space disasters Archives - Disasters News

Aug212024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

New Study Reveals How Supermassive Black Holes Rip Stars Apart in Spectacular Fashion

Supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, including our own Milky Way, have long been known to occasionally devour nearby stars, leading to a dramatic process called a tidal disruption event (TDE). A new study, published today in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, has provided the most detailed simulations yet of this violent phenomenon, shedding light on the complex process that unfolds over the course of a year. Tidal disruption events occur when a star ventures too close to a black hole and is stretched and torn apart by its immense gravitational forces a process known as "spaghettification." The star is shredded into long, thin strands, and about half of its material is drawn toward the black hole, forming a hot, luminous swirl of matter called an accretion disc. The othe...

Jul222024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Discovery of Intermediate Mass Black Hole in IRS 13 Offers Vital Clues to Black Hole Evolution

Breaking News, Learning & Developments, Space

In a breakthrough that could significantly advance our understanding of black hole evolution, astronomers have identified a potential intermediate mass black hole within the star cluster IRS 13 near the Milky Way's core. This discovery, only 0.1 light-years from the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), offers critical insights into the missing link between stellar mass black holes and their supermassive counterparts. Intermediate mass black holes, those with masses between 100 and 100,000 solar masses, are exceedingly rare. Their scarcity has left a puzzling gap in the evolutionary chain of black holes, which ranges from stellar mass black holes (up to about 80 solar masses) to supermassive black holes (millions to billions of solar masses). The detection of an intermediate ...

Jul102024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory Aiming to Detect Alien Life on Earth Like Planets by 2050

Breaking News, Idea & Innovations, Space

NASA is gearing up to launch the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO), a state-of-the-art telescope designed specifically to search for signs of extraterrestrial life on Earth-like planets. Scheduled to launch by 2040, HWO represents a monumental step in the quest to find habitable planets by 2050. Dr. Jessie Christiansen, NASA’s chief scientist for the search for extraterrestrial life, has expressed optimism that HWO will detect signals from planets within the habitable zones of sun-like stars during our lifetime. The primary objective of the observatory is to identify biosignatures, which are indicators of life, such as biogenic gases, aerosols, surface biosignatures, and even technosignatures from advanced civilizations. To date, NASA has pinpointed twenty-five Earth-like planets or...

Jun242024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

NASA Sued After Space Junk Projectile Crashes Into Florida Home

Breaking News, Environment, Space

An American family is seeking over $80,000 in damages from NASA after a piece of space debris crashed through the roof of their Florida home. The incident has spotlighted the growing issue of space junk as spatial traffic increases, potentially setting a precedent for future claims against space agencies. On March 8, Alejandro Otero's home in Naples, Florida, was struck by an object weighing 700 grams, creating a hole in the roof. NASA later confirmed that the debris was part of a cargo pallet of used batteries, released as waste from the International Space Station (ISS) in 2021. Contrary to expectations, the pallet did not fully disintegrate during reentry and a section remained intact, impacting the Otero residence. Incident and Legal Action Alejandro Otero's son was home at the ti...

Jun192024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Earth’s Atmosphere Shields Life from Deadly Supernova Explosions, New Study Reveals

Breaking News, Disasters, Space

Earth's protective atmosphere has protected life for billions of years, creating an environment for evolution to produce complex life forms like us. The ozone layer plays an important role in protecting the biosphere from deadly UV rays. Block 99% of the sun's powerful UV rays. Earth's magnetosphere also protects us. But the Sun is relatively interesting. How effectively does the ozone and magnetosphere protect us from powerful supernova explosions? Every million years - a tiny fraction of Earth's 4.5 billion years - a giant star explodes within 100 parsecs (326 light years) of Earth. We know this because our solar system exists in a space called the local bubble. A cavernous space where the density of hydrogen is lower than outside the bubble. During the previous 10-20 million ye...

Jun162024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Neptune Changes Color From Blue to Pale Yellow in image shown by NASA

Breaking News, Space

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) often captures stunning images of our universe that amaze space enthusiasts. NASA's social media accounts are gold for those who love educational videos and fun pictures of Earth and space. The agency's Voyager 2 spacecraft shared a photo of Neptune's south pole in its latest post. The image shows Neptune's south pole. NASA aptly described the image as "the curve at the bottom of the image is like a smile. From left to right, the planet changes color from blue to pale yellow." The space agency wrote on Instagram: "Our Voyager 2 spacecraft took this image of Neptune's south pole as it flew past the planet in 1989. Here's an interesting fact about Neptune's south pole: It's about 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer tha...

Jun152024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Slowing of Earth’s Inner Core May Alter Length of Days, Study Reveals

Breaking News, Space

A groundbreaking study has found "clear evidence" that the Earth's inner core has slowed its rotation relative to the planet's surface since 2010, potentially affecting the length of a day by a fraction of a second. The inner core, a solid sphere of iron and nickel, is encased within the liquid outer core and stabilized by gravity. Researchers typically study the core through seismograms, which record waves generated by earthquakes. "When I first saw the seismograms showing these changes, I was shocked," said John Widale, Earth sciences professor at the University of Southern California. "But after finding dozens more observations with the same pattern, the conclusion was inescapable. The inner core has slowed down for the first time in decades," added Widale, co-author of the study ...

Jun62024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Japan’s Obayashi Corporation Aims for 2050 Completion of Space Elevator to Revolutionize Space Travel

Breaking News, Space, Thoughts & Talks

Imagine a long tether linking Earth to space, launching us to orbit at a fraction of the cost and slingshotting us to other worlds at record speed. That's the basic idea behind a space elevator. Instead of taking six to eight months to reach Mars, scientists have estimated a space elevator could get us there in three to four months or even as quickly as 40 days. The concept isn't new, but engineering such a structure is a monumental challenge, and many issues beyond technology stand in the way. Japan's Ambitious Plan The Japan-based Obayashi Corporation, known for constructing the world's tallest tower, the Tokyo Skytree, announced in 2012 its goal to build a space elevator. The company projected that construction on the $100-billion project would begin by 2025, with operations st...

Jun62024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Gamma-Ray Bursts: Unraveling the Mystery of Heavy Element Creation in the Universe

Breaking News, Idea & Innovations, Space

After its "birth" in the Big Bang, the Universe mainly consisted of hydrogen and a few helium atoms. These are the lightest elements in the periodic table. Over the past 13.8 billion years, stars have produced many heavier elements through nuclear fusion. However, fusion in stars only produces elements as heavy as iron. Creating heavier elements requires energy instead of releasing it, posing a significant mystery for scientists. One promising candidate for producing these heavier elements is gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most powerful explosions in the Universe. GRBs can emit a quintillion (10 followed by 18 zeros) times the luminosity of our Sun and are thought to originate from various catastrophic events. GRBs are divided into two categories: long bursts and short bursts. Long GRB...

Jun22024 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Study Finds Severe Light Pollution at Major Astronomical Observatories Worldwide

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Space

A new study conducted by researchers from Italy, Chile, and Galicia reveals that light pollution is significantly affecting the skies above many of the world's major astronomical observatories. The study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, emphasizes the urgent need for measures to reduce artificial light contamination to preserve the efficacy of ground-based astronomy. The research team examined light pollution levels at nearly 50 observatories globally, including both large professional facilities and smaller amateur observatories. Utilizing a model that simulates light propagation in the Earth's atmosphere and incorporating night-time satellite data, the study provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of light pollution at these sites. Tra...