Breaking News Archives - Page 321 of 356

Oct22024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Astronomers Discover Tiny Exoplanet Orbiting Barnard’s Star, Just 6 Light-Years Away

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have found a new exoplanet orbiting Barnard’s Star, the nearest single star to our Solar System, located just 5.96 light-years away. This small, rocky world, named Barnard b, has a mass of only 37% that of Earth, making it one of the smallest exoplanets ever detected. Although uninhabitable, the discovery marks a significant step toward finding Earth-sized planets scattered across the galaxy. Barnard b is incredibly close to its host star, completing an orbit every 3.15 days at just 0.02 astronomical units (AU) from the red dwarf. Despite Barnard’s Star being much cooler than our Sun, this proximity makes the planet too hot to sustain liquid water or life as we know it. However, the discovery is still a scientific marvel, as detecting such small...

Oct22024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Final Solar Eclipse of 2024: A Rare Annular Eclipse on October 2nd

Breaking News, Space

The last solar eclipse of 2024 is almost here, offering skywatchers and eclipse chasers a final opportunity to witness the Moon passing in front of the Sun. This annular solar eclipse, often called a "ring of fire" eclipse, will take place on Wednesday, October 2nd. Unlike the April 8th total solar eclipse, which was visible to millions across North America, this event is more elusive, with its path crossing the South Pacific and only making landfall in a few remote regions. What is an Annular Solar Eclipse? An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon, due to its elliptical orbit, appears smaller than the Sun in the sky and fails to cover it entirely. This leaves a bright ring of sunlight around the Moon, creating the stunning "ring of fire" effect. The eclipse occurs when the shad...

Oct12024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Explained: What Is the Deadly Marburg Virus That Originates From Bats?

Breaking News, Disasters

Rwanda is grappling with its first-ever outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus, which has claimed at least six lives, including healthcare workers in Kigali. Since Friday, 26 cases have been confirmed, and authorities are tracking around 300 people who may have been exposed. To prevent further spread, the government has implemented contact tracing, quarantines, and public health campaigns. What Is the Marburg Virus? The Marburg virus is a highly infectious and deadly disease, closely related to Ebola. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), fatality rates can range from 24% to 88%, depending on the outbreak and available healthcare. The virus was first identified in 1967 during simultaneous outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia, which resulted in 3...

Oct12024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Study Reveals COVID-19 Lockdown Led to Drop in Lunar Temperatures

Breaking News, Disasters, Environment

A new study by Indian researchers has discovered a surprising effect of the global COVID-19 lockdown: a noticeable decrease in lunar surface temperatures. The study, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, shows that the Moon's nighttime temperatures dropped by 8-10 Kelvin during the peak lockdown in 2020. The research, led by K Durga Prasad and G Ambily from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in India, analyzed data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which revealed that the decrease in lunar temperatures coincided with a sharp reduction in human activity on Earth. The lockdown led to a significant drop in greenhouse gas emissions and aerosols, which altered Earth's atmospheric radiation and may have triggered this cooling effect on the Mo...

Oct12024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Virtual Training for Firefighters: iFire System Revolutionizes Preparedness for Extreme Wildfires

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

As summer draws near, the growing threat of bushfires in regions like Australia and the U.S. has intensified, with climate change making these fires larger, hotter, and faster than ever before. Notable events like Australia's 2019/2020 "Black Summer" megafires and the recent August 2023 Maui wildfires highlight the increasing frequency of these devastating disasters. Despite the crucial role firefighters play in battling these blazes, many are not fully prepared for the unpredictable and extreme nature of modern wildfires, putting their safety and decision-making at risk. In response to this, the University of New South Wales' (UNSW) iCinema Research Centre has developed a groundbreaking solution: iFire, an immersive virtual training system designed to prepare emergency responders for r...

Sep302024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

New “Mini-Moon” to Visit Earth: Asteroid 2024 PT5 Set for Brief Stay

Breaking News, Environment, Space

Stargazers and space enthusiasts have a new reason to be excited this autumn, as Earth is set to briefly capture a small asteroid, turning it into a temporary "mini-moon" from September 29 to November 25. The asteroid, named 2024 PT5, will be pulled into Earth's gravitational field, sparking interest from the astronomical community. Unfortunately, due to its small size and lack of brightness, the mini-moon won’t be visible to the naked eye or through ordinary telescopes. Asteroid 2024 PT5, measuring about 33 feet wide, hails from the Arjuna asteroid belt and was first detected on August 7 by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Dr. Jennifer Millard, host of the Awesome Astronomy podcast, explained that while the asteroid won’t be visible to amateur astronomers, ...

Sep302024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Scientists Unveil New Findings on Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Scientists at the Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory on Mount Aragats have uncovered new insights into a mysterious atmospheric phenomenon known as Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements (TGEs). Led by physicist Ashot Chilingarian, the research offers a deeper understanding of how thunderstorms affect the Earth's atmosphere and could shed light on larger cosmic processes. TGEs are intense bursts of electromagnetic activity that occur during thunderstorms, where electrons are accelerated to high speeds by strong electric fields. These accelerated electrons produce gamma rays, a type of high-energy radiation, as they collide with atomic nuclei in the atmosphere. The phenomenon has been largely overlooked in previous thunderstorm research, but scientists now believe it plays a significant ro...

Sep292024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Breaking Discovery Earth’s Inner Core May Have an Even Deeper Hidden Layer

Breaking News, Environment

Scientists have uncovered new evidence that suggests Earth's inner core long believed to be a solid iron sphere may actually consist of two distinct layers. This revelation could potentially reshape our understanding of Earth's formation and the events that shaped its early history. "Traditionally, we've been taught that Earth has four main layers: the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core," said Joanne Stephenson, a geophysicist from the Australian National University, in 2021. However, new research led by Stephenson and her colleagues indicates that Earth's inner core is more complex, featuring an additional, even deeper "inner-inner" core. For years, scientists have inferred what lies beneath Earth's surface by studying seismic waves from earthquakes. These waves t...

Sep282024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Extreme Weather Events in South America Triple in Frequency Since 1970

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

The frequency of days with extreme heat, dryness, and high fire risk has tripled in certain parts of South America since 1970, according to recent research. The study highlights that while the continent is warming at the same rate as the global average, specific regions are increasingly vulnerable to the co-occurrence of these climate extremes, which pose significant threats to ecosystems, economies, and public health. The most affected areas include the Venezuela-Colombia border, the northern Amazon, and parts of central South America near the Río de la Plata basin. In these regions, the number of days with compounded climate extremes has skyrocketed from fewer than 20 to as many as 70 per year. The variability of these extreme events has also increased from year to year. Impact of ...

Sep282024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Death Toll from Hurricane Helene Rises to 33 as Storm Devastates Southeastern US

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters

The death toll from Hurricane Helene climbed to at least 33 on Friday as the southeastern United States grappled with widespread flooding and destruction caused by the massive storm. After making landfall near Florida’s capital, Tallahassee, Helene wreaked havoc across multiple states, leaving millions without power and prompting large-scale rescue operations. The storm, which began as a Category 4 hurricane with winds reaching 140 mph (225 kph), has weakened to a tropical depression but continues to batter states with life-threatening rain and winds. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of catastrophic flooding across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Some regions of the Appalachian Mountains were forecast to receive up to 20 inches of rain. Widespread Da...