Hera Asteroid Probe Begins Two-Year Journey to Dimorphos Europe’s Hera asteroid probe launched from Florida on a SpaceX rocket on Monday, embarking on a two-year mission to study an asteroid that NASA’s DART spacecraft previously deflected off course. The mission aims to deepen our understanding of how to protect Earth from potential asteroid threats. Mission Overview: Revisiting the DART Impact Site The Hera mission will revisit the Dimorphos asteroid, a small moonlet orbiting a larger near-Earth asteroid called Didymos. The visit comes two years after NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) intentionally crashed into Dimorphos. This collision was part of…
Author: Kanika Sharma
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International Astronomers Discover Record-Breaking Plasma Jets Using GMRT A team of international astronomers has used the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) near Pune, India, to discover the largest pair of plasma jets ever observed emanating from a supermassive black hole. These colossal jets span a staggering 23 million light years from end to end, making them more than 100 times the size of our Milky Way galaxy. A Landmark Discovery in Astrophysics The discovery, published in the prestigious journal Nature, sets a new record for the longest supermassive black hole jets ever found. Prof Yogesh Wadadekar from the National Centre…
TESS Discovers Record-Breaking Triple-Star System with Extremely Tight Orbit NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has detected a new record-breaking triple-star system, designated TIC 290061484. Located around 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, this system has such a compact configuration that it could fit comfortably within the distance between the Sun and its closest planet, Mercury. A Remarkably Compact Star System TIC 290061484 comprises two stars that orbit each other every 1.8 Earth days, while a third star orbits this pair every 25 Earth days. This tight configuration makes it the most compact triple-star system discovered to date. The…
Proba-3 Mission Completes Final Testing Before Shipment to India The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission has successfully completed its final test before being shipped to its launch site in India. This double-satellite mission, designed to create an artificial solar eclipse, received commands from its science team and transmitted images back, mirroring its operational mode once in orbit. Advanced Testing for Complex Mission Operations Proba-3’s recent System Validation Test was carried out by the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Brussels. During this test, the science team sent payload operation requests to ESA’s mission control centre at the European Space Security…
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory Captures Powerful X-Class Solar Flare NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observed a strong solar flare peaking at 8:18 a.m. ET on 3 October 2024. The observatory, which continuously monitors the Sun, captured a striking image of the flare, showcasing the intense burst of energy. Visual Impact of the Solar Flare The captured image reveals the Sun in vivid red and gold hues, with several darker and brighter spots scattered across its surface. The centre of the image features an extremely bright white and yellow flash, radiating energy in multiple directions, resembling the shape of a star.…
NASA Shuts Down Voyager 2’s Plasma Science Instrument to Save Power NASA engineers have turned off one of Voyager 2’s remaining science instruments as the spacecraft, launched in 1977, continues its exploration of interstellar space. Due to limited power supplies, NASA made the decision to shut down the plasma science instrument on September 26, 2023, after running it for 46 years. This step was necessary to ensure the probe can continue operating at least one science instrument into the 2030s. Voyager 2: A Long Journey Through Space Voyager 2 left Earth on August 20, 1977, and exited the solar system…
MercadoLibre Expands into Fintech to Cement Dominance in Latin America MercadoLibre, often called the Amazon of Latin America, is venturing deeper into the regional fintech and credit markets. The e-commerce giant, which has become the most valuable company in Latin America with a market capitalisation exceeding $100 billion, is leveraging its data-rich platform to offer loans to its users with minimal paperwork. Simplifying Credit for Small Businesses Brazilian entrepreneurs Wagner and Mariana Dias, who run a children’s clothing business, turned to MercadoLibre for a loan to expand their operations. Due to its access to the couple’s sales history, MercadoLibre quickly…
Rocky Planet Survives the Death of Its Star, Offering a Glimpse into Earth’s Future The first rocky planet ever discovered orbiting a white dwarf provides insight into what could happen to Earth in billions of years. The discovery shows that planets might survive the death of their stars, though they would become cold and barren places. Planet Orbiting a White Dwarf The planet, located around 4,200 light-years from Earth, has a mass about 1.9 times greater than Earth. It orbits a white dwarf in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. A white dwarf is what remains after a star,…
Thailand’s Auto Industry Faces Decline Amid Rising Debt and EV Shift Thailand’s auto industry worth $53 billion, is confronting severe challenges. With domestic consumers struggling to finance purchases and global buyers increasingly opting for electric vehicles (EVs), the sector is in crisis. Output and jobs have already been cut, prompting government efforts to reverse the decline. Impact on Local Manufacturers The downturn is affecting companies such as Techno-Metal, which produces cast iron parts for major brands like Toyota and Mitsubishi. Its production has dropped to just 40% of peak capacity, while its workforce has shrunk from 1,200 to 900. Reduced…
Private Astronauts to Attempt First Commercial Spacewalk A group of private astronauts will perform the first privately conducted spacewalk on Thursday. The spacewalk will be from a SpaceX capsule and will test a new line of spacesuits. Crew Members and the Polaris Dawn Mission This historic event is part of the Polaris Dawn mission, which launched from Florida on Tuesday. The crew consists of a billionaire entrepreneur, a former military pilot, and two SpaceX engineers. They have been orbiting Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule since the pre-dawn launch. Jared Isaacman, 41, is leading the mission. He is the founder…