Author: jlamprecht

There are many words that could be used to describe WASP-76b — hellish, scorching, turbulent, chaotic, and even violent. This is a planet outside the solar system that sits so close to its star it gets hot enough to vaporize lead. So, as you can imagine, until now, "glorious" wasn’t one of those words.

This more positive descriptor was added to the list quite recently, as astronomers have detected hints of something called "glory" in the atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter exoplanet. The glory effect, hinted at in data from the European Space Agency’s exoplanet-hunting mission Characterizing Exoplanet Satellite (CHEOPS), is a rainbow-like arrangement of colorful, concentric rings of light that occur only under peculiar conditions.

This effect is often seen over our own planet, as well as in the atmosphere of our violent neighbor Venus, but this is the first time scientists have seen it happening outside our cosmic neighborhood; WASP-76b is located 637 light-years away from us.

If the effect is confirmed to be happening over WASP-76b, it could reveal a great deal about this strange and extreme exoplanet — a world unlike anything seen in our stellar domain.

"There’s a reason no glory has been seen before outside our Solar System – it requires very peculiar conditions," Olivier Demangeon, team leader and an astronomer at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, said in a statement. "First, you need atmospheric particles that are close-to-perfectly spherical, completely uniform and stable enough to be observed over a long time. The planet’s nearby star needs to shine directly at it, with the observer — here CHEOPS — at just the right orientation."

There’s more to WASP-76b than molten iron rain
Discovered in 2013, WASP-76b is located just 30 million miles from its parent yellow star, which is around 1.5 times the mass and 1.75 times the width of the sun. This distance is just a 12th of the distance between the sun and Mercury, which is the closest planet to our star.

As a result, the planet, which is around 1.8 times the size of Jupiter despite only possessing 92% of the gas giant’s mass, whips around its star in just 1.8 Earth days. This proximity also causes one side of WASP-76b, the "dayside," to be tidally locked to face its star, WASP-76. The other side of the planet, the "night side," perpetually faces out into space.

As the dayside of WASP-76b is blasted by radiation from its host star, temperatures there soar in excess of 4,350 degrees Fahrenheit (2,400 degrees Celsius). That’s hot enough to vaporize iron. Strong and fast winds on WASP-76b then carry this iron vapor to the cooler, night side of the planet, where it condenses into droplets and falls as iron rain.

The hint of the glory effect over this blistering exoplanet is a remarkable achievement for CHEOPS, which launched in December 2019. It exemplifies the mission’s capability to detect subtle, never-seen-before phenomena in faraway worlds.

CHEOPS observed WASP-76b nearly two dozen times over the course of three years as scientists attempted to understand a strange light-asymmetry found in the planet’s outer limbs, seen when it crosses, or "transits," the face of its parent star.

These observations revealed an increase in the light coming from WASP-76b’s eastern "terminator line," the divide where the exoplanet’s nightside becomes its dayside. The team concluded that this sharp change in light output is caused by a strong, localized, and directionally dependent reflection. They call it the glory effect.

"What’s important to keep in mind is the incredible scale of what we’re witnessing," Matthew Standing, an ESA Research Fellow studying exoplanets, said in the statement. "WASP-76b is several hundred light-years away — an intensely hot gas giant planet where it likely rains molten iron.

"Despite the chaos, it looks like we’ve detected the potential signs of a glory. It’s an incredibly faint signal."

What does glory mean for WASP-76b?
The glory effect may have a rainbow-like appearance and colorful striped pattern, but it’s actually quite distinct from a literal rainbow.

Rainbows are created when light from the sun passes from a medium with one density to another medium with a different density, usually from air to water. This causes the path of light to bend, or "refract," and different wavelengths are refracted to different degrees. Thus, white light from the sun is split into its consistent colors, giving rise to the familiar ordered and colorful arc of a rainbow.

On the other hand, the glory effect happens when light passes through a narrow gap. On Earth, this gap could be the space between water droplets in clouds, for instance. This causes a different form of refraction, called "diffraction," which happens when light passes an obstacle or through an aperture.

As the light waves split and then reunite, where peaks meet troughs, there is destructive interference. But, where a peak meets a peak, there is constructive interference. This results in dark and light bands, respectively, and concentric rings of color.

So what does glory mean for WASP-76b?

The presence of this phenomenon in the atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter indicates the presence of clouds composed of perfectly spherical water droplets that have either lasted for at least the three years or clouds that are constantly being replenished.

If the clouds are persistent, this indicates that the temperature of WASP-76b’s atmosphere, while intimidating, must be stable over time. This is a fascinating insight hinting at stability around what had long been considered an endlessly turbulent world.

The results also indicate that exoplanet experts could investigate distant worlds for similar light phenomena, including starlight reflecting off liquid lakes and oceans. This is something that could be vital in humanity’s ongoing search for life beyond the solar system.

"Further proof is needed to say conclusively that this intriguing ‘extra light’ is a rare glory," Project Scientist for ESA’s upcoming Ariel mission, Theresa Lüftinger, said. "Follow-up observations from the NIRSPEC instrument onboard the James Webb Space Telescope could do just the job. Or ESA’s upcoming Ariel mission could prove its presence. We could even find more gloriously revealing colors shining from other exoplanets."

For Demangeon, this potential observation validates this continued interest in investigating the hellish world of Wasp-76b.

"I was involved in the first detection of asymmetrical light coming from this weird planet—and ever since, I have been so curious about the cause," the ESA scientist concluded. "It has taken some time to get here, with moments when I asked myself, ‘Why are you insisting on this? It might be better to do something else with your time.’

"But when this feature appeared out of the data, it was such a special feeling – a particular satisfaction that doesn’t happen every day."

The team’s research is published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Source: https://www.space.com/hellish-exoplanet-rainbow-glory-effect-cheops?utm_term=AF536F6D-055D-443A-91F7-FD448D0CCA73&lrh=4cd1bd23c622eeb1274411ac3b55b43215b8c098a20f14a3285c9e8ae13a98ca&utm_campaign=58E4DE65-C57F-4CD3-9A5A-609994E2C5A9&utm_medium=email&utm_content=E2F02A4B-8D0C-4982-A51D-03D3665EE223&utm_source=SmartBrief

[There are some things that are actually unhealthy, and they can even be dangerous. Piercings and tattoos are not healthy. Jan]

Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SjuYysX2Qts

[I used to be against evolution and it had to do with many things that came to the fore. One of those issues is the one raised in this video. It has to do with the line of thinking that evolution is slow and steady and takes millions of years or more. Due to my appetite for facts and the strange, I read lots of stuff which shows that fossils can be created INSTANTLY! In fact there are fossils of jellyfish and a jellyfish is literally pure water, so how does it become a piece of ROCK? If you watch this short video, you'll see that there are fossils that are like a snapshot in time – a creature is giving birth and it is instantly fossilised. Or one creature is eating another and both become fossils. All of this points to fossilisation can, in some cases, be INSTANT – faster than the blink of an eye. This actually suggests a massive CATASTROPHE – e.g. massive quake or a meteor hitting the Earth, etc. So in reality this merely shows that the process of fossilisation has another aspect – instead of it being slow and gradual, which it is most of the time, it can also be INSTANT – and so something else happened. More and more scientists have discovered MASS EXTINCTIONS where much of the life on Earth just dies off. This has happened many times and it's pretty freaky. So it can happen again. I find this stuff very interesting. Jan]

Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DpXRZ2gzrds

[The science behind this is very amazing. I've never heard of this concept before. What's also fascinating, is that really OLD astronomical observations from 300 and 600 years ago, helped scientists to get their estimates right. If they are right there's going to be something that everyone in the northern hemisphere can see. Whether it will be bright enough in the sky for us to see in SA I don't know. This guy thinks almost everyone will be able to see it. Jan]

Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4z5ovC5kQA

The asteroid impact that wiped out most dinosaurs may have taken place during the Northern Hemisphere’s spring or early summer, according to new research on the infamous mass extinction.

The new research hinges on a site called Tanis, located in North Dakota, that an overlapping group of scientists announced in 2019. That work argued that the site’s fossilized wildlife died within hours of a large asteroid slamming into the Yucatán peninsula 66 million years ago in what is today Mexico. (Notably, the bulk of the fossils buried at Tanis did not belong to dinosaurs; most come from fishes.)

In the new paper, the researchers argue that those fish fossils also suggest that the impact occurred while the Northern Hemisphere was in spring or early summer, potentially making the event still more devastating to life in that hemisphere.

"This project has been a huge undertaking but well worth it," Robert DePalma, the lead author of both research papers and a graduate student in paleontology at the University of Manchester, said in a university statement.

The extinction itself is famous: The most recent of the five mass die-offs that paleontologists have identified in the fossil record, the extinction marked the end of the Cretaceous period 66 million years ago and wiped out about 75% of the species that lived on Earth at the time.

Scientists continue to debate whether the asteroid impact and its consequences were solely responsible for the extinction. Some argue that massive volcanic eruptions that happened at about the same time may have done the job, or that only both catastrophes in tandem could have made such a mark. Either way, the impact had global consequences.

The 2019 paper hailing the North Dakota site’s fossils as a legacy of the impact was greeted with some skepticism, in part because a high-profile magazine story broke the news with scant scientific details; according to reporting at the time by Science, some paleontologists also expressed concerns about DePalma’s professional practices.

But Tanis is tantalizing because, if the research is correct, it would mark the first site where scientists can see the direct consequences of the asteroid impact on life. (Geologists have studied the Chicxulub crater left behind, of course, but the whole asteroid impact situation really did a number on the local fossil record of the period.)

DePalma and his colleagues wanted to determine whether they could date the Tanis fossils to a specific part of the year. Many of the fossils at the site come from paddlefish and sturgeon species at a range of ages.

Fish bones, coincidentally, display the same type of pattern as the annual rings of trees. Fish bones grow a dark layer in the spring and summer, when the animals have plenty to eat and grow faster; in the fall and winter, a lighter band forms. These two bands also sport different ratios of the chemical flavors of carbon that scientists can distinguish in the lab.

When DePalma and his colleagues looked at the bones this way, they found that the most recent layer, found on the outside of the bones, had formed during a season of plenty.

The researchers also used a synchrotron to analyze trace metals found in the fossils, which scientists can use to determine how developed the animal was when it died. That analysis found that there were both adult and juvenile fish at the site, also suggesting a spring or early summer cataclysm, the researchers determined.

All this makes sense, the scientists argue. Modern species of sturgeon migrate between saltwater in the winter and freshwater in the spring and summer, and Tanis was a freshwater site. The researchers found that insect damage preserved in fossilized leaves and fossils of adult mayflies during the catastrophe also match the seasonal timing they suggest.

"Animal behavior can be a pretty powerful tool," Loren Gurche, a co-author on the study and a graduate student at the University of Kansas, said in the statement. "They all matched up."

The scientists even suggest that a spring impact may have triggered more extinctions in the Northern Hemisphere than in the southern. Species in areas of the Northern Hemisphere with distinct seasonal variations built into their lifestyle, the authors wrote in the paper, would have "vulnerabilities inherent to this time span, which was a period of growth and reproduction for many animals and plants."

Had the asteroid hit Earth six months earlier or later than it did, would more dinosaurs have survived? Would mammals have come to rule the world? There’s no way to know, of course.

"Extinction can mark the end of a dynasty, but we must not forget that our own species might not have evolved if it weren’t for the impact and the timing of events that saw the end of the dinosaurs," DePalma said.

The research is described in a paper published Wednesday (Dec. 8) in the journal Scientific Reports.

Source: https://www.space.com/dinosaur-killing-asteroid-impact-chicxulub-happened-in-spring?utm_source=SmartBrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=58E4DE65-C57F-

A Russian cosmonaut has set a new record for the most time in space after spending nearly two and a half years cumulatively on the ISS.

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has broken the world record for the most cumulative time spent in space, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos reported on Sunday.

The 59-year-old has now spent more than 878 days and 12 hours in space, surpassing fellow Russian Gennady Padalka, who set the previous record of 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes, and 48 seconds in 2015.

Kononenko has made five journeys to the International Space Station (ISS), dating back to 2008.

The Moon is shrinking. This is why it’s a problem for humans
Speaking with Russian state news agency TASS, the engineer said that each trip to the ISS required careful preparation due to the station’s constant upgrades – but that life as a cosmonaut was a childhood dream come true.

"I fly into space to do what I love, not to set records. I’ve dreamt of and aspired to become a cosmonaut since I was a child. That interest – the opportunity to fly into space, to live and work in orbit – motivates me to continue flying," he told TASS.

Kononenko’s current trip to the ISS began on September 15, 2023, when he launched alongside NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara and Roscosmos compatriot Nikolai Chub.

By the end of this expedition, the cosmonaut is expected to become the first person to accumulate 1,000 days in space.

The International Space Station is one of the few areas in which the United States and Russia still cooperate closely following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Roscosmos announced in December that its cross-flight programme with NASA transporting astronauts to the ISS had been extended until 2025.

Source: https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/02/04/russian-cosmonaut-oleg-kononenko-sets-a-new-world-record-for-the-most-time-spent-in-space?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email

[Electric planes might be a better idea than electric cars. I'm not fully sure, but I would think so. Jan]

A startup has unveiled its design for a fully electric passenger jet that can seat up to 90 passengers, with plans to launch it within the next 10 years.

The E9X concept, designed by the Dutch company Elysian, is a battery-powered plane that can fly up to 500 miles (800 kilometers) on a single charge based on a theoretical battery pack of 360 watt-hours per kilogram — the standard measure of battery density. By contrast, a Tesla battery has a density of between 272 and 296 Wh/kg according to Inside EVs. With future improvements, the startup hopes to boost the plane’s range up to 620 miles (1,000 km).

The design of the E9X, and the core technology that powers it, is based on a collaboration with researchers at the Delft University of Technology, which produced two papers published Jan. 4 in the journal American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

The first paper focused on redefining assumptions around existing battery technology. Most literature suggests battery-electric aircraft are only feasible for shorter-range trips of up to 250 miles (400 km) with up to 19 passengers on board. As a result, most real-world efforts have focused on designing regional or inter-city electric aircraft.

These widely used assumptions likely stem from much earlier expectations and technological constraints, Simay Akar, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers senior member and the CEO and founder of AK Energy Consulting told Live Science.

In the paper, the study authors suggest that advances in battery technology mean that larger aircraft can house denser batteries. Meeting the design specifications, however, can’t be done with commercially available technology; it "would depend on breakthroughs in battery energy density, weight, and efficiency to achieve such ambitious goals," Akar said.

The study also argues that planes can be designed to be more aerodynamically efficient than previously thought — meaning they could generate more lift without increasing drag.

They performed calculations on high-level estimates from previous aircraft to show there’s a "design space" where both energy density and aerodynamic efficiency can "reach significantly higher values than often assumed."

They validated these assumptions by making more detailed estimates that incorporated each component of a plane — including onboard equipment and systems — to show that a hypothetical plane could fly once the breakthroughs are made.

The second paper outlined the rough dimensions of the 90-seater E9X aircraft, which would include batteries integrated into the wings, a low-wing configuration, as well as folding wingtips. The plane they designed has an energy consumption of 167 Wh per passenger-kilometer, meaning it takes 167 watt-hours to ferry each passenger a kilometer. This equates to "an environmental impact well below" kerosene, electro-fuelled sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF), or hydrogen-based alternatives. The authors added this environmental impact is comparable to land-based modes of transport, such as today’s electric cars.

“High density battery technology is one of the challenges at this moment, because scaling up production and further improving density remain crucial for widespread adoption," said Akar. "360 Wh/kg energy density is a significant leap from current battery technology and crucial for an electric plane’s range. Also, ground infrastructure and regulations still need to adapt to accommodate electric aircraft prior to the targeted timeline.”

The E9X won’t be the first electric passenger aircraft to take flight, if and when it does in 2033. The first electric passenger plane was Eviation Alice, designed to accommodate up to nine passengers and two crew — with its manufacturer first testing a prototype in September 2022 ahead of a target date of 2027 for full production, company representatives said. It has a range of approximately 250 nautical miles (approximately 288 miles or 463 km).

Whether or not the company hits this date remains to be seen, but Eviation has struck agreements with carriers to ship the plane in the future — including a written agreement with the European regional airline flyVbird to supply 25 aircraft, with an option for a further 25 in the future.

Source: https://www.livescience.com/technology/electric-vehicles/elysian-largest-fully-electric-concept-plane-e9x-take-off-in-2033?utm_term=23709803-D360-4259-9C73-BE4FF46B5C71&lrh=eeb99ac19903b638bde682c575bd3d0872a9ced83f83db97fc733a25835de83a&utm_campaign=368B3745-DDE0-4A69-A2E8-62503D85375D&utm_medium=email&utm_content=FBF23F5A-E7C6-427F-B99F-33D860A85CF2&utm_source=SmartBrief

[This is cool. People are always coming up with something new. This could be cool. But I doubt we can reuse any of the disks or devices we used to access them with. Jan]

Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_yxsJuOMY

[This is interesting. Jan]

Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcH7fHtqGYM

Here in SA, I once went to a farm where there were small footprints in rock from the dinosaur age. It was amazing to see the footprints and how the small lizards’ tails had dragged through what was once clearly some mud by a river or lake. For me the most amazing thing I saw was on the coast near margate where you could see fossilized trees near the beach. Trees that used to exist, but which are now solid rock. I found it amazing, being close up and looking at it. I took many photos. You also get "fossil negatives" where the original thing died and rotted away (e.g. tree trunk) and then rock formed around it. The trees blew my mind – you could see them fallen down and you could even see tree rings. I have the photos.

But, one of the greatest places on earth for fossils is in the semi-desert known as the Kalahari. That used to be a sea bed. some of the wildest craziest fossils ever found were found there including impossible fossils like jelly fish in what is now solid rock. (My suspicion is that this was created through very high speed, intensive catastrophic events).

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