The moon is Earth's natural satellite is it the closest celestial body to Earth and the only one where astronauts have landed so far.

Lunar traffic risks satellite collision

Climate change is no more a battle for the future, rather, it is the present, and it is affecting our lives daily. In the wake of climate change, the once mighty glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate. Extreme weather events have become the new normal.

Alarming results of glacier retreat due to global warming

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<p>India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has moved closer to the moon after performing its third lunar orbit reduction. This means that the craft has been&nbsp;gradually moved from a highly-elliptical orbit (174 km x 1437 km) to a near-circular orbit (150km x 177km) around the Moon. In an elliptical orbit, there is a huge difference between the craft's nearest point to the moon (perilune) and farthest point to the moon (apolune). In a near-circular orbit, there is a very minor difference between perilune and apolune.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Orbit circularisation phase commences. Precise maneuvre performed today has achieved a near-circular orbit of 150 km x 177 km. The next operation is planned for August 16, 2023, around 0830 hrs IST," ISRO posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ISRO's next target is to bring the craft to a circular orbit&nbsp;where the craft is 100 km above the lunar surface. This is what ISRO calls the orbit circularisation phase. When this orbit is achieved, the spacecraft will be at a constant 100 km distance above the moon, at any period of time in that orbit.</p>

<p>"When the craft is circling around the moon, a command is issued to re-orient the craft by 180 degrees. This re-orientation will ensure that the craft's engine(s) can be used as a brake. Such engine firings are known as retro-firings. In retro-firing, the engine is not pushing the craft forward. Instead, it is pushing the craft in a direction opposite to its original direction of movement and it will slow down the craft," Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, former director of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre, explained to WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>When the craft was circling the earth, commands were issued to fire the engines and push the craft further away from the earth (orbit-raising manoeuvres). In those cases, the engine was fired to propel the craft forward and impart more velocity to it. In retro-firing (opposite firing), the engine firing is done in an opposite direction,&nbsp;thereby reducing&nbsp;the velocity of the craft and lowering its orbit. These are the fundamental differences between orbit-raising manoeuvres and orbit-reduction manoeuvres.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-isro-releases-video-of-the-moon-captured-by-chandrayaan-3-as-it-enters-lunar-orbit-622908">ISRO releases video of the moon captured by Chandrayaan-3 as it enters lunar orbit</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>The journey so far</strong></h2>

<p>Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14 from India's spaceport, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. 16 minutes after lift-off, the craft was placed in a highly elliptical orbit around the Earth. Thereafter, by performing five engine burns on as many occasions, the craft gradually raised its orbit and slingshot itself further away from Earth, while continuing to remain in the home planet's orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On the intervening night of July 31 and August 1, Chandrayaan-3 performed its Trans-Lunar injection burn. By this long-duration firing of its engines, the craft was pushed out of Earth's gravitational influence and hurled towards lunar gravitational influence.</p>

<p>On August 6, the spacecraft performed its maiden Lunar orbit reduction manoeuvre. The second Lunar orbit reduction happened on August 9.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/chandrayaan-3-now-within-moons-gravitational-orbit-india-isro-623261"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Chandrayaan-3 now within moon's gravitational orbit | India | ISRO</strong></a></p>

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<h2><strong>The journey that lies ahead</strong></h2>

<p>ISRO has said that the fourth orbit reduction manoeuvre is scheduled for 8:30 am IST, August 16.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"At the time of the lander separating from the propulsion module, the craft will be in a 100 km x100 km orbit. Many systems that are required to work for landing will be utilised and tested at that point. The craft will be in the orbital phase for 4-5 days,"&nbsp;Dr M. Sankaran, director of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre, told WION.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"So, we will carry out tests of the various systems. Four 800N throttleable engines (that are meant to help in slowing down the craft for landing) have to be test fired in different combinations, sensors on the lander will be oriented towards the propulsion module and tested for various performance parameters by getting a reflection back from it."</p>

<p>By the time the engine testing is complete, the craft will be brought to a 100 km x 30 km orbit, he added.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/isro-releases-majestic-images-of-earth-and-moon-captured-by-chandrayaan-3-624186" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | ISRO releases majestic images of Earth and Moon captured by Chandrayaan-3</strong></a></p>

<p>Thereafter, a process of Rough braking, Attitude hold, fine braking, and velocity reduction would be carried out&nbsp;in the run-up to the lunar landing. ISRO has planned the Lunar landing at 5:47 pm IST on August 23.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ISRO Chairman Dr S Somnath has assured that the Vikram lander will be able to make a soft landing on the Moon's surface, come August 23. He added that the landing is certain even if all the sensors and two of its engines do not work. The Vikram lander is expected to descend on the moon on August 23.</p>

<p>"If everything fails, if all the sensors fail, nothing works, still it (Vikram) will make a landing. That's how it has been designed -- provided that the propulsion system works well," Somnath said.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Objectives of Chandrayaan-3</strong></h2>

<p>India's third lunar spacecraft comprises a propulsion module, lander and rover. The combined mass of them is 3.9 tonnes. The key goal of the craft is to perform a lunar soft-landing and perform in-situ analysis near 70 degrees latitude of the Lunar surface. The mission is expected to last 14 Earth days or one lunar day, during which the six-wheeled rover and the lander will perform their respective experiments.&nbsp;</p>

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India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has moved closer to the moon after performing its third lunar orbit reduction. This means that the craft has been gradually moved from a highly-elliptical orbit (174 km x 1437 km) to a near-circular orbit (150km x 177km) around the Moon.

India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has moved closer to the moon after performing its third lunar orbit reduction. This means that the craft has been gradually moved from a highly-elliptical orbit (174 km x 1437 km) to a near-circular orbit (150km x 177km) around the Moon. In an elliptical orbit, there is a huge difference between the craft's nearest point to the moon (perilune) and farthest point to the moon (apolune). In a near-circular orbit, there is a very minor difference between perilune and apolune. "Orbit circularisation phase commences. Precise maneuvre performed today has achieved a near-circular orbit of 150 km x 177 km. The next operation is planned for August 16, 2023, around 0830 hrs IST," ISRO posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. ISRO's next target is to bring the craft to a circular orbit where the craft is 100 km above the lunar surface. This is what ISRO calls the orbit circularisation phase. When this orbit is achieved, the spacecraft will be at a constant 100 km distance above the moon, at any period of time in that orbit. "When the craft is circling around the moon, a command is issued to re-orient the craft by 180 degrees. This re-orientation will ensure that the craft's engine(s) can be used as a brake. Such engine firings are known as retro-firings. In retro-firing, the engine is not pushing the craft forward. Instead, it is pushing the craft in a direction opposite to its original direction of movement and it will slow down the craft," Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, former director of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre, explained to WION. When the craft was circling the earth, commands were issued to fire the engines and push the craft further away from the earth (orbit-raising manoeuvres). In those cases, the engine was fired to propel the craft forward and impart more velocity to it. In retro-firing (opposite firing), the engine firing is done in an opposite direction, thereby reducing the velocity of the craft and lowering its orbit. These are the fundamental differences between orbit-raising manoeuvres and orbit-reduction manoeuvres. Also read: ISRO releases video of the moon captured by Chandrayaan-3 as it enters lunar orbit The journey so far Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14 from India's spaceport, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. 16 minutes after lift-off, the craft was placed in a highly elliptical orbit around the Earth. Thereafter, by performing five engine burns on as many occasions, the craft gradually raised its orbit and slingshot itself further away from Earth, while continuing to remain in the home planet's orbit. On the intervening night of July 31 and August 1, Chandrayaan-3 performed its Trans-Lunar injection burn. By this long-duration firing of its engines, the craft was pushed out of Earth's gravitational influence and hurled towards lunar gravitational influence. On August 6, the spacecraft performed its maiden Lunar orbit reduction manoeuvre. The second Lunar orbit reduction happened on August 9. Watch | Chandrayaan-3 now within moon's gravitational orbit | India | ISRO × The journey that lies ahead ISRO has said that the fourth orbit reduction manoeuvre is scheduled for 8:30 am IST, August 16. "At the time of the lander separating from the propulsion module, the craft will be in a 100 km x100 km orbit. Many systems that are required to work for landing will be utilised and tested at that point. The craft will be in the orbital phase for 4-5 days," Dr M. Sankaran, director of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre, told WION. "So, we will carry out tests of the various systems. Four 800N throttleable engines (that are meant to help in slowing down the craft for landing) have to be test fired in different combinations, sensors on the lander will be oriented towards the propulsion module and tested for various performance parameters by getting a reflection back from it." By the time the engine testing is complete, the craft will be brought to a 100 km x 30 km orbit, he added. Also read | ISRO releases majestic images of Earth and Moon captured by Chandrayaan-3 Thereafter, a process of Rough braking, Attitude hold, fine braking, and velocity reduction would be carried out in the run-up to the lunar landing. ISRO has planned the Lunar landing at 5:47 pm IST on August 23. ISRO Chairman Dr S Somnath has assured that the Vikram lander will be able to make a soft landing on the Moon's surface, come August 23. He added that the landing is certain even if all the sensors and two of its engines do not work. The Vikram lander is expected to descend on the moon on August 23. "If everything fails, if all the sensors fail, nothing works, still it (Vikram) will make a landing. That's how it has been designed -- provided that the propulsion system works well," Somnath said. Objectives of Chandrayaan-3 India's third lunar spacecraft comprises a propulsion module, lander and rover. The combined mass of them is 3.9 tonnes. The key goal of the craft is to perform a lunar soft-landing and perform in-situ analysis near 70 degrees latitude of the Lunar surface. The mission is expected to last 14 Earth days or one lunar day, during which the six-wheeled rover and the lander will perform their respective experiments. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Explained | Chandrayaan-3 is just 150km above lunar surface. What does it mean?

Mars is spinning faster. With every passing year, Martian days are becoming shorter by 0.76 milliseconds. This comes a year after scientists said that the Earth too has begun spinning faster. Are the two cosmic developments related? Listen in to Vikram Chandra.

Mars is spinning faster, here's what it could mean

Mars is rotating faster. Every year, the length of a Martian day decreases by 0.76 milliseconds. This comes after scientists stated that the Earth has begun to rotate faster as well. Are the two cosmic occurrences connected? Watch to know more in this interview with NASA Mars Scientist, Dr Amitabh Ghosh.

Scientists have not been able to determine why Mars is spinning fast

<p>Ahead of the highly anticipated Chandrayaan-3 landing, scheduled to take place later this month, the&nbsp;Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday (August 10) shared a set of fresh images of the Moon and Earth captured by the lunar spacecraft.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of the first images has been taken on July 14 when the mission was launched from the&nbsp;Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, located in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The first image shows Earth as viewed by the Lander Image Camera.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The second image, captured by Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera (LHVC) showed the craters Aristarchus, Eddington and Pythagoras along with one of the dark plains on the lunar surface&nbsp;Oceanus Procellarum.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Netizens applaud the pictures</strong></h2>

<p>Netizens and admirers of ISRO were truly awestruck by the images released and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their happiness.<br />
<br />
"No Matter how far we venture into otherworldly realms, the allure of Earth's beauty remains unparalleled..," posted one while another added, "We've been waiting for this. Image of Earth from Lander and Moon. #ISRO #Chandrayaan3. Perhaps we were a bit too eager in our demands for photos from @isro. Proud to be witnessing this."</p>

<p>"Sending all my positive energy and heartfelt wishes to the incredible team behind Chandrayaan 3! You are true pioneers, and I believe in your courage and determination to achieve great things. Reach for the stars!," posted another.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-isro-releases-video-of-the-moon-captured-by-chandrayaan-3-as-it-enters-lunar-orbit-622908">ISRO releases video of the moon captured by Chandrayaan-3 as it enters lunar orbit</a></strong></p>

<h2><strong>ISRO chairman confident about landing&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>ISRO Chairman Dr S Somnath has assured that the Vikram lander will be able to make a soft landing on the Moon's surface, come August 23. He added that the landing is certain even if all the sensors and two of its engines do not work. The Vikram lander is expected to descend on the moon on August 23.</p>

<p>"If everything fails, if all the sensors fail, nothing works, still it (Vikram) will make a landing. That's how it has been designed -- provided that the propulsion system works well," Somnath told PTI.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/chandrayaan-3-now-within-moons-gravitational-orbit-india-isro-623261"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Chandrayaan-3 now within moon's gravitational orbit | India | ISRO</strong></a></p>

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<p>Somnath&nbsp;said the mission's most critical phase will be the orbit determination process when the spacecraft starts moving closer to the moon from the 100 km circular orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Up to 100 km we do not see any difficulty. The issues are only an estimation of the position of the lander accurately from Earth. This measurement is a very critical measurement, we call it the orbit determination process. If it is correct, the rest of the process can be done."&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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Ahead of the highly anticipated Chandrayaan-3 landing, scheduled to take place later this month, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday (August 10) shared a set of fresh images of the Moon and Earth captured by the lunar spacecraft.

Ahead of the highly anticipated Chandrayaan-3 landing, scheduled to take place later this month, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday (August 10) shared a set of fresh images of the Moon and Earth captured by the lunar spacecraft. One of the first images has been taken on July 14 when the mission was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, located in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The first image shows Earth as viewed by the Lander Image Camera. The second image, captured by Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera (LHVC) showed the craters Aristarchus, Eddington and Pythagoras along with one of the dark plains on the lunar surface Oceanus Procellarum. Netizens applaud the pictures Netizens and admirers of ISRO were truly awestruck by the images released and took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their happiness. "No Matter how far we venture into otherworldly realms, the allure of Earth's beauty remains unparalleled..," posted one while another added, "We've been waiting for this. Image of Earth from Lander and Moon. #ISRO #Chandrayaan3. Perhaps we were a bit too eager in our demands for photos from @isro. Proud to be witnessing this." "Sending all my positive energy and heartfelt wishes to the incredible team behind Chandrayaan 3! You are true pioneers, and I believe in your courage and determination to achieve great things. Reach for the stars!," posted another. Also read: ISRO releases video of the moon captured by Chandrayaan-3 as it enters lunar orbit ISRO chairman confident about landing ISRO Chairman Dr S Somnath has assured that the Vikram lander will be able to make a soft landing on the Moon's surface, come August 23. He added that the landing is certain even if all the sensors and two of its engines do not work. The Vikram lander is expected to descend on the moon on August 23. "If everything fails, if all the sensors fail, nothing works, still it (Vikram) will make a landing. That's how it has been designed -- provided that the propulsion system works well," Somnath told PTI. Watch | Chandrayaan-3 now within moon's gravitational orbit | India | ISRO × Somnath said the mission's most critical phase will be the orbit determination process when the spacecraft starts moving closer to the moon from the 100 km circular orbit. "Up to 100 km we do not see any difficulty. The issues are only an estimation of the position of the lander accurately from Earth. This measurement is a very critical measurement, we call it the orbit determination process. If it is correct, the rest of the process can be done." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

ISRO releases majestic images of Earth and Moon captured by Chandrayaan-3

Chandryaan-3 is heading towards Moon. After covering the orbital path around Earth. The spacecraft entered the Moon's orbit.

Chandrayaan-3: The mission objectives of lander Vikram, rover Pragyan on the Moon

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

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

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

Unprecedented high temperatures have the entire world in disarray. As tourists flee raging wildfires in Greece, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez has issued a stern warning about the region's climate concerns, saying that the era of global warming has ended and that the era of global boiling has begun. The air is toxic, the heat is intolerable, and the level of fossil fuel profits and climate change in action are intolerable.

'Era of global warming ends, era of global boiling has arrived' says UN Chief

Climate change has likely changed the colour of the Earth's oceans significantly over the past two decades, according to a study. The research, published recently in the journal Nature, detected changes in ocean colour over the past 20 years that cannot be explained by natural, year-to-year variability alone. Watch this to know more.

Climate change is shifting the oceans' colours: Study

The Mars Express orbiter has sent a series of seemingly unremarkable pictures to Earth. At first glance, they may look like fuzzy, out-of-focus images, but their significance is massive. Here's why they are important.

These pictures of Earth from Mars show there's no 'Planet B' for us

Numerous asteroids are fast approaching the Earth. One of them, a mammoth-size space rock, has been classified as 'potentially hazardous object' by NASA. Should you be worried? Listen in to Vikram Chandra.

Numerous asteroids fast moving towards the Earth

<p lang="en-US">In an unbelievable achievement, Harvard Professor Avi Loeb said that he was able to recover the microscopic remnants of what he claimed belonged to an unidentified space object that had crashed into the Pacific Ocean around a decade ago, hoping that they are proof of an advanced alien civilisation.<br />
<br />
Loeb, along with his team, had gone on a 'historic expedition' and managed to gather 50 microscopic particle spherules that appear like specs of dust and collectively weigh 35mg. The particles were collected off the coast of Papua New Guinea.<br />
<br />
Loeb claimed to have seen a "runaway fireball" in 2014 which he said had exploded in the lower atmosphere and then dropped into the ocean.</p>

<p lang="en-US"><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/harvard-physicist-in-search-for-alien-artefact-that-fell-from-space-575881">Harvard physicist in search for ‘alien artefact’ that fell from space</a></p>

<p lang="en-US">The mysterious object, which has been labelled as "IM1", "is actually tougher and has material strength that is higher than all the space rocks that were cut along by NASA," said Professor Loeb, while speaking to Fox News from the expedition boat.</p>

<h2 lang="en-US"><strong>'Perfectly round' particles discovered</strong></h2>

<p lang="en-US">"Given IM1’s high speed and anomalous material strength, its source must have been a natural environment different from the solar system, or an extraterrestrial technological civilisation,” he added. The researcher stated that the particles they found were "perfectly round."<br />
<br />
Once inspected using a microscope, he said that "the objects appear to look like molten raindrops," which he compared to blood droplets.<br />
<br />
"My daughter asked me if she could put one on a necklace, but I told her, ‘It’s too small to thread,'" said Loeb. Prof Loeb and his team have been hoping to discover more about the origin of the object.<br />
<br />
"This could be the first time humans put their hands on interstellar material. This has never been done before. We never received a package at our doorstep from a cosmic neighbour,” he said.</p>

<p lang="en-US"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;UFO-like vehicle takes flight in China, iUFO turns sci-fi into reality</strong></p>

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<p lang="en-US">The process of extracting microscopic space materials from the ocean bed was a task, which Prof Loeb and his team managed to do by using powerful magnets and following the trajectory taken by the mysterious object.<br />
<br />
"The interpretation will be left to follow-up papers. In response to the nay-sayers we say nothing other than show our data in our first publication. One cannot argue with facts, only with interpretations,” Prof Loeb wrote in the latest of his 33 essays.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The particles will be carried back to the lab by the team where they will analyse their elemental and isotopic composition, and prepare a report on the basis of data gathered which will be published in a paper submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.&nbsp;</p>

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In an unbelievable achievement, Harvard Professor Avi Loeb said that he was able to recover the microscopic remnants of what he claimed belonged to an unidentified space object that had crashed into the Pacific Ocean around a decade ago, hoping that they are proof of an advanced alien civilisation.

In an unbelievable achievement, Harvard Professor Avi Loeb said that he was able to recover the microscopic remnants of what he claimed belonged to an unidentified space object that had crashed into the Pacific Ocean around a decade ago, hoping that they are proof of an advanced alien civilisation. Loeb, along with his team, had gone on a 'historic expedition' and managed to gather 50 microscopic particle spherules that appear like specs of dust and collectively weigh 35mg. The particles were collected off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Loeb claimed to have seen a "runaway fireball" in 2014 which he said had exploded in the lower atmosphere and then dropped into the ocean. ALSO READ | Harvard physicist in search for ‘alien artefact’ that fell from space The mysterious object, which has been labelled as "IM1", "is actually tougher and has material strength that is higher than all the space rocks that were cut along by NASA," said Professor Loeb, while speaking to Fox News from the expedition boat. 'Perfectly round' particles discovered "Given IM1’s high speed and anomalous material strength, its source must have been a natural environment different from the solar system, or an extraterrestrial technological civilisation,” he added. The researcher stated that the particles they found were "perfectly round." Once inspected using a microscope, he said that "the objects appear to look like molten raindrops," which he compared to blood droplets. "My daughter asked me if she could put one on a necklace, but I told her, ‘It’s too small to thread,'" said Loeb. Prof Loeb and his team have been hoping to discover more about the origin of the object. "This could be the first time humans put their hands on interstellar material. This has never been done before. We never received a package at our doorstep from a cosmic neighbour,” he said. WATCH | UFO-like vehicle takes flight in China, iUFO turns sci-fi into reality The process of extracting microscopic space materials from the ocean bed was a task, which Prof Loeb and his team managed to do by using powerful magnets and following the trajectory taken by the mysterious object. "The interpretation will be left to follow-up papers. In response to the nay-sayers we say nothing other than show our data in our first publication. One cannot argue with facts, only with interpretations,” Prof Loeb wrote in the latest of his 33 essays. The particles will be carried back to the lab by the team where they will analyse their elemental and isotopic composition, and prepare a report on the basis of data gathered which will be published in a paper submitted to a peer-reviewed journal. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Are aliens visiting Earth? Harvard professor finds UFO debris in Pacific Ocean

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<p>Three decades on, scientists have captured a picture, eerily similar to the one captured&nbsp;by the Voyager 1 spacecraft that Carl Sagan described as seeing a "pale blue dot", referring to our home - planet Earth.&nbsp;The Mars Express spacecraft that recently celebrated 20 years in space took a photograph that shows the vastness of the universe and how we are a tiny part of it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The nostalgic-looking image captured by the European Space Agency (ESA) craft shows Earth and its natural satellite as small tiny white objects. The super-resolution channel (SRC) of Mars Express’s High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) snapped the picture of Earth and its moon on 15, 21 and 27 May, and 2 June 2023. This covers more than half of the Moon’s monthly orbit around Earth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The latest picture comes on the 20th anniversary of the first photo of Earth-Mars sent by the orbiter. While the 2003 image was only captured 8 million kilometres away from home, the latest one has been captured from 300,000 kilometres away.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"There is no scientific value in these images, but since the conditions allowed us to point the HRSC to Earth and shortly after the VMC to Mars, we took the opportunity to create our own portrait of home on this incredible mission milestone for Mars Express," said Daniela Tirsch, member of the Mars Express HRSC team.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/martian-landscape-on-smartphone-new-map-of-mars-created-from-data-collected-by-nasa-604423" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | Martian landscape on smartphone? New map of Mars created from data collected by NASA</strong></a></p>

<p>The scientists said the Earth captured in the image had the size equivalent of an ant seen from a distance of 100 metres.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Even though we have seen images like these before, it is still humbling to pause and think: we need to look after the pale blue dot, there is no planet B," said Jorge Hernández Bernal, part of the Mars Express team who initiated the image.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Study: Mars' crust made of HEAVY ARMOUR. Will this tough exterior pose a threat?</strong></p>

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<h2><strong>Next frontier of humanity?</strong></h2>

<p>The Mars Express has been away from home for a full two decades. During this time, it has received multiple extensions, with the latest keeping it operational till 31 December 2026. While ESA has already used an orbiter to explore Mars and will be sending the&nbsp;Rosalind Franklin rover over the next decade, the goal remains to have humans on the surface of the Red Planet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The next bold ambition is, of course, to explore with humans," said&nbsp;&nbsp;ESA project scientist for Mars Express and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, Colin Wilson.&nbsp;"Perhaps it will only be another 20 years before humans can look up from the surface of Mars to see Earth in the night sky."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Three decades on, scientists have captured a picture, eerily similar to the one captured by the Voyager 1 spacecraft that Carl Sagan described as seeing a "pale blue dot", referring to our home - planet Earth.

Three decades on, scientists have captured a picture, eerily similar to the one captured by the Voyager 1 spacecraft that Carl Sagan described as seeing a "pale blue dot", referring to our home - planet Earth. The Mars Express spacecraft that recently celebrated 20 years in space took a photograph that shows the vastness of the universe and how we are a tiny part of it. The nostalgic-looking image captured by the European Space Agency (ESA) craft shows Earth and its natural satellite as small tiny white objects. The super-resolution channel (SRC) of Mars Express’s High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) snapped the picture of Earth and its moon on 15, 21 and 27 May, and 2 June 2023. This covers more than half of the Moon’s monthly orbit around Earth. The latest picture comes on the 20th anniversary of the first photo of Earth-Mars sent by the orbiter. While the 2003 image was only captured 8 million kilometres away from home, the latest one has been captured from 300,000 kilometres away. "There is no scientific value in these images, but since the conditions allowed us to point the HRSC to Earth and shortly after the VMC to Mars, we took the opportunity to create our own portrait of home on this incredible mission milestone for Mars Express," said Daniela Tirsch, member of the Mars Express HRSC team. Also read | Martian landscape on smartphone? New map of Mars created from data collected by NASA The scientists said the Earth captured in the image had the size equivalent of an ant seen from a distance of 100 metres. "Even though we have seen images like these before, it is still humbling to pause and think: we need to look after the pale blue dot, there is no planet B," said Jorge Hernández Bernal, part of the Mars Express team who initiated the image. WATCH | Study: Mars' crust made of HEAVY ARMOUR. Will this tough exterior pose a threat? Next frontier of humanity? The Mars Express has been away from home for a full two decades. During this time, it has received multiple extensions, with the latest keeping it operational till 31 December 2026. While ESA has already used an orbiter to explore Mars and will be sending the Rosalind Franklin rover over the next decade, the goal remains to have humans on the surface of the Red Planet. "The next bold ambition is, of course, to explore with humans," said ESA project scientist for Mars Express and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, Colin Wilson. "Perhaps it will only be another 20 years before humans can look up from the surface of Mars to see Earth in the night sky." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Pale blue dot 2.0: Tiny Earth and tinier Moon spotted by Mars orbiter

Sediment deposited at Crawford Lake in Canada provides unmistakable evidence that Earth has entered into a new human-driven geological chapter - the Anthropocene epoch. Scientists have designated this small body of water near Toronto as ground zero for this epoch. The scientists conducted research and obtained core samples of sediment at a dozen sites worldwide.

Earth has entered a new epoch of human-driven geological changes

One of the biggest mysteries in the world and the question is whether or not we are alone in the universe are there other intelligent beings looking up into the night from a different planet or universe and asking the same questions about us well we might have found the answer check out this story to find out more about how alien technology could be lurking not up in the sky but deep into the sea.

Did an interstellar meteor hit earth in 2014?

<p>The heightened interest in solar cycles and their potential impact on Earth has been ignited by the looming solar maximum in 2025.</p>

<p>This period, characterised by heightened solar activity, has prompted concerns about the vulnerability of today's digital world to devastating solar storms capable of disrupting global communication networks.</p>

<p>According to&nbsp;Washington Post, the Sun will reach "solar maximum" — a particularly active period — in 2025. It has reported&nbsp;on the lack of preparedness and the surge of misinformation surrounding this issue, leading to an atmosphere of uncertainty and speculation.</p>

<h2><strong>The reality of internet apocalypse</strong></h2>

<p>While it remains unclear whether the 2025 solar storm could bring about the much-dreaded "end of the internet," discussions have emerged regarding the fate of the "always online" society in such an event.</p>

<p>The Washington&nbsp;Post acknowledges that these concerns are not entirely unfounded, as the impact of a strong solar storm on Earth's interconnected infrastructure could result in widespread internet outages.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/china-defeats-spacex-to-successfully-launch-worlds-first-methane-powered-rocket-614515">China defeats SpaceX to successfully launch world’s first methane-powered rocket</a></p>

<p>Historical events like the Carrington Event of 1859, which caused telegraph lines to spark and operators to be electrocuted, as well as the 1989 solar storm that disrupted the Quebec power grid for hours, serve as reminders of the potential dangers.</p>

<h2><strong>What could be the infrastructure vulnerabilities?</strong></h2>

<p>Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi, a computer science professor at the University of California, Irvine who has played a significant role in bringing attention to this issue through her paper titled 'Solar Superstorms: Planning for an Internet Apocalypse',&nbsp; told the Washington Post about&nbsp;the uncertainty surrounding how current infrastructure would withstand extreme solar events, given that such scenarios are not accounted for in failure testing.</p>

<p>"We've never experienced one of the extreme case events, and we don't know how our infrastructure would respond to it. Our failure testing doesn't even include such scenarios," she told the Post.</p>

<p>The potential economic impact of a single day of lost connectivity due to a solar storm in the United States alone is estimated to exceed $11 billion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As the United States celebrated Independence Day on July 4, the Sun itself put on a spectacular display of solar storms, captured by NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/climate-change-out-of-control-first-week-of-july-declared-hottest-on-record-614151">'Climate change out of control': First week of July declared hottest on record</a></p>

<p>Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov shared a video showcasing the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that emanated from the Sun, providing a visual reminder of the powerful forces at play.</p>

<p>In short, the impending solar maximum in 2025 has fuelled concerns about the potential for devastating solar storms and their impact on global communication networks.</p>

<p>While uncertainties and misinformation abound, experts emphasise the need to acknowledge the risks and adequately prepare for potential disruptions that could lead to significant economic consequences.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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The heightened interest in solar cycles and their potential impact on Earth has been ignited by the looming solar maximum in 2025. This period, characterised by heightened solar activity, has prompted concerns about the vulnerability of today's digital world to devastating solar storms capable of disrupting global communication networks.

The heightened interest in solar cycles and their potential impact on Earth has been ignited by the looming solar maximum in 2025. This period, characterised by heightened solar activity, has prompted concerns about the vulnerability of today's digital world to devastating solar storms capable of disrupting global communication networks. According to Washington Post, the Sun will reach "solar maximum" — a particularly active period — in 2025. It has reported on the lack of preparedness and the surge of misinformation surrounding this issue, leading to an atmosphere of uncertainty and speculation. The reality of internet apocalypse While it remains unclear whether the 2025 solar storm could bring about the much-dreaded "end of the internet," discussions have emerged regarding the fate of the "always online" society in such an event. The Washington Post acknowledges that these concerns are not entirely unfounded, as the impact of a strong solar storm on Earth's interconnected infrastructure could result in widespread internet outages. Also read | China defeats SpaceX to successfully launch world’s first methane-powered rocket Historical events like the Carrington Event of 1859, which caused telegraph lines to spark and operators to be electrocuted, as well as the 1989 solar storm that disrupted the Quebec power grid for hours, serve as reminders of the potential dangers. What could be the infrastructure vulnerabilities? Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi, a computer science professor at the University of California, Irvine who has played a significant role in bringing attention to this issue through her paper titled 'Solar Superstorms: Planning for an Internet Apocalypse', told the Washington Post about the uncertainty surrounding how current infrastructure would withstand extreme solar events, given that such scenarios are not accounted for in failure testing. "We've never experienced one of the extreme case events, and we don't know how our infrastructure would respond to it. Our failure testing doesn't even include such scenarios," she told the Post. The potential economic impact of a single day of lost connectivity due to a solar storm in the United States alone is estimated to exceed $11 billion. As the United States celebrated Independence Day on July 4, the Sun itself put on a spectacular display of solar storms, captured by NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). Also read | 'Climate change out of control': First week of July declared hottest on record Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov shared a video showcasing the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that emanated from the Sun, providing a visual reminder of the powerful forces at play. In short, the impending solar maximum in 2025 has fuelled concerns about the potential for devastating solar storms and their impact on global communication networks. While uncertainties and misinformation abound, experts emphasise the need to acknowledge the risks and adequately prepare for potential disruptions that could lead to significant economic consequences. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Countdown to chaos: Sun nearing solar maximum in 2 years, threatening ‘internet apocalypse’

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<p>The pale blue dot in the vast darkness of universe, also referred to as Earth or our home planet has been around for billions of years. Alone in its orbital stillness, the planet has undergone a multitude of changes. Its layers carry evidence of ice age, dinosaurs roaming around, asteroid hits, mass extinctions, continental ruptures and whatnot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Humans, who have been around a tiny fraction of that time on the cosmic scale, have also made a significant impact on the planet. Now, a special team of scientists has pointed out the timeframe when the new geologic epoch began, influenced by us - the Homo sapiens.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What is&nbsp;Anthropocene?</strong></h2>

<p>Members of the Anthropocene Working Group on Tuesday designated a small body of water near Toronto, Canada as ground zero for the Anthropocene. The word derived from Greek terms for "human" and "new" refers to the current geological age of the planet when human activity has been the dominant influence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The data states that Earth moved into its new age about 73 years ago (1950). The layered sediments deposited at the bottom of Crawford Lake — laced with microplastics, fly-ash spread by burning oil and coal, and the detritus of nuclear bomb explosions, is being regarded as the global example of the beginning of the Anthropocene.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The data show a clear shift from the mid-20th century, taking Earth’s system beyond the normal bounds of the Holocene," said working group member Andy Cundy, a professor at the University of Southampton, referring to the epoch that began 11,700 years ago after the end of ice age.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The sediment found at the bottom of the Crawford Lake provides an exquisite record of recent environmental change over the last millennia,” said Simon Turner, chairman of the working group.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/welcome-to-the-anthropocene-earths-new-chapter-613872" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | Welcome to the Anthropocene, Earth's new chapter</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>How did scientists find out the baseline?</strong></h2>

<p>Scientists are linking the new epoch to what is known as the Great Acceleration. It is the period after World War II when human activity went into overdrive. The population surged, industries expanded, more fossil fuels started to burn, nitrogen-based fertilisers became the norm and weapons of&nbsp;mass destruction i.e.&nbsp;nuclear bombs were tested.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The scientists arrived at the conclusion that plutonium cast off by hydrogen bomb tests provided that global fingerprint.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The clearest marker for a single year – which gives an abrupt and effectively instantaneous snapshot – is plutonium, because there’s so little of it naturally present," said&nbsp;Cundy,&nbsp;referring to the year 1952 when the US first detonated a huge hydrogen bomb in the Marshall Islands which could become the new epoch's boundary year.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-climate-tracker-biodiversity-suffers-from-global-warming-548103"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;WION Climate Tracker: Biodiversity suffers from global warming</strong></a></p>

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<h2><strong>Crawford Lake's competition</strong></h2>

<p>Crawford Lake was up against 11 other environmental spaces, spanning five continents, including Antarctica, to be regarded as the ground zero of human footprint. The scientists involved in the study said they were surprised that each of the 12 sites consistently showed the global marks of human activity. Combing them, it paints a clear picture that humans have caused a rapid change to the environment in a very short period of time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If the scientists are able to have their way, they may proclaim that the planet has entered the Crawfordian age (named after the lake of course, following the protocol). However, the recommendations must be approved by a supermajority vote of two separate committees before final validation by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).</p>

<h2><strong>Point of no return?</strong></h2>

<p>Succinctly put, the Crawfordian age represents the point of no return in geological terms. The planet endured a long period of climate stability where human civilisation was able to grow but the future might not hold similar conditions for the generations to come.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Such has been the devastating impact of humans on Earth that last month, a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal by the American Geophysical Union stated that the planet had tilted as much as 80 centimetres (31.5 inches) between 1993 and 2010. The reason was attributed to humans pumping out indiscriminate amounts of groundwater and moving it elsewhere.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/surprised-and-concerned-scientists-find-groundwater-extracted-by-humans-has-shifted-earths-tilt-606665" target="_blank"><strong>Also read | ‘Surprised and concerned’: Scientists find groundwater extracted by humans has shifted tilt of Earth’s axis</strong></a></p>

<p>Climate change has become a routine phenomenon during this epoch. Currently, USA's southwestern states are sweltering under extreme heat with temperatures touching three figures. Meanwhile, in India, China, Japan and other Asian countries, floods have devastated human lives.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The power of humans is being classed in the same category as the meteorite that crashed into Earth 66 million years ago and wiped out dinosaurs, starting the Cenozoic Era.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the first time in Earth's history, a single species has not only radically changed the planet's morphology, chemistry and biology, but is aware of having done so. And yet, little to nothing is being done to reverse the damage. The scientists may or may not be able to convince their peers towards the Anthropocene, mostly on technical grounds but one thing is clear, the Earth has changed, and not for good reasons.&nbsp;</p>

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The pale blue dot in the vast darkness of universe, also referred to as Earth or our home planet has been around for billions of years. Alone in its orbital stillness, the planet has undergone a multitude of changes.

The pale blue dot in the vast darkness of universe, also referred to as Earth or our home planet has been around for billions of years. Alone in its orbital stillness, the planet has undergone a multitude of changes. Its layers carry evidence of ice age, dinosaurs roaming around, asteroid hits, mass extinctions, continental ruptures and whatnot. Humans, who have been around a tiny fraction of that time on the cosmic scale, have also made a significant impact on the planet. Now, a special team of scientists has pointed out the timeframe when the new geologic epoch began, influenced by us - the Homo sapiens. What is Anthropocene? Members of the Anthropocene Working Group on Tuesday designated a small body of water near Toronto, Canada as ground zero for the Anthropocene. The word derived from Greek terms for "human" and "new" refers to the current geological age of the planet when human activity has been the dominant influence. The data states that Earth moved into its new age about 73 years ago (1950). The layered sediments deposited at the bottom of Crawford Lake — laced with microplastics, fly-ash spread by burning oil and coal, and the detritus of nuclear bomb explosions, is being regarded as the global example of the beginning of the Anthropocene. “The data show a clear shift from the mid-20th century, taking Earth’s system beyond the normal bounds of the Holocene," said working group member Andy Cundy, a professor at the University of Southampton, referring to the epoch that began 11,700 years ago after the end of ice age. “The sediment found at the bottom of the Crawford Lake provides an exquisite record of recent environmental change over the last millennia,” said Simon Turner, chairman of the working group. Also read | Welcome to the Anthropocene, Earth's new chapter How did scientists find out the baseline? Scientists are linking the new epoch to what is known as the Great Acceleration. It is the period after World War II when human activity went into overdrive. The population surged, industries expanded, more fossil fuels started to burn, nitrogen-based fertilisers became the norm and weapons of mass destruction i.e. nuclear bombs were tested. The scientists arrived at the conclusion that plutonium cast off by hydrogen bomb tests provided that global fingerprint. “The clearest marker for a single year – which gives an abrupt and effectively instantaneous snapshot – is plutonium, because there’s so little of it naturally present," said Cundy, referring to the year 1952 when the US first detonated a huge hydrogen bomb in the Marshall Islands which could become the new epoch's boundary year. WATCH | WION Climate Tracker: Biodiversity suffers from global warming × Crawford Lake's competition Crawford Lake was up against 11 other environmental spaces, spanning five continents, including Antarctica, to be regarded as the ground zero of human footprint. The scientists involved in the study said they were surprised that each of the 12 sites consistently showed the global marks of human activity. Combing them, it paints a clear picture that humans have caused a rapid change to the environment in a very short period of time. If the scientists are able to have their way, they may proclaim that the planet has entered the Crawfordian age (named after the lake of course, following the protocol). However, the recommendations must be approved by a supermajority vote of two separate committees before final validation by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). Point of no return? Succinctly put, the Crawfordian age represents the point of no return in geological terms. The planet endured a long period of climate stability where human civilisation was able to grow but the future might not hold similar conditions for the generations to come. Such has been the devastating impact of humans on Earth that last month, a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal by the American Geophysical Union stated that the planet had tilted as much as 80 centimetres (31.5 inches) between 1993 and 2010. The reason was attributed to humans pumping out indiscriminate amounts of groundwater and moving it elsewhere. Also read | ‘Surprised and concerned’: Scientists find groundwater extracted by humans has shifted tilt of Earth’s axis Climate change has become a routine phenomenon during this epoch. Currently, USA's southwestern states are sweltering under extreme heat with temperatures touching three figures. Meanwhile, in India, China, Japan and other Asian countries, floods have devastated human lives. The power of humans is being classed in the same category as the meteorite that crashed into Earth 66 million years ago and wiped out dinosaurs, starting the Cenozoic Era. For the first time in Earth's history, a single species has not only radically changed the planet's morphology, chemistry and biology, but is aware of having done so. And yet, little to nothing is being done to reverse the damage. The scientists may or may not be able to convince their peers towards the Anthropocene, mostly on technical grounds but one thing is clear, the Earth has changed, and not for good reasons. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Explained | What is Anthropocene? The new epoch marked by damaging human impact

Elon Musk owned Starlink has applied to the Indian National Space promotion and authorization Center to get clearance for setting up Earth stations.

Starlink to enter India's satcom space

<p>When aliens or our distant progeny sift through layers of sediment 500,000 years from now to decode the Earth's past, they will find unusual evidence of the abrupt change that upended life half-a-million years earlier: chicken bones.</p>

<p>That is the conclusion of scientists whose findings are offered as proof that rapid expansion of human appetites and activity so radically altered natural systems as to tip Earth into a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene, or the "era of humans".</p>

<p>There will be other telltale clues in mud and rocks of a planetary-scale rupture around the mid-20th century: the sudden rise of CO2, methane and other greenhouse gases; radioactive detritus from nuclear bomb tests; omnipresent microplastics; and the spread of invasive species.</p>

<p>But chicken bones could be among the most revealing findings, and tell the story in more ways than one.</p>

<p>To begin with, they are a human invention.</p>

<p>"The modern meat chicken is unrecognisable compared to its ancestors or wild counterparts," said Carys Bennett, a geologist and lead author of a 2017 study in Royal Society Open Science laying out the evidence for the animal as a "marker species" of the Anthropocene.</p>

<p>"Body size, the shape of the skeleton, bone chemistry and genetics are all distinct."</p>

<p>Their very existence, in other words, is evidence of humanity's capacity to hack nature and intervene in natural processes.</p>

<h2>Clear signal</h2>

<p>The modern broiler chicken's origins are in the jungles of Southeast Asia, where its forebear, the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), was first domesticated some 8,000 years ago.</p>

<p>The species has long been prized for its meat and eggs, but its engineered breeding into the rotund, short-lived creature found in supermarkets the world over started only after World War II.</p>

<p>"It usually takes millions of years for evolution to occur, but here it has taken just decades to produce a new form of animal," Jan Zalasiewicz, an emeritus professor of palaeobiology at the University of Leicester, told AFP.</p>

<p>Last year, the official Anthropocene Working Group he chaired for more than a decade determined that the Holocene Epoch -- which began 11,700 years ago as the last ice age ended -- gave way to the Anthropocene in the mid-20th century.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, it will announce which spot on Earth best exemplifies that shift.</p>

<p>Another line of evidence is the omnipresence of broiler chickens: virtually anywhere on Earth there are people, there will also be copious remains of our species' favourite source of animal protein.</p>

<p>Today, there are some 33 billion of the flightless birds worldwide at any given time, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).</p>

<p>The biomass of domesticated chickens is more than three times that of all wild bird species combined.</p>

<p>At least 25 million are culled every day, whether for chicken tikka in the Punjab, yakitori in Japan, poulet yassa in Senegal or McDonald's nuggets everywhere.</p>

<p>And while many societies shun the eating of beef or pork, how many cultures in the world do not have chicken on the menu?</p>

<p>"Chickens are a symbol of how our biosphere has changed and is now dominated by human consumption and resource use," said Bennett, formerly a researcher at the University Of Leicester and now an officer at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in Britain.</p>

<p>"The enormous number of distinctive chicken bones discarded worldwide will leave a clear signal in the future geological record," she said.</p>

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When aliens or our distant progeny sift through layers of sediment 500,000 years from now to decode the Earth's past, they will find unusual evidence of the abrupt change that upended life half-a-million years earlier: chicken bones.

When aliens or our distant progeny sift through layers of sediment 500,000 years from now to decode the Earth's past, they will find unusual evidence of the abrupt change that upended life half-a-million years earlier: chicken bones. That is the conclusion of scientists whose findings are offered as proof that rapid expansion of human appetites and activity so radically altered natural systems as to tip Earth into a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene, or the "era of humans". There will be other telltale clues in mud and rocks of a planetary-scale rupture around the mid-20th century: the sudden rise of CO2, methane and other greenhouse gases; radioactive detritus from nuclear bomb tests; omnipresent microplastics; and the spread of invasive species. But chicken bones could be among the most revealing findings, and tell the story in more ways than one. To begin with, they are a human invention. "The modern meat chicken is unrecognisable compared to its ancestors or wild counterparts," said Carys Bennett, a geologist and lead author of a 2017 study in Royal Society Open Science laying out the evidence for the animal as a "marker species" of the Anthropocene. "Body size, the shape of the skeleton, bone chemistry and genetics are all distinct." Their very existence, in other words, is evidence of humanity's capacity to hack nature and intervene in natural processes. Clear signal The modern broiler chicken's origins are in the jungles of Southeast Asia, where its forebear, the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), was first domesticated some 8,000 years ago. The species has long been prized for its meat and eggs, but its engineered breeding into the rotund, short-lived creature found in supermarkets the world over started only after World War II. "It usually takes millions of years for evolution to occur, but here it has taken just decades to produce a new form of animal," Jan Zalasiewicz, an emeritus professor of palaeobiology at the University of Leicester, told AFP. Last year, the official Anthropocene Working Group he chaired for more than a decade determined that the Holocene Epoch -- which began 11,700 years ago as the last ice age ended -- gave way to the Anthropocene in the mid-20th century. On Tuesday, it will announce which spot on Earth best exemplifies that shift. Another line of evidence is the omnipresence of broiler chickens: virtually anywhere on Earth there are people, there will also be copious remains of our species' favourite source of animal protein. Today, there are some 33 billion of the flightless birds worldwide at any given time, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The biomass of domesticated chickens is more than three times that of all wild bird species combined. At least 25 million are culled every day, whether for chicken tikka in the Punjab, yakitori in Japan, poulet yassa in Senegal or McDonald's nuggets everywhere. And while many societies shun the eating of beef or pork, how many cultures in the world do not have chicken on the menu? "Chickens are a symbol of how our biosphere has changed and is now dominated by human consumption and resource use," said Bennett, formerly a researcher at the University Of Leicester and now an officer at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in Britain. "The enormous number of distinctive chicken bones discarded worldwide will leave a clear signal in the future geological record," she said. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Proof humans reshaped the world? Chicken bones

<p>Since 2009, a cloistered band of hard-rock geologists and other scientists have toiled on a mission of great consequence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Tuesday they will deliver the last of their findings -- the location of ground-zero for the Anthropocene, the proposed geological epoch borne of humanity's outsized impact on the planet. &nbsp;</p>

<p>In essence, the Anthropocene Working Group was mandated by the high priests of Earth's geological timeline to answer three questions.</p>

<p>The first, roughly, is this: would aliens sifting through Earth's layered rocks and sediment a million years from now discern a human signature distinctive enough to mark a clear geological boundary?&nbsp;</p>

<p>If they did, when would it start?</p>

<p>Yes, the Working Group concluded, human appetites and activity have evicted the planet -- and its inhabitants &nbsp;-- from the stability of the&nbsp;</p>

<p>Holocene epoch, which began 11,700 years ago as the last ice age ended.</p>

<p>The world is getting uncomfortably hot and its life-support systems are failing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The threshold for the "epoch of humans" first proposed in 2002 by chemistry Nobel Paul Crutzen, they said, should be the mid-20th century.</p>

<p>This is when a sharp surge in greenhouse gas concentration, microplastic pollution, invasive species, radioactive traces from atom bomb testing, and a dozen other markers of our species' growing influence added up to what scientists now call the Great Acceleration. &nbsp;</p>

<p>That leaves the question of the "golden spike" -- the single lake deposit, coral reef, ice core or other geological repository of evidence that best embodies the Anthropocene.</p>

<p>The "winner" will be announced Tuesday in joint press conferences at the Max Planck Society in Berlin and a meeting of working group scientists in Lille, France.</p>

<h2><strong>A paradigm shift</strong></h2>

<p>Presented as recommendations, the fruit of the Working Group's long labours must now be validated by a gauntlet of sceptical, hard-nosed scientists at the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and, higher up the food chain, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).</p>

<p>The chances of that happening are slim, according to almost everyone involved.</p>

<p>At one level, the issues under debate are narrow to the point of pedantry -- rock experts quibbling over whether the Anthropocene merits inclusion in the International Chronostratigraphic Chart, the planet's official 4.6-billion-year timeline.</p>

<p>Some geologists say it doesn't meet the technical criteria, even as they acknowledge a rupture with the past. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>At the same time, marking the end of the Holocene and the start of a new epoch would force us to ponder humanity's devastating impact.</p>

<p>For the first time in Earth's history, a single species has not only radically changed the planet's morphology, chemistry and biology, but is aware of having done so.</p>

<p>Crutzen, who earned a Nobel for identifying the manmade chemicals destroying the protective ozone layer, hoped the concept and reality of the Anthropocene would focus minds on the challenges ahead.</p>

<p>"It could well be a paradigm shift in scientific thinking," he said at a symposium in 2011.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A dozen years later, many of the scientists who look at how the strands of the Earth system intersect agree.</p>

<p>"It's the recognition that, 'Oh my God, we have tipping points. Oh my God, the Holocene is the only state that can support us,'" Johan Rockstrom, head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told AFP.</p>

<p>"The paradigm shift is the realisation that we're leaving the Holocene and entering the Anthropocene."<br />
- Minefield of resistance -</p>

<p>Other scientists, however, remain unconvinced, including powerful gatekeepers lobbying against the Anthropocene being adopted as a formal epoch.</p>

<p>"The conditions which brought about glaciation" -- a dozen mini-ice ages over the last million years -- "haven't changed, so we might expect that the Holocene is simply another interglacial," Phil Gibbard, Secretary of the ICS, told the "Geology Bites" podcast last year.</p>

<p>He suggested the planet could continue in that pattern for another 50 million years.</p>

<p>As for the Anthropocene, Gibbard has suggested calling it an "event" covering millennia of human alterations of the environment.</p>

<p>In geology, he noted, an event can be anything from a single raindrop pitting a lump of clay to the Great Oxidation Event that transformed Earth's atmosphere some 2.2 billion years ago.</p>

<p>For Jan Zalasiewicz, a journeyman geologist who rose to the challenge of leading the Anthropocene Working Group through a forest of evidence and minefield of resistance for more than a decade, that's not good enough.</p>

<p>Failure to formally ratify the concept, he said, would leave the impression that the Holocene conditions that allowed human civilisation to flourish are still there.</p>

<p>"Clearly they are not," he told AFP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I am concerned that if the word 'Anthropocene' continues to mean different things to different people, then it will lose its significance and simply fade away."</p>

<p>In the end, Zalasiewicz said, we can only follow the evidence.</p>

<p>"Science is basically trying to establish what's real as opposed to what's not," he said.</p>

<p>"And the Anthropocene is real."</p>

<p>You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>

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Since 2009, a cloistered band of hard-rock geologists and other scientists have toiled on a mission of great consequence. On Tuesday they will deliver the last of their findings -- the location of ground-zero for the Anthropocene, the proposed geological epoch borne of humanity's outsized impact on the planet.

Since 2009, a cloistered band of hard-rock geologists and other scientists have toiled on a mission of great consequence. On Tuesday they will deliver the last of their findings -- the location of ground-zero for the Anthropocene, the proposed geological epoch borne of humanity's outsized impact on the planet. In essence, the Anthropocene Working Group was mandated by the high priests of Earth's geological timeline to answer three questions. The first, roughly, is this: would aliens sifting through Earth's layered rocks and sediment a million years from now discern a human signature distinctive enough to mark a clear geological boundary? If they did, when would it start? Yes, the Working Group concluded, human appetites and activity have evicted the planet -- and its inhabitants -- from the stability of the Holocene epoch, which began 11,700 years ago as the last ice age ended. The world is getting uncomfortably hot and its life-support systems are failing. The threshold for the "epoch of humans" first proposed in 2002 by chemistry Nobel Paul Crutzen, they said, should be the mid-20th century. This is when a sharp surge in greenhouse gas concentration, microplastic pollution, invasive species, radioactive traces from atom bomb testing, and a dozen other markers of our species' growing influence added up to what scientists now call the Great Acceleration. That leaves the question of the "golden spike" -- the single lake deposit, coral reef, ice core or other geological repository of evidence that best embodies the Anthropocene. The "winner" will be announced Tuesday in joint press conferences at the Max Planck Society in Berlin and a meeting of working group scientists in Lille, France. A paradigm shift Presented as recommendations, the fruit of the Working Group's long labours must now be validated by a gauntlet of sceptical, hard-nosed scientists at the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and, higher up the food chain, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). The chances of that happening are slim, according to almost everyone involved. At one level, the issues under debate are narrow to the point of pedantry -- rock experts quibbling over whether the Anthropocene merits inclusion in the International Chronostratigraphic Chart, the planet's official 4.6-billion-year timeline. Some geologists say it doesn't meet the technical criteria, even as they acknowledge a rupture with the past. At the same time, marking the end of the Holocene and the start of a new epoch would force us to ponder humanity's devastating impact. For the first time in Earth's history, a single species has not only radically changed the planet's morphology, chemistry and biology, but is aware of having done so. Crutzen, who earned a Nobel for identifying the manmade chemicals destroying the protective ozone layer, hoped the concept and reality of the Anthropocene would focus minds on the challenges ahead. "It could well be a paradigm shift in scientific thinking," he said at a symposium in 2011. A dozen years later, many of the scientists who look at how the strands of the Earth system intersect agree. "It's the recognition that, 'Oh my God, we have tipping points. Oh my God, the Holocene is the only state that can support us,'" Johan Rockstrom, head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told AFP. "The paradigm shift is the realisation that we're leaving the Holocene and entering the Anthropocene." - Minefield of resistance - Other scientists, however, remain unconvinced, including powerful gatekeepers lobbying against the Anthropocene being adopted as a formal epoch. "The conditions which brought about glaciation" -- a dozen mini-ice ages over the last million years -- "haven't changed, so we might expect that the Holocene is simply another interglacial," Phil Gibbard, Secretary of the ICS, told the "Geology Bites" podcast last year. He suggested the planet could continue in that pattern for another 50 million years. As for the Anthropocene, Gibbard has suggested calling it an "event" covering millennia of human alterations of the environment. In geology, he noted, an event can be anything from a single raindrop pitting a lump of clay to the Great Oxidation Event that transformed Earth's atmosphere some 2.2 billion years ago. For Jan Zalasiewicz, a journeyman geologist who rose to the challenge of leading the Anthropocene Working Group through a forest of evidence and minefield of resistance for more than a decade, that's not good enough. Failure to formally ratify the concept, he said, would leave the impression that the Holocene conditions that allowed human civilisation to flourish are still there. "Clearly they are not," he told AFP. "I am concerned that if the word 'Anthropocene' continues to mean different things to different people, then it will lose its significance and simply fade away." In the end, Zalasiewicz said, we can only follow the evidence. "Science is basically trying to establish what's real as opposed to what's not," he said. "And the Anthropocene is real." You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Welcome to the Anthropocene, Earth's new chapter

<p>The solid inner core of Earth may not be completely solid at all, as per a new study. Unlike what is generally believed, the core is a hodgepodge patchwork of solid and liquid which flow all the way to the centre.<br />
<br />
The new research was carried out on the basis of faint echoes of earthquake waves which were seen bouncing back to the surface of the Earth from the depths of the planet. The research suggested that the inner core is more varied than what was previously understood.<br />
<br />
According to the findings, the inner core, which increases about a millimetre (0.04 inch) every year when the liquid outer core solidifies, is likely to have grown faster in the earlier times in the history of the Earth.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/supermoon-to-be-14000-miles-closer-to-earth-compared-to-a-full-moon-in-july-611176">Supermoon to be 14,000 miles closer to Earth in July compared to full moon</a></p>

<p>“What's more, there may be swirls of liquid iron trapped inside the solid core,” said study senior author Keith Koper, a seismologist at the University of Utah, in a statement.<br />
<br />
"A long time ago the inner core grew really fast. It reached an equilibrium, and then it started to grow much more slowly. Not all of the iron became solid, so some liquid iron could be trapped inside,” Koper said.<br />
<br />
There is no process to directly access the core, so Koper and his team took into account data collected from 20 seismometers which were set up to measure earthquake waves and also monitor for nuclear weapons testing.<br />
<br />
The team also focused on waves which were triggered by earthquakes of magnitude 5.7 or above, and are big enough to send vibrations across the inner core, as the seismometer read a faint echo.<br />
<br />
"This signal that comes back from the inner core is really tiny. The size is about on the order of a nanometer. What we're doing is looking for a needle in a haystack. So these baby echoes and reflections are very hard to see,” Koper said.</p>

<h2><strong>Composition of Earth's core 'inhomogeneous'</strong></h2>

<p>The key finding, which was reported in the journal Nature on July 5, was that the composition of the core was "inhomogeneous," or varied. In other words, the earth's inner core did not smoothly solidify and is made up of a patchwork of different textures.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Earth's axis is shifting</strong></p>

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<p>"For the first time we confirmed that this kind of inhomogeneity is everywhere inside the inner core," said Guanning Pang, a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University, who participated in the research as a doctoral student at the University of Utah in the statement.<br />
<br />
“Seismic waves scatter more the deeper they penetrate the core,” said Koper, indicating an increase in the amount of variability closer to the centre of the Earth. “This could be related to the changing rate of solidification of the core over time,” he added.</p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

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The solid inner core of Earth may not be completely solid at all, as per a new study. Unlike what is generally believed, the core is a hodgepodge patchwork of solid and liquid which flow all the way to the centre.

The solid inner core of Earth may not be completely solid at all, as per a new study. Unlike what is generally believed, the core is a hodgepodge patchwork of solid and liquid which flow all the way to the centre. The new research was carried out on the basis of faint echoes of earthquake waves which were seen bouncing back to the surface of the Earth from the depths of the planet. The research suggested that the inner core is more varied than what was previously understood. According to the findings, the inner core, which increases about a millimetre (0.04 inch) every year when the liquid outer core solidifies, is likely to have grown faster in the earlier times in the history of the Earth. ALSO READ | Supermoon to be 14,000 miles closer to Earth in July compared to full moon “What's more, there may be swirls of liquid iron trapped inside the solid core,” said study senior author Keith Koper, a seismologist at the University of Utah, in a statement. "A long time ago the inner core grew really fast. It reached an equilibrium, and then it started to grow much more slowly. Not all of the iron became solid, so some liquid iron could be trapped inside,” Koper said. There is no process to directly access the core, so Koper and his team took into account data collected from 20 seismometers which were set up to measure earthquake waves and also monitor for nuclear weapons testing. The team also focused on waves which were triggered by earthquakes of magnitude 5.7 or above, and are big enough to send vibrations across the inner core, as the seismometer read a faint echo. "This signal that comes back from the inner core is really tiny. The size is about on the order of a nanometer. What we're doing is looking for a needle in a haystack. So these baby echoes and reflections are very hard to see,” Koper said. Composition of Earth's core 'inhomogeneous' The key finding, which was reported in the journal Nature on July 5, was that the composition of the core was "inhomogeneous," or varied. In other words, the earth's inner core did not smoothly solidify and is made up of a patchwork of different textures. WATCH | Gravitas: Earth's axis is shifting "For the first time we confirmed that this kind of inhomogeneity is everywhere inside the inner core," said Guanning Pang, a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University, who participated in the research as a doctoral student at the University of Utah in the statement. “Seismic waves scatter more the deeper they penetrate the core,” said Koper, indicating an increase in the amount of variability closer to the centre of the Earth. “This could be related to the changing rate of solidification of the core over time,” he added. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Earth's 'not so-solid' core filled with swirls of liquid iron, says study

There is a giant 'gravity hole' in the Indian Ocean where the gravitational pull is extremely low. How did it come into existence? What's the story of this 'hole'? Molly Gambhir tells you.

Gravitas: What caused the giant 'gravity hole'?

<p>Astronomers have made a stunning discovery of meteor-like streaks falling on the surface of the Sun. Experts claim these solar shooting stars are different from the shooting stars we see on Earth. Here what we call 'shooting stars' are actually fragments of space dust or rocks that burn up in our atmosphere.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The solar shooting stars, on the other hand, are massive clumps of plasma that plummet to the Sun's surface at incredible speeds. You can simply call it a massive rain of fireballs, that play a key role in heating up the corona, the outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere.</p>

<h2><strong>How were these shooting solar stars observed?</strong></h2>

<p>The researchers observed these solar shooting stars using the Solar Orbiter spacecraft of the European Space Agency. This is the first time such impacts have been spotted. The observations reveal that these impacts create short but intense bursts of brightness and result in the upward movement of stellar material and shock waves that heat up the gas in the Sun's corona.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;A Super-Earth will toss us into the Sun&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>Scientists believe that this discovery could help solve the mystery of why the corona, the outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere, is hotter than the layers beneath it. Because generally, solar models predict that the Sun should become hotter as we move closer to its core, but the corona defies this theory. Now, we seem to have solved this puzzle.</p>

<h2><strong>How are coronal rains formed on Sun?</strong></h2>

<p>The Solar Orbiter captured these phenomena while observing coronal rain, which is plasma firework displays consisting of gas with temperatures exceeding two million degrees Fahrenheit. Instead of water, coronal rains form when localised temperature drops, causing&nbsp;solar plasma to condense into dense lumps. These lumps then fall to the cooler surface of the Sun, known as the photosphere, as fiery&nbsp;rain at speeds of up to 220,000 miles per hour.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/supermoon-to-be-14000-miles-closer-to-earth-compared-to-a-full-moon-in-july-611176"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Supermoon to be 14,000 miles closer to Earth in July compared to full moon</strong></a></p>

<p>The Solar Orbiter made these observations from a close distance of just 30 million miles from the sun, closer than the orbit of Mercury. The spacecraft, equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensitive remote-sensing instruments, detected the heating and compression of gas under these coronal rains.</p>

<h2><strong>Why spotting shooting stars on Sun is difficult?</strong></h2>

<p>Unlike shooting stars on Earth, which develop bright tails due to friction in our atmosphere, these solar shooting stars lack bright tails. This is because powerful magnetic fields in the sun's corona strip gas from the falling clumps, preventing the formation of tails and making the observation of solar meteors challenging until now.</p>

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Astronomers have made a stunning discovery of meteor-like streaks falling on the surface of the Sun. Experts claim these solar shooting stars are different from the shooting stars we see on Earth.

Astronomers have made a stunning discovery of meteor-like streaks falling on the surface of the Sun. Experts claim these solar shooting stars are different from the shooting stars we see on Earth. Here what we call 'shooting stars' are actually fragments of space dust or rocks that burn up in our atmosphere. The solar shooting stars, on the other hand, are massive clumps of plasma that plummet to the Sun's surface at incredible speeds. You can simply call it a massive rain of fireballs, that play a key role in heating up the corona, the outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere. How were these shooting solar stars observed? The researchers observed these solar shooting stars using the Solar Orbiter spacecraft of the European Space Agency. This is the first time such impacts have been spotted. The observations reveal that these impacts create short but intense bursts of brightness and result in the upward movement of stellar material and shock waves that heat up the gas in the Sun's corona. Watch: A Super-Earth will toss us into the Sun × Scientists believe that this discovery could help solve the mystery of why the corona, the outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere, is hotter than the layers beneath it. Because generally, solar models predict that the Sun should become hotter as we move closer to its core, but the corona defies this theory. Now, we seem to have solved this puzzle. How are coronal rains formed on Sun? The Solar Orbiter captured these phenomena while observing coronal rain, which is plasma firework displays consisting of gas with temperatures exceeding two million degrees Fahrenheit. Instead of water, coronal rains form when localised temperature drops, causing solar plasma to condense into dense lumps. These lumps then fall to the cooler surface of the Sun, known as the photosphere, as fiery rain at speeds of up to 220,000 miles per hour. Also read: Supermoon to be 14,000 miles closer to Earth in July compared to full moon The Solar Orbiter made these observations from a close distance of just 30 million miles from the sun, closer than the orbit of Mercury. The spacecraft, equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensitive remote-sensing instruments, detected the heating and compression of gas under these coronal rains. Why spotting shooting stars on Sun is difficult? Unlike shooting stars on Earth, which develop bright tails due to friction in our atmosphere, these solar shooting stars lack bright tails. This is because powerful magnetic fields in the sun's corona strip gas from the falling clumps, preventing the formation of tails and making the observation of solar meteors challenging until now. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Solar shooting stars: Scientists left stunned by 'rain of fireballs' on Sun

On July 6, Earth will be at its farthest point from the sun this year. This annual occasion is called Aphelion. But July 4 was the hottest day ever recorded globally. Despite the Aphelion, why are temperatures soaring? Watch this video to find out.

Why is World so hot even when Earth is about to reach its farthest point from the sun?

We're facing the biggest environmental challenge. Climate change is affecting every form of life. While Nations around the world are finding measures to deal with it. The US is aiming to stop sunrays from reaching the Earth. The US is looking forward to quite an innovative way to combat the effects of climate change.

Why is the White House pushing to block sunlight from reaching the Earth?

<p>The first supermoon of 2023 which will be seen in July will appear brighter in the night sky compared to any other full moon that has been witnessed this year.<br />
<br />
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon will be seen in the sky on Monday (July 3) and it will reach its illumination below the horizon at 7:39 am ET. Depending on the local weather conditions, the citizens of the United States can view the celestial event by gazing in the southeast after the sun sets.<br />
<br />
Director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University Dr Shannon Schmoll said, “A supermoon is when the moon appears a little bit bigger in our sky. As the moon goes around the Earth, it’s not a perfect circle. So, there are points in its orbit where it’s a little bit closer or a little bit farther from the Earth.”</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-james-webb-telescope-spots-saturns-moon-blasting-huge-plumes-of-life-containing-water-into-space-597526">NASA's James Webb Telescope spots Saturn's moon blasting 'huge plumes' of life-containing water into space</a></p>

<p>A supermoon occurs when the orb reaches the phase of the full moon at a point on its path when it comes in close proximity to the Earth. The moon appears slightly larger in size. Even though the naked eye may not be able to see the size difference between a typical full moon and a supermoon immediately, The Old Farmer’s Almanac stated that summer's first full moon will be more luminous and just 224,895.4 miles (361,934 kilometres) away from Earth.</p>

<h2><strong>Buck moon – the moon of July</strong></h2>

<p>The moon in the month of July is called the buck moon. July is the month when the antlers of the male deer grow during an annual cycle of regrowth and shedding, as per the almanac. The buck moon has several other names which come from Native American peoples, as per Western Washington University.<br />
<br />
The names of the moon like hot moon refer to the season of summer while terms like ripe corn moon and raspberry moon have been coined as names to signify the best times for harvesting fruit and other crops.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Why is NASA eyeing lunar mining trials within the next decade?</strong></p>

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<p>While generally there are 12 full moons in a year, there will be 13 such lunar events in 2023. Two supermoons will be seen in August, which will include a blue moon that will be the closest moon to Earth this year, as per The Old Farmer’s Almanac. In the year 2023, the fourth and final supermoon in 2023 will rise on September 29.<br />
<br />
The annual solar eclipse will be seen by people across North, Central and South America on October 14. When the solar eclipse will occur, the moon will be between Earth and the sun or close to its farthest point from Earth. The size of the moon will look smaller than the sun and will be encircled by a glowing halo.</p>

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The first supermoon of 2023 which will be seen in July will appear brighter in the night sky compared to any other full moon that has been witnessed this year. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon will be seen in the sky on Monday (July 3) and it will reach its illumination below the horizon at 7:39 am ET.

The first supermoon of 2023 which will be seen in July will appear brighter in the night sky compared to any other full moon that has been witnessed this year. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the full moon will be seen in the sky on Monday (July 3) and it will reach its illumination below the horizon at 7:39 am ET. Depending on the local weather conditions, the citizens of the United States can view the celestial event by gazing in the southeast after the sun sets. Director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University Dr Shannon Schmoll said, “A supermoon is when the moon appears a little bit bigger in our sky. As the moon goes around the Earth, it’s not a perfect circle. So, there are points in its orbit where it’s a little bit closer or a little bit farther from the Earth.” ALSO READ | NASA's James Webb Telescope spots Saturn's moon blasting 'huge plumes' of life-containing water into space A supermoon occurs when the orb reaches the phase of the full moon at a point on its path when it comes in close proximity to the Earth. The moon appears slightly larger in size. Even though the naked eye may not be able to see the size difference between a typical full moon and a supermoon immediately, The Old Farmer’s Almanac stated that summer's first full moon will be more luminous and just 224,895.4 miles (361,934 kilometres) away from Earth. Buck moon – the moon of July The moon in the month of July is called the buck moon. July is the month when the antlers of the male deer grow during an annual cycle of regrowth and shedding, as per the almanac. The buck moon has several other names which come from Native American peoples, as per Western Washington University. The names of the moon like hot moon refer to the season of summer while terms like ripe corn moon and raspberry moon have been coined as names to signify the best times for harvesting fruit and other crops. WATCH | Why is NASA eyeing lunar mining trials within the next decade? While generally there are 12 full moons in a year, there will be 13 such lunar events in 2023. Two supermoons will be seen in August, which will include a blue moon that will be the closest moon to Earth this year, as per The Old Farmer’s Almanac. In the year 2023, the fourth and final supermoon in 2023 will rise on September 29. The annual solar eclipse will be seen by people across North, Central and South America on October 14. When the solar eclipse will occur, the moon will be between Earth and the sun or close to its farthest point from Earth. The size of the moon will look smaller than the sun and will be encircled by a glowing halo. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Supermoon to be 14,000 miles closer to Earth in July compared to full moon

<p>The Earth’s gravitational pull is weakest somewhere around the middle of the Indian Ocean. And that’s because there is a giant “hole” on that spot.</p>

<p>The hole being referred to here is not a typical hole where water will drain. Instead, the geologists say that there is less mass under that spot, making the gravitational pull weaker than any other place on the planet.</p>

<p>Scientists have for years tried to figure out the origins of such geological phenomena until now.</p>

<p>Two leading geologists—Debanjan Pal and Attreyee Ghosh—from the Centre for Earth Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru city of India's southern state Karnataka, have put forward a compelling explanation.</p>

<p>They argue that it has origins to an ancient ocean bed that sank due to plate tectonic movements.</p>

<h2><strong>Origins in ancient ocean</strong></h2>

<p>By reconstructing the last 140 million years of tectonic plate movements and underlying mantle that accompanied the rearrangement of Earth’s crust, they say that it may have been caused by plumes of molten rock rising from deep beneath Africa at the edges of the sinking remnants of an ancient ocean bed.</p>

<p>Earth is not a perfect sphere. Had it been the&nbsp;case, then gravity would have been the same at every point on its surface.</p>

<p>But in reality, the blue planet is flatter than a true sphere around the North and South Poles, and it bulges out near the equator.</p>

<p>Furthermore, different regions exert different gravitational pull depending on the mass of Earth’s crust, mantle and core beneath them.</p>

<p>In the Indian Ocean, there is a pronounced dip in the geoid, which is called the Indian Ocean geoid low (IOGL). It is the planet’s most prominent gravitational anomaly.</p>

<p>It covers more than three million square kilometres and is centered about 1,200 km southwest of the southern tip of India.</p>

<p>Given the fact that the ocean looks relatively flat at any given point, it means that the dip isn’t visible at the surface. As a result of the low gravitational pull there, coupled with the higher gravitational pull from the surrounding areas, the sea level of the Indian Ocean over the hole is a whopping 106 metres lower than the global average, says the new study.</p>

<h2><strong>Indian Ocean geoid low&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>According to the study’s lead author Debanjan Pal, the IOGL was discovered in 1948 during a ship-based gravity survey by Dutch geophysicist Felix Andries Vening Meinesz.</p>

<p>Since then, numerous ship expeditions were undertaken and satellites used to measure the hole, but scientists could find why it was there until now.</p>

<p>They argue that it is present because of a distinctive mantle structure, combined with an adjacent disturbance under Africa called a large low shear velocity province (LLSVP) that is more commonly known as the “African blob.”</p>

<p>“What we’re seeing is that hot, low-density material coming from this LLSVP underneath Africa is sitting underneath the Indian Ocean and creating this geoid low,” Ghosh says, according to Scientific American magazine.</p>

<p>Pal says that the African blob, which largely causes the IOGL, is probably formed by “Tethyan slabs” deep in the mantle.</p>

<p>Geologists think these slabs are ancient remnants of seafloor from the&nbsp;Tethys Ocean, which was located between the&nbsp;supercontinents&nbsp;of Laurasia and Gondwana more than 200 million years ago.</p>

<p>Both Africa and India were part of Gondwana, but what is now India slowly moved north into the Tethys Ocean, creating the Indian Ocean behind it about 120 million years ago.</p>

<p>“Plumes [of molten rock] arise when subducted slabs belonging to the old Tethys Ocean sink inside the mantle and reach the core-mantle boundary,” he said.</p>

<p>“We also show that the surrounding mantle structures play a role in giving rise to this low, in addition to these plumes.”</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>

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The Earth’s gravitational pull is weakest somewhere around the middle of the Indian Ocean. And that’s because there is a giant “hole” on that spot. The hole being referred to here is not a typical hole where water will drain.

The Earth’s gravitational pull is weakest somewhere around the middle of the Indian Ocean. And that’s because there is a giant “hole” on that spot. The hole being referred to here is not a typical hole where water will drain. Instead, the geologists say that there is less mass under that spot, making the gravitational pull weaker than any other place on the planet. Scientists have for years tried to figure out the origins of such geological phenomena until now. Two leading geologists—Debanjan Pal and Attreyee Ghosh—from the Centre for Earth Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru city of India's southern state Karnataka, have put forward a compelling explanation. They argue that it has origins to an ancient ocean bed that sank due to plate tectonic movements. Origins in ancient ocean By reconstructing the last 140 million years of tectonic plate movements and underlying mantle that accompanied the rearrangement of Earth’s crust, they say that it may have been caused by plumes of molten rock rising from deep beneath Africa at the edges of the sinking remnants of an ancient ocean bed. Earth is not a perfect sphere. Had it been the case, then gravity would have been the same at every point on its surface. But in reality, the blue planet is flatter than a true sphere around the North and South Poles, and it bulges out near the equator. Furthermore, different regions exert different gravitational pull depending on the mass of Earth’s crust, mantle and core beneath them. In the Indian Ocean, there is a pronounced dip in the geoid, which is called the Indian Ocean geoid low (IOGL). It is the planet’s most prominent gravitational anomaly. It covers more than three million square kilometres and is centered about 1,200 km southwest of the southern tip of India. Given the fact that the ocean looks relatively flat at any given point, it means that the dip isn’t visible at the surface. As a result of the low gravitational pull there, coupled with the higher gravitational pull from the surrounding areas, the sea level of the Indian Ocean over the hole is a whopping 106 metres lower than the global average, says the new study. Indian Ocean geoid low According to the study’s lead author Debanjan Pal, the IOGL was discovered in 1948 during a ship-based gravity survey by Dutch geophysicist Felix Andries Vening Meinesz. Since then, numerous ship expeditions were undertaken and satellites used to measure the hole, but scientists could find why it was there until now. They argue that it is present because of a distinctive mantle structure, combined with an adjacent disturbance under Africa called a large low shear velocity province (LLSVP) that is more commonly known as the “African blob.” “What we’re seeing is that hot, low-density material coming from this LLSVP underneath Africa is sitting underneath the Indian Ocean and creating this geoid low,” Ghosh says, according to Scientific American magazine. Pal says that the African blob, which largely causes the IOGL, is probably formed by “Tethyan slabs” deep in the mantle. Geologists think these slabs are ancient remnants of seafloor from the Tethys Ocean, which was located between the supercontinents of Laurasia and Gondwana more than 200 million years ago. Both Africa and India were part of Gondwana, but what is now India slowly moved north into the Tethys Ocean, creating the Indian Ocean behind it about 120 million years ago. “Plumes [of molten rock] arise when subducted slabs belonging to the old Tethys Ocean sink inside the mantle and reach the core-mantle boundary,” he said. “We also show that the surrounding mantle structures play a role in giving rise to this low, in addition to these plumes.” (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Scientists find why there is giant ‘hole' in Indian Ocean, where Earth’s gravity is at weakest

Earth's axis is shifting. The reason is persistent groundwater extraction. According to a new study, removing water from the ground has led to sea-level rise and caused the earth’s axis to shift by about 2.6 feet between 1993 and 2010. And this could have detrimental effects on our planet's climate. Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: Earth's axis is shifting

<p>A fascinating celestial body known as WD0032-317B is pushing the boundaries of astronomers' knowledge regarding the differentiation between stars and planets. This enigmatic object, categorised as a brown dwarf, exhibits extraordinary characteristics that defy conventional expectations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Brown dwarfs are luminous, gaseous entities often referred to as "protostars." These objects possess atmospheric compositions similar to Jupiter but are significantly larger, ranging from 13 to 80 times its mass. While brown dwarfs are capable of fusing hydrogen isotopes in their cores, they lack the mass required to sustain the full-fledged stellar fusion akin to our sun. Simply put, they resemble smouldering charcoal rather than a blazing wood-fired oven.</p>

<h2><strong>How Brown Dwarf is different?</strong></h2>

<p>Ordinarily, brown dwarfs maintain surface temperatures of approximately 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200 degrees Celsius), considerably cooler than most stars. However, WD0032-317B, located 1,400 light-years from Earth, defies these expectations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a recent study published in Nature Astronomy, researchers determined that this particular brown dwarf boasts an astounding surface temperature of 13,900 degrees Fahrenheit (7,700 degrees Celsius). Notably, this temperature surpasses that of our sun by several thousand degrees and is hot enough to cause the disintegration of molecular structures into their constituent atoms.</p>

<h2><strong>Why the Brown Dwarf is extremely hot?</strong></h2>

<p>The research conducted on WD0032-317B reveals a vital factor contributing to its unparalleled temperature. This brown dwarf orbits an ultra-hot white dwarf star in extremely close proximity, resulting in a remarkably short year of just 2.3 hours. Consequently, WD0032-317B has become tidally locked, with one side perpetually facing its star while the other side remains in constant shadow.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;IIST: India's biggest space institute - WION</strong></p>

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<p>The extreme proximity to the white dwarf star leads to an intriguing phenomenon: only one side of WD0032-317B experiences superheating, reaching an extraordinary 13,900 degrees Fahrenheit. Conversely, the "night side" maintains a relatively cooler temperature in the range of 1,900 to 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 to 2,700 degrees Celsius).&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-hint-of-life-in-universe-nasa-makes-breakthrough-discovery-of-carbon-molecule-in-space-608984"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;A hint of life in universe? NASA makes breakthrough discovery of carbon molecule in space</strong></a></p>

<p>This temperature differential is the most significant ever measured on a substellar object. However, these conditions are not sustainable in the long term, as the brown dwarf gradually evaporates due to the disintegration of its molecular structures caused by the intense heat.</p>

<h2><strong>Will help stellar understanding</strong></h2>

<p>Research focused on objects such as WD0032-317B presents a valuable opportunity to gain insights into how hot stars consume their celestial companions. By studying the dynamics of these systems, scientists can uncover the intricate processes involved in stellar evolution and better understand the conditions necessary for stars to ignite.</p>

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A fascinating celestial body known as WD0032-317B is pushing the boundaries of astronomers' knowledge regarding the differentiation between stars and planets. This enigmatic object, categorised as a brown dwarf, exhibits extraordinary characteristics that defy conventional expectations.

A fascinating celestial body known as WD0032-317B is pushing the boundaries of astronomers' knowledge regarding the differentiation between stars and planets. This enigmatic object, categorised as a brown dwarf, exhibits extraordinary characteristics that defy conventional expectations. Brown dwarfs are luminous, gaseous entities often referred to as "protostars." These objects possess atmospheric compositions similar to Jupiter but are significantly larger, ranging from 13 to 80 times its mass. While brown dwarfs are capable of fusing hydrogen isotopes in their cores, they lack the mass required to sustain the full-fledged stellar fusion akin to our sun. Simply put, they resemble smouldering charcoal rather than a blazing wood-fired oven. How Brown Dwarf is different? Ordinarily, brown dwarfs maintain surface temperatures of approximately 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200 degrees Celsius), considerably cooler than most stars. However, WD0032-317B, located 1,400 light-years from Earth, defies these expectations. In a recent study published in Nature Astronomy, researchers determined that this particular brown dwarf boasts an astounding surface temperature of 13,900 degrees Fahrenheit (7,700 degrees Celsius). Notably, this temperature surpasses that of our sun by several thousand degrees and is hot enough to cause the disintegration of molecular structures into their constituent atoms. Why the Brown Dwarf is extremely hot? The research conducted on WD0032-317B reveals a vital factor contributing to its unparalleled temperature. This brown dwarf orbits an ultra-hot white dwarf star in extremely close proximity, resulting in a remarkably short year of just 2.3 hours. Consequently, WD0032-317B has become tidally locked, with one side perpetually facing its star while the other side remains in constant shadow. Watch: IIST: India's biggest space institute - WION × The extreme proximity to the white dwarf star leads to an intriguing phenomenon: only one side of WD0032-317B experiences superheating, reaching an extraordinary 13,900 degrees Fahrenheit. Conversely, the "night side" maintains a relatively cooler temperature in the range of 1,900 to 4,900 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 to 2,700 degrees Celsius). Also read: A hint of life in universe? NASA makes breakthrough discovery of carbon molecule in space This temperature differential is the most significant ever measured on a substellar object. However, these conditions are not sustainable in the long term, as the brown dwarf gradually evaporates due to the disintegration of its molecular structures caused by the intense heat. Will help stellar understanding Research focused on objects such as WD0032-317B presents a valuable opportunity to gain insights into how hot stars consume their celestial companions. By studying the dynamics of these systems, scientists can uncover the intricate processes involved in stellar evolution and better understand the conditions necessary for stars to ignite. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Hotter than sun, one year lasts just 2.3 hours: The weirdest object in space spotted

<p>A new study has left scientists surprised and concerned after it was found that humans have pumped out so much groundwater in the past two decades that it has shifted the tilt of the Earth’s axis. According to the findings of the research published in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal by the American Geophysical Union, the Earth has tilted as much as 80 centimetres (31.5 inches) between 1993 and 2010, which has been attributed to humans pumping out groundwater and moving it elsewhere.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>How much groundwater has been extracted?</strong></h2>

<p>The study, based on climate models, has said that an estimated 2,150 gigatonnes of water have been pumped out between 1993 and 2010 which is enough water to fill Lake Victoria in Africa and would weigh as much as 5.5 million Empire State Buildings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Additionally, the extracted water which ended up in the oceans also contributed to six millimetres of sea level rise. However, the researchers have noted that validating this estimate is difficult.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Earth’s axis and water</strong></h2>

<p>The phenomenon of water’s influence on Earth’s rotation was discovered in 2016 but until recent research, there was nothing known about the contribution of groundwater to these changes on the planet’s axis.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The researchers for this study first modelled the observed changes in the drift of Earth’s rotational pole and the movement of water with only ice sheets and glaciers and later with different scenarios of groundwater redistribution.</p>

<p>It was found that the model only matched the observed polar drift once the researchers included 2150 gigatones of groundwater redistribution without which it was off by around 78.5 centimetres (31 inches), or 4.3 centimetres (1.7 inches) of drift per year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The study also noted the impact of the location of the groundwater on the change in the polar drift as most of the water&nbsp;was redistributed in western North America and northwestern India during the time period studied. Since both regions are at midlatitudes, researchers observed that redistributing water from the midlatitudes has a larger impact on Earth’s rotational pole.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Countries’ attempts to slow groundwater depletion rates, especially in those sensitive regions, could theoretically alter the change in drift, but only if such conservation approaches are sustained for decades,” said Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University in South Korea, who led the study, in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also spoke about how this study finds “that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole.”&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>‘Surprised and concerned’ about the findings</strong></h2>

<p>Seo also said that he is “very glad” about finding the “unexplained cause of the rotation pole drift.” However, “as a resident of Earth and a father, I’m concerned and surprised to see that pumping groundwater is another source of sea-level rise”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking about the step forward, the lead author said that since polar motion data is available dates back to the late 19th century, it could potentially be used to understand continental water storage variations during the last century.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Were there any hydrological regime changes resulting from the warming climate? Polar motion could hold the answer,” said Seo. Surendra Adhikari, a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who was not involved in the study, said that the study was about to quantify “ the role of groundwater pumping on polar motion, and it’s pretty significant.”<br />
<br />
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A new study has left scientists surprised and concerned after it was found that humans have pumped out so much groundwater in the past two decades that it has shifted the tilt of the Earth’s axis.

A new study has left scientists surprised and concerned after it was found that humans have pumped out so much groundwater in the past two decades that it has shifted the tilt of the Earth’s axis. According to the findings of the research published in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal by the American Geophysical Union, the Earth has tilted as much as 80 centimetres (31.5 inches) between 1993 and 2010, which has been attributed to humans pumping out groundwater and moving it elsewhere. How much groundwater has been extracted? The study, based on climate models, has said that an estimated 2,150 gigatonnes of water have been pumped out between 1993 and 2010 which is enough water to fill Lake Victoria in Africa and would weigh as much as 5.5 million Empire State Buildings. Additionally, the extracted water which ended up in the oceans also contributed to six millimetres of sea level rise. However, the researchers have noted that validating this estimate is difficult. Earth’s axis and water The phenomenon of water’s influence on Earth’s rotation was discovered in 2016 but until recent research, there was nothing known about the contribution of groundwater to these changes on the planet’s axis. The researchers for this study first modelled the observed changes in the drift of Earth’s rotational pole and the movement of water with only ice sheets and glaciers and later with different scenarios of groundwater redistribution. It was found that the model only matched the observed polar drift once the researchers included 2150 gigatones of groundwater redistribution without which it was off by around 78.5 centimetres (31 inches), or 4.3 centimetres (1.7 inches) of drift per year. The study also noted the impact of the location of the groundwater on the change in the polar drift as most of the water was redistributed in western North America and northwestern India during the time period studied. Since both regions are at midlatitudes, researchers observed that redistributing water from the midlatitudes has a larger impact on Earth’s rotational pole. “Countries’ attempts to slow groundwater depletion rates, especially in those sensitive regions, could theoretically alter the change in drift, but only if such conservation approaches are sustained for decades,” said Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University in South Korea, who led the study, in a statement. He also spoke about how this study finds “that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole.” ‘Surprised and concerned’ about the findings Seo also said that he is “very glad” about finding the “unexplained cause of the rotation pole drift.” However, “as a resident of Earth and a father, I’m concerned and surprised to see that pumping groundwater is another source of sea-level rise”. Speaking about the step forward, the lead author said that since polar motion data is available dates back to the late 19th century, it could potentially be used to understand continental water storage variations during the last century. “Were there any hydrological regime changes resulting from the warming climate? Polar motion could hold the answer,” said Seo. Surendra Adhikari, a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who was not involved in the study, said that the study was about to quantify “ the role of groundwater pumping on polar motion, and it’s pretty significant.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

‘Surprised and concerned’: Scientists find groundwater extracted by humans has shifted tilt of Earth’s axis

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