Earth has seen many 'Mass Extinctions'. These are events during which the majority of life forms suddenly perished. One such event was the impact of an asteroid that eliminated Dinosaurs and many many other plants and animals. Reasons behind most of these mass extinction events (except for the asteroid of course) were thought have been something that happened on Earth (Extremely huge volcanic eruptions etc).&nbsp;

But now, a team of researchers led by an Astrophysicist has put forward a theory that says that explosion of star was the reason why mass extinction took place 359 million years ago.

The study has been led by Astrophysicist Brian Fields from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The team says that a dying star, exploding far across the galaxy was the reason why mass extinction took place on Earth in the late Devonian period (359 million years ago).

The researchers say that the radiation from this supernova (explosion of a star) was responsible for depletion of the Ozone layer on Earth. As a result, harmful radiation was able to reach life on Earth, thus causing mass extinction.

This is yet a hypothesis that has been published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America)

Earth has seen many 'Mass Extinctions'. These are events during which the majority of life forms suddenly perished. One such event was the impact of an asteroid that eliminated Dinosaurs and many many other plants and animals.

Earth has seen many 'Mass Extinctions'. These are events during which the majority of life forms suddenly perished. One such event was the impact of an asteroid that eliminated Dinosaurs and many many other plants and animals. Reasons behind most of these mass extinction events (except for the asteroid of course) were thought have been something that happened on Earth (Extremely huge volcanic eruptions etc). But now, a team of researchers led by an Astrophysicist has put forward a theory that says that explosion of star was the reason why mass extinction took place 359 million years ago. The study has been led by Astrophysicist Brian Fields from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The team says that a dying star, exploding far across the galaxy was the reason why mass extinction took place on Earth in the late Devonian period (359 million years ago). The researchers say that the radiation from this supernova (explosion of a star) was responsible for depletion of the Ozone layer on Earth. As a result, harmful radiation was able to reach life on Earth, thus causing mass extinction. This is yet a hypothesis that has been published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America)

An exploding star may have killed life on Earth millions of years ago

The Russian government approved extending an agreement on cooperation in space with the United States until December 2030, news agencies cited the cabinet’s press service as saying on Saturday.

Moscow’s ties with Washington are at a post-Cold War low, with US President Joe Biden saying he believes his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is a killer, who deserves to be hit with sanctions for meddling in US politics, charges the Kremlin denies.

"The agreement ...on cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes will be in place until December 31, 2030," the cabinet said in a statement carried by agencies.&nbsp;

The US Commerce Department last month said it was tightening sanctions on some exports to Russia, but was partially excluding certain items, such as those related to aviation and space.

Meanwhile, Russia and China unveiled plans earlier for a joint lunar space station, as Moscow seeks to recapture the glory of its space pioneering days of Soviet times, and Beijing gears up its own extraterrestrial ambitions.

Though Moscow was once at the forefront of space travel -- it sent the first man into space -- its cosmic ambitions have dimmed thanks to poor financing and endemic corruption.&nbsp;

It has been eclipsed by China and the United States, which have both clocked major wins in space exploration and research in recent years.&nbsp;

The Russian space agency Roscomos said in a statement that it had signed an agreement with China's National Space Administration (CNSA) to develop a ‘complex of experimental research facilities created on the surface and/or in the orbit of the Moon’.

The CNSA, for its part, said that the project was ‘open to all interested countries and international partners’ in what experts said would be China's biggest international space cooperation project to date.

Moscow is seeking to re-take the lead in the space race.&nbsp;

This year, it celebrates the 60th anniversary of Russia's first-ever manned space flight -- it sent Yuri Gagarin into space in April 1961, followed by the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, two years later.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The Russian government approved extending an agreement on cooperation in space with the United States until December 2030, news agencies cited the cabinet’s press service as saying on Saturday.

The Russian government approved extending an agreement on cooperation in space with the United States until December 2030, news agencies cited the cabinet’s press service as saying on Saturday. Moscow’s ties with Washington are at a post-Cold War low, with US President Joe Biden saying he believes his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is a killer, who deserves to be hit with sanctions for meddling in US politics, charges the Kremlin denies. "The agreement ...on cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes will be in place until December 31, 2030," the cabinet said in a statement carried by agencies. The US Commerce Department last month said it was tightening sanctions on some exports to Russia, but was partially excluding certain items, such as those related to aviation and space. Meanwhile, Russia and China unveiled plans earlier for a joint lunar space station, as Moscow seeks to recapture the glory of its space pioneering days of Soviet times, and Beijing gears up its own extraterrestrial ambitions. Though Moscow was once at the forefront of space travel -- it sent the first man into space -- its cosmic ambitions have dimmed thanks to poor financing and endemic corruption. It has been eclipsed by China and the United States, which have both clocked major wins in space exploration and research in recent years. The Russian space agency Roscomos said in a statement that it had signed an agreement with China's National Space Administration (CNSA) to develop a ‘complex of experimental research facilities created on the surface and/or in the orbit of the Moon’. The CNSA, for its part, said that the project was ‘open to all interested countries and international partners’ in what experts said would be China's biggest international space cooperation project to date. Moscow is seeking to re-take the lead in the space race. This year, it celebrates the 60th anniversary of Russia's first-ever manned space flight -- it sent Yuri Gagarin into space in April 1961, followed by the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova, two years later. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia backs extending space cooperation deal with US to 2030: Report

Scientists have analysed how the human heart adapts in space in a recent study.

In this study, scientists&nbsp;compared the cardiac effect of extreme duration swimming and space light to determine whether low density, long-duration exercise counteracts the effects of repeated weightlessness.

For research, scientists compared Benoit Lecomte who swam 2821 kilometres over 159 days and Scott Kelly who spent 340 days in space.

What do extreme-duration swimming and extreme duration spaceflight have in common and how are they different? Both are associated with the removal of gravitational loading of the musculoskeletal system and the absence of weight-bearing activities.

Water immersion and supine bed rest ground-based models for spaceflight, initially increase central blood volume as a result of reversed hydrostatic gradients but over time lead to diuresis partially through avail natriuretic peptide stimulation and antidiuretic hormone inhibition.

During spaceflight, the loss of a gravitational gradient results in&nbsp;a similar short-term rise in preload followed by a compensatory decrease in blood volume and a long-term reduction in the period. Without countermeasures, extended spaceflight results in cardiac atrophy and orthostatic intolerance.

Scientists have analysed how the human heart adapts in space in a recent study. In this study, scientists compared the cardiac effect of extreme duration swimming and space light to determine whether low density, long-duration exercise counteracts the effects of repeated weightlessness.

Scientists have analysed how the human heart adapts in space in a recent study. In this study, scientists compared the cardiac effect of extreme duration swimming and space light to determine whether low density, long-duration exercise counteracts the effects of repeated weightlessness. For research, scientists compared Benoit Lecomte who swam 2821 kilometres over 159 days and Scott Kelly who spent 340 days in space. What do extreme-duration swimming and extreme duration spaceflight have in common and how are they different? Both are associated with the removal of gravitational loading of the musculoskeletal system and the absence of weight-bearing activities. Water immersion and supine bed rest ground-based models for spaceflight, initially increase central blood volume as a result of reversed hydrostatic gradients but over time lead to diuresis partially through avail natriuretic peptide stimulation and antidiuretic hormone inhibition. During spaceflight, the loss of a gravitational gradient results in a similar short-term rise in preload followed by a compensatory decrease in blood volume and a long-term reduction in the period. Without countermeasures, extended spaceflight results in cardiac atrophy and orthostatic intolerance.

Researchers reveal how human heart adapts to space

Dark matter is something that has best scientific minds in the world a bit confused. After all, Dark Matter is extremely hard to spot. However, it is considered that most of the matter in the universe is Dark Matter.&nbsp;

Dark Matter can only be detected through the effect it has on celestial bodies. Now Physicists think that dark matter may be warming core of the planets.

Rebecca Leane, a theoretical particle physicist at MIT, and Juri Smirnov, an astroparticle physicist at the Ohio State University (OSU) think that Dark Matter particles are absorbed by planets and due to their gravity, reach the core where they have a warming effect. The researchers have published their study in Physical Review Letters.

They propose use of such exoplanets as 'Dark Matter detectors'. The Physicists say that if we see core of a planet for example, having 14 times the mass of Jupiter, heating up from 200 K to 500 K, we can assume it to be because of Dark Matter.

Not just any planet would do for this exercise, however. The planet must have cooled off after its birth as fiery mass. This means that it should be several billion years old. In addition, the planet must be sufficiently far from heat of the star around which it revolves.

It is considered that centre of a galaxy contains more Dark Matter. The researchers say if we detect a planet getting warmer as it comes closer to the centre. We can treat it as a 'smoking gun' for the effect of Dark Matter.

Dark matter is something that has best scientific minds in the world a bit confused. After all, Dark Matter is extremely hard to spot. However, it is considered that most of the matter in the universe is Dark Matter.

Dark matter is something that has best scientific minds in the world a bit confused. After all, Dark Matter is extremely hard to spot. However, it is considered that most of the matter in the universe is Dark Matter. Dark Matter can only be detected through the effect it has on celestial bodies. Now Physicists think that dark matter may be warming core of the planets. Rebecca Leane, a theoretical particle physicist at MIT, and Juri Smirnov, an astroparticle physicist at the Ohio State University (OSU) think that Dark Matter particles are absorbed by planets and due to their gravity, reach the core where they have a warming effect. The researchers have published their study in Physical Review Letters. They propose use of such exoplanets as 'Dark Matter detectors'. The Physicists say that if we see core of a planet for example, having 14 times the mass of Jupiter, heating up from 200 K to 500 K, we can assume it to be because of Dark Matter. Not just any planet would do for this exercise, however. The planet must have cooled off after its birth as fiery mass. This means that it should be several billion years old. In addition, the planet must be sufficiently far from heat of the star around which it revolves. It is considered that centre of a galaxy contains more Dark Matter. The researchers say if we detect a planet getting warmer as it comes closer to the centre. We can treat it as a 'smoking gun' for the effect of Dark Matter.

Dark matter in space may be heating up core of planets

A team of researchers in Bordeaux are analysing a dozen of bottles of French wine which have returned to Earth after spending a year at the International Space Station.

In a bid to make plants on Earth more resilient to climate change and diseases by exposing them to new stresses, the mission was set up to better understand the aging process, fermentation, and bubbles in the wine.

After their return to the Earth, the wine bottles were sampled by 12 connoisseurs. The experts tasted the 5,000 euro (£4,312) bottle of Chateau Petrus Pomerol blindfolded, along with another bottle from the same vintage, procured from a cellar.

"I have tears in my eyes," said Nicolas Gaume, CEO and co-founder of the company that had organised the experiment.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-does-fine-wine-still-taste-fine-after-a-space-voyage-373201">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-does-fine-wine-still-taste-fine-after-a-space-voyage-373201/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

This tasting took place at the Institute for Wine and Vine Research in Bordeaux.

"When you expose wine, when you expose cells, plants to an environment without gravity... we create tremendous stress on any living species," he said.

One of the experts present at the tasting said the wine poured from the bottle in the cellar tasted a tad younger than the one which had traveled to space.

The experts of chemical and biological analysis of the wine's aging process might be able to find a way to artificially age fine vintages, as per the experts.

In this experiment, hundreds of snippets of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines survived the space journey and also grew faster than the vines on the Earth.

However, the researchers have not been able to figure out the reason behind this development yet.

Experts also noted that grapes are very healthy for astronauts. "For me, the difference between the space and the earth wine... it wasn't easy to define," said Franck Dubourdieu, a Bordeaux-based agronomist and oenologist, an expert in the study of wine and wine-making.

A team of researchers in Bordeaux are analysing a dozen of bottles of French wine which have returned to Earth after spending a year at the International Space Station.

A team of researchers in Bordeaux are analysing a dozen of bottles of French wine which have returned to Earth after spending a year at the International Space Station. In a bid to make plants on Earth more resilient to climate change and diseases by exposing them to new stresses, the mission was set up to better understand the aging process, fermentation, and bubbles in the wine. After their return to the Earth, the wine bottles were sampled by 12 connoisseurs. The experts tasted the 5,000 euro (£4,312) bottle of Chateau Petrus Pomerol blindfolded, along with another bottle from the same vintage, procured from a cellar. "I have tears in my eyes," said Nicolas Gaume, CEO and co-founder of the company that had organised the experiment. Watch | This tasting took place at the Institute for Wine and Vine Research in Bordeaux. "When you expose wine, when you expose cells, plants to an environment without gravity... we create tremendous stress on any living species," he said. One of the experts present at the tasting said the wine poured from the bottle in the cellar tasted a tad younger than the one which had traveled to space. The experts of chemical and biological analysis of the wine's aging process might be able to find a way to artificially age fine vintages, as per the experts. In this experiment, hundreds of snippets of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines survived the space journey and also grew faster than the vines on the Earth. However, the researchers have not been able to figure out the reason behind this development yet. Experts also noted that grapes are very healthy for astronauts. "For me, the difference between the space and the earth wine... it wasn't easy to define," said Franck Dubourdieu, a Bordeaux-based agronomist and oenologist, an expert in the study of wine and wine-making.

Connoisseurs taste £4,000 bottle of wine that traveled to space

The field of Astronomy has made progress&nbsp;by leaps and bounds. We not only peer deep into space but also theorise to find answers to questions such as how the universe came to be and what lies in future.

With the tremendous knowledge and technology we have today, it is hard to believe that there are things that are still unknown to us.

We think we know it all, but the universe always has something up its sleeve to surprise us every time.

A new analysis of Gaia satellite data has revealed that the closest star cluster to our Solar System is being torn apart due to some reason. Scientists believe that gravitational pull from something massive is causing this.

We do not know what this is.

Scientists think that dark matter is causing the star cluster to fall apart.

What is dark matter?

'Normal' matter is the one we can see, feel and so on. But dark matter is a tricky thing as is not possible to see or feel it. This becomes its detection very hard.

Scientists and researchers can only predict presence of dark matter by looking for effects of its gravitational pull on nearby 'visible' matter.

It has been said that dark matter makes up 80 per cent of all matter in the universe. Dark matter is considered to be important for the formation of galaxies.

It is possible, as per the scientists that dark matter may be the reason why the closest star structure to our solar system is being torn apart.

The field of Astronomy has made progress by leaps and bounds. We not only peer deep into space but also theorise to find answers to questions such as how the universe came to be and what lies in future.

The field of Astronomy has made progress by leaps and bounds. We not only peer deep into space but also theorise to find answers to questions such as how the universe came to be and what lies in future. With the tremendous knowledge and technology we have today, it is hard to believe that there are things that are still unknown to us. We think we know it all, but the universe always has something up its sleeve to surprise us every time. A new analysis of Gaia satellite data has revealed that the closest star cluster to our Solar System is being torn apart due to some reason. Scientists believe that gravitational pull from something massive is causing this. We do not know what this is. Scientists think that dark matter is causing the star cluster to fall apart. What is dark matter? 'Normal' matter is the one we can see, feel and so on. But dark matter is a tricky thing as is not possible to see or feel it. This becomes its detection very hard. Scientists and researchers can only predict presence of dark matter by looking for effects of its gravitational pull on nearby 'visible' matter. It has been said that dark matter makes up 80 per cent of all matter in the universe. Dark matter is considered to be important for the formation of galaxies. It is possible, as per the scientists that dark matter may be the reason why the closest star structure to our solar system is being torn apart.

Something is tearing apart star cluster closest to Solar System

Russian Soyuz rocket blasts off with 38 satellites

Interstellar travel has always caught the imagination of humankind. Though our scientific knowledge and imagination have long conceptualised interstellar space travel, actual travel is a massive undertaking. Till date, only two spacecraft&nbsp;(Voyager 1 and 2) have crossed the solar system boundary. More spacecraft&nbsp;will surely follow in future.

The main issue in interstellar travel is that a person aboard the spacecraft sees a different starscape than that from Earth. The astronaut will see position and movement of stars differently than on Earth.&nbsp;

Why does this matter?

This may throw up problems while navigating the spacecraft. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are controlled from Earth. But for a man in space, it may get difficult to navigate accurately. This has potential of creating huge problem as the spacecraft may get lost in space.

Coryn A.L. Bailer-Jones, an astronomer working at Max Plack Institute in Germany, has come up with a navigation system. This may enable navigation of the spacecraft from space rather than from Earth.

He has presented his idea in a paper that has been published in Arxiv. The paper is awaiting peer review.

Bailer-Jones has proposed that by measuring the angular distance between pairs of stars and comparing it with star charts that we already have, the spacecraft will be able to determine its co-ordinates in space.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astrophotographer-creates-a-remarkable-mosaic-of-the-milky-way-galaxy-372060">Astrophotographer creates a remarkable mosaic of the Milky Way galaxy</a>

In effect, the astronaut aboard the spacecraft will be able to determine where the spacecraft exactly is. And he/she will be able to do so without any help from Earth.

Interstellar space travel may really become independent of Earth's control after all!

Interstellar travel has always caught the imagination of humankind. Though our scientific knowledge and imagination have long conceptualised interstellar space travel, actual travel is a massive undertaking.

Interstellar travel has always caught the imagination of humankind. Though our scientific knowledge and imagination have long conceptualised interstellar space travel, actual travel is a massive undertaking. Till date, only two spacecraft (Voyager 1 and 2) have crossed the solar system boundary. More spacecraft will surely follow in future. The main issue in interstellar travel is that a person aboard the spacecraft sees a different starscape than that from Earth. The astronaut will see position and movement of stars differently than on Earth. Why does this matter? This may throw up problems while navigating the spacecraft. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are controlled from Earth. But for a man in space, it may get difficult to navigate accurately. This has potential of creating huge problem as the spacecraft may get lost in space. Coryn A.L. Bailer-Jones, an astronomer working at Max Plack Institute in Germany, has come up with a navigation system. This may enable navigation of the spacecraft from space rather than from Earth. He has presented his idea in a paper that has been published in Arxiv. The paper is awaiting peer review. Bailer-Jones has proposed that by measuring the angular distance between pairs of stars and comparing it with star charts that we already have, the spacecraft will be able to determine its co-ordinates in space. Also Read | Astrophotographer creates a remarkable mosaic of the Milky Way galaxy In effect, the astronaut aboard the spacecraft will be able to determine where the spacecraft exactly is. And he/she will be able to do so without any help from Earth. Interstellar space travel may really become independent of Earth's control after all!

Astronomer makes navigation system for interstellar space travel

Asteroids vary in sizes, some are negligible, others pack enough punch to wipe out life on Earth (remember dinosaurs?) The asteroid that will pass by Earth isn't as big as the one that killed dinosaurs but it is biggest space body to pass by Earth this year. What's more, the asteroid has been termed 'potentially hazardous asteroid'.

So this asteroid is called 2001 FO32 and it will pass by Earth at a distance of about two million kilometres from it. This distance may seem too much but in astronomical terms, it is not that much. One thing is certain about space is that though we know a good deal, there is always a lot we will still need to learn.

This asteroid is about 900 metres across. Again, this may make the asteroid a minion in our minds but this one packs a punch.

It is travelling through space at a mid boggling speed of 124,000 kilometres per hour.

Imagine the momentum this space rock must possess. A direct hit from this asteroid will certainly be stuff of nightmares.

The asteroid is set to fly by the Earth at 1600 GMT

Asteroids vary in sizes, some are negligible, others pack enough punch to wipe out life on Earth (remember dinosaurs?) The asteroid that will pass by Earth isn't as big as the one that killed dinosaurs but it is biggest space body to pass by Earth this year.

Asteroids vary in sizes, some are negligible, others pack enough punch to wipe out life on Earth (remember dinosaurs?) The asteroid that will pass by Earth isn't as big as the one that killed dinosaurs but it is biggest space body to pass by Earth this year. What's more, the asteroid has been termed 'potentially hazardous asteroid'. So this asteroid is called 2001 FO32 and it will pass by Earth at a distance of about two million kilometres from it. This distance may seem too much but in astronomical terms, it is not that much. One thing is certain about space is that though we know a good deal, there is always a lot we will still need to learn. This asteroid is about 900 metres across. Again, this may make the asteroid a minion in our minds but this one packs a punch. It is travelling through space at a mid boggling speed of 124,000 kilometres per hour. Imagine the momentum this space rock must possess. A direct hit from this asteroid will certainly be stuff of nightmares. The asteroid is set to fly by the Earth at 1600 GMT

Biggest asteroid of 2021 to pass by Earth tonight 

For those who remember, a comet striking&nbsp;Jupiter in the year 1994 was a huge headline. This was a never before seen event witnessed by mankind in our immediate neighbourhood in solar system. The comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 took a death plunge as it struck Jupiter, but not before putting up stellar fireworks.

<img alt="Shoemaker Levy-9" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0f19506b-4bcf-4d3d-b6a1-1d8ff72edee8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9644EK.jpg" />

Even after more than two decades later, this space event is helping us reveal more secret of the cosmos. The collision made some changes in Jupiter's atmosphere using which researchers are finding new things about the planet.

The collision caused new molecules in Jupiter's atmosphere, those of Hydrogen Cyanide. These have been travelling through Jupiter's atmosphere. By tracking their movement, researchers have now been able to find that Jupiter's Stratosphere or the middle atmosphere have winds that travel at astonishing speeds of 1450 km per hour.

These scientists are associated with European Southern Observatory's facility in Chile. There findings were published in journal Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics.

The finding may appear run of the mill. But here's the best part.

It was previously not possible previously to track winds in Jupiter's middle atmosphere. This was even when scientists had been able to track winds in Jupiter's lower and upper atmosphere.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-posts-beautiful-photo-of-fifth-brightest-galaxy-in-the-sky-371947">NASA posts beautiful photo of fifth brightest galaxy in the sky</a>

But the spectacular space event that took place in 1994 paved way for us to gain new knowledge even after all these years.

Isn't this beautiful?

For those who remember, a comet striking Jupiter in the year 1994 was a huge headline. This was a never before seen event witnessed by mankind in our immediate neighbourhood in solar system.

For those who remember, a comet striking Jupiter in the year 1994 was a huge headline. This was a never before seen event witnessed by mankind in our immediate neighbourhood in solar system. The comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 took a death plunge as it struck Jupiter, but not before putting up stellar fireworks. Even after more than two decades later, this space event is helping us reveal more secret of the cosmos. The collision made some changes in Jupiter's atmosphere using which researchers are finding new things about the planet. The collision caused new molecules in Jupiter's atmosphere, those of Hydrogen Cyanide. These have been travelling through Jupiter's atmosphere. By tracking their movement, researchers have now been able to find that Jupiter's Stratosphere or the middle atmosphere have winds that travel at astonishing speeds of 1450 km per hour. These scientists are associated with European Southern Observatory's facility in Chile. There findings were published in journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. The finding may appear run of the mill. But here's the best part. It was previously not possible previously to track winds in Jupiter's middle atmosphere. This was even when scientists had been able to track winds in Jupiter's lower and upper atmosphere. Also Read | NASA posts beautiful photo of fifth brightest galaxy in the sky But the spectacular space event that took place in 1994 paved way for us to gain new knowledge even after all these years. Isn't this beautiful?

A comet struck Jupiter in 1994, now it is revealing the planet's secrets

March 18 in history: From Aleksei Leonov in space to Germany's first democratic elections

A space object which has eluded scientists since it passed through Earth in 2017 is now back in the limelight for its disputed origins. Called “Oumuamua”, the object has been pitched as a lot of things - an alien spaceship, an exploit from a different galaxy, or just a mere rock.

Its name translates into “messenger” from Hawaiian, and there is strong evidence to suggest that the object came from outside our planetary system. When it was first spotted, many researchers including Harvard University’s Avi Loeb posited that the object was an alien spaceship.

Many others suggested that it was an asteroid or a comet.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/aliens-in-our-galaxy-may-have-perished-due-to-too-much-progress-study-suggests-351849" hreflang="en">Aliens in our galaxy may have perished due to too much progress, study suggests</a>

New findings published in the American Geophysical Union journal now suggest a new theory - that the object is a piece of another planet, that too from a different solar system.

Steven Desch, an astrophysicist at Arizona State University, in a press release said that they have “resolved the mystery” of Oumuamua, calling it a chunk of an “exo-Pluto” - essentially a Pluto-like planet in a different solar system.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/scientists-recently-scanned-10-million-stars-for-alien-technology-what-did-they-find-326020" hreflang="en">Scientists recently scanned 10 million stars for alien technology, what did they find?</a>

The researchers believe that about half a billion years ago, Oumuamua's parent planet was hit by an object, which sent it hurling towards our solar system. They added that this piece of the planet must have entered our solar system in 1995, which we likely missed. Over time, it lost 95 per cent of its mass and became its current size.

The existence of Oumuamua was confirmed in 2017, but it was already spacing away from Earth at really high speeds. Owing to this, scientists only had a little to study the object. Now, Oumuamua is too far away and too dim to be observed for further study.

A space object which has eluded scientists since it passed through Earth in 2017 is now back in the limelight for its disputed origins. Called “Oumuamua”, the object has been pitched as a lot of things - an alien spaceship, an exploit from a different galaxy, or just a mere rock.

A space object which has eluded scientists since it passed through Earth in 2017 is now back in the limelight for its disputed origins. Called “Oumuamua”, the object has been pitched as a lot of things - an alien spaceship, an exploit from a different galaxy, or just a mere rock. Its name translates into “messenger” from Hawaiian, and there is strong evidence to suggest that the object came from outside our planetary system. When it was first spotted, many researchers including Harvard University’s Avi Loeb posited that the object was an alien spaceship. Many others suggested that it was an asteroid or a comet. Also read: Aliens in our galaxy may have perished due to too much progress, study suggests New findings published in the American Geophysical Union journal now suggest a new theory - that the object is a piece of another planet, that too from a different solar system. Steven Desch, an astrophysicist at Arizona State University, in a press release said that they have “resolved the mystery” of Oumuamua, calling it a chunk of an “exo-Pluto” - essentially a Pluto-like planet in a different solar system. Also read: Scientists recently scanned 10 million stars for alien technology, what did they find? The researchers believe that about half a billion years ago, Oumuamua's parent planet was hit by an object, which sent it hurling towards our solar system. They added that this piece of the planet must have entered our solar system in 1995, which we likely missed. Over time, it lost 95 per cent of its mass and became its current size. The existence of Oumuamua was confirmed in 2017, but it was already spacing away from Earth at really high speeds. Owing to this, scientists only had a little to study the object. Now, Oumuamua is too far away and too dim to be observed for further study.

Mystery of 'Oumuamua' solved: Find out where the foreign space object came from!

France recently conducted a military drill in Space! Why is France preparing to fight in Space? Is Space next battleground? WION's Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: France conducted a military drill in Space!

The Hubble Space Telescope recently shared another marvel of the universe.&nbsp; In a picture, the Hubble captured a nebula situated around 4,900 light years away in the constellation of Gemini.

Named AFGL-5180, the nebula constitutes part of the vast cloud complex called “Gem OB1”. The molecular clouds are usually found near places where stars are born, same as this nebula.

<img alt="hubble" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3e56e801-f07b-4ce1-a9ca-4061acda2e64" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/oof%20%283%29.jpg" />

From the inside, the nebula is lit spectacularly by a young fiery star which is constantly changing its vicinity as it grows, making way for new cavities to exist in the gas cloud.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/hubble-telescope-shares-image-of-barred-spiral-galaxy-ngc-4535-357503" hreflang="en">Hubble telescope shares image of barred spiral galaxy NGC 4535</a>

Stars are created after cool molecular gas hosts a clump in cloudy form. For a star to form, the clump needs to collapse under its own gravity. As the star attempts to become a physical entity, it begins to spin. Owing to this movement, clouds around it form a disk which disappears into the star owing to its strong gravitational pull.

As visible in the picture, two beams of light can be seen coming from behind the cloud, situated in the top right and bottom left of the picture. These beams mean that the star is growing.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/nasas-hubble-space-telescope-captures-cosmic-cinnamon-bun-344894" hreflang="en">NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures 'cosmic cinnamon bun'</a>

In November, The&nbsp;Hubble Space Telescope by the&nbsp;National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had captured a cosmic cinnamon bun.

Unlike many spiral galaxies, UGC 12588&nbsp; (the cinnamon bun) displays neither a&nbsp;bar of stars across its centre&nbsp;nor the classic prominent&nbsp;spiral arm pattern. Instead, to a viewer, its circular, white and mostly unstructured centre&nbsp;makes this galaxy more reminiscent of a cinnamon bun than a megastructure of stars and gas in space.

(Image by Hubble/NASA/ESA)

The Hubble Space Telescope recently shared another marvel of the universe. In a picture, the Hubble captured a nebula situated around 4,900 light years away in the constellation of Gemini.

The Hubble Space Telescope recently shared another marvel of the universe. In a picture, the Hubble captured a nebula situated around 4,900 light years away in the constellation of Gemini. Named AFGL-5180, the nebula constitutes part of the vast cloud complex called “Gem OB1”. The molecular clouds are usually found near places where stars are born, same as this nebula. From the inside, the nebula is lit spectacularly by a young fiery star which is constantly changing its vicinity as it grows, making way for new cavities to exist in the gas cloud. Also read: Hubble telescope shares image of barred spiral galaxy NGC 4535 Stars are created after cool molecular gas hosts a clump in cloudy form. For a star to form, the clump needs to collapse under its own gravity. As the star attempts to become a physical entity, it begins to spin. Owing to this movement, clouds around it form a disk which disappears into the star owing to its strong gravitational pull. As visible in the picture, two beams of light can be seen coming from behind the cloud, situated in the top right and bottom left of the picture. These beams mean that the star is growing. Also read: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures 'cosmic cinnamon bun' In November, The Hubble Space Telescope by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had captured a cosmic cinnamon bun. Unlike many spiral galaxies, UGC 12588 (the cinnamon bun) displays neither a bar of stars across its centre nor the classic prominent spiral arm pattern. Instead, to a viewer, its circular, white and mostly unstructured centre makes this galaxy more reminiscent of a cinnamon bun than a megastructure of stars and gas in space. (Image by Hubble/NASA/ESA)

Hubble Space Telescope beams back mesmerising image of a nebula!

For the most part, our knowledge of the word 'planet' revolves around the idea is that its a huge space rock, cooler than the stars, deriving energy from the one it revolves around. We can't be blamed because Earth is one such space rock. It is (much) cooler than the Sun and derives all the life forming energy from it.

But universe, as infinite it is, has ways to surprise our minds and set ideas we tend to have about it.&nbsp;

Can you imagine a space body almost hot as our Sun all the while being a 'planet'? Well, there are such planets.

Meet Kelt-9 b! It's a planet 670 lightyears away from Earth. It was found in 2016.

It has been found that this planet has a temperature of 5000 K (4726 degree Celsius). This makes this planet hotter than 80 per cent of all individual&nbsp;stars in the universe.

Kelt-9 b is a gaseous planet and it is 1.8 times bigger than Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system. It revolves around its star that is twice as hot as the Sun. In addition, Kelt-9 b has a very very short radius of revolution. It means that it revolves around its star in a very close orbit that is smaller even than that of Mercury in our Solar System.

Kelt-9 b is tidally locked with its star. That means that one side of the planet always faces the star when it makes its revolution.

Why studying Kelt-9 b is important

Planets like Kelt-9 b are called 'hot Jupiters' because of their gaseous nature, gigantic size and extremely hot temperature. This means that behaviour of such planets gives us a brilliant opportunity to study Physics in conditions that are nearly impossible to reproduce on Earth.

In other words, these planets can roughly be called giant labs in space!

The universe truly has amazing secrets!

For the most part, our knowledge of the word 'planet' revolves around the idea is that its a huge space rock, cooler than the stars, deriving energy from the one it revolves around.

For the most part, our knowledge of the word 'planet' revolves around the idea is that its a huge space rock, cooler than the stars, deriving energy from the one it revolves around. We can't be blamed because Earth is one such space rock. It is (much) cooler than the Sun and derives all the life forming energy from it. But universe, as infinite it is, has ways to surprise our minds and set ideas we tend to have about it. Can you imagine a space body almost hot as our Sun all the while being a 'planet'? Well, there are such planets. Meet Kelt-9 b! It's a planet 670 lightyears away from Earth. It was found in 2016. It has been found that this planet has a temperature of 5000 K (4726 degree Celsius). This makes this planet hotter than 80 per cent of all individual stars in the universe. Kelt-9 b is a gaseous planet and it is 1.8 times bigger than Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system. It revolves around its star that is twice as hot as the Sun. In addition, Kelt-9 b has a very very short radius of revolution. It means that it revolves around its star in a very close orbit that is smaller even than that of Mercury in our Solar System. Kelt-9 b is tidally locked with its star. That means that one side of the planet always faces the star when it makes its revolution. Why studying Kelt-9 b is important Planets like Kelt-9 b are called 'hot Jupiters' because of their gaseous nature, gigantic size and extremely hot temperature. This means that behaviour of such planets gives us a brilliant opportunity to study Physics in conditions that are nearly impossible to reproduce on Earth. In other words, these planets can roughly be called giant labs in space! The universe truly has amazing secrets!

This planet is hotter than 80 per cent of stars in the universe

We have heard about military drills on land and high seas and in the air, but this one about military drills in space. Recently France launches its first military exercise in space, code name 'Asterx'. Excercise based on 18 simulated events. France says space is being militarised and they need to prepare.

France launches its first military excercise in space

The race for space dominance is heating up. Russia and China want to build a lunar space station. NASA wants another space station to orbit the moon. India has its own plans for a space station. Will space have borders now?

Gravitas: Russia and China want to build a space station on the moon

Our universe is extremely complex, and there is perhaps a lot we might never be able to grasp. But understanding our own planet - the Earth is a good place to start! And while scientists recently attempted to pursue this goal, they were shocked to see that our planet has another layer locked deep inside its core.

What we usually call our “inner core” is usually perceived as the centre of our planet, and its innermost layer. But turns out, the inner core has an inner core of its own!

A challenge to traditional understanding

The traditional understanding of Earth puts forward four layers - the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core. Each layer represents the history of our planet’s creation and evolution.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-oldest-volcanic-rock-to-exist-on-earth-369109" hreflang="en">Scientists discover oldest volcanic rock to exist on Earth</a>

Most knowledge about the planet’s insides comes from what volcanoes around the globe have spewed out over the years, along with directions of seismic waves. Scientists believe with a temperature running upto 5,000 degrees Celsius (9,000 Fahrenheit), the inner core represents only a per cent of the planet’s volume.

Now, researchers think there are two layers within the inner core, something researchers believe would “rewrite textbooks”.&nbsp; The research was undertaken by a team from the Australian National University.

How did they do it?

Based on gatherings from the International Seismological Centre, the team used algorithms to go through various models of our planet’s inner core - taking into account data about how long seismic waves take to travel through the planet.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-just-spotted-most-distant-radio-blast-to-ever-reach-earth-369043" hreflang="en">Scientists just spotted most distant radio blast to ever reach Earth!</a>

Then, the scientists conducted an anisotropy, which essentially tracked how differences in core’s material changed the properties of seismic waves. They found that the depth of the inner core did not throw up many variations, but there was a change 54 degree angle change.&nbsp;

"We found evidence that may indicate a change in the structure of iron, which suggests perhaps two separate cooling events in Earth's history," Joanne Stephenson, the lead author of the study said told the University.

Our universe is extremely complex, and there is perhaps a lot we might never be able to grasp. But understanding our own planet - the Earth is a good place to start!

Our universe is extremely complex, and there is perhaps a lot we might never be able to grasp. But understanding our own planet - the Earth is a good place to start! And while scientists recently attempted to pursue this goal, they were shocked to see that our planet has another layer locked deep inside its core. What we usually call our “inner core” is usually perceived as the centre of our planet, and its innermost layer. But turns out, the inner core has an inner core of its own! A challenge to traditional understanding The traditional understanding of Earth puts forward four layers - the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core. Each layer represents the history of our planet’s creation and evolution. Also read: Scientists discover oldest volcanic rock to exist on Earth Most knowledge about the planet’s insides comes from what volcanoes around the globe have spewed out over the years, along with directions of seismic waves. Scientists believe with a temperature running upto 5,000 degrees Celsius (9,000 Fahrenheit), the inner core represents only a per cent of the planet’s volume. Now, researchers think there are two layers within the inner core, something researchers believe would “rewrite textbooks”. The research was undertaken by a team from the Australian National University. How did they do it? Based on gatherings from the International Seismological Centre, the team used algorithms to go through various models of our planet’s inner core - taking into account data about how long seismic waves take to travel through the planet. Also read: Scientists just spotted most distant radio blast to ever reach Earth! Then, the scientists conducted an anisotropy, which essentially tracked how differences in core’s material changed the properties of seismic waves. They found that the depth of the inner core did not throw up many variations, but there was a change 54 degree angle change. "We found evidence that may indicate a change in the structure of iron, which suggests perhaps two separate cooling events in Earth's history," Joanne Stephenson, the lead author of the study said told the University.

Our planet Earth may have not one, but two inner cores!

Scientists recently discovered the most distant radio blast known to mankind. The blast emanated from a quasar which is situated far away, and took at least 13 billion years to reach Earth, implying that the signals are from a long time ago - precisely when the universe was just 780 million years old.

But what are quasars? Among the brightest objects in the universe, quasars are found at the centre of some galaxies and are powered by black holes that are supermassive. The quasar in question is peculiar for it is "radio-loud". Such quasars have jets that throw out radio emissions, and only 10 per cent of all quasars are able to do this.

This marks the first time radio jets have been found from so farther off in the universe. Scientists have been able to find many objects dating back to the first billion years of the universe in the last 10 years. Even then, finding objects that emit radio signals has remained difficult.

The quasar is named P172+18, and is powered by a massive black hole - 300 times bigger than our own Sun, which continues to devour everything around it, and remains one of the fastest-growing black holes observed.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-detect-best-place-and-time-to-live-in-milky-way-368901" hreflang="en">Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way</a> 
 
Chiara Mazzucchelli, one of the scientists from the European Southern Observatory who found the object told The Independent newspaper that it holds the "building block" to understanding the ancient Universe, which in turn would help us understand our origins.

The scientists inspected the quasar from the Magellan Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, after which they found that the radio blast was emanating from a far-off quasar.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-releases-beautiful-photo-of-a-galaxy-far-far-away-368896" hreflang="en">NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away</a>

Thanks to sophisticated equipment including the ESO's "Very Large Telescope" enabled scientists to observe the black hole and the quasar in detail. The findings from the paper titled "The discovery of a highly accreting, radio-loud quasar at z=6.82'' is set to be published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Scientists recently discovered the most distant radio blast known to mankind. The blast emanated from a quasar which is situated far away, and took at least 13 billion years to reach Earth, implying that the signals are from a long time ago - precisely when the universe was just 780 million years old.

Scientists recently discovered the most distant radio blast known to mankind. The blast emanated from a quasar which is situated far away, and took at least 13 billion years to reach Earth, implying that the signals are from a long time ago - precisely when the universe was just 780 million years old. But what are quasars? Among the brightest objects in the universe, quasars are found at the centre of some galaxies and are powered by black holes that are supermassive. The quasar in question is peculiar for it is "radio-loud". Such quasars have jets that throw out radio emissions, and only 10 per cent of all quasars are able to do this. This marks the first time radio jets have been found from so farther off in the universe. Scientists have been able to find many objects dating back to the first billion years of the universe in the last 10 years. Even then, finding objects that emit radio signals has remained difficult. The quasar is named P172+18, and is powered by a massive black hole - 300 times bigger than our own Sun, which continues to devour everything around it, and remains one of the fastest-growing black holes observed. Also read: Astronomers detect best place and time to live in Milky Way Chiara Mazzucchelli, one of the scientists from the European Southern Observatory who found the object told The Independent newspaper that it holds the "building block" to understanding the ancient Universe, which in turn would help us understand our origins. The scientists inspected the quasar from the Magellan Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile, after which they found that the radio blast was emanating from a far-off quasar. Also read: NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away Thanks to sophisticated equipment including the ESO's "Very Large Telescope" enabled scientists to observe the black hole and the quasar in detail. The findings from the paper titled "The discovery of a highly accreting, radio-loud quasar at z=6.82'' is set to be published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Scientists just spotted most distant radio blast to ever reach Earth!

Women who graced outer space and changed it forever

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill.

NASA hasn't disappointed this time as well. It has tweeted a beautiful picture of a galaxy far far away. The name of the galaxy is NGC 2336 in scientist speak. The galaxy was discovered in 19th century. The image shows that the galaxy is a spiral, similar to our own Milky Way Galaxy.

"Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away. Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble &nbsp;shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy," NASA tweeted.

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Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away.✨ 
 
Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAHubble?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAHubble</a> shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy. 
 
Find out how it gets its blue glow: <a href="https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO">https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO</a> <a href="https://t.co/XRh9MMNyy7">pic.twitter.com/XRh9MMNyy7</a>
— NASA (@NASA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1368687911600787457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The galaxy is 100 million light-years away! It means that even if we make a spaceship that travels at the speed of light, (~ 300 thousand kilometres per second) it will take us 100 million years to reach this galaxy.

This means an&nbsp;interesting thing.

The light from this galaxy that we see now, was emitted 100 million years ago! None of us or even our ancestors were alive when the light that reaches Earth today was emitted by the galaxy.

This leads to another interesting bit.

The galaxy NGC 2336 may have changed shape, collided with another galaxy, or may even have got obliterated. But we may only know that 100 million years after the event takes place. Because light from such an event will take that much time to reach us.

Space is super super huge. Feeling small yet?

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill.

Social media mongers can safely bet on NASA to release brilliant pictures of celestial bodies every now and then. The space agency has a robust presence in online world and they continue to post interesting bits of info and images that thrill. NASA hasn't disappointed this time as well. It has tweeted a beautiful picture of a galaxy far far away. The name of the galaxy is NGC 2336 in scientist speak. The galaxy was discovered in 19th century. The image shows that the galaxy is a spiral, similar to our own Milky Way Galaxy. "Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away. Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy," NASA tweeted. Check out NGC 2336, a galaxy about 100 million light-years away.✨ Discovered in 1876, by astronomer William Tempel, the image captured by @NASAHubble shows the sheer size and beauty of this majestic galaxy. Find out how it gets its blue glow: https://t.co/2hLC3DajkO pic.twitter.com/XRh9MMNyy7 — NASA (@NASA) March 7, 2021 × The galaxy is 100 million light-years away! It means that even if we make a spaceship that travels at the speed of light, (~ 300 thousand kilometres per second) it will take us 100 million years to reach this galaxy. This means an interesting thing. The light from this galaxy that we see now, was emitted 100 million years ago! None of us or even our ancestors were alive when the light that reaches Earth today was emitted by the galaxy. This leads to another interesting bit. The galaxy NGC 2336 may have changed shape, collided with another galaxy, or may even have got obliterated. But we may only know that 100 million years after the event takes place. Because light from such an event will take that much time to reach us. Space is super super huge. Feeling small yet?

NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away

The Chinese space agency on Thursday released three high-definition images of Mars, sent by its space probe Tianwen-1. The images were captured by the high-resolution camera on the probe at a distance of about 330 to 350 km from the surface of The Red Planet, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Watch | High-resolution images from China's Mars probe shared

A group of researchers have found out that the much-talked-about space hurricanes do exist.

Using satellite data, researchers from Shandong University identified a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/space">space</a> hurricane and found that it was not simply a pattern of air but was a whirling pattern of plasma-ionised gas.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-parker-solar-probe-sends-stunning-image-of-venus-and-its-terrain-367178" hreflang="en">NASA's Parker Solar Probe sends stunning image of Venus and its terrain</a>

"Until now, it was uncertain that space plasma hurricanes even existed, so to prove this with such a striking observation is incredible," explained Professor Mike Lockwood, a space scientist at the University of Reading.

Explaining how space hurricanes are created, Lockwood said, "Tropical storms are associated with huge amounts of energy, and these space hurricanes must be created by unusually large and rapid transfer of solar wind energy and charged particles into the Earth's upper atmosphere."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-identify-slime-mold-that-saves-memories-without-nervous-system-366847" hreflang="en">Scientists identify slime mold that saves memories without nervous system</a>

He believes that since plasma and magnetic fields in the atmosphere of the planets exist throughout the universe, the findings are right to hint that space hurricanes can be a widespread phenomenon.

The researchers have claimed that the mass was raining electrons, instead of water, and had lasted for nearly eight hours before breaking down.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-school-students-discover-18-new-asteroids-366868" hreflang="en">Indian school students discover 18 new asteroids</a>

It was also observed that the space hurricane — which took place during a period of low geomagnetic activity — had many similar features with that of hurricanes of the Earth that form in Earth's lower atmosphere.

These space hurricanes can, probably, lead to weather effects too, such as increased satellite problems, disturbances in high-frequency radio communications, satellite navigation, communication systems and also increased errors in the over-the-horizon radar location.

As of now, the study has been published in Nature Communications.

A group of researchers have found out that the much-talked-about space hurricanes do exist. Using satellite data, researchers from Shandong University identified a space hurricane and found that it was not simply a pattern of air but was a whirling pattern of plasma-ionised gas.

A group of researchers have found out that the much-talked-about space hurricanes do exist. Using satellite data, researchers from Shandong University identified a space hurricane and found that it was not simply a pattern of air but was a whirling pattern of plasma-ionised gas. Also read | NASA's Parker Solar Probe sends stunning image of Venus and its terrain "Until now, it was uncertain that space plasma hurricanes even existed, so to prove this with such a striking observation is incredible," explained Professor Mike Lockwood, a space scientist at the University of Reading. Explaining how space hurricanes are created, Lockwood said, "Tropical storms are associated with huge amounts of energy, and these space hurricanes must be created by unusually large and rapid transfer of solar wind energy and charged particles into the Earth's upper atmosphere." Also read | Scientists identify slime mold that saves memories without nervous system He believes that since plasma and magnetic fields in the atmosphere of the planets exist throughout the universe, the findings are right to hint that space hurricanes can be a widespread phenomenon. The researchers have claimed that the mass was raining electrons, instead of water, and had lasted for nearly eight hours before breaking down. Also read | Indian school students discover 18 new asteroids It was also observed that the space hurricane — which took place during a period of low geomagnetic activity — had many similar features with that of hurricanes of the Earth that form in Earth's lower atmosphere. These space hurricanes can, probably, lead to weather effects too, such as increased satellite problems, disturbances in high-frequency radio communications, satellite navigation, communication systems and also increased errors in the over-the-horizon radar location. As of now, the study has been published in Nature Communications.

Scientists confirm existence of space hurricanes

What's behind these strange stripes in Russia? NASA answers!

Social media in Queensland, Australia lit up on Thursday night, matching the flashing night sky as users posted short videos of what experts later said was debris from a Chinese rocket burning up as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.&nbsp;

"I thought it was a meteorite at first, but later as it split, my mate and I began thinking it was space junk," said Jasper Nash, who filmed one of the videos circulating on social media. "It was very fascinating."&nbsp;

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Professor Jonti Horner of the University of Southern Queensland's Centre for Astrophysics said the light show came from the re-entry of a Chinese rocket launched in November 2019, carrying a satellite into orbit.&nbsp;

Others with less expert knowledge were at first spooked by the display. "I initially thought it was something other than space debris," said Jack Robins, another observer who took to social media to post video. "To be honest, I freaked out for a second until I realised."&nbsp;

Social media in Queensland, Australia lit up on Thursday night, matching the flashing night sky as users posted short videos of what experts later said was debris from a Chinese rocket burning up as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.

Social media in Queensland, Australia lit up on Thursday night, matching the flashing night sky as users posted short videos of what experts later said was debris from a Chinese rocket burning up as it re-entered the Earth's atmosphere. "I thought it was a meteorite at first, but later as it split, my mate and I began thinking it was space junk," said Jasper Nash, who filmed one of the videos circulating on social media. "It was very fascinating." × Professor Jonti Horner of the University of Southern Queensland's Centre for Astrophysics said the light show came from the re-entry of a Chinese rocket launched in November 2019, carrying a satellite into orbit. Others with less expert knowledge were at first spooked by the display. "I initially thought it was something other than space debris," said Jack Robins, another observer who took to social media to post video. "To be honest, I freaked out for a second until I realised."

Australia skies light up as Chinese space junk burns up in atmosphere

Indian astronomers have spotted one of the strongest flares from a feeding super massive black hole or blazar called BL Lacertae.

Blazars or feeding super massive black holes in the heart of distant galaxies receive a lot of attention from the astronomical community because of their complicated emission mechanism. They emit jets of charged particles travelling nearly at the speed of light and are one of the most luminous and energetic objects in the Universe.

The data collected from the flare observed will help calculation of the black hole mass, size of emission region, and mechanism of the emission from one of the oldest astronomical objects known.

The Department of Science and Technology added such analysis can provide a lead to probe mysteries and trace events at different stages of evolution of the Universe.

"BL Lacertae blazar is 10 million light-years away and is among the 50 most prominent blazars that can be observed with the help of a relatively small telescope. It was among the 3 to 4 blazars that was predicted to be experiencing flares by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), an international consortium of astronomers," the statement said.

A team of astronomers led by Alok Chandra Gupta from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), an institute of the Department of Science and Technology, who has been following the blazar since October 2020 as part of an international observational campaign detected the exceptionally high flare on January 16 with the help of Sampurnanand Telescope (ST) and 1.3m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescopes located in Nainital.

Indian astronomers have spotted one of the strongest flares from a feeding super massive black hole or blazar called BL Lacertae. Blazars or feeding super massive black holes in the heart of distant galaxies receive a lot of attention from the astronomical community because of their complicated emission mechanism.

Indian astronomers have spotted one of the strongest flares from a feeding super massive black hole or blazar called BL Lacertae. Blazars or feeding super massive black holes in the heart of distant galaxies receive a lot of attention from the astronomical community because of their complicated emission mechanism. They emit jets of charged particles travelling nearly at the speed of light and are one of the most luminous and energetic objects in the Universe. The data collected from the flare observed will help calculation of the black hole mass, size of emission region, and mechanism of the emission from one of the oldest astronomical objects known. The Department of Science and Technology added such analysis can provide a lead to probe mysteries and trace events at different stages of evolution of the Universe. "BL Lacertae blazar is 10 million light-years away and is among the 50 most prominent blazars that can be observed with the help of a relatively small telescope. It was among the 3 to 4 blazars that was predicted to be experiencing flares by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), an international consortium of astronomers," the statement said. A team of astronomers led by Alok Chandra Gupta from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), an institute of the Department of Science and Technology, who has been following the blazar since October 2020 as part of an international observational campaign detected the exceptionally high flare on January 16 with the help of Sampurnanand Telescope (ST) and 1.3m Devasthal Fast Optical Telescopes located in Nainital.

Indian astronomers detect optical flare in one of the oldest space objects

Asteroids are beautiful things as long as they put on a stellar show while burning to dust in Earth's atmosphere. Asteroids that are a bit bigger leave space rocks on Earths surface for scientists to study. Anything bigger than that, well, ask dinosaurs what happens when such a thing strikes the Earth.

An asteroid by the name of Apophis is approaching our home planet. Apophis is the Egyptian God of chaos and darkness. Anything named after such a deity is surely not going to be anything sweet. On top of it, it's an asteroid.

Apophis, known officially as &nbsp;99942 Apophis (2004 MN4) is three football-fields wide. It may appear to be small given how huge Earth is. But remember, asteroids zap around in space at speeds of thousands of kms an hour. And that's why if any of the astroids strikes the Earth, the explosion would be comparable to one caused by several exploding atomic bombs.

Apophis is going to have a very close flyby past Earth in 2029. At its closest point, Apophis will be at an altitude of some of our artificial satellites. Previously, Apophis had a 3 per cent chance of hitting the Earth. This again may sound pretty small a number. But for a space body as large as Apophis, this is a terrifying figure.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/potentially-hazardous-largest-known-asteroid-to-fly-past-earth-in-2021-362083">'Potentially hazardous': Largest known asteroid to fly past Earth in 2021</a>

Fortunately, scientists have now able to determine that Apophis will not hit the Earth 2029.

But while 2029 seems a bit away, it may scare you to know that another close approach is scheduled to take place this year. Next month to be precise.

Apophis will fly by Earth on March 5, 2021. This time though it will be at a much greater distance away from Earth than its approach scheduled to take place in 2029.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/life-on-mars-study-gives-fresh-evidence-to-back-the-claim-362767">Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim</a>

But both of these events are going to provide scientists with an opportunity to study the trajectory and motion of Apophis.&nbsp;

Why the study?

Because Apophis will make another close call to Earth in the year 2068 and it will give all of us relief if know 100 per cent that it will not strike the Earth at that time.

Asteroids are beautiful things as long as they put on a stellar show while burning to dust in Earth's atmosphere. Asteroids that are a bit bigger leave space rocks on Earths surface for scientists to study.

Asteroids are beautiful things as long as they put on a stellar show while burning to dust in Earth's atmosphere. Asteroids that are a bit bigger leave space rocks on Earths surface for scientists to study. Anything bigger than that, well, ask dinosaurs what happens when such a thing strikes the Earth. An asteroid by the name of Apophis is approaching our home planet. Apophis is the Egyptian God of chaos and darkness. Anything named after such a deity is surely not going to be anything sweet. On top of it, it's an asteroid. Apophis, known officially as 99942 Apophis (2004 MN4) is three football-fields wide. It may appear to be small given how huge Earth is. But remember, asteroids zap around in space at speeds of thousands of kms an hour. And that's why if any of the astroids strikes the Earth, the explosion would be comparable to one caused by several exploding atomic bombs. Apophis is going to have a very close flyby past Earth in 2029. At its closest point, Apophis will be at an altitude of some of our artificial satellites. Previously, Apophis had a 3 per cent chance of hitting the Earth. This again may sound pretty small a number. But for a space body as large as Apophis, this is a terrifying figure. Also Read | 'Potentially hazardous': Largest known asteroid to fly past Earth in 2021 Fortunately, scientists have now able to determine that Apophis will not hit the Earth 2029. But while 2029 seems a bit away, it may scare you to know that another close approach is scheduled to take place this year. Next month to be precise. Apophis will fly by Earth on March 5, 2021. This time though it will be at a much greater distance away from Earth than its approach scheduled to take place in 2029. Also Read | Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim But both of these events are going to provide scientists with an opportunity to study the trajectory and motion of Apophis. Why the study? Because Apophis will make another close call to Earth in the year 2068 and it will give all of us relief if know 100 per cent that it will not strike the Earth at that time.

Asteroid Apophis approaches Earth, scientists have their eyes set

Yep, that's the name and the space object 'FarFarOut' is Really far away in our solar system. For comparisan, Pluto takes 246 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. This alone tells us how far Pluto is. But FarFarOut takes 800 years to take a single round trip around the Sun! That means last time FarFarOut was where it today is, Genghis Khan was expanding its empire in Asia and was knocking on the doors of Europe.

FarFarOut is 132 astronomical units away from the Sun (1 astronomical unit = 150 million kilometres) and is just 400 kilometres across (250 miles) in size. It was discovered in 2018.

The story behind how it got its nickname is funny.

Before its discovery, another very distant space object was discovered in 2018. It was 124 astronomical units away from the Sun. The object was really far out, and a surprised exclamation from Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science gave it a nickname Farout.

And what's more distant than Farout? Yep. FarFarOut!

The distances involved in studying FarFarout are so huge that constant astronomical observations are needed to take place for several years just to plot its trajectory.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/life-on-mars-study-gives-fresh-evidence-to-back-the-claim-362767">Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim</a>

Talking about trajectory, FarFarOut has a weird orbit around the Sun. It is wildly oval. At its furthest, FarFarOut is 175 astronomical units away from the Sun while at its nearest, it is 27 astronomical units away.

Scientists think that Neptune's gravity is the reason why FarFarOut has such a wild orbit around the Sun.

It is expected that more interaction between Neptune and FarFarOut is likely in the future.

Yep, that's the name and the space object 'FarFarOut' is Really far away in our solar system. For comparisan, Pluto takes 246 years to complete one orbit around the Sun.

Yep, that's the name and the space object 'FarFarOut' is Really far away in our solar system. For comparisan, Pluto takes 246 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. This alone tells us how far Pluto is. But FarFarOut takes 800 years to take a single round trip around the Sun! That means last time FarFarOut was where it today is, Genghis Khan was expanding its empire in Asia and was knocking on the doors of Europe. FarFarOut is 132 astronomical units away from the Sun (1 astronomical unit = 150 million kilometres) and is just 400 kilometres across (250 miles) in size. It was discovered in 2018. The story behind how it got its nickname is funny. Before its discovery, another very distant space object was discovered in 2018. It was 124 astronomical units away from the Sun. The object was really far out, and a surprised exclamation from Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science gave it a nickname Farout. And what's more distant than Farout? Yep. FarFarOut! The distances involved in studying FarFarout are so huge that constant astronomical observations are needed to take place for several years just to plot its trajectory. Also Read | Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim Talking about trajectory, FarFarOut has a weird orbit around the Sun. It is wildly oval. At its furthest, FarFarOut is 175 astronomical units away from the Sun while at its nearest, it is 27 astronomical units away. Scientists think that Neptune's gravity is the reason why FarFarOut has such a wild orbit around the Sun. It is expected that more interaction between Neptune and FarFarOut is likely in the future.

Space object named 'FarFarOut' is the most distant thing in solar system

Black holes are intriguing indeed. Who wouldn't like to marvel at these space bodies that do not even let light escape? Ranks of scientists from Albert Einstein to Stephen Hawking have studied black holes but they remain to be completely understood. Scientists continue to study black holes.

Many have wondered whether an astronaut can enter a black hole. Now it appears he can, but it will be the loneliest journey ever undertaken.

Leo and Shanshan Rodriquez, both assistant professors of physics at Grinnell College compared two types of black holes, stellar-sized and supermassive.

Stellar-sized black holes are roughly the size of the Sun while supermassive black holes can have a mass equal to four million Suns.

Both these black holes have event horizon. It is the boundary line, the point of no return. When anyone crosses the event horizon, the massive gravitational pull of the black hole takes over.

It's not a good idea to try to enter stellar sized black hole as its event horizon is just a few kilometres long and closer to the centre of the black hole. If an astronaut enters such a black hole he will undergo what's known as Spaghettification. All the atoms of his body will be torn apart.

Contrast this with a supermassive black hole like the one at the centre of the milky way galaxy. Such black holes have event horizon stretching to millions of kilometres.

The gravitational pull in this part in case of supermassive black holes is not as extreme as that in stellar-sized black holes. The researchers said that the black hole needs to be isolated from the space around it in order for an astronaut to 'safely' enter it.

But even if that is the case, imagine the lonely journey that astronaut would undertake while trying to cross millions of kilometres of event horizon. It would be the loneliest journey in human history indeed.

Black holes are intriguing indeed. Who wouldn't like to marvel at these space bodies that do not even let light escape? Ranks of scientists from Albert Einstein to Stephen Hawking have studied black holes but they remain to be completely understood.

Black holes are intriguing indeed. Who wouldn't like to marvel at these space bodies that do not even let light escape? Ranks of scientists from Albert Einstein to Stephen Hawking have studied black holes but they remain to be completely understood. Scientists continue to study black holes. Many have wondered whether an astronaut can enter a black hole. Now it appears he can, but it will be the loneliest journey ever undertaken. Leo and Shanshan Rodriquez, both assistant professors of physics at Grinnell College compared two types of black holes, stellar-sized and supermassive. Stellar-sized black holes are roughly the size of the Sun while supermassive black holes can have a mass equal to four million Suns. Both these black holes have event horizon. It is the boundary line, the point of no return. When anyone crosses the event horizon, the massive gravitational pull of the black hole takes over. It's not a good idea to try to enter stellar sized black hole as its event horizon is just a few kilometres long and closer to the centre of the black hole. If an astronaut enters such a black hole he will undergo what's known as Spaghettification. All the atoms of his body will be torn apart. Contrast this with a supermassive black hole like the one at the centre of the milky way galaxy. Such black holes have event horizon stretching to millions of kilometres. The gravitational pull in this part in case of supermassive black holes is not as extreme as that in stellar-sized black holes. The researchers said that the black hole needs to be isolated from the space around it in order for an astronaut to 'safely' enter it. But even if that is the case, imagine the lonely journey that astronaut would undertake while trying to cross millions of kilometres of event horizon. It would be the loneliest journey in human history indeed.

We can enter a black hole, but it will be a lonely journey

Images of “blue lightning” in space captured in February 2019 are making the rounds on the internet after finding mention in a new study.

But what is “blue lightning”? It simply refers to thunderstorms outside of our vision from Earth, which may be visible from space.

The image in question is from thunderclouds above the Pacific island of Nauru. Last week, a paper published in Nature shed light on this phenomenon.

Spearheaded by the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM), the team used a collection of cameras with visible and ultraviolet spectrum light detectors, along with X-ray and gamma-ray detectors to fish out electrical interactions that take place above thunderclouds.

Watch the video below

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The goal was to capture space lightning - blue jet, along with four complementing flashes on the top the clouds.

These stormy flashes stayed in the first layer of the atmosphere called troposphere instead of settling in the second layer of the atmosphere called stratosphere.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/scientists-discover-solar-system-with-planets-in-a-strange-rhythm-359438" hreflang="en">Scientists discover solar system with planets in a strange 'rhythm'</a>

Blue jets continue to remain elusive to scientists, but they believe it’s a result of electric breakdown which takes place between positively charged and negatively charged sections of storm clouds.

The four small flashes that joined the blue jet are commonly known as “elves”, which stands for Emissions of Light and Very Low Frequency Perturbations due to Electromagnetic Pulse Sources.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/scientists-want-to-turn-mars-green-how-will-they-do-it-357498" hreflang="en">Scientists want to turn Mars green. How will they do it?</a>

Elves are essentially flashes of light that are produced when negatively charged electrons are pushed through a part of the atmosphere known as ionosphere by radio waves.

Blue jets still remain largely misunderstood, and there’s a lot that we still don’t know about these beautiful light shows.

Images of “blue lightning” in space captured in February 2019 are making the rounds on the internet after finding mention in a new study. But what is “blue lightning”?

Images of “blue lightning” in space captured in February 2019 are making the rounds on the internet after finding mention in a new study. But what is “blue lightning”? It simply refers to thunderstorms outside of our vision from Earth, which may be visible from space. The image in question is from thunderclouds above the Pacific island of Nauru. Last week, a paper published in Nature shed light on this phenomenon. Spearheaded by the Atmosphere-Space Interactions Monitor (ASIM), the team used a collection of cameras with visible and ultraviolet spectrum light detectors, along with X-ray and gamma-ray detectors to fish out electrical interactions that take place above thunderclouds. Watch the video below The goal was to capture space lightning - blue jet, along with four complementing flashes on the top the clouds. These stormy flashes stayed in the first layer of the atmosphere called troposphere instead of settling in the second layer of the atmosphere called stratosphere. Also read: Scientists discover solar system with planets in a strange 'rhythm' Blue jets continue to remain elusive to scientists, but they believe it’s a result of electric breakdown which takes place between positively charged and negatively charged sections of storm clouds. The four small flashes that joined the blue jet are commonly known as “elves”, which stands for Emissions of Light and Very Low Frequency Perturbations due to Electromagnetic Pulse Sources. Also read: Scientists want to turn Mars green. How will they do it? Elves are essentially flashes of light that are produced when negatively charged electrons are pushed through a part of the atmosphere known as ionosphere by radio waves. Blue jets still remain largely misunderstood, and there’s a lot that we still don’t know about these beautiful light shows.

This video of a 'blue jet' captured from space is going viral!

Elon Musk's SpaceX on Sunday set a new record for most number of spacecrafts launched in a single launch in its latest Falcon-9 mission. The launch included 143 satellites. SpaceX also launched 10 of its own Starlink satellites. These will add up to more than 1000 already sent to orbit as a part of SpaceX's own broadband network. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral.

Customers of SpaceX that took its help to launch their satellites on Sunday include PlanetLabs. It sent 48 SuperDove Earth-imaging satellites. Another customer company Swarm sent up 36 satellites. Kepler sent up 8 of its own communication spacecrafts.

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Liftoff! <a href="https://t.co/js3zVM77rH">pic.twitter.com/js3zVM77rH</a>
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This launch sent Starlink satellites to a polar orbit for the first time. These satellites are important part of company's expansion of its broadband service. The mission also involved successful landing of Falcon-9 rocket's first stage booster.

Elon Musk's SpaceX on Sunday set a new record for most number of spacecrafts launched in a single launch in its latest Falcon-9 mission. The launch included 143 satellites.

Elon Musk's SpaceX on Sunday set a new record for most number of spacecrafts launched in a single launch in its latest Falcon-9 mission. The launch included 143 satellites. SpaceX also launched 10 of its own Starlink satellites. These will add up to more than 1000 already sent to orbit as a part of SpaceX's own broadband network. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral. Customers of SpaceX that took its help to launch their satellites on Sunday include PlanetLabs. It sent 48 SuperDove Earth-imaging satellites. Another customer company Swarm sent up 36 satellites. Kepler sent up 8 of its own communication spacecrafts. Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/js3zVM77rH — SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 24, 2021 × This launch sent Starlink satellites to a polar orbit for the first time. These satellites are important part of company's expansion of its broadband service. The mission also involved successful landing of Falcon-9 rocket's first stage booster.

SpaceX sets record for most satellites launched in single launch of Falcon-9

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