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Earth's changing spin may cause timekeepers to subtract a second from world clocks

Earth's changing spin is threatening to toy with our sense of time, clocks and computerized society in an unprecedented way - but only for a second.For the first time in history, world timekeepers may have to consider subtracting a second from our clocks in a few years because the planet is rotating a tad faster than it used to. Clocks may have to skip a second - called a "negative leap second" - around 2029, a study in the journal Nature said Wednesday."This is an unprecedented situation and a big deal," said study lead author Duncan Agnew, a geophysicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. "It's not a huge change in the Earth's rotation that's going to lead to some catastrophe or anything, but it is something notable. It's yet another indication that we're in a very unusual time." THE LENGTH OF EARTH'S DAY IS NOT SET IN STONE AND MAY SURPRISE YOU Ice melting at both of Earth's poles has been counteracting the planet's burst of speed and is likely to have delayed this global second of reckoning by about three years, Agnew said."We are headed toward a negative leap second," said Dennis McCarthy, retired director of time for the U.S. Naval Observatory who wasn't part of the study. "It's a matter of when."It's a complicated situation that involves, physics, global power politics, climate change , technology and two types of time.Earth takes about 24 hours to rotate, but the key word is about. SOLAR ECLIPSE 2024: WHERE AND HOW TO VIEW THE RARE ORBIT HITTING THE US For thousands of years, the Earth has been generally slowing down, with the rate varying from time to time, said Agnew and Judah Levine, a physicist for the time and frequency division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.The slowing is mostly caused by the effect of tides, which are caused by the pull of the moon, McCarthy said.This didn't matter until atomic clocks were adopted as the official time standard more than 55 years ago. Those didn't slow.That established two versions of time - astronomical and atomic - and they didn't match. Astronomical time fell behind atomic time by 2.5 milliseconds every day. That meant the atomic clock would say it's midnight and to Earth it was midnight a fraction of a second later, Agnew said.Those daily fractions of seconds added up to whole seconds every few years. Starting in 1972, international timekeepers decided to add a "leap second" in June or December for astronomical time to catch up to the atomic time, called Coordinated Universal Time or UTC. Instead of 11:59 and 59 seconds turning to midnight, there would be another second at 11:59 and 60 seconds. A negative leap second would go from 11:59 and 58 seconds directly to midnight, skipping 11:59:59.Between 1972 and 2016, 27 separate leap seconds were added as Earth slowed. But the rate of slowing was tapering off."In 2016 or 2017 or maybe 2018, the slowdown rate had slowed down to the point that the Earth was actually speeding up," Levine said.Earth's speeding up because its hot liquid core - "a large ball of molten fluid" - acts in unpredictable ways, with eddies and flows that vary, Agnew said.Agnew said the core has been triggering a speedup for about 50 years, but rapid melting of ice at the poles since 1990 masked that effect. Melting ice shifts Earth's mass from the poles to the bulging center, which slows the rotation much like a spinning ice skater slows when extending their arms out to their sides, he said.Without the effect of melting ice, Earth would need that negative leap second in 2026 instead of 2029, Agnew calculated.For decades, astronomers had been keeping universal and astronomical time together with those handy little leap seconds. But computer system operators said those additions aren't easy for all the precise technology the world now relies on. In 2012, some computer systems mishandled the leap second, causing problems for Reddit, Linux, Qantas Airlines and others, experts said."What is the need for this adjustment in time when it causes so many problems?" McCarthy said.But Russia's satellite system relies on astronomical time, so eliminating leap seconds would cause them problems, Agnew and McCarthy said. Astronomers and others wanted to keep the system that would add a leap second whenever the difference between atomic and astronomical time neared a second.In 2022, the world's timekeepers decided that starting in the 2030s they'd change the standards for inserting or deleting a leap second, making it much less likely.Tech companies such as Google and Amazon unilaterally instituted their own solutions to the leap second issue by gradually adding fractions of a second over a full day, Levine said."The fights are so serious because the stakes are so small," Levine said.Then add in the "weird" effect of subtracting, not adding a leap second, Agnew said. It's likely to be tougher to skip a second because software programs are designed to add, not subtract time, McCarthy said.McCarthy said the trend toward needing a negative leap second is clear, but he thinks it's more to do with the Earth becoming more round from geologic shifts from the end of the last ice age.Three other outside scientists said Agnew's study makes sense, calling his evidence compelling.But Levine doesn't think a negative leap second will really be needed. He said the overall slowing trend from tides has been around for centuries and continues, but the shorter trends in Earth's core come and go."This is not a process where the past is a good prediction of the future," Levine said. "Anyone who makes a long-term prediction on the future is on very, very shaky ground."

Schools across US embrace rare teaching opportunity offered by 2024 solar eclipse

Seventh-grade student Henry Cohen bounced side to side in time to the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" playing in teacher Nancy Morris' classroom, swinging his arms open and closed across the planets pictured on his T-shirt.Henry and other classmates at Cleveland's Riverside School were on their feet, dancing during a session of activities tied to April's total solar eclipse . Second-graders invited in for the lessons sat cross-legged on the floor, laughing as they modeled newly decorated eclipse viewing glasses. Dioramas with softball-sized model earths and moons and flashlight "suns" occupied desks and shelves around the room.Henry said his shirt reflected his love of space, which he called "a cool mystery." The eclipse, he said, "is a one in a million chance and I'm glad I get to be here for it." SOLAR ECLIPSE 2024: WHERE AND HOW TO VIEW THE RARE ORBIT HITTING THE US For schools in or near the path of totality of the April 8 eclipse, the event has inspired lessons in science, literacy and culture. Some schools also are organizing group viewings for students to experience the awe of daytime darkness and learn about the astronomy behind it together.A hair out of the path of totality, the school system in Portville, New York, near the Pennsylvania line, plans to load its 500 seventh- through 12th-grade students onto buses and drive about 15 minutes into the path, to an old horse barn overlooking a valley. There, they will be able to trace the shadow of the eclipse as it arrives around 3:20 p.m. EST.It required rearranging the hours of the school day to remain in session, but Superintendent Thomas Simon said staff did not want to miss out on the learning opportunity, especially at a time when when students experience so much of life through screens. FOR SOLAR ECLIPSE SAFETY, HERE'S WHAT DRIVERS SHOULD NOT DO ON THE ROAD DURING THE RARE EVENT "We want them to leave here that day feeling they're a very small part of a pretty magnificent planet that we live on, and world that we live in, and that there's some real amazing things that we can experience in the natural world," Simon said.Schools in Cleveland and some other cities in the eclipse's path will be closed that day so that students aren't stuck on buses or in crowds of people expected to converge. At Riverside, Morris came up with a mix of crafts, games and models to educate and engage her students ahead of time."They really were not realizing what a big deal this was until we really started talking about it," Morris said.Learning about phases of the moon and eclipses is built into every state's science standards, said Dennis Schatz, past president of the National Science Teaching Association. Some school systems have their own planetariums - relics of the 1960s space race - where students can take in educational shows about astronomy.But there is no better lesson than the real thing, said Schatz, who encourages educators to use the eclipse as "a teachable moment."Dallas science teachers Anita Orozco and Katherine Roberts plan to do just that at the Lamplighter School, arranging for the entire pre-K- through fourth-grade student body to watch it together outdoors. The teachers spent a Saturday in March at a teaching workshop at the University of Texas at Dallas where they were told it would be "almost criminal" to keep students inside."We want our students to love science as much as we do," Roberts said, "and we just want them understanding and also having the awe of how crazy this event is."Wrangling young children may be a challenge, Orozco said, but "we want it to be an event."In training future science teachers, University at Buffalo professor Noemi Waight has encouraged her student teachers to incorporate how culture shapes the way people experience an eclipse. Native Americans, for example, may view the total eclipse as something sacred, she said."This is important for our teachers to understand," she said, "so when they're teaching, they can address all of these elements."The STEM Friends Club from the State University of New York Brockport planned eclipse-related activities with fourth-grade students at teacher Christopher Albrecht's class, hoping to pass along their passion for science, technology, engineering and math to younger students."I want to show students what is possible," said Allison Blum, 20, a physics major focused on astrophysics. "You know those big mainstream jobs, like astronaut, but you don't really know what's possible with the different fields."Albrecht sees his fourth-grade students' interest in the eclipse as a chance to incorporate literacy into lessons, too - maybe even spark a love of reading."This is is a great opportunity to read a lot with them," Albrecht said. He has picked "What Is a Solar Eclipse?" by Dana Meachen Rau and "A Few Beautiful Minutes" by Kate Allen Fox for his class at Hill Elementary School in Brockport, New York."It's capturing their interest," he said, "and at the same time, their imagination, too."

How NASA's three rockets will explore the impact of a brief, rare marvel in space

NASA plans to launch three research rockets to analyze a rare space marvel that could collect crucial information. The Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP) rockets will launch April 8 from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia to study how the total solar eclipse impacts the Earth's upper atmosphere, announced Monday . After next month's, there won't be another total solar eclipse over the contiguous U.S. until 2044, making it a potentially pivotal moment for gathering "crucial" data, the agency said."We are super excited to relaunch them during the total eclipse, to see if the perturbations start at the same altitude and if their magnitude and scale remain the same," said Aroh Barjatya, the principal investigator of the April mission.  HOW NASA JUST MADE HISTORY USING A CAT VIDEO Each rocket will blast off in 45-minute intervals before, during and after the peak eclipse to gather data on how the Sun's momentary disappearance impacts Earth's ionosphere, a region stretching approximately 55 to 310 miles above Earth's surface, NASA said. The short-lived phenomenon triggers atmospheric waves, creating small disturbances that interfere with communications. "It's an electrified region that reflects and refracts radio signals, and also impacts satellite communications as the signals pass through," Barjatya said. "Understanding the ionosphere and developing models to help us predict disturbances is crucial to making sure our increasingly communication-dependent world operates smoothly." HOW NASA IS OFFERING TO PUT YOU ON THE MOON IN JUST MONTHS Each rocket is expected to reach a maximum altitude of 260 miles and will eject four instruments to study the solar eclipse , according to NASA."It's similar to results from 15 rockets, while only launching three," Barjatya said. Several additional investigations will be conducted during the eclipse , one of which will include deploying high-altitude balloons, according to NASA. The agency hopes to compare data from the investigations to establish a bigger picture of the eclipse. The three rockets previously launched in October 2023 to analyze the  annular solar eclipse , NASA said. They were recovered in New Mexico and have since been restored and updated for next month's launch.NASA will broadcast the total solar eclipse on April 8 and feature livestream videos of the rocket launches from Wallops' YouTube page. The public can also attend a live viewing in Virginia. 

Top migratory species that are vulnerable and threatened with extinction

A staggering 22% of migratory animals are facing potential extinction, while some 44% are experiencing notable population decline, according to a "State of the World's Migratory Species" report released by the U.N. last month."This is the first-ever comprehensive assessment of migratory species," Executive Director Inger Andersen of the U.N. Environment Programme said of the report, which FOX Weather reported at the time. "And it shows how our behaviour - unsustainable human activities - are jeopardizing the future of these species, and by extension, the future of other species and humanity itself," Andersen continued.Here's a closer look at a few of the hardest-hit species, how they migrate and what the future may have in store for them. 1-IN-5 MIGRATORY ANIMALS FACE EXTINCTION, FIRST UN REPORT OF ITS KIND SAYS Leatherback turtles are known for their diverse habitats and remarkably long migration routes - aquatic treks upward of 10,000 miles aren't uncommon for them, and depending on the season, they're equally likely to be spotted in Caribbean waters as they are to be seen off the frigid coasts of Russia and Alaska.However, such a broad-ranging species is also open to broad-ranging threats. Classified as vulnerable - which, while concerning, falls short of the far more dire "endangered" label - by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, leatherbacks are jeopardized by gradually warming waters, light pollution, poaching and accidental ensnarement in fishing nets.Sand tiger sharks are known as top predators in their wide-ranging natural habitat, making appearances in the coastal waters of some 50 countries. While historically not known to kill humans, a recent spike in attacks - particularly off the coast of New York - means 13 of the 36 unprovoked attacks by sand tigers have occurred over the last two years. MORE NEW YORK SHARK BITES FORCE POLICE TO INCREASE BEACH PATROLS Despite their prolific, domineering nature - and their recent notoriety - sand tigers are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, one classification short of effective extinction. Aggravating factors include fishing, pollution and habitat loss, on top of the species' unusually infrequent and low-yielding breeding patterns - sand tigers don't breed annually, and only bear up to two pups at a time.Monarch butterflies writ large are classified as "least concern" by the IUCN - however, the status of their migratory subspecies, known to flock to Mexico each winter from the U.S. and Canada, fluctuates between vulnerability and outright endangerment. MONARCH BUTTERFLIES WINTERING IN MEXICO AT SECOND-LOWEST LEVEL ON RECORD Monarchs' short lifespan also means that no single butterfly completes the entire migratory process - so their annual southward trek is considered one of nature's more curious phenomena.However, Mexico has reported a decreasing monarch presence over the past few winters; last year saw a 22% drop over 2022, and this year saw a 59% drop over last - meaning monarchs are wintering there at the second-lowest rate ever recorded.Humans are responsible for some threats to migratory monarchs, including deforestation and ensuing habitat loss, as well as usage of lethal pesticides. However, naturally occurring factors like heat, droughts and other phenomena also contribute significantly.In the U.S., migratory monarch populations have seen a significant rebound, with some 330,000 wintering in California last year, up from 247,000 in 2021 and fewer than 2,000 in 2020 - an indication that endangerment doesn't necessarily spell doom for a species, and a potential testament to the success of conservation efforts.

Geomagnetic storm hits Earth creating northern lights, disrupting radio communications

A geomagnetic storm is expected to last through Monday, possibly disrupting radio communications but making for great aurora viewing. These high-frequency radio transmissions include aircrafts trying to communicate with distant traffic control towers. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado issued geomagnetic storm watches for Sunday and Monday as a "coronal mass ejection," or CME, was headed for Earth. CMEs are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun that reach Earth within 15 to 18 hours. Still, the center said there was no reason to be alarmed. Jonathan Lash, a forecaster at the center, said most commercial aircraft can use satellite transmission as backup. Satellite operators might have trouble tracking their spacecraft, and power grids could also see some "induced current" in their lines, though nothing they can't handle, he said. FOR SOLAR ECLIPSE ON APRIL 8, SOME US SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED FOR THE DAY "For the general public, if you have clear skies at night and you are at higher latitudes, this would be a great opportunity to see the skies light up," Lash said.Every 11 years, the sun's magnetic field flips, meaning its north and south poles switch positions. Solar activity changes during that cycle, and it's now near its most active, called the solar maximum.During such times, geomagnetic storms of the type that arrived Sunday can hit Earth a few times a year, Lash said. During solar minimum, a few years may pass between storms. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said her state was anticipating the impact until 2 a.m. Monday. "While there have been no reported disruptions to the electrical grid or radio communication, State personnel are actively monitoring and coordinating with industry stakeholders and the federal government," Hochul said. 

Creature named after Kermit the Frog offers clues on amphibian evolution, scientists say

There definitely were no muppets during the Permian Period, but there was a Kermit - or at least a forerunner of modern amphibians that has been named after the celebrity frog.Scientists on Thursday described the fossilized skull of a creature called Kermitops gratus that lived in what is now Texas about 270 million years ago. It belongs to a lineage believed to have given rise to the three living branches of amphibians - frogs, salamanders and limbless caecilians.While only the skull - measuring around 1.2 inches long - was discovered, the researchers think Kermitops had a stoutly built salamander-like body roughly 6-7 inches long, though salamanders would not evolve for another roughly 100 million years. WHAT WE THOUGHT WE KNEW ABOUT T REX WAS WRONG, RESEARCHERS SAY IN NEW STUDY Amphibians are one of the four groups of living terrestrial vertebrates, along with reptiles, birds and mammals . The unique features of the Kermitops skull - a blend of archaic and more advanced features - are providing insight into amphibian evolution."Kermitops helps us understand the early history of amphibians by revealing there isn't a clear trend of step by step becoming more like the modern amphibian," said Calvin So, a George Washington University paleontology doctoral student and lead author of the study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.The fossil was collected in 1984 near Lake Kemp in Texas and kept in the expansive collection of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, but was not thoroughly studied until recently.Kermitops had a rounded snout, not unlike frogs and salamanders. Preserved in its eye sockets were palpebral bones - or eyelid bones - a feature absent in today's amphibians. Its skull is constructed of roof-like bones, in contrast to the thin and strut-like bones of modern amphibians."The length of the skull in front of the eyes is longer than the length of the skull behind the eyes, which differs from the other fossil amphibians living at the same time. We think this might have allowed Kermitops to snap its jaws closed faster, enabling capture of fast insect prey," So said.The fossil record of early amphibians and their forerunners is spotty, making it difficult to figure out the origins of modern amphibians."Kermitops, with its unique anatomy, really exemplifies the importance of continuing to add new fossil data to understanding this evolutionary problem," said National Museum of Natural History paleontologist and study co-author Arjan Mann.Kermit the Frog was created by the late American puppeteer Jim Henson in 1955, and a Kermit puppet made in the 1970s is in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History as an important cultural object.Kermitops means "Kermit face," a nod to the muppet's humorous look."We thought that the eyelid bones gave the fossil a bug-eyed look, and combined with a lopsided smile produced by slight crushing during the preservation of the fossil, we really thought it looked like Kermit the Frog," So said. NORTH DAKOTA COAL MINERS UNEARTH ANCIENT MAMMOTH FOSSIL, INCLUDING 7-FOOT-LONG TUSK: 'EXCITING FIND' Kermitops belonged to a group called temnospondyls that arose a few tens of millions of years after the first land vertebrates evolved from fish ancestors. The biggest temnospondyls superficially resembled crocodiles, including two that each were around 20 feet in length, Prionosuchus and Mastodonsaurus.Temnospondyls are considered the progenitor lineage of modern amphibians, Mann said.Kermitops existed about 20 million years before the worst mass extinction in Earth's history and about 40 million years before the first dinosaurs. It lived alongside other members of the amphibian lineage as well as the impressive sail-backed Dimetrodon, a predator related to the mammalian lineage.The environment in which Kermitops lived appears to have alternated between warm and humid seasons and hot and arid seasons."This environment would be similar to modern-day monsoons that take place in the Southwest U.S. and Southeast Asia," So said.

April's solar eclipse could be the best yet for NASA scientific experiments, officials say

April's total solar eclipse promises to be a scientific bonanza, thanks to new spacecraft and telescopes - and cosmic chance.The moon will be extra close to Earth, providing a long and intense period of darkness, and the sun should be more active with the potential for dramatic bursts of plasma. Then there's totality's densely populated corridor stretching from Mexico to the U.S. to Canada.Hundreds if not thousands of the tens of millions of spectators will double as "citizen scientists," helping NASA and other research groups better understand our planet and star. SOLAR ECLIPSE 2024: WHERE AND HOW TO VIEW THE RARE ORBIT HITTING THE US They'll photograph the sun's outer crownlike atmosphere, or corona, as the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blotting out sunlight for up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds on April 8. They'll observe the quieting of birds and other animals as midday darkness falls. They'll also measure dropping temperatures, monitor clouds and use ham radios to gauge communication disruptions.At the same time, rockets will blast off with science instruments into the electrically charged portion of the atmosphere near the edge of space known as the ionosphere. The small rockets will soar from Wallops Island, Virginia - some 400 miles outside totality but with 81% of the sun obscured in a partial eclipse. Similar launches were conducted from New Mexico during last October's "ring of fire" solar eclipse that swept across the western U.S. and Central and South America."Time for the biggie! It is pretty exciting!!!" Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Aroh Barjatya, the rockets' mission director, said in an email.NASA's high-altitude jets also will take to the air again, chasing the moon's shadow with improved telescopes to study the sun's corona and surrounding dust. 8 THINGS YOU SHOULD BRING TO A SOLAR ECLIPSE VIEWING "Dust sounds boring," acknowledged NASA's eclipse program manager Kelly Korreck. "But at the same time, dust is actually really interesting. Those are the leftover remnants from when the solar system was forming."More than 600 weather balloons will be launched by college students along the track, providing livestreams while studying atmospheric changes. Cloudy skies shouldn't matter."Lucky for us, the balloons flying to 80,000 feet and above don't care if it's cloudy on the ground," said Angela Des Jardins, an astrophysicist at Montana State University who's coordinating the nationwide project.And if the Federal Aviation Administration approves, a 21-foot kite will lift a science instrument three miles (5 kilometers) above Texas in an experiment by the University of Hawaii's Shadia Habbal. She, too, wants to get above any clouds that might hamper her observations of the sun.Normally hidden by the sun's glare, the corona is on full display during a total solar eclipse, making it a prime research target. The spiky tendrils emanating thousands of miles (kilometers) into space are mystifyingly hotter than the sun's surface - in the millions of degrees, versus thousands."In terms of the value of total eclipses, science still cannot explain how the corona is heated to such extreme temperatures," said retired NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak, better known as Mr. Eclipse for all his charts and books on the subject.The U.S. won't see another total solar eclipse on this scale until 2045, so NASA and everyone else is pulling out all the stops.April's eclipse will begin in the Pacific and make landfall at Mazatlan, Mexico, heading up through Texas and 14 other U.S. states before crossing into Canada and exiting into the Atlantic at Newfoundland. Those outside the 115-mile-wide path will get a partial eclipse. NASA RELEASES NEW IMAGE OF EARTH TAKEN FROM SPACE DURING ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE: SEE THE STUNNING SHOT Scientists got a taste of what's to come during the 2017 total solar eclipse that stretched from Oregon to South Carolina. This time, the moon is closer to Earth, resulting in more minutes of darkness and a wider path."Any time we can observe for longer, that gives scientists more data," Korreck said.Another scientific bonus this time: The sun will be just a year away from its maximum solar activity, as opposed to 2017 when it was near its minimum. That means lots more action at the sun, possibly even a coronal mass ejection during the eclipse, with massive amounts of plasma and magnetic field blasted into space.Plus there are two new spacecraft out there studying the sun: NASA's Parker Solar Probe and the European Space Agency and NASA's Solar Orbiter. They'll join other spacecraft on eclipse duty, including the International Space Station and its astronauts.Closer to home, April's eclipse, unlike previous ones, will pass over three U.S. radar sites typically used for monitoring space weather. The stations will tune in to what's happening in the upper atmosphere as the skies dim.

NASA collision with asteroid Dimorphos changed both its trajectory and shape

When NASA sent its DART spacecraft to slam into the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022, the U.S. space agency demonstrated that it was possible to change a celestial object's trajectory, if needed, to protect Earth. It turns out that this collision changed not only the asteroid's path but its shape as well.The asteroid, which before the DART encounter looked like a ball that was a bit plump in the waist, now appears to be shaped more like a watermelon - or, technically, a triaxial ellipsoid, scientists said on Tuesday."The prevailing understanding is that Dimorphos is a loosely packed agglomeration of debris ranging from dust to gravel to boulders. Thus, its global strength is quite low, allowing deformation much more easily than for a solid monolithic body," said Steve Chesley, a senior research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California and a co-author of the study published in the Planetary Science Journal. NASA HEADQUARTERS RELEASES ITS BEST PHOTOS FROM 2023: SEE THE STUNNING PICTURES "The shape change was so dramatic because of its rubble-pile composition," said JPL navigation engineer and study lead author Shantanu Naidu. "By measuring the pre- and post-impact orbit of Dimorphos, we were able to deduce the change in the shape of Dimorphos due to the DART impact."Dimorphos is a moonlet of Didymos, which is defined as a near-Earth asteroid . The DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission was a proof-of-principle mission using a spacecraft to apply kinetic force to nudge a celestial object that otherwise might be on a collision course with Earth. Dimorphos and Didymos do not pose an actual threat to Earth.The spacecraft collided on Sept. 26, 2022, at about 14,000 miles per hour into Dimorphos, an asteroid that was about 560 feet wide, roughly 6.8 million miles from Earth. Didymos has a diameter of about a half mile.DART's collision, which sent rocky debris from the asteroid flying into space, also changed the orbital path that Dimorphos takes around Didymos - making it elliptical instead of circular - and its orbital period, the time it takes to complete a single orbit, the scientists said. It now takes Dimorphos 11 hours, 22 minutes and 3 seconds to complete an orbit, 33 minutes and 15 seconds less than before the impact, they found.Scientists had previously disclosed that the asteroid's orbit had changed, with the new study offering the most precise readings yet on that.Chesley said the asteroid's orbital period continued to decay slowly in the weeks after the impact."We believe that this is due to the fact that loose debris in the system continues to leak out and carries angular momentum with it, thus necessarily contracting the orbit," Chesley added. Angular momentum refers to how much a rotating object's mass is distributed around its axis and how quickly it is spinning.Dimorphos' average orbital distance from Didymos is now about 3,780 feet, roughly 120 feet less than before the impact, the study found.The researchers based their conclusions on the shape and orbit of Dimorphos on observations from ground-based telescopes of how sunlight reflecting off the surfaces of the two asteroids changed over time, data from radio waves bouncing off the asteroids and images DART obtained during its rendezvous.More information is expected in the near future about the two asteroids. The European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft is due to launch in October and reach them in late 2026 to check things out."We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of ESA's Hera spacecraft, when we will be able to compare our modeled shape with that obtained from Hera imagery. We will also learn how much the orbit has changed since we last observed it in 2023," Chesley said.

Space CSI investigates murder in microgravity

ATLANTA - There has never been a homicide in space. But Detective Zack Kowalske is conducting research to investigate the first murder in microgravity, not if - but when - it occurs."Where humanity goes, so too will human behavior," said Kowalske, a crime scene investigator (CSI) for the police department in Roswell, Georgia, a suburb north of Atlanta. "So, being able to understand how to best reconstruct those criminal acts is really important."On Earth, CSIs examine blood spatter to determine an attacker's position in relation to a victim. But Kowalske became curious about how those calculations would change if gravity were removed from the equation.

NASA WELCOMES ITS NEWEST CLASS OF ASTRONAUTS AFTER TWO-YEAR TRAINING IN HOUSTON He teamed up with researchers at University of Louisville in Kentucky and Staffordshire University and the University of Hull in England to examine spatter patterns created in microgravity. They conducted their research aboard a parabolic aircraft, a plane that goes into a series of steep, controlled descents to create brief periods of weightlessness inside the cabin.During these "zero gravity" periods, one of the researchers used a syringe to spray simulated blood at a target inside a glovebox resembling a pediatric incubator. Without gravity's downward pull, Kowalske and his colleagues knew the simulated blood would follow a straight trajectory. But when it struck the targets, the researchers were surprised to find much smaller spatter patterns than what they would see in normal gravity conditions."What happened is when you remove gravity, surface tension becomes the predominant factor," Kowalske said. "So, it actually inhibits the spread of that blood, causing an inaccuracy in your calculation."The first homicide in space will not only require new investigative procedures, but likely raise questions about who's in charge of the investigation."Jurisdiction will be tricky," space attorney Michelle Hanlon explained to Fox News in an email. "Space objects remain under the jurisdiction and control of the State that launched the object."

US AND JAPAN CALL FOR BAN OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN OUTER SPACE But that can include the nation that requested the launch in addition to the country owning the territory or facility where the launch took place."So, if you have a modular space station run by a Japanese company, whose modules were manufactured in Germany and then launched by the U.S., all of those States may claim jurisdiction," explained Hanlon, who serves as CEO of For All Moonkind, a nonprofit space policy advocacy group. "Of course, the next question is what happens if the crime occurs in an object made in space? Jurisdiction will be even more complex!"The primary international agreement governing space activities, the Outer Space Treaty, holds nations liable for damages their citizens cause in space. Because of this, Hanlon predicts victims or their survivors will also want a say in who investigates.Although becoming an astronaut for a government space agency, such as NASA , remains highly selective, Detective Kowalske said the future growth of private "space tourism" increases the risk of a less professional individual causing mayhem in the final frontier. However, his research also has potential applications for accident reconstruction."Say hypothetically, we have a ship in orbit and there's a catastrophic event," Kowalske said. "We can use blood stain patterns to reconstruct where crew members were, what positioning they may have been in during the course of that catastrophic failure."Kowalske and his colleagues have published their study in the journal "Forensic Science International: Reports." For the suburban Georgia detective, it was part of his ongoing PhD research and the culmination of what started as "a crazy idea." 
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Research is cool, right? Science is awesome," Kowalske said. "You never know where asking a question is going to lead. But you can find out."

Massive comet with outbursts of brightness makes its approach toward Sun

Sky watchers may get a once-or maybe twice-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a comet brighten and dim, while appearing as if it has a pair of devil horns attached, as it makes its approach toward the Sun.NASA said the Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is racing toward its closest approach to the sun on its 71-year-long orbit. The orbit takes it as far away as the orbit of Neptune and as close as the orbit of Venus. But because the orbit is tilted, the space agency said there is no chance of a collision with Earth.The comet is about 18 miles in diameter and has been observed numerous times over the course of hundreds of years, most notably because of its outbursts of gas.According to Space.com, Jean-Louis Pons, who lived from 1761-1831, discovered 37 comets, mostly with the help of telescopes and lenses that he designed. On July 12, 1812, Pons saw what he described as "a shapeless object with no apparent tail," though over the next month the object brightened enough to be seen with the naked eye, though it was still dim. 3 NEW MOONS DISCOVERED ORBITING URANUS, NEPTUNE Then, in August of the same year, the comet became the brightest observed, and appeared to have a split tail.William R. Brooks, another comet observer, lived from 1844-1921, Space.com reported. On Sept. 2, 1883, he observed the comet, though accidentally.It was eventually realized that Pons and Brooks observed the same comet, though 71 years apart, and it was ultimately named Pons-Brooks. DISCOVER THE UNIVERSE'S OLDEST BLACK HOLE, DEFYING THE MYSTERIES OF SPACE NASA said bursts of gas and dust get released from beneath the surface of the comet, causing the object to brighten.As the comet nears between March and April, the outbursts of gas could cause the comet to brighten so much it can be seen with the naked eye under dark skies, particularly by the end of March.In an image posted to NASA's astronomy picture of the day page, Comet Pons-Brooks appears to have a light blue tail, a green outer coma, and a spiral of red glowing gas surrounding the coma.Astronomers said the spiral could be caused by gas getting expelled by a slow-rotating nucleus of the comet.The space agency said those hoping to get a glimpse of the comet should be able to find it low in the west-northwest part of the sky at the end of evening twilight, near the constellation Pisces.Another unusual coincidence puts the comet about 25 degrees from the Sun during the April 8 total solar eclipse, though it is unclear how bright it will appear to sky watchers that day, when the Moon blocks the Sun.

Whale study findings explore the evolution of menopause across species

Menopause is a rare trait among Earth's species, known to exist in only a few. Humans are one. Killer whales and four other toothed whales are the others.New research examines menopause in these whales, with findings that may help explain why this phenomenon evolved, given that it is known in just six of the 6,000-plus mammal species living today. It might be titled: the tale of the helpful grandma whale.The scientists compared the lifespans of 32 toothed whale species. They found that in the five menopausal species - killer whales, false killer whales, beluga whales, narwhals and short-finned pilot whales - the females live about four decades longer than the females of non-menopausal species of similar size. WHALE THAT VANISHED FROM ATLANTIC OVER 200 YEARS AGO SPOTTED OFF MASSACHUSETTS: 'SHOULDN'T EXIST' Other toothed whales such as sperm whales, as well as the filter-feeding baleen whales, including the blue whale, have not been found to experience menopause."This result gives a unique insight into how menopause has evolved. Menopausal species of whales have a similar reproductive period to non-menopausal species. It is the life after reproduction that differs," said Sam Ellis, a lecturer in animal behavior at the University of Exeter in England and lead author of the study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature."Evolution has selected for a longer female lifespan so that mothers and grandmothers can continue to provide support to their family well after reproduction," he said of these whale species. "We see just the same patterns in human societies where women have a similar reproductive period to our closest primate relatives but have a much longer total lifespan."An extended lifespan increases the opportunities for female whales to help their children and grandchildren without increasing the amount of time they are reproducing at the same time as - and in competition with - their daughters."When mothers and daughters in the same group try to reproduce at the same time, there is the potential for conflict over resources because they both want to prioritize resources for their own offspring. This would be exacerbated if females reproduced for a longer time. By stopping reproducing, females minimize this conflict," said study co-author Darren Croft, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Exeter and executive director of the Center for Whale Research in Washington state .Studies of killer whales living in the Pacific off the U.S. West Coast show that females stop reproducing at around age 40, but often live into their 60s and even their 80s. Male killer whales typically die before age 40.These studies have shown that grandma killer whales help their daughters and grandchildren by providing food, protection and, in a manner of speaking, wisdom."We have found that offspring with a living post-reproductive grandmother have better survival that those without a living grandmother," Ellis said. "Other research points at a mechanism. In years when resources are scarce, older females lead their group - suggesting a role of ecological knowledge allowing them to lead their group/family to resources."These older females also catch fish and bite them in half to share food with family members, behavior much less common in younger females and almost nonexistent in males, Ellis said. BABY RIGHT WHALE DIES AFTER SHIP COLLISION, FEWER THAN 360 REMAIN ALIVE ause evolved independently in humans and whales, the researchers said, with the last common ancestor between them living about 90 million years ago."From an evolutionary perspective, life after reproduction is difficult to explain. For the majority of species, evolution favors females to reproduce until the end of their life to maximize the transmission of their genes to future generations," Croft said."So why then has menopause evolved in humans and toothed whales? This new analysis shows that menopause has evolved by females lengthening their total lifespan while not simultaneously evolving a longer reproductive period," Croft added.Menopause is uncommon in the animal kingdom and requires an unusual set of conditions to arise, Croft said."The key to this is the opportunity to help closely related kin in late life at the cost of late-life reproduction," Croft added.

Astronauts more likely to experience headaches in space than previously known, study finds

Research in the expanding field of space medicine has identified many ways in which a microgravity environment and other factors can meddle with the human body during space missions. A new study has added to the field by showing that astronauts are more likely to experience headaches in space than previously known.The study involved 24 astronauts from the U.S. , European and Japanese space agencies who traveled aboard the International Space Station for up to 26 weeks. All but two of them reported experiencing headaches in space.This was a larger proportion than the researchers had expected based on prior anecdotal evidence. The headaches - some resembling migraines and others resembling tension headaches - occurred not only during the first couple of weeks in space as the body goes through the process of adapting to microgravity, but also later. ROCKET EXPLODES SECONDS AFTER LAUNCH, RAINING FIRE DOWN ON THE LAUNCH PAD The headaches occurring during the early period often present as migraine-like while those experienced later in space travel present more like a tension headache, the study found."We hypothesize that different mechanisms are involved for the early headache episodes - the first one to two weeks in space - versus later headache episodes," said neurologist WPJ van Oosterhout of Zaans Medical Center and the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, lead author of the study published this week in the journal Neurology."In the first week, the body has to adapt to the lack of gravity, known as space adaptation syndrome. This phenomenon is similar to motion sickness, and can cause nausea, vomiting and dizziness, and headaches," Van Oosterhout said. "The later headaches could result from an increase in intracranial pressure. Due to microgravity, there is more fluid accumulating in the upper part of the body and head, resulting in higher pressure in the skull."Migraines experienced on Earth are often throbbing and pulsating headaches lasting four to seven hours, accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and hypersensitivity to light and sound, Van Oosterhout said. Tension-type headaches on Earth usually are a more dull pain felt over the entire head without those other symptoms, Van Oosterhout added.The astronauts - 23 men and one woman, with an average age of about 47 - were aboard the International Space Station for missions that took place from November 2011 to June 2018, with a total of 378 headaches reported by 22 of the 24 astronauts during a total of 3,596 days in orbit. None of the 24 reported headaches in the three months after returning to Earth.Thirteen of the astronauts were from NASA , six from the European Space Agency, two from Japan's JAXA and one from the Canadian Space Agency. None had ever been diagnosed with migraines prior to their space missions and none had a history of recurrent headaches. SPACE SURGERY EXPERIMENT COULD PROVIDE PATHWAY FOR MEDICAL CARE IN EARTH'S MOST REMOTE REGIONS Various documented effects of space travel include bone and muscle atrophy, changes in the brain, cardiovascular system and immune system, issues with the balance system in the inner ear and a syndrome involving the eyes. Cancer risk from greater radiation exposure in space is another concern.Experts are unsure of how much of a barrier these effects might be on human space travel over extended periods, for instance for journeys to our neighboring planet Mars or beyond."The honest answer is that we don't know the effects of long-duration space travel - possibly years - on the human body," Van Oosterhout said. "It is clear that even short-term - days or weeks - to medium-term - weeks or months - duration exposure to microgravity already has some effects, mostly reversible, on the human body. This is a clear task for the field of space medicine."

Giant volcano 'hidden in plain sight' discovered on Mars, scientists say

Scientists say they have discovered a giant volcano hidden in plain sight on Mars .The volcano, temporarily named the Noctis, spans 280 miles wide and was discovered alongside a buried ice glacier to the east of Mars, near the red-planet's equator, scientists revealed at the 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference held in Texas on Wednesday.Scientists said the 29,600-foot-high volcano was active from ancient through recent times and with possible remnants of glacier ice near its base. They say its discovery points to an exciting new place to search for life and a potential destination for future robotic and human exploration. The findings were detailed in a new study by the SETI Institute and the Mars Institute based at NASA Ames Research Centre. NASA SEEKS PARTICIPANTS FOR SECOND YEAR-LONG MARS MISSION SIMULATION The study was a joint effort between the SETI Institute and the Mars Institute based at NASA Ames Research Centre."We were examining the geology of an area where we had found the remains of a glacier last year when we realized we were inside a huge and deeply eroded volcano," said Dr. Pascal Lee, planetary scientist with the SETI Institute and the Mars Institute based at NASA Ames Research Center, and the lead author of the study.The site had been imaged repeatedly by orbiting spacecraft around Mars since Mariner 9 in 1971, scientists said, but the volcano had been deeply eroded beyond easy recognition and was "hiding in plain sight" for decades in one of Mars' most iconic regions, at the boundary between the heavily fractured maze-like Noctis Labyrinthus (Labyrinth of the Night) and the monumental canyons of Valles Marineris (Valleys of Mariner).In its southeastern part lies a thin, recent volcanic deposit beneath which glacier ice is likely still present.However, according to the scientists, the jumble of layered mesas and canyons in this eastern part of Noctis Labyrinthus revealed its volcanic nature.The central summit area is marked by several elevated mesas forming an arc, reaching a regional high and sloping downhill away from the summit area. The gentle outer slopes extend out 140 miles away in different directions.  ELON MUSK WAS WARNED THAT AI COULD DESTROY HUMAN COLONY ON MARS: REPORT A caldera remnant, the remains of a collapsed volcanic crater once host to a lava lake, can be seen near the center of the structure. Lava flows, hydrated mineral deposits as well as pyroclastic deposits made of volcanic particulate materials such as ash, cinders, pumice and tephra, occur in several areas within the structure's perimeter."This area of Mars is known to have a wide variety of hydrated minerals spanning a long stretch of Martian history," said Sourabh Shubham, a graduate student at the University of Maryland's Department of Geology and the study's co-author."A volcanic setting for these minerals had long been suspected so, it may not be too surprising to find a volcano here. In some sense, this large volcano is a long-sought 'smoking gun.'"The scientist said that the volcano has experienced eruptions in modern times but it is unknown if it is still active and might erupt again.In addition to the volcano, the study reports the discovery of a large 1,930 square mile area of volcanic deposits within the volcano's perimeter presenting a large number of low, rounded and elongated, blister-like mounds. This "blistered terrain" is interpreted to be a field of "rootless cones," mounds produced by explosive steam venting or steam swelling when a thin blanket of hot volcanic materials comes to rest on top of a water or ice-rich surface.Meanwhile, Lee added that a combination of factors makes the Noctis volcano site "exceptionally exciting.""It's an ancient and long-lived volcano so deeply eroded that you could hike, drive, or fly through it to examine, sample, and date different parts of its interior to study Mars' evolution through time.""It has also had a long history of heat interacting with water and ice, which makes it a prime location for astrobiology and our search for signs of life." Scientists say that the volcano sits on the eastern edge of a broad regional topographic rise called Tharsis, home to three other well-known giant volcanoes: Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Arsia Mons.According to NASA, Mars is 140 million miles from Earth .

Whale that vanished from Atlantic over 200 years ago spotted off Massachusetts: 'Shouldn't exist'

Scientists from the New England Aquarium (NEA) in Boston were flying off the coast of Nantucket on Friday when they saw a leviathan that has rarely been seen in the Atlantic Ocean for over 200 years: a gray whale.The team of scientists was flying about 30 miles south of Nantucket when they spotted the rare whale.As the whale continued to dive and resurface as if it were feeding, the aerial survey plane continued to circle the area for 45 minutes, giving the scientists time to capture photos and make sense of what they were seeing.The team reviewed images together and confirmed what they saw was a gray whale. TWO WHALES WASH UP IN VIRGINIA BEACH WITHIN DAYS OF EACH OTHER: REPORT "I didn't want to say out loud what it was, because it seemed crazy," Orla O'Brien, an associate research scientist at NEA said.O'Brien works at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, and has been flying aerial surveys for 13 years.Research Technician Kat Laemmle was with O'Brien on the plane when O'Brien showed her photos while the whale went underwater. BABY RIGHT WHALE DIES AFTER SHIP COLLISION, FEWER THAN 360 REMAIN ALIVE "My brain was trying to process what I was seeing, because this animal was something that should not really exist in these waters," Laemmle said. "We were laughing because of how wild and exciting this was - to see an animal that disappeared from the Atlantic hundreds of years ago."While gray whales are not typically found in the Atlantic, they are regularly found in the North Pacific, according to NEA officials.The whales are described as not having a dorsal fin while donning mottled gray and white skin and a dorsal hump. As the hump descends to the tail, a series of pronounced ridges can be visible. WHALE DIES AFTER STRAYING INTO OSAKA BAY, JAPANESE OFFICIALS CONFIRM Despite disappearing from the Atlantic Ocean by the 18th century, the species has been making a comeback to the area. In fact, there have been five observations of gray whales in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean waters over the past 15 years, including off the coast of Florida in December 2023.The one spotted off the coast of Nantucket on Friday is believed to be the same gray whale observed off Florida in December.tists say the strange sightings can be attributed to climate change, explaining that the Northwest Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean in Canada, has been ice-free during the summers in recent years, due in part to rising temperatures across the globe.The sea ice typically limits where the gray whales are able to travel as they are unable to break through the thick winter ice that blocks the passage, the aquarium said.But with less ice in the passage during summer months, gray whales may be able to travel to areas not visited by the species in centuries."While we expect to see humpback, right, and fin whales, the ocean is a dynamic ecosystem, and you never know what you'll find," O'Brien said. "These sightings of gray whales in the Atlantic serve as a reminder of how quickly marine species respond to climate change, given the chance."

Two whales wash up in Virginia Beach within days of each other: report

Two dead whales washed ashore in Virginia Beach, Virginia over the last two days, and now marine biologists are working to determine what caused their deaths, according to reports.WAVY in Norfolk, Virginia reported that the most recent whale washed ashore on Monday at False Cape State Park near Sandbridge, which is the southeastern most portion of the state.The Virginia Aquarium Response Team told the station biologists plan to perform a necropsy on the whale, though the type of whale has yet to be identified.A young humpback whale also washed ashore at the Oceanfront resort area on Sunday, between 24th and 25th streets. THIRD DEAD WHALE FOUND MILES FROM OFFSHORE WIND FARM IN LESS THAN A WEEK The Virginia Beach Police Department reportedly blocked the section of the beach off to the public using police tape.The Virginia Aquarium Response Team did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital about the recent beached whales.Around this time last year, there were three dead whales reported within a week of each other, along the Virginia coastline. WHALE DIES AFTER STRAYING INTO OSAKA BAY, JAPANESE OFFICIALS CONFIRM One of the whales, a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, was discovered washed ashore near Chic's Beach in Virginia Beach.Just two days prior, a humpback whale was found dead along the shoreline in Cape Charles, Virginia. Five days before that, another humpback whale was found off the coast of First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALE FOUND DEAD OFF GEORGIA COAST MARKS SECOND RECENT DEATH OF ENDANGERED SPECIES All whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.The station reported that as people gather to watch the stranded animal, they should do so from a distance and avoid touching the whales or any gear used to move it.

Four new astronauts visit International Space Station where they will stay for 6 months

Four astronauts blasted off in SpaceX's Falcon rocket on Sunday as they headed to the International Space Station, where they will oversee the arrivals of two new rocketships during their six-month stint.The rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida with NASA's Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps and Russia's Alexander Grebenkin on board.The astronauts are expected to reach the orbiting lab on Tuesday and will replace a crew from the U.S., Denmark, Japan and Russia, who have been there since August.The launch came after three days of delays due to high winds. SpaceX Launch Control described it as "fashionably late." US SPACECRAFT, RUSSIAN SATELLITE AVOID COLLISION, NASA SAYS Another delay almost happened again Sunday night after a small crack in the seal of the SpaceX capsule's hatch led to several last-minute reviews, but it was ultimately deemed safe for the whole mission.The new crew's six-month stay includes the arrival of two rocketships ordered by NASA. Boeing's new Starliner capsule with test pilots is expected in late April and Sierra Space's Dream Chaser, a mini-shuttle, should arrive a month or two later.Astronaut Epps was originally assigned to fly Boeing's Starliner, which sustained problems and stalled. NASA later moved her to SpaceX.She is an engineer, having worked for Ford Motor Company and the CIA before becoming an astronaut in 2009. Epps was initially scheduled to launch to the space station on a Russian rocket in 2018 but was replaced for reasons that were never publicly disclosed. NASA GOES OLD SCHOOL WITH ROCKET SENDING ASTRONAUTS TO THE MOON Dominick, a Navy pilot, and Grebenkin, a former Russian military officer, are also new to space, while Barratt, a 64-year-old doctor on his third mission, is the oldest full-time astronaut to fly in space."It's kind of like a roller coaster ride with a bunch of really excited teenagers," Barratt said after reaching orbit. Speaking about his age before the flight, Barratt said, "As long as we stay healthy and fit and engaged, we're good to fly."Flight controllers are monitoring a growing cabin leak on Russia's side of the space station. The leak has doubled in size in the past few weeks and the area has been sealed off, according to NASA program manager Joel Montalbano, who emphasized that there is no impact on station operations or crew safety. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Who is Galileo Galilei? Italian philosopher who shaped our understanding of the stars

Few figures shine as brightly as Galileo Galilei , an Italian philosopher whose contributions to astronomy revolutionized the understanding of the stars. "Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) has always played a key role in any history of science, as well as many histories of philosophy. He is a - if not the - central figure of the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century," reads the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Born in Pisa, Italy on Feb. 15, 1564, Galileo's insatiable curiosity and relentless pursuit of knowledge propelled him to the forefront of scientific inquiry during the Renaissance era . ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JANUARY 7, 1610, GALILEO DISCOVERS THE MOONS OF JUPITER Galileo's journey began in Renaissance Italy at the University of Pisa, where he initially studied medicine but soon found his true calling in mathematics and natural philosophy. His need for learning led him to explore diverse fields, including physics, engineering and astronomy. However, due to financial constraints, he left the University of Pisa without completing his degree, says History.com. Galileo continued his self-directed studies and expanded his knowledge in various fields.Despite facing financial challenges, Galileo's pursuit of knowledge and passion for science set the stage for his later achievements. In 1609, Galileo constructed his first telescope, where he made a series of astonishing discoveries that forever altered our perception of the universe.On Jan. 7, 1610, Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter - making it the first observation of this planet.He utilized his telescope to identify four of Jupiter's orbiting moons, examine Saturn, observe the varying phases of Venus, and scrutinize sunspots on the surface of the sun . The four moons, and Jupiter's largest satellites, are lo, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto."In observing the sun, Galileo saw a series of 'imperfections.' He had discovered sunspots. Monitoring these spots on the sun demonstrated that the sun in fact rotated. Furthermore, later observations by Francesco Sizzi in 1612 suggested that the spots on the sun actually changed over time," says The Library of Congress. ITALY MUSEUM TO DISPLAY FINGERS, TOOTH BELIEVED TO BE GALILEO'S   Galileo was ordered to appear before the Holy Office to face charges related to his advocating for the Copernican theory and his belief in the Earth's movement around the sun, a stance the Catholic Church deemed heretical.This marked Galileo's second confrontation for rejecting the Church's doctrine that positioned the Earth as the unmovable center of the universe."In 1616, Galileo had been forbidden from holding or defending his beliefs. In the 1633 interrogation, he denied that he 'held' belief in the Copernican view but continued to write about the issue and evidence as a means of 'discussion' rather than belief," according to History.com. Undeterred by persecution, Galileo continued his astronomical inquiries, publishing "Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems" in 1632. The book presented a vigorous defense of heliocentrism and provoked the anger of Church authorities. In 1633, Galileo faced the Inquisition and was found guilty of heresy and sentenced to house arrest by Pope Urban VIII for the remainder of his life, says History.com. ITALY MUSEUM TO DISPLAY FINGERS, TOOTH BELIEVED TO BE GALILEO'S Galileo's contributions to physics, mathematics and astronomy echo across the ages, earning him a rightful place among history's greatest minds. Nearly 70 at the time of his trial, Galileo lived his last nine years under comfortable house arrest, while writing a summary of his early experiments.In 2018, U.K. researchers said they found a long-lost letter written by Galileo that shows he engaged in a little deception to fend off the Inquisition.Galileo wrote to a friend in 1613 saying he believed the Earth revolved around the sun, and not vice versa. He got sneaky and asked his friend for the original back, so he could soften it after a friar forwarded it to the Inquisition."He died in Arcetri near Florence, Italy on Jan. 8, 1642, at the age of 77 after suffering from heart palpitations and a fever," says History.comAs we gaze upon the stars, let us remember the man whose dedication to truth reshaped the course of scientific questions for centuries to come. 

NASA unlocks new sounds of the universe with project that transforms cosmic discoveries

A new NASA project has turned the beauty of the universe into sound, allowing the visually impaired to experience the wonders of space.NASA, through a process called sonification, translated data into sound to accompany new images of celestial objects  observed by the agency's space telescopes. The audio was released in conjunction with a new documentary about the project, "Listen to the Universe," which debuted Wednesday on the agency's new NASA+ streaming platform. WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE "Sonifications add a new dimension to stunning space imagery, and make those images accessible to the blind and low-vision community for the first time," said Liz Landau, who leads multimedia efforts for NASA's Astrophysics Division and oversaw production of the documentary. "I was honored to help tell the story of how Dr. Arcand and the System Sounds team make these unique sonic experiences and the broad impact those sonifications have had."The NASA sonification project began in 2020 and stemmed from other Chandra X-ray Observatory projects aimed at reaching blind and visually-impaired audiences. "Listen to the Universe" explores the process of how these sonifications are made.Telescopes like Chandra X-ray Observatory typically collect scientific data from space as digital signals and turn them into visual images . Sonification is a similar process but with audio.The first sonification is of a supernova remnant blowing a cloud of energized particles. Another is of a spiral galaxy, similar to the Milky Way, and the third is a spatial cloud of dust and gas nicknamed the "Jellyfish Nebula."The NASA+ streaming platform was created to deliver on-demand video and other content about the agency to the public and can be downloaded on most major platforms via the NASA App.

3 new moons discovered orbiting Uranus, Neptune

Astronomers have found three previously unknown moons in our solar system - two additional moons circling Neptune and one around Uranus.The distant tiny moons were spotted using powerful land-based telescopes in Hawaii and Chile, and announced Friday by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center. DISCOVER THE UNIVERSE'S OLDEST BLACK HOLE, DEFYING THE MYSTERIES OF SPACE The latest tally puts Neptune at 16 known moons and Uranus at 28.One of Neptune's new moons has the longest known orbital journey yet. It takes around 27 years for the small outer moon to complete one lap around Neptune, the vast icy planet farthest from the sun, said Scott Sheppard, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington who helped make the discovery.The new moon orbiting Uranus, with an estimated diameter of just 5 miles, is likely the smallest of the planet's moons."We suspect that there may be many more smaller moons" yet to be discovered, he said.

NASA seeks participants for second year-long Mars mission simulation

NASA is searching for the next four-person crew to participate in a one-year program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, simulating life and conditions on the planet Mars.The mission will be the second of three year-long Mars surface simulations called Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA, and is expected to kick off in the Spring of 2025.The first four-person crew was locked into the habitat, called the Mars Dune Alpha, in June 2023, and is more than half way through their mission.The inaugural crew consists of Commander Kelly Haston, a research scientist with experience in stem cell-based projects; flight engineer Ross Brockwell, a structural engineer and public works administrator; medical officer Nathan Jones; and science officer Anca Selariu. ROBOT CHEMIST COULD CREATE OXYGEN NEEDED FOR COLONIZING MARS: STUDY The data acquired through the simulations is intended to help NASA prepare for human exploration of Mars.NASA said in a press release that the Mars Dune Alpha habitat simulates challenges of a mission to Mars, including resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays and other environmental stressors.Some of the tasks crew members may participate in are robotic operations, spacewalks, habitat maintenance, exercise and crop growth. ELON MUSK WAS WARNED THAT AI COULD DESTROY HUMAN COLONY ON MARS: REPORT NASA is looking for U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are healthy, non-smokers, between 30-55 years old and proficient in English.The selection follows the standards NASA uses when considering astronaut candidates.Specifically, a master's degree in a STEM field like engineering, mathematics, or biological, physical or computer science from an accredited institution, plus two years of professional experience is required. Alternatively, anyone with over 1,000 hours piloting a plane will be considered. NASA SEALS 4-PERSON CREW IN MARS SIMULATOR FOR NEXT 378 DAYS NASA said it may consider candidates with two years of work completed toward a doctoral program in STEM, a medical degree, four years of professional experience, military officer training or a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM field.The deadline to apply is April 2.With backgrounds in science and engineering, the crew members will be part of a simulated mission to Mars, where the crew will eat, drink and exercise while in simulation.The 1,700-square-foot, 3D printed facility is about the size of a three-to-four-bedroom house and will be used for NASA's longest analog mission to date: 378 days.The habitat will be a place where the crew will practice personal hygiene and healthcare, like drawing blood, while also allowing them to exercise, grow food and collect geological samples.The habitat will be packed with all the supplies that will go to Mars. What the habitat will not be able to simulate, though, is the red planet's gravity.But that is where virtual reality comes into play. While in the habitat, virtual reality will allow crew members to simulate  space walks or Mars walks, as well as other tasks the crew may encounter on Mars, including removing dust from the space suit or solar panels or repairing the habitat.As crew members live within the confines of the simulator, scientists will be measuring their performance, cognition and health over the year to understand what the crew will go through.The data collected will then be handed to the vehicle planners.

Universe's brightest object reportedly discovered, featuring black hole the size of 17 billion suns

Astronomers have discovered what may be the brightest object in the universe , a quasar with a black hole at its heart growing so fast that it swallows the equivalent of a sun a day.The record-breaking quasar shines 500 trillion times brighter than our sun. The black hole powering this distant quasar is more than 17 billion times more immense than our sun, an Australian-led team reported Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy.While the quasar resembles a mere dot in images, scientists envision a ferocious place. SCIENTISTS SUGGEST OUR UNIVERSE IS MERGING WITH 'BABY UNIVERSES' AS POSSIBLE THEORY OF EXPANSION The rotating disk around the quasar's black hole - the luminous swirling gas and other matter from gobbled-up stars - is like a cosmic hurricane."This quasar is the most violent place that we know in the universe," lead author Christian Wolf of Australian National University said in an email.The European Southern Observatory spotted the object, J0529-4351, during a 1980 sky survey, but it was thought to be a star. It was not identified as a quasar - the extremely active and luminous core of a galaxy - until last year. Observations by telescopes in Australia and Chile's Atacama Desert clinched it."The exciting thing about this quasar is that it was hiding in plain sight and was misclassified as a star previously," Yale University's Priyamvada Natarajan, who was not involved in the study, said in an email.These later observations and computer modeling have determined that the quasar is gobbling up the equivalent of 370 suns a year - roughly one a day. Further analysis shows the mass of the black hole to be 17 to 19 billion times that of our sun, according to the team. More observations are needed to understand its growth rate.The quasar is 12 billion light-years away and has been around since the early days of the universe. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles.

Ancient DNA analysis shows how Scandinavia's first farmers wiped out hunter-gatherer population

A new study is shedding light on the violent history of Scandinavia which saw multiple waves of mass murder across Denmark in just a thousand years. A team of international researchers analyzed DNA samples from approximately 100 human remains found in southern Scandinavia through a process called shotgun sequencing. These remains span approximately 7,300 years, from the Mesolithic period, when hunter-gatherer lifestyles were warning, to the Neolithic period, when humans began settling and farming was ascendant, to the Early Bronze Age. The study, published in the journal Nature , found that rather than co-existing peacefully, the hunter-gatherers in what is now Denmark, were wiped out by farmer-settlers. "This transition has previously been presented as peaceful," said Lund University paleoecologist Anne Birgitte Nielsen. "However, our study indicates the opposite. In addition to violent death, it is likely that new pathogens from livestock finished off many gatherers."The region on which the researchers focused their study has a climate suitable for foraging and farming and preserved human remains, enabling deep analysis of gene flows between populations as well as changes in vegetation.  ANCIENT MAN MIGRATED TO DENMARK BEFORE BEING CLUBBED TO DEATH, NEW RESEARCH FINDS The study found that around 5,900 years ago, farmers began settling the area and killed off hunters, foragers, and fishers in the process. It was previously thought that the two populations mixed, as past research indicated the first Scandinavians shared around 30% of their genomes from hunter-gatherers. But the latest research suggests that the hunter-gatherers' DNA was almost entirely erased. These early farmers - known as the "Funnelbeaker culture," and have zero genetic relation to modern-day Danes - lived for around 1,000 years before another wave of settlers moved in from the area of southern Russia . This new group, replaced the Funnelbeakers, giving rise to a new group called the "Single Grave Culture" and has an ancestry profile that is more similar to present-day Danes. The researchers hope that such insights into ancient DNA can explain modern-day health patterns such as why multiple sclerosis is more pronounced among white, northern Europeans than those in the south. 

Scientists suggest our universe is merging with 'baby universes' as possible theory of expansion

Astronomers have proposed a new theory to suggest why our universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. That our universe is expanding is in wide agreement, though how exactly that process happens is not as well understood. Scientists believe that an elusive substance called " dark energy " is responsible for driving the expansion.But the very existence of dark matter is only ever discussed in the context of an expanding universe, leading some to question whether there are other causes of expansion.A study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, has proposed that the universe's expansion is driven by merging with smaller, "baby" universes.The study's lead author, Jan Ambjorn, told LiveScience that the study's main finding was that the "accelerated expansion of our universe, caused by the mysterious dark energy, might have a simple intuitive explanation, the merging with so-called baby universes, and that a model for this might fit data better than the standard cosmological model."  NASA GOES OLD SCHOOL WITH ROCKET SENDING ASTRONAUTS TO THE MOON The "Standard Cosmological Model" is the main theory of cosmic evolution, that the universe began with the Big Bang , went through a near-exponential inflation at early times, and has been expanding ever since. While the latest study is by no means the first to propose the idea of multiple universes, it offers a mathematical model to show how merging with other, smaller universes might expand our universe.By quantifying the rate of expansion, their calculations more closely aligned with observations of the universe than the Standard Cosmological Model.The researchers also suggested that early cosmological inflation - the quick, rapid expansion of our universe after the Big Bang - may have been caused by our young universe colliding with a larger universe.They proposed that after this possible absorption, it is likely that our, now-larger universe went on to collide with and absorb other "baby" universes.

NASA goes old school with rocket sending astronauts to the Moon

NASA is bringing back its historic worm logo to decorate the agency's first crew-bearing rocket being sent to the moon in decades.NASA's Exploration Ground Systems began painting the bright red logo on the Space Launch System's two solid rocket boosters last month at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the agency's Artemis II mission , the agency announced Friday.  WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE The historic logo was created in 1975 and features bold, minimalist worm-like letters meant to represent the program in what was considered a modern aerospace era. After a nearly 30-year retirement, it was brought back in 2020 for limited use on select missions and products. The NASA team used a laser projector to mask off the logo with tape and then painted the first coat of the iconic design. Each letter measures approximately 6 feet and 10 inches in height, altogether stretching 25 feet across both boosters. HOW NASA IS OFFERING TO PUT YOU ON THE MOON IN JUST MONTHS In addition to decorating the rocket's 17-story boosters, the logo will also appear on the Orion spacecraft's crew module adapter. The Artemis II flight test, scheduled to launch in September 2025, will be NASA's first Artemis mission with a crew of astronauts aboard the agency's Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. Their mission will be to travel around the Moon and confirm the spacecraft's systems operate as designed in a real deep space environment. The mission will pave the way for Artemis III, which will involve a crew of four traveling to the Moon. The plan is to make history by having the first woman and the first person of color to walk on its surface . "Together, these test flights will demonstrate the capabilities we need to land the first woman and next man on the Moon and enable sustainable missions for decades to come," said Mike Sarafin, Artemis mission manager. "We will take the experience gained exploring the Moon to prepare for the next giant leap to Mars."

Space surgery experiment could provide pathway for medical care in Earth's most remote regions

A tiny remote-controlled robot will attempt a surgical procedure on the International Space Station (ISS) that could provide a major leap forward for remote medical services and hope for even the most remote rural communities."When we started this work at the University of Nebraska, we shared a collective vision that miniRAS could make robotic-assisted surgery available to any patient, anytime, anywhere," Shane Farritor, co-founder of Virtual Incision, told NPR of the experiment. "Exploring the use of miniRAS in extreme environments helps our teams understand how we can remove barriers for patients ." The robot, nicknamed MIRA, for miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant, weighs just two pounds and will simulate the motions of a surgeon, who will direct the robot via remote control from over 250 miles away in Nebraska.  HERE'S HOW AI WILL DRIVE HEALTH CARE TO MEET CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS Virtual Incision Corporation, the Nebraska-based company responsible for developing the miniaturized robotic-assisted surgery (miniRAS) system that will enable the procedure, claimed the robot will grasp objects with one hand while cutting with the other. The company has stressed that it aims to see technology advance to the point it can help connect doctors with remote regions of Earth to provide access to quality surgical procedures. Researchers have explored medical procedures in space for years, making minute but meaningful progress over the past decade. A paper published in 2012, "Surgery in Space: Where are we at now?" raised concerns about the effects of microgravity on human physiology , which could complicate Earth-based medical procedures.  COULD A SECURITY GUARD SHORTAGE BE SOLVED WITH THIS AUTONOMOUS SECURITY ROBOT? The process of suturing, for instance, could occur with a similar "but slower" procedure than in normal gravity and required the operator to acclimate to the microgravity environment."A unique system for delivery of medical care in space must be capable of handling medical events given the extreme operational medical setting," the authors wrote. They cited successful execution of a range of procedures already completed in simulated microgravity environments, including leg dissection, craniotomy, laparoscopy and ureteral stenting. A paper published a decade later, "Robot-assisted surgery in space: pros and cons," added new and more difficult issues to the conversation, such as communication issues, suggesting that the only way to make remote procedures possible was to use telemedicine and simply have "telemonitoring."  BUBONIC PLAGUE IN THE US: DO YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT CATCHING THE RODENT-BORNE DISEASE? However, it did highlight new benefits discovered in the intervening years that resulted from using robotic surgeons in localized environments - the distribution of tasks, helping "transfer" tasks to the robots and helping "significantly reduce the cognitive load on humans' abundance of critical decisions that must be taken in a timely manner to ensure safety." The improvement of satellite technology will help with some of the communication issues and allow the execution of increasingly complex surgeries, according to a post on the topic written by engineering infrastructure development firm Utilities One. Improving satellite technology appears key to the issue. Elon Musk focused on satellites as the method of delivering his Starlink internet service, similarly looking to connect even the most remote areas to the rest of the world through his system. "Leveraging the power of satellites orbiting the Earth, this transformative approach to surgery is set to overcome the limitations of traditional methods by enabling remote, minimally invasive procedures on a global scale," Utilities One wrote on the topic. 

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