<p>In three southern states of the United States, more than 30 people bore witness to a fireball ‘ten times brighter than the moon’.</p>

<p>On Wednesday, more than 30 people in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi reported hearing a loud boom, and some reported seeing the fireball.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/revisiting-prehistoric-era-fossils-of-3-ichthyosaurs-including-giant-tooth-found-in-swiss-alps-says-study-474679" hreflang="en">Revisiting prehistoric era: Fossils of 3 ichthyosaurs including giant tooth found in Swiss Alps, says study</a></strong></p>

<p>A witness told the Vicksburg Post that she was in the downtown area when she witnessed an "orange fireball the size of a basketball" travelling west on a downhill course toward the Mississippi River, with a white tail behind it.</p>

<p>No injuries or damages were reported, but some people felt their house shake, as per Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">❗️Here’s the official report received from NASA regarding this morning’s fireball (bolide) <a href="https://t.co/3YtwW0Dbq3">pic.twitter.com/3YtwW0Dbq3</a></p>
— msema (@MSEMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSEMA/status/1519432385808547842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>As per Cooke, the fireball was too small to cause any damage and none of its pieces made it to the ground.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Expanding problem of space debris: What is space junk? Why is it a problem?</strong></p>

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<p>He said that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration initially detected the fireball using satellites 22,000 kilometres in space. However, the fireball was already in the Earth's atmosphere at the time.</p>

<p>The fireball barrelled towards earth at the speed of 55,000 miles per hour, breaking into pieces as it descended deeper into Earth’s atmosphere.</p>

<p>According to NASA, the fireball was more than ten times brighter than the full moon at its peak and it disintegrated 34 miles above the swampy terrain north of Minorca in Louisiana.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/fascinating-fact-giant-moon-of-saturn-has-a-earth-like-landscape-474452" hreflang="en">Fascinating fact: Saturn Moon Titan has Earth-like landscape</a></strong></p>

<p>“The fragmentation of this fireball generated an energy equivalent of 3 tonnes of TNT (trinitrotoluene), which created shock waves that propagated to the ground, producing the booms and vibrations felt by people in the area,” said NASA in its statement.</p>

<p>Fireballs or Bolide are exceptionally bright meteors spectacular enough to be seen over a very wide area.</p>

<p>Every year, the American Meteor Society records an increasing number of fireballs. There are probably over 500,000 fireballs per year, but most of them go unreported since they occur over water and half of them happen during the day.</p>

<p><strong>Watch WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In three southern states of the United States, more than 30 people bore witness to a fireball ‘ten times brighter than the moon’. On Wednesday, more than 30 people in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi reported hearing a loud boom, and some reported seeing the fireball.

In three southern states of the United States, more than 30 people bore witness to a fireball ‘ten times brighter than the moon’. On Wednesday, more than 30 people in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi reported hearing a loud boom, and some reported seeing the fireball. Also read | Revisiting prehistoric era: Fossils of 3 ichthyosaurs including giant tooth found in Swiss Alps, says study A witness told the Vicksburg Post that she was in the downtown area when she witnessed an "orange fireball the size of a basketball" travelling west on a downhill course toward the Mississippi River, with a white tail behind it. No injuries or damages were reported, but some people felt their house shake, as per Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environments Office. ❗️Here’s the official report received from NASA regarding this morning’s fireball (bolide) pic.twitter.com/3YtwW0Dbq3 — msema (@MSEMA) April 27, 2022 × As per Cooke, the fireball was too small to cause any damage and none of its pieces made it to the ground. Watch | Expanding problem of space debris: What is space junk? Why is it a problem? He said that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration initially detected the fireball using satellites 22,000 kilometres in space. However, the fireball was already in the Earth's atmosphere at the time. The fireball barrelled towards earth at the speed of 55,000 miles per hour, breaking into pieces as it descended deeper into Earth’s atmosphere. According to NASA, the fireball was more than ten times brighter than the full moon at its peak and it disintegrated 34 miles above the swampy terrain north of Minorca in Louisiana. Also read | Fascinating fact: Saturn Moon Titan has Earth-like landscape “The fragmentation of this fireball generated an energy equivalent of 3 tonnes of TNT (trinitrotoluene), which created shock waves that propagated to the ground, producing the booms and vibrations felt by people in the area,” said NASA in its statement. Fireballs or Bolide are exceptionally bright meteors spectacular enough to be seen over a very wide area. Every year, the American Meteor Society records an increasing number of fireballs. There are probably over 500,000 fireballs per year, but most of them go unreported since they occur over water and half of them happen during the day. Watch WION LIVE HERE: (With inputs from agencies)

NASA reports a fireball that generated energy equivalent of 3 tonnes of TNT! Read more

<p>Space is full of mysteries. There is always something unusual lurking out in the deep depths of the mysterious space. With the advancement in technology, space agencies across the world unravel mysteries and theories.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) keeps sharing images and pieces of information to reveal various aspects of space.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Recently, NASA has shared an image on its official Instagram account in which a large and dark shadow can be seen on Jupiter.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/presence-of-alien-tech-on-earth-scientist-wants-to-probe-interstellar-object-lying-in-the-pacific-ocean-473699">Presence of alien tech on Earth? Scientist wants to probe interstellar object 'lying in the Pacific Ocean'</a></strong></p>

<p>The shadow on the left side of the image was apparently cast by Jupiter's moon Ganymede.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA revealed that NASA Solar System Exploration's Juno spacecraft captured the stunning image.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per the space agency, the image was taken during the mission's 40th close pass by the giant planet on February 25, 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-insight-lander-captures-images-of-sunrise-on-mars-473049">NASA InSight lander captures images of sunrise on Mars</a></strong></p>

<p>NASA also mentioned that Eclipses on Jupiter are more common than what we experience on Earth because the planet has four major moons that often pass between Jupiter and the Sun.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"In just one week, Ganymede transits once; Europa, twice; and Io, four times. And since Jupiter’s moons orbit in a plane close to Jupiter’s orbital plane, the moon shadows are often cast upon the planet," NASA revealed.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Deadly coral disease grips Florida coast, efforts on to restore damaged reef</strong></p>

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<p>NASA said that citizen scientist Thomas Thomopoulos created this enhanced-colour image using raw data from the JunoCam instrument.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"At the time the raw image was taken, the Juno spacecraft was about 71,000 kilometres above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 55 degrees south, and 15 times closer than Ganymede, which orbits about 1.1 million kilometres away from Jupiter," NASA said.&nbsp;</p>

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Space is full of mysteries. There is always something unusual lurking out in the deep depths of the mysterious space. With the advancement in technology, space agencies across the world unravel mysteries and theories.

Space is full of mysteries. There is always something unusual lurking out in the deep depths of the mysterious space. With the advancement in technology, space agencies across the world unravel mysteries and theories. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) keeps sharing images and pieces of information to reveal various aspects of space. Recently, NASA has shared an image on its official Instagram account in which a large and dark shadow can be seen on Jupiter. ALSO READ | Presence of alien tech on Earth? Scientist wants to probe interstellar object 'lying in the Pacific Ocean' The shadow on the left side of the image was apparently cast by Jupiter's moon Ganymede. NASA revealed that NASA Solar System Exploration's Juno spacecraft captured the stunning image. As per the space agency, the image was taken during the mission's 40th close pass by the giant planet on February 25, 2022. ALSO READ | NASA InSight lander captures images of sunrise on Mars NASA also mentioned that Eclipses on Jupiter are more common than what we experience on Earth because the planet has four major moons that often pass between Jupiter and the Sun. "In just one week, Ganymede transits once; Europa, twice; and Io, four times. And since Jupiter’s moons orbit in a plane close to Jupiter’s orbital plane, the moon shadows are often cast upon the planet," NASA revealed. WATCH | Deadly coral disease grips Florida coast, efforts on to restore damaged reef × NASA said that citizen scientist Thomas Thomopoulos created this enhanced-colour image using raw data from the JunoCam instrument. "At the time the raw image was taken, the Juno spacecraft was about 71,000 kilometres above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 55 degrees south, and 15 times closer than Ganymede, which orbits about 1.1 million kilometres away from Jupiter," NASA said. ×

What's that giant black spot on Jupiter?

'Space tourists': First-ever all private astronaut team splashes down safely after a historic trip to ISS

<p>Solar eclipse even on Earth is a relatively rare phenomenon. Not everyone of us can boast of having witnessed the wonder from Earth. So forget about witnessing solar eclipse from another planet.</p>

<p>But NASA has come to our rescue. Its Perseverance rover has captured brilliant footage of solar eclipse from the surface of Mars. Mars' moon Phobos came between The Sun and Mars to cause a martian solar eclipse.</p>

<p>Phobos, Mars' satellite has an oblong shape. When this particular eclipse took place, Phobos partially covered the Sun. The footage was captured by the Perseverance rover which is still moving on the surface of the red planet. NASA has posted this footage.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Truly fascinating. I zoomed in with my Mastcam-Z camera on a Phobos solar eclipse. This detailed video can help scientists on my team better understand the Martian moon’s orbit and how its gravity affects the interior of Mars, including its crust &amp; mantle. <a href="https://t.co/jVdJ4UwhDx">https://t.co/jVdJ4UwhDx</a> <a href="https://t.co/q45HwKwLIS">pic.twitter.com/q45HwKwLIS</a></p>
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1516864191415525376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>In addition to being a visual treat, this footage may help scientists to study and better understand Phobos' orbit around Mars.</p>

<p>This eclipse took place on April 2. It was 397th Martian day or sol. Perseverance captured this eclipse with its next-generation Mastcam-Z camera.</p>

<p>The eclipse itself lasted only a little over 40 seconds. This may sound nothing but it needs to be borne in mind that Phobos, the Martian satellite is 157 times smaller than Earth's moon. Deimos, Mars' other satellite, is even smaller.</p>

<p>Yet another feather in Perseveraance's cap!</p>


Solar eclipse even on Earth is a relatively rare phenomenon. Not everyone of us can boast of having witnessed the wonder from Earth. So forget about witnessing solar eclipse from another planet.

Solar eclipse even on Earth is a relatively rare phenomenon. Not everyone of us can boast of having witnessed the wonder from Earth. So forget about witnessing solar eclipse from another planet. But NASA has come to our rescue. Its Perseverance rover has captured brilliant footage of solar eclipse from the surface of Mars. Mars' moon Phobos came between The Sun and Mars to cause a martian solar eclipse. Phobos, Mars' satellite has an oblong shape. When this particular eclipse took place, Phobos partially covered the Sun. The footage was captured by the Perseverance rover which is still moving on the surface of the red planet. NASA has posted this footage. Truly fascinating. I zoomed in with my Mastcam-Z camera on a Phobos solar eclipse. This detailed video can help scientists on my team better understand the Martian moon’s orbit and how its gravity affects the interior of Mars, including its crust & mantle. https://t.co/jVdJ4UwhDx pic.twitter.com/q45HwKwLIS — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) April 20, 2022 × In addition to being a visual treat, this footage may help scientists to study and better understand Phobos' orbit around Mars. This eclipse took place on April 2. It was 397th Martian day or sol. Perseverance captured this eclipse with its next-generation Mastcam-Z camera. The eclipse itself lasted only a little over 40 seconds. This may sound nothing but it needs to be borne in mind that Phobos, the Martian satellite is 157 times smaller than Earth's moon. Deimos, Mars' other satellite, is even smaller. Yet another feather in Perseveraance's cap!

Watch: NASA's Perseverance rover witnesses solar eclipse on Mars

<p>For early birds among us, sunrise is a sight to behold. Well yes, the event occurs daily but there is something undeniably refreshing about it. We don't need anyone's help to witness the beauty of a sunrise.&nbsp;But how about if it is on Mars?</p>

<p>The interesting and enthralling idea of sunrise on Mars is no longer confined to imagination courtesy NASA.</p>

<p>A few days ago, NASA's InSight lander captured a marvelous video of sunrise from Martian surface. The space agency posted the footage in form of a GIF on Twitter.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I’ll never tire of sunrise on Mars. ☀️ Each morning, that distant dot climbs higher in the sky, giving me energy for another round of listening to the rumbles beneath my feet. <a href="https://t.co/QB4uVOBLAP">https://t.co/QB4uVOBLAP</a> <a href="https://t.co/61dZe75k2I">pic.twitter.com/61dZe75k2I</a></p>
— NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAInSight/status/1514282311528841220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>InSight lander captured this beautiful Martian dawn on April 10, 2022. It was 1198th Martian day of the mission.</p>

<p>InSight is NASA's first mission to study Mars' interior (crust, mantle and core). InSight is short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport</p>

<p>InSight landed on the Martian surface in November 2018. It touched down in a region of Mars called Elysium Planitia. Objectives of the preliminary mission during the first Martian year have already been met.</p>

<p>A Martian year is longer than a year on Earth. Since Mars is located further away from Sun than Earth, the planet takes more time to complete one revolution around the Sun than Earth.</p>

<p>One Martian year consists of 687 Earth days.</p>


For early birds among us, sunrise is a sight to behold. Well yes, the event occurs daily but there is something undeniably refreshing about it. We don't need anyone's help to witness the beauty of a sunrise.

For early birds among us, sunrise is a sight to behold. Well yes, the event occurs daily but there is something undeniably refreshing about it. We don't need anyone's help to witness the beauty of a sunrise. But how about if it is on Mars? The interesting and enthralling idea of sunrise on Mars is no longer confined to imagination courtesy NASA. A few days ago, NASA's InSight lander captured a marvelous video of sunrise from Martian surface. The space agency posted the footage in form of a GIF on Twitter. I’ll never tire of sunrise on Mars. ☀️ Each morning, that distant dot climbs higher in the sky, giving me energy for another round of listening to the rumbles beneath my feet. https://t.co/QB4uVOBLAP pic.twitter.com/61dZe75k2I — NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) April 13, 2022 × InSight lander captured this beautiful Martian dawn on April 10, 2022. It was 1198th Martian day of the mission. InSight is NASA's first mission to study Mars' interior (crust, mantle and core). InSight is short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport InSight landed on the Martian surface in November 2018. It touched down in a region of Mars called Elysium Planitia. Objectives of the preliminary mission during the first Martian year have already been met. A Martian year is longer than a year on Earth. Since Mars is located further away from Sun than Earth, the planet takes more time to complete one revolution around the Sun than Earth. One Martian year consists of 687 Earth days.

NASA InSight lander captures images of sunrise on Mars

<p>Although James Webb Space Telescope is soon to open entirely new vista of space research for us, good ol' Hubble deserves its due. Humanity's very firt eye in the sky has been steadfast in sending pictures of far corners of space for last three decades. And to commemorate its 32nd year of operation, a unique image has been released.</p>

<p>The image shows five galaxies that are eventually going to collide. The galaxies are so closely situated (well in galactic terms) that it in itself is a thing of wonder.</p>

<p>This group of galaxies is called Hickson Compact Group 40. These galaxies are situated unusually close.</p>

<p>These galaxies are on a collision course, about a billion years from now, all five galaxies would collide to form a single elliptical galaxy.</p>

<p>So what are the types of galaxies present in the photo?</p>

<p>We can see three spiral galaxies, marked by orange colour visible due to space dust. The one in the middle is an elliptical galaxy. The one in the bottom right corner is a lenticular (lens-like) galaxy.</p>

<p>This galactic huddle is sitting somewhere in the direction of constellation Hydra.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/breakthrough-in-search-for-aliens-what-does-a-habitable-ice-shell-on-jupiters-moon-europa-mean-472318">Breakthrough in search for aliens? What does a habitable ice shell on Jupiter's moon Europa mean?</a></strong></p>

<p>How big is this huddle? Well all five of these galaxies would fit inside two Milky Ways.</p>

<p>Scientists think Dark Matter is playing part in merger of these galaxies. They think that the Dark Matter is forming a cloud around the group and slowing individual galaxies down.</p>


Although James Webb Space Telescope is soon to open entirely new vista of space research for us, good ol' Hubble deserves its due. Humanity's very firt eye in the sky has been steadfast in sending pictures of far corners of space for last three decades.

Although James Webb Space Telescope is soon to open entirely new vista of space research for us, good ol' Hubble deserves its due. Humanity's very firt eye in the sky has been steadfast in sending pictures of far corners of space for last three decades. And to commemorate its 32nd year of operation, a unique image has been released. The image shows five galaxies that are eventually going to collide. The galaxies are so closely situated (well in galactic terms) that it in itself is a thing of wonder. This group of galaxies is called Hickson Compact Group 40. These galaxies are situated unusually close. These galaxies are on a collision course, about a billion years from now, all five galaxies would collide to form a single elliptical galaxy. So what are the types of galaxies present in the photo? We can see three spiral galaxies, marked by orange colour visible due to space dust. The one in the middle is an elliptical galaxy. The one in the bottom right corner is a lenticular (lens-like) galaxy. This galactic huddle is sitting somewhere in the direction of constellation Hydra. Also Read | Breakthrough in search for aliens? What does a habitable ice shell on Jupiter's moon Europa mean? How big is this huddle? Well all five of these galaxies would fit inside two Milky Ways. Scientists think Dark Matter is playing part in merger of these galaxies. They think that the Dark Matter is forming a cloud around the group and slowing individual galaxies down.

Check out this fantastic Hubble image of five colliding galaxies

Commercial space company Astrobotic unveiled its nearly complete robotic lunar lander, designed to take payloads for paying customers like NASA to the surface of the Moon.

Pennsylvania company unveils a robotic lunar lander

<p>Since time immemorial, humans have sought to establish contact with extra-terrestrial life forms. Hollywood movies like Extra-Terrestrial (ET), Arrival etc. and Bollywood movies like Koi Mil Gaya, are proof of this curiosity and all paint different scenarios of what might happen if the contact is in fact established.</p>

<p>Now, a NASA led team of international scientists are once again planning to satiate this curiosity. They have developed a binary-coded message that they propose beaming out across the galaxy, in the hopes of finally establishing contact with aliens.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/mysterious-radio-waves-from-space-object-are-aliens-calling-448016">Mysterious radio waves from space object. Are aliens calling?</a></strong></p>

<p>"Beacon in the Galaxy," an interstellar message, contains a wide variety of information: basic concepts in math and physics on communication, digital images of the human form, elements of DNA, a time-stamped depiction of the solar system, and Earth’s system. It ends with an invitation for the aliens to beam back a reply.</p>

<p>In an interesting twist, the scientists say the position of the planet is incorporated in hopes of not only receiving a message from aliens but also receiving a physical vehicle to Earth at "some point in the future".</p>

<p>Dr Jonathan Jiang of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is heading the experiment. The group of researchers plans to broadcast the message right into the heart of the Milky Way, using the Seti Institute’s Allen Telescope Array in California and the Chinese 500-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: UFOs, Aliens &amp; Science</strong></p>

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<p>“Humanity has, we contend, a compelling story to share and the desire to know of others – and now has the means to do so,” say the scientists in their report which is yet to be peer-reviewed.</p>

<p>According to the paper, a future message could include additional frequencies of greater complexity, incorporating major pieces of music such as Beethoven's, Mozart's, or Bach's symphonies.</p>

<p>Experts believe it is very unlikely that an intelligent civilisation will intercept the message, and even if it happens, establishing an intelligent, fruitful conversation can prove challenging since it will take tens of thousands of years for the message to reach its intended target.</p>

<p>Another possibility is that the aliens might not understand the message and consider it gibberish.</p>

<p>And then there are other concerns…What if we somehow invite the wrath of civilisations far superior to ours?</p>

<p>Genius professor Stephen Hawking while speaking to Discovery Channel during the filming of a documentary, warned that we need to refrain from trying to contact aliens or we just might end up with the kind of attention we regret.</p>

<p>“We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to him, meeting aliens is similar to Christopher Columbus meeting Native Americans: “That didn’t turn out so well.”</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-is-hiring-priests-to-prepare-humans-for-contact-with-aliens-440433">NASA is hiring priests to prepare humans for contact with aliens</a></strong></p>

<p>Previously, astronomer&nbsp;Joe Gertz of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has&nbsp;expressed concerns that attempts to communicate with aliens could lead to “the reckless endangerment of all mankind.”</p>

<p>According to Buchanan, beings from other worlds are likely to be more advanced than humans, making them an even larger threat.</p>

<p>Dr Jiang and his colleagues remain optimistic, however. They suggest that an alien society capable of communication throughout the cosmos may have learned the value of peace and collaboration and that mankind may benefit greatly from their knowledge.</p>

<p>They write, “logic suggests a species which has reached sufficient complexity to achieve communication through the cosmos would also very likely have attained high levels of cooperation amongst themselves and thus will know the importance of peace and collaboration,” adding that if communication were to be established, the outcome would vastly outweigh the concerns.</p>

<p>How do you feel about this? Do you think communication between humans, and aliens will benefit us or are you a pessimist who thinks it will only lead to our destruction? Share your thoughts!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


Since time immemorial, humans have sought to establish contact with extra-terrestrial life forms. Hollywood movies like Extra-Terrestrial (ET), Arrival etc. and Bollywood movies like Koi Mil Gaya, are proof of this curiosity and all paint different scenarios of what might happen if the contact is in fact established.

Since time immemorial, humans have sought to establish contact with extra-terrestrial life forms. Hollywood movies like Extra-Terrestrial (ET), Arrival etc. and Bollywood movies like Koi Mil Gaya, are proof of this curiosity and all paint different scenarios of what might happen if the contact is in fact established. Now, a NASA led team of international scientists are once again planning to satiate this curiosity. They have developed a binary-coded message that they propose beaming out across the galaxy, in the hopes of finally establishing contact with aliens. Also read | Mysterious radio waves from space object. Are aliens calling? "Beacon in the Galaxy," an interstellar message, contains a wide variety of information: basic concepts in math and physics on communication, digital images of the human form, elements of DNA, a time-stamped depiction of the solar system, and Earth’s system. It ends with an invitation for the aliens to beam back a reply. In an interesting twist, the scientists say the position of the planet is incorporated in hopes of not only receiving a message from aliens but also receiving a physical vehicle to Earth at "some point in the future". Dr Jonathan Jiang of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is heading the experiment. The group of researchers plans to broadcast the message right into the heart of the Milky Way, using the Seti Institute’s Allen Telescope Array in California and the Chinese 500-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope. Watch | Gravitas Plus: UFOs, Aliens & Science “Humanity has, we contend, a compelling story to share and the desire to know of others – and now has the means to do so,” say the scientists in their report which is yet to be peer-reviewed. According to the paper, a future message could include additional frequencies of greater complexity, incorporating major pieces of music such as Beethoven's, Mozart's, or Bach's symphonies. Experts believe it is very unlikely that an intelligent civilisation will intercept the message, and even if it happens, establishing an intelligent, fruitful conversation can prove challenging since it will take tens of thousands of years for the message to reach its intended target. Another possibility is that the aliens might not understand the message and consider it gibberish. And then there are other concerns…What if we somehow invite the wrath of civilisations far superior to ours? Genius professor Stephen Hawking while speaking to Discovery Channel during the filming of a documentary, warned that we need to refrain from trying to contact aliens or we just might end up with the kind of attention we regret. “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet.” According to him, meeting aliens is similar to Christopher Columbus meeting Native Americans: “That didn’t turn out so well.” Also read | NASA is hiring priests to prepare humans for contact with aliens Previously, astronomer Joe Gertz of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) has expressed concerns that attempts to communicate with aliens could lead to “the reckless endangerment of all mankind.” According to Buchanan, beings from other worlds are likely to be more advanced than humans, making them an even larger threat. Dr Jiang and his colleagues remain optimistic, however. They suggest that an alien society capable of communication throughout the cosmos may have learned the value of peace and collaboration and that mankind may benefit greatly from their knowledge. They write, “logic suggests a species which has reached sufficient complexity to achieve communication through the cosmos would also very likely have attained high levels of cooperation amongst themselves and thus will know the importance of peace and collaboration,” adding that if communication were to be established, the outcome would vastly outweigh the concerns. How do you feel about this? Do you think communication between humans, and aliens will benefit us or are you a pessimist who thinks it will only lead to our destruction? Share your thoughts!

NASA to beam out Earth's location into space. Experts warn that it just might invite an alien invasion!

<p>We've seen it in movies. The protagonist is travelling in a spacecraft. A few beeps later, he receives a sophisticated telephone call. In other words, the person wanting to connect with our hero appears almost in flesh. A projection of the caller appears in thin air and both of them carry out conversation as if they would be talking in real life.</p>

<p>NASA made this translate into reality as it 'holoported' a surgeon to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA flight surgeon Josef Schmid conversed with astronauts as a virtual presence in real time. NASA made this information public last week. The actual holoportation took place in October 2021.</p>

<p>"This is [a] completely new manner of human communication across vast distances," says Schmid, as quoted by NASA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It is a brand-new way of human exploration, where our human entity is able to travel off the planet."</p>

<p>"NASA is demonstrating this new form of communication as a precursor for more extensive use on future missions. Plans are to use this next with two-way communication, where people on Earth are holoported to space and astronauts are placed back on earth," said the information on the NASA website.</p>

<p>The surgeon was holoported to the ISS using Microsoft Hololens technology.</p>

<p>There appears to be an exciting way ahead for such technology. Imagine something going wrong in a spacecraft millions of miles away from Earth. The best instructor or the best expert can jump into the spacecraft using holoportation and help the astronauts resolve the issue.</p>


We've seen it in movies. The protagonist is travelling in a spacecraft. A few beeps later, he receives a sophisticated telephone call. In other words, the person wanting to connect with our hero appears almost in flesh.

We've seen it in movies. The protagonist is travelling in a spacecraft. A few beeps later, he receives a sophisticated telephone call. In other words, the person wanting to connect with our hero appears almost in flesh. A projection of the caller appears in thin air and both of them carry out conversation as if they would be talking in real life. NASA made this translate into reality as it 'holoported' a surgeon to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA flight surgeon Josef Schmid conversed with astronauts as a virtual presence in real time. NASA made this information public last week. The actual holoportation took place in October 2021. "This is [a] completely new manner of human communication across vast distances," says Schmid, as quoted by NASA. "It is a brand-new way of human exploration, where our human entity is able to travel off the planet." "NASA is demonstrating this new form of communication as a precursor for more extensive use on future missions. Plans are to use this next with two-way communication, where people on Earth are holoported to space and astronauts are placed back on earth," said the information on the NASA website. The surgeon was holoported to the ISS using Microsoft Hololens technology. There appears to be an exciting way ahead for such technology. Imagine something going wrong in a spacecraft millions of miles away from Earth. The best instructor or the best expert can jump into the spacecraft using holoportation and help the astronauts resolve the issue.

NASA 'holoports' a doctor on Earth to ISS in first such achievement

<p>NASA on Tuesday (April 19) announced that its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will be repaired after several failures in their tests.</p>

<p>Ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I lunar mission, the US space agency said that they both require upgrades as they have a faulty upper check valve and a small leak on the tail service of the mast's umbilical,&nbsp;located at the base of the mobile launcher and connects to the rocket’s core stage.</p>

<p>Although this delay has pushed the launch date for its uncrewed test flight to the Moon to later this summer, NASA will utilise this time period as an opportunity to review scheduled and options to demonstrate propellant loading operations.</p>

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<p>Paving the way for a long-term lunar presence, NASA will land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon through the Artemis missions. They are bound to serve as a stepping stone for sending astronauts to Mars.</p>

<p>"I think the early June window would be challenging," said Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for common exploration systems development at NASA's headquarters in Washington.</p>

<p>NASA's recent "wet dress rehearsal" test was a failure as the researchers faced several technical hitches. The use of a liquid propellant in the test is the inspiration behind its name.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-to-beam-out-earths-location-into-space-experts-warn-that-it-just-might-invite-an-alien-invasion-472038" hreflang="en">NASA to beam out Earth's location into space. Experts warn that it just might invite an alien invasion!</a></strong></p>

<p>The test is essential as it includes the procedure of a run-through of launch operations. Without actually firing the engines, researchers perform a final countdown to within ten seconds before blast off.</p>

<p>The SLS will liftoff from the Kennedy Space Centre's Launch Complex 39B. The date of its launch depends on the positions of the Earth and Moon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA astronauts want the spacecraft to fly in an eclipse since it requires the Sun to keep it powered and thermally regulated.</p>

<p>Since the Artemis space programme comprises of a series of missions, a delay in Artemis I will further postpone Artemis II and Artemis III.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


NASA on Tuesday (April 19) announced that its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will be repaired after several failures in their tests. Ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I lunar mission, the US space agency said that they both require upgrades as they have a faulty upper check valve and a small leak on the tail service of the mast's umbilical, located at the base of the mobile launcher and connects to the rocket’s core stage.

NASA on Tuesday (April 19) announced that its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft will be repaired after several failures in their tests. Ahead of the uncrewed Artemis I lunar mission, the US space agency said that they both require upgrades as they have a faulty upper check valve and a small leak on the tail service of the mast's umbilical, located at the base of the mobile launcher and connects to the rocket’s core stage. Although this delay has pushed the launch date for its uncrewed test flight to the Moon to later this summer, NASA will utilise this time period as an opportunity to review scheduled and options to demonstrate propellant loading operations. Paving the way for a long-term lunar presence, NASA will land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon through the Artemis missions. They are bound to serve as a stepping stone for sending astronauts to Mars. "I think the early June window would be challenging," said Tom Whitmeyer, deputy associate administrator for common exploration systems development at NASA's headquarters in Washington. NASA's recent "wet dress rehearsal" test was a failure as the researchers faced several technical hitches. The use of a liquid propellant in the test is the inspiration behind its name. Also read | NASA to beam out Earth's location into space. Experts warn that it just might invite an alien invasion! The test is essential as it includes the procedure of a run-through of launch operations. Without actually firing the engines, researchers perform a final countdown to within ten seconds before blast off. The SLS will liftoff from the Kennedy Space Centre's Launch Complex 39B. The date of its launch depends on the positions of the Earth and Moon. NASA astronauts want the spacecraft to fly in an eclipse since it requires the Sun to keep it powered and thermally regulated. Since the Artemis space programme comprises of a series of missions, a delay in Artemis I will further postpone Artemis II and Artemis III. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's Space Launch System rocket will be repaired after failure in tests

<p>Russian astronauts on Monday (April 18) installed&nbsp;robotic arm controls on the International Space Station.</p>

<p>It comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought the Kremlin's relations with the West to their lowest point since the Soviet era.</p>

<p>Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev, who belong to the Russian space agency Roscosmos, had blasted off with Sergei Korsakov to the ISS at 1555 GMT.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">LIVE: Watch Russian cosmonauts conduct a spacewalk to activate the <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Space_Station</a>'s new European robotic arm: <a href="https://t.co/z1RgZwQkWS">https://t.co/z1RgZwQkWS</a> <a href="https://t.co/GrCTTuLktz">pic.twitter.com/GrCTTuLktz</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1516054640999251973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Roscosomos head Dmitri Rogozin wrote in apost, "Ours! For the first time in many years, a completely Russian crew."</p>

<p>He is a nationalist ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who is an enthusiastic supporter of Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine.</p>

<p>Last month he tweeted, "If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting and falling on the US or European territory?"&nbsp;</p>

<p>After successfully entering the orbital lab, Artemyev and Matveev went for a spacewalk to install a control panel for a 37-foot-long robotic arm that will be used to move both astronauts and payloads.</p>

<p><strong>Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/failure-to-launch-war-scuppers-russia-west-space-collaboration-459079" hreflang="en">Failure to launch: War scuppers Russia-West space collaboration</a></strong></p>

<p>They also installed&nbsp;handrails on Nauka,&nbsp;Russia's primary laboratory on the space station.The engineers were&nbsp;scheduled to exit the&nbsp;Russian&nbsp;module Poisk after completing their&nbsp;seven-hour excursion.</p>

<p>NASA has said that it "continues working with all our international partners, including the State Space Corporation Roscosmos, for the ongoing safe operations of the International Space Station."</p>

<p>During its live feed, Artemyev can be seen wearing a red-striped spacesuit during his fourth spacewalk.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Matveev can be identified by the blue stripes on his suit during his first such mission.</p>

<p>This was the fourth spacewalk at the ISS in 2022 as per the US space agency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Russia's ''special operation'' in Ukraine for its ''reunification and denazification''&nbsp;has caused a rift with the West which is not willing to collaborate with it on new missions.</p>

<p>American astronaut Scott Kelly had refused a medal awarded to him by the Russian government in 2011.</p>

<p>"Please, give (the medal) to Russian mothers whose sons have been killed in this unjust war," he said in a tweet.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Russian astronauts on Monday (April 18) installed robotic arm controls on the International Space Station. It comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought the Kremlin's relations with the West to their lowest point since the Soviet era.

Russian astronauts on Monday (April 18) installed robotic arm controls on the International Space Station. It comes as Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought the Kremlin's relations with the West to their lowest point since the Soviet era. Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev, who belong to the Russian space agency Roscosmos, had blasted off with Sergei Korsakov to the ISS at 1555 GMT. LIVE: Watch Russian cosmonauts conduct a spacewalk to activate the @Space_Station's new European robotic arm: https://t.co/z1RgZwQkWS pic.twitter.com/GrCTTuLktz — NASA (@NASA) April 18, 2022 × Roscosomos head Dmitri Rogozin wrote in apost, "Ours! For the first time in many years, a completely Russian crew." He is a nationalist ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who is an enthusiastic supporter of Moscow's military intervention in Ukraine. Last month he tweeted, "If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from uncontrolled deorbiting and falling on the US or European territory?" After successfully entering the orbital lab, Artemyev and Matveev went for a spacewalk to install a control panel for a 37-foot-long robotic arm that will be used to move both astronauts and payloads. Also see | Failure to launch: War scuppers Russia-West space collaboration They also installed handrails on Nauka, Russia's primary laboratory on the space station.The engineers were scheduled to exit the Russian module Poisk after completing their seven-hour excursion. NASA has said that it "continues working with all our international partners, including the State Space Corporation Roscosmos, for the ongoing safe operations of the International Space Station." During its live feed, Artemyev can be seen wearing a red-striped spacesuit during his fourth spacewalk. Meanwhile, Matveev can be identified by the blue stripes on his suit during his first such mission. This was the fourth spacewalk at the ISS in 2022 as per the US space agency. Russia's ''special operation'' in Ukraine for its ''reunification and denazification'' has caused a rift with the West which is not willing to collaborate with it on new missions. American astronaut Scott Kelly had refused a medal awarded to him by the Russian government in 2011. "Please, give (the medal) to Russian mothers whose sons have been killed in this unjust war," he said in a tweet. (With inputs from agencies)

In shadow of Ukraine war, Russian astronauts install robotic arm controls on International Space Station

<p>A treat for the stargazers!&nbsp;</p>

<p>An alignment of four planets in our solar system will appear in the sky this month, a rare phenomenon that attracts skywatchers and space enthusiasts who are keen to witness various celestial events.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The planetary alignment of Mars, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter can be seen not only using telescopes but will be visible to the naked eye.&nbsp;</p>

<p>National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said, "By mid-month, Jupiter is starting to rise in the pre-dawn hour, making for a quartet of planets, strung out in a line across the morning sky."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/sun-blasted-mercury-with-a-plasma-wave-what-does-it-mean-for-mercurys-atmosphere-471736">Sun blasted Mercury with a plasma wave. What does it mean for Mercury's atmosphere?</a></strong></p>

<p>The space agency stated that at the start of the month of April, Saturn appeared to move toward Mars each day with Venus, Mars and Saturn forming a trio in the southeast before sunrise.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Later, by the mid-month, NASA said that Jupiter started to rise in the pre-dawn hour. The movement made for a quartet of planets seen is a line across the morning sky.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The rare sighting will be easily observed when Jupiter will be high enough above the horizon in the hour before sunrise.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/machine-learning-approach-might-predict-risk-factors-of-conduct-disorder-in-kids-study-471724">Machine-learning approach might predict risk factors of conduct disorder in kids: Study</a></strong></p>

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<p><em>Sky chart showing the close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter before sunrise on April 30. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech</em></p>

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<p>In a report, NASA revealed: "At the beginning of the month, Mars, Venus and Saturn were all visible in the early morning. Now, the trio are joined by Jupiter, and the four planets can be seen by the naked eye in a straight line for the rest of April, as long as city lights don't intrude."&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA revealed that the reason for the rare occurrence is that all of the planet's orbits around the sun lining up. Meanwhile, the space agency also stated that Venus' orbit around the sun is 225 Earth days, while Saturn's is 29 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The conjunction can be seen across the world in the predawn hours of the morning by looking east or toward the sunrise, NASA informed.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;10 things about China's recent space mission</strong></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>


A treat for the stargazers! An alignment of four planets in our solar system will appear in the sky this month, a rare phenomenon that attracts skywatchers and space enthusiasts who are keen to witness various celestial events.

A treat for the stargazers! An alignment of four planets in our solar system will appear in the sky this month, a rare phenomenon that attracts skywatchers and space enthusiasts who are keen to witness various celestial events. The planetary alignment of Mars, Venus, Saturn and Jupiter can be seen not only using telescopes but will be visible to the naked eye. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said, "By mid-month, Jupiter is starting to rise in the pre-dawn hour, making for a quartet of planets, strung out in a line across the morning sky." ALSO READ | Sun blasted Mercury with a plasma wave. What does it mean for Mercury's atmosphere? The space agency stated that at the start of the month of April, Saturn appeared to move toward Mars each day with Venus, Mars and Saturn forming a trio in the southeast before sunrise. Later, by the mid-month, NASA said that Jupiter started to rise in the pre-dawn hour. The movement made for a quartet of planets seen is a line across the morning sky. The rare sighting will be easily observed when Jupiter will be high enough above the horizon in the hour before sunrise. ALSO READ | Machine-learning approach might predict risk factors of conduct disorder in kids: Study Sky chart showing the close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter before sunrise on April 30. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech × In a report, NASA revealed: "At the beginning of the month, Mars, Venus and Saturn were all visible in the early morning. Now, the trio are joined by Jupiter, and the four planets can be seen by the naked eye in a straight line for the rest of April, as long as city lights don't intrude." NASA revealed that the reason for the rare occurrence is that all of the planet's orbits around the sun lining up. Meanwhile, the space agency also stated that Venus' orbit around the sun is 225 Earth days, while Saturn's is 29 years. The conjunction can be seen across the world in the predawn hours of the morning by looking east or toward the sunrise, NASA informed. WATCH | 10 things about China's recent space mission ×

Rare sighting as alignment of four planets will be visible through April. Here's how to watch it

<p>NASA keeps sending brilliant pictures our way. These range from those of distant galaxies to our own backyard in the solar system, and everything in between. Sometimes these pics resemble 'Hand of God' or anything our perception allows us to see. This time, NASA has clicked a space butterfly!</p>

<p>This cosmic butterfly has been captured by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. It is a nebula. Nebulas are huge masses of gas and space dust in which new stars form. The infrared image of this 'space butterfly' shows two 'wings'.</p>

<p>In its Instagram post, NASA explains that these 'wings' are giant bubbles of hot, interstellar gas blowing from the hottest, most massive stars that are in the process of getting formed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"...Besides being beautiful, this nebula demonstrates how the formation of stars results in the destruction of the very clouds that helped create them. Inside giant clouds of gas and dust in space, the force of gravity pulls material together into dense clumps. Sometimes these clumps reach a critical density that allows stars to form at their cores. Radiation and winds coming from the most massive stars in those clouds—combined with the material spewed into space when those stars eventually explode—sometimes form bubbles like those pictured here. But these processes also disperse the gas and dust, breaking up dense clumps and reducing or halting further new star formation. In fact, the material that forms this nebula’s wings was ejected from a dense cluster of stars that lies between them..." says NASA in the Instagram post.</p>

<p>The beautiful image was posted on April 15 and within a day, it has garnered more than 700,000 likes.</p>

<p>"I wanna get lost in that Space Butterfly, can I please?" comments a user.</p>


NASA keeps sending brilliant pictures our way. These range from those of distant galaxies to our own backyard in the solar system, and everything in between. Sometimes these pics resemble 'Hand of God' or anything our perception allows us to see.

NASA keeps sending brilliant pictures our way. These range from those of distant galaxies to our own backyard in the solar system, and everything in between. Sometimes these pics resemble 'Hand of God' or anything our perception allows us to see. This time, NASA has clicked a space butterfly! This cosmic butterfly has been captured by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. It is a nebula. Nebulas are huge masses of gas and space dust in which new stars form. The infrared image of this 'space butterfly' shows two 'wings'. In its Instagram post, NASA explains that these 'wings' are giant bubbles of hot, interstellar gas blowing from the hottest, most massive stars that are in the process of getting formed. "...Besides being beautiful, this nebula demonstrates how the formation of stars results in the destruction of the very clouds that helped create them. Inside giant clouds of gas and dust in space, the force of gravity pulls material together into dense clumps. Sometimes these clumps reach a critical density that allows stars to form at their cores. Radiation and winds coming from the most massive stars in those clouds—combined with the material spewed into space when those stars eventually explode—sometimes form bubbles like those pictured here. But these processes also disperse the gas and dust, breaking up dense clumps and reducing or halting further new star formation. In fact, the material that forms this nebula’s wings was ejected from a dense cluster of stars that lies between them..." says NASA in the Instagram post. The beautiful image was posted on April 15 and within a day, it has garnered more than 700,000 likes. "I wanna get lost in that Space Butterfly, can I please?" comments a user.

NASA clicks photo of a 'space butterfly'

<p>NASA is developing a new spacesuit with a built-in cooling system to help astronauts withstand the unfiltered sun rays on the Moon.</p>

<p>In a new video published by NASA, the astronauts were seen spacewalking outside the International Space Station wearing the suit as they receive cool water from a device onboard.</p>

<p>NASA hopes that their suit will be able to protect their astronauts from the moon's temperature that can reach a boiling 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius or 400 Kelvin) during lunar daytime at the moon's equator.</p>

<p>Though the concept of a built-in cooling system dates back to the 1970s of the Apollo missions, the US space agency has added additional new features to the suit that can withstand the harsh sun rays.</p>

<p>According to NASA, the new spacesuit is equipped with pressure sensors, a thermal control loop to maintain a set temperature, and has the ability to release warm water vapour into space.</p>

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<p>“As NASA embraces commercial partnerships to optimize spacesuit technology as part of the Artemis program, the Spacesuit Evaporation Rejection Flight Experiment (SERFE) payload continues to be tested onboard the International Space Station,” NASA wrote in the caption of the clip.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to NASA, the latest cooling technology is being tested for the upcoming Artemis missions, which are set to take place in 2025. The programme&nbsp;aims to return the humans to the Moon.</p>

<p>In 2025, Artemis 3 will bring humans to the moon with the first woman and person of colour to reach the lunar surface on board.</p>

<p>The crew will touch down near the moon’s south pole, which is believed to have&nbsp;large amounts of ice.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


NASA is developing a new spacesuit with a built-in cooling system to help astronauts withstand the unfiltered sun rays on the Moon. In a new video published by NASA, the astronauts were seen spacewalking outside the International Space Station wearing the suit as they receive cool water from a device onboard.

NASA is developing a new spacesuit with a built-in cooling system to help astronauts withstand the unfiltered sun rays on the Moon. In a new video published by NASA, the astronauts were seen spacewalking outside the International Space Station wearing the suit as they receive cool water from a device onboard. NASA hopes that their suit will be able to protect their astronauts from the moon's temperature that can reach a boiling 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius or 400 Kelvin) during lunar daytime at the moon's equator. Though the concept of a built-in cooling system dates back to the 1970s of the Apollo missions, the US space agency has added additional new features to the suit that can withstand the harsh sun rays. According to NASA, the new spacesuit is equipped with pressure sensors, a thermal control loop to maintain a set temperature, and has the ability to release warm water vapour into space. × “As NASA embraces commercial partnerships to optimize spacesuit technology as part of the Artemis program, the Spacesuit Evaporation Rejection Flight Experiment (SERFE) payload continues to be tested onboard the International Space Station,” NASA wrote in the caption of the clip. According to NASA, the latest cooling technology is being tested for the upcoming Artemis missions, which are set to take place in 2025. The programme aims to return the humans to the Moon. In 2025, Artemis 3 will bring humans to the moon with the first woman and person of colour to reach the lunar surface on board. The crew will touch down near the moon’s south pole, which is believed to have large amounts of ice.

Watch: NASA working on new spacesuit with built-in cooling system to withstand Moon temperatures

<p>NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) never fails to amaze us. Not only the US space agency is at the forefront of space exploration and research, but its social media feeds are also widely admired for brearthtaking images and interesting chunks of space info. And it never fails to enthral us.</p>

<p>So what's on the menu this time? An image of Earth, but with a twist.</p>

<p>As the new month dawned, NASA tweeted a pic taken by its Cassini probe that is studying Saturn. The image show Saturn in all its glory with the majestic rings. But also depicts a curious blue dot.</p>

<p>"You are here.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
In 2013, the Cassini spacecraft captured this wide-angle view of Saturn and a chunk of its rings. That pale blue dot just below the rings? That’s Earth from about 898 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away," says NASA in its tweet.</p>

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In 2013, the Cassini spacecraft captured this wide-angle view of Saturn and a chunk of its rings. That pale blue dot just below the rings? That’s Earth from about 898 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away. Explore <a href="https://twitter.com/NASASolarSystem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASASolarSystem</a>: <a href="https://t.co/9sLPATJHaE">https://t.co/9sLPATJHaE</a> <a href="https://t.co/NlTxVXRANR">pic.twitter.com/NlTxVXRANR</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1497734089692135428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>The image is perhaps a lesson for the self-centred human race which probably thinks it is the centre of the universe. As you go away from the planet, other celestial bodies dwarf us. And all conflicts appear fruitless. This is the only planet we've got. No other space rock has been found to harbour life just like ours&nbsp;Peaceful co-existence is that tough, eh?</p>


NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) never fails to amaze us. Not only the US space agency is at the forefront of space exploration and research, but its social media feeds are also widely admired for brearthtaking images and interesting chunks of space info.

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) never fails to amaze us. Not only the US space agency is at the forefront of space exploration and research, but its social media feeds are also widely admired for brearthtaking images and interesting chunks of space info. And it never fails to enthral us. So what's on the menu this time? An image of Earth, but with a twist. As the new month dawned, NASA tweeted a pic taken by its Cassini probe that is studying Saturn. The image show Saturn in all its glory with the majestic rings. But also depicts a curious blue dot. "You are here. In 2013, the Cassini spacecraft captured this wide-angle view of Saturn and a chunk of its rings. That pale blue dot just below the rings? That’s Earth from about 898 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away," says NASA in its tweet. You are here. In 2013, the Cassini spacecraft captured this wide-angle view of Saturn and a chunk of its rings. That pale blue dot just below the rings? That’s Earth from about 898 million miles (1.4 billion kilometers) away. Explore @NASASolarSystem: https://t.co/9sLPATJHaE pic.twitter.com/NlTxVXRANR — NASA (@NASA) February 27, 2022 × The image is perhaps a lesson for the self-centred human race which probably thinks it is the centre of the universe. As you go away from the planet, other celestial bodies dwarf us. And all conflicts appear fruitless. This is the only planet we've got. No other space rock has been found to harbour life just like ours Peaceful co-existence is that tough, eh?

NASA tweets brilliant image that may make you a bit introspective

<p>A sample of moon dust collected by Neil Armstrong during the historic Apollo 11 mission, that first put humans on the Moon went under the hammer and was sold for a whopping $504,375 at an auction on Wednesday.</p>

<p>Even though this is a huge amount, the estimated auction price was much higher. As per Bonhams the auctioneers in charge of this sale, it was expected to sell for between $800,000 and $1.2 million.</p>

<p>We’re sure you must be wondering how this lunar dust, which is bound to be a scientific sample came to be sold at a private auction. Well, it’s a really interesting and whacky story, but can be summed up as a ‘court order’.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/lunar-samples-collected-by-neil-armstrong-first-person-to-walk-on-the-moon-are-heading-to-auction-470309" hreflang="en">Lunar samples collected by Neil Armstrong, first person to walk on the Moon, are heading to auction</a></strong></p>

<p>Now for the full story.</p>

<p>Let’s start with how this sample was collected. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin reached the lunar surface back in 1969, Armstrong told the Apollo Mission Control Centre, Houston, Texas, that the sand was “almost like powder”.</p>

<p><img alt="Armstrong, Aldrin" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b75e657b-d7d7-4671-86d2-54596f409d40" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/stories%20%2820%29_1.jpg" /></p>

<p>He then proceeded to collect a sample and seal it in a Teflon bag.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Solar wind regularly blasts the surface of the airless moon, adding an electric charge to the fine-grained dust, also known as regolith. This charge causes lunar regolith to ‘stick’ to everything, including the astronauts' boots, gloves, suits, cords, tools etc.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;A new frontier in space exploration</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/a-new-frontier-in-space-exploration-439824/embed" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>This stickiness caused a little bit of sand to stick to the Teflon bag which was then kept in a zip-lock bag for safekeeping. This “sticky” bit of sand is what was sold in this auction.</p>

<p><img alt="Lunar dust" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="425a9059-1be3-48a1-81a8-ce015c9b3d34" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/stories%20%2819%29_3.jpg" /></p>

<p>NASA has long argued that the lunar rocks and dust obtained during the Apollo flights are government property that cannot be acquired by private individuals.</p>

<p>However, a couple of decades ago NASA had loaned that outer ziplock bag along with some other artefacts to the Cosmosphere space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. From there, it disappeared.</p>

<p>As per a report by National Geographic, in 2002 it was discovered that Max Ary, the museum’s co-founder had been smuggling museum artefacts for his personal gain and this bag was one of those items. Ary faced a three-year jail term and a $132,000 fine.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/solar-systems-most-distant-planet-presents-unexplained-shift-in-temperature-470604" hreflang="en">Solar system's most distant planet presents unexplained shift in temperature</a></strong></p>

<p>The bag was then sold to Nancy Lee Carlson, for $995 in 2015 at a US Marshal's auction. Labelled as a “flown zippered lunar sample return bag with lunar dust”, it intrigued Carlson and she then sent the sample to NASA for verification.</p>

<p>Now comes the wacky part, NASA confirmed that the samples were genuine and refused to return them to Carlson.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She then filed a case against the space agency for wrongful confiscation and that...is how it came to be sold for more than $500,000.&nbsp;</p>


A sample of moon dust collected by Neil Armstrong during the historic Apollo 11 mission, that first put humans on the Moon went under the hammer and was sold for a whopping $504,375 at an auction on Wednesday.

A sample of moon dust collected by Neil Armstrong during the historic Apollo 11 mission, that first put humans on the Moon went under the hammer and was sold for a whopping $504,375 at an auction on Wednesday. Even though this is a huge amount, the estimated auction price was much higher. As per Bonhams the auctioneers in charge of this sale, it was expected to sell for between $800,000 and $1.2 million. We’re sure you must be wondering how this lunar dust, which is bound to be a scientific sample came to be sold at a private auction. Well, it’s a really interesting and whacky story, but can be summed up as a ‘court order’. Also read | Lunar samples collected by Neil Armstrong, first person to walk on the Moon, are heading to auction Now for the full story. Let’s start with how this sample was collected. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin reached the lunar surface back in 1969, Armstrong told the Apollo Mission Control Centre, Houston, Texas, that the sand was “almost like powder”. He then proceeded to collect a sample and seal it in a Teflon bag. Solar wind regularly blasts the surface of the airless moon, adding an electric charge to the fine-grained dust, also known as regolith. This charge causes lunar regolith to ‘stick’ to everything, including the astronauts' boots, gloves, suits, cords, tools etc. Watch | A new frontier in space exploration This stickiness caused a little bit of sand to stick to the Teflon bag which was then kept in a zip-lock bag for safekeeping. This “sticky” bit of sand is what was sold in this auction. NASA has long argued that the lunar rocks and dust obtained during the Apollo flights are government property that cannot be acquired by private individuals. However, a couple of decades ago NASA had loaned that outer ziplock bag along with some other artefacts to the Cosmosphere space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. From there, it disappeared. As per a report by National Geographic, in 2002 it was discovered that Max Ary, the museum’s co-founder had been smuggling museum artefacts for his personal gain and this bag was one of those items. Ary faced a three-year jail term and a $132,000 fine. Also read | Solar system's most distant planet presents unexplained shift in temperature The bag was then sold to Nancy Lee Carlson, for $995 in 2015 at a US Marshal's auction. Labelled as a “flown zippered lunar sample return bag with lunar dust”, it intrigued Carlson and she then sent the sample to NASA for verification. Now comes the wacky part, NASA confirmed that the samples were genuine and refused to return them to Carlson. She then filed a case against the space agency for wrongful confiscation and that...is how it came to be sold for more than $500,000.

This is how a NASA sample of lunar dust came to be sold at a public auction for $500,000

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<p>NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirmed the largest icy comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers, with a mass of 500 trillion tonnes. It is said to be a hundred thousand times greater than the mass of a typical "comet found much closer to the Sun".&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA revealed that the estimated diameter of the comet is appeared to be 80 miles across, which means it is larger than the US state of Rhode Island.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The comet's nucleus is about 50 times bigger as compared to those found in most known comets, NASA says.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US-based space agency further revealed that the comet, C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) is heading towards Earth at 22,000 miles per hour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, there is no need to worry as it will not get closer to the planet. NASA noted: "It will never get closer than 1 billion miles away from the Sun, which is slightly farther than the distance of the planet Saturn. And that won't be until the year 2031."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/looks-like-alien-footprints-nasa-posts-stunning-image-read-details-here-470550">'Looks like alien footprints': NASA posts stunning image. Read details here</a></strong></p>

<p>"This comet is literally the tip of the iceberg for many thousands of comets that are too faint to see in the more distant parts of the solar system," NASA quoted David Jewitt as saying who is a professor of planetary science and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and co-author of the new study in&nbsp;<em>The Astrophysical Journal Letters</em>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We've always suspected this comet had to be big because it is so bright at such a large distance. Now we confirm it is," Jewitt added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This is an amazing object, given how active it is when it's still so far from the Sun," said the paper's lead author Man-To Hui of the Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We guessed the comet might be pretty big, but we needed the best data to confirm this," Hui added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/solar-systems-most-distant-planet-presents-unexplained-shift-in-temperature-470604">Solar system's most distant planet presents unexplained shift in temperature</a></strong></p>

<p><strong><img alt="NASA-comet" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="93156055-f5b8-4526-9e2f-7cf4a8bcb288" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/hubble_comet_c_2014_un271.png" /></strong></p>

<p><em>Image Credits: NASA, ESA, Man-To Hui (Macau University of Science and Technology), David Jewitt (UCLA); Image processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)</em></p>

<p>NASA stated that the team used Hubble to take five photos of the comet on January 8, 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News about asteroids and meteorites barrelling toward Earth reminds of a popular Hollywood movie 'Don't Look Up' which was basically a satire. In the movie, two astronomers warn about an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth, but the warning was overlooked resulting apocalypse.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the reality is quite far from the movie as there is no doubt about the fact that space agencies around the world send alerts and remain vigilant.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH this explanation NASA:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirmed the largest icy comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers, with a mass of 500 trillion tonnes. It is said to be a hundred thousand times greater than the mass of a typical "comet found much closer to the Sun".

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirmed the largest icy comet nucleus ever seen by astronomers, with a mass of 500 trillion tonnes. It is said to be a hundred thousand times greater than the mass of a typical "comet found much closer to the Sun". NASA revealed that the estimated diameter of the comet is appeared to be 80 miles across, which means it is larger than the US state of Rhode Island. The comet's nucleus is about 50 times bigger as compared to those found in most known comets, NASA says. The US-based space agency further revealed that the comet, C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) is heading towards Earth at 22,000 miles per hour. However, there is no need to worry as it will not get closer to the planet. NASA noted: "It will never get closer than 1 billion miles away from the Sun, which is slightly farther than the distance of the planet Saturn. And that won't be until the year 2031." ALSO READ | 'Looks like alien footprints': NASA posts stunning image. Read details here "This comet is literally the tip of the iceberg for many thousands of comets that are too faint to see in the more distant parts of the solar system," NASA quoted David Jewitt as saying who is a professor of planetary science and astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and co-author of the new study in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. "We've always suspected this comet had to be big because it is so bright at such a large distance. Now we confirm it is," Jewitt added. "This is an amazing object, given how active it is when it's still so far from the Sun," said the paper's lead author Man-To Hui of the Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau. "We guessed the comet might be pretty big, but we needed the best data to confirm this," Hui added. ALSO READ | Solar system's most distant planet presents unexplained shift in temperature Image Credits: NASA, ESA, Man-To Hui (Macau University of Science and Technology), David Jewitt (UCLA); Image processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI) NASA stated that the team used Hubble to take five photos of the comet on January 8, 2022. News about asteroids and meteorites barrelling toward Earth reminds of a popular Hollywood movie 'Don't Look Up' which was basically a satire. In the movie, two astronomers warn about an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth, but the warning was overlooked resulting apocalypse. However, the reality is quite far from the movie as there is no doubt about the fact that space agencies around the world send alerts and remain vigilant. WATCH this explanation NASA: ×

Watch: Striking details about 'largest comet ever seen' that is hurtling towards Earth at 22,000mph

<p>In a new study published in the 'Planetary Science Journal' astronomers said that Neptune has experienced an unexplained shift in temperature.</p>

<p>The study's lead author Michael Roman, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Leicester, said in a statement "Since we have been observing Neptune during its early southern summer, we expected temperatures to be slowly growing warmer, not colder."</p>

<p>"Temperature variations may be related to seasonal changes in Neptune's atmospheric chemistry, which can alter how effectively the atmosphere cools."</p>

<p>"But random variability in weather patterns or even a response to the 11-year solar activity cycle may also have an effect," he added.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-giant-ice-volcanoes-spotted-on-pluto-467020/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>With seasons lasting 40 years each, the planet Neptune should be spared sudden changes in climate, yet it has been cooling significantly since the start of its austral summer 17 years ago, as per the research.</p>

<p>According to the study co-author Glenn Orton, a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "Our data cover less than half of a Neptune season, so no one was expecting to see large and rapid changes."</p>

<p>"I think Neptune is itself very intriguing to many of us because we still know so little about it," Roman said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This all points towards a more complicated picture of Neptune's atmosphere and how it changes with time."</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/lunar-samples-collected-by-neil-armstrong-first-person-to-walk-on-the-moon-are-heading-to-auction-470309" hreflang="en">Lunar samples collected by Neil Armstrong, first person to walk on the Moon, are heading to auction</a></strong></p>

<p>Neptune is the solar system's most distant planet. It possesses an extremely dynamic atmosphere.</p>

<p>Neptune's highest clouds evolve so rapidly that the planet's appearance can change dramatically over the course of days. It has the most powerful zonal winds in the solar system.</p>

<p>It has an average diametre of approximately 30,600 miles (49,250 km), making it four times wider than Earth.</p>

<p>Neptune orbits more than 30 times as far away from the sun as Earth at an average distance of about 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion km).&nbsp;</p>

<p>It needs about 165 Earth years to complete a single orbit around the sun, a Neptunian year.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a new study published in the 'Planetary Science Journal' astronomers said that Neptune has experienced an unexplained shift in temperature. The study's lead author Michael Roman, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Leicester, said in a statement "Since we have been observing Neptune during its early southern summer, we expected temperatures to be slowly growing warmer, not colder.

In a new study published in the 'Planetary Science Journal' astronomers said that Neptune has experienced an unexplained shift in temperature. The study's lead author Michael Roman, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Leicester, said in a statement "Since we have been observing Neptune during its early southern summer, we expected temperatures to be slowly growing warmer, not colder." "Temperature variations may be related to seasonal changes in Neptune's atmospheric chemistry, which can alter how effectively the atmosphere cools." "But random variability in weather patterns or even a response to the 11-year solar activity cycle may also have an effect," he added. With seasons lasting 40 years each, the planet Neptune should be spared sudden changes in climate, yet it has been cooling significantly since the start of its austral summer 17 years ago, as per the research. According to the study co-author Glenn Orton, a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "Our data cover less than half of a Neptune season, so no one was expecting to see large and rapid changes." "I think Neptune is itself very intriguing to many of us because we still know so little about it," Roman said. "This all points towards a more complicated picture of Neptune's atmosphere and how it changes with time." Also read | Lunar samples collected by Neil Armstrong, first person to walk on the Moon, are heading to auction Neptune is the solar system's most distant planet. It possesses an extremely dynamic atmosphere. Neptune's highest clouds evolve so rapidly that the planet's appearance can change dramatically over the course of days. It has the most powerful zonal winds in the solar system. It has an average diametre of approximately 30,600 miles (49,250 km), making it four times wider than Earth. Neptune orbits more than 30 times as far away from the sun as Earth at an average distance of about 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion km). It needs about 165 Earth years to complete a single orbit around the sun, a Neptunian year. (With inputs from agencies)

Solar system's most distant planet presents unexplained shift in temperature

<p>The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared a stunning image on its official Instagram handle, leaving the social media users in complete awe.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The image is so intriguing that one of the users wrote that it "looks like alien footprints on mars". Mars? Yes, the image is certainly from the Red Planet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The image posted by NASA is a new image of a Mars crater.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the post, NASA wrote: "The Martian crater marks the spot. You’re looking at 0° longitude on Mars—the Greenwich Observatory equivalent on the Red Planet."&nbsp;</p>

<p>The post added that the Greenwich Observatory marks Earth’s Prime Meridian, which is a north-south line that defines where east meets west and is used as the zero reference line for astronomical observations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA revealed that the larger crater that sits within this crater, called the Airy Crater, originally defined zero longitude for Mars.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, as higher resolution photos became available, a smaller feature was needed. This crater, called Airy-0 (zero) was selected because it did not need to adjust existing maps.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The space agency noted that the image was captured by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimetres (19.7 inches) per pixel.&nbsp;</p>

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared a stunning image on its official Instagram handle, leaving the social media users in complete awe.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared a stunning image on its official Instagram handle, leaving the social media users in complete awe. The image is so intriguing that one of the users wrote that it "looks like alien footprints on mars". Mars? Yes, the image is certainly from the Red Planet. The image posted by NASA is a new image of a Mars crater. In the post, NASA wrote: "The Martian crater marks the spot. You’re looking at 0° longitude on Mars—the Greenwich Observatory equivalent on the Red Planet." The post added that the Greenwich Observatory marks Earth’s Prime Meridian, which is a north-south line that defines where east meets west and is used as the zero reference line for astronomical observations. NASA revealed that the larger crater that sits within this crater, called the Airy Crater, originally defined zero longitude for Mars. However, as higher resolution photos became available, a smaller feature was needed. This crater, called Airy-0 (zero) was selected because it did not need to adjust existing maps. The space agency noted that the image was captured by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimetres (19.7 inches) per pixel. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) ×

'Looks like alien footprints': NASA posts stunning image. Read details here

<p>The lunar samples collected by American astronaut Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission are heading to auction.</p>

<p>They are a part of a batch that contains five aluminum sample stubs. They are each 10 mm of carbon tape that contains moon dust.</p>

<p>Bonhams, an auction company in New York, said the one-of-a-kind pieces of space history are expected to fetch between $800,000 to $1.2 million.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/finally-ax-1-first-private-astronaut-mission-to-international-space-station-docks-after-45-minute-delay-469796" hreflang="en">Finally, Ax-1, first private astronaut mission to International Space Station, docks after 45-minute delay</a></strong></p>

<p>They were deemed “lost by NASA.” They had been stolen by Max Ary, a past curator of the Cosmosphere space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas.</p>

<p>But they were later confiscated by the US Marshal and Dr. Roy Christoffersen at NASA confirmed that they were the same samples.</p>

<p>To ensure they were a match, NASA scanned electron microscope (SEM) sample stubs containing the lunar dust.</p>

<p><strong>Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-has-space-business-has-become-the-final-profitable-frontier-452928" hreflang="en">Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier?</a></strong></p>

<p>Lunar expert and geologist Prof. Stephen J. Mojzsis said, &nbsp;“This suggests that the sampling protocol was different in orientation and technique (from) the other samples.”</p>

<p>Earlier, more than 70 original NASA photographs including a celebrated image of Buzz Aldrin's moonwalk taken by Neil Armstrong were sold at auction in Copenhagen on Wednesday for more than 155,000 euros ($172,000).</p>

<p>Apollo 11 was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon.</p>

<p>The last time man set foot on the Moon was in 1972 during the Apollo 17 mission, but NASA is planning to send astronauts again in 2025-2026.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The lunar samples collected by American astronaut Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission are heading to auction. They are a part of a batch that contains five aluminum sample stubs.

The lunar samples collected by American astronaut Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission are heading to auction. They are a part of a batch that contains five aluminum sample stubs. They are each 10 mm of carbon tape that contains moon dust. Bonhams, an auction company in New York, said the one-of-a-kind pieces of space history are expected to fetch between $800,000 to $1.2 million. Also read | Finally, Ax-1, first private astronaut mission to International Space Station, docks after 45-minute delay They were deemed “lost by NASA.” They had been stolen by Max Ary, a past curator of the Cosmosphere space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. But they were later confiscated by the US Marshal and Dr. Roy Christoffersen at NASA confirmed that they were the same samples. To ensure they were a match, NASA scanned electron microscope (SEM) sample stubs containing the lunar dust. Also see | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? Lunar expert and geologist Prof. Stephen J. Mojzsis said, “This suggests that the sampling protocol was different in orientation and technique (from) the other samples.” Earlier, more than 70 original NASA photographs including a celebrated image of Buzz Aldrin's moonwalk taken by Neil Armstrong were sold at auction in Copenhagen on Wednesday for more than 155,000 euros ($172,000). Apollo 11 was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. The last time man set foot on the Moon was in 1972 during the Apollo 17 mission, but NASA is planning to send astronauts again in 2025-2026. (With inputs from agencies)

Lunar samples collected by Neil Armstrong, first person to walk on the Moon, are heading to auction

<p>Images and videos of Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, keep mesmerising people across the world. But the latest photo shared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows a completely "different perspective".&nbsp;</p>

<p>The space agency posted an image of the highest mountain on Earth taken from the vantage point of space.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA revealed that an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has taken this near-nadir (almost straight down) photo of Mount Everest, which towers approximately 8,848 meters above sea level.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-observe-stunning-formation-of-jupiter-like-planet-that-is-in-the-womb-468468">Jupiter-like planet in space? Scientists observe stunning formation of planet that is 'in the womb'</a></strong></p>

<p>In the post shared on its official Instagram account, NASA stated that Mt. Everest just keeps growing, approximately one centimetre per year due to the progressive uplift of the crust caused by the convergence of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>See the post here:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/one-must-shout-to-have-conversation-nasa-finds-sound-travels-slower-on-mars-than-earth-468444">‘One must shout to have conversation’: NASA finds sound travels slower on Mars than Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>The image stunned the social media users as some expressed their astonishment in the comment section. One of the users wrote, "Mind blowing". Another user lauded the "amazing" quality of the image.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some users compared the image to aluminium foil and painting. A user wrote, "This is crinkled up aluminum foil". Another user said, "Oh wow that looks like a paint".&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the unversed, Mount Everest is located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and the China–Nepal border runs across its summit point.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Chinese and Nepali authorities reportedly established its elevation (snow height) of 8,848.86 metres most recently in 2020.&nbsp;</p>


Images and videos of Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, keep mesmerising people across the world. But the latest photo shared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows a completely "different perspective".

Images and videos of Mount Everest, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, keep mesmerising people across the world. But the latest photo shared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows a completely "different perspective". The space agency posted an image of the highest mountain on Earth taken from the vantage point of space. NASA revealed that an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has taken this near-nadir (almost straight down) photo of Mount Everest, which towers approximately 8,848 meters above sea level. ALSO READ | Jupiter-like planet in space? Scientists observe stunning formation of planet that is 'in the womb' In the post shared on its official Instagram account, NASA stated that Mt. Everest just keeps growing, approximately one centimetre per year due to the progressive uplift of the crust caused by the convergence of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. See the post here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × ALSO READ | ‘One must shout to have conversation’: NASA finds sound travels slower on Mars than Earth The image stunned the social media users as some expressed their astonishment in the comment section. One of the users wrote, "Mind blowing". Another user lauded the "amazing" quality of the image. Some users compared the image to aluminium foil and painting. A user wrote, "This is crinkled up aluminum foil". Another user said, "Oh wow that looks like a paint". For the unversed, Mount Everest is located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and the China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. The Chinese and Nepali authorities reportedly established its elevation (snow height) of 8,848.86 metres most recently in 2020.

See this magnificent photo of Mount Everest from a completely 'different perspective'

The most distant star has been spotted by scientists. Known as Earendel, the star was spotted by scientists using NASA’s Hubble telescope. It is believed that the star existed during the dawn of the universe.

Earendel – most distant star spotted by scientist using NASA’s Hubble telescope

<p>NASA has found that the speed of sound on Mars is a lot slower than on Earth and a “deep silence prevails” over the red planet.</p>

<p>The scientists came to the conclusion after calculating the speed of sound on Mars dating back to February 19, 2021, the day after NASA's Perseverance rover landed on the planet.</p>

<p>They found out that sound travels 100 meters per second slower on Mars compared to Earth.</p>

<p>Moreover, the researchers discovered that there are two speeds of sound on Mars — one for high-pitched sounds and one for low-pitched sounds.</p>

<p>On Earth, sounds usually travel at 767 mph (343 meters per second). But on Mars, low-pitched sounds travel at about 537 mph (240 meters per second), while higher-pitched sounds move at 559 mph (250 meters per second), NASA said.</p>

<p>“This would make it difficult for two people standing only five meters apart to have a conversation," according to a press release on the findings.</p>

<p>This peculiar sound environment is due to the incredibly low atmospheric surface pressure on Mars, which is 170 times lower than Earth's pressure, the study published in Nature on Friday said.</p>

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<p>For example, if a high-pitched sound travels 213 feet on Earth, it will travel just 26 feet on Mars.</p>

<p>While sounds on Mars can be heard by human ears, they are incredibly soft.</p>

<p>"At some point, we thought the microphone was broken, it was so quiet," said Sylvestre Maurice, an astrophysicist at the University of Toulouse in France and lead author of the study, according to NASA.</p>

<p>Besides the wind, “natural sound sources are rare,” the press release said.</p>

<p>But NASA scientists believe that Mars may become more noisy in the autumn months, when there is higher atmospheric pressure.</p>

<p>"We are entering a high-pressure season," co-author of the study Baptiste Chide said in the press release. "Maybe the acoustic environment on Mars will be less quiet than it was when we landed."</p>


NASA has found that the speed of sound on Mars is a lot slower than on Earth and a “deep silence prevails” over the red planet. The scientists came to the conclusion after calculating the speed of sound on Mars dating back to February 19, 2021, the day after NASA's Perseverance rover landed on the planet.

NASA has found that the speed of sound on Mars is a lot slower than on Earth and a “deep silence prevails” over the red planet. The scientists came to the conclusion after calculating the speed of sound on Mars dating back to February 19, 2021, the day after NASA's Perseverance rover landed on the planet. They found out that sound travels 100 meters per second slower on Mars compared to Earth. Moreover, the researchers discovered that there are two speeds of sound on Mars — one for high-pitched sounds and one for low-pitched sounds. On Earth, sounds usually travel at 767 mph (343 meters per second). But on Mars, low-pitched sounds travel at about 537 mph (240 meters per second), while higher-pitched sounds move at 559 mph (250 meters per second), NASA said. “This would make it difficult for two people standing only five meters apart to have a conversation," according to a press release on the findings. This peculiar sound environment is due to the incredibly low atmospheric surface pressure on Mars, which is 170 times lower than Earth's pressure, the study published in Nature on Friday said. × For example, if a high-pitched sound travels 213 feet on Earth, it will travel just 26 feet on Mars. While sounds on Mars can be heard by human ears, they are incredibly soft. "At some point, we thought the microphone was broken, it was so quiet," said Sylvestre Maurice, an astrophysicist at the University of Toulouse in France and lead author of the study, according to NASA. Besides the wind, “natural sound sources are rare,” the press release said. But NASA scientists believe that Mars may become more noisy in the autumn months, when there is higher atmospheric pressure. "We are entering a high-pressure season," co-author of the study Baptiste Chide said in the press release. "Maybe the acoustic environment on Mars will be less quiet than it was when we landed."

‘One must shout to have conversation’: NASA finds sound travels slower on Mars than Earth

<p>On March 22, Sun emitted the most intense solar flares that are capable enough to impact radio communications,&nbsp;electric power grids and pose risks to astronauts.</p>

<p>It was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory which classified it as an “X-Class flare”—the most intense category of solar flares.</p>

<p>Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. They are capable of “impacting radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts,” NASA stated.</p>

<p>The mesmerising images were captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory.</p>

<p>According to the US space agency, X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, and similarly X3 is three times as intense, etc.</p>

<p>Moreover, there were 17 of these solar flares that were caught exploding from Sun by NASA on Monday. At least two were fired towards the Earth’s direction, reports the New York Post.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sun, we need to talk about your flare. 🌞<br />
<br />
The Sun emitted a significant solar flare on March 30, peaking at 1:35 p.m. ET (17:35 UTC). Our orbiting <a href="https://twitter.com/NASASun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASASun</a> Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the action: <a href="https://t.co/8nIuyoSmOH">https://t.co/8nIuyoSmOH</a> <a href="https://t.co/JmtB8PuBvM">pic.twitter.com/JmtB8PuBvM</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1509279378202578945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Even though these solar flares are capable enough to cause geomagnetic storms that can disrupt the functioning of the satellite, the ones directed towards the Earth were of low intently and posed no threat.</p>

<p>In the past, large solar flares have wreaked havoc on our planet.</p>

<p>In March 1989, a solar flare and accompanying coronal mass ejections caused the entire power grid in Quebec, Canada to lose power. The event was later referred to as “the day the sun brought darkness.”</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A huge X1.3 class solar flare flashed in center of the Sun on Mar. 30, 2022.<br />
<br />
This animated gif was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows a blend of light from the 171 and 131 angstrom wavelengths.<br />
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(Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO) <a href="https://t.co/vJ0KUKvqWo">pic.twitter.com/vJ0KUKvqWo</a></p>
— Universal-Sci (@universal_sci) <a href="https://twitter.com/universal_sci/status/1509937517839192065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>Apart from harming our technologies, these solar flares can hinder astronauts working on the International Space Station, either through radiation exposure or by interfering with mission control communications.</p>

<p>The Earth’s magnetic field helps to protect us from the more extreme consequences of solar flares.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>


On March 22, Sun emitted the most intense solar flares that are capable enough to impact radio communications, electric power grids and pose risks to astronauts.

On March 22, Sun emitted the most intense solar flares that are capable enough to impact radio communications, electric power grids and pose risks to astronauts. It was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory which classified it as an “X-Class flare”—the most intense category of solar flares. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. They are capable of “impacting radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts,” NASA stated. The mesmerising images were captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. According to the US space agency, X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, and similarly X3 is three times as intense, etc. Moreover, there were 17 of these solar flares that were caught exploding from Sun by NASA on Monday. At least two were fired towards the Earth’s direction, reports the New York Post. Sun, we need to talk about your flare. 🌞 The Sun emitted a significant solar flare on March 30, peaking at 1:35 p.m. ET (17:35 UTC). Our orbiting @NASASun Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the action: https://t.co/8nIuyoSmOH pic.twitter.com/JmtB8PuBvM — NASA (@NASA) March 30, 2022 × Even though these solar flares are capable enough to cause geomagnetic storms that can disrupt the functioning of the satellite, the ones directed towards the Earth were of low intently and posed no threat. In the past, large solar flares have wreaked havoc on our planet. In March 1989, a solar flare and accompanying coronal mass ejections caused the entire power grid in Quebec, Canada to lose power. The event was later referred to as “the day the sun brought darkness.” A huge X1.3 class solar flare flashed in center of the Sun on Mar. 30, 2022. This animated gif was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows a blend of light from the 171 and 131 angstrom wavelengths. (Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO) pic.twitter.com/vJ0KUKvqWo — Universal-Sci (@universal_sci) April 1, 2022 × Apart from harming our technologies, these solar flares can hinder astronauts working on the International Space Station, either through radiation exposure or by interfering with mission control communications. The Earth’s magnetic field helps to protect us from the more extreme consequences of solar flares. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: NASA captures ‘most intense’ solar flares exploding from Sun

<p>In January 1992, a pair of astronomers reported a discovery that changed the course of scientific history: They found planets outside our solar system.</p>

<p>The detection of the first confirmed exoplanets — the term for worlds that orbit other stars — validated dreamers who for centuries believed that “innumerable celestial bodies, stars, globes, suns and earths may be sensibly perceived therein by us,” in the words of the Renaissance polymath Giordano Bruno. One such detection — the world 51 Pegasi b in 1995 — led to the award of the 2019 Nobel Prize in physics to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz.</p>

<p>Now, 30 years later, the list of known exoplanets has just topped 5,000, according to NASA. This dazzling abundance and variety of worlds has come into view with the aid of ever-more sophisticated space telescopes. There are “hot Jupiters” that orbit scorchingly close to their stars and beefed-up versions of our planet known as “super-Earths.” Rogue planets, unmoored from their stars, wander interstellar space. And some worlds show signs of habitability, meaning they could host alien life.</p>

<p>To celebrate the milestone, experts and enthusiasts shared their favourite exoplanets or exoplanetary systems among the thousands of worlds to choose from.</p>

<p><b>A Dead Star’s Worlds</b></p>

<p>Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first confirmed exoplanets ever spotted. Alexander Wolszczan and Dale Frail detected the planets orbiting a neutron star, a type of dead star, using the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico.</p>

<p>“Not only did this discovery precede further confirmed exoplanet discoveries by three years, Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first exoplanets with Earth-like masses and the first multiplanet system,” said Frail, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.</p>

<p>“This discovery suggested that, if you can make planets around a neutron star, they should be common around all kinds of stars,” said Wolszczan, a professor at Pennsylvania State University.</p>

<p><b>No Doubt About It</b></p>

<p>Though Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first confirmed exoplanets in history, an absolutely humongous gas giant nicknamed Tadmor was spotted in 1988 by scientists based in British Columbia. The existence of Tadmor was disputed for years, even by its own discoverers, but was eventually confirmed in 2002.</p>

<p>Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut, said that “firsts” are always important to him, which is just one of the reasons that Tadmor is his favourite exoplanet.</p>

<p>“Part of the reason I like it is that it was detected by three Canadians,” said Hadfield, referring to Bruce Campbell, Gordon Walker and Stephenson Yang, “and they just couldn’t believe it.”</p>

<p>“To me, since it’s the first one, it’s the one I think ends up being the most historic and at this point, the most interesting,” he added.</p>

<p><b>Seven-in-One</b></p>

<p>With seven rocky planets and a location just 40 light-years from Earth, the TRAPPIST-1 system is a fan favourite.</p>

<p>Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, noted that the system had four planets in the habitable zone — the region around a star where liquid water could potentially exist.</p>

<p>“Wouldn’t it be incredible to find more than one habitable world around one star?” Kaltenegger said.</p>

<p>(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)</p>

<p>Tim Pyle, a multimedia producer who helped create some of the well-known visualizations of TRAPPIST-1 for NASA, noted that the view from these planets would be surreal.</p>

<p>“Having seven roughly Earth-sized planets around a single star excites my imagination,” Pyle said. “And they’re so close together that they would be looming fixtures in each other’s sky in a breathtaking way. Imagine lying on the deck of a boat on a TRAPPIST-1e ocean, looking above you, and seeing other planets as large as we see the full moon from Earth!”</p>

<p><b>Precocious Planets</b></p>

<p>TOI-1233, a sunlike star more than 200 light-years from Earth, contains five known exoplanets. Four of these worlds were spotted in 2020.</p>

<p>“TOI-1233 is an outstanding planetary system with its high number of transiting planets, sunlike host star and its proximity to the solar system,” said Tansu Daylan, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.</p>

<p>Daylan detected the system with Jasmine Wright and Kartik Pinglé, who were both high school students at the time.</p>

<p>“This system is dear to my heart because it represents my first hands-on research experience in astrophysics,” said Wright, who is now studying the subject and computer science at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Since I was 7 years old, it’s been my goal to become an astrophysicist and work for NASA, and discovering this system brought me that chance sooner than expected.”</p>

<p>Pinglé, a senior at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Massachusetts, added that there was much still to be discovered at TOI-1233.</p>

<p>“It is a prime candidate for follow-up observation, particularly from the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope,” he said.</p>

<p><b>A Super-Saturn, Maybe</b></p>

<p>The possible exoplanet J1407b is nicknamed “super-Saturn” and “Lord of the Rings” because its ring system appears to stretch as far as Earth is from the sun.</p>

<p>Ann Druyan, who created the original television series “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” with her husband, Carl Sagan, and is the creative force behind its two recent iterations, said this world made an impression on her.</p>

<p>“It was an indication of what the variety of worlds, similar to the variety of life, could be,” she said.</p>

<p>Doubts have been raised about the original detection of J1407b. That also appeals to Druyan.</p>

<p>“I love the idea that it might be there and it might not be there,” she said. “It’s a product of this relentless searching, this sacred searching, we’ve been doing for roughly 400 years.”</p>

<p><b>An Ancient Super-Earth</b></p>

<p>More than half of the 5,000 known exoplanets were spotted by Kepler, a workhorse NASA space telescope that retired in 2018. Out of them all, William Borucki, Kepler’s principal investigator, has a clear favorite: Kepler-62f, a super-Earth about 1,000 light-years from Earth.</p>

<p>“It is in the habitable zone. It is similar in size to the Earth. It could be a rocky world or a water world,” he said in an email. “It orbits a star similar to but older than our sun.”</p>

<p>He added, “Any life on the planet could be much more advanced because the planet and any life on it would/could be that much older than terrestrial life and therefore be of special interest.”</p>

<p><b>Crazy Ex-Lava Monster</b></p>

<p>Kepler-10b was the first rocky planet to be discovered by the Kepler telescope, in 2011. The planet is slightly larger in size than Earth, and about four times as massive. But its temperature exceeds 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit because of its close orbit around its star, making it a nightmarish world.</p>

<p>“I love Kepler-10b because it’s the size of Earth but with a lava ocean, so I like to imagine it’s an alternate version of Earth with an alternate version of myself living on that planet,” said actress Rachel Bloom. But instead of being the co-creator and star of the TV show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” Bloom said the Kepler-10b version of herself would be “a fearsome lava monster who still likes show tunes.”</p>

<p><b>So Close, Yet So Far</b></p>

<p>Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf that is part of the three-star Alpha Centauri system, is our star’s closest neighbour, just 4 light-years away. Over the past few years, scientists have spotted three exoplanets, Proxima b, c and d — which are especially captivating to Sharon Xuesong Wang, a scientist at Tsinghua University in Beijing.</p>

<p>“I think within our lifetime, there’s a chance that we could see a mission actually flying somewhere closer to the system to study the planets in more detail,” Wang said. “It is not very likely there is life on any of these planets though, but who knows — the universe likes to surprise us.”</p>

<p>(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)</p>

<p>Abel Méndez, director of the Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, chose Proxima Centauri b as his favorite.</p>

<p>Méndez said that with new telescopes, we should be able to see “land and ocean areas. Information about the atmosphere and surface properties would provide definitive evidence to confirm whether these are really habitable worlds.”</p>

<p><b>Two Hot Jupiters</b></p>

<p>Kelt-11b is a hot Jupiter that was first reported in 2017 with the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope. The planet is special to Kate Isaak, project scientist for the European Space Agency’s CHEOPS spacecraft, launched in 2019, because it was the first light curve, a measurement of a star’s brightness that reveals exoplanets<em>,</em>&nbsp;ever studied by the observatory.</p>

<p>“We were able to determine its size with an accuracy five times better than from Earth, setting the uncertainty in its size to around 4,200 kilometres,” Isaak said, adding that it proved the scientific potential of the CHEOPS space telescope.</p>

<p>Luis Calçada, a science visualization artist who works with the European Southern Observatory, chose another hot Jupiter: Vega b.</p>

<p>“This star, which is only 25 light-years away from us, is central to Carl Sagan’s novel ‘Contact,’ ” Calçada said. He said the book sparked an interest that led him “to pursue a university degree in astronomy. After that, I built a career as a science illustrator. So this book, Carl Sagan and Vega have been present in a defining moment of my life. So seeing a planet being discovered around it was very exciting.”</p>

<p><b>Small but Fascinating</b></p>

<p>During his years on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Wil Wheaton became familiar with fictional worlds and new forms of life. He picked YZ Ceti b, which is slightly smaller than Earth and orbits a red dwarf located 12 light-years away, making it tantalizingly close for further study.</p>

<p>“It doesn’t make sense that, in a universe as vast as ours, we are the only intelligent (sentient) species,” Wheaton said in an email. “So when I look out into the night sky, I don’t just imagine that someone else is looking back. I know they are.”</p>

<p>He added that proof was unlikely to come in our lifetimes, so “our most urgent challenge as a species right now is to take care of the only planet we can live on so that generations from now, in a future so far away we cannot imagine what it will look like, our descendants can make first contact.”</p>

<p><b>Puff Up Your Imagination</b></p>

<p>At just 500 million years old, Kepler-51 is among the youngest star systems on this list. But though it is still a baby in astronomical terms, the system is already home to multiple planets with enigmatic properties, said Peter Gao, a staff scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science.</p>

<p>Gao said the system’s three planets were nicknamed “super puffs,” with extremely low density that brings to mind Styrofoam or cotton candy and “challenge our understanding of how planets form and how they evolve.”</p>

<p>He added that, “I like them because I like a good mystery, and their existence has shown that the universe is always more imaginative than we are.”</p>


In January 1992, a pair of astronomers reported a discovery that changed the course of scientific history: They found planets outside our solar system. The detection of the first confirmed exoplanets — the term for worlds that orbit other stars — validated dreamers who for centuries believed that “innumerable celestial bodies, stars, globes, suns and earths may be sensibly perceived therein by us,” in the words of the Renaissance polymath Giordano Bruno.

In January 1992, a pair of astronomers reported a discovery that changed the course of scientific history: They found planets outside our solar system. The detection of the first confirmed exoplanets — the term for worlds that orbit other stars — validated dreamers who for centuries believed that “innumerable celestial bodies, stars, globes, suns and earths may be sensibly perceived therein by us,” in the words of the Renaissance polymath Giordano Bruno. One such detection — the world 51 Pegasi b in 1995 — led to the award of the 2019 Nobel Prize in physics to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz. Now, 30 years later, the list of known exoplanets has just topped 5,000, according to NASA. This dazzling abundance and variety of worlds has come into view with the aid of ever-more sophisticated space telescopes. There are “hot Jupiters” that orbit scorchingly close to their stars and beefed-up versions of our planet known as “super-Earths.” Rogue planets, unmoored from their stars, wander interstellar space. And some worlds show signs of habitability, meaning they could host alien life. To celebrate the milestone, experts and enthusiasts shared their favourite exoplanets or exoplanetary systems among the thousands of worlds to choose from. A Dead Star’s Worlds Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first confirmed exoplanets ever spotted. Alexander Wolszczan and Dale Frail detected the planets orbiting a neutron star, a type of dead star, using the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico. “Not only did this discovery precede further confirmed exoplanet discoveries by three years, Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first exoplanets with Earth-like masses and the first multiplanet system,” said Frail, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. “This discovery suggested that, if you can make planets around a neutron star, they should be common around all kinds of stars,” said Wolszczan, a professor at Pennsylvania State University. No Doubt About It Though Poltergeist and Phobetor were the first confirmed exoplanets in history, an absolutely humongous gas giant nicknamed Tadmor was spotted in 1988 by scientists based in British Columbia. The existence of Tadmor was disputed for years, even by its own discoverers, but was eventually confirmed in 2002. Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut, said that “firsts” are always important to him, which is just one of the reasons that Tadmor is his favourite exoplanet. “Part of the reason I like it is that it was detected by three Canadians,” said Hadfield, referring to Bruce Campbell, Gordon Walker and Stephenson Yang, “and they just couldn’t believe it.” “To me, since it’s the first one, it’s the one I think ends up being the most historic and at this point, the most interesting,” he added. Seven-in-One With seven rocky planets and a location just 40 light-years from Earth, the TRAPPIST-1 system is a fan favourite. Lisa Kaltenegger, director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, noted that the system had four planets in the habitable zone — the region around a star where liquid water could potentially exist. “Wouldn’t it be incredible to find more than one habitable world around one star?” Kaltenegger said. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) Tim Pyle, a multimedia producer who helped create some of the well-known visualizations of TRAPPIST-1 for NASA, noted that the view from these planets would be surreal. “Having seven roughly Earth-sized planets around a single star excites my imagination,” Pyle said. “And they’re so close together that they would be looming fixtures in each other’s sky in a breathtaking way. Imagine lying on the deck of a boat on a TRAPPIST-1e ocean, looking above you, and seeing other planets as large as we see the full moon from Earth!” Precocious Planets TOI-1233, a sunlike star more than 200 light-years from Earth, contains five known exoplanets. Four of these worlds were spotted in 2020. “TOI-1233 is an outstanding planetary system with its high number of transiting planets, sunlike host star and its proximity to the solar system,” said Tansu Daylan, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Daylan detected the system with Jasmine Wright and Kartik Pinglé, who were both high school students at the time. “This system is dear to my heart because it represents my first hands-on research experience in astrophysics,” said Wright, who is now studying the subject and computer science at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Since I was 7 years old, it’s been my goal to become an astrophysicist and work for NASA, and discovering this system brought me that chance sooner than expected.” Pinglé, a senior at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in Massachusetts, added that there was much still to be discovered at TOI-1233. “It is a prime candidate for follow-up observation, particularly from the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope,” he said. A Super-Saturn, Maybe The possible exoplanet J1407b is nicknamed “super-Saturn” and “Lord of the Rings” because its ring system appears to stretch as far as Earth is from the sun. Ann Druyan, who created the original television series “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” with her husband, Carl Sagan, and is the creative force behind its two recent iterations, said this world made an impression on her. “It was an indication of what the variety of worlds, similar to the variety of life, could be,” she said. Doubts have been raised about the original detection of J1407b. That also appeals to Druyan. “I love the idea that it might be there and it might not be there,” she said. “It’s a product of this relentless searching, this sacred searching, we’ve been doing for roughly 400 years.” An Ancient Super-Earth More than half of the 5,000 known exoplanets were spotted by Kepler, a workhorse NASA space telescope that retired in 2018. Out of them all, William Borucki, Kepler’s principal investigator, has a clear favorite: Kepler-62f, a super-Earth about 1,000 light-years from Earth. “It is in the habitable zone. It is similar in size to the Earth. It could be a rocky world or a water world,” he said in an email. “It orbits a star similar to but older than our sun.” He added, “Any life on the planet could be much more advanced because the planet and any life on it would/could be that much older than terrestrial life and therefore be of special interest.” Crazy Ex-Lava Monster Kepler-10b was the first rocky planet to be discovered by the Kepler telescope, in 2011. The planet is slightly larger in size than Earth, and about four times as massive. But its temperature exceeds 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit because of its close orbit around its star, making it a nightmarish world. “I love Kepler-10b because it’s the size of Earth but with a lava ocean, so I like to imagine it’s an alternate version of Earth with an alternate version of myself living on that planet,” said actress Rachel Bloom. But instead of being the co-creator and star of the TV show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” Bloom said the Kepler-10b version of herself would be “a fearsome lava monster who still likes show tunes.” So Close, Yet So Far Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf that is part of the three-star Alpha Centauri system, is our star’s closest neighbour, just 4 light-years away. Over the past few years, scientists have spotted three exoplanets, Proxima b, c and d — which are especially captivating to Sharon Xuesong Wang, a scientist at Tsinghua University in Beijing. “I think within our lifetime, there’s a chance that we could see a mission actually flying somewhere closer to the system to study the planets in more detail,” Wang said. “It is not very likely there is life on any of these planets though, but who knows — the universe likes to surprise us.” (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) Abel Méndez, director of the Planetary Habitability Laboratory at the University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo, chose Proxima Centauri b as his favorite. Méndez said that with new telescopes, we should be able to see “land and ocean areas. Information about the atmosphere and surface properties would provide definitive evidence to confirm whether these are really habitable worlds.” Two Hot Jupiters Kelt-11b is a hot Jupiter that was first reported in 2017 with the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope. The planet is special to Kate Isaak, project scientist for the European Space Agency’s CHEOPS spacecraft, launched in 2019, because it was the first light curve, a measurement of a star’s brightness that reveals exoplanets, ever studied by the observatory. “We were able to determine its size with an accuracy five times better than from Earth, setting the uncertainty in its size to around 4,200 kilometres,” Isaak said, adding that it proved the scientific potential of the CHEOPS space telescope. Luis Calçada, a science visualization artist who works with the European Southern Observatory, chose another hot Jupiter: Vega b. “This star, which is only 25 light-years away from us, is central to Carl Sagan’s novel ‘Contact,’ ” Calçada said. He said the book sparked an interest that led him “to pursue a university degree in astronomy. After that, I built a career as a science illustrator. So this book, Carl Sagan and Vega have been present in a defining moment of my life. So seeing a planet being discovered around it was very exciting.” Small but Fascinating During his years on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Wil Wheaton became familiar with fictional worlds and new forms of life. He picked YZ Ceti b, which is slightly smaller than Earth and orbits a red dwarf located 12 light-years away, making it tantalizingly close for further study. “It doesn’t make sense that, in a universe as vast as ours, we are the only intelligent (sentient) species,” Wheaton said in an email. “So when I look out into the night sky, I don’t just imagine that someone else is looking back. I know they are.” He added that proof was unlikely to come in our lifetimes, so “our most urgent challenge as a species right now is to take care of the only planet we can live on so that generations from now, in a future so far away we cannot imagine what it will look like, our descendants can make first contact.” Puff Up Your Imagination At just 500 million years old, Kepler-51 is among the youngest star systems on this list. But though it is still a baby in astronomical terms, the system is already home to multiple planets with enigmatic properties, said Peter Gao, a staff scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science. Gao said the system’s three planets were nicknamed “super puffs,” with extremely low density that brings to mind Styrofoam or cotton candy and “challenge our understanding of how planets form and how they evolve.” He added that, “I like them because I like a good mystery, and their existence has shown that the universe is always more imaginative than we are.”

Imagine another world. Now imagine 5,000 more

<p>US space agency NASA has started the testing of its giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.</p>

<p>The critical two-day-long test comes as NASA gears up to return human beings to the Moon.</p>

<p>It is also known as the "wet dress rehearsal," due to the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that will be loaded into the rocket.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The countdown is now underway for the final prelaunch test for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Artemis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Artemis</a> I.<br />
<br />
Teams will now begin practicing every step prior to liftoff for the launch of <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAArtemis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAArtemis</a>. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAGroundSys?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAGroundSys</a> for real-time updates: <a href="https://t.co/pweviH8UUQ">https://t.co/pweviH8UUQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/63nEldwvW8">pic.twitter.com/63nEldwvW8</a></p>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1510000779675029509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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<p>The test, which started at 5:00 pm Eastern Time (2100 GMT), will determine the launch date for Artemis 1.</p>

<p>At the beginning of the test, NASA said "The countdown is now underway."</p>

<p>The 322-foot (98-metre) rocket is expected to be the most powerful in history at the time it is operational.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/why-has-space-business-has-become-the-final-profitable-frontier-452928" hreflang="en">Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier?</a></strong></p>

<p>It was rolled out to Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida around two weeks ago.</p>

<p>Rollout of the 32-story-tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and its Orion crew capsule marks a key milestone in US plans for renewed lunar exploration after years of setbacks, and the public's first glimpse of a space vehicle more than a decade in development.</p>

<p>NASA has said it was reviewing potential Artemis I launch windows in April and May, but the timeline could slip depending on results of the dress rehearsal.</p>

<p>The SLS-Orion, which cost some $37 billion to develop including ground systems, constitutes the backbone of the NASA's Artemis programme, aimed at returning astronauts to the moon and establishing a long-term lunar colony as a precursor to eventual human exploration of Mars.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


US space agency NASA has started the testing of its giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The critical two-day-long test comes as NASA gears up to return human beings to the Moon.

US space agency NASA has started the testing of its giant Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The critical two-day-long test comes as NASA gears up to return human beings to the Moon. It is also known as the "wet dress rehearsal," due to the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that will be loaded into the rocket. The countdown is now underway for the final prelaunch test for #Artemis I. Teams will now begin practicing every step prior to liftoff for the launch of @NASAArtemis. Follow @NASAGroundSys for real-time updates: https://t.co/pweviH8UUQ pic.twitter.com/63nEldwvW8 — NASA (@NASA) April 1, 2022 × The test, which started at 5:00 pm Eastern Time (2100 GMT), will determine the launch date for Artemis 1. At the beginning of the test, NASA said "The countdown is now underway." The 322-foot (98-metre) rocket is expected to be the most powerful in history at the time it is operational. Also read | Why has space business has become the final profitable frontier? It was rolled out to Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida around two weeks ago. Rollout of the 32-story-tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and its Orion crew capsule marks a key milestone in US plans for renewed lunar exploration after years of setbacks, and the public's first glimpse of a space vehicle more than a decade in development. NASA has said it was reviewing potential Artemis I launch windows in April and May, but the timeline could slip depending on results of the dress rehearsal. The SLS-Orion, which cost some $37 billion to develop including ground systems, constitutes the backbone of the NASA's Artemis programme, aimed at returning astronauts to the moon and establishing a long-term lunar colony as a precursor to eventual human exploration of Mars. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA begins testing of its giant Space Launch System rocket

NASA’s Artemis I moon mission explained

<p>NASA's Hubble space telescope has detected the light of a star that existed within the first billion years after the universe’s birth in the big bang, astronomers said on Wednesday (March 30). It is said to be the farthest individual star ever seen to date.&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA informed that the newly discovered star, called "Earendel". Scientists have said that the star is so far away its light has taken 12.9 billion years to reach Earth, when the universe was seven per cent its current age.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We almost didn’t believe it at first, it was so much farther than the previous most-distant, highest redshift star," said astronomer Brian Welch of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Welch is the lead author of the paper describing the discovery, which is published in the March 30 journal Nature.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/saturn-is-eating-its-own-rings-they-may-disappear-altogether-466925">Saturn is 'eating' its own rings, they may disappear altogether</a></strong></p>

<p>NASA has informed that the discovery was made from data collected during Hubble's RELICS (Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey) programme. The programme was led by co-author Dan Coe at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per NASA, the previous single-star record holder was detected by Hubble in 2018. That star existed when the universe was about four billion years old, or 30 per cent of its current age. At a time that astronomers referred to as "redshift 1.5."&nbsp;</p>

<p>NASA revealed that scientists use the word "redshift" because as the universe expands, light from distant objects is stretched or "shifted" to longer and redder wavelengths as it travels toward us.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, talking about the newly-detected star, NASA said that Earendel's light came from an era called redshift 6.2.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Welch said, "Normally at these distances, entire galaxies look like small smudges, the light from millions of stars blending together."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-dying-star-is-forming-rings-around-itself-confusing-scientists-466682">A dying star is forming rings around itself, confusing scientists</a></strong></p>

<p>The galaxy hosting the star has been naturally magnified and distorted by an effect called gravitational lensing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The galaxy hosting this star has been magnified and distorted by gravitational lensing into a long crescent that we named the Sunrise Arc," said Welch.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After he studied the galaxy in detail, Welch found that one feature is an extremely magnified star that he called Earendel, which means "morning star" in Old English.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Welch added that Earendel existed so long ago that it may not have had the same raw materials as the stars that exist today.</p>

<p>"It's like we've been reading a really interesting book, but we started with the second chapter, and now we will have a chance to see how it all got started," he said.</p>

<p>Astronomers intend to gaze at the star using the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble's successor, which is highly sensitive to infrared light from the oldest celestial bodies, in order to confirm Earendel's age, mass and radius.</p>

<p>It has been hypothesized that primordial stars were made solely from the elements forged after the Big Bang: hydrogen, helium and trace amounts of lithium, and should be more massive than stars that exist today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It remains to be seen if Earendel belongs to these so-called "Population III" stars, but while the probability is small, it is enticing, said Welch.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Gravitas: Giant ice volcanoes spotted on Pluto</strong></p>

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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


NASA's Hubble space telescope has detected the light of a star that existed within the first billion years after the universe’s birth in the big bang, astronomers said on Wednesday (March 30).

NASA's Hubble space telescope has detected the light of a star that existed within the first billion years after the universe’s birth in the big bang, astronomers said on Wednesday (March 30). It is said to be the farthest individual star ever seen to date. NASA informed that the newly discovered star, called "Earendel". Scientists have said that the star is so far away its light has taken 12.9 billion years to reach Earth, when the universe was seven per cent its current age. "We almost didn’t believe it at first, it was so much farther than the previous most-distant, highest redshift star," said astronomer Brian Welch of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Welch is the lead author of the paper describing the discovery, which is published in the March 30 journal Nature. ALSO READ | Saturn is 'eating' its own rings, they may disappear altogether NASA has informed that the discovery was made from data collected during Hubble's RELICS (Reionization Lensing Cluster Survey) programme. The programme was led by co-author Dan Coe at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). As per NASA, the previous single-star record holder was detected by Hubble in 2018. That star existed when the universe was about four billion years old, or 30 per cent of its current age. At a time that astronomers referred to as "redshift 1.5." NASA revealed that scientists use the word "redshift" because as the universe expands, light from distant objects is stretched or "shifted" to longer and redder wavelengths as it travels toward us. Meanwhile, talking about the newly-detected star, NASA said that Earendel's light came from an era called redshift 6.2. Welch said, "Normally at these distances, entire galaxies look like small smudges, the light from millions of stars blending together." ALSO READ | A dying star is forming rings around itself, confusing scientists The galaxy hosting the star has been naturally magnified and distorted by an effect called gravitational lensing. "The galaxy hosting this star has been magnified and distorted by gravitational lensing into a long crescent that we named the Sunrise Arc," said Welch. After he studied the galaxy in detail, Welch found that one feature is an extremely magnified star that he called Earendel, which means "morning star" in Old English. Welch added that Earendel existed so long ago that it may not have had the same raw materials as the stars that exist today. "It's like we've been reading a really interesting book, but we started with the second chapter, and now we will have a chance to see how it all got started," he said. Astronomers intend to gaze at the star using the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble's successor, which is highly sensitive to infrared light from the oldest celestial bodies, in order to confirm Earendel's age, mass and radius. It has been hypothesized that primordial stars were made solely from the elements forged after the Big Bang: hydrogen, helium and trace amounts of lithium, and should be more massive than stars that exist today. It remains to be seen if Earendel belongs to these so-called "Population III" stars, but while the probability is small, it is enticing, said Welch. WATCH | Gravitas: Giant ice volcanoes spotted on Pluto × (With inputs from agencies)

Extraordinary Earendel! NASA's Hubble sees most distant star ever

NASA published pictures of giant ice volcanoes on Pluto's surface, triggering speculation on the possibility of life on the dwarf planet. What does this discovery mean for life beyond Earth? Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Giant ice volcanoes spotted on Pluto

<p>A group of dome-shaped ice volcanoes that appear unlike anything else known in our solar system and may still be active have been spotted on Pluto. This discovery was made using data from NASA's New Horizons mission, and it indicates&nbsp;that this remote frozen world is more dynamic than previously thought.</p>

<p>According to scientists, the cryovolcanoes, which may number ten or more, range in height from six-tenths of a mile (1 km) to four and a half miles (7 km). Unlike Earth volcanoes, which spew gases and molten rock, the cryovolcanoes on this dwarf planet extrude vast amounts of ice - likely frozen water rather than some other frozen material - with the consistency of toothpaste, according to the researchers.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-esa-solar-orbiter-clicks-the-most-detailed-pictures-of-the-sun-take-a-look-465533" hreflang="en">NASA-ESA solar orbiter clicks the most detailed pictures of the Sun. Take a look!</a></strong></p>

<p>Cryovolcanoes have been also been&nbsp;identified on the asteroid belt dwarf planet Ceres, Saturn's moons Enceladus and Titan, Jupiter's moon Europa, and Neptune's moon Triton. However, their surface parameters, including&nbsp;temperature and atmospheric pressure, as well as diverse combinations of ice elements, all differ from Pluto's, according to the researchers.</p>

<p>"Finding these features does indicate that Pluto is more active, or geologically alive, than we previously thought it would be," &nbsp;said lead author and planetary scientist Kelsi Singer of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado.</p>

<p>"The combination of these features being geologically recent, covering a vast area and most likely being made of water ice is surprising because it requires more internal heat than we thought Pluto would have at this stage of its history," Singer added.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-confirms-a-celestial-milestone-5000-exoplanets-confirmed-so-far-464644" hreflang="en">NASA confirms a 'celestial milestone', 5000 exoplanets confirmed so far</a></strong></p>

<p>Pluto, which is smaller than Earth's moon and has a diameter of about 1,400 miles (2,380 kilometres), circles the sun at a distance of around 3.6 billion miles (5.8 billion kilometres), roughly 40 times that of&nbsp;Earth. Plains, mountains, craters, and valleys can be found on its surface.</p>

<p>The latest study's images and data, which were retrieved by New Horizons in 2015, confirmed prior assumptions concerning cryovolcanism on Pluto.</p>

<p>According to Southwest Research Institute planetary scientist Alan Stern, the New Horizons principal investigator and research co-author, the study discovered not just widespread evidence for cryovolcanism, but also that it has been long-lived, and not a mere&nbsp;singular event.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;A new frontier in space exploration</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/a-new-frontier-in-space-exploration-439824/embed" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>What's most fascinating about Pluto is that it's so complicated - as complex as Earth or Mars despite its smaller size and greater&nbsp;distance from Sun, said Stern.</p>

<p>Pluto, like Earth and the other planets in our solar system, formed around 4.5 billion years ago. It appears that its cryovolcanoes are quite new, having formed in the last few hundred million years, based on the lack of impact craters that would ordinarily collect over time.</p>

<p>On a geologic timeline, that's quite recent&nbsp;said Singer, adding that because there are so few impact craters, it's plausible that these processes are still going on now.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A group of dome-shaped ice volcanoes that appear unlike anything else known in our solar system and may still be active have been spotted on Pluto. This discovery was made using data from NASA's New Horizons mission, and it indicates that this remote frozen world is more dynamic than previously thought.

A group of dome-shaped ice volcanoes that appear unlike anything else known in our solar system and may still be active have been spotted on Pluto. This discovery was made using data from NASA's New Horizons mission, and it indicates that this remote frozen world is more dynamic than previously thought. According to scientists, the cryovolcanoes, which may number ten or more, range in height from six-tenths of a mile (1 km) to four and a half miles (7 km). Unlike Earth volcanoes, which spew gases and molten rock, the cryovolcanoes on this dwarf planet extrude vast amounts of ice - likely frozen water rather than some other frozen material - with the consistency of toothpaste, according to the researchers. Also read | NASA-ESA solar orbiter clicks the most detailed pictures of the Sun. Take a look! Cryovolcanoes have been also been identified on the asteroid belt dwarf planet Ceres, Saturn's moons Enceladus and Titan, Jupiter's moon Europa, and Neptune's moon Triton. However, their surface parameters, including temperature and atmospheric pressure, as well as diverse combinations of ice elements, all differ from Pluto's, according to the researchers. "Finding these features does indicate that Pluto is more active, or geologically alive, than we previously thought it would be," said lead author and planetary scientist Kelsi Singer of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado. "The combination of these features being geologically recent, covering a vast area and most likely being made of water ice is surprising because it requires more internal heat than we thought Pluto would have at this stage of its history," Singer added. Also read | NASA confirms a 'celestial milestone', 5000 exoplanets confirmed so far Pluto, which is smaller than Earth's moon and has a diameter of about 1,400 miles (2,380 kilometres), circles the sun at a distance of around 3.6 billion miles (5.8 billion kilometres), roughly 40 times that of Earth. Plains, mountains, craters, and valleys can be found on its surface. The latest study's images and data, which were retrieved by New Horizons in 2015, confirmed prior assumptions concerning cryovolcanism on Pluto. According to Southwest Research Institute planetary scientist Alan Stern, the New Horizons principal investigator and research co-author, the study discovered not just widespread evidence for cryovolcanism, but also that it has been long-lived, and not a mere singular event. Watch | A new frontier in space exploration What's most fascinating about Pluto is that it's so complicated - as complex as Earth or Mars despite its smaller size and greater distance from Sun, said Stern. Pluto, like Earth and the other planets in our solar system, formed around 4.5 billion years ago. It appears that its cryovolcanoes are quite new, having formed in the last few hundred million years, based on the lack of impact craters that would ordinarily collect over time. On a geologic timeline, that's quite recent said Singer, adding that because there are so few impact craters, it's plausible that these processes are still going on now. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists discover ice volcanoes on dwarf-planet Pluto

<p>The White House has requested allocation of &nbsp;USD 26 billion for NASA in the year 2023. If passed, these funda will be USD 2 billion more than what NASA received in the current fiscal year.</p>

<p>The budget would enable NASA to fund Artemis moon landings, Earth science, address climate change, drive economic growth, and more as the agency aims to send people to Mars by 2040, NASA officials said.</p>

<p>"Greater than a number, statistic, or fact is what the President's budget request represents," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, in a statement.</p>

<p>"This budget reflects the Biden-Harris Administration's confidence in the extraordinary workforce that makes NASA the best place to work in the federal government.</p>

<p>"It's an investment in the businesses and universities that partner with NASA in all 50 states and the good-paying jobs they are creating. It's a signal of support for our missions in a new era of exploration and discovery," Nelson said.</p>

<p>As per the proposed budget, USD 7.6 billion have been allocated for deep space exploration. &nbsp;Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and person of colour on the lunar surface, deepen the US' scientific understanding of the Moon, and test technologies that will prepare for human exploration of Mars.</p>

<p>About $4.7 billion is for Common Exploration Systems Development to support lunar missions which includes funding for the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS). The budget's $1.5 billion for astronaut Moon landers will enable NASA to increase competition in the development of the final mode of transportation needed to take astronauts to the lunar surface.</p>

<p>With $2.4 billion allocated for Earth-observing satellites and related research, the budget will increase NASA's Earth science funding for climate and weather monitoring and measurement.</p>

<p>NASA also aims to support commercial space activities. The budget's $1.4 billion for space technology research and development will support new technologies to help the US commercial space industry grow, enhance mission capabilities, create good-paying jobs, and reduce costs.</p>

<p>About $970 million has been allocated for aeronautics research. This includes $500 million to reduce aviation's climate impact through efforts including a Sustainable Flight National Partnership to develop a next-generation passenger aircraft.</p>

<p>With $150 million for the Office of STEM Engagement for education and engagement activities, this budget would allow NASA to enhance its support for educational activities, including those that focus on historically underserved communities.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The White House has requested allocation of USD 26 billion for NASA in the year 2023. If passed, these funda will be USD 2 billion more than what NASA received in the current fiscal year.

The White House has requested allocation of USD 26 billion for NASA in the year 2023. If passed, these funda will be USD 2 billion more than what NASA received in the current fiscal year. The budget would enable NASA to fund Artemis moon landings, Earth science, address climate change, drive economic growth, and more as the agency aims to send people to Mars by 2040, NASA officials said. "Greater than a number, statistic, or fact is what the President's budget request represents," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, in a statement. "This budget reflects the Biden-Harris Administration's confidence in the extraordinary workforce that makes NASA the best place to work in the federal government. "It's an investment in the businesses and universities that partner with NASA in all 50 states and the good-paying jobs they are creating. It's a signal of support for our missions in a new era of exploration and discovery," Nelson said. As per the proposed budget, USD 7.6 billion have been allocated for deep space exploration. Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and person of colour on the lunar surface, deepen the US' scientific understanding of the Moon, and test technologies that will prepare for human exploration of Mars. About $4.7 billion is for Common Exploration Systems Development to support lunar missions which includes funding for the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS). The budget's $1.5 billion for astronaut Moon landers will enable NASA to increase competition in the development of the final mode of transportation needed to take astronauts to the lunar surface. With $2.4 billion allocated for Earth-observing satellites and related research, the budget will increase NASA's Earth science funding for climate and weather monitoring and measurement. NASA also aims to support commercial space activities. The budget's $1.4 billion for space technology research and development will support new technologies to help the US commercial space industry grow, enhance mission capabilities, create good-paying jobs, and reduce costs. About $970 million has been allocated for aeronautics research. This includes $500 million to reduce aviation's climate impact through efforts including a Sustainable Flight National Partnership to develop a next-generation passenger aircraft. With $150 million for the Office of STEM Engagement for education and engagement activities, this budget would allow NASA to enhance its support for educational activities, including those that focus on historically underserved communities. (With inputs from agencies)

White House proposes budget of USD 26 billion for NASA in 2023 

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