Scientists have finally found out what's happening to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s pioneering Voyager 1 spacecraft, and what's behind the gibberish sounds coming from it in November. NASA launched the space probe Voyager 1 in 1977 to study the outer Solar System, the interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere.&nbsp;

Voyager 1, which is the most distant spacecraft to Earth, has been acting weird and talking gibberish on the interplanetary "radio". It has left the scientists perplexed.&nbsp;

NASA previously said that the engineers and other experts were working to resolve an issue with one of Voyager 1's three onboard computers, called the flight data system (FDS).&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-spots-mysterious-silver-object-orbiting-the-moon-see-pics-709522">NASA spots 'mysterious' silver object orbiting the Moon - see pics</a>&nbsp;

The FDS collects data from the science instruments and works on compiling information into a data package when it works properly. It also tells about the health and status of the spacecraft.&nbsp;

The data is then transmitted back to Earth using the telecommunications unit (TMU) once compiled.&nbsp;

The spacecraft was apparently receiving and executing commands sent from Earth. However, the FDS is not communicating properly with one of the probes TMU.&nbsp;

Hence, data was reaching Earth.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/moon-once-literally-turned-itself-inside-out-scientists-wonder-how-709404">Moon once 'literally turned itself inside out'. Scientists wonder 'how'</a>&nbsp;

NASA said that the data was&nbsp;in the form of ones and zeros (or binary code). But scientists might finally make sense of the gibberish data.&nbsp;

This happened after a computer onboard the Voyager called the FDS after being asked about it in a coded message and sent in March in the form of a poke command. The spacecraft revealed the issue.&nbsp;

After analysing the data which was a software readout, scientists have found out that three per cent of its memory is corrupted.&nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;How does Aditya-L1 spacecraft create an artificial solar eclipse?

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The report revealed scientists were unable to fix the issue as they were unaware, hence, turning the FDS on and off also didn't help last year in November.&nbsp;

"The team is analysing the readout. Using that information to devise a potential solution and attempt to put it into action will take time," NASA said in a statement.&nbsp;

(With inputs from&nbsp;agencies)&nbsp;

Scientists have finally found out what's happening to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s pioneering Voyager 1 spacecraft, and what's behind the gibberish sounds coming from it in November.

Scientists have finally found out what's happening to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)'s pioneering Voyager 1 spacecraft, and what's behind the gibberish sounds coming from it in November. NASA launched the space probe Voyager 1 in 1977 to study the outer Solar System, the interstellar space beyond the Sun's heliosphere. Voyager 1, which is the most distant spacecraft to Earth, has been acting weird and talking gibberish on the interplanetary "radio". It has left the scientists perplexed. NASA previously said that the engineers and other experts were working to resolve an issue with one of Voyager 1's three onboard computers, called the flight data system (FDS). Also read: NASA spots 'mysterious' silver object orbiting the Moon - see pics The FDS collects data from the science instruments and works on compiling information into a data package when it works properly. It also tells about the health and status of the spacecraft. The data is then transmitted back to Earth using the telecommunications unit (TMU) once compiled. The spacecraft was apparently receiving and executing commands sent from Earth. However, the FDS is not communicating properly with one of the probes TMU. Hence, data was reaching Earth. Also read: Moon once 'literally turned itself inside out'. Scientists wonder 'how' NASA said that the data was in the form of ones and zeros (or binary code). But scientists might finally make sense of the gibberish data. This happened after a computer onboard the Voyager called the FDS after being asked about it in a coded message and sent in March in the form of a poke command. The spacecraft revealed the issue. After analysing the data which was a software readout, scientists have found out that three per cent of its memory is corrupted. Watch: How does Aditya-L1 spacecraft create an artificial solar eclipse? × The report revealed scientists were unable to fix the issue as they were unaware, hence, turning the FDS on and off also didn't help last year in November. "The team is analysing the readout. Using that information to devise a potential solution and attempt to put it into action will take time," NASA said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

Voyager 1: Scientists finally know reason behind glitchy sound coming from space

For years, we have known that our Earth will one day be swallowed by the Sun as it will balloon because of its extinguishing fuel.&nbsp;

However, a new study has highlighted the death of Earth and other planets may be more chaotic and violent than ever imagined by human civilisation.

As per the researchers at the University of Warwick, even if our planet gets swallowed by the Sun, other planets are likely to be 'crushed and ground to dust'.&nbsp;

<h2>How will the Sun die?</h2>

Sun, along with other similar stars, crush the hydrogen atoms into helium which generates heat and light under the forces of gravity.

There is a limited amount of hydrogen in all stars and when this begins to run out, the forces which help in keeping the star stable lose balance.&nbsp;

After around five billion years, our Sun will begin burning in its core before it starts to inflate and grow more than 200 times its original size and the helium on its outer layers will start to burn.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/james-webb-captures-creation-of-third-world-and-birth-of-moons-400-light-years-away-707585">James Webb captures creation of 'third world' and birth of potential moons 400 light-years away</a>

Once this happens, the Sun will leave behind a white dwarf which will be a remnant of the core of the Sun and will glow with residual heat as it cools down.

<h2>How will the solar system get destroyed after the Sun's death?</h2>

The University of Warwick's Professor Boris Gaensicke, speaking about the solar system's destruction, said, "The sad news is that the Earth will probably just be swallowed up by an expanding Sun before it becomes a white dwarf."

However, till now scientists do not know much about what will happen to the rest of the solar system once the sun turns into a white dwarf.&nbsp;

The researchers looked into the fate of moons, planets and asteroids which will pass close to the white dwarfs by looking into the transits.

The researchers found that around the white dwarf stars, the transits were irregular and highly chaotic, which hinted at the fact that their future is likely to be violent and catastrophic.

Moons, asteroids and planets which come close to the white dwarf's dense core are shredded when they get pulled into smaller pieces by gravity. These pieces eventually get grounded into dust as they collide with one another.

Watch:&nbsp;Pluto: A fascinating icy world beyond planetary status

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The dust continues to move around the dead star till it eventually disperses out into the universe. This is likely to be the fate of the many celestial bodies in our solar system which are not swallowed or destroyed by the expansion of the sun.

"For the rest of the solar system, some of the asteroids located between Mars and Jupiter, and maybe some of the moons of Jupiter may get dislodged and travel close enough to the eventual white dwarf to undergo the shredding process we have investigated," said Professor Gaensicke.

Meanwhile, Dr Amornrat Aungwerojwit of Naresuan University, Thailand, who headed the study, said: “Previous research had shown that when asteroids, moons and planets get close to white dwarfs, the huge gravity of these stars rips these small planetary bodies into smaller and smaller pieces.”

“Collisions between these pieces eventually grind them into dust, which finally falls into the white dwarf, enabling us to determine what type of material the original planetary bodies were made from," he added.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

For years, we have known that our Earth will one day be swallowed by the Sun as it will balloon because of its extinguishing fuel. However, a new study has highlighted the death of Earth and other planets may be more chaotic and violent than ever imagined by human civilisation.

For years, we have known that our Earth will one day be swallowed by the Sun as it will balloon because of its extinguishing fuel. However, a new study has highlighted the death of Earth and other planets may be more chaotic and violent than ever imagined by human civilisation. As per the researchers at the University of Warwick, even if our planet gets swallowed by the Sun, other planets are likely to be 'crushed and ground to dust'. How will the Sun die? Sun, along with other similar stars, crush the hydrogen atoms into helium which generates heat and light under the forces of gravity. There is a limited amount of hydrogen in all stars and when this begins to run out, the forces which help in keeping the star stable lose balance. After around five billion years, our Sun will begin burning in its core before it starts to inflate and grow more than 200 times its original size and the helium on its outer layers will start to burn. Also Read: James Webb captures creation of 'third world' and birth of potential moons 400 light-years away Once this happens, the Sun will leave behind a white dwarf which will be a remnant of the core of the Sun and will glow with residual heat as it cools down. How will the solar system get destroyed after the Sun's death? The University of Warwick's Professor Boris Gaensicke, speaking about the solar system's destruction, said, "The sad news is that the Earth will probably just be swallowed up by an expanding Sun before it becomes a white dwarf." However, till now scientists do not know much about what will happen to the rest of the solar system once the sun turns into a white dwarf. The researchers looked into the fate of moons, planets and asteroids which will pass close to the white dwarfs by looking into the transits. The researchers found that around the white dwarf stars, the transits were irregular and highly chaotic, which hinted at the fact that their future is likely to be violent and catastrophic. Moons, asteroids and planets which come close to the white dwarf's dense core are shredded when they get pulled into smaller pieces by gravity. These pieces eventually get grounded into dust as they collide with one another. Watch: Pluto: A fascinating icy world beyond planetary status The dust continues to move around the dead star till it eventually disperses out into the universe. This is likely to be the fate of the many celestial bodies in our solar system which are not swallowed or destroyed by the expansion of the sun. "For the rest of the solar system, some of the asteroids located between Mars and Jupiter, and maybe some of the moons of Jupiter may get dislodged and travel close enough to the eventual white dwarf to undergo the shredding process we have investigated," said Professor Gaensicke. Meanwhile, Dr Amornrat Aungwerojwit of Naresuan University, Thailand, who headed the study, said: “Previous research had shown that when asteroids, moons and planets get close to white dwarfs, the huge gravity of these stars rips these small planetary bodies into smaller and smaller pieces.” “Collisions between these pieces eventually grind them into dust, which finally falls into the white dwarf, enabling us to determine what type of material the original planetary bodies were made from," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

A violent end awaits our solar system as all planets will be 'crushed' to dust one day

Scientists for the first time have observed a rare phenomenon, called the "glory effect" on a planet that is outside our solar system. The glory effect is a set of rainbow-like colorful concentric rings which occur only under peculiar conditions. Such rings are seen often on Earth, and apart from that the effect has only been found once on another planet, Venus.&nbsp;

In what seems to be the first extrasolar "glory", data by the European Space Agency's CHEOPS Exoplanet Characterization Satellite, along with several other ESA and NASA missions, showed that there could be rainbow rings between the unbearable heat on WASP-76b's day side that faces its sun and the endless night on its dark side.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-hubble-telescope-shows-stunning-image-of-tarantula-nebula-ignites-wonder-among-space-enthusiasts-708192">NASA's Hubble telescope shows stunning image of Tarantula Nebula, ignites wonder among space enthusiasts</a>&nbsp;

The hellish atmosphere of ultra-hot gas giant WASP-76b is estimated to be 637 light-years away from Earth. Scientists have said that&nbsp;this first extrasolar glory will reveal more about the nature of this exoplanet if confirmed.&nbsp;

Olivier Demangeon, who is an astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences) in Portugal and lead author of the study, said, "There's a reason no glory has been seen before outside our Solar System – it requires very peculiar conditions."&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/the-rare-devils-comet-is-now-visible-in-the-night-sky-heres-how-to-watch-it-in-india-708094">Rare Devil's Comet is now visible in the night sky. Here's how to watch it in India</a>&nbsp;

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🆕 Have astronomers detected the first ever extrasolar ‘glory’? 
 
🌈 Potential signs of the rainbow-like ‘glory effect’ have been detected on a hellish planet outside our Solar System. 
 
🤝 The team used data from <a href="https://twitter.com/ESA_CHEOPS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESA_CHEOPS</a> &amp; other missions 👉 <a href="https://t.co/hSQ8XKoEeW">https://t.co/hSQ8XKoEeW</a> <a href="https://t.co/wXXQRcUrJN">pic.twitter.com/wXXQRcUrJN</a>
— ESA Science (@esascience) <a href="https://twitter.com/esascience/status/1776158815731225003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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"First, you need atmospheric particles that are close-to-perfectly spherical, completely uniform and stable enough to be observed over a long time. The planet's nearby star needs to shine directly at it, with the observer – here Cheops – at just the right orientation," Demangeon added.&nbsp;

Matthew Standing, an ESA Research Fellow studying exoplanets, explained, "What's important to keep in mind is the incredible scale of what we're witnessing. WASP-76b is several hundred light-years away – an intensely hot gas giant planet where it likely rains molten iron. Despite the chaos, it looks like we've detected the potential signs of a glory. It's an incredibly faint signal."&nbsp;

Scientists for the first time have observed a rare phenomenon, called the "glory effect" on a planet that is outside our solar system. The glory effect is a set of rainbow-like colorful concentric rings which occur only under peculiar conditions.

Scientists for the first time have observed a rare phenomenon, called the "glory effect" on a planet that is outside our solar system. The glory effect is a set of rainbow-like colorful concentric rings which occur only under peculiar conditions. Such rings are seen often on Earth, and apart from that the effect has only been found once on another planet, Venus. In what seems to be the first extrasolar "glory", data by the European Space Agency's CHEOPS Exoplanet Characterization Satellite, along with several other ESA and NASA missions, showed that there could be rainbow rings between the unbearable heat on WASP-76b's day side that faces its sun and the endless night on its dark side. Also read: NASA's Hubble telescope shows stunning image of Tarantula Nebula, ignites wonder among space enthusiasts The hellish atmosphere of ultra-hot gas giant WASP-76b is estimated to be 637 light-years away from Earth. Scientists have said that this first extrasolar glory will reveal more about the nature of this exoplanet if confirmed. Olivier Demangeon, who is an astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences) in Portugal and lead author of the study, said, "There's a reason no glory has been seen before outside our Solar System – it requires very peculiar conditions." Also read: Rare Devil's Comet is now visible in the night sky. Here's how to watch it in India 🆕 Have astronomers detected the first ever extrasolar ‘glory’? 🌈 Potential signs of the rainbow-like ‘glory effect’ have been detected on a hellish planet outside our Solar System. 🤝 The team used data from @ESA_CHEOPS & other missions 👉 https://t.co/hSQ8XKoEeW pic.twitter.com/wXXQRcUrJN — ESA Science (@esascience) April 5, 2024 × "First, you need atmospheric particles that are close-to-perfectly spherical, completely uniform and stable enough to be observed over a long time. The planet's nearby star needs to shine directly at it, with the observer – here Cheops – at just the right orientation," Demangeon added. Matthew Standing, an ESA Research Fellow studying exoplanets, explained, "What's important to keep in mind is the incredible scale of what we're witnessing. WASP-76b is several hundred light-years away – an intensely hot gas giant planet where it likely rains molten iron. Despite the chaos, it looks like we've detected the potential signs of a glory. It's an incredibly faint signal."

Glory effect: Rare rainbow-like rings observed on a planet outside our solar system

In 1930 Pluto was long considered our Solar System's ninth planet but then in 2006 the international astronomical Union categorized it as a dwarf planet due to its tiny size. Watch in for more details!

Pluto: Should 'Pluto' be a planet again? The debate rages on

In what seems like a fascinating piece of story straight out of a space-based film,&nbsp;scientists are now busy charting the best way out of our solar system.

Is it even possible to travel out of our solar system? Let's try to understand.

A giant bubble&nbsp;known as a heliosphere is made up of charged particles continuously released by the Sun. The boundary of this bubble serves as our solar system's boundary.

Hence, if humans wish to travel beyond our solar system and reach other stars, they first need to figure out a way to move beyond the heliosphere.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/space-elevators-similar-to-skyhooks-in-star-wars-could-soon-exist-in-reality-experts-suggest-698571">Space elevators similar to ‘skyhooks’ in Star Wars could soon exist in reality, experts suggest</a>

Now, in a breakthrough, a team of researchers has claimed to have found the best possible way out through this giant bubble.&nbsp;

<h2>Moving out of the giant bubble</h2>

According to scientists, the heliosphere protects everything which is present inside it, including astronauts, planets, satellites, and other bodies that belong to the dangerous cosmic radiation.&nbsp;

To this date, the scientists are not sure about its size or shape. They have defined the heliosphere as the region which remains directly under the influence of the Sun.&nbsp;

According to some, the bubble is shaped like a croissant and few others say it is spherical. Meanwhile, others claim that it has the shape of a beach ball or bullet. The confusion over its shape is because scientists have failed to determine its exact size while remaining inside it.

“We are like goldfish trying to understand the fishbowl from the inside,” said Sarah A. Spitzer, first author of the study and University of Michigan's research fellow.

“A future interstellar probe mission will be our first opportunity to really see our heliosphere, our home, from the outside, and to better understand its place in the local interstellar medium,” she added.&nbsp;

<h2>Mapping the way out from heliosphere</h2>

In the new study, scientists have claimed that to exit the heliosphere, a probe will have to follow the path that goes through the side of the tail end of the heliosphere.

Watch:&nbsp;Space Race: India and China reach for the stars

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The six probe trajectories, which went from noseward to tailward direction, were compared and it was discovered that a clear view of the shape of the heliosphere was&nbsp;achieved when the probe moved across through the tail.

“If you want to find out how far back your house extends, walking out the front door and taking a picture from the front sidewalk is likely not your best option. The best way is to go out the side door so you can see how long it is from front to back,” said Marc Z. Kornbleuth, study author and a research scientist at Boston University.

(With inputs from agencies)

In what seems like a fascinating piece of story straight out of a space-based film, scientists are now busy charting the best way out of our solar system. Is it even possible to travel out of our solar system?

In what seems like a fascinating piece of story straight out of a space-based film, scientists are now busy charting the best way out of our solar system. Is it even possible to travel out of our solar system? Let's try to understand. A giant bubble known as a heliosphere is made up of charged particles continuously released by the Sun. The boundary of this bubble serves as our solar system's boundary. Hence, if humans wish to travel beyond our solar system and reach other stars, they first need to figure out a way to move beyond the heliosphere. Also Read: Space elevators similar to ‘skyhooks’ in Star Wars could soon exist in reality, experts suggest Now, in a breakthrough, a team of researchers has claimed to have found the best possible way out through this giant bubble. Moving out of the giant bubble According to scientists, the heliosphere protects everything which is present inside it, including astronauts, planets, satellites, and other bodies that belong to the dangerous cosmic radiation. To this date, the scientists are not sure about its size or shape. They have defined the heliosphere as the region which remains directly under the influence of the Sun. According to some, the bubble is shaped like a croissant and few others say it is spherical. Meanwhile, others claim that it has the shape of a beach ball or bullet. The confusion over its shape is because scientists have failed to determine its exact size while remaining inside it. “We are like goldfish trying to understand the fishbowl from the inside,” said Sarah A. Spitzer, first author of the study and University of Michigan's research fellow. “A future interstellar probe mission will be our first opportunity to really see our heliosphere, our home, from the outside, and to better understand its place in the local interstellar medium,” she added. Mapping the way out from heliosphere In the new study, scientists have claimed that to exit the heliosphere, a probe will have to follow the path that goes through the side of the tail end of the heliosphere. Watch: Space Race: India and China reach for the stars The six probe trajectories, which went from noseward to tailward direction, were compared and it was discovered that a clear view of the shape of the heliosphere was achieved when the probe moved across through the tail. “If you want to find out how far back your house extends, walking out the front door and taking a picture from the front sidewalk is likely not your best option. The best way is to go out the side door so you can see how long it is from front to back,” said Marc Z. Kornbleuth, study author and a research scientist at Boston University. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists find best way to move out of our solar system. Here's what the cosmic journey looks like

Discovered in 1930 Pluto was long considered our Solar System's ninth planet but then in 2006 the International Astronomical Union categorized it as a dwarf planet due to its tiny size. Our next report tells you how there is now a call to restore Pluto to its original status of a bonafide planet.

Calls to make Pluto a planet again

Pluto: A fascinating icy world beyond planetary status

Arizona, situated in the southwestern United States, has officially designated Pluto as its "state planet," despite the International Astronomical Union's decision in 2006 to reclassify Pluto as a "dwarf planet," and removing its status as an official planet.

According to The Arizona Daily Star, on March 29, Arizona governor Katie Hobbs signed a bill designating the "dwarf planet" Pluto as the "official state planet" of Arizona. When asked about Pluto's classification as a full-fledged planet, Governor Hobbs evaded the question, expressing pride in Arizona's contributions to space exploration instead.

It's worth noting that American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 1930. Notably, Pluto is the only planet to have been discovered in the United States.

“The whole story of Clyde is just amazing, just sitting there under the telescope’’ looking for planets by taking photos over a period of time," said Arizona state Republican Justin Wilmeth (R-Phoenix), who praised the Pluto legislation.

Senator Sally Ann&nbsp;<a name="_Hlk162875205">Gonzales</a>&nbsp;(D-Tucson)--one among the five senators who voted against the legislation--said, “Scientifically, they took it out of being a planet." Gonzales added that lawmakers must take scientific information into account, “something that we as a Legislature, as a body, sometimes omit.’’

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/charon-plutos-planetary-bestie-goes-viral-as-nasa-shares-stunning-snapshot-703738">Also read |&nbsp;Charon, Pluto’s planetary bestie goes viral as NASA shares stunning snapshot</a>

<h2>What is the status of Pluto?</h2>

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided to reclassify Pluto, removing it from the category of planets. They argued that the distant icy object at the outer reaches of the solar system did not meet the complete and precise criteria required for classification as a planet. Consequently, the IAU designated Pluto as a "dwarf planet."

According to NASA, “Pluto is a dwarf planet located in a distant region of our solar system beyond Neptune known as the Kuiper Belt. It was long considered our ninth planet, but the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006."

“It was named by 11-year-old Venetia Burney of Oxford, England," the US space agency added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-have-found-another-ice-volcano-on-pluto-654700">Also read |&nbsp;Scientists have found another ice-volcano on Pluto</a>

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Pluto is categorised as a dwarf planet because, although it has achieved a spherical shape, it lacks the necessary size to assert gravitational dominance and clear its orbital path of other celestial bodies.

(With inputs from agencies)

Arizona, situated in the southwestern United States, has officially designated Pluto as its "state planet," despite the International Astronomical Union's decision in 2006 to reclassify Pluto as a "dwarf planet," and removing its status as an official planet.

Arizona, situated in the southwestern United States, has officially designated Pluto as its "state planet," despite the International Astronomical Union's decision in 2006 to reclassify Pluto as a "dwarf planet," and removing its status as an official planet. According to The Arizona Daily Star, on March 29, Arizona governor Katie Hobbs signed a bill designating the "dwarf planet" Pluto as the "official state planet" of Arizona. When asked about Pluto's classification as a full-fledged planet, Governor Hobbs evaded the question, expressing pride in Arizona's contributions to space exploration instead. It's worth noting that American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 1930. Notably, Pluto is the only planet to have been discovered in the United States. “The whole story of Clyde is just amazing, just sitting there under the telescope’’ looking for planets by taking photos over a period of time," said Arizona state Republican Justin Wilmeth (R-Phoenix), who praised the Pluto legislation. Senator Sally Ann Gonzales (D-Tucson)--one among the five senators who voted against the legislation--said, “Scientifically, they took it out of being a planet." Gonzales added that lawmakers must take scientific information into account, “something that we as a Legislature, as a body, sometimes omit.’’ Also read | Charon, Pluto’s planetary bestie goes viral as NASA shares stunning snapshot What is the status of Pluto? In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided to reclassify Pluto, removing it from the category of planets. They argued that the distant icy object at the outer reaches of the solar system did not meet the complete and precise criteria required for classification as a planet. Consequently, the IAU designated Pluto as a "dwarf planet." According to NASA, “Pluto is a dwarf planet located in a distant region of our solar system beyond Neptune known as the Kuiper Belt. It was long considered our ninth planet, but the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006." “It was named by 11-year-old Venetia Burney of Oxford, England," the US space agency added. Also read | Scientists have found another ice-volcano on Pluto According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Pluto is categorised as a dwarf planet because, although it has achieved a spherical shape, it lacks the necessary size to assert gravitational dominance and clear its orbital path of other celestial bodies. (With inputs from agencies)

This US state has declared Pluto as its ‘official state planet’

Jupiter's moon Io was observed in 1979 in detail for the first time during NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions.

These spacecraft provided the first close-up images and scientific data of Io and the other Galilean moons. The Voyager missions revealed Io's intense volcanic activity, with plumes of volcanic material erupting above its surface.

These discoveries revolutionised our understanding of Io and solidified its reputation as one of the most geologically active bodies in the solar system.

Reflecting on that moment, a scientist with NASA's Voyager mission&nbsp;Alan Cummings reportedly recalled, "I thought the Caltech students had pulled a prank. But no, it was real."&nbsp;

"It gives me chills, even just now."

Caltech is known for its groundbreaking research across various disciplines.

The university manages the NASA&nbsp;Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).&nbsp;

Despite initial plans for a two-planet exploration, the Voyager spacecraft surpassed expectations, enduring for nearly half a century and traveling billions of miles away from Earth and into the area between stars - interstellar space.

Cummings said, "These are the only spacecraft that have been there."

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/subduction-zone-stirring-beneath-gibraltar-strait-research-warns-it-may-invade-atlantic-ocean-700928">Subduction zone stirring beneath Gibraltar Strait, research warns it may ‘invade’ Atlantic ocean</a>

However, recent technical challenges, including a persistent issue with Voyager 1's flight data system, have raised concerns among space enthusiasts.

The Voyager missions not only unveiled unprecedented views of Jupiter, its tumultuous atmosphere, and its intriguing moons but many other intriguing images as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/passive-smoking-exposure-nearly-doubles-stroke-risk-new-study-says-700823">Passive smoking exposure nearly doubles stroke risk, new study says</a>

Beyond Jupiter, the spacecraft ventured to Saturn, revealing intricate details of its rings and discovering intriguing moons like Titan. There are upcoming missions such as Dragonfly, set to explore Titan's&nbsp;surface.

Subsequent encounters with Uranus and Neptune also unveiled the peculiarities of their moons, including Miranda's striking resemblance to the Death Star and Triton's icy geysers amidst frigid temperatures.

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Despite challenges and dwindling resources, the Voyager craft continue their interstellar journey, providing invaluable data on the cosmos beyond our solar system. As Linda Spilker, Voyager’s project scientist, said, "The science data that the Voyagers are returning gets more valuable the farther away from the Sun they go.&nbsp;So we are definitely interested in keeping as many science instruments operating as long as possible."&nbsp;
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(With inputs from agencies)

Jupiter's moon Io was observed in 1979 in detail for the first time during NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions. These spacecraft provided the first close-up images and scientific data of Io and the other Galilean moons.

Jupiter's moon Io was observed in 1979 in detail for the first time during NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions. These spacecraft provided the first close-up images and scientific data of Io and the other Galilean moons. The Voyager missions revealed Io's intense volcanic activity, with plumes of volcanic material erupting above its surface. These discoveries revolutionised our understanding of Io and solidified its reputation as one of the most geologically active bodies in the solar system. Reflecting on that moment, a scientist with NASA's Voyager mission Alan Cummings reportedly recalled, "I thought the Caltech students had pulled a prank. But no, it was real." "It gives me chills, even just now." Caltech is known for its groundbreaking research across various disciplines. The university manages the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Despite initial plans for a two-planet exploration, the Voyager spacecraft surpassed expectations, enduring for nearly half a century and traveling billions of miles away from Earth and into the area between stars - interstellar space. Cummings said, "These are the only spacecraft that have been there." Also Read | Subduction zone stirring beneath Gibraltar Strait, research warns it may ‘invade’ Atlantic ocean However, recent technical challenges, including a persistent issue with Voyager 1's flight data system, have raised concerns among space enthusiasts. The Voyager missions not only unveiled unprecedented views of Jupiter, its tumultuous atmosphere, and its intriguing moons but many other intriguing images as well. Also Read | Passive smoking exposure nearly doubles stroke risk, new study says Beyond Jupiter, the spacecraft ventured to Saturn, revealing intricate details of its rings and discovering intriguing moons like Titan. There are upcoming missions such as Dragonfly, set to explore Titan's surface. Subsequent encounters with Uranus and Neptune also unveiled the peculiarities of their moons, including Miranda's striking resemblance to the Death Star and Triton's icy geysers amidst frigid temperatures. Watch | Chicago River dyed green to celebrate St Patrick's Day × Despite challenges and dwindling resources, the Voyager craft continue their interstellar journey, providing invaluable data on the cosmos beyond our solar system. As Linda Spilker, Voyager’s project scientist, said, "The science data that the Voyagers are returning gets more valuable the farther away from the Sun they go. So we are definitely interested in keeping as many science instruments operating as long as possible." (With inputs from agencies)

‘It gives me chills’: Voyager mission’s first images of Io reveal volcanic fury

New Horizons spacecraft made new and stunning observations which suggest that the Kuiper Belt might stretch much farther out than scientists previously thought.&nbsp;

The Kuiper Belt is the vast, distant outer zone of our solar system populated by hundreds of thousands of icy, rocky planetary building blocks.&nbsp;

New Horizons by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was the first spacecraft to explore Pluto up close, flying by the dwarf planet and its moons on July 14, 2015.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/explained-where-is-point-nemo-on-earth-the-graveyard-for-satellites-and-spaceships-692298">Explained: Point Nemo on Earth, the graveyard for satellites and spaceships</a>&nbsp;

It made stunning observations when in 2019 it flew past its second major science target, Arrokoth (2014 MU69), which is the most distant object ever explored up close.&nbsp;

The New Horizons Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (SDC) instrument sped through the outer edges of the Kuiper Belt, almost 60 times farther from the Sun than Earth.&nbsp;

A report by NASA mentioned that the instrument is detecting higher-than-expected levels of particles where dust ought to be thinning out.&nbsp;

The results were published in the February 1 issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.&nbsp;

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The readings defy scientific models that the Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) population and density of dust should start to decline a billion miles inside that distance.&nbsp;

It suggests that the outer edge of the main Kuiper Belt could extend billions of miles farther than current estimation.&nbsp;

As quoted by Nasa.gov, Alex Doner, the lead author of the paper and a physics graduate student at the University of Colorado Boulder who serves as SDC lead, said: "New Horizons is making the first direct measurements of interplanetary dust far beyond Neptune and Pluto, so every observation could lead to a discovery." &nbsp;

"The idea that we might have detected an extended Kuiper Belt — with a whole new population of objects colliding and producing more dust – offers another clue in solving the mysteries of the solar system's most distant regions," he added.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

New Horizons spacecraft made new and stunning observations which suggest that the Kuiper Belt might stretch much farther out than scientists previously thought. The Kuiper Belt is the vast, distant outer zone of our solar system populated by hundreds of thousands of icy, rocky planetary building blocks.

New Horizons spacecraft made new and stunning observations which suggest that the Kuiper Belt might stretch much farther out than scientists previously thought. The Kuiper Belt is the vast, distant outer zone of our solar system populated by hundreds of thousands of icy, rocky planetary building blocks. New Horizons by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was the first spacecraft to explore Pluto up close, flying by the dwarf planet and its moons on July 14, 2015. Also read: Explained: Point Nemo on Earth, the graveyard for satellites and spaceships It made stunning observations when in 2019 it flew past its second major science target, Arrokoth (2014 MU69), which is the most distant object ever explored up close. The New Horizons Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (SDC) instrument sped through the outer edges of the Kuiper Belt, almost 60 times farther from the Sun than Earth. A report by NASA mentioned that the instrument is detecting higher-than-expected levels of particles where dust ought to be thinning out. The results were published in the February 1 issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Also read: Enormously 'hungry' black hole that eats 370 Suns a year is likely the brightest object in universe The readings defy scientific models that the Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) population and density of dust should start to decline a billion miles inside that distance. It suggests that the outer edge of the main Kuiper Belt could extend billions of miles farther than current estimation. As quoted by Nasa.gov, Alex Doner, the lead author of the paper and a physics graduate student at the University of Colorado Boulder who serves as SDC lead, said: "New Horizons is making the first direct measurements of interplanetary dust far beyond Neptune and Pluto, so every observation could lead to a discovery." "The idea that we might have detected an extended Kuiper Belt — with a whole new population of objects colliding and producing more dust – offers another clue in solving the mysteries of the solar system's most distant regions," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

New Horizons observations suggest solar system might stretch farther out than we thought

In the quest to find that hypothetical yet intriguing ninth planet, scientists have narrowed down their search to some potential places in our Solar System.&nbsp;

Researchers observe that some objects at the outside edge of the Solar System (beyond Pluto), are behaving in a way which looks like they are being pulled around by something that is not seen yet. This mysterious object could be another planet, as per researchers.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/comet-with-no-tail-is-approaching-earth-heres-why-it-is-important-to-photograph-it-692255">Comet with no tail is approaching Earth and researchers want you to photograph it</a>

Discovering this object could help scientists better understand the makeup of the Solar System, its formation as well as evolutionary processes.

This discovery was submitted to The Astronomical Journal using the data from the Pan-STARRS1 survey to eliminate 78 per cent of the potential places that had been identified by previous research as places for the ninth planet.&nbsp;

<h2>Quest to find the ninth planet</h2>

As per the discovery, the areas of particular interest include near the galactic plane. This galactic plane area will now be thoroughly examined at the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory survey. The team is now rather looking at why the planet has not been found yet; one possibility of which is that it does not exist at all.&nbsp;

"Such an explanation would require new explanations for multiple phenomena observed in the outer Solar System. Until such explanations are available, we continue to regard Planet Nine as the most likely hypothesis", wrote the team in their paper.

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An alternative possibility is that Planet Nine is located even farther from the sun and possesses a greater mass than initially anticipated, rendering it more challenging to detect. Currently, the team posits that such a planet offers the most plausible explanation for the orbital patterns exhibited by observed objects in the outer reaches of the Solar System.

"The cluster of the directions of the orbits is the best known, but there is also the large perihelion distances of many objects, the existence of highly inclined and even retrograde objects, and the high abundance of very eccentric orbits which cross inside the orbit of Neptune," lead author Dr Micheal Brown told Universe Today.

<h2>Why scientists are looking for ninth planet?</h2>

The quest for a mysterious ninth planet stems from findings in 2015 by two astronomers from Caltech who observed six objects beyond Neptune arranged in a manner hinting at gravitational influence. This led to speculation about an unseen celestial body.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mysterious-wave-leaves-scientists-puzzled-as-giant-cosmic-serpent-slithers-into-milky-way-692275">Mysterious wave leaves scientists puzzled, as giant cosmic serpent slithers into Milky Way</a>

The researchers have since refined their search, estimating the object's size to be two to four times that of Earth.

However, locating it remains challenging, prompting speculation that it might be a statistical anomaly or result from selection bias by the Caltech astronomers.

(With inputs from agencies)

In the quest to find that hypothetical yet intriguing ninth planet, scientists have narrowed down their search to some potential places in our Solar System. Researchers observe that some objects at the outside edge of the Solar System (beyond Pluto), are behaving in a way which looks like they are being pulled around by something that is not seen yet.

In the quest to find that hypothetical yet intriguing ninth planet, scientists have narrowed down their search to some potential places in our Solar System. Researchers observe that some objects at the outside edge of the Solar System (beyond Pluto), are behaving in a way which looks like they are being pulled around by something that is not seen yet. This mysterious object could be another planet, as per researchers. Also Read | Comet with no tail is approaching Earth and researchers want you to photograph it Discovering this object could help scientists better understand the makeup of the Solar System, its formation as well as evolutionary processes. This discovery was submitted to The Astronomical Journal using the data from the Pan-STARRS1 survey to eliminate 78 per cent of the potential places that had been identified by previous research as places for the ninth planet. Quest to find the ninth planet As per the discovery, the areas of particular interest include near the galactic plane. This galactic plane area will now be thoroughly examined at the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory survey. The team is now rather looking at why the planet has not been found yet; one possibility of which is that it does not exist at all. "Such an explanation would require new explanations for multiple phenomena observed in the outer Solar System. Until such explanations are available, we continue to regard Planet Nine as the most likely hypothesis", wrote the team in their paper. Also Read | Scientists grow pair of 'laboratory testicles' that could help treat male infertility An alternative possibility is that Planet Nine is located even farther from the sun and possesses a greater mass than initially anticipated, rendering it more challenging to detect. Currently, the team posits that such a planet offers the most plausible explanation for the orbital patterns exhibited by observed objects in the outer reaches of the Solar System. "The cluster of the directions of the orbits is the best known, but there is also the large perihelion distances of many objects, the existence of highly inclined and even retrograde objects, and the high abundance of very eccentric orbits which cross inside the orbit of Neptune," lead author Dr Micheal Brown told Universe Today. Why scientists are looking for ninth planet? The quest for a mysterious ninth planet stems from findings in 2015 by two astronomers from Caltech who observed six objects beyond Neptune arranged in a manner hinting at gravitational influence. This led to speculation about an unseen celestial body. Also Read | Mysterious wave leaves scientists puzzled, as giant cosmic serpent slithers into Milky Way The researchers have since refined their search, estimating the object's size to be two to four times that of Earth. However, locating it remains challenging, prompting speculation that it might be a statistical anomaly or result from selection bias by the Caltech astronomers. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists believe they have discovered possible location of ninth planet in Solar System

Stars other than the Sun present in our solar system can have&nbsp;a major impact on the planets including Earth, even possibly changing their orbits, scientists have said. The gravitational pull of the stars has the ability to change the orbit of the Earth, an event that can wreak havoc on the green planet's climate.&nbsp;

The orbital changes happened in the past, millions of years ago. When it happened, the temperature of Earth increased by 8 degrees Celsius, according to the study titled 'Passing Stars as an Important Driver of Paleoclimate and the solar system's Orbital Evolution'.

The study has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The study's lead researchers are Sean Raymond and Nathan A Kaib.

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Perturbations are a minor deviation in the course of a celestial body, caused by the gravitational attraction of a neighbouring body&nbsp;from passing stars alter the long-term orbital evolution of the sun's planets, including Earth, explained Kaib, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, in the study.

"One reason this is important is because the geologic record shows that changes in the Earth's orbital eccentricity accompany fluctuations in the Earth's climate. If we want to best search for the causes of ancient climate anomalies, it is important to have an idea of what Earth's orbit looked like during those episodes," he said.

<h2>Scientists predict Earth's past orbital evolution</h2>

To understand the events which have occurred in the 4.5-billion-year lifespan of Earth, the researchers carried out extensive scientific research. They ran simulations to predict the planet's past orbital evolution.

Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas: Asteroid flew past Earth in near miss

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The scientists then chose a single known event, which occurred 2.8 million years ago, when a Sun-like star known as HD 7977 passed through the Solar System.

The star passed from inside the Oort Cloud and was at a distance of some 31,000 astronomical units (1 astronomical unit is the distance between Earth and the Sun).

Hence, it was at a great distance to have any effect. However, it may have zoomed in as close as 4,000 astronomical units.

"It has already been proposed that Earth's orbital eccentricity was notably high during this event, but our results show that passing stars make detailed predictions of Earth's past orbital evolution at this time highly uncertain, and a broader spectrum of orbital behaviour is possible than previously thought," said Kaib.

(With inputs from agencies)

Stars other than the Sun present in our solar system can have a major impact on the planets including Earth, even possibly changing their orbits, scientists have said.

Stars other than the Sun present in our solar system can have a major impact on the planets including Earth, even possibly changing their orbits, scientists have said. The gravitational pull of the stars has the ability to change the orbit of the Earth, an event that can wreak havoc on the green planet's climate. The orbital changes happened in the past, millions of years ago. When it happened, the temperature of Earth increased by 8 degrees Celsius, according to the study titled 'Passing Stars as an Important Driver of Paleoclimate and the solar system's Orbital Evolution'. The study has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. The study's lead researchers are Sean Raymond and Nathan A Kaib. Also Read: ESA releases pics of dead satellite tumbling to Earth; Can it fall on someone's head? All you need to know Perturbations are a minor deviation in the course of a celestial body, caused by the gravitational attraction of a neighbouring body from passing stars alter the long-term orbital evolution of the sun's planets, including Earth, explained Kaib, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, in the study. "One reason this is important is because the geologic record shows that changes in the Earth's orbital eccentricity accompany fluctuations in the Earth's climate. If we want to best search for the causes of ancient climate anomalies, it is important to have an idea of what Earth's orbit looked like during those episodes," he said. Scientists predict Earth's past orbital evolution To understand the events which have occurred in the 4.5-billion-year lifespan of Earth, the researchers carried out extensive scientific research. They ran simulations to predict the planet's past orbital evolution. Watch: Gravitas: Asteroid flew past Earth in near miss The scientists then chose a single known event, which occurred 2.8 million years ago, when a Sun-like star known as HD 7977 passed through the Solar System. The star passed from inside the Oort Cloud and was at a distance of some 31,000 astronomical units (1 astronomical unit is the distance between Earth and the Sun). Hence, it was at a great distance to have any effect. However, it may have zoomed in as close as 4,000 astronomical units. "It has already been proposed that Earth's orbital eccentricity was notably high during this event, but our results show that passing stars make detailed predictions of Earth's past orbital evolution at this time highly uncertain, and a broader spectrum of orbital behaviour is possible than previously thought," said Kaib. (With inputs from agencies)

Stars can change the orbit of Earth over the years, wreaking havoc on climate, say scientists

Scientists have found some unexpected activity in the icy objects of the outer belt surrounding our solar system. Kuiper Belt is a remote, doughnut-shaped region encircling much of our solar system, inhabited by ice-clad worlds like Pluto (a dwarf planet).

Scientists have found some unexpected activity in the icy objects of the outer belt surrounding our solar system. Kuiper Belt is a remote, doughnut-shaped region encircling much of our solar system, inhabited by ice-clad worlds like Pluto (a dwarf planet). Scientists have yet to explore the little-known area. However, they believe that millions of "dead objects" orbit here. Using the James Webb Space Telescope to view some of these icy objects, astronomers found evidence that they might not be so dead after all. They trained the powerful telescope, which orbits one million miles from Earth, on Eris and Makemake, the two largest-known objects of the Kuiper Belt. It has specialised cameras that can detect different elements or molecules in distant worlds. According to the study published in the planetary science journal Icarus, the icy orbs and objects of the Kuiper Belt are preserved primordial relics of the early solar system. However, the frozen methane identified on the surfaces of Eris and Makamake shows that these molecules were recently "cooked up". ALSO READ | A shallow, salty lake in Canada may have an explanation for the origin of life on Earth The study suggests hot interiors below the icy surface, capable of pushing liquid or gas onto the crust. The relatively recent methane deposits suggest that these icy worlds could harbour oceans, like Jupiter's icy moon Europa. "We see some interesting signs of hot times in cool places," Christopher Glein, a scientist at the Southwest Research Institute, said in a statement. Glein, who has previously researched Saturn's geyser-shooting moon, Enceladus led the investigation into the Kuiper Belt objects. "Hot cores could also point to potential sources of liquid water beneath their icy surfaces," Glein explained. Scientists speculate that some of these frozen worlds, billions of miles away, could harbour conditions suitable for life. However, there has been no evidence for it. There has been no attempt yet to reach these cosmic frontiers closely. But NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond opened the researchers to a complex world of distinct topography, including glaciers and mountains made of water ice. "After the New Horizons flyby of the Pluto system, and with this discovery, the Kuiper Belt is turning out to be much more alive in terms of hosting dynamic worlds than we would have imagined," said Glein. "It's not too early to start thinking about sending a spacecraft to fly by another one of these bodies to place the JWST data into a geologic context. I believe that we will be stunned by the wonders that await!," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Frozen worlds in Kuiper Belt might be able to host life, new evidence suggests

The icy moons in space, which were once potential sites for life, might not be able to host living beings&nbsp;like on Earth, a recent study by NASA suggests.&nbsp;

Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is frequently considered a potential contender for hosting life. This celestial body stands out as the sole location in the Solar System, besides Earth, where surface liquids are confirmed to exist, comprising rivers, lakes, and seas.

The rivers, lakes, and seas on Titan are filled with liquid hydrocarbons, mostly methane. Scientists were particularly interested in a huge ocean hidden beneath Titan's icy surface. This ocean is believed to be over 12 times bigger than Earth's oceans and lies about 55 to 80 kilometres (35 to 50 miles) beneath the ground.

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<h2>Why Titan could not be the next Earth?</h2>

"Titan’s rivers, lakes and seas of liquid methane and ethane might serve as a habitable environment on the moon’s surface, though any life there would likely be very different from Earth’s life," NASA explains.

Having liquid water below the surface is good for life, but you also need organics. Scientists earlier believed that these essential ingredients could be brought to the ocean beneath Titan's surface. There, they could mix together, get heated up, and possibly start life when space objects hit the surface.&nbsp;

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The theory was that the surface, which is full of organics, would mix with the ocean underneath when objects hit it and melt patches of ice. As it's heavier than the ice around it, this mixture would sink down into the ocean below.

However, a study by the University of Western Ontario tried to figure out how many comets hit Titan each year and how much organics they brought&nbsp;to the ocean below. Sadly, the team discovered that only about 7,500 kilograms (16,500 pounds) of glycine, the simplest amino acid, would be delivered to the ocean. That's about the weight of an adult elephant.

"One elephant per year of glycine into an ocean 12 times the volume of Earth's oceans is not sufficient to sustain life," astrobiologist Catherine Neish said in a press release.

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"In the past, people often assumed that water equals life, but they neglected the fact that life needs other elements, in particular carbon."

"This work shows that it is very hard to transfer the carbon on Titan's surface to its subsurface ocean –basically, it's hard to have both the water and carbon needed for life in the same place," Neish added.

However, there's still a possibility of life&nbsp;if there are more organics on the surface than we thought. And&nbsp;if organics could come from the core, or other processes could bring organics from the surface to the ocean below.

(With inputs from agencies)

The icy moons in space, which were once potential sites for life, might not be able to host living beings like on Earth, a recent study by NASA suggests. Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is frequently considered a potential contender for hosting life.

The icy moons in space, which were once potential sites for life, might not be able to host living beings like on Earth, a recent study by NASA suggests. Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is frequently considered a potential contender for hosting life. This celestial body stands out as the sole location in the Solar System, besides Earth, where surface liquids are confirmed to exist, comprising rivers, lakes, and seas. The rivers, lakes, and seas on Titan are filled with liquid hydrocarbons, mostly methane. Scientists were particularly interested in a huge ocean hidden beneath Titan's icy surface. This ocean is believed to be over 12 times bigger than Earth's oceans and lies about 55 to 80 kilometres (35 to 50 miles) beneath the ground. Also Read | 'Future is wild': Netizens react to OpenAI's newly launched Sora that creates HD videos from written text Why Titan could not be the next Earth? "Titan’s rivers, lakes and seas of liquid methane and ethane might serve as a habitable environment on the moon’s surface, though any life there would likely be very different from Earth’s life," NASA explains. Having liquid water below the surface is good for life, but you also need organics. Scientists earlier believed that these essential ingredients could be brought to the ocean beneath Titan's surface. There, they could mix together, get heated up, and possibly start life when space objects hit the surface. Also Read | A man found a bone while walking his dog. What he discovered next was 'pre-historic' The theory was that the surface, which is full of organics, would mix with the ocean underneath when objects hit it and melt patches of ice. As it's heavier than the ice around it, this mixture would sink down into the ocean below. However, a study by the University of Western Ontario tried to figure out how many comets hit Titan each year and how much organics they brought to the ocean below. Sadly, the team discovered that only about 7,500 kilograms (16,500 pounds) of glycine, the simplest amino acid, would be delivered to the ocean. That's about the weight of an adult elephant. "One elephant per year of glycine into an ocean 12 times the volume of Earth's oceans is not sufficient to sustain life," astrobiologist Catherine Neish said in a press release. Also Read | Taste of your favourite tea may be dependent on specific microbes "In the past, people often assumed that water equals life, but they neglected the fact that life needs other elements, in particular carbon." "This work shows that it is very hard to transfer the carbon on Titan's surface to its subsurface ocean –basically, it's hard to have both the water and carbon needed for life in the same place," Neish added. However, there's still a possibility of life if there are more organics on the surface than we thought. And if organics could come from the core, or other processes could bring organics from the surface to the ocean below. (With inputs from agencies)

Solar system's icy moons like Titan may not host life, NASA study suggests

Scientists have confirmed that an asteroid that exploded over Germany on January 21 is a rare spacerock type that can help shed light on the origins of Earth. The fragments of the asteroid 2024 BX1 were discovered just five days later and were analysed by a group of scientists&nbsp;who concluded that it belongs to a rare group called aubrites.

Peter Jenniskens, who was part of the team that recovered the fragments, was quoted by Space.com as saying that there had been only 11 known examples of aubrite meteorite falling on Earth in the past. The rare family is believed to represent just 1 per cent of known meteorites.

<h2>What makes aubrite meteorites different?</h2>

The aubrite meteorites stand out due to their unique characteristics. Unlike typical meteorites, they possess a translucent glass crust instead of a thick black one, and they exhibit a grey granite-like appearance, initially causing difficulty in distinguishing them from ordinary Earth rocks.

"The interesting thing about this fall is, we have a very nice orbit of it, and so the shape of the orbit itself contains clues as to where the source region for these meteorites was," Jenniskens said.

Watch:&nbsp;Russian cosmonaut sets a new record for the most time in space

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"They likely came from the inner side of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. That's a place where probably there is a lot of debris, a collision that created a lot of smaller pieces called an asteroid family," he added.

<h2>Why it is significant?</h2>

Jenniskens and colleagues from the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin conducted the first analysis of one of these meteorite fragments using an electron beam microprobe. Their findings revealed that these meteorites share the typical mineralogy and chemical composition of aubrite-type rocks.

Originating from main belt asteroids like 2024 BX1, these meteorites date back approximately 4.5 billion years, coinciding with the formation of the solar system planets. They formed from material surrounding the young sun that remained after the planet formation process.

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Due to their lack of alteration by geological processes, aubrite meteorites provide scientists with valuable insights into the primordial materials that shaped the inner rocky planets of the solar system, including Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth.

Jenniskens also noted that aubrites, like these meteorites, exhibit properties remarkably similar to those of Earth, such as water content and chemical ratios. This similarity offers researchers a unique opportunity to study the materials involved in the formation of our planet billions of years ago.

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have confirmed that an asteroid that exploded over Germany on January 21 is a rare spacerock type that can help shed light on the origins of Earth. The fragments of the asteroid 2024 BX1 were discovered just five days later and were analysed by a group of scientists who concluded that it belongs to a rare group called aubrites.

Scientists have confirmed that an asteroid that exploded over Germany on January 21 is a rare spacerock type that can help shed light on the origins of Earth. The fragments of the asteroid 2024 BX1 were discovered just five days later and were analysed by a group of scientists who concluded that it belongs to a rare group called aubrites. Peter Jenniskens, who was part of the team that recovered the fragments, was quoted by Space.com as saying that there had been only 11 known examples of aubrite meteorite falling on Earth in the past. The rare family is believed to represent just 1 per cent of known meteorites. What makes aubrite meteorites different? The aubrite meteorites stand out due to their unique characteristics. Unlike typical meteorites, they possess a translucent glass crust instead of a thick black one, and they exhibit a grey granite-like appearance, initially causing difficulty in distinguishing them from ordinary Earth rocks. "The interesting thing about this fall is, we have a very nice orbit of it, and so the shape of the orbit itself contains clues as to where the source region for these meteorites was," Jenniskens said. Watch: Russian cosmonaut sets a new record for the most time in space × "They likely came from the inner side of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. That's a place where probably there is a lot of debris, a collision that created a lot of smaller pieces called an asteroid family," he added. Why it is significant? Jenniskens and colleagues from the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin conducted the first analysis of one of these meteorite fragments using an electron beam microprobe. Their findings revealed that these meteorites share the typical mineralogy and chemical composition of aubrite-type rocks. Originating from main belt asteroids like 2024 BX1, these meteorites date back approximately 4.5 billion years, coinciding with the formation of the solar system planets. They formed from material surrounding the young sun that remained after the planet formation process. Also read: Space marvel! NASA`s incredible shot of Moon, Earth in one frame leaves internet awestruck Due to their lack of alteration by geological processes, aubrite meteorites provide scientists with valuable insights into the primordial materials that shaped the inner rocky planets of the solar system, including Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth. Jenniskens also noted that aubrites, like these meteorites, exhibit properties remarkably similar to those of Earth, such as water content and chemical ratios. This similarity offers researchers a unique opportunity to study the materials involved in the formation of our planet billions of years ago. (With inputs from agencies)

Asteroid that fell in Germany ‘extremely rare’, as old as solar system: Scientists

Billions of years ago when the Sun that lights up our Earth was a young star, the solar system as we know it today was just a large disk of rocky dust and gas. For millions of years, tiny dust particles coalesced together to become a few mile-sized 'planetesimals', the basic units that formed our Earth and the rest of the planets and their moons in our solar system.&nbsp;

Researchers have now found if these planetesimals contained water.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/watch-first-ever-360-degree-camera-in-space-captures-breathtaking-visuals-of-earth-664942">PHOTOS | Earth looks unreal in images captured by first-ever 360-degree camera in space</a>

According to research conducted in the laboratory of Paul Asimow, Eleanor, and John R. McMillan, Professor of Geology and Geochemistry -- that &nbsp;appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy -- the ingredients for life, including water, &nbsp;may have been present in the seeds of rocky planets right from the start.

<h2>How was the study conducted?</h2>

The study combines meteorite data with thermodynamic modelling. It then determines whether the earliest solar system planetesimals were formed in the presence of water.&nbsp;

Researchers used samples of the solar system's earliest years in the form of iron meteorites.&nbsp;

Also watch |&nbsp;Remains of an ancient planet lie deep within Earth

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These meteorites are the remnants of the metallic cores of the earliest planetesimals in our solar system that did not constitute the formation of any planet but ultimately fell on our planet.

<h2>What did the researchers find?</h2>

While the trace of water is long gone in the meteorites, it's the proportion of missing iron in the iron meteorites that shows if water existed in planetesimals.

The researchers found that those iron meteorites thought to be derived from the inner solar system had about the same amount of missing iron metal as meteorites derived from the outer solar system.&nbsp;

Therefore, the planetesimals from both groups of meteorites must have formed in a part of the solar system where water was present.

<h2>What does it mean?</h2>

If planetesimals were formed at Earth's current orbital position, water would have existed only if the inner solar system was much cooler than what we know of them.&nbsp;

"If water was present in the early building blocks of our planet, other important elements like carbon and nitrogen were likely present as well," Damanveer Grewal, a former Caltech postdoctoral scholar and first author of the study said in a statement.&nbsp;

"The ingredients for life may have been present in the seeds of rocky planets right from the start."

The paper is titled "Accretion of the earliest inner solar system planetesimals beyond the water-snowline."

&nbsp;(With inputs from agencies)

Billions of years ago when the Sun that lights up our Earth was a young star, the solar system as we know it today was just a large disk of rocky dust and gas. For millions of years, tiny dust particles coalesced together to become a few mile-sized 'planetesimals', the basic units that formed our Earth and the rest of the planets and their moons in our solar system.

Billions of years ago when the Sun that lights up our Earth was a young star, the solar system as we know it today was just a large disk of rocky dust and gas. For millions of years, tiny dust particles coalesced together to become a few mile-sized 'planetesimals', the basic units that formed our Earth and the rest of the planets and their moons in our solar system. Researchers have now found if these planetesimals contained water. Also read | PHOTOS | Earth looks unreal in images captured by first-ever 360-degree camera in space According to research conducted in the laboratory of Paul Asimow, Eleanor, and John R. McMillan, Professor of Geology and Geochemistry -- that appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy -- the ingredients for life, including water, may have been present in the seeds of rocky planets right from the start. How was the study conducted? The study combines meteorite data with thermodynamic modelling. It then determines whether the earliest solar system planetesimals were formed in the presence of water. Researchers used samples of the solar system's earliest years in the form of iron meteorites. Also watch | Remains of an ancient planet lie deep within Earth × These meteorites are the remnants of the metallic cores of the earliest planetesimals in our solar system that did not constitute the formation of any planet but ultimately fell on our planet. What did the researchers find? While the trace of water is long gone in the meteorites, it's the proportion of missing iron in the iron meteorites that shows if water existed in planetesimals. The researchers found that those iron meteorites thought to be derived from the inner solar system had about the same amount of missing iron metal as meteorites derived from the outer solar system. Therefore, the planetesimals from both groups of meteorites must have formed in a part of the solar system where water was present. What does it mean? If planetesimals were formed at Earth's current orbital position, water would have existed only if the inner solar system was much cooler than what we know of them. "If water was present in the early building blocks of our planet, other important elements like carbon and nitrogen were likely present as well," Damanveer Grewal, a former Caltech postdoctoral scholar and first author of the study said in a statement. "The ingredients for life may have been present in the seeds of rocky planets right from the start." The paper is titled "Accretion of the earliest inner solar system planetesimals beyond the water-snowline." (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists discover water's existence in building blocks of solar system

Every few months, a science story goes viral on the realms of internet, warning us of impending doom brought by the biggest object in our solar system. "The Sun has ejected a massive solar storm" is the usual headline, followed by a warning that it may destroy life on planet Earth as we know it.

Every few months, a science story goes viral on the realms of internet, warning us of impending doom brought by the biggest object in our solar system. "The Sun has ejected a massive solar storm" is the usual headline, followed by a warning that it may destroy life on planet Earth as we know it. Usually, such headlines are alarmist in nature, designed to garner clicks but there is an element of truth to it. The surface of the Sun is extremely chaotic, roiling with immense amounts of energy, waiting to be expended. When this box of billions of kilojoules of energy is released, they are called solar storms. An umbrella term called 'space weather' is used to define a whole chain of phenomena and events that begins with the solar wind and solar storm. It includes their effects on Earth’s atmosphere, satellites, and ground-based systems. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections Last week, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shared the first images captured by its Aditya-L1 solar mission. The pictures were clicked by the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm and showed characteristic features of the Sun, including the large sunspots. The sunspots are able to emit powerful coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that can slam into Earth and trigger potentially dangerous geomagnetic storms, regardless of whether we can see the dark patches or not. This means we can be caught off guard by extreme space weather events. The huge clouds of electrified gas travel at speeds of hundreds of miles per second and can affect power grids, communications, GPS navigation, air travel and satellites. Also read | Big solar flare incoming? Intriguing black patch on Sun captured by Perseverance Mars rover How are solar flares/sunspots formed? Solar activity follows a regular pattern with peaks and lows occurring every 11 years. These cycles, known as solar maximum and solar minimum, are driven by the Sun's magnetic field. We are currently in Solar Cycle 25 and expected to reach a solar maximum around July 2025. However, this cycle has shown greater activity than anticipated by NASA and the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), with the official prediction of around 115 sunspots at the peak. Scientists are unsure why the Sun has been more active than expected, and further observation is necessary to improve future predictions and deepen our understanding of the Sun's internal processes. Apart from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover, using its Mastcam-Z camera system also captures images of the Sun daily. While the main aim is to gauge the amount of dust present in the Martian atmosphere, the camera is also able to capture the sunspots. The rover manages to spot these sunspots early because Mars is orbiting the far side of the Sun and thus has a week's headstart over Earth. Earth-orbiting satellites have already registered three M-class flares and nearly a dozen C-class flares since first spotting the sunspot group, numbered AR3490 and its cracking flares. Watch | WION Fineprint: NASA announces plans for a nuclear rocket Auroras and STEVE However, in most instances, the CMEs pass over the surface of the Earth without doing much damage. The magnetic field of Earth ensures that charged solar wind is deflected to the poles, often resulting in the formation of bright celestial lights we know as auroras: aurora borealis, or the northern lights, near the North Pole; and aurora australis, the southern lights, near the South Pole. Then there is another phenomenon in STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) which is a strange mauve-and-white light observed near the equator. This light show is sometimes accompanied by a striped green feature known as a picket fence. Although scientists are uncertain about the origin of STEVE, a school of researchers believes that it is also caused by the solar storms that kiss Earth before leaving for the next planet. Also read | ISRO's Aditya-L1 spacecraft captures majestic pictures of sunspots Previous large scale disruptions It is not to say that solar storms always lead to beautiful auroras or STEVE. Between October and November 2003 During a period of intense solar activity in October and November 2003, one solar flare's magnitude was so immense that NOAA (US agency charged with forecasting weather and monitoring atmospheric conditions) had to alter its charts. In 1989, Quebec, the largest province by area in Canada suffered power outages for over nine hours due to a solar storm. Between September 1-2 in 1859, history's largest solar storm, known as the 'Carrington Event' was recorded. In under 18 hours, the CME travelled 150 million km to Earth and unleashed fury upon our planet. Usually, it takes multiple days for CME to reach Earth but such was the intensity that not only it reached within 24 hours, but also wreaked havoc with our rather primitive technology. According to reports, there were instances of sparking in numerous telegraph machines, operators receiving electric shocks and papers getting blazed by the rogue sparks. (With inputs from agencies)

Explained | Solar storms have been raging for weeks and Earth is bearing the brunt

The scientists made a startling observation when they observed that the atmosphere of Mars dramatically ballooned outwards because of a void created due to a powerful gust of solar wind. 
 
A new study has been published on the event which states how on 26 December 2022, a sharp drop in the solar particles was recorded by the MAVEN spacecraft present in orbit around Mars. 
 
The spacecraft simultaneously recorded a bizarre and startling change in the atmosphere of Mars. The magnetosphere and ionosphere of Mars expanded thousands of kilometres, which tripled its size. 
 
The last time scientists observed this phenomenon was in 1999 when the solar wind had suddenly dropped which led to outward swelling in the magnetosphere of Earth and increased its volume 100-fold. 
 
These observations provided the scientists with a rare glimpse of how Mars behaves when there is a sudden change in the conditions of the Solar System and also gave insight into how planets interact in the solar system with their environments around different stars.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-perseverance-rover-decodes-martian-lakes-ancient-history-after-spending-1000-martian-days-669370">NASA's Perseverance rover decodes Martian lake's ancient history after spending 1000 Martian days</a>

"When we first saw the data, and how dramatic the drop in the solar wind was, it was almost unbelievable," said astronomer Jasper Halekas, who is the lead author of a new study and is a professor at the University of Iowa. 
 
"We formed a working group to study the event, and we have found this time period to be rich with incredible findings,” he added while speaking to Science Alert.

<h2>Scientists trying to decode how Mars will orbit in a less 'windy' star</h2>

Generally, the solar wind remains constant in the Solar System and all the planets remain embedded in it. These solar winds are streams of particles which blow out from the Sun across different directions all the time and create ambient pressure throughout the Solar System, and further subside at a boundary called as heliopause. 
 
However, a different kind of wind was gusted by Mars on 26 December 2022. This wind consisted of two different solar winds, a slower one which was swept up and later engulfed by a faster wind which was coming in from behind before it continued outwards as one superwind.

Watch:&nbsp;Scientists surprised by source of largest quake detected on Mars

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A higher density of particles which was present in this double solar wind was recorded by MAVEN. After a significant drop in particle density was detected in the wind which passed by the orbiting observatory – a rare void of low density and extremely weak solar wind was detected, and a drop was also seen in solar wind pressure. 
 
"We are really getting to see how Mars responds when the solar wind is effectively removed. It makes for a great outlier study on what Mars would be like if it were orbiting a less 'windy' star,” Halekas said. 
 
The findings are being presented by the team at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2023.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The scientists made a startling observation when they observed that the atmosphere of Mars dramatically ballooned outwards because of a void created due to a powerful gust of solar wind.

The scientists made a startling observation when they observed that the atmosphere of Mars dramatically ballooned outwards because of a void created due to a powerful gust of solar wind. A new study has been published on the event which states how on 26 December 2022, a sharp drop in the solar particles was recorded by the MAVEN spacecraft present in orbit around Mars. The spacecraft simultaneously recorded a bizarre and startling change in the atmosphere of Mars. The magnetosphere and ionosphere of Mars expanded thousands of kilometres, which tripled its size. The last time scientists observed this phenomenon was in 1999 when the solar wind had suddenly dropped which led to outward swelling in the magnetosphere of Earth and increased its volume 100-fold. These observations provided the scientists with a rare glimpse of how Mars behaves when there is a sudden change in the conditions of the Solar System and also gave insight into how planets interact in the solar system with their environments around different stars. Also read: NASA's Perseverance rover decodes Martian lake's ancient history after spending 1000 Martian days "When we first saw the data, and how dramatic the drop in the solar wind was, it was almost unbelievable," said astronomer Jasper Halekas, who is the lead author of a new study and is a professor at the University of Iowa. "We formed a working group to study the event, and we have found this time period to be rich with incredible findings,” he added while speaking to Science Alert. Scientists trying to decode how Mars will orbit in a less 'windy' star Generally, the solar wind remains constant in the Solar System and all the planets remain embedded in it. These solar winds are streams of particles which blow out from the Sun across different directions all the time and create ambient pressure throughout the Solar System, and further subside at a boundary called as heliopause. However, a different kind of wind was gusted by Mars on 26 December 2022. This wind consisted of two different solar winds, a slower one which was swept up and later engulfed by a faster wind which was coming in from behind before it continued outwards as one superwind. Watch: Scientists surprised by source of largest quake detected on Mars A higher density of particles which was present in this double solar wind was recorded by MAVEN. After a significant drop in particle density was detected in the wind which passed by the orbiting observatory – a rare void of low density and extremely weak solar wind was detected, and a drop was also seen in solar wind pressure. "We are really getting to see how Mars responds when the solar wind is effectively removed. It makes for a great outlier study on what Mars would be like if it were orbiting a less 'windy' star,” Halekas said. The findings are being presented by the team at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2023. (With inputs from agencies)

Bizarre solar wind phenomena dramatically ballooned atmosphere of Mars

Humans from time immemorial have been looking for clues in the universe. Our search for life beyond earth has expanded in recent times. Our planetary system is the only one officially called “solar system,” but astronomers have discovered more than 3,200 other stars with planets orbiting them. But now researchers think that they have found the perfect solar system. Watch this story to know more.

Why are scientists calling it a perfect world?

NASA astronomers have found their own it is a rare in-sync solar system with six planets moving like a grand Cosmic Orchestra untouched by outside forces since the birth billions of years ago. Watch this report to know more about this new world and where it is located.

NASA satellites discover a 6-planet in-sync solar system

Just like our solar system in the Milky Way has eight (sorry Pluto, it's not nine) planets revolving around Sun, a planetary system a bit far from us has six worlds orbiting their star in&nbsp;perfect harmony, resembling to an extent our own solar system.

Notably, both these systems are in our Milky Way itself.

<h2>Chain of resonance for HD 110067</h2>

The Sun and eight planets revolving around it are in a phenomenon called chain of resonance. Simply put, their revolutions are in sync with one another.&nbsp;

In this case, each of the six planets exhibit a chain of resonance. They orbit around the bright star HD 110067.

Also watch |&nbsp;Aliens lurking at the heart of the Milky Way?

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"We think only about one percent of all systems stay in resonance," astrophysicist Rafael Luque of the University of Chicago said in an interview. "It shows us the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has survived untouched."

<h2>What does it mean?</h2>

Scientists say that orbital resonances are neither uncommon nor unexpected. They occur when two bodies orbiting a third body exert a gravitational influence on each other, in such a way that their orbital periods line up.

The HD 110067 is only&nbsp;the third known system with six exoplanets in a chain of resonance.

The star around which these exoplanets are revolving were&nbsp;formed over a billion years ago, scientists add.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/its-all-in-the-shape-science-reveals-what-makes-milky-way-unique-664255">It's all in the shape: Science reveals what makes Milky Way unique</a>

"The current delicate configuration of the planetary orbits in HD 110067 rules out any violent event over the billion-year history of the system, making it a rare 'fossil' to study migration mechanisms and the properties of its protoplanetary disk in a pristine environment," the researchers write in their paper published in the Nature journal.

"The combination of host-star brightness and the inferred presence of extended atmospheres in most of its planets makes HD 110067 the most favorable multiplanetary sub-Neptune system to be observed in transmission spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope. HD 110067 offers a chance to gain insight into the nature of sub-Neptune planets and where, how and under what conditions resonant chains form and survive."

(With inputs from agencies)

Just like our solar system in the Milky Way has eight (sorry Pluto, it's not nine) planets revolving around Sun, a planetary system a bit far from us has six worlds orbiting their star in perfect harmony, resembling to an extent our own solar system.

Just like our solar system in the Milky Way has eight (sorry Pluto, it's not nine) planets revolving around Sun, a planetary system a bit far from us has six worlds orbiting their star in perfect harmony, resembling to an extent our own solar system. Notably, both these systems are in our Milky Way itself. Chain of resonance for HD 110067 The Sun and eight planets revolving around it are in a phenomenon called chain of resonance. Simply put, their revolutions are in sync with one another. In this case, each of the six planets exhibit a chain of resonance. They orbit around the bright star HD 110067. Also watch | Aliens lurking at the heart of the Milky Way? × "We think only about one percent of all systems stay in resonance," astrophysicist Rafael Luque of the University of Chicago said in an interview. "It shows us the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has survived untouched." What does it mean? Scientists say that orbital resonances are neither uncommon nor unexpected. They occur when two bodies orbiting a third body exert a gravitational influence on each other, in such a way that their orbital periods line up. The HD 110067 is only the third known system with six exoplanets in a chain of resonance. The star around which these exoplanets are revolving were formed over a billion years ago, scientists add. Also read | It's all in the shape: Science reveals what makes Milky Way unique "The current delicate configuration of the planetary orbits in HD 110067 rules out any violent event over the billion-year history of the system, making it a rare 'fossil' to study migration mechanisms and the properties of its protoplanetary disk in a pristine environment," the researchers write in their paper published in the Nature journal. "The combination of host-star brightness and the inferred presence of extended atmospheres in most of its planets makes HD 110067 the most favorable multiplanetary sub-Neptune system to be observed in transmission spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope. HD 110067 offers a chance to gain insight into the nature of sub-Neptune planets and where, how and under what conditions resonant chains form and survive." (With inputs from agencies)

Another solar system in Milky Way? Scientists discover six unique exoplanets

Researchers have been astounded by the discovery of a unique solar system with six planets, even in a time when finding planets orbiting far-off stars has become routine. Though smaller than Neptune, all six of the planets are larger than Earth. Given their near proximity to the star they orbit, it is likely that they are small gaseous worlds with extended atmospheres of helium and hydrogen, making them unsuitable for life as we know it and excessively hot.

Discovery of six-planet solar system amazes astronomers | WION

The Hubble Space Telescope of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured a breathtaking image of the planet Jupiter. The image is in a colour composite of ultraviolet wavelengths.&nbsp;

Jupiter and the Sun are on opposite sides of the sky. This view of the planet includes the iconic and massive storm called the "Great Red Spot". The image has been released to honour the opposition.

Though the storm appears red to the naked eye, it appears deeper in this UV image because high-altitude haze particles absorb light at these wavelengths.

The reddish, wavy polar hazes absorb slightly less of this light because of changes in particle size, content, or altitude. &nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/explained-what-exactly-is-nasas-lucy-mission-654833">What exactly is NASA's Lucy Mission?</a>&nbsp;

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and is the largest planet in the solar system, which is more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined.

It is called the gas giant planet. Its stripes and swirls are basically cold, windy clouds of ammonia and water, which are floating in an atmosphere of hydrogen and helium.

"The data used to create this ultraviolet image is part of a Hubble proposal that looked at Jupiter's stealthy superstorm system. The researchers plan to map deep water clouds using the Hubble data to define 3D cloud structures in Jupiter's atmosphere," Nasa said.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/is-northern-lights-style-aurora-in-uranus-hiding-key-to-alien-life-scientists-hint-so-655100">Is northern lights-style aurora in Uranus hiding key to alien life? Scientists hint so</a>&nbsp;

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Just in time for Jupiter reaching opposition, this Hubble image shows a unique view of the planet in ultraviolet light! 
 
Look up tonight to find Jupiter – it appears large and bright, because its position is directly opposite the Sun in the sky: <a href="https://t.co/v4EIXynA1F">https://t.co/v4EIXynA1F</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZKtOYJlU38">pic.twitter.com/ZKtOYJlU38</a>
— Hubble (@NASAHubble) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAHubble/status/1720097274770915369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Hidden ocean the source of CO2 on Jupiter's Moon&nbsp;</h2>

Last month, a report said that carbon dioxide detected on Jupiter's moon Europa comes from the vast ocean beneath its icy shell. The research was done using the James Webb Space Telescope&nbsp;data. This will potentially bolster hopes that the hidden water could harbour life.&nbsp;

Scientists are confident there is a huge ocean of saltwater kilometres below Europa's ice-covered surface, making the moon a prime candidate for hosting extra-terrestrial life in our Solar System.&nbsp;

However, determining whether this concealed ocean has the right chemical elements to support life has been difficult.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Hubble Space Telescope of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured a breathtaking image of the planet Jupiter. The image is in a colour composite of ultraviolet wavelengths.

The Hubble Space Telescope of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured a breathtaking image of the planet Jupiter. The image is in a colour composite of ultraviolet wavelengths. Jupiter and the Sun are on opposite sides of the sky. This view of the planet includes the iconic and massive storm called the "Great Red Spot". The image has been released to honour the opposition. Though the storm appears red to the naked eye, it appears deeper in this UV image because high-altitude haze particles absorb light at these wavelengths. The reddish, wavy polar hazes absorb slightly less of this light because of changes in particle size, content, or altitude. Also read: What exactly is NASA's Lucy Mission? Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and is the largest planet in the solar system, which is more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined. It is called the gas giant planet. Its stripes and swirls are basically cold, windy clouds of ammonia and water, which are floating in an atmosphere of hydrogen and helium. "The data used to create this ultraviolet image is part of a Hubble proposal that looked at Jupiter's stealthy superstorm system. The researchers plan to map deep water clouds using the Hubble data to define 3D cloud structures in Jupiter's atmosphere," Nasa said. Also read: Is northern lights-style aurora in Uranus hiding key to alien life? Scientists hint so Just in time for Jupiter reaching opposition, this Hubble image shows a unique view of the planet in ultraviolet light! Look up tonight to find Jupiter – it appears large and bright, because its position is directly opposite the Sun in the sky: https://t.co/v4EIXynA1F pic.twitter.com/ZKtOYJlU38 — Hubble (@NASAHubble) November 2, 2023 × Hidden ocean the source of CO2 on Jupiter's Moon Last month, a report said that carbon dioxide detected on Jupiter's moon Europa comes from the vast ocean beneath its icy shell. The research was done using the James Webb Space Telescope data. This will potentially bolster hopes that the hidden water could harbour life. Scientists are confident there is a huge ocean of saltwater kilometres below Europa's ice-covered surface, making the moon a prime candidate for hosting extra-terrestrial life in our Solar System. However, determining whether this concealed ocean has the right chemical elements to support life has been difficult. (With inputs from agencies)

Hubble captures Jupiter in breathtaking colours as giant planet reaches farthest to sun

NASA's Lucy spacecraft is about to visit its first asteroid, Dinkinesh on November 1. The asteroid is located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.&nbsp;

Lucy will pass within 430 kilometres of the small asteroid, Dinkinesh. The asteroid is less than 1 kilometre wide, small enough that it is barely visible from Earth, and will be seen for the first time, thanks to this flyby.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/air-pollution-ups-risk-of-parkinsons-disease-by-56-study-653648">Air pollution ups risk of Parkinson's disease by 56%: Study</a>

The tracking system that keeps the asteroid in the cameras' field of view will be tested during the journey. This system is crucial because of the small size of the asteroids&nbsp;and the spacecraft's rapid speed as it passes by.

<h2>Why asteroid Dinkinesh?</h2>

Dinkinesh is located in the main asteroid belt, halfway between Mars and Jupiter's orbits and&nbsp;it is the ideal rock for Lucy to visit while travelling to the Trojans&nbsp;in order to ensure that all of her scientific equipment will be operational for the nine other asteroids it will observe during the primary portion of its mission.

Trojans are asteroids&nbsp;which follow&nbsp;Jupiter’s orbit around the sun and are believed to be the remnants of our solar system's formation.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/milky-ways-black-hole-is-spinning-incredibly-fast-say-scientists-653536">Milky Way's black hole is spinning incredibly fast, say scientists</a>

<h2>Lucy&nbsp;mission</h2>

The Luci mission was selected by NASA in 2017 from 28 proposals that had to be ready for a 2021 launch. Following her October 2021 launch, Lucy has been travelling into the outer solar system at a speed of roughly 19.4 kilometres per second. The Trojan asteroids, which orbit the sun alongside Jupiter, are its primary research priorities, which helps us to better understand their composition, origins, and the history of our solar system.

<h2>Lucy's Dinkinesh mission</h2>

Lucy's terminal-tracking system will start tracking the target an hour before it gets close to Dinkinesh. The spacecraft will next start gathering information about Dinkinesh using its colour imager and infrared spectrometer, around eight minutes before close approach.&nbsp;

Lucy will start gathering data with its thermal-infrared camera (L'TES) and high-resolution camera (L'LORRI) as soon as it gets near enough to the asteroid. Dinkinesh will be continuously imaged and tracked for about an hour more.&nbsp;

NASA's Lucy spacecraft is about to visit its first asteroid, Dinkinesh on November 1. The asteroid is located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

NASA's Lucy spacecraft is about to visit its first asteroid, Dinkinesh on November 1. The asteroid is located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Lucy will pass within 430 kilometres of the small asteroid, Dinkinesh. The asteroid is less than 1 kilometre wide, small enough that it is barely visible from Earth, and will be seen for the first time, thanks to this flyby. Also read: Air pollution ups risk of Parkinson's disease by 56%: Study The tracking system that keeps the asteroid in the cameras' field of view will be tested during the journey. This system is crucial because of the small size of the asteroids and the spacecraft's rapid speed as it passes by. Why asteroid Dinkinesh? Dinkinesh is located in the main asteroid belt, halfway between Mars and Jupiter's orbits and it is the ideal rock for Lucy to visit while travelling to the Trojans in order to ensure that all of her scientific equipment will be operational for the nine other asteroids it will observe during the primary portion of its mission. Trojans are asteroids which follow Jupiter’s orbit around the sun and are believed to be the remnants of our solar system's formation. Also read: Milky Way's black hole is spinning incredibly fast, say scientists Lucy mission The Luci mission was selected by NASA in 2017 from 28 proposals that had to be ready for a 2021 launch. Following her October 2021 launch, Lucy has been travelling into the outer solar system at a speed of roughly 19.4 kilometres per second. The Trojan asteroids, which orbit the sun alongside Jupiter, are its primary research priorities, which helps us to better understand their composition, origins, and the history of our solar system. Lucy's Dinkinesh mission Lucy's terminal-tracking system will start tracking the target an hour before it gets close to Dinkinesh. The spacecraft will next start gathering information about Dinkinesh using its colour imager and infrared spectrometer, around eight minutes before close approach. Lucy will start gathering data with its thermal-infrared camera (L'TES) and high-resolution camera (L'LORRI) as soon as it gets near enough to the asteroid. Dinkinesh will be continuously imaged and tracked for about an hour more.

NASA’s Lucy spacecraft, on a 12-year journey, to encounter its first asteroid on Nov 1

Planet Nine, a hypothetical ninth planet in the outer region of the Solar System, has almost become impossible to trace by scientists and astronomers. Planet Nine is said to be somewhere beyond the orbit of Pluto and lies in a very dark and cold place in the Solar System, which makes it hard to detect.

In the past, scientists have given several reasons for this. One would be that no one has actually seen it yet and it’s only on the paper. Another is the real possibility that it is just not there. Or it might not be a single planet at all, but a swarm of rocks instead. But according to a recent research; it is more than all of that.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/women-in-prehistoric-times-were-not-only-gatherers-but-hunters-too-study-650213">Hunting was not solely a man's arena in prehistoric times, women did it too, study suggests</a>

<h2>Mystery of Planet Nine</h2>

New research conducted by physicists Katherine Brown of Hamilton College and Harsh Mathur of Case Western Reserve University deduced that there is something missing from our current model of gravity as described under the general relativity theory.

According to their recent study, the subtle abnormalities in the orbits of various objects some attribute to a hidden planet are also consistent with a different kind of gravitational model – one called Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND).

The flaws in Newton's law of universal gravitation were resolved by Einstein's theory of general relativity. MOND is an alternative solution that proposes other gravitational effects take over when Newtonian gravitational acceleration drops below a certain threshold.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-finds-98-per-cent-population-in-world-experienced-effects-of-global-warming-650334">Study finds 98 per cent population in world experienced effects of global warming</a>

Because MOND can describe the gravitational behaviour of galaxies that don't seem to be tied to normal matter – unexpected rotation curves and lensing effects – it's an attractive alternative to dark matter. But it hasn't really been studied on smaller scales.

"MOND is really good at explaining galactic-scale observations," Mathur says. "I hadn't expected that it would have noticeable effects on the outer Solar System."

Brown and Mathur thought that these clustering observations might not be compatible with MOND. They undertook an investigation, modelling the orbits of outer Solar System Kuiper Belt objects under MOND to observe how they behave.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-to-take-amusement-park-approach-to-bring-mars-samples-back-to-earth-650367">NASA to take 'amusement park' approach to bring Mars samples back to Earth</a>

Surprisingly, what they ended up with was a bunch of rocks behaving pretty much exactly like the observed clustering. Their calculations suggest under MOND theory, some of the objects in the outer Solar System should be dragged into alignment with the gravitational field of the Milky Way galaxy over time.

It's not enough to confidently assert that MOND is responsible for the strange behaviour of these distant rocks, rather than a planet.&nbsp;

"Regardless of the outcome," Brown says, "this work highlights the potential for the outer solar system to serve as a laboratory for testing gravity and studying fundamental problems of physics."

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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Planet Nine, a hypothetical ninth planet in the outer region of the Solar System, has almost become impossible to trace by scientists and astronomers. Planet Nine is said to be somewhere beyond the orbit of Pluto and lies in a very dark and cold place in the Solar System, which makes it hard to detect.

Planet Nine, a hypothetical ninth planet in the outer region of the Solar System, has almost become impossible to trace by scientists and astronomers. Planet Nine is said to be somewhere beyond the orbit of Pluto and lies in a very dark and cold place in the Solar System, which makes it hard to detect. In the past, scientists have given several reasons for this. One would be that no one has actually seen it yet and it’s only on the paper. Another is the real possibility that it is just not there. Or it might not be a single planet at all, but a swarm of rocks instead. But according to a recent research; it is more than all of that. Also Read | Hunting was not solely a man's arena in prehistoric times, women did it too, study suggests Mystery of Planet Nine New research conducted by physicists Katherine Brown of Hamilton College and Harsh Mathur of Case Western Reserve University deduced that there is something missing from our current model of gravity as described under the general relativity theory. According to their recent study, the subtle abnormalities in the orbits of various objects some attribute to a hidden planet are also consistent with a different kind of gravitational model – one called Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND). The flaws in Newton's law of universal gravitation were resolved by Einstein's theory of general relativity. MOND is an alternative solution that proposes other gravitational effects take over when Newtonian gravitational acceleration drops below a certain threshold. Also Read | Study finds 98 per cent population in world experienced effects of global warming Because MOND can describe the gravitational behaviour of galaxies that don't seem to be tied to normal matter – unexpected rotation curves and lensing effects – it's an attractive alternative to dark matter. But it hasn't really been studied on smaller scales. "MOND is really good at explaining galactic-scale observations," Mathur says. "I hadn't expected that it would have noticeable effects on the outer Solar System." Brown and Mathur thought that these clustering observations might not be compatible with MOND. They undertook an investigation, modelling the orbits of outer Solar System Kuiper Belt objects under MOND to observe how they behave. Also Read | NASA to take 'amusement park' approach to bring Mars samples back to Earth Surprisingly, what they ended up with was a bunch of rocks behaving pretty much exactly like the observed clustering. Their calculations suggest under MOND theory, some of the objects in the outer Solar System should be dragged into alignment with the gravitational field of the Milky Way galaxy over time. It's not enough to confidently assert that MOND is responsible for the strange behaviour of these distant rocks, rather than a planet. "Regardless of the outcome," Brown says, "this work highlights the potential for the outer solar system to serve as a laboratory for testing gravity and studying fundamental problems of physics." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Somewhere beyond Pluto might be a ninth planet. But now astronomers are not sure

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has achieved a remarkable feat, hurtling through the Solar System at an astonishing speed of 635,266 kilometres (394,736 miles) per hour.

This milestone was reached during the probe's 17th orbit around the Sun, as it collects crucial data about the Sun's charged particle winds and magnetic fields, according to Science Alert.

Notably, this speed surpasses its previous record of 586,863.4 kilometres&nbsp;(364,660 miles) per hour, achieved just three years ago.

<h2>Unprecedented velocity</h2>

To put this incredible velocity into perspective, it's equivalent to an aircraft circumnavigating the Earth approximately 15 times in one hour or travelling from New York to Los Angeles in just over 20 seconds.

In addition to its record-breaking speed, the Parker Solar Probe has achieved a record proximity to the Sun.

It ventured to a distance of just 7.26 million kilometres&nbsp;above the Sun's scorching plasma surface. To visualise this, imagine standing a safe distance away from a blazing campfire – near enough to feel the heat and smell the smoke but not so close that your nose hairs singe.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/humanitys-next-big-catastrophe-could-lie-in-the-sun-predict-scientists-644862">Humanity's next big 'catastrophe' could lie in the Sun, predict scientists</a>

Parker Solar Probe's incredible achievements are not solely the result of powerful propellants. Instead, they are the outcome of a meticulously timed cosmic mini-golf game. To reach its desired location near the Sun's corona, the probe had to navigate Earth's orbital velocity.

NASA employed a powerful rocket to align the probe's trajectory and set it on a course that would cancel out Earth's orbital speed.

Also watch |&nbsp;NASA set to launch spacecraft to a metal rich asteroid on October 12&nbsp;

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The probe's path was timed to coincide with the orbital position of Venus. This allowed the probe to use&nbsp;Venus's gravitational pull to slow down, facilitating its descent into the Solar System's inner regions.&nbsp;

As the Parker Solar Probe continues its mission, it is expected to complete a total of 24 orbits around the Sun. Ultimately, it will dive even closer, providing NASA with invaluable data to enhance our understanding of the Sun's behaviour.&nbsp;

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NASA's Parker Solar Probe has achieved a remarkable feat, hurtling through the Solar System at an astonishing speed of 635,266 kilometres (394,736 miles) per hour.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has achieved a remarkable feat, hurtling through the Solar System at an astonishing speed of 635,266 kilometres (394,736 miles) per hour. This milestone was reached during the probe's 17th orbit around the Sun, as it collects crucial data about the Sun's charged particle winds and magnetic fields, according to Science Alert. Notably, this speed surpasses its previous record of 586,863.4 kilometres (364,660 miles) per hour, achieved just three years ago. Unprecedented velocity To put this incredible velocity into perspective, it's equivalent to an aircraft circumnavigating the Earth approximately 15 times in one hour or travelling from New York to Los Angeles in just over 20 seconds. In addition to its record-breaking speed, the Parker Solar Probe has achieved a record proximity to the Sun. It ventured to a distance of just 7.26 million kilometres above the Sun's scorching plasma surface. To visualise this, imagine standing a safe distance away from a blazing campfire – near enough to feel the heat and smell the smoke but not so close that your nose hairs singe. Also read | Humanity's next big 'catastrophe' could lie in the Sun, predict scientists Parker Solar Probe's incredible achievements are not solely the result of powerful propellants. Instead, they are the outcome of a meticulously timed cosmic mini-golf game. To reach its desired location near the Sun's corona, the probe had to navigate Earth's orbital velocity. NASA employed a powerful rocket to align the probe's trajectory and set it on a course that would cancel out Earth's orbital speed. Also watch | NASA set to launch spacecraft to a metal rich asteroid on October 12 The probe's path was timed to coincide with the orbital position of Venus. This allowed the probe to use Venus's gravitational pull to slow down, facilitating its descent into the Solar System's inner regions. As the Parker Solar Probe continues its mission, it is expected to complete a total of 24 orbits around the Sun. Ultimately, it will dive even closer, providing NASA with invaluable data to enhance our understanding of the Sun's behaviour. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

NASA's Parker Solar Probe smashes speed record, ventures closest to Sun

NASA spacecraft is all set for an extraordinary mission, this will be the first four humankind mission. Scientists believe that this mission could provide some unanswered questions regarding our solar systems history.

NASA set to launch spacecraft to a metal rich asteroid on October 12 | Word News | WION

On Saturday (October 14), almost one billion people in America will witness one of the most interesting celestial events: An eclipse of the Sun. People in North and South America will be able to watch the new moon orbit&nbsp;between the Sun and Earth.&nbsp;

This is an annular eclipse, one in which a sunlight ring is viewed around the moon's image at the midpoint of the spectacle. In this eclipse, the Sun is never completely hidden, but the moon&nbsp;will be 4.5 days past apogee, the farthest from the Earth.&nbsp;The new moon on eclipse day will be 246,707 miles (397,037 km) away.

The eclipse will only be partially visible in the United States. It will gain over the North Pacific Ocean and will slide on a southeast trajectory arriving at the coast of Oregon at 9:15 am Pacific Daylight Time. This means that for the next 46 minutes, the annular phase will be visible from parts of nine states running from Oregon to Texas.&nbsp;

The duration of the annularity along the centre of the eclipse centre will increase from 4 minutes 34 seconds on the Pacific coast of Oregon to 5 minutes 2 seconds on the Texas Gulf Coast.&nbsp;

Cities that will witness this "ring of fire" effect include Eugene, Winnemucca, NV, Albuquerque, San Antonio and Corpus Christi. After it leaves Texas, the eclipse path will pass across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, then slide through Central America, then into south-central Colombia, through northern Brazil, before finally coming to an end over the open ocean water of the South Atlantic.&nbsp;

However, the sky will not get darker as in a deep partial eclipse. Yet, it promises to be a spectacular sight and enthusiasts will be reaching places from where they can best view the eclipse.

Why is this happening?

This celestial event will occur because the moon's motion is strongly perturbed by the attraction of the sun and in a lesser way by that of the planets and by the Earth.&nbsp;

Due to the tidal effects, the moon is slowly moving farther from the Earth, spiralling outward and ascending to a more distant orbit. As the moon moves progressively farther away, its apparent size diminishes until finally, it reaches a point where it will be too far for its dark umbral shadow cone to reach the Earth, thus precluding the occurrence of total solar eclipses.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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On Saturday (October 14), almost one billion people in America will witness one of the most interesting celestial events: An eclipse of the Sun. People in North and South America will be able to watch the new moon orbit between the Sun and Earth.

On Saturday (October 14), almost one billion people in America will witness one of the most interesting celestial events: An eclipse of the Sun. People in North and South America will be able to watch the new moon orbit between the Sun and Earth. This is an annular eclipse, one in which a sunlight ring is viewed around the moon's image at the midpoint of the spectacle. In this eclipse, the Sun is never completely hidden, but the moon will be 4.5 days past apogee, the farthest from the Earth. The new moon on eclipse day will be 246,707 miles (397,037 km) away. The eclipse will only be partially visible in the United States. It will gain over the North Pacific Ocean and will slide on a southeast trajectory arriving at the coast of Oregon at 9:15 am Pacific Daylight Time. This means that for the next 46 minutes, the annular phase will be visible from parts of nine states running from Oregon to Texas. The duration of the annularity along the centre of the eclipse centre will increase from 4 minutes 34 seconds on the Pacific coast of Oregon to 5 minutes 2 seconds on the Texas Gulf Coast. Cities that will witness this "ring of fire" effect include Eugene, Winnemucca, NV, Albuquerque, San Antonio and Corpus Christi. After it leaves Texas, the eclipse path will pass across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, then slide through Central America, then into south-central Colombia, through northern Brazil, before finally coming to an end over the open ocean water of the South Atlantic. However, the sky will not get darker as in a deep partial eclipse. Yet, it promises to be a spectacular sight and enthusiasts will be reaching places from where they can best view the eclipse. Why is this happening? This celestial event will occur because the moon's motion is strongly perturbed by the attraction of the sun and in a lesser way by that of the planets and by the Earth. Due to the tidal effects, the moon is slowly moving farther from the Earth, spiralling outward and ascending to a more distant orbit. As the moon moves progressively farther away, its apparent size diminishes until finally, it reaches a point where it will be too far for its dark umbral shadow cone to reach the Earth, thus precluding the occurrence of total solar eclipses. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Skygazers to witness the mesmerising 'ring of fire' on October 14 | Details

Out of the world is a passe. These days if you want to grab eyeballs, you have to talk about something like out-of-the solar-system or out of the galaxy because it's not always we come across things crossing such unimaginable distances and landing on Earth.

Time to talk about one such discovery.

Scientists think that some material they've scraped from bottom of the Pacific Ocean travelled billions of miles and came from out of solar system. The conclusions are already sparking curious debate in the scientific community.

The material has come from a meteor that was traced by US government satellites. The meteor disintegrated over the Pacific in 2014. The meteor, designated IM1 was thought to have carried material from out of the solar system.

Avi Loeb, the famous Harvard University astronomer, led an expedition to find remains of the meteor.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/there-were-once-only-1280-early-humans-left-to-breed-claim-chinese-scientists-631716">There were once only 1,280 early humans left to breed, claim Chinese scientists</a>

The team used powerful rare-earth magnets to sift hundreds of spherules (0.05 to 1.3 millimeters in diameter) in the sediment 2 kilometres below surface of the Pacific Ocean 85 kilometres north of Manus Island.

Preliminary evaluation of 57 mineral objects has revealed that at least a few of them don't reflect the chemistry that's expected in our Solar System. This has started a speculation that IM1 came from our of the Solar System crossing the vast interstellar space.

"This is a historic discovery, marking the first time that humans hold materials from a large interstellar object, and I am extremely pleased with these results from this rigorous scientific analysis," says American entrepreneur Charles Hoskinson as quoted by Harvard University. Hoskinson funded the expedition to find remains of the meteor.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/as-moon-probe-chandrayaan-3-falls-asleep-sun-probe-aditya-l1-is-awake-and-kicking-631923">As moon probe Chandrayaan-3 falls asleep, Sun probe Aditya-L1 is awake and kicking</a>

The conclusions from the study are yet to be properly evaluated. ScienceAlert has reported that the study has been published on pre-print server Arxiv and is yet to be peer review.

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Out of the world is a passe. These days if you want to grab eyeballs, you have to talk about something like out-of-the solar-system or out of the galaxy because it's not always we come across things crossing such unimaginable distances and landing on Earth.

Out of the world is a passe. These days if you want to grab eyeballs, you have to talk about something like out-of-the solar-system or out of the galaxy because it's not always we come across things crossing such unimaginable distances and landing on Earth. Time to talk about one such discovery. Scientists think that some material they've scraped from bottom of the Pacific Ocean travelled billions of miles and came from out of solar system. The conclusions are already sparking curious debate in the scientific community. The material has come from a meteor that was traced by US government satellites. The meteor disintegrated over the Pacific in 2014. The meteor, designated IM1 was thought to have carried material from out of the solar system. Avi Loeb, the famous Harvard University astronomer, led an expedition to find remains of the meteor. Also Read | There were once only 1,280 early humans left to breed, claim Chinese scientists The team used powerful rare-earth magnets to sift hundreds of spherules (0.05 to 1.3 millimeters in diameter) in the sediment 2 kilometres below surface of the Pacific Ocean 85 kilometres north of Manus Island. Preliminary evaluation of 57 mineral objects has revealed that at least a few of them don't reflect the chemistry that's expected in our Solar System. This has started a speculation that IM1 came from our of the Solar System crossing the vast interstellar space. "This is a historic discovery, marking the first time that humans hold materials from a large interstellar object, and I am extremely pleased with these results from this rigorous scientific analysis," says American entrepreneur Charles Hoskinson as quoted by Harvard University. Hoskinson funded the expedition to find remains of the meteor. Also Read | As moon probe Chandrayaan-3 falls asleep, Sun probe Aditya-L1 is awake and kicking The conclusions from the study are yet to be properly evaluated. ScienceAlert has reported that the study has been published on pre-print server Arxiv and is yet to be peer review. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Scientists find material in ocean that's out-of-this-solar-system

Jupiter isn't just another gas blob floating in space in our Solar System. It is the biggest planet that revolves around the sun. It is also the only planet in the Solar System which came close to being a star. Thankfully for us, it didn't.

But this is not the only good thing about Jupiter. The gas giant, along with Saturn, is believed by scientists to be actively protecting the inner planets in the Solar System.

More on this in a short while.

A celestial body has collided with Jupiter. It was a small celestial body compared to the gigantic size of Jupiter but it is likely to be proportionally bigger when compared with Earth.

Space.com has reported that the collision took place at 1:45 am&nbsp;Japan Standard Time on Aug. 29.

An account associated with the Organised Autotelescopes for Serendipitous Event Survey (OASES) project and the Planetary Observation Camera for Optical Transient Surveys (PONCOTS) system posted about the collision on X (formerly Twitter).&nbsp;

The collision caused a tiny flash in Jupiter's atmosphere.

An account named 'MASA Planetary Log' later posted footage on X that showed a brief burst of light associated with the collision.

Another independent observation was made by am amateur astronomer in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou in Henan province.&nbsp;

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きのうのTLで知った木星の閃光、撮影したデータを確認してみたら写っていました。 
…声が出ました(^^; 
日本時間2023年8月29日1:45、世界時28日16:45です。<a href="https://t.co/UYhnvAmA63">https://t.co/UYhnvAmA63</a><a href="https://t.co/Y7nCHtJq4k">https://t.co/Y7nCHtJq4k</a> <a href="https://t.co/g0FerdyoVg">pic.twitter.com/g0FerdyoVg</a>
— MASA Planetary Log (@MASA_06R) <a href="https://twitter.com/MASA_06R/status/1696613936534360293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The OASES account on X posted a high-res image of Jupiter at the time of the collision.

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8月29日1時45分(日本時間)に木星表面で発生した閃光について、多くの皆様から観測報告をいただきました。ご協力感謝いたします。 
現時点までにアマチュア観測家の皆様からご提供いただいた動画データを使用して、閃光が発生した瞬間の木星の高解像度画像を作成しました。 <a href="https://t.co/yHIp6VMUas">pic.twitter.com/yHIp6VMUas</a>
— 京都大学OASES/PONCOTSプロジェクト (@OASES_miyako) <a href="https://twitter.com/OASES_miyako/status/1697120198204195152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2023</a></blockquote>
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This brings us back to the discussion on how Jupiter protects the inner solar system and may even be responsible for flourishing life on Earth.

The huge gravity of Jupiter attracts asteroids and comets that are hurtling towards the inner Solar System, perhaps on a collision course with some planet (even Earth!). These space rocks may be huge by our perception but when compared to Jupiter, they are pretty tiny. So the gas giant gobbles them up like its nobody's business and continues on its path around the Sun as if nothing major has happened, and plays our protector in a way.

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&nbsp;

Jupiter isn't just another gas blob floating in space in our Solar System. It is the biggest planet that revolves around the sun. It is also the only planet in the Solar System which came close to being a star.

Jupiter isn't just another gas blob floating in space in our Solar System. It is the biggest planet that revolves around the sun. It is also the only planet in the Solar System which came close to being a star. Thankfully for us, it didn't. But this is not the only good thing about Jupiter. The gas giant, along with Saturn, is believed by scientists to be actively protecting the inner planets in the Solar System. More on this in a short while. A celestial body has collided with Jupiter. It was a small celestial body compared to the gigantic size of Jupiter but it is likely to be proportionally bigger when compared with Earth. Space.com has reported that the collision took place at 1:45 am Japan Standard Time on Aug. 29. An account associated with the Organised Autotelescopes for Serendipitous Event Survey (OASES) project and the Planetary Observation Camera for Optical Transient Surveys (PONCOTS) system posted about the collision on X (formerly Twitter). The collision caused a tiny flash in Jupiter's atmosphere. An account named 'MASA Planetary Log' later posted footage on X that showed a brief burst of light associated with the collision. Another independent observation was made by am amateur astronomer in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou in Henan province. きのうのTLで知った木星の閃光、撮影したデータを確認してみたら写っていました。 …声が出ました(^^; 日本時間2023年8月29日1:45、世界時28日16:45です。https://t.co/UYhnvAmA63https://t.co/Y7nCHtJq4k pic.twitter.com/g0FerdyoVg — MASA Planetary Log (@MASA_06R) August 29, 2023 × The OASES account on X posted a high-res image of Jupiter at the time of the collision. 8月29日1時45分(日本時間)に木星表面で発生した閃光について、多くの皆様から観測報告をいただきました。ご協力感謝いたします。 現時点までにアマチュア観測家の皆様からご提供いただいた動画データを使用して、閃光が発生した瞬間の木星の高解像度画像を作成しました。 pic.twitter.com/yHIp6VMUas — 京都大学OASES/PONCOTSプロジェクト (@OASES_miyako) August 31, 2023 × This brings us back to the discussion on how Jupiter protects the inner solar system and may even be responsible for flourishing life on Earth. The huge gravity of Jupiter attracts asteroids and comets that are hurtling towards the inner Solar System, perhaps on a collision course with some planet (even Earth!). These space rocks may be huge by our perception but when compared to Jupiter, they are pretty tiny. So the gas giant gobbles them up like its nobody's business and continues on its path around the Sun as if nothing major has happened, and plays our protector in a way. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

A cosmic body bigger than the Earth just collided with Jupiter. Here's what happened

NASA scientist Dr Michelle Thaller proposed an interesting theory that hints at the existence of aliens on Venus, a planet that faces&nbsp;scorching 475°C (900°F) temperatures and remains enveloped in a thick acidic atmosphere. 
 
However, as per claims by Dr&nbsp;Thaller, the aliens are most likely hiding&nbsp;on Venus and are staying there amid conditions that are unbearable for humans. 
 
The new theory was proposed by Dr. Michelle Thaller, who works as a research scientist at the US-based Goddard Space Flight Centre. 
 
She stated that “possible signs of life” were already noticed within the carbon-dioxide-filled atmosphere, and added that she is certain about the existence of life somewhere.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japanese-astronomers-expect-response-from-aliens-during-countrys-star-festival-627649">Do aliens exist? Response to a message sent 40 years back holds the answer</a>

“We see possible signs of life in the atmosphere of Venus,” said Dr. Thaller, in an interview with The Sun. “I never expected Venus. Venus is now one where we see something in the atmosphere that looks very much like it could be produced by bacteria,” he added.

<h2>Humans cannot survive on Venus</h2>

Venus has been often called 'Earth's twin' because of its similar structure and size. However, their conditions cannot be further apart, as astronomers say it is impossible for human beings to survive on Venus. 
 
Professor Dominic Papineau, who works as an astrobiologist at the University College of London, feels that the views of Dr. Thaller are 'difficult to realistically hypothesise'. 
 
“For life-related chemical reactions to take place, liquid water is necessary. Hence, to find extraterrestrial life, we need to find liquid water, and to find extraterrestrial fossils requires looking for sedimentary rocks that were associated with liquid water in the past,” said the professor, while speaking to MailOnline.

WATCH |&nbsp;UFOs and aliens: What's the truth?

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“This makes life on Venus today difficult to realistically hypothesise, because its surface is too hot, although Venus might have had liquid water in its past. A problem with a possible fossil record on Venus however is the widespread volcanism that appears to have covered most of the surface in the last few hundreds of millions of years,” Professor Papineau said. 
 
However, both Professor Papineau and Dr Thaller agreed that the solar system's icy moons can also be sites of potential microbial life. NASA suggested that our solar system has 290 'traditional Moons', which excludes 462 smaller asteroids and minor planets. 
 
“More likely we could find extraterrestrial life and/or fossils on Mars and in the icy moons of the outer solar system,” said Professor Papineau. 
 
“This is because liquid water exists on those planetary bodies, including within ice at the Martian south pole. Mars and icy moons also have a geological record that might preserve fossils,” he added.

You can&nbsp;now write for&nbsp;wionews.com&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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NASA scientist Dr Michelle Thaller proposed an interesting theory that hints at the existence of aliens on Venus, a planet that faces scorching 475°C (900°F) temperatures and remains enveloped in a thick acidic atmosphere.

NASA scientist Dr Michelle Thaller proposed an interesting theory that hints at the existence of aliens on Venus, a planet that faces scorching 475°C (900°F) temperatures and remains enveloped in a thick acidic atmosphere. However, as per claims by Dr Thaller, the aliens are most likely hiding on Venus and are staying there amid conditions that are unbearable for humans. The new theory was proposed by Dr. Michelle Thaller, who works as a research scientist at the US-based Goddard Space Flight Centre. She stated that “possible signs of life” were already noticed within the carbon-dioxide-filled atmosphere, and added that she is certain about the existence of life somewhere. ALSO READ | Do aliens exist? Response to a message sent 40 years back holds the answer “We see possible signs of life in the atmosphere of Venus,” said Dr. Thaller, in an interview with The Sun. “I never expected Venus. Venus is now one where we see something in the atmosphere that looks very much like it could be produced by bacteria,” he added. Humans cannot survive on Venus Venus has been often called 'Earth's twin' because of its similar structure and size. However, their conditions cannot be further apart, as astronomers say it is impossible for human beings to survive on Venus. Professor Dominic Papineau, who works as an astrobiologist at the University College of London, feels that the views of Dr. Thaller are 'difficult to realistically hypothesise'. “For life-related chemical reactions to take place, liquid water is necessary. Hence, to find extraterrestrial life, we need to find liquid water, and to find extraterrestrial fossils requires looking for sedimentary rocks that were associated with liquid water in the past,” said the professor, while speaking to MailOnline. WATCH | UFOs and aliens: What's the truth? “This makes life on Venus today difficult to realistically hypothesise, because its surface is too hot, although Venus might have had liquid water in its past. A problem with a possible fossil record on Venus however is the widespread volcanism that appears to have covered most of the surface in the last few hundreds of millions of years,” Professor Papineau said. However, both Professor Papineau and Dr Thaller agreed that the solar system's icy moons can also be sites of potential microbial life. NASA suggested that our solar system has 290 'traditional Moons', which excludes 462 smaller asteroids and minor planets. “More likely we could find extraterrestrial life and/or fossils on Mars and in the icy moons of the outer solar system,” said Professor Papineau. “This is because liquid water exists on those planetary bodies, including within ice at the Martian south pole. Mars and icy moons also have a geological record that might preserve fossils,” he added. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Alien life in our solar system? NASA scientist says this planet most likely houses extraterrestrials

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