The world has come to an abrupt halt, quite literally!

As the killer COVID-19 pandemic slows down the economy, the streets look more doomsday than ever before!

Turns out, the earth is also less noisy! Seismologists around the world have now observed that the ambient seismic noise is way lesser than it was a month ago.

For clarity, ambient seismic noise refers to subtle noise pollution caused by vehicles, public transport, and essentially, people!

Owing to this, the planet’s upper crust is witnessing lesser movement.

First recorded at the Royal Observatory in Belgium by Thomas Lecocq, a seismologist, the city of Brussels witnessed a whooping 30 to 50 per cent reduction in seismic noises.

As social distancing becomes the norm, most institutions remain shut. In Christian countries, the same noise level is recorded on Christmas Day, the major yearly festival.

<h6><img alt="lo" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bf4774-39c7-4c42-b201-9d6e19bbbce2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%283%29_62.jpg" /> 
Earth from space | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

What does this mean?

The effect of decreased noise is simple: seismologists can now record smaller earthquakes and certain smaller events. If this were the norm, many earthquakes could be recorded earlier with quicker mitigation measures!

In conversation with CNN, Lecocq said that the Brussels station is otherwise useless.

Usually, such stations are situated outside cities to evade the noise and for better performance. However, the one in Brussels was made over a century ago, with the city growing around it.

This suggests that people over the world are, for once, not ignoring the warnings by authorities to stay inside and minimise outdoor activity.

This data, in turn, could be used to understand the success and failure of containment measures, ie, where they’ve been more effective and where not.

Based on this, quick mitigation strategies could be organised in states performing badly.

The world has come to an abrupt halt, quite literally! As the killer COVID-19 pandemic slows down the economy, the streets look more doomsday than ever before! Turns out, the earth is also less noisy!

The world has come to an abrupt halt, quite literally! As the killer COVID-19 pandemic slows down the economy, the streets look more doomsday than ever before! Turns out, the earth is also less noisy! Seismologists around the world have now observed that the ambient seismic noise is way lesser than it was a month ago. For clarity, ambient seismic noise refers to subtle noise pollution caused by vehicles, public transport, and essentially, people! Owing to this, the planet’s upper crust is witnessing lesser movement. First recorded at the Royal Observatory in Belgium by Thomas Lecocq, a seismologist, the city of Brussels witnessed a whooping 30 to 50 per cent reduction in seismic noises. As social distancing becomes the norm, most institutions remain shut. In Christian countries, the same noise level is recorded on Christmas Day, the major yearly festival. Earth from space | AFP What does this mean? The effect of decreased noise is simple: seismologists can now record smaller earthquakes and certain smaller events. If this were the norm, many earthquakes could be recorded earlier with quicker mitigation measures! In conversation with CNN, Lecocq said that the Brussels station is otherwise useless. Usually, such stations are situated outside cities to evade the noise and for better performance. However, the one in Brussels was made over a century ago, with the city growing around it. This suggests that people over the world are, for once, not ignoring the warnings by authorities to stay inside and minimise outdoor activity. This data, in turn, could be used to understand the success and failure of containment measures, ie, where they’ve been more effective and where not. Based on this, quick mitigation strategies could be organised in states performing badly.

Earth is less noisy during COVID-19, say seismologists

An asteroid "large enough to cause global effects," will fly by Earth next month on April 29.

According to NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, the asteroid is called 52768 (1998 OR2) and it will pass within 3,908,791 miles of Earth, moving at 19,461 miles per hour.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oldest-known-asteroid-collision-ended-earths-ice-age-study-275861">Oldest known asteroid collision ended Earth's 'ice age': Study</a>

Its estimated timing is 4:56 am as per the space agency.

The asteroid was classified as a potentially hazardous object because it passes near Earth's orbit.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/asteroid-apophis-to-cause-massive-destruction-on-earth-in-2036-says-nasa-24666">Asteroid Apophis to cause massive destruction on Earth in 2036, says NASA</a>

However, it is not currently on NASA's list of potential future Earth impact events.&nbsp;

And scientists at NASA's Sentry System believe that it is not expected to collide with our planet.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/nasas-first-of-its-kind-near-earth-asteroid-mission-lifts-off-6119">NASA's first-of-its kind near-Earth asteroid mission lifts off</a>

It's the largest asteroid expected to zip by Earth within the next two months, but it's not the largest ever.

The largest asteroid which flew by Earth was 3122 Florence (1981 ET3).&nbsp;

Fortunately, it missed colliding with it on September 1, 2017.

In addition to tracking Near-Earth Objects that could pose a threat, NASA and other agencies currently have missions underway to study near-Earth asteroids and potentially mitigate the danger of a collision.

The observatory is located on the Cerro Pachón ridge in north-central Chile.

An asteroid "large enough to cause global effects," will fly by Earth next month on April 29. According to NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, the asteroid is called 52768 (1998 OR2) and it will pass within 3,908,791 miles of Earth, moving at 19,461 miles per hour.

An asteroid "large enough to cause global effects," will fly by Earth next month on April 29. According to NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, the asteroid is called 52768 (1998 OR2) and it will pass within 3,908,791 miles of Earth, moving at 19,461 miles per hour. Also read: Oldest known asteroid collision ended Earth's 'ice age': Study Its estimated timing is 4:56 am as per the space agency. The asteroid was classified as a potentially hazardous object because it passes near Earth's orbit. Also read: Asteroid Apophis to cause massive destruction on Earth in 2036, says NASA However, it is not currently on NASA's list of potential future Earth impact events. And scientists at NASA's Sentry System believe that it is not expected to collide with our planet. Also read: NASA's first-of-its kind near-Earth asteroid mission lifts off It's the largest asteroid expected to zip by Earth within the next two months, but it's not the largest ever. The largest asteroid which flew by Earth was 3122 Florence (1981 ET3). Fortunately, it missed colliding with it on September 1, 2017. In addition to tracking Near-Earth Objects that could pose a threat, NASA and other agencies currently have missions underway to study near-Earth asteroids and potentially mitigate the danger of a collision. The observatory is located on the Cerro Pachón ridge in north-central Chile.

Asteroid 'large enough to cause global effect' to fly by Earth

Earth may have been a water world covered by global ocean 3.2 billion years ago according to a new study.

The study which has published in Nature Geoscience suggests that in its early years, Earth may have looked like a post-apocalyptic water world.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/earth-has-a-new-mini-moon-about-the-size-of-a-car-283144">Earth has a new 'mini-moon' about the&nbsp;size of a car</a>

In order to gather data, researchers analyzed more than 100 rock samples from across a dry area known as Panorama that's located in northwestern Australia's outback.&nbsp;

Scientists compared it to analyzing coffee grounds to learn more about the water that flowed through it.

Also see: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-a-first-water-found-on-earth-like-planet-beyond-our-solar-system-249176">In a first, water found on earth-like planet beyond our solar system</a>

''An early Earth without emergent continents may have resembled a water world, providing an important environmental constraint on the origin and evolution of life on Earth, as well as its possible existence elsewhere,'' the study stated.

The scientists focused on different types of oxygen that seawater had carried into the crust.&nbsp;

In particular, they analysed the relative amounts of two isotopes, oxygen-16 and the ever-so-slightly-heavier oxygen-18, in more than 100 samples of the stone.

They found that seawater contained more oxygen-18 when the crust was formed 3.2 billion&nbsp;years ago.&nbsp;

The most plausible explanation according to them is that Earth had no continents at the time, because when these form, the clays they contain absorb the ocean’s heavy oxygen isotopes.

Earth may have been a water world covered by global ocean 3.2 billion years ago according to a new study. The study which has published in Nature Geoscience suggests that in its early years, Earth may have looked like a post-apocalyptic water world.

Earth may have been a water world covered by global ocean 3.2 billion years ago according to a new study. The study which has published in Nature Geoscience suggests that in its early years, Earth may have looked like a post-apocalyptic water world. Also read: Earth has a new 'mini-moon' about the size of a car In order to gather data, researchers analyzed more than 100 rock samples from across a dry area known as Panorama that's located in northwestern Australia's outback. Scientists compared it to analyzing coffee grounds to learn more about the water that flowed through it. Also see: In a first, water found on earth-like planet beyond our solar system ''An early Earth without emergent continents may have resembled a water world, providing an important environmental constraint on the origin and evolution of life on Earth, as well as its possible existence elsewhere,'' the study stated. The scientists focused on different types of oxygen that seawater had carried into the crust. In particular, they analysed the relative amounts of two isotopes, oxygen-16 and the ever-so-slightly-heavier oxygen-18, in more than 100 samples of the stone. They found that seawater contained more oxygen-18 when the crust was formed 3.2 billion years ago. The most plausible explanation according to them is that Earth had no continents at the time, because when these form, the clays they contain absorb the ocean’s heavy oxygen isotopes.

Earth may have been a 'water world' 3 billion years ago: Study

Each year around 12 million tons of plastic waste is dumped into the world's oceans, polluting the water, killing wildlife and creating microplastics that enter the food chain.

The Battle Against Ocean Plastic

Why 11 million Brazilians think Earth is flat

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

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

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

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

United States astronaut Christina Koch, is all set to return to Earth today after a record stay at the International Space Station.

The leader of the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, Koch's mission could provide rich insight into deep-space travel.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/science-trending-nasa-telescope-nasa-bids-farewell-to-iconic-spitzer-space-telescope-277732">NASA bids farewell to iconic Spitzer Space Telescope</a>

Koch spent 328 days in the orbiting laboratory. The 41-year-old boarded a Russian Soyuz capsule and which was set to depart at 0230 GMT today.

If the plan works out well, the capsule will ''parachute to a safe landing on the desert steppe of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan'', Reuters reported. The touchdown is expected at 0912 GMT today with the aircraft carrying Koch, European astronaut Luca Parmitano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov.&nbsp;

<h6><img alt="ppp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="038a3465-e493-4201-a53f-0083f3032d06" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2812%29_9.jpg" /> 
This NASA photo released on February 4, 20202 shows NASA astronaut Christina Koch during a spacewalk on January 15, 2020 | AFP</h6>

The record for the longest continuous stay in space by a woman was previously held by NASA's Peggy Whitson.

In October 2019, Koch achieved a gender milestone during a spacewalk, which was undertaken with a fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. This was the first time two women stepped out of the space station at the same time. 
 
In March 2019, NASA attempted an all-female spacewalk which was later called off because one of the astronauts' medium-sized spacesuits was wrongly configured. This inspired gender-heavy rhetoric within the space community. 
 
This year, astronauts on the space station are set to celebrate the 20th anniversary in low-Earth orbit. The Station has held 227 maintenance spacewalks, with almost two dozen female astronauts participating in the process. Koch and Meir conducted two more spacewalks together in January.

<h6><img alt="ppp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="718f535b-f55a-4bc7-9c01-a98982817b8d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2813%29_12.jpg" /> 
This NASA image shows the International Space Station, a search light, and the Moon in this long exposure photograph | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

According to NASA, Koch's mission would provide insight into the weightlessness of gravity. Additionally, it could also help the space organisation understand how space radiation affects the female body on long-duration spaceflights.

As NASA plans to build a permanent space station on the moon's surface within the next decade, the data from Koch's mission could prove to be immensely useful.

Scott Kelly, a US astronaut spent 340 days in orbit starting 2015. From Kelly's time in space, NASA learned that spaceflights cause the thickening of the carotid artery and retina, changes in gene expression and slight cognitive impairments for men.

Koch's mission began in March last year and was extended up to April, stretching the duration from six months to almost a year.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-space-force-unveils-camouflage-uniform-gets-trolled-on-twitter-275237">US Space Force unveils camouflage uniform, gets trolled on Twitter</a>

(With inputs from Reuters)

United States astronaut Christina Koch, is all set to return to Earth today after a record stay at the International Space Station. The leader of the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, Koch's mission could provide rich insight into deep-space travel.

United States astronaut Christina Koch, is all set to return to Earth today after a record stay at the International Space Station. The leader of the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, Koch's mission could provide rich insight into deep-space travel. Also read: NASA bids farewell to iconic Spitzer Space Telescope Koch spent 328 days in the orbiting laboratory. The 41-year-old boarded a Russian Soyuz capsule and which was set to depart at 0230 GMT today. If the plan works out well, the capsule will ''parachute to a safe landing on the desert steppe of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan'', Reuters reported. The touchdown is expected at 0912 GMT today with the aircraft carrying Koch, European astronaut Luca Parmitano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov. This NASA photo released on February 4, 20202 shows NASA astronaut Christina Koch during a spacewalk on January 15, 2020 | AFP The record for the longest continuous stay in space by a woman was previously held by NASA's Peggy Whitson. In October 2019, Koch achieved a gender milestone during a spacewalk, which was undertaken with a fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. This was the first time two women stepped out of the space station at the same time. In March 2019, NASA attempted an all-female spacewalk which was later called off because one of the astronauts' medium-sized spacesuits was wrongly configured. This inspired gender-heavy rhetoric within the space community. This year, astronauts on the space station are set to celebrate the 20th anniversary in low-Earth orbit. The Station has held 227 maintenance spacewalks, with almost two dozen female astronauts participating in the process. Koch and Meir conducted two more spacewalks together in January. This NASA image shows the International Space Station, a search light, and the Moon in this long exposure photograph | AFP According to NASA, Koch's mission would provide insight into the weightlessness of gravity. Additionally, it could also help the space organisation understand how space radiation affects the female body on long-duration spaceflights. As NASA plans to build a permanent space station on the moon's surface within the next decade, the data from Koch's mission could prove to be immensely useful. Scott Kelly, a US astronaut spent 340 days in orbit starting 2015. From Kelly's time in space, NASA learned that spaceflights cause the thickening of the carotid artery and retina, changes in gene expression and slight cognitive impairments for men. Koch's mission began in March last year and was extended up to April, stretching the duration from six months to almost a year. Also read: US Space Force unveils camouflage uniform, gets trolled on Twitter (With inputs from Reuters)

Christina Koch, NASA astronaut to return to Earth today after record 328 days in space

A team of scientists from the <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/first-known-us-patient-of-coronavirus-being-treated-by-robot-276107">US </a>and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-news-wuhan-coronavirus-who-yet-to-decide-if-china-virus-is-a-global-health-emergency-276018">China </a>have reportedly discovered&nbsp;28 ancient viruses in the Tibetan glacier which were never been seen earlier in the modern world.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/only-ten-years-to-save-worlds-biodiversity-from-extinction-un-274629">Only ten years to save world's biodiversity from extinction: UN</a>

According to reports, at least 33 virus groups were also discovered in the&nbsp;glacier called Guliya ice cap in the northwestern Tibetan Plateau which is&nbsp;15,000 years old.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oldest-known-asteroid-collision-ended-earths-ice-age-study-275861">Oldest known asteroid collision ended Earth's 'ice age': Study</a>

The group published a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/heat-from-eruption-of-mount-vesuvius-turned-victims-brained-to-glass-276041">research </a>paper which stated their findings in detail.&nbsp;They had travelled to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/villagers-hold-celebrations-to-warm-up-tibetan-new-year-in-southwest-china-274069">Tibet</a> in 2015 in search of the oldest glacial ice on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/oldest-known-asteroid-collision-ended-earths-ice-age-study-275861">Earth</a>.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/why-action-on-climate-change-gets-stuck-and-what-to-do-about-it-275736">Why action on climate change gets stuck and what to do about it</a>

The scientists&nbsp;obtained two ice cores after drilling 50 meters inside the ice cap and had to undergo&nbsp;a protocol of three-step decontamination.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-coronavirus-wuhan-city-imposes-transport-lockdown-as-death-toll-rises-to-seventeen-and-no-of-cases-rise-to-571-276004">China coronavirus: Wuhan city imposes transport lockdown&nbsp;</a>

It was followed by the use of microbiology techniques to identify microbes and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-coronavirus-wuhan-city-imposes-transport-lockdown-as-death-toll-rises-to-seventeen-and-no-of-cases-rise-to-571-276004">viruses</a> in the samples.&nbsp;

''Melting of glaciers, at a bare minimum leads to loss of microbial and viral archives and in turn can be informative and help in the diagnosis of the planet's old climate regimes,'' they scientists said in the&nbsp;research paper.

However, the melted ice can release toxic pathogens into the environment.&nbsp;It is a dire situation as this can lead to several fatal diseases, they predicted.

The inability to address global change is climate has transformed it in a ticking time bomb.&nbsp;They pointed out that climate change is an added threat as it has adversely affected our ability to delineate these minuscule lifeforms and to steer clear from harmful ones.

A team of scientists from the US and China have reportedly discovered 28 ancient viruses in the Tibetan glacier which were never been seen earlier in the modern world.

A team of scientists from the US and China have reportedly discovered 28 ancient viruses in the Tibetan glacier which were never been seen earlier in the modern world. Also read: Only ten years to save world's biodiversity from extinction: UN According to reports, at least 33 virus groups were also discovered in the glacier called Guliya ice cap in the northwestern Tibetan Plateau which is 15,000 years old. Also read: Oldest known asteroid collision ended Earth's 'ice age': Study The group published a research paper which stated their findings in detail. They had travelled to Tibet in 2015 in search of the oldest glacial ice on Earth. Also read: Why action on climate change gets stuck and what to do about it The scientists obtained two ice cores after drilling 50 meters inside the ice cap and had to undergo a protocol of three-step decontamination. Also read: China coronavirus: Wuhan city imposes transport lockdown It was followed by the use of microbiology techniques to identify microbes and viruses in the samples. ''Melting of glaciers, at a bare minimum leads to loss of microbial and viral archives and in turn can be informative and help in the diagnosis of the planet's old climate regimes,'' they scientists said in the research paper. However, the melted ice can release toxic pathogens into the environment. It is a dire situation as this can lead to several fatal diseases, they predicted. The inability to address global change is climate has transformed it in a ticking time bomb. They pointed out that climate change is an added threat as it has adversely affected our ability to delineate these minuscule lifeforms and to steer clear from harmful ones.

US, Chinese scientists discover ancient viruses in Tibetan glacier

The&nbsp;collision of an asteroid with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beyond-earth-designers-give-a-peek-into-what-life-could-look-like-on-mars-275336">Earth</a>'s surface more than 2 billion years ago created the oldest impact crater known as&nbsp;Yarrabubba crater in Western <a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-to-begin-screening-passengers-from-china-as-coronavirus-continues-to-spread-275594">Australia</a>.

According to research, it precedes others by 200 million years. And it was due to it that the planet was able to exit the state of frozenness.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beyond-earth-designers-give-a-peek-into-what-life-could-look-like-on-mars-275336">Beyond Earth: Designers give a peek into what life could look like on Mars</a>

An isotopic assessment of the minerals inside the crater was conducted to prove that the crater is the oldest.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/illegal-sand-mining-still-ongoing-in-madhya-pradesh-says-mineral-resources-minister-275165">Minerals </a>such as monazite and zircon were both found at the site.

<img alt="Decrystaliization" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d97a24c7-2718-4047-999d-457695643f0c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/_110599716_usecrystal.jpg" />

They had recrystallized due to the ''sudden'' impact of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-space-probe-on-its-way-back-after-asteroid-mission-262935">asteroid</a>.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/why-action-on-climate-change-gets-stuck-and-what-to-do-about-it-275736">Why action on climate change gets stuck and what to do about it</a>

The discoveries made by researchers were published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.

The crater got eroded with the passage of time and thus making it difficult to determine its original size.

According to the latest findings, the new age estimate of this crater is much more accurate than the previous ones.

Also watch:&nbsp;A giant asteroid just whizzed past Earth, and no one had a clue!

&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/a-giant-asteroid-just-whizzed-past-earth-and-no-one-had-a-clue-239162/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

''This crater was created right at the end of Snowball Earth which is the time duration in which the atmosphere along with the oceans was involving and were becoming more oxygenated. Glacial conditions were recorded when rocks deposited on continents,'' said Chris Kirkland, the co-author of the study and a professor at the Curtin University's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Perth, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-to-begin-screening-passengers-from-china-as-coronavirus-continues-to-spread-275594">Australia</a>.

According to Nicholas Timms, the study co-author and associate professor at the same university, ''the age of this impact crater is similar to that of the demise of a series of ancient glaciations''.&nbsp;

It was half a trillion tons of water vapour, an effective and the most abundant greenhouse gas that absorbed radiation and send it back to the surface of the Earth that resulted in the meltdown of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/climate-change-due-to-deforestation-worries-people-in-gilgit-baltistan-275823">glaciers</a>.

The collision of an asteroid with the Earth's surface more than 2 billion years ago created the oldest impact crater known as Yarrabubba crater in Western Australia.

The collision of an asteroid with the Earth's surface more than 2 billion years ago created the oldest impact crater known as Yarrabubba crater in Western Australia. According to research, it precedes others by 200 million years. And it was due to it that the planet was able to exit the state of frozenness. Also read: Beyond Earth: Designers give a peek into what life could look like on Mars An isotopic assessment of the minerals inside the crater was conducted to prove that the crater is the oldest. Minerals such as monazite and zircon were both found at the site. They had recrystallized due to the ''sudden'' impact of the asteroid. Also read: Why action on climate change gets stuck and what to do about it The discoveries made by researchers were published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications. The crater got eroded with the passage of time and thus making it difficult to determine its original size. According to the latest findings, the new age estimate of this crater is much more accurate than the previous ones. Also watch: A giant asteroid just whizzed past Earth, and no one had a clue! ''This crater was created right at the end of Snowball Earth which is the time duration in which the atmosphere along with the oceans was involving and were becoming more oxygenated. Glacial conditions were recorded when rocks deposited on continents,'' said Chris Kirkland, the co-author of the study and a professor at the Curtin University's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences in Perth, Australia. According to Nicholas Timms, the study co-author and associate professor at the same university, ''the age of this impact crater is similar to that of the demise of a series of ancient glaciations''. It was half a trillion tons of water vapour, an effective and the most abundant greenhouse gas that absorbed radiation and send it back to the surface of the Earth that resulted in the meltdown of the glaciers.

Oldest known asteroid collision ended Earth's 'ice age': Study

A decade on Earth captured from space

Boeing's new&nbsp;Starliner&nbsp;spacecraft will return to&nbsp;Earth&nbsp;on Sunday, six days&nbsp;early,&nbsp;after&nbsp;a clock problem prevented a rendezvous with the International Space Station, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chandrayaan-2-nasa-satellite-finds-indias-vikram-moon-lander-releases-images-of-impact-site-265811">NASA</a> and the aerospace giant confirmed Saturday.

The uncrewed&nbsp;Starliner&nbsp;capsule is now scheduled to land Sunday at 05:47 am at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The capsule is currently in a low, 250-kilometre&nbsp;orbit.&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;engineers are programming it to re-enter the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.&nbsp;

Parachutes will slow its descent, and huge airbags will be deployed to cushion its desert landing.

Starliner's&nbsp;failure&nbsp;was the latest serious setback for&nbsp;Boeing, which is still reeling from two fatal crashes of its 737 Max airliner. The crashes, in October 2018 in Indonesia and in March 2019 in Ethiopia, claimed a total of 346 lives.

The aerospace company plans to suspend production of the plane in January.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas -&nbsp;NASA To Welcome Supersonic Commercial Travel

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-nasa-to-welcome-supersonic-commercial-travel-269033/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Too much propellant burned

The&nbsp;Starliner&nbsp;capsule was launched Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, but shortly&nbsp;after&nbsp;separating from its Atlas V launch rocket its thrusters failed to activate as planned, preventing it from reaching an orbit high enough to meet up with the ISS.

The space station orbits at an altitude of about 400 kilometres above sea level.&nbsp;

After&nbsp;calculating that the craft had burned too much propellant for several minutes -- owing to a clock problem --&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;and NASA determined that the&nbsp;Starliner&nbsp;would have to return to&nbsp;Earth&nbsp;without fulfilling its planned&nbsp;mission.

Jim Chilton, senior vice president of&nbsp;Boeing's space and launch division, told reporters that "we started the clock at the wrong time."

The craft, assuming it was at a different stage of its flight, burned much more propellant than it should have.

NASA finds a bright side

The flight,&nbsp;carrying only a dummy into space,&nbsp;was meant to be a final dress rehearsal before a crewed flight.&nbsp;

But NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine insisted that the&nbsp;mission&nbsp;was not a complete&nbsp;failure.

"The NASA team and the&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;team have been working&nbsp;hand in glove to accomplish as many of the test objectives as we can," he said.

Thus,&nbsp;Starliner&nbsp;was able to establish a communications link with the ISS, and to test in space its docking mechanism as well as its solar panels, batteries, thrusters and heat regulation system.

Chilton said the vehicle's status is "really excellent."

But a major test awaits:&nbsp;Starliner's landing Sunday in the New Mexico desert,&nbsp;one of the most dangerous phases for any space&nbsp;mission, particularly when the vehicle is designed to transport astronauts.

Starliner&nbsp;is set to re-enter the atmosphere at 25 times the speed of sound. Its thermal shield will have to resist the intense heat created by friction with the atmosphere, and its three parachutes will have to deploy correctly.&nbsp;

In a test in November only two parachutes opened, although they proved sufficient for the landing.

"The entry, descent and landing is not for the faint of heart," Chilton said.&nbsp;

NASA will have to decide whether to carry out another test flight or to trust that the vehicle is safe to carry astronauts.&nbsp;

Starliner's first crewed flight had been scheduled for&nbsp;early&nbsp;2020 -- no specific date has been announced -- a much-anticipated development ever since NASA sent up its last space shuttle in 2011. &nbsp;

Another vehicle, the Crew Dragon, has been developed by SpaceX corporation for NASA. It is expected to be ready for launch in the next several months.

NASA has committed to pay $8 billion to&nbsp;Boeing&nbsp;and SpaceX, which in return are to deliver six trips carrying four astronauts each from now to 2024.

Boeing's new Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth on Sunday, six days early, after a clock problem prevented a rendezvous with the International Space Station, NASA and the aerospace giant confirmed Saturday.

Boeing's new Starliner spacecraft will return to Earth on Sunday, six days early, after a clock problem prevented a rendezvous with the International Space Station, NASA and the aerospace giant confirmed Saturday. The uncrewed Starliner capsule is now scheduled to land Sunday at 05:47 am at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The capsule is currently in a low, 250-kilometre orbit. Boeing engineers are programming it to re-enter the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Parachutes will slow its descent, and huge airbags will be deployed to cushion its desert landing. Starliner's failure was the latest serious setback for Boeing, which is still reeling from two fatal crashes of its 737 Max airliner. The crashes, in October 2018 in Indonesia and in March 2019 in Ethiopia, claimed a total of 346 lives. The aerospace company plans to suspend production of the plane in January. Watch: Gravitas - NASA To Welcome Supersonic Commercial Travel Too much propellant burned The Starliner capsule was launched Friday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, but shortly after separating from its Atlas V launch rocket its thrusters failed to activate as planned, preventing it from reaching an orbit high enough to meet up with the ISS. The space station orbits at an altitude of about 400 kilometres above sea level. After calculating that the craft had burned too much propellant for several minutes -- owing to a clock problem -- Boeing and NASA determined that the Starliner would have to return to Earth without fulfilling its planned mission. Jim Chilton, senior vice president of Boeing's space and launch division, told reporters that "we started the clock at the wrong time." The craft, assuming it was at a different stage of its flight, burned much more propellant than it should have. NASA finds a bright side The flight, carrying only a dummy into space, was meant to be a final dress rehearsal before a crewed flight. But NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine insisted that the mission was not a complete failure. "The NASA team and the Boeing team have been working hand in glove to accomplish as many of the test objectives as we can," he said. Thus, Starliner was able to establish a communications link with the ISS, and to test in space its docking mechanism as well as its solar panels, batteries, thrusters and heat regulation system. Chilton said the vehicle's status is "really excellent." But a major test awaits: Starliner's landing Sunday in the New Mexico desert, one of the most dangerous phases for any space mission, particularly when the vehicle is designed to transport astronauts. Starliner is set to re-enter the atmosphere at 25 times the speed of sound. Its thermal shield will have to resist the intense heat created by friction with the atmosphere, and its three parachutes will have to deploy correctly. In a test in November only two parachutes opened, although they proved sufficient for the landing. "The entry, descent and landing is not for the faint of heart," Chilton said. NASA will have to decide whether to carry out another test flight or to trust that the vehicle is safe to carry astronauts. Starliner's first crewed flight had been scheduled for early 2020 -- no specific date has been announced -- a much-anticipated development ever since NASA sent up its last space shuttle in 2011. Another vehicle, the Crew Dragon, has been developed by SpaceX corporation for NASA. It is expected to be ready for launch in the next several months. NASA has committed to pay $8 billion to Boeing and SpaceX, which in return are to deliver six trips carrying four astronauts each from now to 2024.

Boeing Starliner returning to Earth early after mission failure

Climate Change Is Driving Planet Earth To A Dangerous Tipping Point.

Gravitas: Climate Change 'Tipping Points'

A place on Earth with no life

The largest of Saturn's many moons has lakes, mountains and dunes, with its surface scarred and crafted by many of the same forces which have shaped Earth, scientists said Monday.

A team led by Rosaly Lopes at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) said Titan's visible exterior was "one of the most geologically diverse in the Solar System."

"Despite the differences in materials, temperatures and gravity fields between Earth and Titan, many of their surface features are similar and can be interpreted as products of the same geologic processes," the scientists said in an article in Nature Astronomy.

Using radar and infra-red data generated by the now-defunct Cassini probe, which completed a 20-year mission by crashing into Saturn in 2017, the scientists said they could fill in many of the gaps in mapping Titan, some 1.2 billion kilometres (800 million miles) from Earth.

Dunes and lakes, they said, were relatively young while mountainous terrain appeared older.

Titan’s surface was sculpted by the accumulation and erosion of sediment and showed "clear latitudinal variation, with dunes at the equator, plains at mid-latitudes and labyrinth terrains and lakes at the poles," they said.

The region around the equator is arid, with Titan getting wetter closer to the poles.

Just as on Earth, Titan's surface has been marked by impact craters, liquid- and air-driven erosion, methane-laden rainfall, tectonic plate movement and possible volcanic activity.

Alice Le Gall, one of the team and working at Paris-Saclay University, said Titan "is the only known extraterrestrial body to have liquid bodies on its surface."

Methane exists in three states -- solid, liquid and gas -- at super-cold temperatures. It produces a cycle similar to that of rain falling on Earth to form rivers and lakes, and then evaporating to form clouds again, Le Gall told AFP.

The largest of Saturn's many moons has lakes, mountains and dunes, with its surface scarred and crafted by many of the same forces which have shaped Earth, scientists said Monday.

The largest of Saturn's many moons has lakes, mountains and dunes, with its surface scarred and crafted by many of the same forces which have shaped Earth, scientists said Monday. A team led by Rosaly Lopes at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) said Titan's visible exterior was "one of the most geologically diverse in the Solar System." "Despite the differences in materials, temperatures and gravity fields between Earth and Titan, many of their surface features are similar and can be interpreted as products of the same geologic processes," the scientists said in an article in Nature Astronomy. Using radar and infra-red data generated by the now-defunct Cassini probe, which completed a 20-year mission by crashing into Saturn in 2017, the scientists said they could fill in many of the gaps in mapping Titan, some 1.2 billion kilometres (800 million miles) from Earth. Dunes and lakes, they said, were relatively young while mountainous terrain appeared older. Titan’s surface was sculpted by the accumulation and erosion of sediment and showed "clear latitudinal variation, with dunes at the equator, plains at mid-latitudes and labyrinth terrains and lakes at the poles," they said. The region around the equator is arid, with Titan getting wetter closer to the poles. Just as on Earth, Titan's surface has been marked by impact craters, liquid- and air-driven erosion, methane-laden rainfall, tectonic plate movement and possible volcanic activity. Alice Le Gall, one of the team and working at Paris-Saclay University, said Titan "is the only known extraterrestrial body to have liquid bodies on its surface." Methane exists in three states -- solid, liquid and gas -- at super-cold temperatures. It produces a cycle similar to that of rain falling on Earth to form rivers and lakes, and then evaporating to form clouds again, Le Gall told AFP.

Saturn moon Titan shaped by same forces as Earth

Know-How you unknowingly pollute the Earth and what are the ways to reduce the carbon footprint.

How you unknowingly pollute the Earth?

Maybe we can get through the climate crisis without a global catastrophe, although that door is closing fast. And maybe we can cope with the huge loss of jobs caused by the revolution in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) without a social and political calamity. But can we do both at the same time?

We should know how to deal with the AI revolution because we have been down this road before. It’s a bit different this time, of course, in the sense that the original industrial revolution in 1780-1850 created as many new jobs (in manufacturing) as it destroyed (in cottage industries and skilled trades).

The AI revolution, by contrast, is not producing nearly enough replacement jobs, but it is making us much wealthier.&nbsp;

The value of manufactured goods doubled in the United States in the past 30 years even as the number of good industrial jobs fell by a third (8 million jobs gone). Maybe we could use that extra wealth to ease the transition to a job-scarce future.

The climate emergency is unlike any challenge we have faced before. Surmounting it would require an unprecedented level of global cooperation and very big changes in how people consume and behave, neither of which human beings have historically been good at.

These two crisis are already interacting. The erosion of middle-class jobs and the stagnation (or worse) of real wage levels generates resentment and anger among the victims that is already creating populist, authoritarian regimes throughout the world. These regimes despise international cooperation and often deny climate change as well (Donald Trump in the US, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil).

Even Trump is worried, which is why he postponed the harsher US trade tariffs against China that were due next month.

So what can we do about all this? The first thing is to recognise that we cannot plot a course that takes us from here and now through all the changes and past all the unpleasant surprises to ultimate safety, maybe 50 years from now.

We can plan how to get through the next five years, and we should be thinking hard about what will be needed later on, but we can’t steer a safe and steady course to the year 2070 any more than intelligent decision-makers in 1790 could have planned how to get through to 1840 without too much upheaval. They might have seen steam engines, but they would have had no idea what a railroad was.

We are in the same position as those people with regard to both AI and the global environmental emergency (which extends far beyond ‘climate change’, although that is at its heart).&nbsp;

We know a good deal about both issues, but not enough to be confident about our choices — and besides, they may well mutate and head off in unforeseen directions as the crisis deepens.

But, there are two big things we can do right now. We need to stop the slide into populist and increasingly authoritarian governments. And we have to win ourselves more time to get our greenhouse gas emissions under control.&nbsp;

The best bet for getting our politics back on track is a guaranteed minimum income high enough to keep everybody comfortable whether they are working or not. That is well within the reach of any developed country’s economy, and has the added benefit of putting enough money into people’s pockets to save everybody’s business model.

And the best way to win more time on the climate front is to start geoengineering (direct intervention in the atmosphere to hold the global temperature down) as soon as we get anywhere near +2 degree Celsius. To be ready then, we need to be doing open-air testing on a small scale now.

There will be howls of protest from the right about a guaranteed minimum income, and from the greener parts of the left about geo-engineering. However, both will probably be indispensable if we want to get through these huge changes without mass casualties or even civilisational collapse. 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-dealing-with-two-critical-converging-crises-on-planet-earth-2790804">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Maybe we can get through the climate crisis without a global catastrophe, although that door is closing fast. And maybe we can cope with the huge loss of jobs caused by the revolution in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) without a social and political calamity.

Maybe we can get through the climate crisis without a global catastrophe, although that door is closing fast. And maybe we can cope with the huge loss of jobs caused by the revolution in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) without a social and political calamity. But can we do both at the same time? We should know how to deal with the AI revolution because we have been down this road before. It’s a bit different this time, of course, in the sense that the original industrial revolution in 1780-1850 created as many new jobs (in manufacturing) as it destroyed (in cottage industries and skilled trades). The AI revolution, by contrast, is not producing nearly enough replacement jobs, but it is making us much wealthier. The value of manufactured goods doubled in the United States in the past 30 years even as the number of good industrial jobs fell by a third (8 million jobs gone). Maybe we could use that extra wealth to ease the transition to a job-scarce future. The climate emergency is unlike any challenge we have faced before. Surmounting it would require an unprecedented level of global cooperation and very big changes in how people consume and behave, neither of which human beings have historically been good at. These two crisis are already interacting. The erosion of middle-class jobs and the stagnation (or worse) of real wage levels generates resentment and anger among the victims that is already creating populist, authoritarian regimes throughout the world. These regimes despise international cooperation and often deny climate change as well (Donald Trump in the US, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil). Even Trump is worried, which is why he postponed the harsher US trade tariffs against China that were due next month. So what can we do about all this? The first thing is to recognise that we cannot plot a course that takes us from here and now through all the changes and past all the unpleasant surprises to ultimate safety, maybe 50 years from now. We can plan how to get through the next five years, and we should be thinking hard about what will be needed later on, but we can’t steer a safe and steady course to the year 2070 any more than intelligent decision-makers in 1790 could have planned how to get through to 1840 without too much upheaval. They might have seen steam engines, but they would have had no idea what a railroad was. We are in the same position as those people with regard to both AI and the global environmental emergency (which extends far beyond ‘climate change’, although that is at its heart). We know a good deal about both issues, but not enough to be confident about our choices — and besides, they may well mutate and head off in unforeseen directions as the crisis deepens. But, there are two big things we can do right now. We need to stop the slide into populist and increasingly authoritarian governments. And we have to win ourselves more time to get our greenhouse gas emissions under control. The best bet for getting our politics back on track is a guaranteed minimum income high enough to keep everybody comfortable whether they are working or not. That is well within the reach of any developed country’s economy, and has the added benefit of putting enough money into people’s pockets to save everybody’s business model. And the best way to win more time on the climate front is to start geoengineering (direct intervention in the atmosphere to hold the global temperature down) as soon as we get anywhere near +2 degree Celsius. To be ready then, we need to be doing open-air testing on a small scale now. There will be howls of protest from the right about a guaranteed minimum income, and from the greener parts of the left about geo-engineering. However, both will probably be indispensable if we want to get through these huge changes without mass casualties or even civilisational collapse. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Dealing with two critical converging crisis on planet earth

Scientists for the first time have detected water in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet orbiting a distant star, evidence that a key ingredient for life exists beyond our solar system. The newest exciting find involves K2-18 b, a planet about 110 light-years from Earth.&nbsp;

In an interview to WION, lead author of a study at University College London (UCL), Angelos Tsiaras, said the&nbsp;K2-18 b&nbsp;planet is the best candidate to be a habitable place out there and added that life can evolve in different ways.&nbsp;

"Like here on earth, we have the extremophiles, these are kind of life that exist in extreme environments something like volcanoes or very deep in the oceans where humans would not be able to live. Hence it could be possible that other forms of life in the universe evolve in a way that they don't need water, who knows that hence we need to find out!", said Tsiaras.

When asked about the next steps and other factors, besides water that&nbsp;confirm the existence of life, Tsiaras said,&nbsp;"The next step will be the James webspace telescope which will be able to give us a much better spectrum of the planet and also help in finding methane which is a sign of life."

Here is the full excerpt&nbsp;of the conversation-

WION: Why is this discovery of water on the exo-planet significant? Does this mean that life exists in other places in the universe?

Tsiaras: No, we cannot answer this question with the current observation. We can say that this planet from what we know right now is the best candidate to be a habitable place out there in the universe. But to find the science of life or a really habitable planet, we will need much better observations. This will come in the next decades. So, unless we have this big telescopes we cannot say more than the existence of water and the existence of an atmosphere around this planet which has very pleasant temperatures similar to the earth.

WION-What more do we know about this exo-planet? Is it a gas giant or does it have a surface to speak of?

Tsiaras: So, we know that the planet has the density that is similar to Mars or the Moon. This means probably that it has a surface. It is definitely not a gas giant. We know that based on the mass and the radius. But given that we cannot really observe the surface and we cannot say much about the surface itself. I can only think of that.

WION- The exo-planet is said to be in the habitable zone but the dwarf star around which it is orbiting is said to be more active. How does this complicate things for the emergence of life?

Tsiaras: These stars are more active than our sun. But until now there have been many studies that are trying to understand whether this is hostile or not. So for example, this star is not that active as per example some has a temperature around 3,5000 kelvin, so it has an activity and it has some more harmful radiation. But we have not detected any flares so very hostile events. In addition, if you think of an atmosphere that it is bigger than ours, so this is probably working as a better against this radiation.

WION-So what is the next step? What else besides water confirms the existence of life?

Tsiaras: The next step will be the James webspace telescope which is three times bigger than Hubble and will be flying in 2021 very soon. It will be able to give us a much better spectrum of the planet and it is a very interesting one. So I believe that we will try to find methane as a next step. As we know that on earth methane is a sign of life. It is produced because life is here. we don't know if life outside universe is working in the same way. Life in a different place could evolve differently and produce different kind of gases. What we are actually looking at is gases that shouldn't be there. Assuming that we put together a mix of certain elements we expect certain molecules to exist in an atmosphere. If we find something that it is not right and it shouldn't be there it is a sign that it could because, of life, this is what we call as biomarkers. 
Our estimate is not very good. We don't know how much water is there. So the estimate is between 0.01 per cent up to 50 per cent. It's a huge race. We don't know. It could be made out of water. For example here on Earth, mostly the atmosphere is made of Nitrogen. Imagine an atmosphere which is mainly made of water, that would be a completely different atmosphere. We will be able to bring down this estimate with smaller and certainty with future telescopes.

WION-How is the water found on this exoplanet different from the water found on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn?

Tsiaras: So the water in the icy moon is an ocean and it is liquid water. Here we are talking about gaseous water. We don't know if there is indeed liquid water. We know that the planet can support liquid water so presumably, we can say but not sure. In the moon, the water is beneath the surface, it's something different. The moon is covered with ice crusts and water lives beneath that.

Scientists for the first time have detected water in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet orbiting a distant star, evidence that a key ingredient for life exists beyond our solar system.

Scientists for the first time have detected water in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet orbiting a distant star, evidence that a key ingredient for life exists beyond our solar system. The newest exciting find involves K2-18 b, a planet about 110 light-years from Earth. In an interview to WION, lead author of a study at University College London (UCL), Angelos Tsiaras, said the K2-18 b planet is the best candidate to be a habitable place out there and added that life can evolve in different ways. "Like here on earth, we have the extremophiles, these are kind of life that exist in extreme environments something like volcanoes or very deep in the oceans where humans would not be able to live. Hence it could be possible that other forms of life in the universe evolve in a way that they don't need water, who knows that hence we need to find out!", said Tsiaras. When asked about the next steps and other factors, besides water that confirm the existence of life, Tsiaras said, "The next step will be the James webspace telescope which will be able to give us a much better spectrum of the planet and also help in finding methane which is a sign of life." Here is the full excerpt of the conversation- WION: Why is this discovery of water on the exo-planet significant? Does this mean that life exists in other places in the universe? Tsiaras: No, we cannot answer this question with the current observation. We can say that this planet from what we know right now is the best candidate to be a habitable place out there in the universe. But to find the science of life or a really habitable planet, we will need much better observations. This will come in the next decades. So, unless we have this big telescopes we cannot say more than the existence of water and the existence of an atmosphere around this planet which has very pleasant temperatures similar to the earth. WION-What more do we know about this exo-planet? Is it a gas giant or does it have a surface to speak of? Tsiaras: So, we know that the planet has the density that is similar to Mars or the Moon. This means probably that it has a surface. It is definitely not a gas giant. We know that based on the mass and the radius. But given that we cannot really observe the surface and we cannot say much about the surface itself. I can only think of that. WION- The exo-planet is said to be in the habitable zone but the dwarf star around which it is orbiting is said to be more active. How does this complicate things for the emergence of life? Tsiaras: These stars are more active than our sun. But until now there have been many studies that are trying to understand whether this is hostile or not. So for example, this star is not that active as per example some has a temperature around 3,5000 kelvin, so it has an activity and it has some more harmful radiation. But we have not detected any flares so very hostile events. In addition, if you think of an atmosphere that it is bigger than ours, so this is probably working as a better against this radiation. WION-So what is the next step? What else besides water confirms the existence of life? Tsiaras: The next step will be the James webspace telescope which is three times bigger than Hubble and will be flying in 2021 very soon. It will be able to give us a much better spectrum of the planet and it is a very interesting one. So I believe that we will try to find methane as a next step. As we know that on earth methane is a sign of life. It is produced because life is here. we don't know if life outside universe is working in the same way. Life in a different place could evolve differently and produce different kind of gases. What we are actually looking at is gases that shouldn't be there. Assuming that we put together a mix of certain elements we expect certain molecules to exist in an atmosphere. If we find something that it is not right and it shouldn't be there it is a sign that it could because, of life, this is what we call as biomarkers. Our estimate is not very good. We don't know how much water is there. So the estimate is between 0.01 per cent up to 50 per cent. It's a huge race. We don't know. It could be made out of water. For example here on Earth, mostly the atmosphere is made of Nitrogen. Imagine an atmosphere which is mainly made of water, that would be a completely different atmosphere. We will be able to bring down this estimate with smaller and certainty with future telescopes. WION-How is the water found on this exoplanet different from the water found on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn? Tsiaras: So the water in the icy moon is an ocean and it is liquid water. Here we are talking about gaseous water. We don't know if there is indeed liquid water. We know that the planet can support liquid water so presumably, we can say but not sure. In the moon, the water is beneath the surface, it's something different. The moon is covered with ice crusts and water lives beneath that.

K2-18 b planet is best candidate for life beyond Earth: Astronomer Tsiaras to WION

In a conversation with WION, Angelos Tsiaras, an astronomer at UCL, shared insights on the presence of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-a-first-water-found-on-earth-like-planet-beyond-our-solar-system-249176">water on an Earth-like planet outside our solar system</a>.&nbsp;

Water vapour was found in the atmosphere of K2-18b, one of the hundreds of "super-Earths" - worlds ranging in size between Earth and Neptune - documented in a growing new field of astronomy devoted to the exploration of so-called exoplanets elsewhere in the Milky Way galaxy.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

WION: Why is the discovery of water on this exoplanet significant?

Tsiaras: This planet as of now is one of the best candidates to be a habitable place out there in the universe. To find signs of life or a habitable planet we will need much better observations. This will come in the next decades.&nbsp;

Unless we don't have these big telescopes we cannot say much.

WION: What do we know of this exoplanet, is it gaseous in nature or does it have a surface?

Tsiaras: The planet has a density similar to Mars or Moon. This means that probably, it has a surface. It is definitely not a gas giant.&nbsp;

WION: How is water found here any different from water on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn?

Tsiaras: Water on icy moons is in the liquid form, it is like an ocean inside an ice cover. Here, we are talking about gaseous water. We don't know if there is liquid water. We know that the planet can support liquid water but we cannot say that for sure.&nbsp;

WION: What is the next step?

Tsiaras: The next step will be to use the James Webb Space Telescope, it will be able to give us a much better spectrum of the planet. We will try to find methane on the planet as the next step. As we know, on Earth methane is a sign of life. It is produced because life is here. We don't know if life outside in the universe is working in the same way.&nbsp;

Scientists for the first time have detected water in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet orbiting a distant star, evidence that a key ingredient for life exists beyond our solar system, according to a study published on Wednesday.

 
&nbsp;

In a conversation with WION, Angelos Tsiaras, an astronomer at UCL, shared insights on the presence of water on an Earth-like planet outside our solar system. Water vapour was found in the atmosphere of K2-18b, one of the hundreds of "super-Earths" - worlds ranging in size between Earth and Neptune - documented in a growing new field of astronomy devoted to the exploration of so-called exoplanets elsewhere in the Milky Way galaxy.

In a conversation with WION, Angelos Tsiaras, an astronomer at UCL, shared insights on the presence of water on an Earth-like planet outside our solar system. Water vapour was found in the atmosphere of K2-18b, one of the hundreds of "super-Earths" - worlds ranging in size between Earth and Neptune - documented in a growing new field of astronomy devoted to the exploration of so-called exoplanets elsewhere in the Milky Way galaxy. Here are some excerpts from the interview: WION: Why is the discovery of water on this exoplanet significant? Tsiaras: This planet as of now is one of the best candidates to be a habitable place out there in the universe. To find signs of life or a habitable planet we will need much better observations. This will come in the next decades. Unless we don't have these big telescopes we cannot say much. WION: What do we know of this exoplanet, is it gaseous in nature or does it have a surface? Tsiaras: The planet has a density similar to Mars or Moon. This means that probably, it has a surface. It is definitely not a gas giant. WION: How is water found here any different from water on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn? Tsiaras: Water on icy moons is in the liquid form, it is like an ocean inside an ice cover. Here, we are talking about gaseous water. We don't know if there is liquid water. We know that the planet can support liquid water but we cannot say that for sure. WION: What is the next step? Tsiaras: The next step will be to use the James Webb Space Telescope, it will be able to give us a much better spectrum of the planet. We will try to find methane on the planet as the next step. As we know, on Earth methane is a sign of life. It is produced because life is here. We don't know if life outside in the universe is working in the same way. Scientists for the first time have detected water in the atmosphere of an Earth-like planet orbiting a distant star, evidence that a key ingredient for life exists beyond our solar system, according to a study published on Wednesday.

Watch: 'Will try to find methane next,' says astronomer on water found on exoplanet

In a first, water found on earth-like planet beyond our solar system

Chandrayaan-2 headed onwards on its path to the moon after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) early Wednesday successfully carried out a crucial process to manoeuvre India's second lunar probe out of the earth's orbit.&nbsp;

The space agency said as planned it carried out the manoeuvre called Trans Lunar Insertion (TLI) at 2.21 am today.&nbsp;

"The final orbit raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was successfully carried out today at 02:21 am IST. During this manoeuvre, the spacecraft`s liquid engine was fired for about 1203 seconds. With this, Chandrayaan-2 entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory," ISRO said in a statement.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISRO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISRO</a> 
Today (August 14, 2019) after the Trans Lunar Insertion (TLI) maneuver operation, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan2</a> will depart from Earth's orbit and move towards the Moon. <a href="https://t.co/k2zjvOBUE6">pic.twitter.com/k2zjvOBUE6</a>
— ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1161395447644090368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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After it was launched on July 22, the spacecraft`s orbit was progressively increased five times from July 23 to August 6.&nbsp;

The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft is expected to reach the moon's orbit on August 20The spacecraft's liquid engine will be fired again to insert the spacecraft into a lunar orbit.

"Following this, there will be further four-orbit manoeuvres to make the spacecraft enter into its final orbit passing over the lunar poles at a distance of about 100 km from the Moon`s surface," the space agency said.&nbsp;

On September 7, the spacecraft's lander, Vikram, is expected to soft-land on the south pole of the moon and unleash the rover to explore the surface.

"The health of the spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Byalalu, near Bengaluru," ISRO said.&nbsp;

Since its launch by GSLV MkIII-M1 vehicle, all systems onboard Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft are performing normal, the space agency said.

Chandrayaan-2 headed onwards on its path to the moon after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) early Wednesday successfully carried out a crucial process to manoeuvre India's second lunar probe out of the earth's orbit.

Chandrayaan-2 headed onwards on its path to the moon after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) early Wednesday successfully carried out a crucial process to manoeuvre India's second lunar probe out of the earth's orbit. The space agency said as planned it carried out the manoeuvre called Trans Lunar Insertion (TLI) at 2.21 am today. "The final orbit raising manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was successfully carried out today at 02:21 am IST. During this manoeuvre, the spacecraft`s liquid engine was fired for about 1203 seconds. With this, Chandrayaan-2 entered the Lunar Transfer Trajectory," ISRO said in a statement. #ISRO Today (August 14, 2019) after the Trans Lunar Insertion (TLI) maneuver operation, #Chandrayaan2 will depart from Earth's orbit and move towards the Moon. pic.twitter.com/k2zjvOBUE6 — ISRO (@isro) August 13, 2019 × After it was launched on July 22, the spacecraft`s orbit was progressively increased five times from July 23 to August 6. The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft is expected to reach the moon's orbit on August 20The spacecraft's liquid engine will be fired again to insert the spacecraft into a lunar orbit. "Following this, there will be further four-orbit manoeuvres to make the spacecraft enter into its final orbit passing over the lunar poles at a distance of about 100 km from the Moon`s surface," the space agency said. On September 7, the spacecraft's lander, Vikram, is expected to soft-land on the south pole of the moon and unleash the rover to explore the surface. "The health of the spacecraft is being continuously monitored from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru with support from Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) antennas at Byalalu, near Bengaluru," ISRO said. Since its launch by GSLV MkIII-M1 vehicle, all systems onboard Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft are performing normal, the space agency said.

Chandrayaan-2 successfully enters Lunar Transfer Trajectory

Chandrayaan-2, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-shares-first-set-of-images-of-earth-as-viewed-by-chandrayaan-2-240576">second generation moon mission</a> of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is expected to reach the moon's orbit on August 20, chairman K Sivan said on Monday.

''On August 20, spacecraft will be reaching moon and we'll be carrying out lunar orbit insertion, by this process Chandrayaan2 will be around moon on August 20, we plan to have series of manoeuvres around moon, finally on September 7 we'll be landing on moon, this is our plan,'' K Sivan said.

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ISRO Chairman: On 20 Aug, spacecraft will be reaching moon&amp;we'll be carrying out lunar orbit insertion,by this process,<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan2</a> will be around moon on Aug20, we plan to have series of maneuvers around moon, finally on Sep 7 we'll be landing on moon, this is our plan. <a href="https://t.co/XUgMLKLNcL">https://t.co/XUgMLKLNcL</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1160868331039133696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Chandrayaan-2 will <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-moon-mission-chandrayaan-2-successfully-launched-as-india-takes-a-giant-leap-237666">leave the earth's orbit on August 14 </a>and will move towards the moon.

''On August 14 early morning, around 3:30am, we are going to have a manoeuvre called trans-lunar injection, by this manoeuvre Chandrayaan2 will leave earth and move towards the moon,'' Sivan further added.

Once it's in lunar orbit 100 kilometres above the surface, the spacecraft will send a lander on a controlled descent to the surface.

The lander will then release a six-wheeled solar-powered <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-will-happen-during-the-48-day-journey-of-chandrayaan-2-237679">rover that will cover about 200 metres</a> of lunar territory.

The aim of the fourteen-day mission is to examine the surface, gathering data on minerals and even water in the form of ice.

Chandrayaan-2 lifts off: India's most ambitious space mission

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-chandrayaan-2-lifts-off-indias-most-ambitious-space-mission-237777/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. The rover will remain on the moon for 14 days.

Chandrayaan-2&nbsp;lifted off from the Satish Dhawan centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on July 22.

Chandrayaan-2, the second generation moon mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is expected to reach the moon's orbit on August 20, chairman K Sivan said on Monday.

Chandrayaan-2, the second generation moon mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is expected to reach the moon's orbit on August 20, chairman K Sivan said on Monday. ''On August 20, spacecraft will be reaching moon and we'll be carrying out lunar orbit insertion, by this process Chandrayaan2 will be around moon on August 20, we plan to have series of manoeuvres around moon, finally on September 7 we'll be landing on moon, this is our plan,'' K Sivan said. ISRO Chairman: On 20 Aug, spacecraft will be reaching moon&we'll be carrying out lunar orbit insertion,by this process,#Chandrayaan2 will be around moon on Aug20, we plan to have series of maneuvers around moon, finally on Sep 7 we'll be landing on moon, this is our plan. https://t.co/XUgMLKLNcL — ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2019 × Chandrayaan-2 will leave the earth's orbit on August 14 and will move towards the moon. ''On August 14 early morning, around 3:30am, we are going to have a manoeuvre called trans-lunar injection, by this manoeuvre Chandrayaan2 will leave earth and move towards the moon,'' Sivan further added. Once it's in lunar orbit 100 kilometres above the surface, the spacecraft will send a lander on a controlled descent to the surface. The lander will then release a six-wheeled solar-powered rover that will cover about 200 metres of lunar territory. The aim of the fourteen-day mission is to examine the surface, gathering data on minerals and even water in the form of ice. Chandrayaan-2 lifts off: India's most ambitious space mission It will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. The rover will remain on the moon for 14 days. Chandrayaan-2 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on July 22.

Chandrayaan-2 to reach moon's orbit on August 20, says ISRO chairman K Sivan

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday shared the first set of images of the Earth as viewed by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-will-happen-during-the-48-day-journey-of-chandrayaan-2-237679">Chandrayaan-2</a>.

"First set of beautiful images of the Earth captured by #Chandrayaan2 #VikramLander Earth as viewed by #Chandrayaan2 LI4 Camera on August 3, 2019, 17:28 UT," ISRO tweeted.

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First set of beautiful images of the Earth captured by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VikramLander?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VikramLander</a> 
Earth as viewed by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan2</a> LI4 Camera on August 3, 2019 17:28 UT <a href="https://t.co/pLIgHHfg8I">pic.twitter.com/pLIgHHfg8I</a>
— ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1157901184520167424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Recently, the organisation announced that it has successfully carried out the fourth earthbound orbit-raising manoeuvre for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-moon-mission-chandrayaan-2-successfully-launched-as-india-takes-a-giant-leap-237666">Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft</a>.

"<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/heres-everything-you-need-to-know-about-indias-lunar-mission-chandrayaan-2-235886">Fourth earthbound orbit-raising manoeuvre</a> for Chandryaan-2 spacecraft has been performed successfully today (August 2, 2019) at 1527 hrs (IST) as planned, using the onboard propulsion system for a firing duration of 646 seconds. The orbit achieved is 277 x 89472 km. All spacecraft parameters are normal," the space agency had said in a statement.

A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, carrying the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, had lifted off at 2:43pm on July 22 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Chandrayaan-2 will explore a region of the moon where no mission has ever set foot. The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover together referred to as "composite body".

The landing on the moon's south polar region is expected on September 7 this year.

The spacecraft will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. This mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to carry out a soft landing on the moon.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday shared the first set of images of the Earth as viewed by Chandrayaan-2. "First set of beautiful images of the Earth captured by #Chandrayaan2 #VikramLander Earth as viewed by #Chandrayaan2 LI4 Camera on August 3, 2019, 17:28 UT," ISRO tweeted.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday shared the first set of images of the Earth as viewed by Chandrayaan-2. "First set of beautiful images of the Earth captured by #Chandrayaan2 #VikramLander Earth as viewed by #Chandrayaan2 LI4 Camera on August 3, 2019, 17:28 UT," ISRO tweeted. #ISRO First set of beautiful images of the Earth captured by #Chandrayaan2 #VikramLander Earth as viewed by #Chandrayaan2 LI4 Camera on August 3, 2019 17:28 UT pic.twitter.com/pLIgHHfg8I — ISRO (@isro) August 4, 2019 × Recently, the organisation announced that it has successfully carried out the fourth earthbound orbit-raising manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft. "Fourth earthbound orbit-raising manoeuvre for Chandryaan-2 spacecraft has been performed successfully today (August 2, 2019) at 1527 hrs (IST) as planned, using the onboard propulsion system for a firing duration of 646 seconds. The orbit achieved is 277 x 89472 km. All spacecraft parameters are normal," the space agency had said in a statement. A Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, carrying the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, had lifted off at 2:43pm on July 22 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Chandrayaan-2 will explore a region of the moon where no mission has ever set foot. The spacecraft consists of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover together referred to as "composite body". The landing on the moon's south polar region is expected on September 7 this year. The spacecraft will be the first Indian expedition to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface. This mission will make India the fourth country after the US, Russia, and China to carry out a soft landing on the moon.

ISRO shares first set of images of Earth as viewed by Chandrayaan-2

The asteroid, labelled 2019 OK, is about the size of a large airplane. Had it hit, it could have wiped out an entire city.

A giant asteroid just whizzed past Earth, and no one had a clue!

Mankind will have used up its allowance of natural resources such as water, soil and clean air for all of 2019 by Monday, a report said.

The so-called Earth Overshoot Day has moved up by two months over the past 20 years and this year's date is the earliest ever, the study by the Global Footprint Network said.

The equivalent of 1.75 planets would be required to produce enough to meet humanity's needs at current consumption rates.

"Earth Overshoot Day falling&nbsp;on July 29 means that humanity is currently using nature 1.75 times faster than our planet’s ecosystems can regenerate. This is akin to using 1.75 Earths," the environmental group, which is headquartered in Oakland, California, said in a statement.

"The costs of this global ecological overspending are becoming increasingly evident in the form of deforestation, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, or the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The latter leads to climate change and more frequent extreme weather events," it added.

Calculated since 1986, the grim milestone has arrived earlier each year.

In 1993, it fell on October 21, in 2003 on September 22, and in 2017 on August 2.

"We have only got one Earth -- this is the ultimate defining context for human existence. We can't use 1.75 (earths) without destructive consequences," said Mathis Wackernagel, founder of Global Footprint Network.

Maria Carolina Schmidt Zaldivar, Chile's environment minister and chair of the Climate COP25 scheduled this December in Santiago, said a major cause of the date falling earlier and earlier was growing amounts of CO2 emissions.

"The importance of decisive action is becoming ever more evident," she said.

Mankind will have used up its allowance of natural resources such as water, soil and clean air for all of 2019 by Monday, a report said. The so-called Earth Overshoot Day has moved up by two months over the past 20 years and this year's date is the earliest ever, the study by the Global Footprint Network said.

Mankind will have used up its allowance of natural resources such as water, soil and clean air for all of 2019 by Monday, a report said. The so-called Earth Overshoot Day has moved up by two months over the past 20 years and this year's date is the earliest ever, the study by the Global Footprint Network said. The equivalent of 1.75 planets would be required to produce enough to meet humanity's needs at current consumption rates. "Earth Overshoot Day falling on July 29 means that humanity is currently using nature 1.75 times faster than our planet’s ecosystems can regenerate. This is akin to using 1.75 Earths," the environmental group, which is headquartered in Oakland, California, said in a statement. "The costs of this global ecological overspending are becoming increasingly evident in the form of deforestation, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, or the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The latter leads to climate change and more frequent extreme weather events," it added. Calculated since 1986, the grim milestone has arrived earlier each year. In 1993, it fell on October 21, in 2003 on September 22, and in 2017 on August 2. "We have only got one Earth -- this is the ultimate defining context for human existence. We can't use 1.75 (earths) without destructive consequences," said Mathis Wackernagel, founder of Global Footprint Network. Maria Carolina Schmidt Zaldivar, Chile's environment minister and chair of the Climate COP25 scheduled this December in Santiago, said a major cause of the date falling earlier and earlier was growing amounts of CO2 emissions. "The importance of decisive action is becoming ever more evident," she said.

Earth's 2019 resources 'budget' spent by July 29: Report

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