallen to Earth. The chemical composition was found to be largely unaltered. The findings have been published in Meteoritics & Planetary Science journal. Also Read | Strange cluster of lights spotted in Hawaii skies over the weekend. What is it? Philipp Heck, professor at University of Chicago and lead author of the study said that the meteorite was found to have rich inventory of extraterrestrial compounds. He was quoted by CNN. As per one theory of origin of life on Earth, basic building blocks for life were delivered to Earth by meteorites. Earth has been battered by countless meteorites even before it had life. It is believed by school of scientists that meteorites were responsible for initiation of life on Earth.

'Fireball' meteorite in Michigan found to have extraterrestrial compounds

Black holes are perhaps the most famous celestial bodies in popular culture. There are theories like black holes being portals of time travel, a passage to another universe etc. It's not surprising that the mysterious black holes hold great importance in popular perception.

Everyone knows that there is a supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. But that's too far away. There 'was' a black hole closer to home, about 1120 light-years away. Now, a study has said that there may not be a black hole here at all.

Earlier hypothesis

It was considered that a binary star system HR 6819 had a black hole in it. But now, scientists have discovered that there is no black hole there at all.

One of the two stars in the system is a Be spectral type and the other is B3 III star. Both the stars were considered to have equal mass.

In a binary system, when two stars have equal mass, they orbit around each other. However, in this star system, it was observed that the Be spectral star was almost spinning in one place while the B3 III star was in orbit.

This defied the science of binary star systems having stars of equal masses. Both of these stars should have been in orbit. But they weren't

It was hence concluded that a black hole was exerting its gravitational effect on the star system and was holding Be spectral star in its place

The competing theory

This theory suggested that there was mistake in calculating masses of the stars and that they were NOT equal.

In reality, the theory said, the Be spectral star (which spun in one place) was bigger than B3 III star. Not only that, the bigger star took away huge chunk of stellar material off the smaller star.

If this was true then there should have been variations in the disc of Hydrogen gas being emanated from the bigger star.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-osiris-rex-grabs-a-piece-of-asteroid-bennu-in-historic-mission-336773">NASA's Osiris-Rex grabs a piece of asteroid Bennu in historic mission</a> 
 
These variations have now been found

“This indicates that HR 6819 is a binary system consisting of a massive Be star and a low-mass companion that is the stripped-down remnant of a former mass donor star in a mass transfer binary,” wrote Douglas Gies and Luqian Wang, astronomers from Georgia State University.

They have hence concluded that there is no black hole in this binary star system. The title of nearest black hole from earth may hence be now changing hands.

Black holes are perhaps the most famous celestial bodies in popular culture. There are theories like black holes being portals of time travel, a passage to another universe etc.

Black holes are perhaps the most famous celestial bodies in popular culture. There are theories like black holes being portals of time travel, a passage to another universe etc. It's not surprising that the mysterious black holes hold great importance in popular perception. Everyone knows that there is a supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. But that's too far away. There 'was' a black hole closer to home, about 1120 light-years away. Now, a study has said that there may not be a black hole here at all. Earlier hypothesis It was considered that a binary star system HR 6819 had a black hole in it. But now, scientists have discovered that there is no black hole there at all. One of the two stars in the system is a Be spectral type and the other is B3 III star. Both the stars were considered to have equal mass. In a binary system, when two stars have equal mass, they orbit around each other. However, in this star system, it was observed that the Be spectral star was almost spinning in one place while the B3 III star was in orbit. This defied the science of binary star systems having stars of equal masses. Both of these stars should have been in orbit. But they weren't It was hence concluded that a black hole was exerting its gravitational effect on the star system and was holding Be spectral star in its place The competing theory This theory suggested that there was mistake in calculating masses of the stars and that they were NOT equal. In reality, the theory said, the Be spectral star (which spun in one place) was bigger than B3 III star. Not only that, the bigger star took away huge chunk of stellar material off the smaller star. If this was true then there should have been variations in the disc of Hydrogen gas being emanated from the bigger star. Also Read | NASA's Osiris-Rex grabs a piece of asteroid Bennu in historic mission These variations have now been found “This indicates that HR 6819 is a binary system consisting of a massive Be star and a low-mass companion that is the stripped-down remnant of a former mass donor star in a mass transfer binary,” wrote Douglas Gies and Luqian Wang, astronomers from Georgia State University. They have hence concluded that there is no black hole in this binary star system. The title of nearest black hole from earth may hence be now changing hands.

Closest 'black hole' to earth has lost its status as one

WASHINGTON —&nbsp;Astronomers announced on Thursday that they had discovered a giant black hole surrounded by a litter of young protogalaxies that date to the early universe — the beginning of time.

The black hole, which powers a quasar known as SDSS J1030+0524, weighed in at a billion solar masses when the universe was only 900 million years old. It and its brood, the astronomers said, represented the infant core of what became a vast cluster of galaxies millions of light years across and encompassing a trillion suns worth of matter.

The discovery should help astronomers understand the origins of galactic clusters — the largest structures in the universe — and how supermassive black holes could have grown so quickly in the early universe. And it provides a rare glimpse of the cosmic web, a network of filaments spanning the cosmos that determine the large-scale distribution of matter in the universe.

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“This research was mainly driven by the desire to understand some of the most challenging astronomical objects — supermassive black holes in the early universe,” said Marco Mignoli, an astronomer at the National Institute for Astrophysics in Bologna, Italy, in a statement. “These are extreme systems, and to date we have had no good explanation for their existence.”

Mignoli was the lead author of a paper published Thursday in Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics summarizing a decadelong observation campaign that used some of the biggest and most powerful telescopes in the world, including the Hubble Space Telescope, the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, the Keck II Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii and the Large Binocular Telescope on Mount Graham in Arizona.

Astronomers have long thought that black holes and massive galaxies should appear earliest and grow fastest at the dense nodes where these filaments cross, where there is abundant gas to feed them. The new results suggest this is true, said team member Colin Norman of Johns Hopkins University, in an email.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/genes-from-extinct-human-cousins-increase-risk-for-severe-covid-19-study-331670">Also read|&nbsp;Genes from extinct human cousins increase risk for severe COVID-19: Study</a>

Although the idea of the cosmic web is widely accepted, Alan Dressler of the Carnegie Observatories, who was not part of this work, said in an email that the web has not been “mapped” in the usual sense of the word. “Only a few places, near galaxies (like this one, the big one with the black hole) where it is sufficiently ‘lit up,’” he said. “And even then, it took a big telescope, a remarkable instrument, and a lot of time to see this structure.”

Mignoli and an international team of astronomers have been searching for signs of over-density around very distant, very early quasars.

Astronomers measure cosmic time and distance in the expanding universe by the degree to which light from receding objects has been lengthened, or redshifted, in wavelength, by the same phenomenon that makes a retreating siren drop in pitch.

The quasar SDSS J1030+0524 clocked in with a redshift of 6.31, meaning that light waves from it — indeed, the size of the whole universe — have been stretched by a factor of 7.31 since the time of the quasar. That corresponds to when the universe was 900 million years old, according to conventional cosmological calculations. That means it took 12.9 billion years for the light from that quasar to reach Earth, making it one of the most distant quasars ever discovered.

In images from the Hubble and other telescopes, the quasar was surrounded by myriad faint objects. The astronomers proceeded to track them down and make spectroscopic measurements.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/remarkable-image-of-black-hole-released-in-space-breakthrough-209318">Have a look|&nbsp;Remarkable image of black hole released in space breakthrough</a>

“These objects are actually star-forming galaxies,” said Roberto Gilli, another team member. The objects were selected for further study based partly on their very red colors and other spectral characteristics, he said. Six had similar redshifts — between 6.129 and 6.355 — over a volume in space of about 27 billion cubic light-years.

Within that volume, the authors determined, were about a trillion solar masses of material, about as much material as is contained in a giant cluster of galaxies today, making that region twice as dense as regular space.

“This is the first spectroscopic identification of a galaxy overdensity around a supermassive black hole in the first billion years of the universe,” the astronomers wrote in their paper. The finding, they added, lent support to the idea that the most distant and massive black holes formed and grew within massive halos of dark matter in large-scale structures, “and that the absence of earlier detections of such systems is likely due to observational limitations.”

But those limitations will not last forever, Dressler noted. One of the primary goals for the next generation of “super telescopes,” like the Giant Magellan Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope, both now being built in Chile, and the Thirty Meter Telescope proposed for Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, is to map out this web with greater fidelity.

“The added light-gathering power of the next generation will allow us to use faint young galaxies to serve as the back lights” illuminating the faint filaments of atomic matter, Dressler said. Until now, what is known about the web has come from using quasars as back lights. But faint galaxies are 10 to 100 times more plentiful on the sky, Dressler said, “so you can start making a good ‘picture’ of the web.”

WASHINGTON — Astronomers announced on Thursday that they had discovered a giant black hole surrounded by a litter of young protogalaxies that date to the early universe — the beginning of time.

WASHINGTON — Astronomers announced on Thursday that they had discovered a giant black hole surrounded by a litter of young protogalaxies that date to the early universe — the beginning of time. The black hole, which powers a quasar known as SDSS J1030+0524, weighed in at a billion solar masses when the universe was only 900 million years old. It and its brood, the astronomers said, represented the infant core of what became a vast cluster of galaxies millions of light years across and encompassing a trillion suns worth of matter. The discovery should help astronomers understand the origins of galactic clusters — the largest structures in the universe — and how supermassive black holes could have grown so quickly in the early universe. And it provides a rare glimpse of the cosmic web, a network of filaments spanning the cosmos that determine the large-scale distribution of matter in the universe. Also read| Antarctic Peninsula at warmest in decades, study says “This research was mainly driven by the desire to understand some of the most challenging astronomical objects — supermassive black holes in the early universe,” said Marco Mignoli, an astronomer at the National Institute for Astrophysics in Bologna, Italy, in a statement. “These are extreme systems, and to date we have had no good explanation for their existence.” Mignoli was the lead author of a paper published Thursday in Astronomy & Astrophysics summarizing a decadelong observation campaign that used some of the biggest and most powerful telescopes in the world, including the Hubble Space Telescope, the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, the Keck II Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii and the Large Binocular Telescope on Mount Graham in Arizona. Astronomers have long thought that black holes and massive galaxies should appear earliest and grow fastest at the dense nodes where these filaments cross, where there is abundant gas to feed them. The new results suggest this is true, said team member Colin Norman of Johns Hopkins University, in an email. Also read| Genes from extinct human cousins increase risk for severe COVID-19: Study Although the idea of the cosmic web is widely accepted, Alan Dressler of the Carnegie Observatories, who was not part of this work, said in an email that the web has not been “mapped” in the usual sense of the word. “Only a few places, near galaxies (like this one, the big one with the black hole) where it is sufficiently ‘lit up,’” he said. “And even then, it took a big telescope, a remarkable instrument, and a lot of time to see this structure.” Mignoli and an international team of astronomers have been searching for signs of over-density around very distant, very early quasars. Astronomers measure cosmic time and distance in the expanding universe by the degree to which light from receding objects has been lengthened, or redshifted, in wavelength, by the same phenomenon that makes a retreating siren drop in pitch. The quasar SDSS J1030+0524 clocked in with a redshift of 6.31, meaning that light waves from it — indeed, the size of the whole universe — have been stretched by a factor of 7.31 since the time of the quasar. That corresponds to when the universe was 900 million years old, according to conventional cosmological calculations. That means it took 12.9 billion years for the light from that quasar to reach Earth, making it one of the most distant quasars ever discovered. In images from the Hubble and other telescopes, the quasar was surrounded by myriad faint objects. The astronomers proceeded to track them down and make spectroscopic measurements. Have a look| Remarkable image of black hole released in space breakthrough “These objects are actually star-forming galaxies,” said Roberto Gilli, another team member. The objects were selected for further study based partly on their very red colors and other spectral characteristics, he said. Six had similar redshifts — between 6.129 and 6.355 — over a volume in space of about 27 billion cubic light-years. Within that volume, the authors determined, were about a trillion solar masses of material, about as much material as is contained in a giant cluster of galaxies today, making that region twice as dense as regular space. “This is the first spectroscopic identification of a galaxy overdensity around a supermassive black hole in the first billion years of the universe,” the astronomers wrote in their paper. The finding, they added, lent support to the idea that the most distant and massive black holes formed and grew within massive halos of dark matter in large-scale structures, “and that the absence of earlier detections of such systems is likely due to observational limitations.” But those limitations will not last forever, Dressler noted. One of the primary goals for the next generation of “super telescopes,” like the Giant Magellan Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope, both now being built in Chile, and the Thirty Meter Telescope proposed for Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, is to map out this web with greater fidelity. “The added light-gathering power of the next generation will allow us to use faint young galaxies to serve as the back lights” illuminating the faint filaments of atomic matter, Dressler said. Until now, what is known about the web has come from using quasars as back lights. But faint galaxies are 10 to 100 times more plentiful on the sky, Dressler said, “so you can start making a good ‘picture’ of the web.”

At the edge of time, a litter of galactic puppies

Astronomers in the United States have spotted a new "mini-moon" circling the planet Earth which is about the&nbsp;size of a car.

According to the astronomers, Kacper Wierzchos and Teddy Pruyne of NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, the mini-moon is between 2 to 3 meters wide.

"BIG NEWS, Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020 CD3," Wierzchos announced on Twitter.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BIG NEWS (thread 1/3). Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020 CD3. On the night of Feb. 15, my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Teddy Pruyne and I found a 20th magnitude object. Here are the discovery images. <a href="https://t.co/zLkXyGAkZl">pic.twitter.com/zLkXyGAkZl</a>
— Kacper Wierzchos (@WierzchosKacper) <a href="https://twitter.com/WierzchosKacper/status/1232460436634656769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The astronomer also said that Asteroid 2020 CD3 which has has been captured by Earth's gravity is lingering around for the past three years.

"The object has just been announced by the MPC and its orbit shows that it entered Earth's orbit some three years ago."

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(2/3) The object has just been announced by the MPC and its orbit shows that it entered Earth's orbit some three years ago. Here is a diagram of the orbit created with the orbit simulator written by Tony Dunn: <a href="https://t.co/2wsJGtexiO">pic.twitter.com/2wsJGtexiO</a>
— Kacper Wierzchos (@WierzchosKacper) <a href="https://twitter.com/WierzchosKacper/status/1232461053692268545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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It was a "big deal as out of 1 million known asteroids, this is just the second asteroid known to orbit Earth (after 2006 RH120, which was also discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey)," the astronomer also said.

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(3/3) The object has a diameter between 1.9 - 3.5 m assuming a C-type asteroid albedo. But it's a big deal as out of ~ 1 million known asteroids, this is just the second asteroid known to orbit Earth (after 2006 RH120, which was also discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey).
— Kacper Wierzchos (@WierzchosKacper) <a href="https://twitter.com/WierzchosKacper/status/1232461141256749057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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However, Earth's new neighbour is not in a stable orbit around the planet and is most likely to escape by April.

"It is heading away from the Earth-moon system as we speak," Grigori Fedorets, a research fellow at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, told New Scientist magazine and was likely to escape in April.

The only other asteroid is known to orbit Earth, 2006 RH120, rotated the planet from September 2006 to June 2007.&nbsp;

Scientists say that there is at least one mini-moon circling the planet at any given time, but most of them go undiscovered due to their small size.

Astronomers in the United States have spotted a new "mini-moon" circling the planet Earth which is about the size of a car. According to the astronomers, Kacper Wierzchos and Teddy Pruyne of NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, the mini-moon is between 2 to 3 meters wide.

Astronomers in the United States have spotted a new "mini-moon" circling the planet Earth which is about the size of a car. According to the astronomers, Kacper Wierzchos and Teddy Pruyne of NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, the mini-moon is between 2 to 3 meters wide. "BIG NEWS, Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020 CD3," Wierzchos announced on Twitter. BIG NEWS (thread 1/3). Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020 CD3. On the night of Feb. 15, my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Teddy Pruyne and I found a 20th magnitude object. Here are the discovery images. pic.twitter.com/zLkXyGAkZl — Kacper Wierzchos (@WierzchosKacper) February 26, 2020 × The astronomer also said that Asteroid 2020 CD3 which has has been captured by Earth's gravity is lingering around for the past three years. "The object has just been announced by the MPC and its orbit shows that it entered Earth's orbit some three years ago." (2/3) The object has just been announced by the MPC and its orbit shows that it entered Earth's orbit some three years ago. Here is a diagram of the orbit created with the orbit simulator written by Tony Dunn: pic.twitter.com/2wsJGtexiO — Kacper Wierzchos (@WierzchosKacper) February 26, 2020 × It was a "big deal as out of 1 million known asteroids, this is just the second asteroid known to orbit Earth (after 2006 RH120, which was also discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey)," the astronomer also said. (3/3) The object has a diameter between 1.9 - 3.5 m assuming a C-type asteroid albedo. But it's a big deal as out of ~ 1 million known asteroids, this is just the second asteroid known to orbit Earth (after 2006 RH120, which was also discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey). — Kacper Wierzchos (@WierzchosKacper) February 26, 2020 × However, Earth's new neighbour is not in a stable orbit around the planet and is most likely to escape by April. "It is heading away from the Earth-moon system as we speak," Grigori Fedorets, a research fellow at Queen's University Belfast in Northern Ireland, told New Scientist magazine and was likely to escape in April. The only other asteroid is known to orbit Earth, 2006 RH120, rotated the planet from September 2006 to June 2007. Scientists say that there is at least one mini-moon circling the planet at any given time, but most of them go undiscovered due to their small size.

Earth has a new 'mini-moon' about the size of a car

Researchers said Monday that new techniques have allowed them to identify the oldest solid material ever found on earth.

The stardust, formed five to seven billion years ago, came from a meteorite that fell to Earth 50 years ago in Australia, they said in a paper published in the journal PNAS.

It came down in 1969 in Murchison, Victoria state, and scientists from Chicago's Field Museum have possessed a piece of it for five decades.

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Philipp Heck, the curator of meteorites at the museum, examined pre-solar grains, which are bits of stardust that become trapped in meteorites, making them time capsules of the period before the sun was born.

"They're solid samples of stars, real stardust," Heck said in a statement.

When the first stars died after two billion years of life they left behind the stardust, which formed into the block which fell to earth as the meteorite in Australia.

Although researchers first identified the grains in 1987 their age could not be determined.

But Heck and other colleagues recently used a new method to date these grains, which are microscopic in size. They are from silicon carbide, the first mineral formed when a star cools.

To separate the ancient grains from the relatively younger ones, scientists crushed fragments of the meteorite into a powder. Then they dissolved it in acid, which left only the pre-solar particles.&nbsp;

"It's like burning down the haystack to find the needle," says Heck.

When dust is in space it is exposed to cosmic rays which slowly change its composition. This allows researchers to date it.

A decade ago, only 20 grains from the meteorite were dated by a different method. Now, researchers have been able to determine the age of 40 grains, most of which are between 4.6 billion and 4.9 billion years old.

These ages correspond to the moment when the first stars began to break up, and since that type of star lived for two to 2.5 billion years, the stardust can be as old as seven billion years.

"These are the oldest solid materials ever found, and they tell us about how stars formed in our galaxy," Heck said.

The new dating by this team confirms an astronomical theory which predicted a baby boom of stars before the formation of our sun, instead of a constant rhythm of star formation.

"We basically came to the conclusion that there must have been a time in our galaxy when more stars formed than normal, and at the end of their lives they become dust-producing," Heck said.&nbsp;

The task now is to apply the same method on other meteorites.

But according to Heck, there are fewer than five known to be in collections and big enough to give up such secrets.

Researchers said Monday that new techniques have allowed them to identify the oldest solid material ever found on earth. The stardust, formed five to seven billion years ago, came from a meteorite that fell to Earth 50 years ago in Australia, they said in a paper published in the journal PNAS.

Researchers said Monday that new techniques have allowed them to identify the oldest solid material ever found on earth. The stardust, formed five to seven billion years ago, came from a meteorite that fell to Earth 50 years ago in Australia, they said in a paper published in the journal PNAS. It came down in 1969 in Murchison, Victoria state, and scientists from Chicago's Field Museum have possessed a piece of it for five decades. Philipp Heck, the curator of meteorites at the museum, examined pre-solar grains, which are bits of stardust that become trapped in meteorites, making them time capsules of the period before the sun was born. "They're solid samples of stars, real stardust," Heck said in a statement. When the first stars died after two billion years of life they left behind the stardust, which formed into the block which fell to earth as the meteorite in Australia. Although researchers first identified the grains in 1987 their age could not be determined. But Heck and other colleagues recently used a new method to date these grains, which are microscopic in size. They are from silicon carbide, the first mineral formed when a star cools. To separate the ancient grains from the relatively younger ones, scientists crushed fragments of the meteorite into a powder. Then they dissolved it in acid, which left only the pre-solar particles. "It's like burning down the haystack to find the needle," says Heck. When dust is in space it is exposed to cosmic rays which slowly change its composition. This allows researchers to date it. A decade ago, only 20 grains from the meteorite were dated by a different method. Now, researchers have been able to determine the age of 40 grains, most of which are between 4.6 billion and 4.9 billion years old. These ages correspond to the moment when the first stars began to break up, and since that type of star lived for two to 2.5 billion years, the stardust can be as old as seven billion years. "These are the oldest solid materials ever found, and they tell us about how stars formed in our galaxy," Heck said. The new dating by this team confirms an astronomical theory which predicted a baby boom of stars before the formation of our sun, instead of a constant rhythm of star formation. "We basically came to the conclusion that there must have been a time in our galaxy when more stars formed than normal, and at the end of their lives they become dust-producing," Heck said. The task now is to apply the same method on other meteorites. But according to Heck, there are fewer than five known to be in collections and big enough to give up such secrets.

7 billion-year-old stardust is oldest material found on Earth

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India is quite advanced in the field of astronomy and has taken path-breaking initiatives in the field.

Talking about the solar eclipse which took place on December 26, the Prime Minister read a message that he got from someone named Ripun, who had urged the Prime Minister to talk about the subject.

"India is quite ahead in the field of astronomy and our initiatives are path-breaking. We have a giant meter-wave telescope near Pune. Not just that, in Kodaikkaanal, Udagamandala, Guru Shikhar and Hanle Ladakh as well, powerful telescopes are located," the Prime Minister said during his monthly "Mann ki Baat" programme.

The Prime Minister said: "Like my countrymen, especially the youth among them, I too was eager to watch the solar eclipse on December 26. But unfortunately, clouds in skies in Delhi prevented me from enjoying the sight. Though, I did get to see beautiful pictures of the solar eclipse that was visible in Kozhikode and some other parts of India."

Stressing that astronomy has an ancient and glorious history in the country, Modi further said that our connection with the twinkling stars in the sky is as old as our civilisation.

"Many of you might be aware that at various places in India, there are magnificent observatories or Jantar Mantars, which are worth seeing. Who doesn't know about the prodigious talent of the great Aryabhatta? During his career, he expounded in great detail about the solar eclipse as well as the lunar eclipse," he said.

"In 2016, the then Prime Minister of Belgium and I had inaugurated the 3.6-metre Devasthal optical telescope in Nainital. It is said to be Asia's largest telescope. ISRO has an astronomical satellite called Astrosat. ISRO is planning to launch a satellite called Aditya, to study the sun," he added.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India is quite advanced in the field of astronomy and has taken path-breaking initiatives in the field. Talking about the solar eclipse which took place on December 26, the Prime Minister read a message that he got from someone named Ripun, who had urged the Prime Minister to talk about the subject.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India is quite advanced in the field of astronomy and has taken path-breaking initiatives in the field. Talking about the solar eclipse which took place on December 26, the Prime Minister read a message that he got from someone named Ripun, who had urged the Prime Minister to talk about the subject. "India is quite ahead in the field of astronomy and our initiatives are path-breaking. We have a giant meter-wave telescope near Pune. Not just that, in Kodaikkaanal, Udagamandala, Guru Shikhar and Hanle Ladakh as well, powerful telescopes are located," the Prime Minister said during his monthly "Mann ki Baat" programme. The Prime Minister said: "Like my countrymen, especially the youth among them, I too was eager to watch the solar eclipse on December 26. But unfortunately, clouds in skies in Delhi prevented me from enjoying the sight. Though, I did get to see beautiful pictures of the solar eclipse that was visible in Kozhikode and some other parts of India." Stressing that astronomy has an ancient and glorious history in the country, Modi further said that our connection with the twinkling stars in the sky is as old as our civilisation. "Many of you might be aware that at various places in India, there are magnificent observatories or Jantar Mantars, which are worth seeing. Who doesn't know about the prodigious talent of the great Aryabhatta? During his career, he expounded in great detail about the solar eclipse as well as the lunar eclipse," he said. "In 2016, the then Prime Minister of Belgium and I had inaugurated the 3.6-metre Devasthal optical telescope in Nainital. It is said to be Asia's largest telescope. ISRO has an astronomical satellite called Astrosat. ISRO is planning to launch a satellite called Aditya, to study the sun," he added.

India is quite ahead in field of astronomy, our initiatives are path-breaking: PM Modi

A recent study done by scientists in America has shown that days on earth are getting longer and in million years from now, a day will last 25 hours on earth.

However, the process will take 200 million years in stretching hours of the day to 25 hours from 24.

The study done by scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has said that the reason of this is the moon as it is moving away from the earth, affecting the earth spins on its axis.

According to the research, currently,&nbspthe moon is pulling away at the rate of 3.82 centimetres a year. The scientists further said that over a few billion years it Moon has slowly moved away from the earth slowing the earth's spin.

Researchers at Durham University and the United Kingdom's nautical almanac office also said that the day is lengthening by two milliseconds every 100 years and getting an extra minute in a day will take 6.7 million years.

They studied some 1.4 billion-year-old rock layers in northern China, known as the xiamaling formation, to determine what the earth was doing at the point in history, including the length of its days and distance from the moon. &nbsp &nbsp

According to the research, 1.4 billion years ago a day on earth used to last for 18 hours.

The scientists'&nbspconclusions came through a new tool which combined astronomical theory, geologic data and a sophisticated statistical approach. &nbspIt enabled them to account for the uncertainty in the earth-moon relationship when studying rock samples. &nbsp 
&nbsp

The study done by scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has said that the reason of this is the moon as it is moving away from the earth, affecting the earth spins on its axis

A recent study done by scientists in America has shown that days on earth are getting longer and in million years from now, a day will last 25 hours on earth. However, the process will take 200 million years in stretching hours of the day to 25 hours from 24. The study done by scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has said that the reason of this is the moon as it is moving away from the earth, affecting the earth spins on its axis. According to the research, currently,&nbspthe moon is pulling away at the rate of 3.82 centimetres a year. The scientists further said that over a few billion years it Moon has slowly moved away from the earth slowing the earth's spin. Researchers at Durham University and the United Kingdom's nautical almanac office also said that the day is lengthening by two milliseconds every 100 years and getting an extra minute in a day will take 6.7 million years. They studied some 1.4 billion-year-old rock layers in northern China, known as the xiamaling formation, to determine what the earth was doing at the point in history, including the length of its days and distance from the moon. According to the research, 1.4 billion years ago a day on earth used to last for 18 hours. The scientists'&nbspconclusions came through a new tool which combined astronomical theory, geologic data and a sophisticated statistical approach. &nbspIt enabled them to account for the uncertainty in the earth-moon relationship when studying rock samples.

In million years, days on earth will last for 25 hours

Friends, family and colleagues of British scientist Stephen Hawking will gather Saturday to pay their respects at his private funeral in Cambridge, where he spent most of his extraordinary life.

Hawking, who died on March 14 at the age of 76, was famously an atheist but his children Lucy, Robert and Tim have chosen the town's university church, St Mary the Great, to say their farewell.

"Our father's life and work meant many things to many people, both religious and non-religious. So, the service will be both inclusive and traditional, reflecting the breadth and diversity of his life," they have said.

Tributes poured in from around the world upon Hawking's death, from Queen Elizabeth II to NASA, reflecting his huge impact as a physicist and an inspiration, in his refusal to give up in the face of physical disability.

But the service at St Mary church -- a short distance from Gonville and Caius College where Hawking worked for more than 50 years -- will only be open to those who knew him, followed by a private reception at Trinity College.

A wider audience will attend a thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey in London on June 15, where Hawking's remains will be buried near the grave of another legendary scientist, Isaac Newton.

Ahead of the funeral, Gonville and Caius College released new black and white photographs of Hawking taken in 1961 at a summer school for young astrophysicists at a castle in Sussex, southern England, when he was 19.

They showed him playing croquet and in a sailing dinghy, two years before he began experiencing the first symptoms of the motor neurone disease that would later leave him almost completely paralysed.

Fellow students contacted by the college recalled his left-wing views and his mischievous sense of humour, with one describing how he replaced the Royal Navy flag on the castle flagpole with the Communist hammer and sickle.

Hawking defied predictions that he would only live for a few years, although his rare condition -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) -- gradually robbed him of mobility.

He was confined to a wheelchair, almost completely paralysed and unable to speak except through his trademark voice synthesiser.

But the illness did nothing to dull his mind, and Hawking became one of the world's best-known and most inspiring scientists, known for his brilliance and his wit.

His work focused on bringing together relativity -- the nature of space and time -- and quantum theory -- how the smallest particles behave -- to explain the creation of the Universe and how it is governed.

But he was also a global star -- his 1988 book "A Brief History of Time" was an unlikely worldwide bestseller, and he appeared as himself in TV shows from "The Simpsons" to "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

Born on January 8, 1942 -- 300 years to the day after the death of the father of modern science, Galileo Galilei -- Hawking died in his home in Cambridge on the 139th anniversary of the birth of Albert Einstein.

After taking his undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford, he moved to Cambridge for his doctorate and stayed there for the rest of his career.

Hawking's family has asked six college porters, many of whom provided support for Hawking when he visited for dinners and other events, to carry his coffin.

Tributes poured in from around the world upon Hawking's death, from Queen Elizabeth II to NASA, reflecting his huge impact as a physicist and an inspiration

Friends, family and colleagues of British scientist Stephen Hawking will gather Saturday to pay their respects at his private funeral in Cambridge, where he spent most of his extraordinary life. Hawking, who died on March 14 at the age of 76, was famously an atheist but his children Lucy, Robert and Tim have chosen the town's university church, St Mary the Great, to say their farewell. "Our father's life and work meant many things to many people, both religious and non-religious. So, the service will be both inclusive and traditional, reflecting the breadth and diversity of his life," they have said. Tributes poured in from around the world upon Hawking's death, from Queen Elizabeth II to NASA, reflecting his huge impact as a physicist and an inspiration, in his refusal to give up in the face of physical disability. But the service at St Mary church -- a short distance from Gonville and Caius College where Hawking worked for more than 50 years -- will only be open to those who knew him, followed by a private reception at Trinity College. A wider audience will attend a thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey in London on June 15, where Hawking's remains will be buried near the grave of another legendary scientist, Isaac Newton. Ahead of the funeral, Gonville and Caius College released new black and white photographs of Hawking taken in 1961 at a summer school for young astrophysicists at a castle in Sussex, southern England, when he was 19. They showed him playing croquet and in a sailing dinghy, two years before he began experiencing the first symptoms of the motor neurone disease that would later leave him almost completely paralysed. Fellow students contacted by the college recalled his left-wing views and his mischievous sense of humour, with one describing how he replaced the Royal Navy flag on the castle flagpole with the Communist hammer and sickle. Hawking defied predictions that he would only live for a few years, although his rare condition -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) -- gradually robbed him of mobility. He was confined to a wheelchair, almost completely paralysed and unable to speak except through his trademark voice synthesiser. But the illness did nothing to dull his mind, and Hawking became one of the world's best-known and most inspiring scientists, known for his brilliance and his wit. His work focused on bringing together relativity -- the nature of space and time -- and quantum theory -- how the smallest particles behave -- to explain the creation of the Universe and how it is governed. But he was also a global star -- his 1988 book "A Brief History of Time" was an unlikely worldwide bestseller, and he appeared as himself in TV shows from "The Simpsons" to "Star Trek: The Next Generation". Born on January 8, 1942 -- 300 years to the day after the death of the father of modern science, Galileo Galilei -- Hawking died in his home in Cambridge on the 139th anniversary of the birth of Albert Einstein. After taking his undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford, he moved to Cambridge for his doctorate and stayed there for the rest of his career. Hawking's family has asked six college porters, many of whom provided support for Hawking when he visited for dinners and other events, to carry his coffin.

Family, friends bid farewell to Stephen Hawking

There is widespread<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/philippines-warns-powerful-volcanic-eruption-656#photo-36299"> superstition in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/philippines-warns-powerful-volcanic-eruption-656#photo-36299">Philippines</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/philippines-warns-powerful-volcanic-eruption-656#photo-36299"> that the</a> total super blue blood moon could trigger an eruption of Mount Mayon which has been spewing ash for more than two weeks.

Agnes Velardoa, a teacher <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/super-blood-blue-moon-rare-astronomical-sight-to-occur-today-evening-31312">in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/super-blood-blue-moon-rare-astronomical-sight-to-occur-today-evening-31312">Philippines</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/super-blood-blue-moon-rare-astronomical-sight-to-occur-today-evening-31312"> told Reuters: &quot;For me</a>, what will happen tonight with the eclipse is that the volcano will have a complementary activity. The volcano may erupt after.&quot; &nbsp;

However, volcanologists believe no such thing will happen with state weather forecasters saying residents should not believe lunar superstitions.

Even then, residents believe the eruption could occur anytime, Analisa Alvarez, a resident told Reuters that, &quot;according to our elders, if there&#39;s a number eight in the year, for example 2018, Mayon will erupt again because there is an eight in the year.&quot;

Filipinos have fled in large numbers from the scene of the Mayon volcano to safe zones. Reports say at least 90,000 have already left the area.

State volcanologist, Paul Alanis said: &quot;I don&#39;t know about this superstition, but from our studies, these astronomical phenomena have no effect on volcanic eruptions.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;If a volcano is primed to erupt, it will erupt, regardless of whatever object is above it,&quot; he added.

Volcanologists believe no such thing will happen with state weather forecasters saying residents should not believe lunar superstitions.

There is widespread superstition in Philippines that the total super blue blood moon could trigger an eruption of Mount Mayon which has been spewing ash for more than two weeks. Agnes Velardoa, a teacher in Philippines told Reuters: "For me, what will happen tonight with the eclipse is that the volcano will have a complementary activity. The volcano may erupt after." However, volcanologists believe no such thing will happen with state weather forecasters saying residents should not believe lunar superstitions. Even then, residents believe the eruption could occur anytime, Analisa Alvarez, a resident told Reuters that, "according to our elders, if there's a number eight in the year, for example 2018, Mayon will erupt again because there is an eight in the year." Filipinos have fled in large numbers from the scene of the Mayon volcano to safe zones. Reports say at least 90,000 have already left the area. State volcanologist, Paul Alanis said: "I don't know about this superstition, but from our studies, these astronomical phenomena have no effect on volcanic eruptions." "If a volcano is primed to erupt, it will erupt, regardless of whatever object is above it," he added.

Watch: Will super blood moon trigger Mount Mayon eruption?

Black holes may be a portal that can transfer matter to another part of the universe, rather than destroying it, a new study has claimed. 
 
One of the biggest problems when studying black holes is that the laws of physics as we know them cease to apply in their deepest regions. 
 
Large quantities of matter and energy concentrate in an infinitely small space, the gravitational singularity, where space-time curves towards infinity and all matter is destroyed. 
 
However, a new study at the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC) in Spain suggests that matter might, in fact, survive its foray into these space objects and come out the other side. 
 
Scientists propose considering the singularity as if it were an imperfection in the geometric structure of space-time. 
 
By doing so they resolve the problem of the infinite, space-deforming gravitational pull. 
 
Black holes- a theoretical laboratory 
 
&quot;Black holes are a theoretical laboratory for trying out new ideas about gravity,&quot; said Gonzalo Olmo, a researcher at the University of Valencia (UV) in Spain. 
 
Specifically, in this work he has applied geometric structures similar to those of a crystal or graphene layer, not typically used to describe black holes, since these geometries better match what happens inside a black hole. 
 
&quot;Just as crystals have imperfections in their microscopic structure, the central region of a black hole can be interpreted as an anomaly in space-time, which requires new geometric elements in order to be able to describe them more precisely,&quot; said Olmo. 
 
Using these new geometries, the researchers obtained a description of black holes whereby the centre point becomes a very small spherical surface.geometries, the researchers obtained a description of black holes whereby the centre point becomes a very small spherical surface. 
 
This surface is interpreted as the existence of a wormhole within the black hole. 
 
&quot;In the first instance we resolve the problem of the singularity, since there is a door at the centre of the black hole, the wormhole, through which space and time can continue,&quot; Olmo said. 
 
The wormhole predicted by the equations is smaller than an atomic nucleus, but gets bigger with the charge stored in the black hole. 
 
So, a hypothetical traveller entering a black hole of this kind would be stretched to the extreme, or &quot;spaghettified,&quot; and would be able to enter the wormhole. Upon exiting they would be compacted back to their normal size. 
 
Seen from outside, these forces of stretching and compaction would seem infinite, but the traveller himself, living it first-hand, would experience only extremely intense, and not infinite, forces. 
 
The model proposed by the researchers posits that matter would not be lost inside the singularity, but rather would be expelled out from the other side through the wormhole at its centre to another region of the universe. 
 
The study was published in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity. 
 
(PTI) 
 
 
&nbsp;

One of the biggest problems when studying black holes is that the laws of physics as we know them cease to apply in their deepest regions ?

Black holes may be a portal that can transfer matter to another part of the universe, rather than destroying it, a new study has claimed. One of the biggest problems when studying black holes is that the laws of physics as we know them cease to apply in their deepest regions. Large quantities of matter and energy concentrate in an infinitely small space, the gravitational singularity, where space-time curves towards infinity and all matter is destroyed. However, a new study at the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC) in Spain suggests that matter might, in fact, survive its foray into these space objects and come out the other side. Scientists propose considering the singularity as if it were an imperfection in the geometric structure of space-time. By doing so they resolve the problem of the infinite, space-deforming gravitational pull. Black holes- a theoretical laboratory "Black holes are a theoretical laboratory for trying out new ideas about gravity," said Gonzalo Olmo, a researcher at the University of Valencia (UV) in Spain. Specifically, in this work he has applied geometric structures similar to those of a crystal or graphene layer, not typically used to describe black holes, since these geometries better match what happens inside a black hole. "Just as crystals have imperfections in their microscopic structure, the central region of a black hole can be interpreted as an anomaly in space-time, which requires new geometric elements in order to be able to describe them more precisely," said Olmo. Using these new geometries, the researchers obtained a description of black holes whereby the centre point becomes a very small spherical surface.geometries, the researchers obtained a description of black holes whereby the centre point becomes a very small spherical surface. This surface is interpreted as the existence of a wormhole within the black hole. "In the first instance we resolve the problem of the singularity, since there is a door at the centre of the black hole, the wormhole, through which space and time can continue," Olmo said. The wormhole predicted by the equations is smaller than an atomic nucleus, but gets bigger with the charge stored in the black hole. So, a hypothetical traveller entering a black hole of this kind would be stretched to the extreme, or "spaghettified," and would be able to enter the wormhole. Upon exiting they would be compacted back to their normal size. Seen from outside, these forces of stretching and compaction would seem infinite, but the traveller himself, living it first-hand, would experience only extremely intense, and not infinite, forces. The model proposed by the researchers posits that matter would not be lost inside the singularity, but rather would be expelled out from the other side through the wormhole at its centre to another region of the universe. The study was published in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity. (PTI)

Are black holes hiding secret portals to other parts of the universe?

Future gravitational wave detectors are going to be busy as a beaver, if a team of astronomers engaged in a latest study are to be believed.&nbsp; 
 
Presenting one of the most complete models of matter in the universe, the new study, led by Krzysztof Belczynski from the Warsaw University, predicts hundreds of massive black hole mergers each year observable with the second generation of gravitational wave detectors.The model anticipated the massive black holes observed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory.&nbsp; 
 
The two colliding masses created the first directly detected gravitational waves and confirmed Einstein`s general theory of relativity. 
 
&quot;The universe isn`t the same everywhere,&quot; points out co-author Richard O`Shaughnessy, adding &quot;Some places produce many more binary black holes than others. Our study takes these differences into careful account.&quot; Massive stars that collapse upon themselves and end their lives as black holes, like the pair LIGO detected, are extremely rare, O`Shaughnessy said.&nbsp; 
 
These are less evolved, &quot;more primitive stars,&quot; that occur in special configurations in the universe. These stars from the early universe are made of more pristine hydrogen, a gas which makes them &quot;Titans among stars,&quot; at 40 to 100 solar masses. In contrast, younger generations of stars consumed the corpses of their predecessors containing heavy elements, which stunted their growth.&quot;Because LIGO is so much more sensitive to these heavy black holes, these regions of pristine gas that make heavy black holes are extremely important,&quot; O`Shaughnessy notes.&nbsp; 
 
O`Shaughnessy and his colleagues predict that massive black holes like these spin in a stable way, with orbits that remain in the same plane.&quot;These rare regions act like factories for building identifiable pairs of black holes,&rdquo; he asserts.&nbsp; 
 
The model shows that the alignment of these massive black holes is impervious to the tiny kick that follows the stars` core collapse. The same kick can change the alignment of smaller black holes and rock their orbital plane.The calculations are the most detailed calculations of its kind ever performed, O`Shaughnessy said. He likens the model to a laboratory for assessing future prospects for gravitational wave astronomy. Other gravitational wave astronomers are now using the model in their own investigations as well.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)

These are less evolved, 'more primitive stars', that occur in special configurations in the universe.

Future gravitational wave detectors are going to be busy as a beaver, if a team of astronomers engaged in a latest study are to be believed. Presenting one of the most complete models of matter in the universe, the new study, led by Krzysztof Belczynski from the Warsaw University, predicts hundreds of massive black hole mergers each year observable with the second generation of gravitational wave detectors.The model anticipated the massive black holes observed by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory. The two colliding masses created the first directly detected gravitational waves and confirmed Einstein`s general theory of relativity. "The universe isn`t the same everywhere," points out co-author Richard O`Shaughnessy, adding "Some places produce many more binary black holes than others. Our study takes these differences into careful account." Massive stars that collapse upon themselves and end their lives as black holes, like the pair LIGO detected, are extremely rare, O`Shaughnessy said. These are less evolved, "more primitive stars," that occur in special configurations in the universe. These stars from the early universe are made of more pristine hydrogen, a gas which makes them "Titans among stars," at 40 to 100 solar masses. In contrast, younger generations of stars consumed the corpses of their predecessors containing heavy elements, which stunted their growth."Because LIGO is so much more sensitive to these heavy black holes, these regions of pristine gas that make heavy black holes are extremely important," O`Shaughnessy notes. O`Shaughnessy and his colleagues predict that massive black holes like these spin in a stable way, with orbits that remain in the same plane."These rare regions act like factories for building identifiable pairs of black holes,” he asserts. The model shows that the alignment of these massive black holes is impervious to the tiny kick that follows the stars` core collapse. The same kick can change the alignment of smaller black holes and rock their orbital plane.The calculations are the most detailed calculations of its kind ever performed, O`Shaughnessy said. He likens the model to a laboratory for assessing future prospects for gravitational wave astronomy. Other gravitational wave astronomers are now using the model in their own investigations as well. (ANI)

Massive stars that end their lives as black holes are extremely rare: Study

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