Science

NASA Spacecraft Launched To Mysterious And Rare Metal Asteroid In First Mission Of Its Kind

Published

1 year ago

2023-10-16

Cape Canaveral, Florida — On Friday, the Psyche spacecraft departed on a six-year mission to a rare metal-coated asteroid.

Most asteroids are typically icy or stony; this is the first investigation into a metal world. It may cast light on the inaccessible cores of Earth and other rocky planets, as scientists speculate it may be the tattered remnants of an early planet’s core.

SpaceX launched the spacecraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre into an overcast midmorning sky. Devoted to the asteroid it is tracking, Psyche is projected to arrive at the enormous, potato-shaped object in 2029.

Scientist Laurie Leshin, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory director at NASA, exclaimed, “It’s so exciting!” As a member of the Psyche crew, Jim Bell of Arizona State University remarked, “What an incredible journey thus far!”

Following an hour, the spacecraft effectively detached from the rocket’s upper stage and began to float away, eliciting jubilation from controllers on the ground.

After decades of exploring planets composed of rock, ice, and gas, NASA is excited to pursue a metallic world. Psyche is the largest of the approximately nine metal-rich asteroids identified to date. It is situated in the outer region of the main asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, in the company of millions of other space rocks. It is in orbit around the planet. It was identified in 1852 and bestowed with the name of an alluring deity of the soul from Greek mythology.

Exploring the Earth’s metal interior has been a long-held human ambition. Lead scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University stated before the launch, “I mean, ask Jules Verne.”

“Excessive pressure is present.” The temperature is excessively elevated. “It is technologically impossible,” she declared. “However, one possible approach to observe a metal core within our solar system is by setting foot on this particular asteroid.”

On Friday, the Psyche spacecraft departed NASA on a six-year mission to a rare metal-coated asteroid.

Based on radar and other observations, astronomers have determined that the asteroid is sizable, measuring approximately 173 miles (280 kilometers) in length and 144 miles (232 kilometers) at its broadest point. They believe it is brimming with iron, nickel, and other metals and silicates and that its dull, predominantly grey surface is likely covered with fine metal granules from cosmic impacts.

Aside from that, it is a mere pinpoint in the night sky, shrouded in mystery until the spacecraft, which has traveled over 2 billion miles (3.6 billion kilometers), arrives at it.

According to Elkins-Tanton, scientists’ predictions—spiky metal craters, enormous metal cliffs, and greenish-yellow eroded lava flows encrusted with metals and derived from sulfur—are “virtually certain to be completely false.” She added that iron-loving elements such as iridium, gold, silver, platinum, or platinum could potentially decompose in the asteroid’s nickel and iron.

“She expressed her deepest hope that it will be beyond our wildest imaginations, as there is a high probability of that occurring.”

Elkins-Tanton asserts that the asteroid, thought to have originated as a component of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago, can provide insights into fundamental inquiries such as the origins of life on Earth and the factors that contribute to the habitability of our planet.

The iron nucleus of the Earth generates the magnetic field that protects our atmosphere and supports life.

On Friday, the Psyche spacecraft departed on a six-year mission to a rare metal-coated asteroid.

Under the direction of Arizona State University on behalf of NASA, the $1.2 billion mission will reach the asteroid via a diversion. In 2026, the van-sized spacecraft equipped with tennis-court-sized solar panels will descend past Mars to generate gravity. It will endeavor to enter orbit around the asteroid three years later, traveling a maximum of 440 miles (700 kilometers) in altitude and a minimum of 47 miles (75 kilometers) in proximity until at least 2031.

The spacecraft is propelled by solar electricity through xenon gas-fed thrusters, which emit soft blue-glowing pulses. An experimental communication system is also present, which enhances data transmission from Earth to outer space by substituting radio waves with lasers. NASA anticipates the test to produce over ten times the quantity of data, which would eventually be sufficient to transmit recordings from the moon or Mars.

The spacecraft ought to have been in free fall a year ago, but flight software testing delays due to inadequate management and other complications prevented that. The itinerary change resulted in additional travel time. Thus, as opposed to its initially scheduled arrival at the asteroid in 2026, the spacecraft will not reach it until 2029.

In the same year, an additional NASA spacecraft recently returned asteroid fragments to the Utah desert will land on an unidentified space rock while orbiting the Earth.

SOURCE – (AP)

Science

Australia Asks Residents to Catch Deadly Funnel Web Spider

Published

5 days ago

2024-11-20

Geoff Brown

As summer approaches in Australia, residents are warned to look out for the funnel web spider, one of the country’s deadliest species.

In addition to advising the public to avoid funnel-web spiders during mating season, the Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales has even asked people to capture live funnel-web spiders so they can “milk” their venom.

Native to eastern Australia, the funnel web spider can kill humans in as little as fifteen minutes if they do not receive medical treatment for its poisonous bite.

There have been thirteen fatalities attributable to this species, but none since the development of antivenom in 1981. The Australian Reptile Park is appealing to the public for assistance capturing and donating spiders, as the serum relies on milking live spiders.

Hunting for the funnel net spider in residential areas is common practice after a particularly wet and warm season. Look for spiders in cool, dark places like pools, garden residue, heaps of dirty clothing, and outside shoes.

Australian Reptile Park spider keeper Emma Teni recently blogged about how they rely on spider donations more than ever, especially now that breeding season has arrived and the temperature is perfect.

“Male funnel-web spiders have short lifespans, and with approximately 150 spiders required to make just one vial of antivenom, we need the public’s help to ensure we have enough venom to meet demand.”

“If you spot an egg sac while collecting a spider, it’s important to safely collect that as well,” said Teni. “It can provide a robust supply of healthy young spiders to aid in our antivenom production.”

The spiders won’t be able to climb plastic or glass, but Teni suggests capturing funnel webs in a wide-mouthed jar with a cover. Then, you can lead the spiders into the container using a long spoon or something similar.

After that, fill the jar with moist soil, screw on the top, and bring it to the designated drop-off spot.

“We depend on the public for spider donations, and we want to make sure everyone stays safe during the collection process, especially with conditions being so favourable this year,” said Teni.

Trudeau Orders Facebook to Block Presser Video from Australia

Trudeau Orders Facebook to Block Australian Presser Video

Science

A Spacecraft Is On Its Way To A Harmless Asteroid Slammed By NASA In A Previous Save-The-Earth Test

Published

1 month ago

2024-10-10

Kiara Grace

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – A spacecraft launched Monday to probe the site of a cosmic accident.

The European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft launched on a two-year trip to the little, harmless asteroid slammed by NASA two years ago as a practice run for the day when a murderous space rock threatens Earth. It’s the second phase of a planetary defense experiment that could one day save the globe.

SpaceX’s Falcon rocket vanished with Hera into the late morning clouds. An hour later, cheering erupted in the control center in Germany as the spacecraft split from the rocket’s upper stage and returned home. “It’s an amazing day,” the space agency’s director general, Josef Aschbacher, said later.

The 2022 crash of NASA’s Dart spacecraft reduced Dimorphos’ orbit around its larger companion, indicating that if a harmful rock was heading our way, it might be pushed off course with adequate warning.

nasa

A Spacecraft Is On Its Way To A Harmless Asteroid Slammed By NASA In A Previous Save-The-Earth Test

Scientists are eager to analyze the aftermath of the impact up close to determine how effective Dart was and what improvements may be required to protect Earth in the future.

“The more detail we can glean the better as it may be important for planning a future deflection mission should one be needed,” University of Maryland astronomer Derek Richardson stated before launch.

Researchers want to know if Dart (short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test) created a crater or changed the 500-foot (150-meter) asteroid more dramatically. It seemed to be a flying saucer before Dart’s blow and may now resemble a kidney bean, according to Richardson, who participated in the Dart mission and is assisting Hera.

Dart’s wallop sent rubble and boulders hurtling off Dimorphos, adding to the impact’s momentum. For months, the debris track extended thousands of miles (almost 10,000 kilometers) into space.

According to flight director Ignacio Tanco, some rocks and debris may still be hovering about the asteroid, posing a threat to Hera.

A Spacecraft Is On Its Way To A Harmless Asteroid Slammed By NASA In A Previous Save-The-Earth Test

“We don’t really know very well the environment in which we are going to operate,” Tanco informed me. “But that’s the whole point of the mission is to go there and find out.”

European authorities refer to the $400 million (363 million euros) effort as a “crash scene investigation.”

“Hera is going back to the crime scene and getting all the scientific and technical information,” said project manager Ian Carnelli.

Carrying a dozen science instruments, the compact car-sized Hera must swing past Mars in 2025 for a gravitational boost before landing at Dimorphos by the end of 2026. It’s a moonlet of Didymos, the Greek word for twin, a five-times larger asteroid that spins quickly. At that point, the asteroids will be 120 million miles (195 million kilometers) from Earth.

Hera will attempt to enter orbit around the rocky duo, progressively reducing flyby distances from 18 miles (30 kilometers) to a half-mile (1 kilometer). The spacecraft will examine the moonlet for at least six months to determine its mass, shape, composition, and orbit around Didymos.

Before the crash, Dimorphos circled its larger partner from three-quarters of a mile (1,189 meters) away. Scientists believe the orbit has become tighter and more oval-shaped, and that the moonlet may be tumbling.

Two shoebox-sized Cubesats will launch from Hera for even closer drone-like examinations, with one employing radar to peek beneath the moonlet’s boulder-strewn surface. Scientists believe Dimorphos was produced from particles shed by Didymos. The radar measurements should assist in determining whether Didymos is the small moon’s parent.

A Spacecraft Is On Its Way To A Harmless Asteroid Slammed By NASA In A Previous Save-The-Earth Test

After their survey, the CubeSats will attempt to land on the moonlet. If the moonlet tumbles, the situation will become more complicated. Hera may potentially conclude its mission with a perilous touchdown but on the bigger Didymos.

Neither asteroid poses a threat to Earth, before or after Dart appeared. That is why NASA chose the pair for humanity’s first asteroid-deflecting demonstration.

Asteroids, which are remnants of the solar system’s origin 4.6 billion years ago, circle the sun principally between Mars and Jupiter in what is known as the main asteroid belt, where millions of them live. When they fall from the belt and land in our area, they become near-Earth objects.

NASA now has around 36,000 near-Earth objects, the majority of which are asteroids, although there are also some comets. More than 2,400 of them are deemed potentially dangerous to the Earth.

SOURCE | AP

Science

A Rare Comet Brightens The Night Skies In October

Published

2 months ago

2024-10-09

Kiara Grace

NEW YORK — Prepare to spot a rare and dazzling comet.

The space rock is hurling toward Earth from the far reaches of the solar system and will make its closest approach on Saturday. It should be visible through the end of October, assuming clear skies.

A Rare Comet Brightens The Night Skies In October

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas should be visible to the naked eye, but binoculars and telescopes will provide a clearer view.

“It’ll be this fuzzy circle with a long tail stretching away from it,” explained Sally Brummel, planetarium manager at the Bell Museum in Minnesota.

What is a comet?
They are frozen remains from billions of years ago when the solar system was formed. They heat up as they swing toward the sun, revealing their distinctive streaming tails.

In 2023, a green one that had last visited Earth 50,000 years ago flew past again. Other significant flybys were Neowise in 2020 and Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake in the mid to late 1990s.

Where did Tsuchinshan-Atlas come from?
Also known as C/2023 A3, was found last year and named after the observatories in China and South Africa that spotted it.

It originated in the Oort Cloud, which extends far beyond Pluto. After making its closest approach to Earth at 44 million miles (71 million kilometers), it will not return for another 80,000 years, provided it survives the journey.

A Rare Comet Brightens The Night Skies In October

Every year, several comets are detected, but many of them burn up near the sun or are too far away to be observed without special equipment, according to Larry Denneau, a key researcher with the Atlas telescope that helped discover it.

How to View

Those seeking to see Tsuchinshan-Atlas should go outside about an hour after sunset on a clear night and look to the west.

The comet should be visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

SOURCE | AP