<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 />
&nbsp;</p>

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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

Scientists have discovered thousands of other worlds, but they are not like Earth like perhaps we may have been looking in the wrong places. A new exciting discovery has opened a whole new chapter in our search for extraterrestrial life. We have always wondered whether we are alone in the universe and whether there is life somewhere outside of a rocky planet.

Why haven't we found alien life yet

<p>During a particularly violent period in Earth's history, everything nearly came to a stop. Geochemical processes oozed, tectonic activity decreased, and the evolution of life in its most basic forms had no impact.</p>

<p>New evidence reveals that the boring billion, as it is sometimes known, occurred when Earth was suspended in a state of perpetual rotation, an orb whirling through space with one day (one revolution) taking only 19 hours, reported Science Alert.</p>

<p>As per the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-023-01202-6">study</a> conducted by two geophysicists, the 'stalling' of Earth's day duration at 19 hours occurred approximately one&nbsp;billion years ago and was caused by a delicate balance of conflicting factors at that time.</p>

<p>The Moon was then closer to Earth and maintained a consistent distance from it rather than sliding out of its gravitational hold as it has done in the past and afterwards.</p>

<p><meta charset="utf-8" />"Over time, the Moon has stolen Earth's rotational energy to boost it into a higher orbit farther from Earth," Ross Mitchell of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Uwe Kirscher of Curtin University in Australia explain in their published paper.</p>

<p>The Moon's outward motion causes the Earth's rotation to slow down, and as a result, our sunny days gradually become longer.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-smiling-deepsea-snailfish-a-unique-creature-in-pacific-ocean-604876">'Smiling' deepsea snailfish, a unique creature in Pacific Ocean</a></p>

<p>Numerous studies have already examined how Earth's days are elongating, according to some current estimates, at a rate of a little more than 0.000015 seconds every year.</p>

<p>The majority of Earth's rotation models used in research like this one indicate that the duration of the day on our planet has grown consistently during the last three&nbsp;to four&nbsp;billion years. According to a 2018 study, for instance, one Earth day 1.4 billion years ago lasted 18 hours.</p>

<p>However, there is another group of scientists who have hypothesised - at least since 1987 - that perhaps Earth's day length flattened for a considerable amount of time before starting to climb slowly and steadily up to the 24 hours we now refer to as a day.</p>

<p>However, it is difficult to find any geological evidence of a change in the Earth's rotation. The development of stromatolites that are oriented towards the Sun and tidal rhythmites, patterns of mud deposits spread out by tides and preserved in rock, can both be used to estimate the duration of the day. However, these are hardly ever maintained in the past.</p>

<p>Mitchell and Kirscher used an abundance of recent geological data that has arisen to their advantage in this new investigation. The cyclostratigraphy data are records of cyclic variations in the temperature of Earth caused by astronomical influences, such as the wobble and axial tilt of the planet.</p>

<p><meta charset="utf-8" />"We realised that it was finally time to test a kind of fringe, the completely reasonable, alternative idea about Earth's paleorotation," Mitchell told Sciencealert.</p>

<h2><strong>What does their research say?</strong></h2>

<p>According to their statistical research, Earth's day duration flattened between two&nbsp;and one billion years ago, in the middle of the Proterozoic epoch, which culminated with "Snowball Earth" and came before the Cambrian explosion of life.</p>

<p>Mitchell and Kirscher examined past significant moments in the rocky history of our planet to try to determine what would have caused early Earth to enter a period of relative stability.</p>

<p>If their calculations are true, the plateau in day duration came after dramatic changes in the atmosphere of early Earth, particularly the Great Oxidation Event, when oxygen levels surged and produced an ozone layer before falling once more.</p>

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During a particularly violent period in Earth's history, everything nearly came to a stop. Geochemical processes oozed, tectonic activity decreased, and the evolution of life in its most basic forms had no impact.

During a particularly violent period in Earth's history, everything nearly came to a stop. Geochemical processes oozed, tectonic activity decreased, and the evolution of life in its most basic forms had no impact. New evidence reveals that the boring billion, as it is sometimes known, occurred when Earth was suspended in a state of perpetual rotation, an orb whirling through space with one day (one revolution) taking only 19 hours, reported Science Alert. As per the study conducted by two geophysicists, the 'stalling' of Earth's day duration at 19 hours occurred approximately one billion years ago and was caused by a delicate balance of conflicting factors at that time. The Moon was then closer to Earth and maintained a consistent distance from it rather than sliding out of its gravitational hold as it has done in the past and afterwards. "Over time, the Moon has stolen Earth's rotational energy to boost it into a higher orbit farther from Earth," Ross Mitchell of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Uwe Kirscher of Curtin University in Australia explain in their published paper. The Moon's outward motion causes the Earth's rotation to slow down, and as a result, our sunny days gradually become longer. Also read | 'Smiling' deepsea snailfish, a unique creature in Pacific Ocean Numerous studies have already examined how Earth's days are elongating, according to some current estimates, at a rate of a little more than 0.000015 seconds every year. The majority of Earth's rotation models used in research like this one indicate that the duration of the day on our planet has grown consistently during the last three to four billion years. According to a 2018 study, for instance, one Earth day 1.4 billion years ago lasted 18 hours. However, there is another group of scientists who have hypothesised - at least since 1987 - that perhaps Earth's day length flattened for a considerable amount of time before starting to climb slowly and steadily up to the 24 hours we now refer to as a day. However, it is difficult to find any geological evidence of a change in the Earth's rotation. The development of stromatolites that are oriented towards the Sun and tidal rhythmites, patterns of mud deposits spread out by tides and preserved in rock, can both be used to estimate the duration of the day. However, these are hardly ever maintained in the past. Mitchell and Kirscher used an abundance of recent geological data that has arisen to their advantage in this new investigation. The cyclostratigraphy data are records of cyclic variations in the temperature of Earth caused by astronomical influences, such as the wobble and axial tilt of the planet. "We realised that it was finally time to test a kind of fringe, the completely reasonable, alternative idea about Earth's paleorotation," Mitchell told Sciencealert. What does their research say? According to their statistical research, Earth's day duration flattened between two and one billion years ago, in the middle of the Proterozoic epoch, which culminated with "Snowball Earth" and came before the Cambrian explosion of life. Mitchell and Kirscher examined past significant moments in the rocky history of our planet to try to determine what would have caused early Earth to enter a period of relative stability. If their calculations are true, the plateau in day duration came after dramatic changes in the atmosphere of early Earth, particularly the Great Oxidation Event, when oxygen levels surged and produced an ozone layer before falling once more. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Days on Earth used to last just 19 hours, but how? Scientists have the answer

Here, we bring you the news that is trending across WION's social media platforms-Humans are curious to find life outside planet Earth and they launch new programs and missions for the same. But the long hunt for extraterrestrials in our solar system just got a massive boost as according to the scientists, a Moon of Saturn has everything needed for life.

`Stunning discovery` says life possible on Saturn`s moon

<p>Humans are curious to find life outside planet Earth and they launch new programmes and missions for the same. The long hunt for extraterrestrials in our solar system just got a massive boost as according to scientists, a Moon of Saturn has everything needed for life.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Scientists discovered that phosphorus, a key building block of life, lies in the ocean beneath the icy surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus.</p>

<p>They used data collected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Cassini mission and found that phosphorus was locked inside salt-rich ice grains ejected into space from Enceladus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The study was published on Wednesday (June 14) in the journal Nature, and a report was also published on the official website of NASA. Notably, Cassini started exploring Saturn and its rings and moons in 2004, it was burned up in the planet's atmosphere when its mission ended in 2017.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn and is mostly covered by fresh, clean ice, which makes it one of the most reflective bodies of the solar system.&nbsp;The outer surface is said to be wrapped in an ice crust, but the inner one is an ocean. Some scientists have claimed that the ocean could be a home for alien life making the moon most likely hope for finding nearby extraterrestrial life.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/aliens-mystery-deepens-after-police-fit-surveillance-cameras-to-track-ufo-claim-604535">'Aliens' mystery deepens after police fit surveillance cameras to track UFO claim</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>As mentioned, Enceladus has a subsurface ocean, and water from that ocean erupts through the cracks of icy crust surface as geysers at its south pole. It created a plume, which eventually feeds Saturn’s E ring with icy particles. The E ring is a faint ring outside of the brighter main rings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA said that Cassini flew through the plume and E ring numerous times and scientists found that Enceladus' ice grains contain a rich array of minerals and organic compounds linked to life as we know it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Christopher Glein of the Southwest Research Institute, one of the paper's co-authors, said: "This is a stunning discovery for astrobiology. We have found abundant phosphorus in plume ice samples spraying out of the subsurface ocean."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: Is America hiding Alien technology?&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/alien-connection-of-vatican-pentagon-whistleblower-says-church-involved-in-first-ever-ufo-crash-604514">Alien connection of Vatican? Pentagon whistleblower says Church involved in first-ever UFO crash</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<h2><strong>Why is phosphorus key element for life?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>NASA said in its report that phosphorus, which is the least abundant of the essential elements necessary for biological processes, hadn't been detected until now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is a building block for DNA, which forms chromosomes and carries genetic information and is present in the bones of mammals, cell membranes, and ocean-dwelling plankton. According to NASA's report, phosphorus is also a fundamental part of energy-carrying molecules present in all life on Earth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by NASA, Frank Postberg, a planetary scientist at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, said, "We previously found that Enceladus' ocean is rich in a variety of organic compounds."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Postberg, who led the new study, further said, "But now, this new result reveals the clear chemical signature of substantial amounts of phosphorus salts inside icy particles ejected into space by the small moon's plume. It's the first time this essential element has been discovered in an ocean beyond Earth."&nbsp;<br />
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Humans are curious to find life outside planet Earth and they launch new programmes and missions for the same. The long hunt for extraterrestrials in our solar system just got a massive boost as according to scientists, a Moon of Saturn has everything needed for life.

Humans are curious to find life outside planet Earth and they launch new programmes and missions for the same. The long hunt for extraterrestrials in our solar system just got a massive boost as according to scientists, a Moon of Saturn has everything needed for life. Scientists discovered that phosphorus, a key building block of life, lies in the ocean beneath the icy surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. They used data collected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s Cassini mission and found that phosphorus was locked inside salt-rich ice grains ejected into space from Enceladus. The study was published on Wednesday (June 14) in the journal Nature, and a report was also published on the official website of NASA. Notably, Cassini started exploring Saturn and its rings and moons in 2004, it was burned up in the planet's atmosphere when its mission ended in 2017. Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn and is mostly covered by fresh, clean ice, which makes it one of the most reflective bodies of the solar system. The outer surface is said to be wrapped in an ice crust, but the inner one is an ocean. Some scientists have claimed that the ocean could be a home for alien life making the moon most likely hope for finding nearby extraterrestrial life. Also read: 'Aliens' mystery deepens after police fit surveillance cameras to track UFO claim As mentioned, Enceladus has a subsurface ocean, and water from that ocean erupts through the cracks of icy crust surface as geysers at its south pole. It created a plume, which eventually feeds Saturn’s E ring with icy particles. The E ring is a faint ring outside of the brighter main rings. NASA said that Cassini flew through the plume and E ring numerous times and scientists found that Enceladus' ice grains contain a rich array of minerals and organic compounds linked to life as we know it. Christopher Glein of the Southwest Research Institute, one of the paper's co-authors, said: "This is a stunning discovery for astrobiology. We have found abundant phosphorus in plume ice samples spraying out of the subsurface ocean." Watch: Gravitas Plus: Is America hiding Alien technology? × Also read: Alien connection of Vatican? Pentagon whistleblower says Church involved in first-ever UFO crash Why is phosphorus key element for life? NASA said in its report that phosphorus, which is the least abundant of the essential elements necessary for biological processes, hadn't been detected until now. It is a building block for DNA, which forms chromosomes and carries genetic information and is present in the bones of mammals, cell membranes, and ocean-dwelling plankton. According to NASA's report, phosphorus is also a fundamental part of energy-carrying molecules present in all life on Earth. As quoted by NASA, Frank Postberg, a planetary scientist at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, said, "We previously found that Enceladus' ocean is rich in a variety of organic compounds." Postberg, who led the new study, further said, "But now, this new result reveals the clear chemical signature of substantial amounts of phosphorus salts inside icy particles ejected into space by the small moon's plume. It's the first time this essential element has been discovered in an ocean beyond Earth." 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.

‘Stunning discovery’ says life possible on Saturn’s moon. Hunt for extraterrestrials gets major boost

Gamma-ray bursts are so powerful they could vaporise the Earth from 200 light-years away. Gamma-ray bursts are thought to occur when a massive star runs out of nuclear fuel and its core collapses. Now, NASA has announced that on 9 October 2022, satellites detected an extremely bright gamma-ray signal that suddenly exploded from the constellation of sagitta; it lasted hundreds of seconds.

Could Gamma-ray burst kill off life on Earth?

<p>Scientists have claimed that if Earth ever fell into a black hole – the scariest feature of the universe which has such intense gravity that even light fails to get out – then the human body is likely to turn into the shape of a "long pasta".<br />
<br />
Black holes are known to gobble up the surrounding dust and gas, along with the planets and even other black holes nearby. They are often called "destructive monsters"&nbsp;as they have the capacity to tear apart stars and consume anything that comes close&nbsp;to it. With light being&nbsp;its captive, if Earth fall into the black hole, it would have little chance to escape either.<br />
<br />
Explaining the scary situation to the Daily Mail, Professor of Physics at the University of Sussex Xavier Calmet said that the black hole's gravitational force would become so strong that the humans will experience "spaghettification".</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-discover-supermassive-black-hole-at-heart-of-ancient-galaxy-597137"><strong>&nbsp;</strong>Astronomers discover supermassive black hole at the heart of ancient galaxy</a></p>

<p>“Your body will be stretched into a shape similar to that of a long pasta until it is reaped apart by the strong gravitational force,” said Professor Calmet. “I can't imagine that this would be pleasant – it would happen rather quickly, so if painful, it is unlikely to last long,” he added.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Imperial College London's senior lecturer Dr David L Clements said, “The end of the Earth would likely be quick if it fell into a black hole. It could come from asphyxiation if the atmosphere is stripped, or from the process called spaghettification where tidal forces stretch everything out into long strings – may be briefly painful.”<br />
<br />
He added that, thankfully, Earth's chances of getting swallowed by a black hole are almost “nearly zero”. “The fact that we’re still here shows that this hasn’t happened over the whole history of the Earth,” he said while speaking to Daily Mail.<br />
<br />
“So the chances are at least less than once every 4.5 billion years and likely much much less,” he added. The black hole nearest to the Earth is called Gaia BH1 and is around 1,600 light-years away. It is 10 times bigger than the size of our sun, stated experts.</p>

<h2><strong>JWST to observe black holes in Cycle-2</strong></h2>

<p>The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in Cycle-2 is set to uncover the secrets of black holes.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Aliens saying `hello` through signals from centre of Milky Way, suggests new study</strong></p>

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<p>The scientists will use the telescope to further study black holes as astronomers make efforts to find possible runaway supermassive black holes, understand AGN feedback's impact on star formation at cosmic noon, and find the Obscured Growth of Supermassive Black Holes in the Epoch of Reionisation.<br />
<br />
JWST will remain focused on the black hole present in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy Sgr A to observe&nbsp;its inner accretion flow in an effort to better understand the science behind a black hole's formation.</p>

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Scientists have claimed that if Earth ever fell into a black hole – the scariest feature of the universe which has such intense gravity that even light fails to get out – then the human body is likely to turn into the shape of a "long pasta".

Scientists have claimed that if Earth ever fell into a black hole – the scariest feature of the universe which has such intense gravity that even light fails to get out – then the human body is likely to turn into the shape of a "long pasta". Black holes are known to gobble up the surrounding dust and gas, along with the planets and even other black holes nearby. They are often called "destructive monsters" as they have the capacity to tear apart stars and consume anything that comes close to it. With light being its captive, if Earth fall into the black hole, it would have little chance to escape either. Explaining the scary situation to the Daily Mail, Professor of Physics at the University of Sussex Xavier Calmet said that the black hole's gravitational force would become so strong that the humans will experience "spaghettification". ALSO READ | Astronomers discover supermassive black hole at the heart of ancient galaxy “Your body will be stretched into a shape similar to that of a long pasta until it is reaped apart by the strong gravitational force,” said Professor Calmet. “I can't imagine that this would be pleasant – it would happen rather quickly, so if painful, it is unlikely to last long,” he added. Meanwhile, Imperial College London's senior lecturer Dr David L Clements said, “The end of the Earth would likely be quick if it fell into a black hole. It could come from asphyxiation if the atmosphere is stripped, or from the process called spaghettification where tidal forces stretch everything out into long strings – may be briefly painful.” He added that, thankfully, Earth's chances of getting swallowed by a black hole are almost “nearly zero”. “The fact that we’re still here shows that this hasn’t happened over the whole history of the Earth,” he said while speaking to Daily Mail. “So the chances are at least less than once every 4.5 billion years and likely much much less,” he added. The black hole nearest to the Earth is called Gaia BH1 and is around 1,600 light-years away. It is 10 times bigger than the size of our sun, stated experts. JWST to observe black holes in Cycle-2 The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in Cycle-2 is set to uncover the secrets of black holes. WATCH | Aliens saying `hello` through signals from centre of Milky Way, suggests new study The scientists will use the telescope to further study black holes as astronomers make efforts to find possible runaway supermassive black holes, understand AGN feedback's impact on star formation at cosmic noon, and find the Obscured Growth of Supermassive Black Holes in the Epoch of Reionisation. JWST will remain focused on the black hole present in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy Sgr A to observe its inner accretion flow in an effort to better understand the science behind a black hole's formation. 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

Human body will stretch 'like a long pasta' if Earth ever falls into black hole, claim scientists

Mountains with peaks three to four times higher than Mount Everest have been discovered deep inside the Earth, scientists said.

Mountains 3 to 4 times larger than Everest found near Earth’s core

NASA says that a 1500-feet-wide asteroid will pass by earth on June 12. Should people be concerned? How fast is this asteroid? Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: NASA says 1500-feet-wide asteroid about to pass by Earth

Scientists say that mountains with peaks three to four times higher than Mount Everest have been discovered deep inside the earth. Using seismology centres in Antarctica, experts found these astonishingly huge mountains in the boundary between the core and mantle, around 2,900 kilometres deep.

Mountains inside earth mystify scientists

Biodegradable waste should be converted into compost which can be used to replenish the earth with the topsoil, observes Founder Trustee of Angelique Foundation Jaishree Goyal.

Video Analysis: Converting biodegradable waste into compost can help boost the green cover

<p>China has started digging a hole in the Earth's crust measuring 10,000 metres (32,808 ft). According to Xinhua news agency, the effort to dig the country's deepest-ever borehole began on Tuesday (30 May) in the Tarim Basin, which is located in the oil-rich Xinjiang province.</p>

<p>But what is the real reason behind&nbsp;the expedition and what could be the challenges ahead?&nbsp;Let us take a deeper look.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What's the reason behind this activity?</strong></h2>

<p>The project, according to the Xinhua news agency, "represents a landmark in China's deep Earth exploration, providing an unprecedented opportunity to study areas of the planet deep beneath the surface."</p>

<p>According to Bloomberg, earlier in 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping advocated for advancements in deep earth research when speaking to the country's top experts.</p>

<p>This mission can assist scientists in discovering valuable minerals and energy resources. Furthermore, it can be useful for assessing the risks of environmental calamities, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, according to the report.</p>

<p>The announcement of this new venture&nbsp;comes just days after the Asian country completed the construction of a 12,000-tonne offshore oil and gas drilling platform to exploit geological deposits of natural gas, according to the website Interesting Engineering.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Drilling of the deepest-ever hole into the Earth's crust began in northwest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/China?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#China</a>'s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Xinjiang?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Xinjiang</a> Uygur Autonomous Region on Tuesday with a depth of more than 10,000 meters. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChinaInspires?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChinaInspires</a> <a href="https://t.co/GxgWzsf26y">pic.twitter.com/GxgWzsf26y</a></p>
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/CGTNOfficial/status/1664146003287744513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Notably, demand for petrol and jet fuel has surged in China after the repeal of the zero-COVID-19 policy in December. According to Reuters, Beijing is expected to import a record amount of crude oil this year due to high demand.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/on-elon-musks-china-trip-us-presidential-candidate-vivek-ramaswamy-has-this-to-say-stst-599174">On Elon Musk's China trip, US Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has this to say</a></p>

<h2><strong>How will the drilling take place?</strong></h2>

<p>As reported by the&nbsp;Xinhua news agency, the drill has a design depth of 11,100 metres. According to the article, the 2,000-tonne heavy machinery would drill into the earth, penetrating through ten continental strata - or layers of rock.</p>

<p>The drilling also intends to reach the Cretaceous system, which has rocks reaching back 145 million years, according to Bloomberg,</p>

<h2><strong>What are the challenges ahead?</strong></h2>

<p>The borehole is being constructed in the Tarim Basin, which, according to Britannica, is a large depression drained by the Tarim River.</p>

<p>The Taklimakan Desert, China's biggest desert, is located in the midst of this basin and covers 342,000 square kilometres.</p>

<p>According to Xinhua news agency, the borehole is located in the desert's interior.</p>

<p>Drilling such a deep hole into the Earth's crust will not be easy due to the "harsh ground environment and complicated underground conditions" in the Tarim Basin.</p>

<p>Sun Jinsheng, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told Xinhua news agency about the project's difficulties: "The construction difficulty of the drilling project can be compared to the difficulty of building a house."</p>

<h2><strong>Will it be the deepest hole ever?</strong></h2>

<p>Even though digging a 10-kilometre hole is ambitious, it is not the deepest human-made hole on Earth.</p>

<p>The deepest man-made hole on earth is the Russian Kola Superdeep Borehole which took almost 20 years to drill.&nbsp;The hole had been drilled past 12,000 metres in 1989 but the process was then reportedly stopped for about one year due to various scientific and celebratory visits to the site.</p>

<p>The drilling operation began in 1970, and the borehole was completed in 1989 at a depth of 12,262 metres (40,230 ft).</p>

<p>As per a&nbsp;BBC report, the operation had to be halted in 1992 when the temperature hit 180 degree Celsius (356F), which was double the predicted mercury at that depth.</p>

<p>The laboratory was closed down three years later due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and a lack of funds for such exploratory programmes, according to the article.</p>

<p>Americans began Project Mohole in the early 1960s, with the goal of drilling through the Earth's crust to reach and investigate the mantle. They excavated the Pacific Ocean floor near Guadalupe, Mexico. However, after reaching 183 metres below the seafloor, the project was cancelled because of rising expenses.</p>

<p>Germany also attempted Earth exploration in 1990 with the German Continental Deep Drilling Programme (KTB) in Bavaria, which reached a depth of nine&nbsp;kilometres. This project, too, was eventually shut down.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;India and China hold in-person diplomatic talks in New Delhi</strong></p>

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<p>In the words of Uli Harms of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Programme, "Continuing these expeditions requires a significant amount of money."</p>

<p>“In the end, it really is a cost issue. These expeditions are extremely expensive – and therefore they are difficult to repeat. They can cost hundreds of millions of euros – and only a small percentage will actually be for the earth sciences, the rest will be for technological development, and of course, operations.”</p>

<p>The day when all of these obstacles are overcome and mankind may eventually explore the Earth's mantle still seems far away. Scientists, on the other hand, are optimistic.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

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China has started digging a hole in the Earth's crust measuring 10,000 metres (32,808 ft). According to Xinhua news agency, the effort to dig the country's deepest-ever borehole began on Tuesday (30 May) in the Tarim Basin, which is located in the oil-rich Xinjiang province.

China has started digging a hole in the Earth's crust measuring 10,000 metres (32,808 ft). According to Xinhua news agency, the effort to dig the country's deepest-ever borehole began on Tuesday (30 May) in the Tarim Basin, which is located in the oil-rich Xinjiang province. But what is the real reason behind the expedition and what could be the challenges ahead? Let us take a deeper look. What's the reason behind this activity? The project, according to the Xinhua news agency, "represents a landmark in China's deep Earth exploration, providing an unprecedented opportunity to study areas of the planet deep beneath the surface." According to Bloomberg, earlier in 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping advocated for advancements in deep earth research when speaking to the country's top experts. This mission can assist scientists in discovering valuable minerals and energy resources. Furthermore, it can be useful for assessing the risks of environmental calamities, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, according to the report. The announcement of this new venture comes just days after the Asian country completed the construction of a 12,000-tonne offshore oil and gas drilling platform to exploit geological deposits of natural gas, according to the website Interesting Engineering. Drilling of the deepest-ever hole into the Earth's crust began in northwest #China's #Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Tuesday with a depth of more than 10,000 meters. #ChinaInspires pic.twitter.com/GxgWzsf26y — CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) June 1, 2023 × Notably, demand for petrol and jet fuel has surged in China after the repeal of the zero-COVID-19 policy in December. According to Reuters, Beijing is expected to import a record amount of crude oil this year due to high demand. Also read | On Elon Musk's China trip, US Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has this to say How will the drilling take place? As reported by the Xinhua news agency, the drill has a design depth of 11,100 metres. According to the article, the 2,000-tonne heavy machinery would drill into the earth, penetrating through ten continental strata - or layers of rock. The drilling also intends to reach the Cretaceous system, which has rocks reaching back 145 million years, according to Bloomberg, What are the challenges ahead? The borehole is being constructed in the Tarim Basin, which, according to Britannica, is a large depression drained by the Tarim River. The Taklimakan Desert, China's biggest desert, is located in the midst of this basin and covers 342,000 square kilometres. According to Xinhua news agency, the borehole is located in the desert's interior. Drilling such a deep hole into the Earth's crust will not be easy due to the "harsh ground environment and complicated underground conditions" in the Tarim Basin. Sun Jinsheng, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, told Xinhua news agency about the project's difficulties: "The construction difficulty of the drilling project can be compared to the difficulty of building a house." Will it be the deepest hole ever? Even though digging a 10-kilometre hole is ambitious, it is not the deepest human-made hole on Earth. The deepest man-made hole on earth is the Russian Kola Superdeep Borehole which took almost 20 years to drill. The hole had been drilled past 12,000 metres in 1989 but the process was then reportedly stopped for about one year due to various scientific and celebratory visits to the site. The drilling operation began in 1970, and the borehole was completed in 1989 at a depth of 12,262 metres (40,230 ft). As per a BBC report, the operation had to be halted in 1992 when the temperature hit 180 degree Celsius (356F), which was double the predicted mercury at that depth. The laboratory was closed down three years later due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and a lack of funds for such exploratory programmes, according to the article. Americans began Project Mohole in the early 1960s, with the goal of drilling through the Earth's crust to reach and investigate the mantle. They excavated the Pacific Ocean floor near Guadalupe, Mexico. However, after reaching 183 metres below the seafloor, the project was cancelled because of rising expenses. Germany also attempted Earth exploration in 1990 with the German Continental Deep Drilling Programme (KTB) in Bavaria, which reached a depth of nine kilometres. This project, too, was eventually shut down. Also watch | India and China hold in-person diplomatic talks in New Delhi In the words of Uli Harms of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Programme, "Continuing these expeditions requires a significant amount of money." “In the end, it really is a cost issue. These expeditions are extremely expensive – and therefore they are difficult to repeat. They can cost hundreds of millions of euros – and only a small percentage will actually be for the earth sciences, the rest will be for technological development, and of course, operations.” The day when all of these obstacles are overcome and mankind may eventually explore the Earth's mantle still seems far away. Scientists, on the other hand, are optimistic. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Explained: China is drilling its deepest-ever borehole in the Earth's crust. Here's why

<p>Seven out of eight Earth System Boundaries (ESBs) that are critical for the stability of the planet's health and the survival of species have already been crossed, according to a new Earth Commission study published in Nature on Wednesday (May 31), implying that humanity's future is now at risk of a climate catastrophe.</p>

<p>According to the evaluation, ESB transgression is spatially extensive, with two or more ESBs already transgressed throughout 52 per cent&nbsp;of the world's land area, affecting 86 per cent&nbsp;of the global population, according to the Hindustan Times. According to a map supplied by experts, India, along with other countries of South Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa, is an ESB transgression hotspot, with at least 5 ESB transgressions occurring in the Himalayan foothills.</p>

<p>The Earth Commission created&nbsp;a set of ESBs for climate, the biosphere, fresh water, nutrients and air pollution at global and sub-global scales for the first time referred to in this research paper titled: “Safe and just Earth system boundaries.”</p>

<p><strong>Also read&nbsp;|</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/limitless-energy-scientists-discover-way-to-generate-electricity-out-of-thin-air-599121">Limitless energy? Scientists discover way to generate electricity out of thin air</a></p>

<p>These features were chosen because they cover all&nbsp;the major components of the Earth system (atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere and cryosphere) and their interconnected&nbsp;processes (carbon, water and nutrient cycles) or “global commons” that according to the report&nbsp;“underpin the planet’s life-support systems and, thereby, human well-being on Earth; they have impacts on policy-relevant timescales; they are threatened by human activities; and they could affect Earth system stability and future development globally.”</p>

<h2><strong>Which parameters were&nbsp;breached?</strong></h2>

<p>Climate (two local exposure boundaries--wet bulb temperatures of over 35°C for at least one day of the year and expanse of low-elevation coastal zones), functional integrity, and levels of surface water, groundwater, nitrogen, phosphorus, and aerosols are among the seven ESBs that have been breached.</p>

<p>The eighth, which has yet to be crossed, falls into two groups. In terms of climate, 1.5 degree&nbsp;Celsius of warming is still "safe," but not "just." At 1°C, the line between "safe and just" was crossed. The worldwide annual mean interhemispheric aerosol optical depth (AOD) difference, which is a proxy for the degree of global air pollution, has likewise not been crossed.</p>

<p>The safe ESBs for global warming are based on limiting the likelihood of climatic tipping points while maintaining biosphere and cryosphere functionality.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Sherpa saves climber in rare Everest 'death zone' rescue</strong></p>

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<p>“We find that global warming beyond 1°C above pre-industrial levels, which has already been exceeded,&nbsp;carries a moderate likelihood of triggering tipping elements, such as the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet or localised abrupt thawing of the boreal permafrost…above 1.5°C or 2°C warming, the likelihood of triggering tipping points increases to high or very high,” the study&nbsp;states while adding that at 1.5 to 2°C&nbsp;biosphere damage and the risk of global carbon sinks becoming carbon sources, potentially triggering further climate feedbacks, increase substantially.</p>

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Seven out of eight Earth System Boundaries (ESBs) that are critical for the stability of the planet's health and the survival of species have already been crossed, according to a new Earth Commission study published in Nature on Wednesday (May 31), implying that humanity's future is now at risk of a climate catastrophe.

Seven out of eight Earth System Boundaries (ESBs) that are critical for the stability of the planet's health and the survival of species have already been crossed, according to a new Earth Commission study published in Nature on Wednesday (May 31), implying that humanity's future is now at risk of a climate catastrophe. According to the evaluation, ESB transgression is spatially extensive, with two or more ESBs already transgressed throughout 52 per cent of the world's land area, affecting 86 per cent of the global population, according to the Hindustan Times. According to a map supplied by experts, India, along with other countries of South Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa, is an ESB transgression hotspot, with at least 5 ESB transgressions occurring in the Himalayan foothills. The Earth Commission created a set of ESBs for climate, the biosphere, fresh water, nutrients and air pollution at global and sub-global scales for the first time referred to in this research paper titled: “Safe and just Earth system boundaries.” Also read | Limitless energy? Scientists discover way to generate electricity out of thin air These features were chosen because they cover all the major components of the Earth system (atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere and cryosphere) and their interconnected processes (carbon, water and nutrient cycles) or “global commons” that according to the report “underpin the planet’s life-support systems and, thereby, human well-being on Earth; they have impacts on policy-relevant timescales; they are threatened by human activities; and they could affect Earth system stability and future development globally.” Which parameters were breached? Climate (two local exposure boundaries--wet bulb temperatures of over 35°C for at least one day of the year and expanse of low-elevation coastal zones), functional integrity, and levels of surface water, groundwater, nitrogen, phosphorus, and aerosols are among the seven ESBs that have been breached. The eighth, which has yet to be crossed, falls into two groups. In terms of climate, 1.5 degree Celsius of warming is still "safe," but not "just." At 1°C, the line between "safe and just" was crossed. The worldwide annual mean interhemispheric aerosol optical depth (AOD) difference, which is a proxy for the degree of global air pollution, has likewise not been crossed. The safe ESBs for global warming are based on limiting the likelihood of climatic tipping points while maintaining biosphere and cryosphere functionality. Also watch | Sherpa saves climber in rare Everest 'death zone' rescue “We find that global warming beyond 1°C above pre-industrial levels, which has already been exceeded, carries a moderate likelihood of triggering tipping elements, such as the collapse of the Greenland ice sheet or localised abrupt thawing of the boreal permafrost…above 1.5°C or 2°C warming, the likelihood of triggering tipping points increases to high or very high,” the study states while adding that at 1.5 to 2°C biosphere damage and the risk of global carbon sinks becoming carbon sources, potentially triggering further climate feedbacks, increase substantially. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

7 of 8 climate red lines breached, India now a transgression hotspot: Study

<p>Space scientists are working hard to find life outside planet Earth,&nbsp;and coming up with theories which suggest that, maybe, we are not alone in this infinite universe. In the same pursuit, European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that an alien signal has been beamed to Earth from Mars for the first time — which was sent by them only.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Trace Gas Orbiter, which is an ESA spacecraft orbiting Mars, transmitted a signal and it was received by&nbsp;the Green Bank Telescope (West Virginia), the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station (Italy), the Allen Telescope Array (California) and the Very Large Array (New Mexico).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The transmission is part of "A Sign in Space" project, which is an interdisciplinary project by media artist Daniela de Paulis.</p>

<p>The project stated that decoding an extraterrestrial signal and understanding its message would present unprecedented challenges. Researchers at each institution were then tasked with deciphering the signal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ESA mentioned on its website: "The Sign in Space project invites participants to delve into the realm of the unknown and grapple with these existential quandaries, expanding our collective understanding of the Universe and our place in it."&nbsp;</p>

<p>De Paulis said, "Throughout history, humanity has searched for meaning in powerful and transformative phenomena. Receiving a message from an extra-terrestrial civilisation would be a profoundly transformational experience for all humankind."&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement, ATA Project Scientist Dr Wael Farah, said, "This experiment is an opportunity for the world to learn how the SETI community, in all its diversity, will work together to receive, process, analyse, and understand the meaning of a potential extraterrestrial signal."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"More than astronomy, communicating with ET will require a breadth of knowledge. With A Sign in Space, we hope to make the initial steps towards bringing a community together to meet this challenge," it added.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Living on Mars</strong></h2>

<p>For Canadian biologist Kelly Haston, apparently living on Mars wasn't exactly a childhood dream but she'll soon spend a year preparing for just that.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We are just going to pretend that we're there," Haston told the news agency AFP, as she summed up her participation in an exercise simulating a long stay on the Red Planet.</p>

<p>At the end of June, she will be one of the four volunteers stepping into a Martian habitat in Houston, Texas that will be their home for the next 12 months. She said, "It still sometimes seems a bit unreal to me."&nbsp;<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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Space scientists are working hard to find life outside planet Earth, and coming up with theories which suggest that, maybe, we are not alone in this infinite universe.

Space scientists are working hard to find life outside planet Earth, and coming up with theories which suggest that, maybe, we are not alone in this infinite universe. In the same pursuit, European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that an alien signal has been beamed to Earth from Mars for the first time — which was sent by them only. The Trace Gas Orbiter, which is an ESA spacecraft orbiting Mars, transmitted a signal and it was received by the Green Bank Telescope (West Virginia), the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station (Italy), the Allen Telescope Array (California) and the Very Large Array (New Mexico). The transmission is part of "A Sign in Space" project, which is an interdisciplinary project by media artist Daniela de Paulis. The project stated that decoding an extraterrestrial signal and understanding its message would present unprecedented challenges. Researchers at each institution were then tasked with deciphering the signal. ESA mentioned on its website: "The Sign in Space project invites participants to delve into the realm of the unknown and grapple with these existential quandaries, expanding our collective understanding of the Universe and our place in it." De Paulis said, "Throughout history, humanity has searched for meaning in powerful and transformative phenomena. Receiving a message from an extra-terrestrial civilisation would be a profoundly transformational experience for all humankind." In a statement, ATA Project Scientist Dr Wael Farah, said, "This experiment is an opportunity for the world to learn how the SETI community, in all its diversity, will work together to receive, process, analyse, and understand the meaning of a potential extraterrestrial signal." "More than astronomy, communicating with ET will require a breadth of knowledge. With A Sign in Space, we hope to make the initial steps towards bringing a community together to meet this challenge," it added. Living on Mars For Canadian biologist Kelly Haston, apparently living on Mars wasn't exactly a childhood dream but she'll soon spend a year preparing for just that. "We are just going to pretend that we're there," Haston told the news agency AFP, as she summed up her participation in an exercise simulating a long stay on the Red Planet. At the end of June, she will be one of the four volunteers stepping into a Martian habitat in Houston, Texas that will be their home for the next 12 months. She said, "It still sometimes seems a bit unreal to me." 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.

'A Sign in Space': When Earth received ‘alien’ signal from Mars

<p>Chinese scientists have started drilling a 10,000-metre (32,808 feet) hole into the crust of the Earth, as the second largest economy of the world is exploring new frontiers not just above but below the surface of the planet.<br />
<br />
China has started drilling to create what will be the deepest borehole ever made in the country. The drilling started in the oil-rich Tarim Basin, in northwest China's Xinjiang region on Tuesday, reported the official Xinhua News Agency.<br />
<br />
The operation kicked off at 11:46 am on Tuesday. The construction of the borehole is a landmark event in the deep-Earth exploration of China, providing the nation with an unprecedented opportunity to study areas of Earth which are deep beneath the surface.<br />
<br />
The borehole is being constructed in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert, which is China's largest desert.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-enhancing-its-air-power-along-lac-reveal-new-satellite-images-599013">China enhances air power along Line of Actual Control, reveal satellite images</a></p>

<p>Earlier on Tuesday morning, for the first time, China's civilian astronaut was sent into space from the Gobi Desert.</p>

<h2><strong>Narrow shaft to reach&nbsp;cretaceous system in Earth's crust</strong></h2>

<p>The narrow shaft which is being constructed inside the ground, along with the drill bits and drill pipes which weigh more than 2,000 tonnes, will reach the cretaceous system in the Earth's crust after penetrating more than 10 layers of rocks or continental strata, as per the report.<br />
<br />
The cretaceous system of the Earth features rock that date back some 145 million years.<br />
<br />
Technical expert Wang Chunsheng, who recently joined the operation, stated that drilling a borehole which is more than 10,000 metres deep is a bold step to explore the Earth's unknown territory and enhance the boundaries of human understanding.<br />
<br />
"The construction difficulty of the drilling project can be compared to a big truck driving on two thin steel cables," said Sun Jinsheng, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, while speaking to Xinhua.<br />
<br />
The Tarim Basin, where the borehole is being constructed, is one of the toughest areas to explore because of its harsh ground environment along with complicated underground conditions.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;China: Xi Jinping warns state security becoming complex, says 'more security challenges lie ahead'</strong></p>

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<p>While addressing the leading scientists of the nation in 2021, President Xi Jinping in his speech had called for greater progress in the exploration of deep Earth.<br />
<br />
Such explorations help in identifying mineral and energy resources and assessing the risks of environmental disasters, like volcano eruptions and earthquakes.<br />
<br />
The Earth's deepest man-made hole is the Russian Kola Superdeep Borehole, which was drilled for 20 years to reach a depth of 12,262 metres (40,230 feet) in 1989.<br />
<br />
According to a BBC report, the Kola Superdeep Borehole is so deep that locals claim one can hear the moans of souls who get tortured in hell.</p>

<main>
<section>
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Chinese scientists have started drilling a 10,000-metre (32,808 feet) hole into the crust of the Earth, as the second largest economy of the world is exploring new frontiers not just above but below the surface of the planet.

Chinese scientists have started drilling a 10,000-metre (32,808 feet) hole into the crust of the Earth, as the second largest economy of the world is exploring new frontiers not just above but below the surface of the planet. China has started drilling to create what will be the deepest borehole ever made in the country. The drilling started in the oil-rich Tarim Basin, in northwest China's Xinjiang region on Tuesday, reported the official Xinhua News Agency. The operation kicked off at 11:46 am on Tuesday. The construction of the borehole is a landmark event in the deep-Earth exploration of China, providing the nation with an unprecedented opportunity to study areas of Earth which are deep beneath the surface. The borehole is being constructed in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert, which is China's largest desert. ALSO READ | China enhances air power along Line of Actual Control, reveal satellite images Earlier on Tuesday morning, for the first time, China's civilian astronaut was sent into space from the Gobi Desert. Narrow shaft to reach cretaceous system in Earth's crust The narrow shaft which is being constructed inside the ground, along with the drill bits and drill pipes which weigh more than 2,000 tonnes, will reach the cretaceous system in the Earth's crust after penetrating more than 10 layers of rocks or continental strata, as per the report. The cretaceous system of the Earth features rock that date back some 145 million years. Technical expert Wang Chunsheng, who recently joined the operation, stated that drilling a borehole which is more than 10,000 metres deep is a bold step to explore the Earth's unknown territory and enhance the boundaries of human understanding. "The construction difficulty of the drilling project can be compared to a big truck driving on two thin steel cables," said Sun Jinsheng, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, while speaking to Xinhua. The Tarim Basin, where the borehole is being constructed, is one of the toughest areas to explore because of its harsh ground environment along with complicated underground conditions. WATCH | China: Xi Jinping warns state security becoming complex, says 'more security challenges lie ahead' While addressing the leading scientists of the nation in 2021, President Xi Jinping in his speech had called for greater progress in the exploration of deep Earth. Such explorations help in identifying mineral and energy resources and assessing the risks of environmental disasters, like volcano eruptions and earthquakes. The Earth's deepest man-made hole is the Russian Kola Superdeep Borehole, which was drilled for 20 years to reach a depth of 12,262 metres (40,230 feet) in 1989. According to a BBC report, the Kola Superdeep Borehole is so deep that locals claim one can hear the moans of souls who get tortured in hell. 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

China drilling 10,000-metre deep hole into Earth's crust. Here's why

Groundbreaking analysis find earth's health failing in seven out of eight key parameters.

Earth's health failing in seven out of eight key measures

<p>Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Arab woman astronaut, along with a team of two Americans and two Saudis, returned safely to Earth on Tuesday night, after spending eight days on the International Space Station as a part of the historic research mission.</p>

<p>Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni scripted history by becoming the first Saudi astronauts to go on a mission to the orbiting outpost.</p>

<p>The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, that was carrying the astronauts, made a parachute-assisted splashdown into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, after a 12-hour return flight and smouldering re-entry descent through Earth's atmosphere.</p>

<p>The splashdown was telecast&nbsp;live by a joint webcast presented by SpaceX and Axiom Space, which is the company behind the mission.</p>

<p>The Axiom 2 crew was led by 63-year-old Peggy Whitson, who is a retired NASA astronaut and also holds the US&nbsp;record for most time spent in orbit, with 665 days in space over three long-duration missions to the ISS, including ten spacewalks. She now serves as Axiom's director of human spaceflight.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"That was a phenomenal ride. We really enjoyed all of it," Whitson radioed to mission controllers after the capsule splashed down.</p>

<p>Ax-2's assigned pilot was 67-year-old John Shoffner. He is an aviator, race car driver and investor from Alaska.</p>

<p>Rounding off&nbsp;the crew as mission specialists were the first two astronauts from Saudi Arabia to fly aboard a private spacecraft - Ali Alqarni, 31, a fighter pilot for the Royal Saudi Air Force; and Rayyanah Barnawi, 34, a biomedical scientist in cancer stem-cell research.</p>

<h2><strong>Rayyanah Barnawi bids emotional farewell&nbsp;</strong>to space station</h2>

<p>Taking to Twitter, Barnawi bid an emotional farewell to the space station saying, "Every story comes to an end".</p>

<p>"Every story comes to an end, and this is only the beginning of a new era for our country and our region.. thanks to everyone who have helped us," she wrote.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und">كلمات الوداع في نهاية رحلتنا العلمية <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D9%86%D8%AD%D9%88_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%A1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#نحو_الفضاء</a> 🛰<br />
دموع الفرح والإنجاز هي الختام فالحمدلله على التمام🙏🏼<br />
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“Every story comes to an end, and this is only the beginning of a new era for our country and our region.. thanks to everyone who have helped us” 🙏🏼<br />
BYE <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a> 🛰… <a href="https://t.co/XxQnGB9hXx">pic.twitter.com/XxQnGB9hXx</a></p>
— RAYYANAH BARNAWI (@Astro_Rayyanah) <a href="https://twitter.com/Astro_Rayyanah/status/1663527128174829569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>Who is Barnawi, the first Arab woman to go on a space mission?</strong></h2>

<p>Axiom Space's biography highlights Rayyanah Barnawi's remarkable career. She was born in 1988 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and has a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences from Otago University in New Zealand and a Master of Biomedical Sciences from Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia. She is a biomedical researcher with almost ten years of expertise in the study of cancer stem cells.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Arab woman astronaut, along with a team of two Americans and two Saudis, returned safely to Earth on Tuesday night, after spending eight days on the International Space Station as a part of the historic research mission.

Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Arab woman astronaut, along with a team of two Americans and two Saudis, returned safely to Earth on Tuesday night, after spending eight days on the International Space Station as a part of the historic research mission. Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni scripted history by becoming the first Saudi astronauts to go on a mission to the orbiting outpost. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, that was carrying the astronauts, made a parachute-assisted splashdown into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, after a 12-hour return flight and smouldering re-entry descent through Earth's atmosphere. The splashdown was telecast live by a joint webcast presented by SpaceX and Axiom Space, which is the company behind the mission. The Axiom 2 crew was led by 63-year-old Peggy Whitson, who is a retired NASA astronaut and also holds the US record for most time spent in orbit, with 665 days in space over three long-duration missions to the ISS, including ten spacewalks. She now serves as Axiom's director of human spaceflight. "That was a phenomenal ride. We really enjoyed all of it," Whitson radioed to mission controllers after the capsule splashed down. Ax-2's assigned pilot was 67-year-old John Shoffner. He is an aviator, race car driver and investor from Alaska. Rounding off the crew as mission specialists were the first two astronauts from Saudi Arabia to fly aboard a private spacecraft - Ali Alqarni, 31, a fighter pilot for the Royal Saudi Air Force; and Rayyanah Barnawi, 34, a biomedical scientist in cancer stem-cell research. Rayyanah Barnawi bids emotional farewell to space station Taking to Twitter, Barnawi bid an emotional farewell to the space station saying, "Every story comes to an end". "Every story comes to an end, and this is only the beginning of a new era for our country and our region.. thanks to everyone who have helped us," she wrote. كلمات الوداع في نهاية رحلتنا العلمية #نحو_الفضاء 🛰 دموع الفرح والإنجاز هي الختام فالحمدلله على التمام🙏🏼 “Every story comes to an end, and this is only the beginning of a new era for our country and our region.. thanks to everyone who have helped us” 🙏🏼 BYE @Space_Station 🛰… pic.twitter.com/XxQnGB9hXx — RAYYANAH BARNAWI (@Astro_Rayyanah) May 30, 2023 × Who is Barnawi, the first Arab woman to go on a space mission? Axiom Space's biography highlights Rayyanah Barnawi's remarkable career. She was born in 1988 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and has a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences from Otago University in New Zealand and a Master of Biomedical Sciences from Alfaisal University in Saudi Arabia. She is a biomedical researcher with almost ten years of expertise in the study of cancer stem cells. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Axiom-2 crew, including first Saudi Arabian woman in orbit, returns to Earth safely

<p>Astronomers have discovered a "quasi-moon" — an asteroid that orbits the Earth but is actually gravitationally bound by the Sun. It is called 2023 FW13 and was spotted recently, causing a stir among space enthusiasts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Experts&nbsp;used the Pan-STARRS telescope at the top of the Haleakala volcano in Hawaii to observe the space rock which has been labelled a quasi-moon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sky and Telescope's report has mentioned that experts believe that it has been orbiting Earth since 100 BC and will continue to do so for at least another 1,500 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If all calculations are correct (or close to correct) then 2023 FW13 would be the most stable Earth-like quasi-satellite ever discovered.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Meet newly-discovered asteroid 2023 FW13. <a href="https://twitter.com/AdrienCoffinet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AdrienCoffinet</a> noticed it is a quasi-satellite of Earth.<br />
Astronomer, Sam Deen, located precovery images which help confirm the 1:1 resonance with Earth. This is the same type of orbit as Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3). <a href="https://t.co/c9EnXVooXY">https://t.co/c9EnXVooXY</a> <a href="https://t.co/BY2GEOPGzL">pic.twitter.com/BY2GEOPGzL</a></p>
— Tony Dunn (@tony873004) <a href="https://twitter.com/tony873004/status/1643213390712836101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>What are&nbsp;quasi-moons?</strong>&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Quasi-moons are also known as 'quasi-satellites' because they appear to orbit our planet in the same way that our natural satellite, the Moon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The discovery of the 2023 FW13 is nothing new, as a famous object, known as 469219 Kamooalewa, was discovered in 2016. At that time, it was thought to be the tiniest, closest, and most stable known quasi-satellite.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Pan-STARRS observatory first noticed the asteroid on March 28. The discovery was officially revealed on April 1, following additional observations from the Canada France Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, as well as observatories on Kitt Peak and Mount Lemmon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As quoted by the report, Adrien Coffinet, a French astronomer and journalist, said, "When I saw the announcement, the very Earth-like semimajor axis looked suspicious to me."&nbsp;Coffinet, is a French astronomer and journalist and was the first to identify the nature of the quasi-Moon's orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Alan Harris (Space Science Institute) told Sky &amp; Telescope that, while 2023 FW13 does indeed circle Earth but according to him the "dimension of the loop (about .18 astronomical unit in radius) is so large that Earth plays essentially no role in its motion".&nbsp;</p>

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Astronomers have discovered a "quasi-moon" — an asteroid that orbits the Earth but is actually gravitationally bound by the Sun. It is called 2023 FW13 and was spotted recently, causing a stir among space enthusiasts.

Astronomers have discovered a "quasi-moon" — an asteroid that orbits the Earth but is actually gravitationally bound by the Sun. It is called 2023 FW13 and was spotted recently, causing a stir among space enthusiasts. Experts used the Pan-STARRS telescope at the top of the Haleakala volcano in Hawaii to observe the space rock which has been labelled a quasi-moon. Sky and Telescope's report has mentioned that experts believe that it has been orbiting Earth since 100 BC and will continue to do so for at least another 1,500 years. If all calculations are correct (or close to correct) then 2023 FW13 would be the most stable Earth-like quasi-satellite ever discovered. Meet newly-discovered asteroid 2023 FW13. @AdrienCoffinet noticed it is a quasi-satellite of Earth. Astronomer, Sam Deen, located precovery images which help confirm the 1:1 resonance with Earth. This is the same type of orbit as Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3). https://t.co/c9EnXVooXY pic.twitter.com/BY2GEOPGzL — Tony Dunn (@tony873004) April 4, 2023 × What are quasi-moons? Quasi-moons are also known as 'quasi-satellites' because they appear to orbit our planet in the same way that our natural satellite, the Moon. The discovery of the 2023 FW13 is nothing new, as a famous object, known as 469219 Kamooalewa, was discovered in 2016. At that time, it was thought to be the tiniest, closest, and most stable known quasi-satellite. The Pan-STARRS observatory first noticed the asteroid on March 28. The discovery was officially revealed on April 1, following additional observations from the Canada France Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, as well as observatories on Kitt Peak and Mount Lemmon. As quoted by the report, Adrien Coffinet, a French astronomer and journalist, said, "When I saw the announcement, the very Earth-like semimajor axis looked suspicious to me." Coffinet, is a French astronomer and journalist and was the first to identify the nature of the quasi-Moon's orbit. Meanwhile, Alan Harris (Space Science Institute) told Sky & Telescope that, while 2023 FW13 does indeed circle Earth but according to him the "dimension of the loop (about .18 astronomical unit in radius) is so large that Earth plays essentially no role in its motion". 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.

Earth's fake Moon? This 'quasi-moon' has circled Earth since at least 100 BC, and will continue to do so

<p>NASA's spacecraft Juno has found in its recent probe that the lightning in Jupiter is very similar to that of Earth. The brownish ammonia clouds that cover Jupitar are similar to the clouds that blanket Earth in their composition. Both are made of water.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And the way lightning is generally within clouds on Earth, &nbsp;a similar eerie sight was spotted by multiple spacecraft which visited the largest planet of the solar system, including Juno.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The data collected by Juno is giving fresh information on the similar processes through which lightning occurs on Jupiter and Earth, even though the two planets have dramatic differences between the two planets, as per scientists.</p>

<p>"Lightning is an electric discharge which is initiated inside thunderclouds. The ice and water particles inside the cloud get charged by collisions and form layers of particles with the charge of the same polarity," stated planetary scientist Ivana Kolmasova of the Czech Academy of Sciences' Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Prague, who is also the lead author of the study which was published in the journal Nature Communications this week.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-spot-jupiters-12-new-moons-in-latest-discovery-making-it-the-planet-with-highest-number-of-moons-558779">Astronomers spot 12 new moons of Jupiter, taking total to 92, surpassing Saturn in lunar tally</a></p>

<p>"By this process, a huge electric field is established and the discharge can be initiated. This explanation is somewhat simplified because scientists are still not completely sure what is exactly happening inside thunderclouds," Kolmasova further explained.</p>

<p>The occurrence of lightning on Jupiter was confirmed after telltale radio emissions at audible frequencies were recorded by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1979 after it ventured through the solar system.</p>

<h2><strong>Lightning in planets of solar system</strong></h2>

<p>Lightning has been observed on other gas planets of the solar system - Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Scientists have some evidence of lightning in the clouds of the planet Venus, however, it is still an issue of debate.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Various studies have detailed similarities in the lightning processes on Earth and Jupiter. For instance, &nbsp;lightning rates on both planets are similar although the distribution of lightning on the giant planet differs from that of Earth.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: "Juice" mission to study Jupiter's icy moons</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-juice-mission-to-study-jupiters-icy-moons-581876/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"On Earth, the tropical regions are the most active ones. The majority of Jovian lightning occurs in mid-latitudes and also in polar regions. We have nearly no lightning activity close to the poles on the Earth. It means that conditions for the formation of Jovian and terrestrial thunderclouds are probably very different," stated Kolmasova.</p>

<p>"There were some attempts to compare the power of lightning based on optical measurements and it was concluded that lightning on Jupiter might be comparable with the strongest terrestrial lightning," he added while emphasising that more analysis is planned.</p>

<p>Jupiter is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium along with traces of other gases. &nbsp;</p>

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NASA's spacecraft Juno has found in its recent probe that the lightning in Jupiter is very similar to that of Earth. The brownish ammonia clouds that cover Jupitar are similar to the clouds that blanket Earth in their composition.

NASA's spacecraft Juno has found in its recent probe that the lightning in Jupiter is very similar to that of Earth. The brownish ammonia clouds that cover Jupitar are similar to the clouds that blanket Earth in their composition. Both are made of water. And the way lightning is generally within clouds on Earth, a similar eerie sight was spotted by multiple spacecraft which visited the largest planet of the solar system, including Juno. The data collected by Juno is giving fresh information on the similar processes through which lightning occurs on Jupiter and Earth, even though the two planets have dramatic differences between the two planets, as per scientists. "Lightning is an electric discharge which is initiated inside thunderclouds. The ice and water particles inside the cloud get charged by collisions and form layers of particles with the charge of the same polarity," stated planetary scientist Ivana Kolmasova of the Czech Academy of Sciences' Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Prague, who is also the lead author of the study which was published in the journal Nature Communications this week. ALSO READ | Astronomers spot 12 new moons of Jupiter, taking total to 92, surpassing Saturn in lunar tally "By this process, a huge electric field is established and the discharge can be initiated. This explanation is somewhat simplified because scientists are still not completely sure what is exactly happening inside thunderclouds," Kolmasova further explained. The occurrence of lightning on Jupiter was confirmed after telltale radio emissions at audible frequencies were recorded by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1979 after it ventured through the solar system. Lightning in planets of solar system Lightning has been observed on other gas planets of the solar system - Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Scientists have some evidence of lightning in the clouds of the planet Venus, however, it is still an issue of debate. Various studies have detailed similarities in the lightning processes on Earth and Jupiter. For instance, lightning rates on both planets are similar although the distribution of lightning on the giant planet differs from that of Earth. WATCH | Gravitas: "Juice" mission to study Jupiter's icy moons "On Earth, the tropical regions are the most active ones. The majority of Jovian lightning occurs in mid-latitudes and also in polar regions. We have nearly no lightning activity close to the poles on the Earth. It means that conditions for the formation of Jovian and terrestrial thunderclouds are probably very different," stated Kolmasova. "There were some attempts to compare the power of lightning based on optical measurements and it was concluded that lightning on Jupiter might be comparable with the strongest terrestrial lightning," he added while emphasising that more analysis is planned. Jupiter is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium along with traces of other gases. 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

NASA spacecraft discovers how Jupiter's lightning shares similarity with Earth's

<p>An Earth-sized exoplanet, which is orbiting a star in a galaxy next to the Milky Way, has provided scientists with the best evidence to date of the existence of active volcanoes beyond our solar system.<br />
<br />
The observations made by the scientists suggest the existence of a rocky and rugged world, the surface of which witnesses constant eruptions.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday, scientists said that the planet, the third planet which was found orbiting a particular dim star, is most likely covered with active volcanoes, which is similar to Jupiter's moon Io.<br />
<br />
Io is our solar system's most volcanically active body. In the solar system, Venus and Earth are volcanically active, as are a few moons of Jupiter. The volcanism of the planet was not observed directly but rather inferred because of its gravitational interaction with the largest of the two planets, which were also orbiting the dim star.</p>

<p>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-nasa-shares-video-of-earth-from-a-whole-different-angle-leaves-netizens-mesmerised-585235">Watch | NASA shares video of Earth from 'a whole different angle', leaves netizens mesmerised</a></p>

<p>The larger planet's gravitational tug may flex and squeeze the newly identified planet, because of which its interior may be heating up and causing volcanic activity on the surface, similar to Io, said the researchers. Planets that exist outside our solar system are called exoplanets.</p>

<h2><strong>Exoplanet may have deserts and icy glaciers on two sides: Scientists</strong></h2>

<p>Speaking about the alien planet, University of Kansas astronomy professor Ian Crossfield said, "There is not yet any direct observational evidence of exoplanet volcanism, but this planet is a particularly likely candidate.”<br />
<br />
Crossfield is one of the co-authors of the research which has been published in the journal Nature. The planet does not rotate because of which one side perpetually remains in daylight and the other in complete darkness.<br />
<br />
"On the dayside, it is too hot for liquid water, so it is likely very dry and hot - likely a desert. On the night side, there is possibly a large icy glacier," stated co-author of the research Bjorn Benneke, who is also the head of the astronomy group at the University of Montreal.<br />
<br />
"The most interesting region is near the terminator region where the day and nightside meet. Here, water from the nightside glacier can melt and possibly form liquid surface water. In addition, there is likely volcanism all around the planet, even under the ice on the nightside and possibly under the water near the terminator," Benneke stated.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Dead NASA satellite expected to crash back to Earth</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/dead-nasa-satellite-expected-to-crash-back-to-earth-584564/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p><br />
The planet has been found in the Milky Way about 86 light-years away from our solar system. It was spotted in the direction of the constellation Crater.<br />
<br />
"I imagine a rugged, young surface for the planet after many millions of years of constant volcanic activity. Since the gravitational effects don't care about day and night side, I also suspect the volcanic activity to be evenly spread over the planetary surface," stated the University of California, Riverside planetary astrophysicist and study co-author Stephen Kane.<br />
<br />
"Since the planet is so volcanically active, it is still contributing gases to the atmosphere from the interior. As such, the planet probably still has an atmosphere. The planet is unlikely to be habitable, however, since the total amount of energy makes for a quite hostile environment. Who knows? Life may find a way," he added.</p>

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An Earth-sized exoplanet, which is orbiting a star in a galaxy next to the Milky Way, has provided scientists with the best evidence to date of the existence of active volcanoes beyond our solar system.

An Earth-sized exoplanet, which is orbiting a star in a galaxy next to the Milky Way, has provided scientists with the best evidence to date of the existence of active volcanoes beyond our solar system. The observations made by the scientists suggest the existence of a rocky and rugged world, the surface of which witnesses constant eruptions. On Wednesday, scientists said that the planet, the third planet which was found orbiting a particular dim star, is most likely covered with active volcanoes, which is similar to Jupiter's moon Io. Io is our solar system's most volcanically active body. In the solar system, Venus and Earth are volcanically active, as are a few moons of Jupiter. The volcanism of the planet was not observed directly but rather inferred because of its gravitational interaction with the largest of the two planets, which were also orbiting the dim star. ALSO READ | Watch | NASA shares video of Earth from 'a whole different angle', leaves netizens mesmerised The larger planet's gravitational tug may flex and squeeze the newly identified planet, because of which its interior may be heating up and causing volcanic activity on the surface, similar to Io, said the researchers. Planets that exist outside our solar system are called exoplanets. Exoplanet may have deserts and icy glaciers on two sides: Scientists Speaking about the alien planet, University of Kansas astronomy professor Ian Crossfield said, "There is not yet any direct observational evidence of exoplanet volcanism, but this planet is a particularly likely candidate.” Crossfield is one of the co-authors of the research which has been published in the journal Nature. The planet does not rotate because of which one side perpetually remains in daylight and the other in complete darkness. "On the dayside, it is too hot for liquid water, so it is likely very dry and hot - likely a desert. On the night side, there is possibly a large icy glacier," stated co-author of the research Bjorn Benneke, who is also the head of the astronomy group at the University of Montreal. "The most interesting region is near the terminator region where the day and nightside meet. Here, water from the nightside glacier can melt and possibly form liquid surface water. In addition, there is likely volcanism all around the planet, even under the ice on the nightside and possibly under the water near the terminator," Benneke stated. WATCH | Dead NASA satellite expected to crash back to Earth The planet has been found in the Milky Way about 86 light-years away from our solar system. It was spotted in the direction of the constellation Crater. "I imagine a rugged, young surface for the planet after many millions of years of constant volcanic activity. Since the gravitational effects don't care about day and night side, I also suspect the volcanic activity to be evenly spread over the planetary surface," stated the University of California, Riverside planetary astrophysicist and study co-author Stephen Kane. "Since the planet is so volcanically active, it is still contributing gases to the atmosphere from the interior. As such, the planet probably still has an atmosphere. The planet is unlikely to be habitable, however, since the total amount of energy makes for a quite hostile environment. Who knows? Life may find a way," he added. 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.

NASA’s TESS, Spitzer discover Earth-like exoplanet covered with active volcanoes

With the surge in global warming, expert explains how the world urgently needs to ramp up solutions for slashing carbon emissions. Hem Kaur Saroya brings you the report.

Good news about climate tipping points

<p>Geologists are 'rockstars', a little removed from their guitar-strumming, long-haired counterparts,&nbsp;but with much more intimate knowledge about the literal 'rock' part of the business. Geologists may not lead&nbsp;crowds in&nbsp;doing a nice head-bang but now a crossover between these (very) dissimilar fields may be on the horizon. Scientists are going to make 'rock' music. And Earth is the artist.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This 'concert' will involve seismic waves headlining a live flute performance. This wonderful&nbsp;experiment is slated to take place on Tuesday (May 9). Dr Domenico Vicinanza of the UK's Anglia Ruskin University will reportedly use a computer programme he developed to turn real-time seismic data into a musical score. The data recorded will be taken from a seismograph at Yellowstone National Park in the US. The seismic data will be turned into a musical score.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I am essentially mapping the [amplitude of the] vibrations and the oscillations to [notes],” he said as quoted by The Guardian.</p>

<p>The musical score generated by the computer programme will be played live on stage by Dr Alyssa Schwartz who is a visiting assistant professor of flute and musicology at Fairmont State University.</p>

<p>This experiment is being carried out as part of the 2023&nbsp;Internet2 Community Exchange conference in Atlanta, Georgia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So, how will seismic activity, usually a bad thing for anyone living in the area, produce music?</p>

<p>Yellowstone National Park is a volcanic zone. As the amplitude of the volcanic activity vibrations increases, the musical notes will as well. If the seismograph data shows dramatic oscillations, they will reflect in the musical melody.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I’m pretty sure I am going to get something that is interesting because you always have some sort of [seismic] activity [at Yellowstone],” said Dr Vicinanza as quoted by <em>The Guardia</em>n.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/french-startup-will-take-to-take-people-to-space-in-a-balloon-heres-how-590070">French startup will take people to space in a balloon. Here's how</a></strong></p>

<p>“Nearly 50 per cent&nbsp;of the earthquakes occur in swarms that cluster together,” said Vicinanza, “So it’s a fantastic playground for any kind of scientist that is interested in seismology, geophysics, mechanics or, like me, data science and music, because it’s very unique.”</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/saturns-vanishing-rings-further-its-cosmic-identity-crisis-589384">Saturn’s mesmerising rings vanishing, further aggravate its cosmic identity crisis</a></strong></p>

<p>Vicinanza himself is a composer, physicist and researcher in auditory display. He has dabbled in such experiments in past. Previously, he used 37 years' worth of data collected by humanity's farthest-travelling spacecraft, Voyager 1 and 2, to create a music piece.</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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Geologists are 'rockstars', a little removed from their guitar-strumming, long-haired counterparts, but with much more intimate knowledge about the literal 'rock' part of the business.

Geologists are 'rockstars', a little removed from their guitar-strumming, long-haired counterparts, but with much more intimate knowledge about the literal 'rock' part of the business. Geologists may not lead crowds in doing a nice head-bang but now a crossover between these (very) dissimilar fields may be on the horizon. Scientists are going to make 'rock' music. And Earth is the artist. This 'concert' will involve seismic waves headlining a live flute performance. This wonderful experiment is slated to take place on Tuesday (May 9). Dr Domenico Vicinanza of the UK's Anglia Ruskin University will reportedly use a computer programme he developed to turn real-time seismic data into a musical score. The data recorded will be taken from a seismograph at Yellowstone National Park in the US. The seismic data will be turned into a musical score. “I am essentially mapping the [amplitude of the] vibrations and the oscillations to [notes],” he said as quoted by The Guardian. The musical score generated by the computer programme will be played live on stage by Dr Alyssa Schwartz who is a visiting assistant professor of flute and musicology at Fairmont State University. This experiment is being carried out as part of the 2023 Internet2 Community Exchange conference in Atlanta, Georgia. So, how will seismic activity, usually a bad thing for anyone living in the area, produce music? Yellowstone National Park is a volcanic zone. As the amplitude of the volcanic activity vibrations increases, the musical notes will as well. If the seismograph data shows dramatic oscillations, they will reflect in the musical melody. "I’m pretty sure I am going to get something that is interesting because you always have some sort of [seismic] activity [at Yellowstone],” said Dr Vicinanza as quoted by The Guardian. Also Read | French startup will take people to space in a balloon. Here's how “Nearly 50 per cent of the earthquakes occur in swarms that cluster together,” said Vicinanza, “So it’s a fantastic playground for any kind of scientist that is interested in seismology, geophysics, mechanics or, like me, data science and music, because it’s very unique.” Also Read | Saturn’s mesmerising rings vanishing, further aggravate its cosmic identity crisis Vicinanza himself is a composer, physicist and researcher in auditory display. He has dabbled in such experiments in past. Previously, he used 37 years' worth of data collected by humanity's farthest-travelling spacecraft, Voyager 1 and 2, to create a music piece. 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 is actually going to play 'rock' music, there'll even be a concert

A new generation of weather satellites orbits the earth, as it produces its first image of our planet. Eric Njoka brings you the report.

New generation weather satellites orbit earth

Scientists say that they have observed a dying star swallowing a planet for the first time, offering a preview of Earth's expected fate in around five billion years. Astronomers had previously seen the before-and-after effects of this process, but had never before caught a planet in the act of being consumed.

How our sun will swallow the earth

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