Science

American space agency NASA has been named as the best place to work in the country. This is the ninth consecutive year when the agency has retained the top rank. The ranking was released by Partnership for Public Service and Boston Consulting Group. They said that NASA is the best place to work in the government in the United States. Besides, the agency has also invited praise for its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is among the large agencies that fought against the pandemic and maintained the pace of work. The latest ranking shows how NASA is focused and dedicated when it comes to pursuing missions which includes developing a technology to send humans deep into space for exploration and on Mars.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that the latest ranking is a testament to the agency’s world-class workforce that is committed to taking space science to a new level. He added that NASA staff performed through the most difficult circumstances to execute and further advance the projects. Earlier in 2020, NASA reported the highest satisfaction results among its employees. The ranking is based on feedback received during the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. The survey involved nearly 6,24,800 employees at 482 offices. The ranking was first published in 2003. An independent US government agency, it was established in 1958 and has its headquarters based in Washington. The agency is responsible for launching space missions.

NASA has led the world in space exploration for more than six decades of the journey. The agency is now working on an Artemis program that will see America’s return to the Moon. It is also working on a mission for human exploration of Mars. Meanwhile, NASA has given a new name to a manikin headed to the Moon under the Artemis mission. The agency has named the manikin as Commander Moonikin Campos. The name honors Arturo Campos. He was an electrical engineer. Arturo was a key man in successfully bringing Apollo 13 back to Earth after the spacecraft’s service module oxygen tank ruptured. The manikin is set to fly aboard the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis 1 mission later this year.

The next scheduled launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy has been delayed by several months. The launch has been delayed as the US military delayed two upcoming missions because of issues unrelated to the rocket. US Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) has said that the launch has been pushed to October 2021. Earlier, the launch of Space Force’s first SpaceX Falcon Heavy was scheduled for July 2021. The mission has been named USSF-44. It was delayed to accommodate payload readiness. There are indications that significant delays in the main geostationary satellite payload of the mission last year may have been responsible for an earlier launch delay.

US SMC Colonel Robert Bongiovi also said that the USSF-52 mission has also been pushed back. Both the missions were supposed to carry the highest-priority national security payloads of the US Military. With this, there is only a scheduled launch of the Falcon Heavy this year. Deputy director of SMC’s launch enterprise Colonel Douglas Pentecost said that the USSF-52 mission was scheduled for October launch but has now been pushed to 2022. Pentecost said that the decision to move the launch to next year has been taken on the basis of ‘launch manifest priorities.’ This mission was earlier scheduled for launch in October this year.

Both the missions are planned to take off from pad 39A of Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Multiple military payloads will be launched by the Falcon Heavy into a high-altitude geosynchronous orbit during the USSF-44 mission. These satellites will be positioned at a height of over 22,000 miles above the equator. The USSF-44 mission of SpaceX would be the most demanding launch yet as the upper stage flight profile will last for more than five hours. SpaceX has now at least five Falcon Heavy launches scheduled for the next year. USSF-52 mission is expected to be the first in the lineup for next year. This will be followed by the launch of ViaSat-3.

The Mars helicopter has added a new chapter to human’s efforts to explore the planet. The helicopter was designed by NASA. It is named Ingenuity. The helicopter was sent to Mars along with the Perseverance rover. NASA has now released an audio clip of Ingenuity humming in the thin air of Mars. The clip was released just before Ingenuity’s fifth test flight on the planet. The low hum is coming from the spinning blades. The blades complete more than 2,500 revolutions every minute. The blades are barely audible. It only sounds like a far-away mosquito flying. The mini-helicopter has so far performed four test flights. The helicopter weighs 1.8 kg.

The low hum is because of the distance between the Perseverance rover’s microphone and the helicopter. Ingenuity was more than 260 feet far from the rover. Mars’ rumbling wind gusts also obstructed the helicopter’s sound from reaching the microphone. NASA scientists used technology to isolate the helicopter’s sound so that it can be heard. The sound of the helicopter’s blades was recorded on April 30 during Ingenuity’s fourth test flight. Ingenuity is the first helicopter by any space agency to fly in the Martian atmosphere. It arrived at the Red Planet on February 18, attached to the belly of Perseverance. Ingenuity performed the first flight on April 19. The agency named the site of its takeoff and landing as Wright Brothers Field.

NASA invested USD 85 million in developing the technology. It is the first every scientific equipment by the agency to fly in another world. NASA expected that the mission will last for not more than one month, but it extended the mission’s duration by one month. The agency will fly the helicopter multiple times to demonstrate the technology. Ingenuity’s success is will redefine the scientific approach for Mars exploration. NASA’s latest Mars probe will look for signs of microbial life on the planet. It said that Perseverance has completed the first phase. It will now start hunting for rocks on Mars with signs of microscopic life. It will collect sore samples that will return to Earth in the future.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has decided to extend the ongoing mission of the Mars Ingenuity helicopter. The decision has been taken after another successful flight test of Ingenuity. This was the fourth flight test of Ingenuity, the four-pound remote-controlled aircraft. Originally, NASA had planned five test flights of the aircraft. It has traveled around 900 feet at an average speed of 8 miles per hour. Like its previous flight test, Ingenuity flew at a height of 16.5 feet. NASA said that the helicopter when ‘farther and faster’ than ever before. “Success. Ingenuity has completed fourth flight. It took more photos of the Martian surface this time. They will come in a later data downlink,” NASA tweeted.

According to the US space agency, the distance covered by the helicopter is double than what it covered during the third flight. Also speed attained by Ingenuity was double than it attends during the last flight on April 25. NASA was satisfied by the outcomes of the third test. “Flight test of Ingenuity has been a resounding success,” said associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen. “As the helicopter is still in excellent health, NASA plans to use to benefit future aerial platforms.”

This means that the US space agency is extending the mission of Ingenuity. Perseverance rover has been closely monitoring the flight test of the helicopter from distance. The rover will continue to do its other work. It will also restart the investigation landing site of Jezero Crater for signs of past life on the planet. As for Ingenuity, it will conduct the fifth and final flight test as planned originally. Unlike previous flights, it will be a one-way trip. If the helicopter remains functional and technically sound, it will conduct subsequent flights from the new landing site. The new landing site will still be fairly close to where Perseverance is looking for signs of past life.

Several studies have suggested that ancient craters on Mars could hold some crucial data to find out whether life existed on the planet. Researchers have now claimed to discover a new crater lake on the planet. It is an unknown type of ancient crater lake. The crater is different from the previously known craters on the Red Planet. They believe that it could reveal clues about Mars’ early climate. Researchers from Brown University said that the unnamed crater has characteristics that are puzzling. They said that its floor has geologic evidence that suggests stream beds and ponds on the planet. However, there is no evidence of inlet channels that could suggest where water entered.

Researchers said that the crater was mainly fed by runoff from a glacier. They said that water flowed atop the Martian glacier into the crater. This means that water flowed on the Martian surface and no valley was left behind. The water likely emptied into a crater that is low-lying and left a geological mark on the soil there. This Martian lake is different in characteristics from other crater lakes. Researchers said that signs of drainage are present. Everything happened inside the crater. This makes the newly discovered crater lake different from others. This is something that has never been characterized in past studies. NASA is currently exploring the Gale and Jezero craters. The agency is looking for signs of life in Martian soil.

The study said that the crater could provide clues that could tell about Mars’ early climate. Researchers managed to map the details about the ancient crater lake using images sent by Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA sent the orbiter on Mars more than a decade ago to study the planet’s geology and climate. It is still a mystery that how Mars lost its atmosphere and whether the planet’s climate was similar to the neighboring Earth’s. Scientists estimate that there are 43,000 impact craters on Mars with each having 3 miles of diameters.

The Mars sample collection mission by NASA is set to arrive at the Red Planet. The space agency said that its Perseverance rover will land on the planet on February 18. Perseverance was launched in July 2020. It nears touchdown after traveling 300 million miles from Earth in over seven months. It is the first mission by NASA to collect Mars samples. The rover will collect broken rock and dust. NASA said that the rover will land at Jezero Crater. Scientists believe that the crater was once flooded with water. Past studies indicated that life may have developed in the crater. There is a high probability that clays contain a rich fan-delta deposit.

NASA said that Perseverance is the most sophisticated rover it has launched ever. The Jezero crater is 28 miles wide. It is full of hazards. The site is said to be a dangerous place to make a soft landing. The rover’s objective is to characterize the Red Planet’s geology and its past climate. The data collected will pave the way for human exploration. NASA said that the lander vision system will be activated to identify where the rover can make a safe landing. The system will allow the rover to determine its position on the surface. The agency expects a soft landing as experts had conducted extensive testing of the rover’s landing both in the laboratory and in the field with an ambiance similar to the crater.

NASA said that a team will be monitoring everything when the rover lands. The team will check the camera’s power and ensure that data is flowing as planned. Experts will keep a close watch on the health of the rover’s system. Meanwhile, NASA said that the rover’s entry into the Martian atmosphere, its descent, and landing will be telecast live. The agency said that the live coverage and landing commentary will be available on the NASA TV Public Channel and its official website. People can also watch it live on the NASA App, NASA’s YouTube channel, and other social media networks.

Scientists have described the Himalayan glaciers as highly sensitive to climate change. They said that glaciers are shrinking rapidly due to global warming. The ecosystem services these glaciers provide are very crucial. But the melting of glaciers poses a threat to over 2.4 million people and other creatures. A 2019 report by an Indian government panel on Climate Change had forecasted the science behind the current unfolding in the Himalayas. The report said that glaciers will retreat in the coming years. There will be massive landslides, flash floods, and deluge. The report assumes significance as a glacier burst incident in the Indian state of Uttarakhand caused massive destructions to human lives and infrastructure.

Several past studies have claimed that there is a connection between the disaster and harm to ecosystems. Although there is still some confusion as to what triggered the disaster in Uttarakhand, the incident of glacier burst is seen as a result of rising temperature due to human interference with the ecosystem. The Himalayan glaciers are very important for the population in South Asia. It is one of the major sources of drinking water. Besides, agriculture activities largely depend on these glaciers. According to an assessment, glaciers in eastern Himalaya are shrinking fast. Glaciers in central and western regions are also shrinking but slower than in the eastern region.

The Energy and Resources Institute in its 2019 discussion paper had sounded an alarm about the rising temperature. It said that the upper reaches are warming very fast. This is causing glaciers to meltdown rapidly. It said that the warming rate will increase in the Himalayan region by 0.5 degrees to one degree Celsius by the 2020s. It said that temperature could increase one to three degrees by 2050. The Himalayan states are vulnerable to landslides and flash floods. The recent disaster has raised questions over the measures taken by the world to fight climate change and prevent global warming from becoming worse. Under the Paris pact, 195 countries have vowed to cut the carbon emission to keep the rise in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius.

Einsteinium is an artificial element with atomic number 99, symbol Es, 252-u atomic mass, and period 7. This mysterious and highly radioactive element, is named after legendary physicist – Albert Einstein, though he did not discover it. In 1952, this element was discovered for the first time in airborne debris of a hydrogen bomb explosion (detonation of a thermonuclear weapon called ‘Ivy Mike’ at Eniwetok Atoll in the South Pacific). On 1^st November 1952, detonation of Ivy Mike, as a part of an experiment at a remote island location called Elugelab in the South Pacific, produced an explosion nearly 500 times more destructive than Nagasaki explosion. Subsequently, this fallout material was sent to Berkeley Lab, California, which was examined by Stanley Thompson, Bernard Harvey, Albert Ghiorso, and Gregory Choppin.

Since the discovery, Einsteinium has been one of the most challenging elements to study as it is highly radioactive and difficult to create, thus, there is not much information about this element. Discovery of this element was not revealed for almost three years, it was in 1955 that scientists suggested that it should be named after Albert Einstein. After almost 70 years, on 17^th November 2020, scientists studied about the element at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and reported a few properties of Einsteinium, which is placed at bottom row of periodic table. This study was published in a journal – Nature – on 3^rd February 2021.

Scientists conducted experiment using microscopic amount of less than 250 Nano-grams, which was produced at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s High Flux Isotope Reactor, which is one of the few labs capable of manufacturing Einsteinium. The element is one of the most stable isotopes that has a half-life of 276 days, which means it takes 276 days for half of the element to decay. Even if the element occurred on Earth during its formation, due to its shorter half-life and high radioactivity, it had most certainly decayed. Hence, the element cannot be naturally found and needs to be synthetically produced using intense and precise processes. Einsteinium, so far, has been manufactured in diminutive quantities and it is currently used only to create heavier element – Mendelevium (Md). The high rate of decay and radioactive nature makes it less useful in any other area, except for research purposes.

Einsteinium is minute that it is invisible to naked eyes and it took more than nine years to produce enough of it to see with the naked eye. For the recent research, using a precise X-ray produced by a particle accelerator, the scientists were able to examine this element to find out how it bonds with atoms. By studying this atomic arrangement, scientists can find out interesting chemical properties of other elements and isotopes that may be useful for nuclear power production and radiopharmaceuticals, Rebecca Aberge who co-led the study was quoted as saying in a release.

Saturn is a magnificent planet. Its rings make it appear spectacular and have been a topic for scientific studies. Scientists have been able to send four missions to Saturn so far. They are Pioneer 11, Voyager 1, Voyager 2, and Cassini. While the first three were flybys, the Cassini entered its orbit and explored the planet and its moons for 14 years until it was declared dead in 2017. Scientists have now claimed to solve a puzzle involving the planet’s moon Rhea. Rhea is one of the 82 known moons of the gas giant. When Cassini flew past Rhea, it detected a mysterious compound on its surface. The compound is said to be a chemical. The chemical is hydrazine. Hydrazine is a colorless volatile alkaline liquid. It is a fuel used by space agencies mostly in rockets.

When Cassini flew past the moons of the second-largest planet, it noticed sunlight bouncing off their surfaces. It examined the sunlight to understand what the compounds on their surfaces are made of. The probe saw a similar compound on Rhea and other moons. It was noticed that some compounds on their surface absorbed a portion of sunlight in the UV range. Scientists initially speculated it to be water ice. But they were puzzled for a long time and continued with their researches. Experts at the Planetary Science Institute observed how the light bounced off during experiments in laboratories. They noticed that it matched what the Cassini spacecraft spotted on Rhea. They said that the compound could be hydrazine and chlorine.

Experts believe that hydrazine can be formed during chemical reactions that are present on Rhea. But it is hard to believe chlorine could be produced on the icy moon’s surface. According to NASA, the Cassini spacecraft used hydrazine as fuel for its thrusters. It was also speculated that the compound came from Cassini’s thrusters. But the thrusters were never fired when Cassini was near Rhea. Another theory suggests that the compound could have floated out from the atmosphere of the neighboring moon Titan and arrived on Rhea. Experts said that they have are still working to find out how the compound arrived at Saturn’s other moons.

The US-based space agency NASA has claimed that it detected FM radio signals from one of the moons of Jupiter. It said that signals were received from Ganymede which is the largest moon in our solar system. It is also the ninth-largest object. It doesn’t have a substantial atmosphere. Past studies determined that it has a diameter of 5,268 km. NASA said that it recently came to light that FM radio signals were emanating from Ganymede. This is for the first time such signals have been reported. The agency, however, clarified that signals are not a sign of extraterrestrial life. It termed the signals a result of a natural function on the moon.

NASA said that the signals were received by Juno spacecraft. Juno is an orbital probe launched by NASA to explore the gas giant. It was launched in 2011. It entered a polar orbit of the planet after five years of journey. It has unlocked many secrets hiding within the solar system’s largest planet. NASA said that Juno detected the signal and located its source from Ganymede. It said that the cyclotron maser instability process led to the creation of signals. The spacecraft observed the signal for just five seconds. Ganymede possesses a metallic core. It is estimated that the moon contains more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined. It orbits Jupiter in seven Earth days.

Meanwhile, NASA has authorized a mission extension for its Juno spacecraft. Juno will continue to conduct scientific experiments around Jupiter till September 2025. The future targets for exploration include the ice-covered liquid ocean of Europa. Europa is also one of the 79 moons. Last year, astronomers claimed to observe the effect of volcanic activity on Io’s atmosphere. All the three Ganymede, Europa, and Io are three of the four Galilean moons. The fourth one is Callisto. All the four moons are visible from Earth with binoculars. The gas giant is too visible to the naked eye from Earth at night.

Identical twins more often resist being called a clone of their siblings; however, new research has proved they might not be genetically the same. Scientists from Iceland have analyzed DNA sequences from 372 identical twins and from their parents as well. Identical twins are born out of a single fertilized egg. The co-author of the study and geneticist at the University of Iceland and the company deCode, Kari Stefansson has said that the study has helped him to find out early mutations, which are responsible for separating identical twins. The findings of the study have been released in the journal called Nature Genetics. A mutation can be defined as an alteration in a sequence of DNA, a slight change, which is not inherently good or bad but can affect physical features and vulnerability to certain diseases in children. Such mutations take place when a cell divides and makes a tiny error in replicating DNA.

The study has found that around 5.2 of these initial genetic differences are found in identical twins. However, nearly 15 percent of identical twin pairs have been found with even more genetic differences. Some of them have been found with more than 100 genetic differences, said the experts. The co-author of the study has said that these differences show a tiny bit of the genetic code of each twin but they might explain why one twin is taller and why one twin is at a higher risk of chronic disease such as cancer. Earlier, many scientists have thought that physical differences between identical twins have been linked to environmental factors such as lifestyle and nutrition. A geneticist at Uppsala University in Sweden, Jan Dumanski has said that the findings of the study have made a great contribution to medical research. He has said that the only implication of this study is that scientists will have to be very attentive while using twins as models for testing the impacts of nature and nutrition. Past studies along with a paper, which has been published in 2018 in the American Journal of Human Genetics, have reported that there are some genetic differences between identical twins.

The new study has included the DNA of parents, children, and spouses of identical twins, unlike other past studies. These inclusions have helped experts to identify when these genetic differences take place in two different types of cells, which exist in just one individual and are inherited by the children of that person. They have been able to find mutations, which take place before the developing embryo splits into two, which sets the stage for twins. The team of experts has identified some pairs of identical twins where a mutation exists in all cells of the body of one twin but that mutation is not found in the other twin. However, at times the other twin might have this mutation in some of the cells, but not in all cells. Many experts have lauded the findings of the study and have said that it is a heroic success. They have said that the study has the potential to change people’s thinking about the effects of genetics and the environment.

Experts have said that there are 1.6 billion cattle in the world and their burps and farts pose a serious threat to the environment. A study has found that cows expel methane through farts and burps, a colorless and odorless gas, which is 84 times more toxic than carbon dioxide in terms of warming the planet. A study, which has been done by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy has shown that joint greenhouse gas emissions of 13 largest dairy farms in the US are equal to those of top fossil fuel giants. Looking at the statistics, scientists have said that methane ousted from cattle contributes to the major amount of global warming. However, a UK based firm called Zelp has come up with a potential solution to this issue in the form of a burp-catching mask for cows, which has been made to inhibit the methane discharge from cattle by 60 percent. This firm has been founded by brothers Francisco and Patricio Norris. The family of founders has a livestock farming business in Argentina. The founders have said that they have found that methane emissions contribute to global warming majorly. They have said that methane reduction tools in agriculture are under research and are not as effective as they should be. Experts have said that there is a lack of innovation in the field of agriculture.

Experts have said that usually resolutions to the livestock industry’s methane emissions are available in the form of feed additives. These feed additives change animals’ digestive process and reduce methane production in the cattle’s stomach. Makers of the burp-catching mask have said that rather than changing the microbiology of the animals, Zelp allows cattle to digest their normal food without any obstruction. This unusual mask fits comfortably on the cows’ heads with a zip-tie-like method, which allows it to be adjusted according to different head sizes of the animals, which depends on the breed of the animal. It can be used on the animals after they are accustomed to different types of feed, typically at the age of 6 to 8 months, said the makers. This mask sits next to the nostrils, which allows the mask to absorb the methane from their breathing belches and burps. Experts have said that around 95 percent of methane emission from the cattle comes from their mouths and nostrils. The new technology identifies, absorbs, and oxidizes toxic methane gas when it is exhaled by the animals. There is a sensor attached to the mask, which detects methane gas exhaled by the animals. The sensor as well determines the percentage of methane emitted by the animals.

Scientists have said that when the level of methane is excessively high, the mask directs the gas towards an oxidation system attached inside. This oxidation system converts methane gas into carbon dioxide and water and releases it from the device. The makers of this new mask have said that it will reduce methane gas contribution to global warming by little less than 1.5 percent of its earlier value. They have done many behavioral trials in association with some institutions in the UK and Argentina. These trials have shown that these masks have no negative effect on the animals’ behavior and feeding. Experts have measured feeding activity, cattle location, and sexual receptivity in female cattle while designing the burp-catching mask. These details will help experts to track and monitor animals and early signs of any disease. It will also help experts to reduce costs on farms. The data collected by the new technology will help experts to determine how efficient animals are in polluting the environment. Eventually, it will allow experts to collect the data of animals’ activity across farms, which will help them understand the gas emission and cattle health at a local and national level. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN has said that the consumption of beef and dairy products is going to shoot up in the next 30 years, which might create a global imbalance.

China’s Earthquake Networks Center has found that an alleged bolide has crashed near the border of Nangqian county and Yusu county; however, no one has been injured in the crash. Bolide is an extremely bright meteor, which crashes into the atmosphere. This suspected low flying meteor has brightened up the sky across northwestern Yushu city of China in the Qinghai province. This episode has left residents of the area stunned and surprised. This exceptional natural phenomenon has been recorded on camera, which shows bright fireball flashing and lighting the dark night. The video of this incident has been uploaded on social media platforms as well. In some videos, a bright fireball is passing through a region and some videos show the burning space object falling rapidly towards the hills and fields. Scientists have said that there has been no causality due to the meteor crash across the region.
After this unusual natural event, the officials from the Nangqian County have said that an unidentified and bright flying object has been spotted in the area, which has flown towards the direction of West lake Qamdo. The officials have found no debris or wreckage in the Nangqian County region. As per Chinese history, meteorites from the sky are commonly considered a precursor to major incidents or social turbulence among Chinese people. Most meteorites are forbidding as per the Chinese traditional culture. The videos of meteorite crash on social media platforms have created panic and fear among people. However, the officials have assured people that there is nothing to worry about.
Scientists from NASA as well have identified fireball impact across the region with the help of the agency’s Fireball and Bolide Data gathered by JPL’s Near-Earth Objects Website. As per the data reported on its official site, scientists have measured meteorite’s total impact energy has been 9.5 Kt. Scientists have said that the velocity of the flying object has been recorded by sensors, which has been around 13.6 km/second. A similar incident of a meteorite crash has been reported in Japan early this month, where a bright fireball has lightened up the sky.

Several missions have been launched by multiple space agencies to search for aliens. But no space agency has made a breakthrough. Even though no concrete evidence has been found about their existence, experts and space agencies have not ruled out completely their non-existence. Many believe that the Milky Way is home to aliens. According to the latest study, it is highly likely that most aliens are dead. The study noted that since humans have failed to contact them despite making several efforts, the probability of their being dead is high. The study said that they might have died. Researchers said that aliens’ progress in science and technology could be the result of their destruction.

The study said that aliens may have emerged nearly eight billion years ago after the formation of the Milky Way. The Milky Way is nothing but a galaxy that houses the Solar System of which Earth is a part. The galaxy is believed to be formed approximately 13.50 billion years ago. Researchers said that they looked at the theory of science and technology to arrive at a conclusion that aliens could have been destroyed by their own progress. Researchers, however, didn’t rule out their existence. They said that if aliens exist, they are too young and located too far from Earth to be observed by humans. The latest findings of the existence of extraterrestrial life are crucial in determining whether a civilization can ever travel deep in space to meet the other.

Researchers said that they updated the 1961 Drake Equation to conduct the latest study. According to them, the older version excluded the evolving stellar properties. The study comes at a time when a team of scientists claimed to receive a radio signal deep from space. The signal likely emanated from a planet located is beyond the solar system. The source of the signal was about 51 light-years ago. This is for the first time when such a signal is collected by the Earth scientists.

NASA has recently revealed that the internal composition of Mars looks like a three-layer cake. The Red Planet lander of the space agency has found that the planet has a formation like a three-layer cake under its crust. The probe has revealed that the Red Planet consists of different types of rocks heaped on top of each other just like a cosmic cake. This data from the Mars lander will help astronomers, geologists, and aerospace engineers to understand the history of murky origins and evolution of the Red Planet. The InSight Mars lander of the agency has sent the very first geological analysis of the Red Planet to scientists. The lander has faced difficulties in using its digging mole probe in the Martial soil and deployment. However, it has been able to extract details about the rocky layers under the crust of the Martian soil with the help of a domed seismometer. This domed seismometer has been provided by the French space agency Center National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES).
Scientists have been able to observe the thickness of each slice of Martian crust by capturing the nature of many storms of seismic waves. They have been able to identify the duration of waves and resistant path by these marsquakes. A short form for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, InSight has been launched in 2018. It is a Geodesy and Heart Transport Mission. It is a specific robotic lander, which aims to probe the mysteries of the formation of Mars. The main objective of this lander is to explore the deeper interior of nearby planets. It has landed in the Elysium Planitia region near the equator of the Red Planet in 2018. Since then, it continues to observe and gather data, which helps astronomers to understand the origin and structure of rocky planets of the inner solar system.
This year, InSight has been able to identify hundreds of small quakes. Most of them have not been higher than 3.7 magnitudes. It has collected the most inclusive weather data of any past surface mission, which has happened on Mars. The lead InSight scientist Bruce Banerdt from NASA has said that after probing around 480 marsquakes, they have been able to collect enough data to answer some of the unanswered questions. Preliminary data collected by InSight has shown that each of Mars’s planetary layers is around 12 to 23 miles thick. Scientists have said that it means it is thicker than the Earth’s oceanic layer. However, the planetary layer of Mars is thinner than the Earth’s continental crust. The authors of the study continue to study more data collected by InSight lander.

The number of planets in the solar system keeps fluctuating from 8 to 9 depending on whether astronomers find Pluto large enough to be a planet. However, another mysterious planet, the so-called Ninth Planet might be prowling in the periphery of the solar system. Scientists have found a massive exoplanet in a different solar system, which exhibits strange behavior, which is similar to a hypothesized ninth planet. They have found that exoplanet HD106906 b is almost 336 light-years far away from our planet earth. The data has found that the total mass of the exoplanet is equivalent to 11 Jupiter. The newly discovered planet orbits a double star system. Scientists found it in 2013 itself but they were unable to gather many details about it. However, NASA’s Hubble telescope has been able to gather 14 years worth of accurate data about the exoplanet. It has offered a treasure of new insight about the new mysterious planet.

Scientists have said that the exoplanet is quite far away from its host stars. It is 730 times more far from the Sun than it is far from the earth. The slow 15000 years long orbit of the new planet does not allow any conclusive observation in just 14 years, said the experts. As per the Hubble team, the orbit of the exoplanet stays on the outside of a debris disc adjoining the twin stars. Its orbit is very inclined, extreme, and extended. The lead author of the study Meiji Nguyen has said that in our solar system all the planets rest approximately on the same plane. It is bizarre to see how HD106906 b has been located so far out on a leaning orbit. He has said that it is uncertain how the planet has developed such an orbit. Experts have said that it has originated much closer to the host stars but due to the drag from the system’s gas disc, its orbit might have been affected. The drag from the system’s gas disc might have pushed the mysterious planet closer to twin stars.

The gravitation force of the twin stars might have bowled it into eccentric orbit. Experts have said that a passing start might have rectified the orbit of the exoplanet and then refrained it from leaving the home system. This process might have pushed the potential Planet Nine towards the edges of the solar system beyond the Kuiper belt. Scientists have said that Jupiter as well might have pushed the exoplanet out from the inner solar system, which might have impacted its orbit. Planet Nine would have surpassed Pluto but a passing star has refrained it by changing its orbit, said the experts. However further investigation is needed to substantiate the findings of this new research.

It is a well-known fact that NASA and other space agencies around the world are planning to explore earth’s natural satellite the moon in this decade. They are hoping to establish a required infrastructure to support the sustainable plan of crewed exploration and research on the moon. The commercial space sector is planning to develop lunar tourism and mining as well, which will involve extracting and selling some of the vast resources of the moon in the open market. However, an international team of scientists has said that there might not be sufficient resources on the moon to go around. Experts have said that without some stringent international policies and deals to find out who can claim what and where, the celestial body will instantly become congested, overstrained, and stripped of its resources. This study has been done by scientists from the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. The findings of the study have been released in the Philosophical Transactions of Royal Society A called Concentrated Lunar Resources.

Experts have said that they have observed many parts of the moon and found that most places do not have enough resources that have become a matter of interest for many countries. There are many space agencies and other firms in the private sector who are planning to land on the moon in the next five years. They have warned that in the absence of clear international policies, it might create a conflict between the agencies over the resources of the moon. There are some treaties in place for governing activities on the celestial body. The US, the UK, and the Soviet Union had signed a treaty in 1967 titled ‘Outer Space Treaty’. Since then it has been sanctioned by 110 countries. This treaty prohibits nations from declaring control over celestial bodies including the moon. It bans the testing and deployment of nuclear weapons in space as well. More recently, ‘Artemis Accords’ a new treaty has been put in place. It ensures all the participants of the treaty inform each other about their activities on the moon. However, this treaty does not forbid private sector firms and people from claiming sovereignty over outer space bodies. Such a condition gives them free access to things like lunar mining and asteroid prospecting and mining.

Many discussions over scientific and commercial activities on the moon have been going on more recently. Authorities have been discussing the rules regarding who can extract the materials from which part of the moon. Earlier, in the Apollo Era, extensive research had been done to explore the possibility of resources like water, iron, and helium, however in the modern era; the research has focused on constant access to solar power, water ice deposits, and volatile compounds. As per the scientists, the variety of resources is not a matter of concern; rather the problem is that everyone has been targeting the same sites and resources. There are limited resources on the moon and all have to work together. Experts have said that there should be a legal regime in place before conducting any scientific or commercial activities on the moon. All activities on the moon should be consistent with international law. The Outer Space Treat and Artemis Accords as well can hold signatories responsible for activities of third parties situated in the region where they have authority.

Astronomers have been able to detect ethereal particles known as Neutrinos for the first time. These particles can be found in the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen fusion or CNO fusion inside the sun. Experts have said that it is a milestone discovery, which proves abstract forecast from the 1930s. It will be hailed as one of the biggest findings in physics of the new millennium. The findings of this large-scale study have been published in the journal Nature. In the study, scientists have used an ultrasensitive Borexino detector at the INFN’s Gran Sasso particle physics laboratory in Italy. It is the largest underground research center in the world. It is located deep under the Apennine Mountains, nearly 65 miles northeast of Rome. The new finding culminates the decade-long study of neutrinos in the sun by the Borexino Project. This research has been able to find the main nuclear reaction, which is used by the stars to fuse hydrogen into helium.

Experts have said that almost all the stars including the sun release a huge amount of energy by fusing hydrogen into helium. Scientists put it as an effective way of burning hydrogen. Hydrogen is the richest element and the main source of fuel in the universe. Nearly 99 percent of the energy of the sun comes from proton-proton fusion, which produces beryllium, lithium, and boron prior to dividing them into helium. However, most stars in the universe are much larger than the sun, such as the red giant Betelgeuse. This star is around 20 times more massive and 700 times wider than the sun. Those stars, which are larger than the sun, are much hotter as well, which means they are tremendously driven by CNO fusion. These stars fuse hydrogen into helium through atomic nuclei, which are formed into a loop between carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.

The CNO cycle is known as the central source of energy in the universe. However, it is hard to identify inside a relatively cool sun, where it contributes to only one percent of its energy. The huge Borexino detector identifies the neutrinos released during nuclear fusion at the core of the sun. Experts have said that neutrinos hardly interact with any element; therefore, it is easy to study them for distant nuclear reactions. However, experts have said that it is hard to identify these neutrinos as well. As per the astronomers, trillions of neutrinos released from the sun go through the Borexino detector every second, but only dozens of them are found each day. This large detector looks for faint flashes of light as they disappear in its 300-ton water tank. The author of the study has said that they have spent decades calculating neutrinos from the sun’s proton-proton chain reaction, however, identifying the CNO neutrinos has been quite hard. They have made the detector more sensitive over the years to discover these neutrinos. They have been protecting the detector from outside sources of radioactivity. As per the experts, the inner layer of the detector is the most radiation-free place on the earth. The findings of the study are the only direct signs of CNO fusion ever seen in history. Experts have said that the discovery has brought them one-step close to studying the composition of the Sun’s core and the configuration of the massive star.