Science
Strong Solar Storm Could Disrupt Communications And Produce Northern Lights In US
CAPE Florida’s Cape Coral — This weekend, a very powerful solar storm approaching Earth may cause communications outages and cause the northern lights to appear in the United States.
For the first time in almost 20 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare geomagnetic storm watch. The entire weekend is under scrutiny, beginning on Friday.
VOR News Image
Strong Solar Storm Could Disrupt Communications And Produce Northern Lights In US
According to NOAA, the sun started to create powerful solar flares on Wednesday, which led to five plasma explosions that might have disrupted Earth’s power infrastructures and satellites in orbit. A coronal mass ejection, or eruption, can produce billions of tons of solar plasma.
The flares appear to be connected to a sunspot that is 16 times the diameter of Earth, which is why NOAA is classifying this as an uncommon occurrence. In 2003, a strong geomagnetic storm destroyed power transformers in South Africa and knocked out power in Sweden.
VOR News Image
Strong Solar Storm Could Disrupt Communications And Produce Northern Lights In US
According to NOAA, the most recent storm may cause northern lights as far south as Alabama and Northern California in the United States.
An amazing natural occurrence is the aurora borealis, sometimes known as the northern lights. The night sky in Earth’s polar regions is home to these vibrant, dancing lights. When charged solar particles clash with atmospheric gasses, these lights are created.
VOR News Image
Strong Solar Storm Could Disrupt Communications And Produce Northern Lights In US
Though the lights are usually observed in green, pink, and violet hues, they can occasionally be seen in other colors as well. Countless people travel to locations like Alaska, Canada, and Scandinavia every year to see this amazing show in person since it is such a stunning sight.
SOURCE – (AP)
Science
NASA Cuts 2 From Next SpaceX Flight To Make Room For Astronauts Stuck At Space Station
NASA withdrew two astronauts from the next crew on Friday to create room on the return voyage for the two stuck at the International Space Station.
NASA Cuts 2 From Next SpaceX Flight To Make Room For Astronauts Stuck At Space Station
NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch the orbiting laboratory in September using a SpaceX rocket. In February, the duo will reunite with Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. NASA felt it was too unsafe for Williams and Wilmore to return home in their Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which had propulsion issues and helium leaks.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson were bumped from their SpaceX flight. NASA stated that they could fly on future missions.
The space agency considered spaceflight experience and other considerations while choosing.
After the shuttles were retired, the United States relied on Russia to transport crews to the space station until SpaceX began carrying humans in 2020. The two countries continue to exchange seats. Next month, NASA’s Don Pettit will launch to the space station, while NASA’s Tracy Dyson will return to Earth via a Russian capsule.
NASA Cuts 2 From Next SpaceX Flight To Make Room For Astronauts Stuck At Space Station
NASA turned to commercial enterprises a decade ago, seeking two competing US companies to transport humans in the post-shuttle era.
In June, Boeing’s first crew, Williams and Wilmore, arrived at the space station for a planned week-long stay. Their capsule will return empty as early as next Friday, aiming to land in the New Mexico desert.
SOURCE | AP
Science
Scientists Discover Doughnut-Shaped Structure Deep in Earth’s Outer Core
In a groundbreaking study recently published in *Science Advances*, scientists have revealed an astonishing new feature within the Earth’s outer core.
Using seismic waves from large earthquakes, researchers have uncovered a doughnut-like, or torus-shaped, structure buried deep beneath the planet’s surface.
This discovery provides fresh insights into the complex dynamics of Earth’s internal composition.
The research team, led by Professor Hrvoje Tkalcic, a geophysicist from the Australian National University, analyzed seismic waves that travel through Earth’s outer core.
These waves, generated by significant seismic events, offer valuable information about the core’s structure and composition.
Professor Tkalcic explained that the team focused on the slowing down of seismic waves as they passed through a specific area of the outer core near its boundary with the mantle.
“By understanding the paths of those waves and their travel times, we reconstructed their journey through the Earth’s outer core,” Tkalcic said.
The slowdown in wave velocity indicated the presence of a torus-shaped region within the outer core, oriented parallel to the equator. This discovery adds a new layer of complexity to our understanding of Earth’s interior.
New Study Reveals Low-Velocity Torus in Earth’s Outer Core
The study’s authors noted, “Thermochemical inhomogeneities in the outer core that enhance our understanding of the geodynamo have been elusive.
Seismic constraints on such inhomogeneities would provide clues on the amount and distribution of light elements in the core apart from iron and nickel.”
The researchers employed global coda correlation wavefield analysis to present evidence of a low-velocity volume within the outer core.
Their findings indicate that seismic waves travel more slowly in this equatorial torus compared to other regions Through waveform modeling, they determined that this torus has a velocity approximately 2% lower than the surrounding liquid outer core.
The study proposes that this low-velocity structure is likely of thermochemical origin, offering crucial insights into the dynamical processes of the Earth’s outer core.
This discovery represents a significant advancement in our understanding of planet’s internal dynamics and could have far-reaching implications for the study of geodynamics and the geodynamo.
Science
FAA Grounds SpaceX After Rocket Falls Over In Flames At Landing
SpaceX’s launches are on hold after a booster rocket caught fire while landing on Wednesday.
Following the early morning mishap off the Florida coast, the Federal Aviation Administration suspended the company’s Falcon 9 rockets and demanded an investigation. There were no reports of injuries or public damage.
FAA Grounds SpaceX After Rocket Falls Over In Flames At Landing
It’s too early to say how much this may affect SpaceX’s planned crew trips, one private and one for NASA. A billionaire’s chartered flight was delayed only a few hours earlier due to a poor weather forecast.
The rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, delivering all 21 Starlink internet satellites to orbit. However, the first-stage booster exploded in a fireball shortly after landing on an ocean platform, marking the first such disaster in years. This was SpaceX’s 23rd launch of this specific rocket, setting a recycling record.
The FAA stated that before SpaceX can resume Falcon 9 launches, it must accept its accident findings and corrective action. Following the accident, a launch from California with more Starlinks was canceled immediately.
SpaceX’s vice president, Jon Edwards, said the business is working “ASAP” to determine what went wrong.
“The loss of a booster is always heartbreaking. Each of them has its own past and personality. “Fortunately, this does not happen very often,” Edwards wrote on X.
Aside from the private spaceflight awaiting liftoff from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre, the compnany is scheduled to send two astronauts for NASA late next month. Two seats will be reserved for the two astronauts who launched in June aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule and were declared dangerous by NASA for their return.
SOURCE | AP
-
Business4 weeks ago
Are You A Cash App User? You May Be Eligible For A Piece Of This $15 Million Settlement
-
Celebrity4 weeks ago
Liza Minnelli Is ‘Mad As Hell’ And Writing New Memoir
-
Business4 weeks ago
Susan Wojcicki, Former YouTube CEO And Longtime Google Executive, Has Died At 56
-
News4 weeks ago
Travis Scott Is Arrested At A Paris Hotel After Altercation With A Security Guard, Prosecutors Say
-
Sports4 weeks ago
Lydia Ko Finally Gets Her Olympic Gold. It Puts Her Into The LPGA Hall Of Fame
-
Business4 weeks ago
After A Rash Of Stolen Cars, Hyundai And Kia’s New Anti-Theft Software Is Showing Results