A new study suggests that X-ray pulses could deflect asteroids up to 4 kilometers in width. Watch to know more.

Scientists Propose Nuclear Solution To Save Earth From Asteroid Armageddon

The world's largest hydroelectric dam in China called the "Three Gorges Dam" is a very huge infrastructure project and its size is so big that it has affected the spin of Earth.

The dam which is located in the Hubei province of central China is spread across the longest river in Eurasia, which is the Yangtze River.&nbsp;

The dam uses the flow of water from the three closest gorges, known as Qutangxia, Wuxia, and Xilingxia, for spinning the turbine and generating electricity.&nbsp;

It was found to have Earth-shifting capabilities for the first time in 2005 when NASA discovered how the rotation of Earth was affected by the catastrophic Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

This further explains how the change in mass distribution across Earth can have very little influence on the moment of inertia of the planet.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-mantle-is-hosting-strange-black-holes-with-mysterious-waves-heres-what-they-are-753231">Earth's mantle is hosting strange 'black holes' with mysterious waves. Here's what they are</a>

In a similar way, the Earth's spin is affected by an earthquake because of the shifting of the tectonic plates.&nbsp;

According to NASA scientists, this is what happened after the earthquake in the Indian Ocean in 2004.&nbsp;

The scientists observed that the mass distribution on Earth was altered by the earthquake and the length of a day was decreased by 2.68 microseconds.

<h2>Scientists explain how China's giant dam is changing Earth's spin</h2>

Scientists have explained that a massive shift in the water can also change the spin of the Earth.

A geophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre Dr Benjamin Fong Chao explained that around 40 cubic kilometers (10 trillion gallons) of water is being held by the giant Chinese dam.

According to his calculations, the length of a day can be increased by 0.06 microseconds because of the shift of mass and the pole position of Earth can move by around 2 centimetres (0.8 inches).&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Study Suggests Earth Had Saturn-Like Rings That Lasted For Tens Of Millions Of Years

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/study-suggests-earth-had-saturn-like-rings-that-lasted-for-tens-of-millions-of-years-759930/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

This is not a huge impact in comparison to giant earthquakes' marginal effect.

Human civilisation has affected the Earth's rotation in other ways also. The spin has been affected by climate change and its&nbsp;impact on the mass distribution on Earth.

With the increase in temperatures and melting of polar ice caps as well as the rising of tropical seas, more mass has gathered at the equator of the planet in comparison to its poles.

This is slowing the spin of Earth and leading to slightly longer days.

(With inputs from agencies)

The world's largest hydroelectric dam in China called the "Three Gorges Dam" is a very huge infrastructure project and its size is so big that it has affected the spin of Earth.

The world's largest hydroelectric dam in China called the "Three Gorges Dam" is a very huge infrastructure project and its size is so big that it has affected the spin of Earth. The dam which is located in the Hubei province of central China is spread across the longest river in Eurasia, which is the Yangtze River. The dam uses the flow of water from the three closest gorges, known as Qutangxia, Wuxia, and Xilingxia, for spinning the turbine and generating electricity. It was found to have Earth-shifting capabilities for the first time in 2005 when NASA discovered how the rotation of Earth was affected by the catastrophic Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. This further explains how the change in mass distribution across Earth can have very little influence on the moment of inertia of the planet. Also Read: Earth's mantle is hosting strange 'black holes' with mysterious waves. Here's what they are In a similar way, the Earth's spin is affected by an earthquake because of the shifting of the tectonic plates. According to NASA scientists, this is what happened after the earthquake in the Indian Ocean in 2004. The scientists observed that the mass distribution on Earth was altered by the earthquake and the length of a day was decreased by 2.68 microseconds. Scientists explain how China's giant dam is changing Earth's spin Scientists have explained that a massive shift in the water can also change the spin of the Earth. A geophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre Dr Benjamin Fong Chao explained that around 40 cubic kilometers (10 trillion gallons) of water is being held by the giant Chinese dam. According to his calculations, the length of a day can be increased by 0.06 microseconds because of the shift of mass and the pole position of Earth can move by around 2 centimetres (0.8 inches). Watch: Study Suggests Earth Had Saturn-Like Rings That Lasted For Tens Of Millions Of Years This is not a huge impact in comparison to giant earthquakes' marginal effect. Human civilisation has affected the Earth's rotation in other ways also. The spin has been affected by climate change and its impact on the mass distribution on Earth. With the increase in temperatures and melting of polar ice caps as well as the rising of tropical seas, more mass has gathered at the equator of the planet in comparison to its poles. This is slowing the spin of Earth and leading to slightly longer days. (With inputs from agencies)

China's gigantic hydroelectric dam has been changing spin of Earth. Here's how

A study suggests earth had Saturn-like rings that lasted for tens of millions of years. Molly Gambhir tells you more!

Study Suggests Earth Had Saturn-Like Rings That Lasted For Tens Of Millions Of Years

The Earth's crust is continually being reshaped below the Konya Basin in the Central Anatolian Plateau of Türkiye over millions of years, as per the analysis of recent satellite data carried out by Earth scientists at the University of Toronto.

The researchers said that experimental simulations, in combination with geophysical, geodetic and geological data, explained that the basis has been going through the enigmatic sinking inside the rising plateau interior.&nbsp;

This observation further hinted at the existence of a new class of plate tectonics which has implications for other planets that do not contain Earth-like plates, like Mars and Venus.

In the study, which was&nbsp;published&nbsp;in&nbsp;Nature Communications, it was explained the region has been facing sinking because of the multi-stage lithospheric dripping which is a phenomenon for the rocky material's instability that creates the crust and upper mantle of Earth.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earth-may-have-once-had-a-ring-system-just-like-saturn-it-was-created-by-759259">Earth likely had a ring around it 466 million years ago. It was created by...</a>

Major landforms like basins and mountains are created at the surface after the dense rock fragments get detached from the surface and sink into the more fluid layer of the mantle of the planet.

"Looking at the&nbsp;satellite data, we observed a circular feature at the Konya Basin where the crust is subsiding or the basin is deepening," said lead author Julia Andersen, who is a PhD candidate at University of Toronto's Department of Earth Sciences at the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science, in the study.

"This prompted us to look at other geophysical data beneath the surface where we saw a seismic anomaly in the&nbsp;upper mantle&nbsp;and a thickened crust, telling us there is high-density material there and indicating a likely mantle lithospheric drip," he added.&nbsp;

<h2>Scientists explain what's happening beneath Earth's mantle</h2>

Speaking about the Earth's mantle, co-author of the study and a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences Russell Pysklywec said, "As the lithosphere thickened and dripped below the region, it formed a basin at the surface that later sprang up when the weight below broke off and sank into the deeper depths of the mantle."

Watch:&nbsp;Study Suggests Earth Had Saturn-Like Rings That Lasted For Tens Of Millions Of Years

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/study-suggests-earth-had-saturn-like-rings-that-lasted-for-tens-of-millions-of-years-759930/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We now see the process is not a one-time tectonic event and that the initial drip seems to have spawned subsequent daughter events elsewhere in the region, resulting in the curious rapid subsidence of the Konya Basin within the continuously rising plateau of Türkiye," he added.

Andersen further stated that the new discovery has hinted at the connection between basin formation events and plateau uplift. "Essentially, subsidence is occurring alongside the ongoing uplifting of the plateau," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Earth's crust is continually being reshaped below the Konya Basin in the Central Anatolian Plateau of Türkiye over millions of years, as per the analysis of recent satellite data carried out by Earth scientists at the University of Toronto.

The Earth's crust is continually being reshaped below the Konya Basin in the Central Anatolian Plateau of Türkiye over millions of years, as per the analysis of recent satellite data carried out by Earth scientists at the University of Toronto. The researchers said that experimental simulations, in combination with geophysical, geodetic and geological data, explained that the basis has been going through the enigmatic sinking inside the rising plateau interior. This observation further hinted at the existence of a new class of plate tectonics which has implications for other planets that do not contain Earth-like plates, like Mars and Venus. In the study, which was published in Nature Communications, it was explained the region has been facing sinking because of the multi-stage lithospheric dripping which is a phenomenon for the rocky material's instability that creates the crust and upper mantle of Earth. Also Read: Earth likely had a ring around it 466 million years ago. It was created by... Major landforms like basins and mountains are created at the surface after the dense rock fragments get detached from the surface and sink into the more fluid layer of the mantle of the planet. "Looking at the satellite data, we observed a circular feature at the Konya Basin where the crust is subsiding or the basin is deepening," said lead author Julia Andersen, who is a PhD candidate at University of Toronto's Department of Earth Sciences at the Faculty of Arts & Science, in the study. "This prompted us to look at other geophysical data beneath the surface where we saw a seismic anomaly in the upper mantle and a thickened crust, telling us there is high-density material there and indicating a likely mantle lithospheric drip," he added. Scientists explain what's happening beneath Earth's mantle Speaking about the Earth's mantle, co-author of the study and a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences Russell Pysklywec said, "As the lithosphere thickened and dripped below the region, it formed a basin at the surface that later sprang up when the weight below broke off and sank into the deeper depths of the mantle." Watch: Study Suggests Earth Had Saturn-Like Rings That Lasted For Tens Of Millions Of Years "We now see the process is not a one-time tectonic event and that the initial drip seems to have spawned subsequent daughter events elsewhere in the region, resulting in the curious rapid subsidence of the Konya Basin within the continuously rising plateau of Türkiye," he added. Andersen further stated that the new discovery has hinted at the connection between basin formation events and plateau uplift. "Essentially, subsidence is occurring alongside the ongoing uplifting of the plateau," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Earth's crust is 'dripping' beneath Central Anatolian Plateau of Türkiye. Here's what it means

NASA found the 'most lunar-like' place on Earth to prepare the crew for the first journey to the moon after more than half a century as part of the Artemis II.

The country chosen for this task was Iceland which has rugged terrain similar to the lunar surface.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen and backup crew members NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons hiked across the country.&nbsp;

"Apollo astronauts said Iceland was one of the most lunar-like training locations that they went to in their training," said Cindy Evans, Artemis geology training lead at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, in a statement.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-just-recreated-spiders-seen-on-mars-in-a-lab-on-earth-758451">NASA just recreated 'spiders' seen on Mars in a lab on Earth</a>

"It has lunar-like planetary processes—in this case, volcanism. It has the landscape; it looks like the Moon. And it has the scale of features astronauts will both be observing and exploring on the Moon," he added.&nbsp;

<h2>How has Iceland become the 'most lunar-like' place for NASA?</h2>

According to NASA, the landscape of Iceland is filled with lava fields, volcanic craters, and barren, rocky terrain which has a resemblance with the lunar surface.&nbsp;

Special rocks like breccias and basalts, which are found on the lunar surface, are also present in Iceland because of the intense volcanic activity of the country.&nbsp;

Iceland's geology helps astronauts practice working in terrains similar to those on the moon and get trained in techniques used for identifying, collecting, and documenting rocks and soil samples with the help of specially designed tools.

The astronaut crew also worked on their navigation skills and spent time living and working together like they would in space.

"The tools we used during the Apollo missions haven't changed that much for what we're planning for the Artemis missions," said Trevor Graff, exploration geologist and the hardware and testing lead on the Artemis science team at NASA Johnson, in the statement.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;NASA to return Boeing Starliner astronauts on Spacex Crew Dragon&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nasa-to-return-boeing-starliner-astronauts-on-spacex-crew-dragon-gravitas-753526/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Traditionally, a geologist goes out with just standard tool sets of things like rock hammers and scoops or shovels to sample the world around them, both on the surface and subsurface," he added.&nbsp;

Humans will go back to the lunar surface for the first time after 1972 as part of Artemis III.

As part of the mission, the astronauts will land near the lunar South Pole and will spend nearly a week conducting scientific research on the lunar surface.&nbsp;

According to NASA, the mission will launch "no earlier than Sept. 2026."

"There's really transformational science that we can learn by getting boots back on the Moon, getting samples back, and being able to do field geology with trained astronauts on the surface," said Angela Garcia, who is an exploration geologist and an Artemis II science officer at NASA Johnson.

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA found the 'most lunar-like' place on Earth to prepare the crew for the first journey to the moon after more than half a century as part of the Artemis II. The country chosen for this task was Iceland which has rugged terrain similar to the lunar surface.

NASA found the 'most lunar-like' place on Earth to prepare the crew for the first journey to the moon after more than half a century as part of the Artemis II. The country chosen for this task was Iceland which has rugged terrain similar to the lunar surface. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, along with Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen and backup crew members NASA astronaut Andre Douglas and CSA astronaut Jenni Gibbons hiked across the country. "Apollo astronauts said Iceland was one of the most lunar-like training locations that they went to in their training," said Cindy Evans, Artemis geology training lead at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, in a statement. Also Read: NASA just recreated 'spiders' seen on Mars in a lab on Earth "It has lunar-like planetary processes—in this case, volcanism. It has the landscape; it looks like the Moon. And it has the scale of features astronauts will both be observing and exploring on the Moon," he added. How has Iceland become the 'most lunar-like' place for NASA? According to NASA, the landscape of Iceland is filled with lava fields, volcanic craters, and barren, rocky terrain which has a resemblance with the lunar surface. Special rocks like breccias and basalts, which are found on the lunar surface, are also present in Iceland because of the intense volcanic activity of the country. Iceland's geology helps astronauts practice working in terrains similar to those on the moon and get trained in techniques used for identifying, collecting, and documenting rocks and soil samples with the help of specially designed tools. The astronaut crew also worked on their navigation skills and spent time living and working together like they would in space. "The tools we used during the Apollo missions haven't changed that much for what we're planning for the Artemis missions," said Trevor Graff, exploration geologist and the hardware and testing lead on the Artemis science team at NASA Johnson, in the statement. Watch: NASA to return Boeing Starliner astronauts on Spacex Crew Dragon "Traditionally, a geologist goes out with just standard tool sets of things like rock hammers and scoops or shovels to sample the world around them, both on the surface and subsurface," he added. Humans will go back to the lunar surface for the first time after 1972 as part of Artemis III. As part of the mission, the astronauts will land near the lunar South Pole and will spend nearly a week conducting scientific research on the lunar surface. According to NASA, the mission will launch "no earlier than Sept. 2026." "There's really transformational science that we can learn by getting boots back on the Moon, getting samples back, and being able to do field geology with trained astronauts on the surface," said Angela Garcia, who is an exploration geologist and an Artemis II science officer at NASA Johnson. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA finalises 'most lunar-like' place on Earth to train crew for Artemis II. It was...

NASA has issued a warning as a 510-foot asteroid, named 2013 FW13, is hurtling towards Earth at a speed of 35,000 mph and is set to make a close passage by our planet.

The asteroid will be at a distance of 2 million miles from the planet on Wednesday (Sep&nbsp;18), as per NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The astronomers in Hawaii first discovered this asteroid, which is 4.6 billion years old, in March 2013 and it will make its next&nbsp;close approach&nbsp;on March 27 when it will be 16 million miles away from Earth.

According to NASA, the asteroid which is larger than 492 feet and comes within 4.6 million miles of Earth has been termed a “potentially hazardous object".&nbsp;

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-nearly-1500-feet-in-size-moving-towards-earth-at-26-times-the-speed-of-sound-758280">&nbsp;Asteroid nearly 1,500 feet in size moving towards Earth at 26 times the speed of sound</a>

Hence, NASA has been monitoring the asteroid's potential danger although the agency does not expect this space rock to pose any threat to Earth.&nbsp;

According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, asteroid 2013 FW13 will pass by Earth at 2:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday (Sep 18).&nbsp;

<h2>How does NASA keep an eye on any potential hazards to Earth?</h2>

The way Asteroid 2013 FW13 is moving towards Earth also reflects the importance of keeping a tab on space to detect any potential hazards.&nbsp; 
NASA’s Planetary Defence Coordination Office (PDCO) has been tracking such cosmic objects and ensuring that Earth remains safe.&nbsp;

The high speed at which the asteroid is travelling shows the solar system's dynamic nature.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;SpaceX launches 'all civilian' Polaris mission: A new frontier in private space exploration

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/spacex-launches-all-civilian-polaris-mission-a-new-frontier-in-private-space-exploration-757593/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Asteroids keep moving across space constantly and are influenced by the planets' gravitation pull.&nbsp;

The scientists can predict future trajectories by understanding their movements. It also helps in assessing potential risks.

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA has issued a warning as a 510-foot asteroid, named 2013 FW13, is hurtling towards Earth at a speed of 35,000 mph and is set to make a close passage by our planet.

NASA has issued a warning as a 510-foot asteroid, named 2013 FW13, is hurtling towards Earth at a speed of 35,000 mph and is set to make a close passage by our planet. The asteroid will be at a distance of 2 million miles from the planet on Wednesday (Sep 18), as per NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The astronomers in Hawaii first discovered this asteroid, which is 4.6 billion years old, in March 2013 and it will make its next close approach on March 27 when it will be 16 million miles away from Earth. According to NASA, the asteroid which is larger than 492 feet and comes within 4.6 million miles of Earth has been termed a “potentially hazardous object". Also Read: Asteroid nearly 1,500 feet in size moving towards Earth at 26 times the speed of sound Hence, NASA has been monitoring the asteroid's potential danger although the agency does not expect this space rock to pose any threat to Earth. According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, asteroid 2013 FW13 will pass by Earth at 2:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday (Sep 18). How does NASA keep an eye on any potential hazards to Earth? The way Asteroid 2013 FW13 is moving towards Earth also reflects the importance of keeping a tab on space to detect any potential hazards. NASA’s Planetary Defence Coordination Office (PDCO) has been tracking such cosmic objects and ensuring that Earth remains safe. The high speed at which the asteroid is travelling shows the solar system's dynamic nature. Watch: SpaceX launches 'all civilian' Polaris mission: A new frontier in private space exploration Asteroids keep moving across space constantly and are influenced by the planets' gravitation pull. The scientists can predict future trajectories by understanding their movements. It also helps in assessing potential risks. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA alerts as 'potentially hazardous' 510-foot asteroid zooms towards Earth at 35,000 mph

Earth may have had a ring system that came into existence around 466 million years ago, a new study has suggested. This was the period when our planet was bombarded with unusually intense meteorites known as the Ordovician impact spike.&nbsp;

The theory has been published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. It is based on the positions of 21 asteroid impact craters and plate tectonic reconstructions for the Ordovician period.

Researchers cite the place where the craters exist on Earth to suggest that the planet once likely had a ring, just like Saturn. All of the craters studied are located within 30 degrees of the equator. However, this is considered an anomaly since more than 70 per cent of Earth's continental crust is outside this region.

They believe the reason for this localised impact pattern was a large asteroid which once might have flown by extremely close to Earth. When this happened, it passed within Earth's Roche limit, breaking apart due to tidal forces. This, they say, might have formed a debris ring around the planet, similar to Saturn's rings and those of other gas giants.&nbsp;

When these meteorites fell on Earth, they likely created the craters now seen in the region.

"Over millions of years, material from this ring gradually fell to Earth, creating the spike in meteorite impacts observed in the geological record," lead study author Professor Andy Tomkins, from Monash University's School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/collision-of-asteroids-created-cosmic-dust-and-sparked-life-on-earth-study-758856">Collision of asteroids created cosmic dust and sparked life on Earth: Study</a>

"We also see that layers in sedimentary rocks from this period contain extraordinary amounts of meteorite debris."

This ring might have also impacted our planet's climate which would have cast a shadow, and blocked the sunlight, thus cooling down the environment. This significant global cooling event was known as the "Hirnantian Icehouse."

"The idea that a ring system could have influenced global temperatures adds a new layer of complexity to our understanding of how extra-terrestrial events may have shaped Earth's climate," Professor Tomkins said.

Having occurred near the end of the Ordovician, this period is one of the coldest witnessed in the last 500 million years of Earth's history.

The latest discovery also leads astronomers to think whether Earth could have these rings more than once in its lifetime.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Earth may have had a ring system that came into existence around 466 million years ago, a new study has suggested. This was the period when our planet was bombarded with unusually intense meteorites known as the Ordovician impact spike.

Earth may have had a ring system that came into existence around 466 million years ago, a new study has suggested. This was the period when our planet was bombarded with unusually intense meteorites known as the Ordovician impact spike. The theory has been published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters. It is based on the positions of 21 asteroid impact craters and plate tectonic reconstructions for the Ordovician period. Researchers cite the place where the craters exist on Earth to suggest that the planet once likely had a ring, just like Saturn. All of the craters studied are located within 30 degrees of the equator. However, this is considered an anomaly since more than 70 per cent of Earth's continental crust is outside this region. They believe the reason for this localised impact pattern was a large asteroid which once might have flown by extremely close to Earth. When this happened, it passed within Earth's Roche limit, breaking apart due to tidal forces. This, they say, might have formed a debris ring around the planet, similar to Saturn's rings and those of other gas giants. When these meteorites fell on Earth, they likely created the craters now seen in the region. "Over millions of years, material from this ring gradually fell to Earth, creating the spike in meteorite impacts observed in the geological record," lead study author Professor Andy Tomkins, from Monash University's School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, said. Also Read: Collision of asteroids created cosmic dust and sparked life on Earth: Study "We also see that layers in sedimentary rocks from this period contain extraordinary amounts of meteorite debris." This ring might have also impacted our planet's climate which would have cast a shadow, and blocked the sunlight, thus cooling down the environment. This significant global cooling event was known as the "Hirnantian Icehouse." "The idea that a ring system could have influenced global temperatures adds a new layer of complexity to our understanding of how extra-terrestrial events may have shaped Earth's climate," Professor Tomkins said. Having occurred near the end of the Ordovician, this period is one of the coldest witnessed in the last 500 million years of Earth's history. The latest discovery also leads astronomers to think whether Earth could have these rings more than once in its lifetime.

Earth likely had a ring around it 466 million years ago. It was created by...

We know that asteroids wiped out dinosaurs and changed the face of planet Earth but not all asteroids are that dangerous. Even even if they were to be our planet is far better prepared today. Space agencies track thousands of asteroids and calculate which ones are likely to pose risks to earth. In less than 10 days there is an asteroid that could fly by Planet Earth, some are calling it a second moon but is it really a second moon or a mini Moon? Well, Here's why it is special!

Earth to get a 'mini moon'? Experts believe 2024PT5 could be a piece of the moon

Scientists have been hunting the source which kick-started life on Earth and as new theories keep on emerging, a new study has hinted that perhaps it was the cosmic dust which began life on our planet.

In the latest findings, scientists have suggested that the mystery of the origin of life on Earth will most probably be solved with the thorough investigation of cosmic dust.

Earlier theories suggested that life began on Earth from "prebiotic chemistry," in which the formation of organic compounds took place, which then self-organised themselves till life developed.

The scientists noted that the rocks found on the surface of the Earth are deficient in reactive and soluble forms of the essential elements like phosphorus, sulfur, nitrogen and carbon, which were required for this prebiotic process.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earth-will-soon-have-two-moons-just-not-in-the-way-you-think-758421">Earth will soon have two moons, just not in the way you think</a>

In a paper published this year in the&nbsp;journal Nature Astronomy, the scientists noted that Earth has remained engaged in "fierce competition" for the limited reservoirs of such elements, which then raised questions about how life could have evolved in such conditions.

The most prominent theory has suggested that the ingredients necessary for life were delivered to Earth. However, the scientists were not able to explain how these materials reached the surface of the planet without getting spoiled.

<h2>Does the answer to the beginning of life on Earth lie in cosmic dust?</h2>

In the study published in Nature Astronomy, the scientists studied the fine-grained "cosmic dust" which is produced by the collisions of asteroids or the disintegration and vaporisation of comets when they move around in the solar system in space.

"In contrast to larger objects, the flux of cosmic dust to Earth is essentially constant on yearly timescales," scientists wrote.&nbsp;

"Moreover, some fraction of cosmic dust grains pass relatively gently through the&nbsp;Earth's atmosphere, thereby retaining a greater fraction of primitive" elements than large impactors do, they added.

Watch:&nbsp;Earth's spin killed life

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/earths-spin-killed-life-754692/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The team stated that this material is not considered in prebiotic theories because it spreads across a large area and hence becomes difficult to get noticed or harder to study.

However, normal sedimentary processes do form concentrated cosmic dust deposits on Earth.

"There are many planetary processes that can concentrate fine-grained materials from across large surface areas to form concentrated deposits," the team said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have been hunting the source which kick-started life on Earth and as new theories keep on emerging, a new study has hinted that perhaps it was the cosmic dust which began life on our planet.

Scientists have been hunting the source which kick-started life on Earth and as new theories keep on emerging, a new study has hinted that perhaps it was the cosmic dust which began life on our planet. In the latest findings, scientists have suggested that the mystery of the origin of life on Earth will most probably be solved with the thorough investigation of cosmic dust. Earlier theories suggested that life began on Earth from "prebiotic chemistry," in which the formation of organic compounds took place, which then self-organised themselves till life developed. The scientists noted that the rocks found on the surface of the Earth are deficient in reactive and soluble forms of the essential elements like phosphorus, sulfur, nitrogen and carbon, which were required for this prebiotic process. Also Read: Earth will soon have two moons, just not in the way you think In a paper published this year in the journal Nature Astronomy, the scientists noted that Earth has remained engaged in "fierce competition" for the limited reservoirs of such elements, which then raised questions about how life could have evolved in such conditions. The most prominent theory has suggested that the ingredients necessary for life were delivered to Earth. However, the scientists were not able to explain how these materials reached the surface of the planet without getting spoiled. Does the answer to the beginning of life on Earth lie in cosmic dust? In the study published in Nature Astronomy, the scientists studied the fine-grained "cosmic dust" which is produced by the collisions of asteroids or the disintegration and vaporisation of comets when they move around in the solar system in space. "In contrast to larger objects, the flux of cosmic dust to Earth is essentially constant on yearly timescales," scientists wrote. "Moreover, some fraction of cosmic dust grains pass relatively gently through the Earth's atmosphere, thereby retaining a greater fraction of primitive" elements than large impactors do, they added. Watch: Earth's spin killed life The team stated that this material is not considered in prebiotic theories because it spreads across a large area and hence becomes difficult to get noticed or harder to study. However, normal sedimentary processes do form concentrated cosmic dust deposits on Earth. "There are many planetary processes that can concentrate fine-grained materials from across large surface areas to form concentrated deposits," the team said. (With inputs from agencies)

Collision of asteroids created cosmic dust and sparked life on Earth: Study

In a stunning discovery, astronomers have been able to catch a glimpse of a star which has boiling bubbles of gas on its surface.

The star on which the activity has been seen is a red giant star, named R Doradus, with a diameter which is nearly 350 times bigger than the sun.

The boiling giant star is around 180 light-years away from Earth and is located in the southern constellation Dorado.&nbsp;

Even though R Doradus is much larger than the sun, however, the star is expected to look like our sun and behave like it for the next five billion years by turning into a red giant when it comes closer to death.

"This is the first time the bubbling surface of a real star can be shown in such a way," said Wouter Vlemmings, who is the study's lead author,&nbsp;in a statement.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BreakingNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BreakingNews</a> For the first time, astronomers have captured images of a star other than the Sun in enough detail to track the motion of bubbling gas on its surface. The images of the star✨, R Doradus, were obtained with ALMA📡, in July and August 2023 🔗<a href="https://t.co/CDElA8uACe">https://t.co/CDElA8uACe</a> <a href="https://t.co/ET4iBXchZQ">pic.twitter.com/ET4iBXchZQ</a>
— ALMA Observatory📡 (@almaobs) <a href="https://twitter.com/almaobs/status/1833891836517109918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

"We had never expected the data to be of such high quality that we could see so many details of the convection on the stellar surface," he added.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/another-kuiper-belt-mystery-zone-spotted-at-the-edge-of-our-solar-system-756401">Another Kuiper Belt? Mystery zone spotted at the edge of our solar system</a>

These convection bubbles were captured by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).

<h2>Spotting of convection bubbles on stars</h2>

Astronomers have spotted the convection bubbles on the stars previously, however, ALMA observations have been able to track their motion in a detailed manner for the first time.

“Convection creates the beautiful granular structure seen on the surface of our Sun, but it is hard to see on other stars,” said co-author Theo Khouri.&nbsp;

“With ALMA, we have now been able to not only directly see convective granules – with a size 75 times the size of our Sun! – but also measure how fast they move for the first time," he added.

The findings were published in the journal&nbsp;Nature. In the images taken, giant, hot bubbles of gas were seen appearing and then disappearing at a high speed beneath the surface.

Watch:&nbsp;NASA astronaut stuck in space reports ‘strange noises’ coming from Starliner capsule

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In the new paper, the astronomers have for the first time observed how fast the convective granules are moving.&nbsp;

On R Doradus, the bubbles were seen moving on a one-month cycle which was faster in comparison to how it moved on our Sun.&nbsp;

“It is spectacular that we can now directly image the details on the surface of stars so far away, and observe physics that until now was mostly only observable in our Sun,” said Behzad Bojnodi Arbab, who is a graduate researcher at Chalmers and was part of the study.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a stunning discovery, astronomers have been able to catch a glimpse of a star which has boiling bubbles of gas on its surface. The star on which the activity has been seen is a red giant star, named R Doradus, with a diameter which is nearly 350 times bigger than the sun.

In a stunning discovery, astronomers have been able to catch a glimpse of a star which has boiling bubbles of gas on its surface. The star on which the activity has been seen is a red giant star, named R Doradus, with a diameter which is nearly 350 times bigger than the sun. The boiling giant star is around 180 light-years away from Earth and is located in the southern constellation Dorado. Even though R Doradus is much larger than the sun, however, the star is expected to look like our sun and behave like it for the next five billion years by turning into a red giant when it comes closer to death. "This is the first time the bubbling surface of a real star can be shown in such a way," said Wouter Vlemmings, who is the study's lead author, in a statement. #BreakingNews For the first time, astronomers have captured images of a star other than the Sun in enough detail to track the motion of bubbling gas on its surface. The images of the star✨, R Doradus, were obtained with ALMA📡, in July and August 2023 🔗https://t.co/CDElA8uACe pic.twitter.com/ET4iBXchZQ — ALMA Observatory📡 (@almaobs) September 11, 2024 × "We had never expected the data to be of such high quality that we could see so many details of the convection on the stellar surface," he added. Also Read: Another Kuiper Belt? Mystery zone spotted at the edge of our solar system These convection bubbles were captured by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Spotting of convection bubbles on stars Astronomers have spotted the convection bubbles on the stars previously, however, ALMA observations have been able to track their motion in a detailed manner for the first time. “Convection creates the beautiful granular structure seen on the surface of our Sun, but it is hard to see on other stars,” said co-author Theo Khouri. “With ALMA, we have now been able to not only directly see convective granules – with a size 75 times the size of our Sun! – but also measure how fast they move for the first time," he added. The findings were published in the journal Nature. In the images taken, giant, hot bubbles of gas were seen appearing and then disappearing at a high speed beneath the surface. Watch: NASA astronaut stuck in space reports ‘strange noises’ coming from Starliner capsule In the new paper, the astronomers have for the first time observed how fast the convective granules are moving. On R Doradus, the bubbles were seen moving on a one-month cycle which was faster in comparison to how it moved on our Sun. “It is spectacular that we can now directly image the details on the surface of stars so far away, and observe physics that until now was mostly only observable in our Sun,” said Behzad Bojnodi Arbab, who is a graduate researcher at Chalmers and was part of the study. (With inputs from agencies)

Boiling bubbles, 75x larger than the Sun, spotted at THIS distance from Earth

Earth will soon get a second moon, but just for a few weeks. In fact, you might not be able to see it either. Towards the end of September, for less than two months, an asteroid will turn into a moon for our planet.&nbsp;

The small asteroid, named 2024 PT5, was discovered on August 7 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). It is currently on a trajectory where it will get caught by Earth's gravity.&nbsp;

Carlos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos, researchers at Spain’s Universidad Complutense de Madrid, made the revelation in a paper published in Research Notes of the AAS.&nbsp;

The duo says that the asteroid will orbit the Earth from September 29 till November 25. After completing nearly one orbit, it will zoom away from us.&nbsp;

This is not the first instance of Earth getting two months temporarily. Carlos and Marcos write in the paper that the dual-moon scenario, although rare, has happened before.&nbsp;

<h2>Has Earth had two moons before?</h2>

It has happened at least on two occasions in the past. First, in July 2006, when a mini-moon orbited Earth for about a year. Later, another object was discovered that had gotten caught in Earth’s gravitational pull.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-nearly-1500-feet-in-size-moving-towards-earth-at-26-times-the-speed-of-sound-758280">Asteroid nearly 1500 feet in size moving towards Earth at 26 times the speed of sound</a>

It escaped in 2020. This is not uncommon as scientists say objects can get entangled in the planet's gravity for a short time.

In 2020, a mini-moon was said to be lurking near us, but scientists failed to find conclusive data.

The duo are sure that it is a celestial object and not an artificial body. “The object is unlikely to be artificial as its short-term dynamical evolution closely resembles that of 2022 NX1,” they wrote in the paper, referring to another asteroid that became a mini-moon in 1981, and again in 2022.

Asteroid 2024 PT5 likely originated in the Arjuna asteroid belt, where near-Earth objects with orbits similar to our planet’s live.&nbsp;

A fascinating simulation of the asteroid making its way to Earth and out was shared by amateur astronomer Tony Dunn on X.

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Newly-discovered <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/asteroid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#asteroid</a> 2024 PT5 is about to undergo a "mini-moon event" when its geocentric energy becomes negative from September 29 - November 25.<a href="https://t.co/sAo1qSRu3J">https://t.co/sAo1qSRu3J</a> <a href="https://t.co/pVYAmSbkCF">pic.twitter.com/pVYAmSbkCF</a>
— Tony Dunn (@tony873004) <a href="https://twitter.com/tony873004/status/1833588006353310110?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The asteroid will return on January 9, 2025, with its next visit not happening until 2055.

Earth will soon get a second moon, but just for a few weeks. In fact, you might not be able to see it either. Towards the end of September, for less than two months, an asteroid will turn into a moon for our planet.

Earth will soon get a second moon, but just for a few weeks. In fact, you might not be able to see it either. Towards the end of September, for less than two months, an asteroid will turn into a moon for our planet. The small asteroid, named 2024 PT5, was discovered on August 7 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). It is currently on a trajectory where it will get caught by Earth's gravity. Carlos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos, researchers at Spain’s Universidad Complutense de Madrid, made the revelation in a paper published in Research Notes of the AAS. The duo says that the asteroid will orbit the Earth from September 29 till November 25. After completing nearly one orbit, it will zoom away from us. This is not the first instance of Earth getting two months temporarily. Carlos and Marcos write in the paper that the dual-moon scenario, although rare, has happened before. Has Earth had two moons before? It has happened at least on two occasions in the past. First, in July 2006, when a mini-moon orbited Earth for about a year. Later, another object was discovered that had gotten caught in Earth’s gravitational pull. Also Read: Asteroid nearly 1500 feet in size moving towards Earth at 26 times the speed of sound It escaped in 2020. This is not uncommon as scientists say objects can get entangled in the planet's gravity for a short time. In 2020, a mini-moon was said to be lurking near us, but scientists failed to find conclusive data. The duo are sure that it is a celestial object and not an artificial body. “The object is unlikely to be artificial as its short-term dynamical evolution closely resembles that of 2022 NX1,” they wrote in the paper, referring to another asteroid that became a mini-moon in 1981, and again in 2022. Asteroid 2024 PT5 likely originated in the Arjuna asteroid belt, where near-Earth objects with orbits similar to our planet’s live. A fascinating simulation of the asteroid making its way to Earth and out was shared by amateur astronomer Tony Dunn on X. Newly-discovered #asteroid 2024 PT5 is about to undergo a "mini-moon event" when its geocentric energy becomes negative from September 29 - November 25.https://t.co/sAo1qSRu3J pic.twitter.com/pVYAmSbkCF — Tony Dunn (@tony873004) September 10, 2024 × The asteroid will return on January 9, 2025, with its next visit not happening until 2055.

Earth will soon have two moons, just not in the way you think

Four identical spacecraft were launched into space around a quarter century ago and recently made a comeback. The European Space Agency sent a plane to capture the reentry of the four Cluster mission satellites into the atmosphere of Earth on September 8.

"The first recorded observation of a satellite reentry from a high-speed orbit, taken from a plane in bright daylight!" stated the agency.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-spooky-smiley-face-appears-on-mars-scientists-say-its-hiding-life-forms-757191">A 'spooky smiley face' appears on Mars. Scientists say it's hiding life forms...</a>

The idea was to record the way in which such a spacecraft breaks up the atmosphere of Earth after facing intense friction and heat.

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Last night, the first satellite in our Cluster quartet safely came back down to Earth in a world-first ‘targeted reentry’. 
 
The spacecraft, known as ‘Salsa’, reentered Earth’s atmosphere at 19:27 BST/20:47 CEST over a remote area of the South Pacific Ocean. 
 
Not only has Cluster… <a href="https://t.co/joLYtNpFnr">pic.twitter.com/joLYtNpFnr</a>
— European Space Agency (@esa) <a href="https://twitter.com/esa/status/1833026666496450842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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"Throughout history, so far about 10,000 intact satellites and rocket bodies have reentered the atmosphere," stated the&nbsp;agency.

"Yet we still lack a clear view on what actually happens during a reentry," it added.

<h2>Here's how the reentry of spacecraft in atmosphere of Earth looked like</h2>

The craft named "Salsa" upon reentry appeared like a bright dot above the sea surface and its reentry was intentionally carried out above the remote South Pacific Ocean - which is a region where the chances of creating damage were less.

Four identical spacecraft were deployed by the Cluster mission, undertaken by&nbsp;NASA&nbsp;and ESA, to investigate how our planet's magnetosphere interacts with the constant stream of particles released from the&nbsp;sun known as the solar wind.&nbsp;

"It even discovered the origin of 'killer electrons,' energetic particles in the outer belt of radiation surrounding Earth, that can cause havoc for satellites," stated ESA.

Before the satellites turned into derelict objects in the orbit of the Earth, ESA made manoeuvres to ensure that the spacecraft came down in a "targeted area."&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;SpaceX launches 'all civilian' Polaris mission: A new frontier in private space exploration

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"Without intervention, the four Cluster satellites would have reentered Earth’s atmosphere naturally – but with less control over when or where this would happen," stated the agency. "Low-Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbital space junkyard," explained NASA.&nbsp;

"There are&nbsp;millions of pieces of space junk&nbsp;flying in LEO. Most orbital debris comprises human-generated objects, such as pieces of spacecraft, tiny flecks of paint from a spacecraft, parts of rockets, satellites that are no longer working, or explosions of objects in orbit flying around in space at high speeds," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Four identical spacecraft were launched into space around a quarter century ago and recently made a comeback. The European Space Agency sent a plane to capture the reentry of the four Cluster mission satellites into the atmosphere of Earth on September 8.

Four identical spacecraft were launched into space around a quarter century ago and recently made a comeback. The European Space Agency sent a plane to capture the reentry of the four Cluster mission satellites into the atmosphere of Earth on September 8. "The first recorded observation of a satellite reentry from a high-speed orbit, taken from a plane in bright daylight!" stated the agency. Also Read: A 'spooky smiley face' appears on Mars. Scientists say it's hiding life forms... The idea was to record the way in which such a spacecraft breaks up the atmosphere of Earth after facing intense friction and heat. Last night, the first satellite in our Cluster quartet safely came back down to Earth in a world-first ‘targeted reentry’. The spacecraft, known as ‘Salsa’, reentered Earth’s atmosphere at 19:27 BST/20:47 CEST over a remote area of the South Pacific Ocean. Not only has Cluster… pic.twitter.com/joLYtNpFnr — European Space Agency (@esa) September 9, 2024 × "Throughout history, so far about 10,000 intact satellites and rocket bodies have reentered the atmosphere," stated the agency. "Yet we still lack a clear view on what actually happens during a reentry," it added. Here's how the reentry of spacecraft in atmosphere of Earth looked like The craft named "Salsa" upon reentry appeared like a bright dot above the sea surface and its reentry was intentionally carried out above the remote South Pacific Ocean - which is a region where the chances of creating damage were less. Four identical spacecraft were deployed by the Cluster mission, undertaken by NASA and ESA, to investigate how our planet's magnetosphere interacts with the constant stream of particles released from the sun known as the solar wind. "It even discovered the origin of 'killer electrons,' energetic particles in the outer belt of radiation surrounding Earth, that can cause havoc for satellites," stated ESA. Before the satellites turned into derelict objects in the orbit of the Earth, ESA made manoeuvres to ensure that the spacecraft came down in a "targeted area." Watch: SpaceX launches 'all civilian' Polaris mission: A new frontier in private space exploration "Without intervention, the four Cluster satellites would have reentered Earth’s atmosphere naturally – but with less control over when or where this would happen," stated the agency. "Low-Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbital space junkyard," explained NASA. "There are millions of pieces of space junk flying in LEO. Most orbital debris comprises human-generated objects, such as pieces of spacecraft, tiny flecks of paint from a spacecraft, parts of rockets, satellites that are no longer working, or explosions of objects in orbit flying around in space at high speeds," it added. (With inputs from agencies)

ESA's plane captures a rare glimpse of spacecraft's homecoming as it reenters Earth's atmosphere

NASA is on alert as a huge asteroid 2024 ON is racing towards Earth at a very high speed and will make its close flyby on September 15.

The asteroid, which has a diameter of 720 feet, is larger than two cricket pitches and is expected to pass by a safe distance of around 620,000 miles, which is roughly 2.6 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.

Astronomers have been significantly interested in this space rock because of its high velocity of 25,000 mph.

The asteroid 2024 ON was first identified by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observations Programme and has been closely monitored because of its massive size and rapid speed.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/these-six-doomsday-asteroids-will-crash-into-earth-someday-scientists-warn-756853">These six doomsday asteroids will crash into Earth someday. Scientists warn...</a>

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) which is in Pasadena, California, has been instrumental in tracking the asteroid and using advanced radar and optical telescopes.&nbsp;

The astronomers are assessing the size, shape, and composition of the asteroid for any potential risks and to look into possible mitigation strategies.

Despite the formidable speed and size of the asteroid, there are very low chances of it colliding with Earth.&nbsp;

NASA’s Planetary Defence Coordination Office (PDCO) emphasised that there is a need for ongoing vigilance and preparedness is important in dealing with near-Earth objects.&nbsp;

Scientists have been gathering data as the date of a close encounter with 2024 ON approaches and advancing their understanding of the universe.&nbsp;

<h2>How does NASA keep an eye on any potential hazards to Earth?</h2>

The way asteroid 2024 ON is moving towards Earth also reflects the importance of keeping a tab on space to detect any potential hazards.&nbsp;

NASA’s Planetary Defence Coordination Office (PDCO) has been tracking such cosmic objects and ensuring that Earth remains safe.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;China's plan: Nuclear warheads for asteroid defence

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/chinas-plan-nuclear-warheads-for-asteroid-defence-754141/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The high speed at which the asteroid is travelling shows the solar system's dynamic nature.&nbsp;

Asteroids keep moving across space constantly and are influenced by the planets' gravitation pull.&nbsp;

The scientists can predict future trajectories by understanding their movements. It also helps in assessing potential risks.

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA is on alert as a huge asteroid 2024 ON is racing towards Earth at a very high speed and will make its close flyby on September 15. The asteroid, which has a diameter of 720 feet, is larger than two cricket pitches and is expected to pass by a safe distance of around 620,000 miles, which is roughly 2.

NASA is on alert as a huge asteroid 2024 ON is racing towards Earth at a very high speed and will make its close flyby on September 15. The asteroid, which has a diameter of 720 feet, is larger than two cricket pitches and is expected to pass by a safe distance of around 620,000 miles, which is roughly 2.6 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. Astronomers have been significantly interested in this space rock because of its high velocity of 25,000 mph. The asteroid 2024 ON was first identified by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observations Programme and has been closely monitored because of its massive size and rapid speed. Also Read: These six doomsday asteroids will crash into Earth someday. Scientists warn... The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) which is in Pasadena, California, has been instrumental in tracking the asteroid and using advanced radar and optical telescopes. The astronomers are assessing the size, shape, and composition of the asteroid for any potential risks and to look into possible mitigation strategies. Despite the formidable speed and size of the asteroid, there are very low chances of it colliding with Earth. NASA’s Planetary Defence Coordination Office (PDCO) emphasised that there is a need for ongoing vigilance and preparedness is important in dealing with near-Earth objects. Scientists have been gathering data as the date of a close encounter with 2024 ON approaches and advancing their understanding of the universe. How does NASA keep an eye on any potential hazards to Earth? The way asteroid 2024 ON is moving towards Earth also reflects the importance of keeping a tab on space to detect any potential hazards. NASA’s Planetary Defence Coordination Office (PDCO) has been tracking such cosmic objects and ensuring that Earth remains safe. Watch: China's plan: Nuclear warheads for asteroid defence The high speed at which the asteroid is travelling shows the solar system's dynamic nature. Asteroids keep moving across space constantly and are influenced by the planets' gravitation pull. The scientists can predict future trajectories by understanding their movements. It also helps in assessing potential risks. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA on alert as massive 720-foot asteroid hurtles towards Earth at scary speed

The oldest water present on Earth, which dates back more than 2.6 billion years, was found flowing deep down in a mine in Canada by a team of geologists in 2016.

It was said to be the oldest water present on Earth. However, it was stumbled upon by some scientists in 2013 and among them, one member also had the guts to taste it.

For anyone tasting such water is not a suitable act and one would refrain from doing this. However, for scientists testing what they are working on is a standard act.

“If you’re a geologist who works with rocks, you’ve probably&nbsp;licked a lot of rocks,” said Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar, who headed the team, while speaking to CNN.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mars-once-had-water-but-now-its-barren-heres-what-led-to-its-mysterious-disappearance-756902">Mars once had water but now it's barren. Here's what led to its mysterious disappearance</a>

Also, not a very rigorous method, but tasting the water can help determine how old it is: the saltier the taste, the older it should be.

But it was definitely not safe enough to drink this water, said Lollar adding that it was also “scientifically too valuable to waste like that”. But she did dip her finger and placed it on her tongue to taste the water.

So, what was the taste of this forbidden water? “Very salty and bitter – much saltier than seawater,” as per Sherwood Lollar.&nbsp;

<h2>What else is known about the oldest water on Earth?</h2>

Apart from the lack of deliciousness in the water, a lot of other things were also found out about the liquid from its analysis.

“By looking at the sulphate in the water, we were able to see a fingerprint that’s indicative of the presence of life,” said Sherwood Lollar, while speaking to BBC News&nbsp;in 2016.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Is there life on mars? Scientists find 'oceans' of water miles beneath surface

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“And we were able to indicate that the signal we are seeing in the fluids has to have been produced by microbiology - and most importantly has to have been produced over a very long time scale," she added.

“The microbes that produced this signature couldn’t have done it overnight," the geologist said.&nbsp;

“This has to be an indication that organisms have been present in these fluids on a geological timescale,” she further stated.

(With inputs from agencies)

The oldest water present on Earth, which dates back more than 2.6 billion years, was found flowing deep down in a mine in Canada by a team of geologists in 2016.

The oldest water present on Earth, which dates back more than 2.6 billion years, was found flowing deep down in a mine in Canada by a team of geologists in 2016. It was said to be the oldest water present on Earth. However, it was stumbled upon by some scientists in 2013 and among them, one member also had the guts to taste it. For anyone tasting such water is not a suitable act and one would refrain from doing this. However, for scientists testing what they are working on is a standard act. “If you’re a geologist who works with rocks, you’ve probably licked a lot of rocks,” said Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar, who headed the team, while speaking to CNN. Also Read: Mars once had water but now it's barren. Here's what led to its mysterious disappearance Also, not a very rigorous method, but tasting the water can help determine how old it is: the saltier the taste, the older it should be. But it was definitely not safe enough to drink this water, said Lollar adding that it was also “scientifically too valuable to waste like that”. But she did dip her finger and placed it on her tongue to taste the water. So, what was the taste of this forbidden water? “Very salty and bitter – much saltier than seawater,” as per Sherwood Lollar. What else is known about the oldest water on Earth? Apart from the lack of deliciousness in the water, a lot of other things were also found out about the liquid from its analysis. “By looking at the sulphate in the water, we were able to see a fingerprint that’s indicative of the presence of life,” said Sherwood Lollar, while speaking to BBC News in 2016. Watch: Is there life on mars? Scientists find 'oceans' of water miles beneath surface “And we were able to indicate that the signal we are seeing in the fluids has to have been produced by microbiology - and most importantly has to have been produced over a very long time scale," she added. “The microbes that produced this signature couldn’t have done it overnight," the geologist said. “This has to be an indication that organisms have been present in these fluids on a geological timescale,” she further stated. (With inputs from agencies)

This Canadian mine has the oldest water on Earth. Here's how it tastes...

In a shocking discovery, a Canadian man spotted a mysterious hole on the surface of the Earth while looking through Google Maps. Upon investigation of the never-known pit, it was found to be a massive crater created by an ancient meteor.

<h2>Here's how the stunning discovery of the crater was made</h2>

Canadian man Joel Lapointe was checking the locations close to Quebec's Côte-Nord region on Google Maps as he was planning to go on a camping trip.

However, his research of the place on Google Maps soon took a sharp turn when he discovered that there was a 'suspicious pit.'

Through the Google Maps application, the man was able to understand that this pit was fifteen kilometres in diameter.&nbsp;

However, the way the pit was curved appeared unnatural to the man.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-mantle-is-hosting-strange-black-holes-with-mysterious-waves-heres-what-they-are-753231">&nbsp;Earth's mantle is hosting strange 'black holes' with mysterious waves. Here's what they are</a>

Lapointe then saw a ring of mountains which was around eight kilometres in diameter and was surrounding the nearby Marsal Lake.&nbsp;

He gave his findings to expert researcher and French geophysicist Pierre Rochette who then found out that the pit is likely to be the site where an ancient meteor may have crashed.&nbsp;

"Looking at the topography, it's very suggestive of impact," said Rochette, while speaking to the&nbsp;CBC.&nbsp;

<h2>What's inside this mysterious crater on Earth?</h2>

The geophysicist tested the material samples found in the pit and discovered that zircon - the mineral which preserves microscopic damages caused by the impact of the meteor - was present.

Even though the evidence hinted that the crater was created by an ancient space rock, the experts have suggested that it is better to wait for the results of all the tests before reaching a final verdict.

Talking to CBC, Rochette said that if the pit is actually the meteor's crash site, then this discovery would be "major".

Watch:&nbsp;Is the giant gravity hole in the Indian Ocean remnants of an ancient ocean?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/is-the-giant-gravity-hole-in-the-indian-ocean-remnants-of-an-ancient-ocean-611529/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The findings left the Canadian man because he had never thought that the mysterious hole spotted on Google Maps could be a massive crater created by an ancient meteor.

Western University Earth Sciences professor Gary Osinksi said that the pit is a "strong contender" for being a crash site of a meteorite.

"It's quite easy with Google Earth these days to go on and find structures that a circular or semi-circular in origin. But nine times out of 10 they're not [craters}," Osinksi said.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a shocking discovery, a Canadian man spotted a mysterious hole on the surface of the Earth while looking through Google Maps. Upon investigation of the never-known pit, it was found to be a massive crater created by an ancient meteor.

In a shocking discovery, a Canadian man spotted a mysterious hole on the surface of the Earth while looking through Google Maps. Upon investigation of the never-known pit, it was found to be a massive crater created by an ancient meteor. Here's how the stunning discovery of the crater was made Canadian man Joel Lapointe was checking the locations close to Quebec's Côte-Nord region on Google Maps as he was planning to go on a camping trip. However, his research of the place on Google Maps soon took a sharp turn when he discovered that there was a 'suspicious pit.' Through the Google Maps application, the man was able to understand that this pit was fifteen kilometres in diameter. However, the way the pit was curved appeared unnatural to the man. Also Read: Earth's mantle is hosting strange 'black holes' with mysterious waves. Here's what they are Lapointe then saw a ring of mountains which was around eight kilometres in diameter and was surrounding the nearby Marsal Lake. He gave his findings to expert researcher and French geophysicist Pierre Rochette who then found out that the pit is likely to be the site where an ancient meteor may have crashed. "Looking at the topography, it's very suggestive of impact," said Rochette, while speaking to the CBC. What's inside this mysterious crater on Earth? The geophysicist tested the material samples found in the pit and discovered that zircon - the mineral which preserves microscopic damages caused by the impact of the meteor - was present. Even though the evidence hinted that the crater was created by an ancient space rock, the experts have suggested that it is better to wait for the results of all the tests before reaching a final verdict. Talking to CBC, Rochette said that if the pit is actually the meteor's crash site, then this discovery would be "major". Watch: Is the giant gravity hole in the Indian Ocean remnants of an ancient ocean? The findings left the Canadian man because he had never thought that the mysterious hole spotted on Google Maps could be a massive crater created by an ancient meteor. Western University Earth Sciences professor Gary Osinksi said that the pit is a "strong contender" for being a crash site of a meteorite. "It's quite easy with Google Earth these days to go on and find structures that a circular or semi-circular in origin. But nine times out of 10 they're not [craters}," Osinksi said. (With inputs from agencies)

Eerie 'mysterious hole' gets spotted on Earth through Google Maps, its secret is...

Recently, scientists were caught off guard when an undetected asteroid crashed into the atmosphere of Earth on Wednesday (Sep&nbsp;4) and burned in space.&nbsp;

The astronomers spotted the asteroid just eight hours before it turned into a fireball above the Philippines.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-asteroid-hits-earth-hours-after-being-detected-seen-as-green-fireball-over-philippines-755990">&nbsp;Asteroid hits Earth hours after being detected, fireball seen over Philippines</a>

However, asteroid 2024 RW1 - which crashed into the atmosphere of the Earth - was too small to cause any damage.

But its late detection and crash into the atmosphere of Earth reminded experts of the dangers which have been lurking in the solar system.

<h2>Here are six asteroids which carry the risk of crashing into Earth</h2>

The experts have warned that from 'Valentine's Day asteroid' to other space rocks, six asteroids stand a chance of smashing into the Earth. These asteroids are:

1. Bennu 
Diameter:&nbsp;1,574 ft 
Chances of collision:&nbsp;1/2,700 on September 24, 2182 
2. 1950 DA 
Diameter:&nbsp;6,561 ft 
Chances of collision:&nbsp;1/34,500 on March 16, 2880 
3. 2023 TL4&nbsp; 
Diameter:&nbsp;1,083 ft 
Chances of collision:&nbsp;1/181,000 on October 10, 2119 
4. 2007 FT3 
Diameter:&nbsp;2,165 ft 
Chances of collision:&nbsp;1/11.5 million on October 5, 2024 
5. 2023 DW 
Diameter:&nbsp;166 ft 
Chances of collision:&nbsp;1/1,584 on February 14, 2046 
6. 1979 XB 
Diameter:&nbsp;2,165 ft 
Chances of collision:&nbsp;1/1.8 million on December 14, 2113&nbsp;

<h2>How dangerous can be the collision of the asteroid into Earth?</h2>

The collision of asteroids into Earth is not an uncommon event. According to NASA, nearly 48.5 tonnes of meteoric material falls on Earth every day.

However, a lot of them just burn up in the atmosphere and produce flashing lights that are recognised as shooting stars.

The space rocks which are big enough to punch through the atmosphere and collide with Earth are rare and do not come inside the orbit of Earth.

Watch:&nbsp;China's plan: Nuclear warheads for asteroid defence

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/chinas-plan-nuclear-warheads-for-asteroid-defence-754141/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It is very well known how a six-mile-wide (9.65km) asteroid crashed into the Yucatán peninsula in Mexico 66 million years ago and led to the extinction of dinosaurs as well as created a 115-mile (185km) wide crater.

However, the Earth is safe as for now and faces very little asteroid threat.

Speaking to MailOnline, senior public astronomy officer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich Dr Greg Brown said, "As of today, there are no known asteroids that are both large enough to be of concern and have a sizeable chance to impact the Earth."&nbsp;

According to the experts, if asteroids hit Earth anytime soon they are most likely going to fall over the ocean or over the remote regions.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Recently, scientists were caught off guard when an undetected asteroid crashed into the atmosphere of Earth on Wednesday (Sep 4) and burned in space. The astronomers spotted the asteroid just eight hours before it turned into a fireball above the Philippines.

Recently, scientists were caught off guard when an undetected asteroid crashed into the atmosphere of Earth on Wednesday (Sep 4) and burned in space. The astronomers spotted the asteroid just eight hours before it turned into a fireball above the Philippines. Also Read: Asteroid hits Earth hours after being detected, fireball seen over Philippines However, asteroid 2024 RW1 - which crashed into the atmosphere of the Earth - was too small to cause any damage. But its late detection and crash into the atmosphere of Earth reminded experts of the dangers which have been lurking in the solar system. Here are six asteroids which carry the risk of crashing into Earth The experts have warned that from 'Valentine's Day asteroid' to other space rocks, six asteroids stand a chance of smashing into the Earth. These asteroids are: 1. Bennu Diameter: 1,574 ft Chances of collision: 1/2,700 on September 24, 2182 2. 1950 DA Diameter: 6,561 ft Chances of collision: 1/34,500 on March 16, 2880 3. 2023 TL4 Diameter: 1,083 ft Chances of collision: 1/181,000 on October 10, 2119 4. 2007 FT3 Diameter: 2,165 ft Chances of collision: 1/11.5 million on October 5, 2024 5. 2023 DW Diameter: 166 ft Chances of collision: 1/1,584 on February 14, 2046 6. 1979 XB Diameter: 2,165 ft Chances of collision: 1/1.8 million on December 14, 2113 How dangerous can be the collision of the asteroid into Earth? The collision of asteroids into Earth is not an uncommon event. According to NASA, nearly 48.5 tonnes of meteoric material falls on Earth every day. However, a lot of them just burn up in the atmosphere and produce flashing lights that are recognised as shooting stars. The space rocks which are big enough to punch through the atmosphere and collide with Earth are rare and do not come inside the orbit of Earth. Watch: China's plan: Nuclear warheads for asteroid defence It is very well known how a six-mile-wide (9.65km) asteroid crashed into the Yucatán peninsula in Mexico 66 million years ago and led to the extinction of dinosaurs as well as created a 115-mile (185km) wide crater. However, the Earth is safe as for now and faces very little asteroid threat. Speaking to MailOnline, senior public astronomy officer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich Dr Greg Brown said, "As of today, there are no known asteroids that are both large enough to be of concern and have a sizeable chance to impact the Earth." According to the experts, if asteroids hit Earth anytime soon they are most likely going to fall over the ocean or over the remote regions. (With inputs from agencies)

These six doomsday asteroids will crash into Earth someday. Scientists warn...

A stunning explosion of a meteor in the atmosphere of the Earth was captured by NASA astronaut&nbsp;Matthew Dominick and shared on social media which left netizens in awe.

Dominick, who is currently aboard the&nbsp;International Space Station&nbsp;(ISS), recorded the event while he was taking pictures of Earth from the cupola window during night-time.

Posting on X, Dominick said that he shared the suspected meteor event&nbsp;with his friends who said that it was indeed a 'bolide'.

This is a term for meteors which explode in the atmosphere and create a very bright light.

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I showed this to a couple of friends yesterday to see what they thought. They both thought it was a meteor exploding in the atmosphere - a rather bright one called a bolide. Timelapse is slowed down to one frame per second for you to see it streaking and then exploding. 
 
If you… <a href="https://t.co/tn2KmWgnoE">pic.twitter.com/tn2KmWgnoE</a>
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) <a href="https://twitter.com/dominickmatthew/status/1831108500518240344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The timelapse video of the event was shared by the astronaut after it happened on September 3 as the space station soared above the Mediterranean Sea.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/meteor-that-fell-over-north-carolina-packed-force-of-10-tonnes-of-tnt-755431">Meteor that fell over North Carolina packed force of 10 tonnes of TNT</a>

"I showed this to a couple of friends yesterday to see what they thought. They both thought it was a meteor exploding in the atmosphere - a rather bright one called a bolide. Timelapse is slowed down to one frame per second for you to see it streaking and then exploding," wrote Dominick in the caption of his post.

"I think it is interesting to compare the size of the bolide blast to other objects in views like the Mediterranean, Cairo, or lightning strikes," he added.

<h2>Here's how netizens reacted to the viral video</h2>

Since the video was posted it garnered more than 12.6k views and garnered several comments..

"How much faster than real life is this video? That's a lot of lightning strikes!" said a user.

Watch:&nbsp;Stunning Perseid Meteor shower dazzles in night sky over Bosnia

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/stunning-perseid-meteor-shower-dazzles-in-night-sky-over-bosnia-749843/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Point of order, "Under the Ball" point of view should only be used for Southern Hemisphere videos. Just sayin'. You will be confusing Flat Earthers no end," wrote another user.

"Keep trying to capture the Milky Way core. &nbsp;Just imagining it in the frame would be epic," commented a third.

"This is incredible! Thank you for this. Great work!" wrote a fourth user.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A stunning explosion of a meteor in the atmosphere of the Earth was captured by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick and shared on social media which left netizens in awe.

A stunning explosion of a meteor in the atmosphere of the Earth was captured by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick and shared on social media which left netizens in awe. Dominick, who is currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), recorded the event while he was taking pictures of Earth from the cupola window during night-time. Posting on X, Dominick said that he shared the suspected meteor event with his friends who said that it was indeed a 'bolide'. This is a term for meteors which explode in the atmosphere and create a very bright light. I showed this to a couple of friends yesterday to see what they thought. They both thought it was a meteor exploding in the atmosphere - a rather bright one called a bolide. Timelapse is slowed down to one frame per second for you to see it streaking and then exploding. If you… pic.twitter.com/tn2KmWgnoE — Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) September 3, 2024 × The timelapse video of the event was shared by the astronaut after it happened on September 3 as the space station soared above the Mediterranean Sea. Also Read: Meteor that fell over North Carolina packed force of 10 tonnes of TNT "I showed this to a couple of friends yesterday to see what they thought. They both thought it was a meteor exploding in the atmosphere - a rather bright one called a bolide. Timelapse is slowed down to one frame per second for you to see it streaking and then exploding," wrote Dominick in the caption of his post. "I think it is interesting to compare the size of the bolide blast to other objects in views like the Mediterranean, Cairo, or lightning strikes," he added. Here's how netizens reacted to the viral video Since the video was posted it garnered more than 12.6k views and garnered several comments.. "How much faster than real life is this video? That's a lot of lightning strikes!" said a user. Watch: Stunning Perseid Meteor shower dazzles in night sky over Bosnia "Point of order, "Under the Ball" point of view should only be used for Southern Hemisphere videos. Just sayin'. You will be confusing Flat Earthers no end," wrote another user. "Keep trying to capture the Milky Way core. Just imagining it in the frame would be epic," commented a third. "This is incredible! Thank you for this. Great work!" wrote a fourth user. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Mesmerising explosion of meteor over Earth gets captured by NASA astronaut

The Bermuda Triangle is famous for mysteriously making anything that passes through it disappear.&nbsp;

But apart from that, Earth also has an ‘Alaska Triangle’ which is located close to the northern coastal city of Utqiagvik and has remained a mystery after the disappearance of more than 20,000 people.&nbsp;

Since the early 1970s, more than 20,000 people have mysteriously vanished in this vast triangle because of which the population in this location is sparse, reported IFL Science.

Statistically, Alaska has recorded double the national average of disappearance cases and an average of&nbsp;2,250 people have been vanishing&nbsp;every year.

Some of the famous people who went missing in this triangle included two politicians and US House Majority Leader Thomas Hale Boggs Sr and Alaska Congressman Nick Begich.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/china-has-massive-and-dense-sinkholes-heres-what-are-hidden-in-these-mysterious-pits-745860">China has massive and dense sinkholes! Here’s what’s hidden in these mysterious pit</a>s

The two were flying along with Begich's aide Russell Brown and pilot Don Jonz in an aircraft from Anchorage to Juneau when suddenly it went missing on October 16, 1972.&nbsp;

Even after an extensive search, neither the bodies nor the plane were&nbsp;discovered.

However, the remains of some of those who went missing were later found.&nbsp;

Gary Frank Sotherden, 25, had disappeared while hunting in the remote area in the 1970s and after two decades, a human skull was found along the Porcupine River in northeastern Alaska.

In 2022, its DNA was tested and it was confirmed that the skull belonged to Sotherden who most probably was killed by a bear.

<h2>What leads to such disappearances in the Alaska Triangle?</h2>

Some of the theories have suggested that there is unusual magnetic activity in the Alaska Triangle or probably a lot of extraterrestrial aliens have been visiting the area.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Peru: Uncontacted tribe seen in Peruvian Amazon where loggers are active

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/peru-uncontacted-tribe-seen-in-peruvian-amazon-where-loggers-are-active-741796/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

However, some simpler explanations have been that it is vast land which is full of wilderness and natural dangers which can be the reason why people have gone missing and never been found again.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The Bermuda Triangle is famous for mysteriously making anything that passes through it disappear. But apart from that, Earth also has an ‘Alaska Triangle’ which is located close to the northern coastal city of Utqiagvik and has remained a mystery after the disappearance of more than 20,000 people.

The Bermuda Triangle is famous for mysteriously making anything that passes through it disappear. But apart from that, Earth also has an ‘Alaska Triangle’ which is located close to the northern coastal city of Utqiagvik and has remained a mystery after the disappearance of more than 20,000 people. Since the early 1970s, more than 20,000 people have mysteriously vanished in this vast triangle because of which the population in this location is sparse, reported IFL Science. Statistically, Alaska has recorded double the national average of disappearance cases and an average of 2,250 people have been vanishing every year. Some of the famous people who went missing in this triangle included two politicians and US House Majority Leader Thomas Hale Boggs Sr and Alaska Congressman Nick Begich. Also Read: China has massive and dense sinkholes! Here’s what’s hidden in these mysterious pits The two were flying along with Begich's aide Russell Brown and pilot Don Jonz in an aircraft from Anchorage to Juneau when suddenly it went missing on October 16, 1972. Even after an extensive search, neither the bodies nor the plane were discovered. However, the remains of some of those who went missing were later found. Gary Frank Sotherden, 25, had disappeared while hunting in the remote area in the 1970s and after two decades, a human skull was found along the Porcupine River in northeastern Alaska. In 2022, its DNA was tested and it was confirmed that the skull belonged to Sotherden who most probably was killed by a bear. What leads to such disappearances in the Alaska Triangle? Some of the theories have suggested that there is unusual magnetic activity in the Alaska Triangle or probably a lot of extraterrestrial aliens have been visiting the area. Watch: Peru: Uncontacted tribe seen in Peruvian Amazon where loggers are active However, some simpler explanations have been that it is vast land which is full of wilderness and natural dangers which can be the reason why people have gone missing and never been found again. (With inputs from agencies)

Earth has a mysterious ‘Alaska Triangle’ where more than 20,000 people disappeared. Here's why

A stunning timelapse video of Earth completing an entire rotation as the day moves from the start to the end has been recorded by the Himawari-8 satellite and shared on social media which left the netizens marvelled.&nbsp;

The footage provides a breathtaking view of the rotation of the Earth in space within a few seconds.

The footage was shared on social media platform X by the account @wonderofscience. In the post, it was said that the full day’s rotation of the Earth has been captured in which the planet is seen seamlessly transitioning from daylight to darkness.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/when-continents-shift-on-earth-volcanoes-erupt-fountains-of-diamonds-study-754268">When continents shift on Earth, volcanoes erupt fountains of diamonds: Study</a>

The caption with the post read, “A day passing on planet Earth seen from 36,000 kilometres (22,000 miles) by the satellite Himawari-8."

The video was shot from an altitude of 36,000 kilometres and gives a stunning perspective of the daily cycle of Earth in which the sunlight was seen moving across the globe.&nbsp;

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A day passing on planet Earth seen from 36,000 kilometers (22,000 miles) by the satellite Himawari-8. (Watch full screen) <a href="https://t.co/CU6GU9AuEM">pic.twitter.com/CU6GU9AuEM</a>
— Wonder of Science (@wonderofscience) <a href="https://twitter.com/wonderofscience/status/1828454675009478788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2024</a></blockquote>
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At one point, the Sun was casting light on one side of the planet while the other side moved into shadow.&nbsp;

<h2>Here's how netizens reacted to the viral video</h2>

The viewers were left in awe because of the visual splendour as many people commented about seeing mesmerising cloud formations and how the video showed a stunning interplay of light and dark.

Watch:&nbsp;Earth slows down by 1.33 milliseconds

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/earth-slows-down-by-133-milliseconds-741345/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Earth is beautiful. Similar planet has not been found in the entire cosmos. Don’t let it get destroyed," commented a user, while reacting to the video.

"That's how fast it is?" another user said. 
&nbsp; 
"Amazing to see the clouds forming. &nbsp;Only one of God's MANY beautiful creations," a third user commented.

"Wow! A day pass a lot quicker in space, doesn't it?" wrote a fourth user.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A stunning timelapse video of Earth completing an entire rotation as the day moves from the start to the end has been recorded by the Himawari-8 satellite and shared on social media which left the netizens marvelled.

A stunning timelapse video of Earth completing an entire rotation as the day moves from the start to the end has been recorded by the Himawari-8 satellite and shared on social media which left the netizens marvelled. The footage provides a breathtaking view of the rotation of the Earth in space within a few seconds. The footage was shared on social media platform X by the account @wonderofscience. In the post, it was said that the full day’s rotation of the Earth has been captured in which the planet is seen seamlessly transitioning from daylight to darkness. Also Read: When continents shift on Earth, volcanoes erupt fountains of diamonds: Study The caption with the post read, “A day passing on planet Earth seen from 36,000 kilometres (22,000 miles) by the satellite Himawari-8." The video was shot from an altitude of 36,000 kilometres and gives a stunning perspective of the daily cycle of Earth in which the sunlight was seen moving across the globe. A day passing on planet Earth seen from 36,000 kilometers (22,000 miles) by the satellite Himawari-8. (Watch full screen) pic.twitter.com/CU6GU9AuEM — Wonder of Science (@wonderofscience) August 27, 2024 × At one point, the Sun was casting light on one side of the planet while the other side moved into shadow. Here's how netizens reacted to the viral video The viewers were left in awe because of the visual splendour as many people commented about seeing mesmerising cloud formations and how the video showed a stunning interplay of light and dark. Watch: Earth slows down by 1.33 milliseconds "Earth is beautiful. Similar planet has not been found in the entire cosmos. Don’t let it get destroyed," commented a user, while reacting to the video. "That's how fast it is?" another user said. "Amazing to see the clouds forming. Only one of God's MANY beautiful creations," a third user commented. "Wow! A day pass a lot quicker in space, doesn't it?" wrote a fourth user. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Earth's completion of full rotation captured in stunning timelapse video

A former NASA astronaut says humans are living "a big lie". Ron Garan, who spent 178 days in space, witnessed a shift in his perspective about our existence on Earth, saying that "we’re paying a very high price".&nbsp;

Garan is not only an astronaut but also a fighter pilot and a social entrepreneur. He has spent time on a space shuttle, the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and the International Space Station. Looking down on Earth, he says he was hit by a 'sobering realisation'.

In an interview with Big Think, Garan said that people on Earth treat the "life-support systems of our planet as the [...] subsidiary of the global economy". Every human-made system is treated that way, he said.&nbsp;

"I saw an iridescent biosphere teaming with life. I didn't see an economy, but since our human-made systems treat everything including the very life-support systems of our planet as the [...] subsidiary of the global economy, it's obvious from the vanish point of space that we're living a lie," he said.

He says that after he returned from space, his perspective changed due to the 'Overview Effect'. Things started appearing differently to him after he saw how Earth was hanging in the darkness of space.&nbsp;

"The Overview Effect describes the shift that astronauts have when they see the planet hanging in the blackness of space," Garan said. "There's this lightbulb that pops up when we realize how interconnected and interdependent we all are," he added.

<h2>Humanity is 'floating in darkness'</h2>

Humanity faces a lot of problems on Earth - wars, hunger, poverty and more. Countries are fighting with each other for territory, the rich are busy filling their vaults and more. The problems, Garan says, continue to remain because humanity does not see the "actual picture".&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-apophis-can-collide-with-earth-but-only-if-this-happens-the-odds-of-755711">'God of chaos' asteroid can hit Earth, but only if THIS happens. 'The odds of...'</a>

"Part of the reasons we're not solving the problems is because we don't have the right perspective, we're not addressing things in the reality of the situation," Garan says.

"We think we know the whole picture, when in reality we see a very very small representation," he added.

This is why, Garan says, "We're paying a really high price right now, as a civilisation."

A former NASA astronaut says humans are living "a big lie". Ron Garan, who spent 178 days in space, witnessed a shift in his perspective about our existence on Earth, saying that "we’re paying a very high price".

A former NASA astronaut says humans are living "a big lie". Ron Garan, who spent 178 days in space, witnessed a shift in his perspective about our existence on Earth, saying that "we’re paying a very high price". Garan is not only an astronaut but also a fighter pilot and a social entrepreneur. He has spent time on a space shuttle, the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and the International Space Station. Looking down on Earth, he says he was hit by a 'sobering realisation'. In an interview with Big Think, Garan said that people on Earth treat the "life-support systems of our planet as the [...] subsidiary of the global economy". Every human-made system is treated that way, he said. "I saw an iridescent biosphere teaming with life. I didn't see an economy, but since our human-made systems treat everything including the very life-support systems of our planet as the [...] subsidiary of the global economy, it's obvious from the vanish point of space that we're living a lie," he said. He says that after he returned from space, his perspective changed due to the 'Overview Effect'. Things started appearing differently to him after he saw how Earth was hanging in the darkness of space. "The Overview Effect describes the shift that astronauts have when they see the planet hanging in the blackness of space," Garan said. "There's this lightbulb that pops up when we realize how interconnected and interdependent we all are," he added. Humanity is 'floating in darkness' Humanity faces a lot of problems on Earth - wars, hunger, poverty and more. Countries are fighting with each other for territory, the rich are busy filling their vaults and more. The problems, Garan says, continue to remain because humanity does not see the "actual picture". Also Read: 'God of chaos' asteroid can hit Earth, but only if THIS happens. 'The odds of...' "Part of the reasons we're not solving the problems is because we don't have the right perspective, we're not addressing things in the reality of the situation," Garan says. "We think we know the whole picture, when in reality we see a very very small representation," he added. This is why, Garan says, "We're paying a really high price right now, as a civilisation."

Astronaut who spent 178 days in space says humanity is living 'a big lie'

The samples collected from the 4.5-billion-year-old Asteroid Bennu and brought to Earth are being studied by researchers from&nbsp;Curtin University, who are part of an international team, to understand the origins of our solar system.&nbsp;

The scientists carrying out the research have said that the asteroid most likely existed before the birth of the Solar System and may have brought water and life to Earth.&nbsp;

NASA’s billion-dollar&nbsp;OSIRIS-REx&nbsp;mission completed its seven-year journey in September last year and brought back samples from the asteroid Bennu. Its specimens were sent to different research laboratories across the world, which included Curtin.

In a new study, which has been published in&nbsp;Meteoritics and Planetary Science, some amazing findings from the samples have been revealed.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/asteroid-20-times-bigger-than-dinosaur-killer-deviated-solar-systems-largest-moon-755527">Asteroid 20 times bigger than dinosaur killer altered Ganymede's position</a>

The scientists found dark particles, which ranged from dust-sized to approximately 3.5 cm long, along with some lighter particles and stones, with&nbsp;brighter material that formed veins and crusts in the samples of the asteroid.

“Analyses show Bennu is among the most chemically primitive materials known, similar in composition to the visible surface of the sun,” said OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team member Associate Professor Nick Timms.

“This indicates Bennu has undergone different processes to the planets, and these processes changed the abundance of particular elements relative to the sun," he added.

In the analysis of the samples, the presence of various components were also confirmed, like hydrated phyllosilicates, which is a type of mineral that forms when water is present, and carbon-rich material.

“This means asteroids such as this may have played a key role in delivering water and the building blocks of life to Earth,” said Associate Professor Timms.

<h2>Asteroid Bennu's samples have presolar grains which existed before Solar System</h2>

The scientists also found some unexpected components in the samples. “We were surprised to find magnesium-sodium phosphates, which further suggests Bennu experienced chemical environments which possibly involved water," said Associate Professor Timms.

Watch:&nbsp;China plans nukes against asteroids

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-plans-nukes-against-asteroids-754309/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“We also found other trace minerals, which offer clues as to the processes which have happened on Bennu over billions of years, such as temperature and pressure conditions. These trace minerals help paint a picture of Bennu’s evolution and also offer insights into the early solar system and how the different planetary bodies in the solar system were created," he added.

“The sample has presolar grains created before our solar system existed, which can provide a detailed biography of the lives of ancient stars,” the professor further said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The samples collected from the 4.5-billion-year-old Asteroid Bennu and brought to Earth are being studied by researchers from Curtin University, who are part of an international team, to understand the origins of our solar system.

The samples collected from the 4.5-billion-year-old Asteroid Bennu and brought to Earth are being studied by researchers from Curtin University, who are part of an international team, to understand the origins of our solar system. The scientists carrying out the research have said that the asteroid most likely existed before the birth of the Solar System and may have brought water and life to Earth. NASA’s billion-dollar OSIRIS-REx mission completed its seven-year journey in September last year and brought back samples from the asteroid Bennu. Its specimens were sent to different research laboratories across the world, which included Curtin. In a new study, which has been published in Meteoritics and Planetary Science, some amazing findings from the samples have been revealed. Also Read: Asteroid 20 times bigger than dinosaur killer altered Ganymede's position The scientists found dark particles, which ranged from dust-sized to approximately 3.5 cm long, along with some lighter particles and stones, with brighter material that formed veins and crusts in the samples of the asteroid. “Analyses show Bennu is among the most chemically primitive materials known, similar in composition to the visible surface of the sun,” said OSIRIS-REx Sample Analysis Team member Associate Professor Nick Timms. “This indicates Bennu has undergone different processes to the planets, and these processes changed the abundance of particular elements relative to the sun," he added. In the analysis of the samples, the presence of various components were also confirmed, like hydrated phyllosilicates, which is a type of mineral that forms when water is present, and carbon-rich material. “This means asteroids such as this may have played a key role in delivering water and the building blocks of life to Earth,” said Associate Professor Timms. Asteroid Bennu's samples have presolar grains which existed before Solar System The scientists also found some unexpected components in the samples. “We were surprised to find magnesium-sodium phosphates, which further suggests Bennu experienced chemical environments which possibly involved water," said Associate Professor Timms. Watch: China plans nukes against asteroids “We also found other trace minerals, which offer clues as to the processes which have happened on Bennu over billions of years, such as temperature and pressure conditions. These trace minerals help paint a picture of Bennu’s evolution and also offer insights into the early solar system and how the different planetary bodies in the solar system were created," he added. “The sample has presolar grains created before our solar system existed, which can provide a detailed biography of the lives of ancient stars,” the professor further said. (With inputs from agencies)

Asteroid Bennu brought life and water to Earth, it existed before Solar System's origin: Study

Siberia has been hosting a massive hole called the “Gateway to Hell" which has grown triple in size in just 30 years, according to scientists.

The 200-acre wide and 300-foot deep hole is present in the Yana highlands of Siberia and is called the 'Batagaika Crater'.&nbsp;

It has now been observed that the hole has been expanding faster than expected because of climate change.&nbsp;

The hole, which is officially known as Batagay, is the second-oldest permafrost on Earth.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/earths-mantle-is-hosting-strange-black-holes-with-mysterious-waves-heres-what-they-are-753231">Earth's mantle is hosting strange 'black holes' with mysterious waves. Here's what they are</a>

It is so big that it is visible from space and now the experts are flocking to the deep pit to learn everything about it.&nbsp;

Roger Michaelides, a&nbsp;geophysicist at Washington University, said, “You're talking mostly about frozen dirt underground, which by definition you often can't see unless it's been exposed somehow, like in this mega slump."

"I think there is a lot we can learn from Batagaika, not only in terms of understanding how Batagaika will evolve with time, but also how similar features might develop and evolve over the Arctic," he added while speaking to Business Insider.&nbsp;

"Even if they're a tenth or a hundredth the size of Batagaika, the physics is fundamentally the same," Michaelides further said.&nbsp;

<h2>All about expanding 'Gateway to Hell' in Siberia</h2>

During the Quaternary Ice Age, about 2.58 million years ago, the land at the site had permanently frozen.&nbsp;

The locals first spotted Batagay in Yakutia,&nbsp;Russia and claimed that they heard horrific noises like loud booms or “screams” coming from it.

In the 1960S, the forest area was cleared and sunlight started reaching the ground of the hole and began warming it.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;How Earth's spin may have killed 90% of life

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/how-earths-spin-may-have-killed-90-of-life-754747/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It is still melting and some scientists have warned that this gateway can engulf most of the land and prove dangerous for nearby villages once more areas start to melt.&nbsp;

Nikita Tananaev, a researcher at Melnikov Permafrost Institute in Yakutsk, who was not part of the study, said that the nearby ecosystems are altering permanently because of leakage from the crater.

"This will lead to significant alterations to the riverine habitat, and the effect of sediment escaping the slump [the Batagaika crater] is even seen in the Yana River, the major river in the vicinity," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Siberia has been hosting a massive hole called the “Gateway to Hell" which has grown triple in size in just 30 years, according to scientists. The 200-acre wide and 300-foot deep hole is present in the Yana highlands of Siberia and is called the 'Batagaika Crater'.

Siberia has been hosting a massive hole called the “Gateway to Hell" which has grown triple in size in just 30 years, according to scientists. The 200-acre wide and 300-foot deep hole is present in the Yana highlands of Siberia and is called the 'Batagaika Crater'. It has now been observed that the hole has been expanding faster than expected because of climate change. The hole, which is officially known as Batagay, is the second-oldest permafrost on Earth. Also Read: Earth's mantle is hosting strange 'black holes' with mysterious waves. Here's what they are It is so big that it is visible from space and now the experts are flocking to the deep pit to learn everything about it. Roger Michaelides, a geophysicist at Washington University, said, “You're talking mostly about frozen dirt underground, which by definition you often can't see unless it's been exposed somehow, like in this mega slump." "I think there is a lot we can learn from Batagaika, not only in terms of understanding how Batagaika will evolve with time, but also how similar features might develop and evolve over the Arctic," he added while speaking to Business Insider. "Even if they're a tenth or a hundredth the size of Batagaika, the physics is fundamentally the same," Michaelides further said. All about expanding 'Gateway to Hell' in Siberia During the Quaternary Ice Age, about 2.58 million years ago, the land at the site had permanently frozen. The locals first spotted Batagay in Yakutia, Russia and claimed that they heard horrific noises like loud booms or “screams” coming from it. In the 1960S, the forest area was cleared and sunlight started reaching the ground of the hole and began warming it. Watch: How Earth's spin may have killed 90% of life It is still melting and some scientists have warned that this gateway can engulf most of the land and prove dangerous for nearby villages once more areas start to melt. Nikita Tananaev, a researcher at Melnikov Permafrost Institute in Yakutsk, who was not part of the study, said that the nearby ecosystems are altering permanently because of leakage from the crater. "This will lead to significant alterations to the riverine habitat, and the effect of sediment escaping the slump [the Batagaika crater] is even seen in the Yana River, the major river in the vicinity," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Scary! Earth's massive 'Gateway to Hell' triples in size in 30 years. Scientists warn...

Former US intelligence officer Luis Elizondo, who has served in the US military in Afghanistan and Kuwait and was part of various anti-terrorism missions, has claimed that the aliens are hiding on the Earth and threatening humanity.&nbsp;

The official has also admitted that his "blood ran cold" when his children said that they saw a green and glowing orb hovering in the air near their family home in Maryland.&nbsp;

The three-dimensional mysterious ball was "translucent and suffused with an eerie green light" and "behaved as if guided by some intelligence", said Elizondo, as reported by The Daily Mail.&nbsp;

He said that he himself on another occasion saw a glowing green object, which was the size of a basketball and had "soft edges that weren’t defined" and was floating slowly from their kitchen to bedroom before suddenly disappearing.&nbsp;

Elizondo further claimed that the United States government is completely aware of the presence of aliens on Earth but has been concealing and covering up all the facts related to it.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/is-vatican-hiding-alien-secrets-expert-claims-pope-knew-about-ufo-that-crashed-in-1933-749343">Alien secrets at Vatican? Expert claims Pope helped US procure UFO that crashed in 1933</a>

The former US intelligence officer made these shocking claims in his new book "Imminent – Inside The Pentagon’s Hunt For UFOs".

His claims are being seen as significant as he is not an amateur UFO sleuth but a&nbsp;former military intelligence officer who once was actually on the hunt for aliens.

The 52-year-old has claimed that he was the former head of the US Defence Department’s shadowy Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP).

He added that he started seeing those green luminous balls after he started working for the AATIP.

<h2>US intelligence officer calls aliens an 'existential threat to humanity'&nbsp;</h2>

Elizondo said that evidence of the existence of extraterrestrials is hiding in plain sight on Earth.

However, he said that the evidence has been kept a secret by Pentagon officials who fear that it will lead to massive panic in the public.

"These craft are not made by humans. Humanity is in fact not the only intelligent life in the universe, and not the alpha species," said Elizondo.

Watch:&nbsp;Pentagon UFO Expert Claims U.S. Govt Has 'Alien Tech, Bodies'

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pentagon-ufo-expert-claims-us-govt-has-alien-tech-bodies-752836/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

He insisted that these UFO ‘crafts' were operating with "complete impunity all over the world since at least the Second World War," and added that they have the ability "to move in ways that defy our knowledge of physics... within air, water and space."

He said that the UFOs present "at best, a very serious national security issue, and at worst, the possibility of an existential threat to humanity".&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Former US intelligence officer Luis Elizondo, who has served in the US military in Afghanistan and Kuwait and was part of various anti-terrorism missions, has claimed that the aliens are hiding on the Earth and threatening humanity.

Former US intelligence officer Luis Elizondo, who has served in the US military in Afghanistan and Kuwait and was part of various anti-terrorism missions, has claimed that the aliens are hiding on the Earth and threatening humanity. The official has also admitted that his "blood ran cold" when his children said that they saw a green and glowing orb hovering in the air near their family home in Maryland. The three-dimensional mysterious ball was "translucent and suffused with an eerie green light" and "behaved as if guided by some intelligence", said Elizondo, as reported by The Daily Mail. He said that he himself on another occasion saw a glowing green object, which was the size of a basketball and had "soft edges that weren’t defined" and was floating slowly from their kitchen to bedroom before suddenly disappearing. Elizondo further claimed that the United States government is completely aware of the presence of aliens on Earth but has been concealing and covering up all the facts related to it. Also Read: Alien secrets at Vatican? Expert claims Pope helped US procure UFO that crashed in 1933 The former US intelligence officer made these shocking claims in his new book "Imminent – Inside The Pentagon’s Hunt For UFOs". His claims are being seen as significant as he is not an amateur UFO sleuth but a former military intelligence officer who once was actually on the hunt for aliens. The 52-year-old has claimed that he was the former head of the US Defence Department’s shadowy Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP). He added that he started seeing those green luminous balls after he started working for the AATIP. US intelligence officer calls aliens an 'existential threat to humanity' Elizondo said that evidence of the existence of extraterrestrials is hiding in plain sight on Earth. However, he said that the evidence has been kept a secret by Pentagon officials who fear that it will lead to massive panic in the public. "These craft are not made by humans. Humanity is in fact not the only intelligent life in the universe, and not the alpha species," said Elizondo. Watch: Pentagon UFO Expert Claims U.S. Govt Has 'Alien Tech, Bodies' He insisted that these UFO ‘crafts' were operating with "complete impunity all over the world since at least the Second World War," and added that they have the ability "to move in ways that defy our knowledge of physics... within air, water and space." He said that the UFOs present "at best, a very serious national security issue, and at worst, the possibility of an existential threat to humanity". (With inputs from agencies)

Aliens are hiding here on Earth and Pentagon is aware of it, claims former US intelligence officer

A massive 140-foot-wide asteroid, which is called 2007 RX8, is set to make its closest approach to Earth on September 2.&nbsp;

The asteroid, which is travelling at a shooting speed of 25,142 km/h, is an Apollo asteroid and will fly past Earth at a speed which will be almost equal to the launch of a rocket.

On September 2, this massive asteroid will be at its closest distance to our planet at 10:23 UTC.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-issues-sudden-alert-as-massive-house-sized-asteroid-hurtles-towards-earth-at-scary-speed-754220">NASA issues sudden alert as massive house-sized asteroid hurtles towards Earth at scary speed</a>

Apollo asteroids are a kind of near-Earth object with orbits which can cross the path of the Earth around the Sun.&nbsp;

These asteroids, which have been named after the Apollo group, have the kind of trajectories which bring them close to Earth. However, the Apollo asteroids need to be carefully monitored to ensure there are no potential risks.

<h2>What will happen if asteroid 2007 RX8 hits Earth?</h2>

If an asteroid like 2007 RX8 hits the Earth, the results will be massive based on the size of the asteroid.&nbsp;

If there is a large impact, it can cause significant damage, which includes environmental disturbances and explosions.&nbsp;

However, asteroid 2007 RX8 will pass by Earth without being in any danger because its current trajectory is not intersecting with the orbit of the Earth.&nbsp;

During its closest approach, the asteroid 2007 RX8 will be within 7 million kilometres of Earth.&nbsp;

<h2>How is NASA tracking asteroids?</h2>

NASA, along with other space agencies, has established a network of telescopes and advanced computing for identifying near-Earth objects (NEOs).&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;China plans nukes against asteroids

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-plans-nukes-against-asteroids-754309/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Even though many of the NEOs don't come very close to Earth, some of them do come at a scary distance and get tagged as potentially hazardous asteroids which need more attention.&nbsp;

Such asteroids are more than 460 feet (140 metres) in size and their orbits bring them within a distance of 7.5 million kilometres from Earth.

NASA's Centre for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has been monitoring all the NEOs and looking for any potential impact risks.

(With inputs from agencies)

A massive 140-foot-wide asteroid, which is called 2007 RX8, is set to make its closest approach to Earth on September 2. The asteroid, which is travelling at a shooting speed of 25,142 km/h, is an Apollo asteroid and will fly past Earth at a speed which will be almost equal to the launch of a rocket.

A massive 140-foot-wide asteroid, which is called 2007 RX8, is set to make its closest approach to Earth on September 2. The asteroid, which is travelling at a shooting speed of 25,142 km/h, is an Apollo asteroid and will fly past Earth at a speed which will be almost equal to the launch of a rocket. On September 2, this massive asteroid will be at its closest distance to our planet at 10:23 UTC. Also Read: NASA issues sudden alert as massive house-sized asteroid hurtles towards Earth at scary speed Apollo asteroids are a kind of near-Earth object with orbits which can cross the path of the Earth around the Sun. These asteroids, which have been named after the Apollo group, have the kind of trajectories which bring them close to Earth. However, the Apollo asteroids need to be carefully monitored to ensure there are no potential risks. What will happen if asteroid 2007 RX8 hits Earth? If an asteroid like 2007 RX8 hits the Earth, the results will be massive based on the size of the asteroid. If there is a large impact, it can cause significant damage, which includes environmental disturbances and explosions. However, asteroid 2007 RX8 will pass by Earth without being in any danger because its current trajectory is not intersecting with the orbit of the Earth. During its closest approach, the asteroid 2007 RX8 will be within 7 million kilometres of Earth. How is NASA tracking asteroids? NASA, along with other space agencies, has established a network of telescopes and advanced computing for identifying near-Earth objects (NEOs). Watch: China plans nukes against asteroids Even though many of the NEOs don't come very close to Earth, some of them do come at a scary distance and get tagged as potentially hazardous asteroids which need more attention. Such asteroids are more than 460 feet (140 metres) in size and their orbits bring them within a distance of 7.5 million kilometres from Earth. NASA's Centre for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has been monitoring all the NEOs and looking for any potential impact risks. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA is on alert as 140-foot giant asteroid zooms towards Earth. Is it threatening our planet?

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