Science, Space, & Robotics - Page 48

Before the end of the week, five asteroids will be approaching Earth, and some of these asteroids are as big as a stadium.

According to NASA's weekly release of the five next asteroid approaches, posted to the agency's JPL website, five asteroids are making their way toward Earth, and each is different in size ranging from very small to very large. Starting at the smallest. NASA's website states that 2023 DJ1 is only 25 feet in diameter and will make its closest approach to Earth at 654,000 miles on March 1. The next biggest is 2023 DX, a 74-foot wide asteroid that will be at its closest point to Earth at 1,240,000 miles on March 3.

Next is 2017 BM123, measuring in at 190 feet in diameter, a comparable size to that of an airplane, and will make its closest approach to Earth at 2,970,000 miles on March 3. The largest of the five asteroids is 2007 ED125, which NASA states is approximately the same size as a stadium at 700 feet in diameter. This large asteroid will be at its closest point to Earth at 2,790,000 miles on March 3.

Four former US presidents will be hitching a ride on the coming Enterprise Flight that will put them on a journey into deep space.

Texas-based space burial company Celestis took to its blog to announce the news and explained that it will be honoring the legacy of the four former presidents by placing their DNA samples inside of memorial capsules that will be sent into a solar orbit 93 million miles to 186 million miles in deep space. Celestis explains that it intends to create the world's first true outpost of humanity in the cosmos and that the former presidents won't be the only DNA samples on board.

According to the blog post, the mission will contain 200 capsules containing cremated human remains and DNA, which is expected to launch on the Vulcan Centaur rocket created by the United Launch Alliance. The company intends to preserve the legacy of human existence with these capsules and explains that putting them on the Enterprise Flight will establish a precursor for future human missions that happen to find them while also perhaps informing whoever finds them of bygone American leaders, culture, or even an evolutionary "map" of how the US began.

Researchers from The Australian National University have penned a new study that has been published in Nature Communications and details the discovery of a new core inside of Earth's inner core.

The team of seismologists measured how seismic waves pass through each of Earth's most distinctive layers; the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core. The researchers found that seismic waves passed through each of the four layers at different speeds. However, the team claims they identified a distinctive fifth layer within Earth's inner core when they measured how seismic waves travel through Earth's center.

These seismic waves begin at the location of an earthquake, travel through Earth's core, and are then spat out on the opposite side of the planet from where the earthquake happened. The waves then make travel back to the source of the earthquake. This bouncing phenomenon is called the antipode, and typically, seismologists are only able to measure one antipodal bounce.

Officials at Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, dropped an update on two of the agency's spacecrafts currently docked at the International Space Station (ISS).

For two months, these Russian spacecrafts have been docked at the ISS, with officials announcing in December that the Soyuz crew capsule called MS-22 sprayed liquid from a severed cooling line. The same problem occurred earlier this month with Russia's second docked spacecraft called Progress MS-21. Initially, officials didn't know what caused the severing of the cooling line, but now Roscosmos is saying that two separate "external impact" caused the damage to the spacecrafts.

As noted by Ars Technica, the likelihood of an "external impact", or a micrometeoroid, damaging the same components on two separate spacecrafts is very low, leading some to speculate that Russia's spacecrafts actually experienced a manufacturing malfunction that the agency is covering up.

On February 10, officials celebrated the second anniversary of their first interplanetary mission that featured a new advanced rover landing on the surface of Mars.

China's Tianwen 1 had its anniversary on February 10, and a part of that mission was the landing of the Zhurong rover on the surface of the Red Planet on May 14, 2021. Unfortunately, not much has been heard about the Zhurong rover since officials announced the rover was entering a hibernation state following declining solar power availability as a result of Mars' northern hemisphere.

Reports indicate that officials expected Zhurong to wake back up sometime in December when solar power became more readily available. However, the rover, or at least China, has been strangely silent on the operations of the rover, leading some to believe that it's now a very expensive piece of Martian trash. Notably, China's state-run media posted short articles celebrating the second anniversary of the mission, with no mention of the current status of the rover, its overall health, or any new images of its location.

NASA has shined a light on one of Hubble's Classic images of the cosmos, Caldwell 69, with the space agency taking to its social channels to remind everyone of the beauty of a butterfly in the stars.

NASA explains on its blog that the above image is of Caldwell 669, or NGC 6302, or more commonly referred to as Buttery or Bug Nebula. The nebula got its nicknames from its appearance, that's similar to a massive cosmic butterfly unfurling its wings out in deep space. The space agency explains that the Butterfly Nebula got its appearance from a Sun-like star exhausting its nuclear fuel, causing a massive explosion that spewed material into the space around.

Ultraviolet radiation from the aftermath of the explosion cause the surrounding material to glow, but after some time, the nebula will fade and leave behind what NASA calls a stellar corpse or a white dwarf star. The star we call the Sun will meet a similar fate when it runs out of fuel in approximately 5 billion years. Notably, the Butterfly Nebula is located about 4,000 light-years away from Earth and resides in the constellation Scorpius. The close-up image seen below was acquired by Hubble in 2009 with its Wide Field Camera 3.

Officials have confirmed that a space rock entered Earth's atmosphere on February 15, flying over McAllen and eventually exploding, frightening some residents in the area.

The event was reported by several individuals that heard the loud bang and later confirmed by NASA as well as the American Meteor Society. The space rock entered Earth's atmosphere over McAllen, Texas, at around 6 pm EST, and according to NASA experts, the space rock would have been approximately two feet in diameter and weighed about 1,000 pounds. The American Meteor Society states on its website listing the event that the meteor traveled toward the Mexican city of Nuevo Laredo.

Due to the size of the meteorite, NASA expects that there won't be any impact crater as the space rock would have broken apart throughout its entry. Additionally, the friction of Earth's atmosphere heats up the rock, which can result, and in this case, it did, the meteorite exploding. While there likely isn't an impact crater, NASA has confirmed that some smaller meteorite fragments did reach the ground from this event.

United States President Joe Biden has given an update on the recent tirade of unidentified flying objects appearing in US airspace.

The president gave his statement from the White House and explained the military is still working on identifying each of the three objects that were shot down in the last three weeks. Notably, a week prior to the first unknown object shot down off the coast of Alaska, the Pentagon brought down an object off the coast of South Carolina. However, it was determined the South Carolina object was a Chinese spy balloon.

Officials claim the following three objects were not balloons and that military personnel is still searching for the wreckages. So far, there is limited knowledge of the objects, but Biden said there is "nothing" at the moment that suggests these objects are linked to Chinese surveillance operations or any other form of foreign intelligence. Biden further explained that the US military is detecting these unknown objects after they increased the sensitivity and narrowed the bands of operating radar systems.

European skywatchers that were lucky enough to catch a fireball lighting up the sky should know that fragments of the space rock have been found.

An asteroid estimated to be 3.2 feet in diameter was discovered by Krisztian Sarneczky, an asteroid hunter working at the Konkoly Observatory in Budapest, Hungary, who promptly gave his findings to the European Space Agency (ESA). The asteroid was confirmed, and only hours later, it began its descent to Earth over Europe, stunning at least 61 people that reported seeing its bright entry into the European night sky and its eventual disappearance after it burned out.

The fireball began falling to Earth at 10 p.m. EST on February 12 (0300 GMT February 13), and the event was captured from multiple angles. Videos show the meteor beginning to grow in brightness, eventually reaching a level of brightness that the entire night sky was illuminated before burning out. The American Meteor Society confirms sightings of the fireball from various locations across England, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

A group of scientists has used the bodies of dead birds to create a new type of drone that may be used for the surveillance of humans or animals.

The new technology was revealed at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech 2023 Forum, and the presentation showcased taxidermy drones called "ornithopters". These drones feature a set of flapping wings, mechanical propellers and are intended to replicate the flight of a real-life bird. The researchers note that they first intended to use synthetic material on the drones but later decided to instead opt for deceased birds to make the drones look more realistic.

According to the study, the engineers implemented 3D flapping and aerodynamic simulators to test how the drones would fly in the wind. The researchers found that replicating the flight of a bird with a drone was quite difficult, as they didn't really appear as natural fliers. However, from the testing, the engineers were able to identify aspects of the drone they could improve to make it fly more realistic. Researchers changed the design to make the drone quieter, fly longer and have the ability to be more flexible during flight.

A group of researchers has discovered an exoplanet within the galactic neighborhood of Earth, and this exoplanet appears to be a similar size to the planet we call home.

The team of international researchers has penned a study that has been accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal, and according to the study's results, the team discovered what is now called K2-415b while searching for transiting exoplanets. Notably, transiting exoplanets are planetary bodies that pass in front of their host star.

From Earth's perspective, this transition looks like a shadow moving across the face of the target star. This transition throughout the planetary body's orbit of its host star stands as an indicator that something is orbiting this specific star, prompting researchers to follow up with more observations. In K2-415b's instance, researchers discovered the exoplanet in data acquired by NASA's decommissioned Kepler Space Telescope. The data indicated that K2-415b is approximately 72 light-years away from Earth, making it a neighbor to Earth on the cosmic scale.

A UFO expert has warned that the United Kingdom is expected to see a massive uptick in the number of UFO sightings.

The warning from the UFO expert came after the United States downed three unknown objects appearing in its airspace within three weeks. Notably, the US air force general that is responsible for protecting American airspace said that military personnel was unable to identify each of the objects, with some fighter jet pilots even reporting that when they approached the object, it appeared it interfered with the fighter jet's sensors.

Reports indicate that each of the objects detected by the US military was vastly different in shape and definitely not Chinese spy balloons. In fact, the US military specifically pointed out that the language it's using to describe the unknown objects is deliberate and that it's calling these anomalies "objects" and "not balloons, for a reason." All three of the detected objects were shot down by US military fighter jets, and each of the wreckages is currently in the process of being recovered.

An investigation has been launched into a recent UFO sighting reported by at least 20 people. According to reports, the military is running the investigation.

Uruguay's Air Force (FAU) has announced it has begun an investigation into the strange red lights that were seen early Saturday morning. These lights were seen by approximately 20 different people and were captured from numerous angles. The footage of the unknown object was quickly shared on social media and showcased glowing red lights hovering in the sky of Paysandu, a city located in western Uruguay. Additionally, sightings were reported in the neighboring Argentine province of Entre Rios and the Uruguayan towns of Colonia and San Jose.

Notably, a team of experts has been instructed to inspect the area and collect as many witness statements as possible. The news comes from the Receiving and Investigating Committee of Denunciations of Unidentified Flying Objects, which gave its statement on social media. Saturday afternoon, Uruguay's Air Force said the following; "Given the reports received about the sighting of flashing lights in the sky in the Almiron hot springs, [in the] department of Paysandu, the intervention of the CRIDOVNI has been arranged."

An asteroid originally discovered in 2005 is about to get closer to Earth than it has in the past 400 years.

The incoming space rock is expected to approach Earth on February 15, coming within 2.8 million miles of our planet at 7:46 pm EST and marking the closest moment this space rock has gotten to Earth's surface within the past 400 years. For those that can't visualize 2.8 million miles, the asteroid called 2005 YY128 will fly safely past Earth at a distance of approximately 12 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

Experts have emphasized that there is zero chance that this asteroid will collide with our planet as 2005 YY128 is an asteroid that's had its orbit mapped out to a very precise level. Researchers have been studying the asteroid for the past 17 years, and from their observations, they have derived a precise orbit but not a concise prediction of its size. Unfortunately, researchers have a large discrepancy between their predictions, with EarthSky reporting that astronomers suspect 2005 YY128 has a diameter anywhere between 1,903 feet and 4,265 feet.

On February 3, the Norfolk Southern cargo train separated from the tracks and crashed, spilling toxic chemicals that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has since been monitoring.

The derailing took place in eastern Ohio and resulted in many toxic chemicals catching fire and emitting thick black smoke into the air. Officials immediately informed more than 1,000 people living in the surrounding area of East Palestine to evacuate their homes. These orders came straight from the state governor. Moving forward to February 8, officials at the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) announced that air quality wasn't contaminated and that food supply and livestock risk remains very low.

Despite the announcements from ODA officials, some residents in the area remain skeptical, with reports of chickens dying around the crash site and thousands of fish being found dead due to the chemical burn entering waterways. It should be noted that officials haven't connected the death of the chicken to the toxic chemicals released into the airspace. An EPA official explained that harmful chemicals were released into waterways and did kill fish, but contamination levels in both the air and waterways aren't at levels that cause concern.

Many unknown objects have been popping up on US military radar systems over the weekend, with the US government authorizing the removal of three unknown objects.

US military detected an object on radar systems on Friday, the object popped up near Alaska, and the US military responded with a fighter jet being sent out first to inspect it and then later destroy it. The following day the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected an unknown object near Canadian airspace, which after deliberation between US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was also brought down.

The third object was detected over Lake Huron and, much like the two previous objects, was shot down by US fighter jets. So, why is the US military suddenly detecting these unknown objects within US airspace? According to Gen. Glen VanHerck, the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command, these objects began appearing on radar systems when NORAD switched from searching for larger objects to much smaller objects.

A lawyer has been killed after sustaining major wounds from his own weapon after he entered a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.

40-year-old lawyer Leandro Mathias de Novaes entered an MRI machine on January 16 and failed to mention that he had a concealed firearm on his person before getting into the machine. Unaware staff carried out the MRI procedure at Laboratorio Cura in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and were shocked when the gun reportedly fired, causing major injuries to the lawyer's abdomen, which he later succumbed to at Sao Luiz Morumbi Hospital on February 6.

Reports indicate that the magnetic field generated by the MRI machine caused the gun to fire and that the lawyer signed a document acknowledging the requirement to remove all metal objects from his body before entering the MRI room. Additionally, a spokesperson for the facility said that the lawyer didn't mention his gun at all and entered the MRI room on his own decision. So, why did this happen? Why does an MRI machine cause a gun to fire?

European skywatchers were stunned at a fireball entering Earth's atmosphere on February 13. Multiple video angles were captured from various locations.

Krisztian Sarneczky, an asteroid hunter working at the Konkoly Observatory in Budapest, Hungary, discovered the asteroid only hours before it began its descent to Earth. According to reports, Sarneczky forwarded the appropriate information to the European Space Agency (ESA), which determined the asteroid measured 3.2 feet wide and was called SAR 2667. Sarneczky explained to Space.com that the small space rock was discovered during a routine Near-Earth Object (NEO) check.

The asteroid plummeted to Earth at 10 p.m. EST on February 12 (0300 GMT February 13), and there have been at least 61 sightings of its bright entry. From the above and below video footage captured by skywatchers, the space rock can be seen growing in brightness, completely lighting up the sky for a brief moment before disappearing into the darkness. The American Meteor Society confirmed the reports from residents, which spanned across England, Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

Officials reported a major solar flare occurring on the sun on Saturday, February 11. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured video footage of the event.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that the flare was a powerful X1.1-class flare that caused the administration to issue a warranted radio blackout warning. According to NOAA, the flare did cause a radio blackout for a few different regions around Earth, specifically South America being hit the hardest. Notably, the flare can be traced back to Active Region 3217, which is expected to produce more activity as it moves across the sun's surface, according to what NOAA has written on its website.

It should be noted that the sun can produce various solar flares ranging in power. The lowest-power solar flares are A-class, and the strongest are X-class flares. The most powerful solar flare ever recorded occurred in 2003 and registered as X28 before the instruments that were measuring it reached their total capabilities. While not always the case, a solar flare is closely associated with ejections of large quantities of solar plasma.

Reports are coming out from China about local authorities spotting an unknown object flying near a port city.

The news comes from Global Times and Sky News Asia Correspondent Brent O'Halloran, which both said Chinese authorities detected the object near the coastal city of Rizhao, located on the Yellow Sea. The Global Times Twitter post states that Chinese authorities reminded fishermen to be safe out on the water and that maritime authorities were preparing to shoot it down.

The claims of an unknown object appearing near China come after the nation claimed its weather balloon was purely for civilian use only, or more specifically, "meteorological research". China said the balloon was blown off course and criticized the US for shooting it down when it entered US airspace off the coast of South Carolina last week.