Trips to other worlds have been the stuff of science fiction for more than a century — going back to Jules Verne’s “From the Earth to the Moon” and continuing today with shows like “For All Mankind.” But most of those tales are told from the perspective of intrepid explorers who have to deal with life-threatening dramas.

In contrast, most of the stories in “Daydreaming in the Solar System” have to do with space travelers having fun, or handling the day-to-day challenges of living in an otherworldly locale.

“Often you’re visiting a place for the very first time, and of course it’s an amazing, awe-inspiring place, but you’re also very concerned about not dying,” Moores said. “So, we wanted to take that away — that bit of danger — so that people dive into the environment. Everywhere we went, we needed the right combination of an interesting activity, an interesting environment.”

Moores and Rogerson also use a second-person perspective. You’re the one riding a submarine through the hidden seas of Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter. You’re the one spelunking on Hyperion, a spongy Saturnian moon that appears to contain 40% empty space.

The end of each chapter takes a deeper dive into the peculiarities of each extraterrestrial environment. For example, riding a balloon around Venus makes sense because the surroundings at an altitude of 30 to 40 miles are similar to Earth’s when it comes to temperature and atmospheric pressure. In contrast, the surface of Venus is hellishly hot.

Ballooning on Venus is much more than a daydream. More than a decade ago, NASA engineers came up with a concept that called for sending habitable airships into the Venusian atmosphere. More recently, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been looking into a mission that would use robotic balloons to study the clouds of Venus.

Similarly, the idea of sending mini-subs through Europa’s subsurface ocean is being considered as a follow-up to NASA’s Europa Clipper mission. A robotic submarine has also been proposed for exploring Titan’s hydrocarbon seas — although NASA’s Dragonfly mission to Titan, which relies on a rotorcraft, will be taking precedence.

The authors don’t shy away from the important issues: In one chapter, they describe in depth how to brew a delicious cup of coffee on Titan — and then explain why you could conceivably put on a pair of mechanical wings and flap your way through the Saturnian moon’s dense atmosphere after your morning cup of joe.

Will humans ever be able to experience the adventures described in the book? “I hope so,” Moores says.

“One thing that our publisher pointed out when we submitted our final manuscript, which wasn’t actually intentional, was that they felt that the book was actually very optimistic and very hopeful — just the framing of it, that you could imagine the future in a way that actually allows these things to happen,” he says. “So many other works are a little bit apocalyptic right now.”

• My co-host for the Fiction Science podcast is Dominica Phetteplace, an award-winning writer who is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop and lives in San Francisco. To learn more about Phetteplace, visit her website, DominicaPhetteplace.com.

RELATED VIDEOS

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Adventures of an interplanetary architect | Xavier De Kestelier

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

30-01-2025 om 21:11 geschreven door peter  

The warming ground sublimates frozen CO2 into vapour that accumulates under the solid CO2. Eventually, the gas escapes through weak spots in the ice. It can erupt into geysers that spread darker material out onto the frozen surface.

The HiRISE camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured this image of these geysers on Mars in October 2018. It has also captured other images of Martian CO2 geysers.

Some of Mars’ CO2 geysers erupt and create dark spots as large as 1 km across. They are fueled by considerable power and can erupt at speeds up to 160 km/h.

Sometimes the eruptions create dark regions under the ice which look like spiders.

Scientists are calling these features araneiform terrain or spider terrain. They are found in clusters that give the surface a wrinkled appearance. NASA scientists recreated these patterns in lab tests to understand the processes behind their formation. “The spiders are strange, beautiful geologic features in their own right,” said Lauren McKeown of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

The process that explains how the CO2 cycle creates these features is called the Keiffer model. Hugh Keiffer was with the US Geological Survey when he and his colleagues published a paper explaining the model in 2006 in Nature titled “CO2 jets formed by sublimation beneath translucent slab ice in Mars’ seasonal south polar ice cap.”

“We propose that the seasonal ice cap forms an impermeable, translucent slab of CO2 ice that sublimates from the base, building up high-pressure gas beneath the slab. This gas levitates the ice, which eventually ruptures, producing high-velocity CO2 vents that erupt sand-sized grains in jets to form the spots and erode the channels,” Keiffer and his co-authors wrote in their paper.

Maybe humans are biased, but there’s nothing as beautiful and splendorous as Earth. Generations of poets have acclaimed its beauty to the point where it borders on the spiritual. However, when it comes to CO2 geysers and the natural patterns they create, Mars has something that Earth doesn’t.

“These processes are unlike any observed on Earth,” the authors of the 2006 paper stated.

Source: 

• Geyser Season on Mars

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

30-01-2025 om 20:56 geschreven door peter  

30-01-2025 om 20:33 geschreven door peter  

ESA houdt de onlangs ontdekte ruimterots nauwlettend in de gaten.

Astronomen hebben een nieuwe ruimterots ontdekt die mogelijk op ramkoers ligt met de aarde. Deze planetoïde, 2024 YR4 genoemd, heeft een diameter van 40 tot 100 meter – groot genoeg om flink wat schade aan te richten als hij zou inslaan.

2032
2024 YR4 werd op 27 december 2024 door de ATLAS-telescoop aan het licht gebracht. Vlak na de ontdekking berekenden slimme waarschuwingssystemen dat de planetoïde, hoewel de kans miniem is, op 22 december 2032 de aarde zou kunnen raken.

Grootte
2024 YR4 heeft zoals gezegd een diameter van meer dan 50 meter. Ter vergelijking: een passagiersvliegtuig zoals een Boeing 747 is ongeveer 70 meter lang. Planetoïden van deze grootte slaan gemiddeld eens in de paar duizend jaar in op de aarde. Mocht 2024 YR4 inderdaad inslaan, dan zou dit niet per se catastrofale gevolgen hebben. Wel zal het ernstige schade kunnen aanrichten als hij bijvoorbeeld dicht bij een grote stad of dichtbevolkt gebied landt. Op dit moment is het nog te vroeg om te bepalen waar op aarde een eventuele inslag zou kunnen plaatsvinden.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 Is Level 3 On The Torino Scale, With A Very Close ...

Gevaarlijke planetoïde
Door dit risico staat de ruimterots nu bovenaan ESA’s lijst van gevaarlijke planetoïden. Sinds begin januari hebben astronomen prioriteit gegeven aan vervolgwaarnemingen met telescopen over de hele wereld. Wat we nu over de planetoïde weten, is dat zijn baan rond de zon ellipsvormig (excentrisch) is. Op dit moment beweegt de planetoïde zich bijna in een rechte lijn van de aarde weg, waardoor het moeilijk is om zijn exacte baan te bepalen. Nieuwe gegevens zullen echter helpen om de grootte en koers van de planetoïde nog nauwkeuriger in kaart te brengen.

Hoe wordt de baan van aardscheerders berekend?
De baan van planetoïden wordt berekend door het elliptische pad rond de zon te bepalen dat het beste past bij de beschikbare waarnemingen. Dat wil zeggen, het berekende pad van het object rond de zon wordt aangepast totdat de voorspellingen van waar de planetoïde op verschillende waargenomen tijdstippen aan de hemel had moeten verschijnen, overeenkomen met de posities waar het object daadwerkelijk op diezelfde tijdstippen werd gezien. Naarmate het aantal waarnemingen toeneemt, kan ook de exacte baan van de ruimtesteen verbeterd worden. Op die manier krijgen astronomen een goed beeld van waar het object zich in de toekomst zal bevinden.

Toch is er geen reden om in paniek te raken. ESA schat de kans dat 2024 YR4 op 22 december 2032 de aarde zal raken, namelijk op slechts 1,2 procent. Omdat de kans op inslag binnen de komende vijftig jaar meer dan 1 procent is, wordt de planetoïde nauwlettend in de gaten gehouden. Op dit moment heeft geen enkele andere grote planetoïde een inslagkans van meer dan 1 procent. Maar vergeet niet: er is ook een 99 procent kans dat 2024 YR4 ons voorbij zal schieten.

Risico neemt eerst toe, dan weer af
Toch kan een mogelijke inslag niet volledig worden uitgesloten. Daarom staat planetoïde 2024 YR4 op dit moment op niveau 3 van de Schaal van Torino: een nauwe passage die de aandacht van zowel astronomen als het publiek trekt. Het is goed om te weten dat de kans op inslag vaak eerst toeneemt, maar naarmate er meer waarnemingen zijn, meestal snel weer naar nul daalt. In het verleden zijn er meerdere objecten met een vergelijkbare beoordeling geweest die uiteindelijk van de lijst verdwenen naarmate er meer gegevens binnendruppelden. Wil je weten waarom? Bekijk dan de onderstaande video.

Bombardement uit de ruimte
Overigens is het niet heel zeldzaam dat onze aarde wordt geraakt door stof en gesteente vanuit de ruimte. Elke dag wordt de aarde gebombardeerd met meer dan 100 ton stof en deeltjes ter grootte van zandkorrels. Ongeveer één keer per jaar raakt een planetoïde ter grootte van een auto de aardse atmosfeer. Dit heeft weinig gevolgen, behalve dat ze als oplichtende vuurbollen kunnen worden gezien terwijl ze in onze atmosfeer opbranden. Elke 2000 jaar treft een steen ter grootte van een voetbalveld de aarde, wat wel aanzienlijke schade kan aanrichten. Slechts eens in de paar miljoen jaar komt er een object langs dat groot genoeg is om al het leven op aarde om te leggen (denk aan de planetoïde die een einde maakte aan het dino-tijdperk). Inslagkraters op de aarde, de maan en andere planetaire lichamen zijn hiervoor het bewijs.

Risicolijst
De komende maanden zal 2024 YR4 steeds moeilijker zichtbaar zijn vanaf de aarde. In die tijd zal ESA de waarnemingen blijven coördineren met steeds krachtigere telescopen. Uiteindelijk wordt ook de beroemde Very Large Telescope van de Europese Zuidelijke Sterrenwacht in Chili ingezet om zoveel mogelijk gegevens te verzamelen. Het is overigens ook mogelijk 2024 YR4 uit het zicht verdwijnt voordat we een inslag in 2032 volledig kunnen uitsluiten. Als dat gebeurt, zal de planetoïde waarschijnlijk op ESA’s risicolijstje blijven staan totdat hij in 2028 weer te zien is.

Hoewel het nog steeds uiterst onwaarschijnlijk is dat 2024 YR4 over zo’n zo’n zeven jaar op aarde neerstort, hebben we gelukkig een plan klaarliggen voor het geval het ergste scenario werkelijkheid zou worden. Zo bewees de DART-missie namelijk dat we in staat zijn de baan van een ruimterots te veranderen. Dit betekent dat we de koers van een gevaarlijke aardscheerder kunnen afbuigen, waardoor we de aarde kunnen beschermen. En dat is toch een geruststellende gedachte!

Bronmateriaal

• "ESA actively monitoring near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4" - ESA
  
• "NASA Shares Observations of Recently-Identified Near Earth Asteroid" - NASA

{ https://scientias.nl/ }

30-01-2025 om 20:21 geschreven door peter  

The Pudasjärvi UFO Wave: Finland’s Mysterious Encounters of 1969 

In the late 1960s, a quiet corner of northern Finland became the unlikely epicenter of one of the most perplexing UFO waves in history. The Pudasjärvi UFO wave, spanning from 1969 to 1971, left locals and researchers alike bewildered by a series of strange orbs, eerie lights, and unexplained encounters. Could these sightings have been the result of natural phenomena, top-secret government experiments, or even extraterrestrial visitors? The events that unfolded remain one of Finland’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

A Surge of Unexplained Sightings

Pudasjärvi, a remote region characterized by dense forests and rolling fells, became a focal point for UFO activity starting in September 1969. Over a period of several months, multiple witnesses, including farmers, teachers, taxi drivers, and entire families, reported seeing luminous objects in the night sky. These were not fleeting glimpses—some sightings lasted for hours, leaving behind eerie traces of light beams, magnetic disturbances, and inexplicable movements.

Eyewitnesses described the objects as:

• Glowing orbs that hovered over frozen lakes and tree lines.
• Pulsating lights that moved in intelligent patterns.
• Unidentified craft that appeared pear-shaped or disk-like.

The most remarkable encounter occurred on September 8, 1969, when a taxi driver, Ahti Kula, along with his passengers, observed a bright light in the distance. As they continued their journey, the light moved closer, displaying deliberate maneuvers that defied conventional aircraft behavior. Their observations were later corroborated by other witnesses, reinforcing the credibility of their experience.

Unexplained Magnetic Anomalies

The persistent sightings prompted scientific investigations, particularly due to reports of magnetic disturbances in the area. Researchers noted that compasses malfunctioned, and some locations displayed inexplicable fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field. Despite attempts to link these anomalies to known natural causes, no definitive explanation was found.

Professor Juhani Oksman, a leading Finnish electromagnetic expert, conducted research on the phenomenon and concluded that there was no current scientific explanation for what had been observed in Pudasjärvi.

The Gunshot Incident and Alleged Alien Contact

One of the most chilling accounts from the Pudasjärvi UFO wave occurred in 1971, when two brothers, Hugo and Seppo Kell Lampi, reportedly fired a rifle at a UFO after experiencing repeated sightings. The men, who worked as snowplow operators, had encountered strange lights multiple times and eventually felt threatened by their presence. One night, Seppo rushed inside their home in a panic, prompting Hugo to grab his hunting rifle and shoot at the unidentified object.

What happened next is both bizarre and unsettling. A local man, Unto Laine, later claimed that on the very night of the shooting, he was inside the UFO, interacting with its alien occupants. According to Laine, the beings—slender, approximately 160 cm tall, and dressed in protective suits—were shocked by the attack and asked, “Why are they shooting?” His only response was, “We are so primitive.”

Laine further asserted that the beings gave him the gift of healing, an ability he claimed to have used for the rest of his life, even stating that he had treated Boris Yeltsin, the future Russian leader. Strangely, shortly after the incident, both Kell Lampi brothers died unexpectedly, which fueled speculation that the UFO encounter had some deeper significance.

Theories and Explanations

The Pudasjärvi UFO wave remains one of the most well-documented and debated cases in Finland’s history. Theories attempting to explain the sightings include:

1. Natural Phenomena – Some researchers speculate that the glowing orbs may have been ball lightning, auroras, or atmospheric anomalies unique to Finland’s northern latitudes. However, this does not account for the intelligent movement patterns witnessed by multiple individuals.
2. Secret Military Projects – The late 1960s and early 1970s were rife with Cold War-era experimental aircraft and missile tests. Some believe that these sightings could have been classified military technology being tested in remote areas.
3. Extraterrestrial Visitors – The sheer volume and consistency of reports, coupled with accounts of direct interactions with beings, have led some UFO researchers to conclude that these events may indeed be evidence of extraterrestrial contact.

Legacy of the Pudasjärvi UFO Wave

Decades later, the events in Pudasjärvi continue to intrigue UFO enthusiasts, skeptics, and scientists alike. Despite extensive documentation and firsthand testimonies, no concrete explanation has been found. The mystery endures, reminding us that even in our technologically advanced world, there are still phenomena beyond our understanding.

Was the Pudasjärvi UFO wave a misunderstood natural occurrence, secret military technology, or genuine extraterrestrial contact? The answers remain elusive, but one thing is certain—something truly extraordinary happened in northern Finland in 1969, and its legacy continues to spark curiosity and debate to this day.

{ https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/ }

30-01-2025 om 18:18 geschreven door peter  

• READ MORE:  'Doomsday' fish found on beach sparks fears of looming disaster

By ELLYN LAPOINTE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

Humanity is officially one second closer to world annihilation, scientists say. 

The Doomsday Clock has been revealed – and it now sits at 89 seconds to midnight, one second closer than last year. 

It's also the closest the clock has ever been to midnight in its 78-year history, meaning we're nearer to world-ending catastrophe than ever before. 

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, which decides where the hands are set, cited the Russia-Ukraine war, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the threat of nuclear war, climate change, a looming bird flu pandemic and AI arms race for the update. 

The Chicago-based nonprofit created the Doomsday Clock in 1947 during the Cold War tensions that followed World War II to warn the public about how close humankind was to destroying the world. 

'We set the clock closer to midnight because we do not see sufficient positive progress on the global challenges we face,' said Daniel Holz, board member and physicist at the University of Chicago.

'Setting the Doomsday Clock at 89 seconds to midnight is a warning to all world leaders,' he added. 

Since 2023, it has been set at 90 seconds to midnight, but this year scientists predicted it would move forward to reflect the troubling global outlook.

Scientists unveiled the 2025 update for the 'Doomsday Clock' today, revealing that it has moved one second closer to midnight. Pictured with the clock, former President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos (left) and Robert Socolow (right), professor emeritus at Princeton University and member of the Atomic Scientists' Science and Security Board

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, which decides where the hands are set, cited the Russia-Ukraine war, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, the threat of nuclear war, climate change, a looming bird flu pandemic and AI arms race

Why has the Doomsday Clock gone forward? 

Moving the Doomsday Clock one second closer on Tuesday signified humanity's failures to make progress from the global threats in the past 12 months. 

The Russia-Ukraine war, Israel's ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and the threat of nuclear war, climate change and AI all mean the clock has gone forwards for the first time in two years. 

'The factors shaping this year's decision – nuclear risk, climate change, the potential misuse of advances in biological science and a variety of other emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence – were not new in 2024,' Holz said.

'But we have seen insufficient progress in addressing the key challenges, and in many cases this is leading to increasingly negative and worrisome effects.' 

Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine launched Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II, while there's a growing sense 'a nation may end up using nuclear weapons'.

'The war in Ukraine continues to loom as a large source of nuclear risk,' Holz said. 

'That conflict could escalate to include nuclear weapons at any moment due to a rash decision or through accident and miscalculation.'  

+14

View gallery

The Doomsday Clock was set at 89 seconds to midnight, the closest the Clock has ever been to midnight in its 78-year history. The symbolic clock edges closer to midnight to reflect human-made global catastrophes

An Israeli attack on al-Hudari family house reduces the building into rubble in Gaza City, Gaza on January 05, 2025

Harrowing fires in California this month were related to climate change, according to scientists. Pictured, a home is engulfed in flames, Los Angeles, January 8, 2025

President Donald Trump speaking in the White House's Roosevelt Room flanked by Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp; Larry Ellison, Executive Charmain Oracle and Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI on January 21, 2025, to announce $500B AI investment. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin in November lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks, a move the Kremlin described as a signal to the West. 

Russia's updated doctrine set a framework for conditions under which Putin could order a strike from the world's biggest nuclear arsenal.

The Middle East has been another source of instability with the Israel-Gaza war and broader regional hostilities involving countries including Iran. 

'We are watching closely and hope that the ceasefire in Gaza will hold,' Holz said.  

Meanwhile, nuclear-armed China has stepped up military pressure near Taiwan, and nuclear-armed North Korea continues with tests of various ballistic missiles.

Climate change poses another existential threat. Last year was the hottest in recorded history, according to scientists at the UN World Meteorological Organization. The last 10 years were the 10 hottest on record, it said.

'While there has been impressive growth in wind and solar energy, the world is still falling short of what is necessary to prevent the worse aspects of climate change,' Holz said.

Last year also saw staggering advancements in artificial intelligence, prompting increasing concern among some experts about its military applications and its risks to global security.

The 2025 Clock time signals that the world is on a course of unprecedented risk, and that continuing on the current path is a form of madness

2024 also saw advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) that have contributed to the decision to move the time forward (file photo)

2024 was the hottest year on record, beating the record set by 2023. The average global temperature in 2024 reached 15.1°C (59.2°F), 0.72°C (1.3°F) warmer than the 1991-2000 average

Governments have addressed the matter in fits and starts. In the US, then-President Biden in October signed an executive order intended to reduce the risks that AI poses to national security, the economy and public health or safety. 

His successor Donald Trump revoked it last week, and also announced a private-sector $500 billion investment in AI infrastructure.

'Advances in AI are beginning to show up on the battlefield in tentative but worrisome ways, and of particular concern is the future possibility of AI applications to nuclear weapons,' Holz said.

'In addition, AI is increasingly disrupting the world's information ecosystem. AI-fueled disinformation and misinformation will only add to this dysfunction.'

What is the Doomsday Clock?

The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic timepiece showing how close the world is to a human-made global catastrophe, as deemed by experts. 

Every year, the clock is updated based on how close we are to the total annihilation of humanity ('midnight').

If the clock goes forward and gets closer to midnight (compared with where it was set the previous year), it suggests humanity has got closer to self destruction.

Moving the Doomsday Clock one second closer on Tuesday signified humanity's failures to make progress from the global threats of 2024. Scientists noted that a looming pandemic was part of their decision

In 2024, the hands did not move to reflect an unchanging global situation 

But if it moves back, further away from midnight, it suggests humanity has reduced the risks of global catastrophe in the past 12 months.

On some years, such as 2024, the hands of the clock haven't moved at all – which suggests the global situation has not changed.

The clock is set by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a nonprofit organization based in Chicago that publishes an academic journal.

Although symbolic and not an actual clock, the organization does unveil a physical 'quarter clock' model at an event when revealing if and how the hands have moved.

After the unveiling, the model can be found located at the Bulletin offices in the Keller Center, home to the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.

Every January, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists reveals its annual update to the Doomsday Clock – even if the hands are not moved. 

When was the Doomsday Clock created?

The Doomsday Clock goes back to June 1947, when US artist Martyl Langsdorf was hired to design a new cover for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists journal.

The Doomsday Clock goes back to June 1947, when US artist Martyl Langsdorf was hired to design a new cover for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists journal 

Dr Leonard Rieser, Chairman of the Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, moves the hand of the Doomsday Clock back to 17 minutes before midnight at offices near the University of Chicago on November 26, 1991

With a striking image on the cover, the organization hoped to 'frighten men into rationality', according to Eugene Rabinowitch, the first editor of the journal.

It came amid a backdrop of public fear surrounding atomic warfare and weaponry, just two years after the Second World War ended.

Langsdorf initially considered drawing the symbol for uranium before sketching a clock to convey a sense of urgency.

She set it at seven minutes to midnight because 'it looked good to my eye', Langsdorf later said.

On the cover of later issues in subsequent years, the hands of the clock were adjusted based on how close we are to catastrophe.

After the Soviet Union successfully tested its first atomic bomb in 1949, Rabinowitch reset the clock from seven minutes to midnight to three minutes to midnight.

Since then, it has continued to move forwards and backwards.

In 2009, the Bulletin ceased its print edition, but the clock is still updated once a year on its website and is now a much-anticipated highlight of the scientific calendar.

The Doomsday Clock’s time is set by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board (SASB) in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes nine Nobel Laureates. Factors included nuclear weapons threats, the climate crisis, biological threats, and disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence (file photo)

Who decides what time to set the Doomsday Clock at?

Shortly after it was first created, Bulletin Editor Eugene Rabinowitch decided whether or not the hands should be moved.

Rabinowitch was a scientist, fluent in Russian, and a leader in the conversations about nuclear disarmament, meaning he was in frequent discussions with scientists and experts all over the world.

After considering the discussions, he would decide whether the clock should be moved forward or backward, at least in the first few decades of the clock's existence.

When he died in 1973, the Bulletin's Science and Security Board took over, made up of experts on nuclear technology and climate science, and has included 13 Nobel Laureates over the years.

The panel meets twice a year to discuss ongoing world events, such as the war in Ukraine, and whether a clock change is necessary.

When were the hands furthest away from midnight?

In 1991, following the end of the Cold War, the Bulletin set the clock hands to 17 minutes to midnight.

The end of the war saw the US and the Soviet Union sign the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

This meant the countries would cut down their nuclear weapons arsenal, reducing the threat of nuclear war.

Unfortunately, the hands have not been as far away from midnight since then – and they do not look like moving back to this position any time soon.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

29-01-2025 om 23:45 geschreven door peter  

By SHIVALI BEST FOR MAILONLINE 

The existence of Scotland's legendary Loch Ness Monster has been hotly-debated for nearly a century. 

Affectionately referred to as Nessie, the large marine creature is said to inhabit the freshwater loch south of Inverness.

Now the mystery may have been finally been solved - by none other than Prince William. 

The Prince of Wales today visited Earthshot Prize finalist, Nature Metrics, at their Surrey HQ, where he was shown the Nature Intelligence Platform. 

This tool is able to identify individual species from small samples of soil, sediment, water, or air. 

During a demonstration of the technology, the Prince of Wales asked one of the researchers the million dollar question: 'Does this mean you could find the Loch Ness Monster?'

Unfortunately, the researcher poured cold water on any hopes that the monster is real.

'It might just be a very big eel,' she said. 

The Prince of Wales today visited Earthshot Prize finalist, Nature Metrics, at their Surrey HQ. The company's Nature Intelligence Platform is able to identify individual species from small samples of soil, sediment, water, or air

The existence of Scotland's legendary Loch Ness Monster has been hotly-debated for nearly a century. Now the mystery may have been finally been solved - by none other than Prince William 

During his visit, the Prince of Wales was shown Nature Metrics' eDNA Surveying Tool.

'All living things leave traces of their DNA in the environment (eDNA),' the company explains on its website. 

'We use this to identify individual species from small samples of soil, sediment, water and air.'

The demonstration sparked Prince William to ask the 'question that everyone is going to want to know' - does this mean we could find the Loch Ness Monster?

In response, the researcher said: 'Do you know what, people have tried. 

'People came from New Zealand to try that. They took about 500 eDNA samples in Loch Ness. 

'They said they found eels, and it might just be a very big eel, but that felt like it was clutching at straws a bit!

'All they needed to find was one bit of unidentified reptile DNA and they could have had a story.'

+5

Affectionately referred to as Nessie, the large marine creature is said to inhabit the freshwater loch south of Inverness

The Loch Ness monster isn't the only mythical creature that Nature Metrics has been asked to help find. 

'We've been asked to try and find the Yeti and Bigfoot - all sorts,' the researcher added.

The revelation comes shortly after naturalist Adrian Shine said people spotting 'long-necked' creatures on Loch Ness were actually misidentifying waterbirds in calm conditions.

While mysterious humps or loops in the water were really just boat wakes, he said, which are the 'largest cause of monster sightings'.

He added that the Nessie of popular imagination was simply the classic sea serpent depicted on old maps in a new inland setting.

Mr Shine, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and founder of the Loch Ness Project, says he is a 'sympathetic sceptic' when it comes to the monster.

But he offered few comforts to those who believe Nessie is real.

He said: 'Boat wakes are probably the number one cause of monsters sightings, and waterbirds are the long-necked ones.'

'Of course there are long-necked creatures on Loch Ness – we call them swans.

'And in calm conditions you can lose your ability to judge distance, and if you can't judge distance, you can't judge size.' 

What IS the Loch Ness Monster?

Rumours of a strange creature living in the waters of Loch Ness have abounded over the decades, yet scant evidence has been found to back up these claims.

One of the first sightings, believed to have fuelled modern Nessie fever, came in May 2, 1933.  

On this date the Inverness Courier carried a story about a local couple who claim to have seen 'an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface'.

Another famous claimed sighting is a photograph taken in 1934 by Colonel Robert Kenneth Wilson.

It was later exposed as a hoax by one of the participants, Chris Spurling, who, on his deathbed, revealed that the pictures were staged.

Other sightings James Gray's picture from 2001 when he and friend Peter Levings were out fishing on the Loch, while namesake Hugh Gray's blurred photo of what appears to be a large sea creature was published in the Daily Express in 1933.

Robert Kenneth Wilson, a London physician, captured arguably the most famous image of the Loch Ness Monster. The surgeon’s photograph was published in the Daily Mail on April 21, 1934 - however it was later proven to be a fake 

The first reported sighting of the monster is said to have been made in AD565 by the Irish missionary St Columba when he came across a giant beast in the River Ness.

But no one has ever come up with a satisfactory explanation for the sightings - although in 2019, 'Nessie expert' Steve Feltham, who has spent 24 years watching the Loch, said he thought it was actually a giant Wels Catfish, native to waters near the Baltic and Caspian seas in Europe.

An online register lists more than 1,000 total Nessie sightings, created by Mr Campbell, the man behind the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club and is available at www.lochnesssightings.com. 

So what could explain these mysterious sightings? 

Many Nessie witnesses have mentioned large, crocodile-like scutes sitting atop the spine of the creature, leading some to believe an escaped amphibian may be to blame.

Native fish sturgeons can also weigh several hundred pounds and have ridged backs, which make them look almost reptilian.

Some believe Nessie is a long-necked plesiosaur - like an elasmosaur - that survived somehow when all the other dinosaurs were wiped out.

Others say the sightings are down to Scottish pines dying and flopping into the loch, before quickly becoming water-logged and sinking.

While submerged, botanical chemicals start trapping tiny bubbles of air.

Eventually, enough of these are gathered to propel the log upward as deep pressures begin altering its shape, giving the appearance of an animal coming up for air.

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{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

29-01-2025 om 23:12 geschreven door peter  

Scientists uncover the 'strongest evidence yet' for aliens: Breakthrough study confirms asteroid Bennu contains the building blocks of life

• READ MORE: Scientists come up with a way to save Earth from asteroid collision

By XANTHA LEATHAM DEPUTY SCIENCE EDITOR FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Experts have unearthed the 'strongest evidence yet' for aliens on other planets after pieces of an asteroid were found to contain the building blocks of life.

In 2020, a NASA spacecraft collected a sample from an asteroid called Bennu as part of a nail-biting mission that took place more than 200 million miles away.

Once it had returned to Earth samples of the dust were sent to laboratories around the world, including in the UK, to be studied by scientists.

Now, analysis has revealed that traces of ancient brine within the sample contain minerals crucial to life and which kicked off the chemical processes that led to a lush and fertile Earth.

And experts say this is the 'strongest evidence yet' that the building blocks for life as we know it are spread across the solar system – and have been there for billions of years.

The discovery has been published across two papers – one which indicates Bennu was part of a long-lost wet, salty world which originated at the dawn of the solar system, and another which reveals a 'suite' of organic materials that were detected in the sample.

Among them are all five nitrogenous bases - molecules required for building DNA and RNA - and amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins.

Professor Sara Russell, from the Natural History Museum, was one of the scientists studying the 'dust'.

Experts have unearthed the 'strongest evidence yet' for aliens on other planets after pieces of an asteroid were found to contain the building blocks of life

In 2020, a NASA spacecraft collected a sample from an asteroid called Bennu as part of a nail-biting mission that took place more than 200 million miles away. Once it had returned to Earth samples of the dust were sent to laboratories around the world, including in the UK, to be studied by scientists

Analysis has revealed that traces of ancient brine within the sample contain minerals crucial to life and which kicked off the chemical processes that led to a lush and fertile Earth

She said: 'One of the interesting things we found in there was a whole range of salts. That includes sodium chloride, which is what we put on our chips, and loads of other salts like phosphates and carbonates.

'We think these actually formed a briny, salty water that may have been underground in the asteroid.

'This sort of salty fluid would be a perfect place to make organic molecules. And in the early solar system there would have been millions of asteroids like Bennu, so it could have been really important for "seeding" the Earth and other planets with all these ingredients they can use for life.'

She said although there isn't any evidence for life elsewhere in the solar system yet, 'now we know there were there were all of these ingredients around'.

'I imagine that whatever rained down on Earth would have also rained down on Mars and on the moons of the giant planets, and they might have been really great environments for life to begin,' she added.

'I think it's likely that the fact we've found these things in abundance means that life may have begun elsewhere.

'This is really strong evidence that these building blocks for life were widespread throughout our solar system.'

The two new studies, which appear in the journals Nature and Nature Astronomy, are among the first published analyses of the Bennu samples.

Scanning electron microscope images of trona found in samples of the asteroid Bennu returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission

Earth-originating examples of minerals found in Bennu samples. Foreground, left to right: calcite, gaylussite, sylvite with halite, villiaumite

Some of these crucial 'building blocks' have not been detected in meteorites that have fallen to Earth – most likely because their composition would have been altered after burning through the atmosphere and they would have been easily contaminated after hitting the ground.

Bennu consists of pieces of a larger asteroid that formed nearly 4.6 billion years ago, around the same time as the solar system.

By understanding the composition of the Bennu samples, scientists can gain insights into the conditions of that time, helping answer questions about how the solar system - and Earth - formed.

'It's interesting that although Bennu had everything needed for life, it did not form,' Professor Russell added.

'The complex and delicate conditions needed to catalyse life really bring into focus the abundance of biodiversity here on Earth.'

Co-lead author Tim McCoy, curator of meteorites at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington said: 'This extraordinary work, done at the scale of microns, will help us understand what happens at the scale of planets.'

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

29-01-2025 om 21:49 geschreven door peter  

Asteroid Bennu contains the 'seeds of life,' OSIRIS-REx samples reveal

The two teams of researchers who made the discoveries published their findings Jan. 29 in two papers in the journal Nature Astronomy.

"We now know from Bennu that the raw ingredients of life were combining in really interesting and complex ways on Bennu's parent body," study co-lead author Tim McCoy, curator of meteorites at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, said in a statement. "We have discovered that next step on a pathway to life."

Bennu is a potentially hazardous asteroid that has a 1-in-2,700 chance of striking Earth in the year 2182 — the highest odds of any known space object. But scientists are more interested in what's trapped on the space rock: As a carbon-rich asteroid, it likely contains many of the primordial molecules present when life first emerged on Earth.

Related: 

• NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission almost bit the dust — then Queen guitarist Brian May stepped in

OSIRIS-REx launched in September 2016 and traveled 200 million miles (320 million kilometers) to reach Bennu.

Once there, the spacecraft orbited the asteroid for nearly two years as flight engineers searched for a landing site. Upon making contact with the space rock, OSIRIS-REx fired a burst of nitrogen from its Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism to stick the landing and prevent itself from sinking through the asteroid. The nitrogen burst captured a 4.29-ounce (121.6 grams) sample in the process.

In October 2023, the sample was brought to Earth aboard OSIRIS-REx's capsule, which reached speeds of up to 27,000 mph (43,000 km/h) before it deployed its parachute and landed safely in the Utah desert. To avoid contamination, the sample container was taken to a clean room before being opened.

The researchers behind the first study received slices of the Bennu sample, which they examined under a scanning electron microscope. This enabled the team to study features on the sample's surface with a resolution of one-hundredth the width of a human hair.

The scientists discovered sodium carbonate, typically found in evaporated lakes that once contained life on Earth, on the space rock's surface. Within the sodium carbonate, the team found 11 minerals that are important precursors for organic compounds. The mineral compositions differed subtly from those found on our planet; being rich in phosphorus and poor in boron, when the reverse is true in Earth’s lakes.

The researchers think brine similar to that found on Bennu could also exist on other bodies in the solar system, such as the dwarf planet Ceres and Saturn's icy moon Enceladus.

In the second study, conducted by scientists in Japan, a separate piece of the sample was also found to contain the five nucleobases — adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine and uracil — which combine with ribose and phosphate to form DNA and RNA, the ladder-like structures that make up the genetic code of all life on Earth.

This is the first time that scientists have found these nucleobases on a distant asteroid. In 2023, a sample taken from the Ryugu space rock by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft was found to contain uracil, yet the other nucleobases were missing.

It's unclear what this means for life beyond our planet. While the existence of these minerals on Bennu is a sure indication that the asteroid had the right ingredients for life, the researchers are unsure if the asteroid's environment was too harsh for the compounds to grow into complex organic structures. To further investigate, the scientists plan to reexamine meteorites in their collection for similar salts and compounds.

"We now know we have the basic building blocks to move along this pathway towards life, but we don't know how far along that pathway this environment could allow things to progress," McCoy said.

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

29-01-2025 om 20:47 geschreven door peter  

Chinese astronauts make rocket fuel and oxygen in space using 1st-of-its kind 'artificial photosynthesis'

In this case, the astronauts created the hydrocarbon ethylene, which can be used as rocket fuel. But by using different catalysts in the reaction, the researchers believe they could instead produce methane, which could also be used for fuel; and formic acid, which can be used as a preservative, antibacterial agent or precursor to making sugars, Interesting Engineering reported.

"This technology mimics the natural photosynthesis process of green plants through engineered physical and chemical methods, utilizing carbon dioxide resources in confined spaces or extraterrestrial atmospheres to produce oxygen and carbon-based fuels," Chinese state television channel CCTV reported Jan. 19. "The work is expected to provide critical technical support for human survival and exploration in outer space."

Related: China plans to build enormous solar array in space — and it could collect more energy in a year than 'all the oil on Earth'

The researchers have not revealed details about the technology. However, it supposedly requires much less energy than the electrolysis technology used to create oxygen from water on the International Space Station (ISS), the South China Morning Post reported. Electrolysis uses up to a third of the ISS's power output, according to a 2023 study.

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

29-01-2025 om 20:26 geschreven door peter  

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

29-01-2025 om 18:51 geschreven door peter  

Why is Antarctica a Magnet for UFO Stories?

An illustration of Antarctica at night.

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

29-01-2025 om 18:32 geschreven door peter  

White House says most New Jersey drones were authorized by FAA: 'This was not the enemy'

"After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons," Leavitt said at a briefing Tuesday.

Leavitt said that the issue grew worse "due to curiosity," as some of the drones also belonged to hobbyists and private citizens.

"This was not the enemy," she told reporters.

‘After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey, in large numbers, were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,’ the new press secretary said 

AP

A wave of panic caused by the drones drew misinformation online, with Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., suggesting on Fox News that the drones belonged to Iran. The Department of Defense categorically denied the suggestion.

In December, New York Stewart International Airport was forced to close its runways for roughly an hour due to drone activity in the airspace. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul requested federal assistance, saying the problem had "gone too far."

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to several federal politicians, including former President Joe Biden, urging them to take action at the national level.

Murphy wrote that he wanted to “encourage Congress to pass legislation empowering state and local law enforcement entities to use advanced detection and mitigation technologies to deal with UAS.” 

Drones are often referred to as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

John Kirby, who worked in the Biden administration's Defense Department, pressed Congress to pass legislation to "deal with that growing ecosystem of drones in U.S. airspace." He told NBC’s “TODAY” show last month that there was a gap in local, state and federal law on the matter.

"Our assessment leads us to conclude that these are lawful and legal aviation activities, manned and unmanned drones and civil aviation aircraft or commercial aircraft," Kirby said. “We know that there’s no national security threat."

{ https://www.nbcnews.com/ }

29-01-2025 om 15:41 geschreven door peter  

White House Press Secretary Leavitt revealed that the large number of drones spotted over New Jersey, military bases and other parts of the U.S. had been authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for research and various other reasons. 

She clarified that many of the drones were operated by hobbyists, recreational pilots, and private individuals. However, as public curiosity grew, so did concerns about their true purpose. 

Leavitt sought to reassure Americans, stating, "This was not the enemy." However, she stopped short of identifying the organizations conducting the research or disclosing the exact nature of the studies. 

Her vague response has done little to ease speculation, with many questioning why the government failed to disclose this information during the peak of public concern. 

It seems the U.S. government recently launched a drone replacement program for the 2024–2025 fiscal year, allocating funds to replace noncompliant drones with new, regulation-approved models. 

Independent reports have linked the mysterious drone sightings to the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to secure additional funding for drone programs. According to the media outlet Redacted, the widespread concern over these sightings may have been intentionally orchestrated to justify increased budget allocations, a so-called false flag operation. 

But was this truly a ploy to manipulate public fear in order to push for more drone funding? Would the DOD really need to stage such an event to secure the resources they want? 

If we talking about these drones, eyewitness reports describe these drones exhibiting flight capabilities far beyond conventional technology. Some accounts suggest that unidentified orbs often accompany them, raising the possibility that the explanation goes beyond mere funding, perhaps something more secretive, or even otherworldly, is at play. 

BUT, if these government or contractor operated drones are indeed conducting a search, it likely signifies a serious threat. Maybe an impending attack on the power grid? Such an event could lead to a complete blackout, triggering widespread panic and chaos with severe consequences. 

Moreover, the continuous flickering of streetlights, advertising boards, facade lamps across the U.S. suggests that something is already interfering with the power grid. This phenomenon raises even more concerns, certainly now recent reports indicate that drones have once again appeared over New Jersey, that the underlying issue may be more significant than what has been publicly disclosed by White House Press Secretary Leavitt so far. 

The above updated map showcasing all reported and recorded locations across the U.S. where flickering streetlights, advertising boards, and facade lamps have been observed.

{ https://ufosightingshotspot.blogspot.com/ }

29-01-2025 om 15:19 geschreven door peter  

First mouse with two biological FATHERS reaches adulthood - in breakthrough that could pave the way for gay men to have children

• READ MORE: Step-by-step graphic reveals how a 'virgin birth' is possible 

By WILIAM HUNTER

The first mouse with two biological fathers has survived until adulthood, a new study has revealed.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences say they have succeeded in breeding mice using only genetic material from two males.

Through a technique called 'embryonic stem cell engineering’, scientists created eggs from the sperm of one father which could be fertilised by the other.

The stem cell technique used by the researchers is not entirely new, but all previous attempts faced seemingly insurmountable problems.

Mice bred using two sets of male genes either failed to grow at all or were born with severe developmental defects that prevented them from reaching adulthood.

However, by editing 20 different genes in the mice's stem cells, the researchers were able to prevent these issues.

Co-author of the study Dr Wei Li says: 'This work will help to address a number of limitations in stem cell and regenerative medicine research.'

While it is currently only possible in mice, this major breakthrough could pave the way for gay men to have children who are biologically related to both fathers. 

Researchers have successfully bred a mouse (right) that has two male parents (one pictured left) and can survive to adulthood by editing their genes to overcome developmental challenges 

In order to breed offspring which have two biological fathers, the researchers first needed to transform the male sex cells from one parent into female sex cells.

The scientists took sperm from a mouse and injected it into a type of cell called an oocyte - an immature egg cell that has had its genetic material removed in a process called enucleation.

This created a stem cell - a type of cell with the potential to become any other type of cell in the body - which contained only male DNA from the first parent.

The researchers then took one of these stem cells and a sperm cell from another male and injected both into another enucleated immature egg.

These male cells combined to create an embryonic stem cell containing the DNA of both parents, which was then used to create an embryo which could be implanted in a surrogate mother.

Once the embryo had developed, the mother gave birth to the offspring, which contained only genetic material from the two males.

Scientists have known for a long time that this is possible and have managed to create viable embryos using the technique.

However, no one has previously managed to create 'bi-paternal' mice that are actually capable of surviving to adulthood.

By changing genes which control how the parents' chromosomes combine, the bi-paternal mice lived much longer and could even survive weaning. Edited mice are shown by the dark blue line 

During heterosexual reproduction, genetic material from a male carried by the sperm combines with genetic material from a female contained in the egg, or ovum.

When this happens, a group of genes called 'homologous chromosomes' from the mother come together with those from the father and combine in a process called 'crossing over'.

But when both sets of homologous chromosomes come from either two males or two females, the genes don't copy over properly, leading to 'imprinting abnormalities'.

These abnormalities can cause developmental defects which prevent the offspring from living healthy lives.

Co-author Dr Qi Zhou says: 'The unique characteristics of imprinting genes have led scientists to believe that they are a fundamental barrier to unisexual reproduction in mammals.

'Even when constructing bi-maternal or bi-paternal embryos artificially, they fail to develop properly, and they stall at some point during development due to these genes.'

In this study, the researchers used a gene editing technology called CRISPR to make changes to mice's DNA in order to prevent imprinting abnormalities.

After creating stem cells from the first male's sperm, they inserted or removed sections of genetic code at 20 places in the mice's DNA that control imprinting.

Using a technique called CRISPR, the researchers modified 20 genes in one of the male mice. This prevented their offspring developing defects which led to earlier death (stock image) 

When these genetically modified stem cells were combined with the sperm from another male, they were much more likely to develop properly.

These changes resulted in mice with two fathers who were able to live until adulthood for the first time ever.

Study co-author Dr Guan-Zheng Luo, of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, says: 'These findings provide strong evidence that imprinting abnormalities are the main barrier to mammalian unisexual reproduction.

'This approach can significantly improve the developmental outcomes of embryonic stem cells and cloned animals, paving a promising path for the advancement of regenerative medicine.'

The authors do acknowledge some significant limitations to these findings.

Only 11.8 per cent of the viable embryos were capable of developing to birth and not every pup which was born lived to adulthood.

The mice that did live to adulthood showed altered growth, shortened lifespans, and were sterile.

However, these results show the first promising steps towards giving gay men the option to have children who are related to both of their fathers.

In the future, the development of this technique could allow gay men to have children who are genetically related to both partners. However, gene editing techniques are currently not permitted for use on humans (stock image)

In theory, it could be possible to use a similar technique to create an embryo using stem cells derived from one human partner and sperm from the other.

Although the child would still need to be carried to term by a female surrogate, they would have genetic material only from both of their fathers.

Currently, the researchers are planning to try this approach in larger animals like monkeys - and warn that the technological hurdles will be significantly larger.

That means getting the technique to work in humans could require years of effort. 

However, not everyone is convinced that scientists should try to pursue this technology in humans, even if it is possible.

Lukasz Konieczka, executive director of the LGBT+ charity Mosaic Trust, told MailOnline: ''I do understand that some might have a strong desire to have biological children as it offers some virtual immortality, as psychologists call it.

'I do not think it is necessary to spend time and resources on such technology as we still have children who are alive today, stuck in a care system due to neglectful or abusive biological parents.'

Since the technique requires editing the genome of the parent's stem cells, it is also prohibited in humans.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research's ethical guidelines for stem cell research do not allow heritable genome editing for reproductive purposes nor the use of human stem cell-derived gametes for reproduction because they are deemed as currently unsafe.

RELATED VIDEO

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

28-01-2025 om 23:34 geschreven door peter  

• READ MORE: Visitor from outer space may have warped the solar system

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

For millennia, humans have asked whether we are alone in the universe, yet the discovery of aliens still eludes us. 

But if extraterrestrials do exist, scientists have found a promising location for where they could be hiding. 

Researchers from the University of Oxford have discovered an exoplanet dubbed HD 20794 d that could have the right conditions for life. 

More than six times as massive as Earth, scientists are describing it as a 'super Earth'. 

It is located in the Eridanus constellation and is in the habitable zone of its star, meaning liquid water – and therefore life – could potentially exist. 

Best of all, it's just 19.7 light-years away from Earth. 

This raises the tantalizing possibility that we could snap pictures of any aliens lurking there.

'Excitingly, its proximity with us – only 20 light-years – means there is hope for future space missions to obtain an image of it,' said Dr Michael Cretignier, who first spotted signs of the planet in 2022. 

Pictured, an artist's impression of the new planet HD 20794 d orbiting its star. The planet is six times as massive as Earth and just 20 light-years away

Its orbit places it within the habitable zone of the system, meaning it is at the right distance from its star to sustain liquid water on its surface, a key ingredient for life as we know it

Researchers from the University of Oxford have discovered an exoplanet dubbed HD 20794 d that could have the right conditions for life (stock image)

HD 20794 d was found using the HARPS (High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher) spectrograph at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. 

Described as one of the most successful ever planet finders, HARPS spends most nights monitoring stars for signals that indicate the presence of 'exoplanets' – planets outside of our solar system. 

It uses a planet-detecting method called radial velocity, also known as the wobble or Doppler method, which can detect 'wobbles' in a star caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet. 

Using HARPS, Dr Cretignier spotted distinct, periodic shifts in the spectrum of light emitted by host star HD 20794, which he thought could have been caused by the gravitational pull of a nearby planet. 

But due to the faintness of the signal, it was not clear whether this was caused by a planet or due to background 'noise' or a subtle instrumental error. 

To verify the signal, an international team analysed precise measurements recorded over two decades by HARPS and its successor ESPRESSO, also in Chile.

By combining the results from the two instruments, the discovery was finally confirmed – a 'relief' according to Dr Cretignier because the original signal was at the edge of the spectrograph’s detection limit. 

The discovery, detailed in a new study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics,also relied on data from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). 

European Southern Observatory's (ESO) La Silla facility in La Higuera, Chile, home to the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher (HARPS) spectrograph

Described as one of the most successful ever planet finders, HARPS (pictured) spends most nights monitoring stars for signals that indicate the presence of 'exoplanets' - planets outside of our solar system

Planet HD 20794 d: Key facts 

Discovered: 2022

Star: HD 20794 (82 G. Eridani)

Orbital duration: 600 days

Constellation: Eridanus

Mass: 6 times that of Earth 

Distance away from us: 19.7 light years 

Dr Cretignier and colleagues know HD 20794 d has a mass six times that of Earth, but as yet they do not know the diameter. 

'The method we are using only provides the distance to the star (the orbital period) and the minimum mass of the planet and not the radius,' Dr Cretignier told MailOnline. 

Although the planet is located in the system’s habitable zone, it is too early to say whether it could host life. 

'It’s important to remember that having a planet in the habitable zone is not sufficient at all to have life on it,' he added.

'Both Mars and Venus are inside the habitable zone of the sun, but I highly don’t recommend you to go there on holiday.'

More questions will have to be answered about the planet first, such as whether it has water on it and if it has an atmosphere, according to the expert.

'The checklist is still long and we have decades of work in front of us,' Dr Cretignier told MailOnline.

Unlike most planets, HD 20794 d’s orbit around its star is 'elliptical' – elongated and not perfectly circular. 

This image shows the flux (the number of photons) on NASA's TESS detector while observing the star HD20794. TESS is a space mission measuring the photometry of the full sky from now a decade with the primary goal of detecting exoplanets using the transits method

Read More

• Visitor from outer space may have warped the solar system 

Its distance from its star changes significantly, causing the planet to move from the outer edge of the habitable zone to the inner edge throughout its year. 

The star is 'a naked-eye star', meaning you could even observe it if you are looking the sky in the south hemisphere, Dr Cretignier added. 

Ultimately, the discovery could eventually give us the first signs of life outside our solar system – although there are many other promising exoplanet candidates. 

'Such a target will be among the primary target list of future space missions with such a purpose that will be on sky the next decade,' Dr Cretignier said. 

Already, NASA has a webpage dedicated to an exoplanet called 'HD 20794 d', which was discovered in 2011.

Dr Cretignier points out that this planet has an outdated name and is actually a different planet in the same system – HD 20794 c. 

The HD 20794 star has three known planets orbiting around it – but there could potentially be more out there waiting to be found. 

The whole system is 19.7 light years away, which, although relatively close to us in the universe is 'desperately out of reach'.

'On the scale of the universe, this is our neighbourhood,' Dr Cretignier said.

'Such is the paradox of the universe – it can be observed, not visited.' 

NASA CONFIRMS THERE ARE MORE THAN 5,000 PLANETS BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM 

NASA has confirmed that there are more than 5,000 known planets outside our solar system, known as exoplanets. 

As of January 28, 2025, there are 5,830 confirmed exoplanets, according to NASA's online exoplanet archive.

The total reached a milestone of 5,800 in early 2022. 

Exoplanets found so far include small, rocky worlds like Earth, gas giants many times larger than Jupiter, and 'hot Jupiters' in scorchingly close orbits around their stars.  

The more than 5,000 exoplanets confirmed in our galaxy so far include a variety of types - among them a mysterious variety known as 'super-Earths' because they are larger than our world and possibly rocky

However, NASA stresses that only 'a tiny fraction' of all the planets in the Milky Way galaxy alone have been found.   

The majority of exoplanets are gaseous, like Jupiter or Neptune, rather than terrestrial, according to NASA's online database.     

Most exoplanets are found by measuring the dimming of a star that happens to have a planet pass in front of it, called the transit method. 

Another way to detect exoplanets, called the Doppler method, measures the 'wobbling' of stars due to the gravitational pull of orbiting planets.  

5,000 Exoplanets: Listen to the Sounds of Discovery (NASA Data Sonification)

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

28-01-2025 om 22:52 geschreven door peter  

Chinese researchers just built an open-source rival to ChatGPT in 2 months. Silicon Valley is freaked out.

For large language models, these data are text. For instance, OpenAI's GPT-3.5, which was released in 2023, was trained on roughly 570GB of text data from the repository Common Crawl — which amounts to roughly 300 billion words — taken from books, online articles, Wikipedia and other webpages.

Reasoning models, such as R1 and o1, are an upgraded version of standard LLMs that use a method called "chain of thought" to backtrack and reevaluate their logic, which enables them to tackle more complex tasks with greater accuracy.

This has made reasoning models popular among scientists and engineers who are looking to integrate AI into their work.

But unlike ChatGPT's o1, DeepSeek is an "open-weight" model that (although its training data remains proprietary) enables users to peer inside and modify its algorithm. Just as important is its reduced price for users — 27 times less than o1.

Besides its performance, the hype around DeepSeek comes from its cost efficiency; the model's shoestring budget is minuscule compared with the tens of millions to hundreds of millions that rival companies spend to train its competitors.

In addition, U.S. export controls, which limit Chinese companies' access to the best AI computing chips, forced R1's developers to build smarter, more energy-efficient algorithms to compensate for their lack of computing power. ChatGPT reportedly needed 10,000 Nvidia GPUs to process its training data, DeepSeek engineers say they achieved similar results with just over 2,000.

How much this will translate into useful scientific and technical applications, or whether DeepSeek has simply trained its model to ace benchmark tests, remains to be seen. Scientists and AI investors are watching closely.

{ https://www.livescience.com/ }

28-01-2025 om 22:07 geschreven door peter  

Het Tunguska-incident van 1908 in Siberië

Inleiding

Het Tunguska-incident, dat plaatsvond op 30 juni 1908 in Siberië, is een van de meest intrigerende en mysterieuze gebeurtenissen van de 20e eeuw. Het incident wordt vaak aangeduid als een van de grootste explosies in de recente geschiedenis en heeft geleid tot talrijke speculaties en onderzoeken. In deze analyse zullen we de achtergrond van het Tunguska-incident onderzoeken, de wetenschappelijke verklaringen, de impact op de regio en de bredere implicaties voor de wetenschappelijke gemeenschap en de samenleving.

Achtergrond van het Tunguska-incident

Geografische Context

Het Tunguska-incident vond plaats in een afgelegen gebied van het Siberische taiga, nabij de rivier de Tunguska. Deze regio is gekenmerkt door dichte bossen, een koud klimaat en een schaarse bevolking. De dichtstbijzijnde nederzetting was het dorp Vanavara, op ongeveer 60 kilometer afstand van de explosie.

Historische Context

In de vroege 20e eeuw was Siberië een praktisch onontgonnen gebied voor de meeste westerse wetenschappers. De Russische overheid had echter belangstelling voor de natuurlijke hulpbronnen van het gebied. Het Tunguska-incident vond plaats in een tijd waarin de wetenschap en technologie snel ontwikkelden, en er was een groeiende interesse in de studie van meteorieten en andere kosmische fenomenen.

De Explosie

Beschrijving van de Gebeurtenissen

Op de ochtend van 30 juni 1908, rond 7:17 lokale tijd, werd een enorme explosie waargenomen in de lucht boven het Tunguska-gebied. De explosie veroorzaakte een schokgolf die bomen omverblies over een gebied van ongeveer 2.000 vierkante kilometer. Het wordt geschat dat de kracht van de explosie gelijk was aan die van 10-15 megaton TNT. De explosie was zo krachtig dat het zelfs voelde als een aardbeving en werd geregistreerd door seismografen in Europa.

Getuigenverklaringen

De meeste getuigen van de explosie waren inheemse Evenki-jagers en Russische kolonisten. Hun beschrijvingen variëren, maar veel getuigen meldden een fel licht en een enorme hitte die hen deed rennen voor hun leven. Sommige getuigen dachten dat het een soort goddelijke straf was, terwijl anderen geloofden dat het een oorlog of een aanval van buitenstaanders was.

Picture from the Leonid Kulik expedition in 1927, courtesy of Wikipedia.

Wetenschappelijke Verklaringen

Tot op vandaag wordt de theorie van een meteorietexplosie aangevoerd om het incident te verklaren. De meteoriet zou ongeveer 6 à 10 kilometers boven het aardoppervlak geïmplodeerd zijn.

Meteoriet- of Cometimpact

De meest gangbare verklaring voor het Tunguska-incident is dat het werd veroorzaakt door de luchtontploffing van een meteoriet of een komet. Wetenschappers geloven dat een object met een diameter van ongeveer 50-60 meter de aarde binnendrong en explodeerde op een hoogte van 5 tot 10 kilometer boven de grond. Dit zou verklaren waarom er geen crater is gevonden, maar er wel aanzienlijke schade aan de flora en fauna is toegebracht.

Alternatieve Theorieën

Naast de meteoriet- of cometheorie zijn er verschillende alternatieve verklaringen voorgesteld, waaronder:

1. Nucleaire Explosie: Sommige onderzoekers speculeerden dat de explosie het gevolg was van een experiment met nucleaire wapens, hoewel dit onwaarschijnlijk is gezien de technologie van die tijd.

2. Vulkanische Activiteit: Er zijn ook suggesties gedaan dat de explosie verband hield met vulkanische activiteit, maar er zijn geen bewijsstukken die deze theorie ondersteunen.

3. Zwarte Gaten of Antimaterie: Een meer exotische theorie is dat de explosie het gevolg was van een klein zwart gat of een explosie van antimaterie, maar deze ideeën zijn niet breed geaccepteerd in de wetenschappelijke gemeenschap.

Impact op de Regio

Ecologische Gevolgen

De explosie had een significante impact op het lokale ecosysteem. Schade aan de vegetatie was op grote schaal zichtbaar, met duizenden bomen die omvielen en de grond bedekten. De natuur herstelde zich echter relatief snel, en na enkele jaren begon het bos zich weer te ontwikkelen.

Sociaal-Economische Impact

Voor de inheemse bevolking had het Tunguska-incident een grote impact op hun levensstijl en cultuur. De schokgolf en de daaropvolgende veranderingen in het milieu beïnvloedden hun jacht- en verzamelpraktijken. Naarmate het gebied meer werd onderzocht, begon de Russische overheid meer belangstelling te tonen voor de regio, wat leidde tot veranderingen in de demografie en economie.

Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

De plaats van het onheil werd slechts in 1921 bezocht door een wetenschapper namelijk de mineraloog Leonid Kulik in opdracht van de Russische Wetenschappelijke Academie. Nadat hij verschillende getuigenissen had gehoord besloot hij dat dit incident te wijten moest zijn aan de inslag van een reusachtige meteoor. Zes jaar later kon hij de Russische regering overtuigen om een nieuwe expeditie te sturen op zoek naar meteorologische ertsen.

Eerste Expedities

De eerste wetenschappelijke expedities naar het Tunguska-gebied werden uitgevoerd in 1927, bijna twintig jaar na de explosie. Een team onder leiding van de Russische geoloog Leonid Kulik onderzocht het gebied en verzamelde gegevens over de effecten van de explosie. Ze ontdekten dat de bomen in een stralenpatroon waren omgevallen en ondervonden dat er geen impactcrater was.

Verdere Studies

Sinds de eerste expedities zijn er talloze studies uitgevoerd naar het Tunguska-incident. Wetenschappers hebben monsters van de bodem en de vegetatie verzameld en hebben gekeken naar de chemische samenstelling van materialen in het gebied. Deze studies hebben bijgedragen aan ons begrip van de explosie en de effecten ervan op het milieu.

Culturele Impact

Mythes en Legenden

Het Tunguska-incident heeft geleid tot een aantal mythes en legenden, zowel in de regio als wereldwijd. Inheemse bevolkingsgroepen vertelden verhalen over de explosie die door hun voorouders als een goddelijke gebeurtenis werd gezien. In de westerse cultuur ontstonden er speculaties over buitenaardse wezens en geheime experimenten.

Populaire Cultuur

Het Tunguska-incident heeft ook zijn weg gevonden naar de populaire cultuur, met verwijzingen in boeken, films en documentaires. Het incident wordt vaak gebruikt als inspiratie voor verhalen over UFO's, apocalyptische gebeurtenissen en mysterieuze fenomenen.

Conclusie

Het Tunguska-incident van 1908 blijft een fascinerend onderwerp voor wetenschappers en het grote publiek. De explosie heeft niet alleen een significante impact gehad op de regio, maar heeft ook geleid tot belangrijke wetenschappelijke ontdekkingen en discussies. Hoewel de meeste wetenschappers het erover eens zijn dat de explosie werd veroorzaakt door een meteoriet of komet, blijven er vragen over de exacte aard van het fenomeen.

Dit incident benadrukt ook de noodzaak van verder onderzoek naar de impact van kosmische gebeurtenissen op onze planeet. Het Tunguska-incident herinnert ons eraan hoe kwetsbaar de aarde is voor de krachten van het universum en hoe belangrijk het is om voorbereid te zijn op mogelijke toekomstige gebeurtenissen. De combinatie van wetenschappelijk onderzoek, culturele impact en ecologische veranderingen maakt het Tunguska-incident tot een onmiskenbaar belangrijk hoofdstuk in de geschiedenis van de aarde.

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{ PETER2011 }

28-01-2025 om 21:23 geschreven door peter  

Ex-DARPA Manager Claims Encounter with 7-Foot Humanoid Who Told him Human Body Is A Machine Designed To House Soul For Lifetime

He has a second master’s degree and a doctorate in cognitive psychology. He’s an open-minded cognitive scientist who has also served as a visiting professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, as well as a consultant for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, NASA, and other agencies.

Throughout his military career, Dr. Blitch served in special operations and hostage rescue missions. After retiring from DARPA in 2002, he founded Blitz Solutions Inc. and established two non-profit organizations: CRASAR, responsible for the first robot-assisted humanitarian response after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and ARACAR, which provided support during the Hurricane Katrina response in 2005.

In an exclusive interview with journalist Ross Coulthart Blitch stated that he believes in the claims made by UFO whistleblower Jake Barber.

“I believe I was visited by Non-human Entities”

Dr. John Blitch recounted several traumatic experiences, both from childhood and later in life, that he believes are connected to encounters with non-human entities. He explained how these incidents left him paralyzed with terror, distinctly different from fear, and how they remain unforgettable due to their emotional intensity.

Dr. Blitch described seeing beings through his bedroom window as a child, staring at him with large dark eyes. These encounters were so frightening that he became paralyzed, unable to scream until the paralysis lifted. He shared that he would eventually scream, prompting his parents to come running and attempt to calm him down.

Despite his father’s assurances that monsters and aliens didn’t exist, Dr. Blitch found their explanations unconvincing. He likened his father’s reassurances to what he perceives as the government’s approach to downplaying the existence of such phenomena.

He acknowledged that, as a child, he tried to dismiss these events as dreams, influenced by his skeptical nature. However, in retrospect, he now believes these were real encounters with non-human intelligences.

Dr. Blitch highlighted the importance of emotion in distinguishing belief from knowledge, stating that while many childhood memories require belief due to lack of proof, his later experiences provide what he considers irrefutable evidence. He firmly stated that he knows he was visited by non-human entities, based on both his childhood and three key incidents as an adult.

His professional background in neuroscience and psychology added depth to his account, as he discussed the physiological responses to terror, such as paralysis and the “chicken skin” reaction. These experiences, he emphasized, went beyond simple fear, leaving a profound impact on him.

Physical Evidence!

Dr. John Blitch recounted waking up after a terrifying night to discover three dark bruises on the inside of his right bicep and another bruise higher up on his arm. The pattern of the bruises suggested a grasp by a three- or four-fingered hand, something he could not logically explain.

He emphasized that he repeatedly tried to determine how he might have caused the injuries but found no plausible explanation. Adding to the strangeness, he noted his uncharacteristic reaction upon waking: he immediately went downstairs to retrieve a video camera to document the bruises.

This behavior was highly unusual for him, as he typically had no inclination to record himself or take photos of his body. He suggested that this anomalous behavior, along with the unexplained bruises, strongly supported the idea of non-human engagement.

Abduction!

That experience leads me to believe that, yes, absolutely, because I clearly didn’t want to go. If something, somebody, or a non-human entity—I think it was a biological robot—wanted me to go somewhere I didn’t want to go, then technically, that is the definition of an abduction.

From my perspective, two species are visiting us, and I feel, like many other abductees, like a lab rat—that we are being prodded, poked, and experimented on as part of scientific discovery.

~Dr. John Blitch

Dr. John Blitch confirmed having held a Top Secret SCI clearance, particularly as a nuclear weapons delivery officer, which required an exceptional level of trust and stability.

He served as a Pershing II missile battery commander, responsible for nuclear missile operations, including leading troops in multiple command roles.

Despite his verified stability and military role, Dr. Blitch openly admitted to having encounters with non-human beings. He mentioned that he was not alone—at least four other peer-qualified military personnel with similar credentials had publicly shared their abduction experiences.

Dr. Blitch brought up notable figures like Terry Lovelace, Mario Woods, Jeff Goodrich, and Bob Jacobs, alongside Robert Hastings, who investigated such incidents. He argued that individuals like Terry Lovelace, who held high-security military roles and later achieved respected civilian positions, provide significant credibility to their claims.

He challenged Congress and skeptics to question the reliability of individuals like Lovelace if they doubt these accounts.

Dr. John Blitch firmly believes that such events are not dreams, emphasizing his inability to dismiss physical evidence like bruises on his body and the accounts of his family, who reported he was missing for about five hours following a supposedly one-hour bike ride.

He goes on to recount an intense, haunting incident that began after a traumatic experience in Oklahoma City, where he witnessed a severe amputation. To cope with the emotional toll, he began taking mountain bike rides to meditate, particularly to a remote area called Daniel’s Park in Denver. One day during his ride, while p assing a fenced area with a sign saying “Indian Burial Grounds,” Dr. Blitch felt an inexplicable urge to trespass. After an internal struggle about respecting the land, he climbed over the fence and started walking his bike through the area. As he ventured farther, he noticed blood on his hand, a bizarre and unexpected bloody nose that seemed unrelated to physical exertion.

He collapsed, later experiencing intense cold and disorientation. Upon regaining his senses, he found himself inexplicably drawn toward a light on a plateau, though he couldn’t explain why. Approaching the light, he observed what he believed was a fuel truck, though his memory was foggy. Strangely, when he attempted to interact with the truck, he felt fear and avoided further engagement.

The odd events continued as he frantically biked home but soon found himself disoriented, arriving hours later than expected. At a nearby 7-Eleven, while extremely dehydrated, he heard his name broadcasted over a police radio. The officer informed him that his wife had filed a missing persons report after his long absence. This was especially troubling because, according to his recollections, the bike ride, which should have taken a couple of hours, had inexplicably stretched out much longer. He felt exhausted as though he had run a marathon but couldn’t make sense of the lost time. The entire event, punctuated with physical and emotional disarray, only added to his growing certainty that extraterrestrial beings had involved themselves in his life.

Dr. John Blitch discussed his struggle with understanding experiences that challenge reality, particularly those involving altered perceptions. He questioned how one could determine the true nature—benevolent or malevolent—of something capable of manipulating perceptions.

He recounted an experience where he froze in fear upon seeing the cover of Whitley Strieber’s book Communion, which features the image of a gray alien. While walking through a Barnes & Noble with his youngest daughter, he glanced at the cover and was immediately overwhelmed by terror, feeling a deep, physiological response. His daughter, noticing he was paralyzed, tugged on his hand, breaking the spell. Despite his terror, he later purchased the book, immediately tore off the cover, and threw it away.

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Blitch linked this fear to memories from his childhood, particularly of seeing similar alien faces looking at him through a window. These experiences left lasting psychological effects, such as obsessive-compulsive behaviors, including repeatedly checking and locking doors and drapes at night. He highlighted how these incidents created a deep sense of unease that he could not shake, reinforcing the profound and unsettling impact they had on him.

Dr. John Blitch addresses the perception of malevolence in his abduction experiences compared to others interviewed on similar topics.

He acknowledges that while these beings tamper with memories, there may be a benevolent intent behind it. He explains that they bring abductees back safely to their original location, such as his return to his bedroom or being placed near his bike after one incident. He compares the memory tampering to methods humans already use in anesthesia, where specific drugs can erase memory around traumatic events. He believes these beings might employ directed energy tuned to the brain’s hippocampal and memory networks to achieve similar results, potentially out of consideration for the psychological trauma abductees might experience.

To illustrate the concept, Dr. Blitch draws a comparison to how he used to take his Labrador Retriever to the vet every three months. Despite the dog’s resistance and physical discomfort from being dragged into the clinic, Dr. Blitch insists it was for the dog’s benefit. He implies that the beings’ actions, even when uncomfortable or invasive, may similarly have a greater purpose rooted in assistance or improvement rather than harm.

Meeting Alien Abductor!

Dr. Blitch described encountering a tall, seven-foot creature resembling a praying mantis, which conveyed a strong male presence and seemed upset, even chastising him. This event occurred in his bedroom on the third floor of a split-level house, where the being entered through a sliding screen door that opened onto a deck with no stairs. Despite his terror and paralysis, Dr. Blitch noted the entity’s direct and intent focus as it telepathically communicated with him.

The being explained that the human body is merely a “soul housing group” or a machine designed to house the soul for a lifetime. It claimed that while they might manipulate, adjust, or even replace parts of the body, they could not take the soul or consciousness. Frustrated by his resistance, the being likened the situation to a surgeon or veterinarian needing cooperation from a reluctant subject. It urged him to stop resisting so they could proceed with their work.

To prove its message, the entity projected a terrifying image. It revealed its mandibles and simulated the sensation of ripping chunks from Dr. Blitch’s cheek, causing blood to spatter in his perception. Though he felt the physical tugging and saw the blood, he later realized it was a false memory—an intentionally planted, vivid visual meant to communicate their power over his body without any actual harm.

Dr. Blitch also addressed secrecy surrounding these encounters. He expressed admiration for those who have concealed the reality of non-human intelligence, comparing their actions to keeping the Manhattan Project secret during World War II. He believes many did so for the greater good, protecting society from truths they deemed destabilizing. He acknowledged the existence of crashes, deceased non-human intelligences—some of which he classified as sentient beings, like the “grasshopper” entity, while others, like the “little gray” creatures, were described as biological robots. He suggested that these revelations present such significant challenges that they were withheld because society might not be ready to comprehend or handle the implications.

{ https://howandwhys.com/ }

28-01-2025 om 18:55 geschreven door peter  

One of my gripes with ‘The Martian’ movie was the depiction of the winds on Mars. The lower air density means that the sort of high speed winds we might experience on Earth carry far less of an impact on Mars. During its 72 flights in the Martian air, NASA’s ingenuity helicopter took meticulous records of the conditions. A new paper has been released and reports upon the wind speeds on the red planet at various altitudes. Previous models suggested wind speeds would not exceed 15 m/s but Ingeniuty saw speeds as high as 25 m/s.

Of all the planets in our Solar System, Mars is perhaps the most similar to Earth, similar but with stark differences. The weather on Mars is harsh and extreme, characterised by cold temperatures, a rarefied atmosphere and dust storms. The average temperature is around -60°C but it can reach a toasty 20°C in summer near the equator. It’s atmosphere is composed mostly of carbon dioxide and is about 100 times thinner than Earth’s so it offers little insulation or protection from solar radiation. On occasion, the winds on Mars whip up global dust storms that obscures the planet’s surface from view. 

Our model of the Martian atmosphere was believed to be fairly accurate, that is until Ingenuity arrived and completed more than 70 successful flights. As part of the Mars 2020 mission and the first aerial vehicle to successfully complete powered flight on another world, Ingenuity revealed some surprising conditions. Surprisingly too perhaps, the first attempt at powered flight was supposed to be a technology demonstration but instead, it provided high resolution images to help direct the ground based rover and collected data from the atmosphere and became a key part of Mars 2020. 

One of the outcomes from Ingenuity’s flights was a better understanding of Martian winds. In a paper written by Brian Jackson and team in the Planetary Society Journal, the team explained their rather ingenious approach. Knowing that the payload was severely limited on board, the decision was taken to use Ingenuity itself to confirm windspeeds. Previous studies had shown that the tilt of a stably hovering drone can be used to calculate speeds. Drones produce forward thrust by tilting in the direction they need to move, if they are stable and in a hover yet the wind is blowing, the drone will drift. Instead and to counteract the drift, the drone tilts flying into wind to maintain position relative to the ground, tilting more in a stronger headwind. 

Measuring the tilt is relatively straightforward thanks to a collection of engineering sensors, cameras and accelerometers. With all of the information gathered by these onboard pieces of equipment and returned to Earth, the analysis and calculation of the drone at different altitudes has enabled the wind speeds to be accurately calculated.

The results were a surprise, showing that the winds on Mars were generally higher than anticipated. Speeds were measured at altitudes from 3 to 24 metres and were found to be blowing at anything up to 25 m/s. This perhaps is a result of Ingenuity’s unique capability of being able to measure speeds at different altitudes over a period of time. Previous measurements have been achieved from probes as they have descent through the atmosphere or from probes on the ground. Taking the success of Ingenuity forward, mission specialists working upon the Dragonfly rotorcraft that will be visiting Titan hope to be able to replicate the results and gain a better understanding of its wind profile too. 

Source : 

• Profiling Near-surface Winds on Mars Using Attitude Data from Mars 2020 Ingenuity

{ https://www.universetoday.com/ }

28-01-2025 om 18:29 geschreven door peter