Science
‘Ring Of Fire’ Eclipse Brings Cheers And Shouts Of Joy As It Moves Across The Americas
CANCUN, MéXICO — A Solar Eclipse! After crescent-shaped shadows formed on the ground and darkening skies, spectators congregated along the narrow path of a rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse on Saturday erupted in applause.
The spectacle captivated millions of individuals throughout the Americas as the moon entered its designated position and obscured the sun’s outermost region, leaving only a dazzling circle visible.
To observe the eclipse, hundreds of individuals flocked to the planetarium in the Caribbean resort city of Cancún. While some individuals utilized box projectors, others employed telescopes and specialized spectacles to observe.
Children who were filled with anticipation whistled, while some adults extended their arms in an apparent salutation towards the sky in anticipation of the eclipse.
Outside plant vendors witnessed the lunar-sun cycle more organically, aided by trees through which the varying sunlight penetrated, thereby generating distinctive silhouettes on the pathway.
“There was silence and a misty appearance, as if it were dusk, but the birds resumed singing within minutes,” one of the vendors, Carmen Jardines, 56, remarked.
Artemia Carreto was relating her recollections of her childhood in southern Mexico to onlookers when they were directed their attention to the river, which was exquisitely reflected in the dunes beneath.
Although Carreto was not near a river then, she reported being captivated by the sensations brought about by temperature fluctuations and a weighty sensation she attributed to the Earth’s rotation.
Pilar Cáceres perceived an aura of vitality.
‘Ring Of Fire’ Eclipse Brings Cheers And Shouts Of Joy As It Moves Across The Americas.
“It is something that nature brings us and we must observe it,” said the retired elementary school teacher, age 77, who followed the eclipse’s shadow with a piece of cardboard.
Proficient ancient Maya astronomers, who meticulously monitored the celestial and lunar movements, denoted eclipses as “broken sun.” According to archaeologist Arturo Montero of Tepeyac University in Mexico City, the dark volcanic glass might have been used to protect the eyes.
In contrast to a total solar eclipse, a ring of fire eclipse does not witness the complete obscuration of the sun by the moon. A brilliant, fiery border is produced when the moon aligns between the Earth and the sun.
From the instant the moon begins to obscure the sun until it returns to its normal position, the eclipse lasts between two and a half hours at any given location. Three to five minutes comprised the ring of fire segment, which varied by location.
The U.S. itinerary for Saturday includes New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Texas, with a narrow glimpse of California, Arizona, and Colorado. Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil followed. The majority of the Western Hemisphere experienced a partial eclipse.
Other organizations, including NASA, live-streamed the event.
Some eclipse watchers in the United States ventured to remote regions in an attempt to obtain the best possible view, whereas those in Albuquerque were treated to a double treat: the eclipse occurred during an international balloon fiesta, which annually attracts hundreds of hot air balloon pilots and tens of thousands of spectators.
‘Ring Of Fire’ Eclipse Brings Cheers And Shouts Of Joy As It Moves Across The Americas.
The balloon launch field emanated hoots, hollers and yelps as the moon approached its oblique position over the sun. As the spectacle unfurled, some pilots utilized their propane burners to send flames upward in unison.
Aurora, Colorado-based balloon pilot Allan Hahn remarked, “It’s very exciting to be here and experience the convergence of our passions for aviation and something so natural as an eclipse.”
Before dawn, ardent individuals descend upon the footpaths of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, staking out their preferred locations amidst the red rock hoodoos.
As the ring of fire peaked, applause reverberated throughout the park’s canyons.
“I just think it’s one of those things that unites us all,” said John Edwards, a cancer drug developer who viewed the eclipse from Bryce Canyon after traveling alone across the country.
When Kirby James and Caroline McGuire, both from Toronto, planned their excursion to southern Utah, they were oblivious that they would be in an ideal location.
“Nothing you could read could prepare you for how it feels,” said co-founder of a software company, Kirby James, 63. “That precise instant, particularly when the ring of fire illuminated, you realized you were witnessing an experience once in a lifetime.”
‘Ring Of Fire’ Eclipse Brings Cheers And Shouts Of Joy As It Moves Across The Americas.
Along the path, small villages and cities experienced a mixture of anticipation and apprehension regarding the weather and the potential overabundance of visitors seeking to observe the annular solar eclipse.
As the eclipse was only intermittently visible in Eugene, Oregon, murmurs of disillusionment accompanied oohs and ahs; the sun’s light peered through the cloud cover only occasionally.
The Tatacoa desert in southern Colombia served as the location where astronomers assisted a group of visually impaired individuals in perceiving the moon and sun’s ideal golden ring by utilizing elevated maps and temperature fluctuations.
Minister of Science of Colombia Yesenia Olaya stated that such occasions ought to motivate individuals to foster an interest in science among children to the extent that they consider it “a life project.”
Juan Pablo Esguerra, age 13, eagerly anticipated accompanying his father on the lunar eclipse trek to the desert for several months.
‘Ring Of Fire’ Eclipse Brings Cheers And Shouts Of Joy As It Moves Across The Americas.
He stated, “I enjoy astronomy because it is a spectacular experience.” “This is the pinnacle of what I have ever witnessed.”
Amidst the assembly of thousands of individuals on the main esplanade of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the principal public institution of the nation, some children arrived in Mexico City adorned as astronauts. As individuals contributed specialized eyewear, the university assembled telescopes.
The eclipse on Saturday was the first to occur in Brazil since 1994. Although the event was relayed online by the nation’s national observatory, thousands flocked to parks and beaches in the north and northeast to observe it.
A total solar eclipse will traverse the United States in the opposite direction in April of that year. Before arriving in Canada, this one will traverse from Texas to New England via Mexico.
The following ring of fire eclipse will occur at the southernmost point of South America in October of next year. By 2026, Antarctica will have one. Before another ring of fire is visible in the United States, it will not occur again until 2039, and Alaska will be the only state in its direct path.
SOURCE – (AP)
Science
Australia Asks Residents to Catch Deadly Funnel Web Spider
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.
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Science
A Spacecraft Is On Its Way To A Harmless Asteroid Slammed By NASA In A Previous Save-The-Earth Test
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.
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.
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
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
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