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☆ Voyager 1 responds to ‘poke’ sent by NASA engineers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

A new signal recently received from the spacecraft suggests that the NASA mission team may be making progress in its quest to understand what Voyager 1 is experiencing. Voyager 1’s flight data system collects information from the spacecraft’s science instruments and bundles it with engineering data that reflects the current health status of Voyager 1. But since November, Voyager 1’s flight data system has been stuck in a loop. On March 3, the team noticed that activity from one part of the flight data system stood out from the rest of the garbled data. The decoded signal included a readout of the entire flight data system’s memory, according to an update NASA shared.

Persons: ”, Suzanne Dodd Organizations: CNN — Engineers, NASA, Voyager, Network, CNN

☆ NASA’s Europa Clipper mission will carry a poem and millions of names to ocean moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —When NASA’s Europa Clipper aims to launch on its highly anticipated mission to an icy moon in October, the spacecraft will carry a unique design etched with names, poetry and artwork symbolizing humanity. This latest mission is headed to Jupiter’s moon Europa, one of several lunar ocean worlds considered to be the best places to search for life beyond Earth. NASA/JPL-CaltechA planetary legacyEarly NASA probes such as Pioneer 10 and Voyager have continued to inspire the artwork that travels aboard other planetary science missions. “The content and design of Europa Clipper’s vault plate are swimming with meaning,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, in a statement. “We’ve packed a lot of thought and inspiration into this plate design, as we have into this mission itself,” said Robert Pappalardo, project scientist at JPL, in a statement.

Persons: Ada Limón, Ron Greeley, Drake, Frank Drake, ”, Lori Glaze, Robert Pappalardo, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Clipper, Parker, Probe, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ”, US, Arizona State University, University of California, NASA, JPL, Caltech, Planetary Science, Europa Clipper Locations: Pasadena , California, Europa, University of California Santa Cruz

☆ Webb space telescope spots oldest ‘dead’ galaxy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Astronomers have spotted the oldest “dead” galaxy ever observed while studying the cosmos with the James Webb Space Telescope, and it’s one of the deepest views into the distant universe made with the observatory to date. The galaxy existed when the universe was only about 700 million years into its current age of about 13.8 billion years. But something made the galaxy suddenly halt star formation almost as quickly as star birth had begun more than 13 billion years ago, and the researchers have yet to uncover the cause. Studying the galaxy could reveal new insights about the early universe and the factors that affect star formation within galaxies, according to the authors. “Until now, to understand the early universe, we’ve used models based on the modern universe.

Persons: James Webb, “, ”, Tobias, Francesco D’Eugenio, “ We’re, Webb, Roberto Maiolino, Maiolino, ” D’Eugenio, — Organizations: CNN —, Telescope, University of Cambridge’s Kavli, Cosmology, Kavli, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge

☆ A dead Russian spacecraft almost collided with a NASA satellite. The crash could have sent 7,500 bits of debris rocketing around Earth.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In the worst-case scenario, the collision would have ejected 7,500 bits of debris into low-Earth orbit. Satellite collisions are becoming more likely as the amount of space junk in low-Earth orbit grows. Even the tiniest debris can damage the space station and endanger astronauts, though no astronaut has lost their life due to space debris (yet). The race to clean up spaceThe consequences of space debris are very real, so much so, that the worst-case scenario has a name: Kessler syndrome. TransAstra's capture bags could help solve Earth's space debris problem.

Persons: —, LeoLabs, Darren McKnight, NASA ODPO, Kessler, Astroscale Organizations: Service, Space, NASA, European Space Agency, Federal Communications Commission, Dish Locations: Russia, India

☆ Universe’s brightest known object and fastest-growing black hole revealed
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Astronomers have spotted the brightest known object in the universe, and it’s a quasar powered by the fastest-growing black hole on record, according to a new study. The black hole powering the quasar devours the equivalent of one sun per day and has a mass about 17 billion times that of our sun, the researchers found. A black hole is massive power sourceThe intense gravitational influence of black holes draws matter toward these celestial objects in such an energetic way that the process creates light. The blinding radiation is due to the black hole’s accretion disk, or the ring around the black hole where material gathers before being consumed. The team followed up with observations from the powerful Very Large Telescope in Chile’s Atacama Desert to confirm details about the black hole, including its hefty mass.

Persons: ”, Christian Wolf, ” Wolf, Samuel Lai, Wolf, Southern Observatory’s Schmidt, Christopher Onken Organizations: CNN —, Southern, National University’s College of Science, National University’s Research, of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Hubble, Southern Observatory’s, Sky Survey, Sky, Dark Energy Survey, Energy Survey, ESO Locations: Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Atacama

☆ NASA PACE mission to study Earth’s oceans and atmosphere is ready to launch
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The NASA PACE, or Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem, mission is set to lift off at 1:33 a.m. Although designed as a three-year mission, PACE has enough fuel to continue orbiting and studying Earth for up to 10 years. “In many ways, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about our own oceans,” St. Germain said. “PACE will be the most advanced mission we’ve ever launched to study ocean biology. While phytoplankton play a major role in drawing carbon dioxide from Earth’s atmosphere, some species can be harmful, too.

Persons: Jeremy Werdell, ”, Karen St, Germain, ” Werdell, Pam Melroy, Kate Calvin, ” Calvin, Calvin, “, Andy Sayer, Webb, Norman Kuring Organizations: CNN, NASA PACE, SpaceX, Cape Canaveral Space Force, YouTube, PACE, Science, NASA, SpaceX “ Locations: Cape, Florida, St, ” St

☆ Elon Musk's SpaceX was the satellite villain of the skies. It's taking a 'money hit' to try and fix the problem.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewNEW ORLEANS — When SpaceX launched its first Starlink satellites, astronomers all over the world freaked out and the company quickly became a villain of the skies. Nonetheless, Starlink satellites — now more than 5,000 strong — are streaking across astronomers' views of the cosmos, ruining their data. SpaceX leads the way for changeA satellite trail streaks in front of galaxies in this image from the Hubble Space Telescope. The visors were a regular feature for many Starlink satellites until SpaceX added laser communications. AdvertisementChris Hofer, international team lead for Amazon's Project Kuiper internet satellites, told the astronomers in New Orleans that SpaceX's Starlink tinkering has been helpful.

Persons: —, James Lowenthal, Lowenthal, SpaceX isn't, Jonathan McDowell, McDowell, that's, Patricia Cooper, Elon Musk, Slaven Vlasic, They're, Chris Hofer, Hofer, Kristina Barkume, Barkume Organizations: Service, SpaceX, New York Times, Business, Times, Hubble, Telescope, NASA, ESA, American Astronomical Society, International Astronomical Union, CPS, Planet Labs, Amazon Locations: New Orleans

☆ Mars Perseverance rover loses its trusty scout
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And it’s time to bid farewell to one of the most delightfully plucky robots ever to explore Mars. Other worldsThe Ingenuity helicopter, seen here on Mars in an image taken by the Perseverance rover on August 2, 2023, has flown for the last time. Ingenuity served as the Perseverance rover’s faithful companion and aerial scout for nearly three years since its maiden flight on April 19, 2021. A long time agoAiming to trace syphilis' origins, researchers used paleopathology techniques to study ancient human bones at the site Jabuticabeira II in Brazil's Santa Catarina state. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: ”, Theodore Roosevelt, Teddy Tzanetos, Thomas Jefferson, it’s, Jose Filippini, Samson Acoca, Pierre, Olivier Cheptou, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, European Space Agency, NASA, JPL, Caltech, University of Montpellier, Hubble, —, CNN Space, Science Locations: Pasadena , California, United States, Brazil's Santa Catarina, Brazil, France, British

☆ The best things to experience in Saudi Arabia according to the people who know it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Selina Julien | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Closed to tourists until recently, Saudi Arabia is still an unknown quantity for many would-be travelers. Omran is also hopeful visitors will explore destinations across Saudi Arabia. Saudi Tourism Authority“You can’t talk about islands in Saudi Arabia without talking about a new tourist favorite, but a treasured local one, Al Nawras Island,” Saudi professional boxer Ziyad Almaayouf tells CNN. “What I love most about Al Nawras Island, isn’t the island itself, but the waters surrounding it,” he adds. The resort on the Red Sea coast is often promoted as “the Maldives of Saudi Arabia,” offering water sports and cultural experiences.

Persons: Lojain Omran, Omran, ”, Al Balad, Mai Eldib, Hajj, ” Eldib, Jeddah’s, “ It’s, ” Al, Ziyad Almaayouf, ” Ziyad, Ziyad, “, Mishaal Ashemimry, Mishaal, Tamtam, Reem Altamimi, Al Zal, Ba’a, Hatem Alakeel, Authenticite, “ Diriyah, Umluj, ” Tasneem Organizations: CNN, Netflix’s, Saudi Tourism Authority, MISHAAL Aerospace, Abaca, Saudi Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Netflix’s UAE, Al Balad, Al, Jeddah, Mai, ” Al Nawras, Nawras, Al Nawras, California, “, Unaizah, Riyadh, ”, Souk Al Zal Souk Al Zal, USA Riyadh, Al Zal, Riyadh’s Al Dirah, Los Angeles, Maldives

NEW YORK (AP) — A poetry collection, a coming-of-age novel and a history of deep sea exploration are unlikely to be found in the same section of your favorite bookstore. But they all have enough in common to be this year's winners of Science + Literature awards, $10,000 prizes administered by the National Book Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. While ““The Bathysphere Book” is the only winner you could officially classify as science, all three works draw upon science and the natural world. In “Digging Stars,” the protagonist is an astronomer from Zimbabwe who emulates her father's profession. Sze, a National Book Award winner for poetry in 2019, has written often about nature and the cosmos.

Persons: Alfred P, Arthur Sze's “, Rosa, Brad Fox’s, ”, “, Sze, Brad Fox, Arthur Sze, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, Ruth Dickey, Doron Weber, Kai Bird, Martin J, Sherwin's “ Oppenheimer, Margot Lee Shetterly's, Weber, Sloan, ” Weber, Shane Campbell, Staton, Brian Teare, Ricardo Nuila Organizations: National Book Foundation, Sloan Foundation, Book Foundation, Sloan, People’s, Medicine Locations: Zimbabwe, Manhattan, Japan

☆ Commercial Landings Will Change the Moon Forever - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Rebecca Boyle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

If all goes as planned, Nova-C, built by the private company Intuitive Machines, under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, will touch down on the moon about seven days later, bearing suites of scientific instruments. Peregrine, built by Astrobotic Technology under another Commercial Lunar Payload Services contract, successfully flew into space on Jan. 8, but its mission was cut short because of a fuel leak. It failed to be the first private mission to land on the moon, but Nova-C could succeed — and so could the one after that, and many more. For the first time, the moon will be occupied by private capital, including small startups whose aims transcend science and exploration, launching landers and capsules. The Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, as part of Artemis, encourages private companies to build landers and even rovers that NASA can pay to use, as opposed to the traditional approach of NASA-built equipment.

Persons: Jeff Koons, Peregrine, —, landers, Artemis Organizations: Payload Services, Astrobotic Technology, NASA Locations: Nova

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHere's why the U.S., China, India, Japan and others are rushing back to the moonTo date, only five nations, the U.S.,Russia, China, Japan and India, have completed a successful soft landing on the moon. But bolstered by evidence of the presence of water and other natural resources, many more nations and private companies are now seeking to get to the moon. And whoever is able to establish a significant lunar presence first could have big implications on Earth as well as the cosmos.

Locations: U.S, China, India, Japan, Russia

☆ Daily Multivitamin Might Help Aging Brains
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter(HealthDay)THURSDAY, Jan. 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A daily multivitamin could help people keep their brains healthy as they age, a new trial finds. Results suggest taking multivitamins could help prevent memory loss and slow cognitive aging among older adults, researchers report in the Jan. 18 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The effect was measurable: A daily multivitamin slowed brain aging by the equivalent of two years compared to placebo. “Cognitive decline is among the top health concerns for most older adults, and a daily supplement of multivitamins has the potential as an appealing and accessible approach to slow cognitive aging,” he said. It looked at whether a special cocoa extract supplement, a daily multivitamin (in this case Centrum Silver) or both might help boost health.

Persons: Dennis Thompson, Dr, Richard Caselli, “, Chirag, ”, ” Yvas, Olivia Okereke, Preventive Medicine Howard Sesso, Zaldy Tan, ” Tan, Caselli, Sesso, Brigham Organizations: American, Clinical Nutrition, Mayo Clinic, NBC News, Chirag Vyas, Massachusetts General Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry, Cocoa, Massachusetts General Hospital, MGH, Brigham, Women’s Hospital, Columbia University, Wake Forest University, National Institutes of Health, Mars Inc, Pfizer, COSMOS, Women’s, Preventive Medicine, Council for Responsible Nutrition, Cleveland Clinic, NBC Locations: Arizona, Massachusetts, multivitamins, Jona, Los Angeles

☆ Japan’s SLIM ‘Moon Sniper’ spacecraft prepares for historic lunar landing
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jackie Wattles | Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, is expected to touch down on the lunar surface at 10:20 a.m. The spacecraft, also nicknamed the “Moon Sniper” for its precision technology, will begin its descent toward the lunar surface at 10 a.m. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's SLIM lunar lander launched aboard a H-IIA launch vehicle on September 7, 2023, from the Tanegashima Space Center. A new lunar space raceThe SLIM mission comes amid a renewed international push to explore the moon. If SLIM is successful, JAXA contends, it will transform missions from “landing where we can to landing where we want.”

Persons: Smart Lander, ”, Kenji Kushiki, SLIM, —, Ray, Kushiki, Ispace’s, Luna, The Peregrine, Peregrine Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace, Saturday, Soviet Luna, YouTube, JAXA, Center, Ray Imaging, NASA, Getty, SLIM, Soviet, Soviet Union, The Locations: Japan, Soviet, United States, Soviet Union, China, India

☆ Something in the universe is spewing surprising amounts of high-energy radiation, and astronomers don't know what or why
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The astronomers were mapping space's background glow of gamma rays, the brightest and most energetic type of light on the electromagnetic spectrum. They were surprised to find way more gamma rays coming from one part of the sky than anywhere else. AdvertisementAn artist's concept shows the entire sky in gamma rays, with the plane of our galaxy across the middle. Magenta circles indicate the area where astronomers found more high-energy gamma rays than average. Some unknown object or process out there in the universe may be producing both the gamma rays and the UHECRs.

Persons: —, Alexander Kashlinsky, NASA's, Swift, Cruz deWilde Kashlinsky, it's, Kashlinsky, Fernando Atrio, UHECRs, they're Organizations: Service, NASA, Business, University of Maryland, American Astronomical Society, NASA's Goddard Space, Fermi, Planck, ESA, University of Salamanca, JPL, Caltech Locations: New Orleans, UHECRs, Spain

☆ Peregrine lunar lander to make fiery reentry after failed misison
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

For the vast majority of the mission, the Peregrine lander has been controlled solely by its attitude control thrusters, which are tiny engines mounted to the side of the lander and designed to maintain stability or make precision movements. What Peregrine could and couldn’t accomplishAstrobotic was able to power on some of the science instruments and other payloads on board the lander. The Peregrine lander was also able to activate a new sensor, developed by NASA, that was designed to help the spacecraft land on the moon. Likewise, an array of other payloads designed specifically to operate on the moon remain trapped aboard the Peregrine lander. The Peregrine spacecraft is also carrying various mementos, letters and even human remains that customers paid to fly on the mission.

Persons: —, Peregrine’s, Peregrine, ”, John Thornton, Astrobotic, Joel Kearns Organizations: CNN, Payload Services, Astrobotic Technology, Peregrine, NASA, U.S . Government, LRA, Carnegie Mellon University, Mexican Space Agency Locations: Pittsburgh

☆ Scientists think they've finally solved the decades-long mystery of why our Milky Way galaxy is so rare
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are surprisingly rare in our galactic neighborhood. The Milky Way, for example, is a spiral galaxy because of the way that stars, dust, and gas spiral out from the center of the galaxy. But spiral galaxies like ours are surprisingly rare in our galactic neighborhood, and for years, astronomers have wondered why since the 1960s. The simulation showed that galaxies in dense clusters, like the one our Milky Way calls home, experienced frequent collisions and mergers. For example, when two spiral galaxies collide, it's thought to create what's called an elliptical galaxy.

Persons: —, Carlos Frenk Organizations: Service, Institute, Durham University

☆ ‘Travelling Telescope’ inspires children to look to the sky
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Arya Jyothi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Instead, I was inspired too.”In 2006, Murabana joined a teacher training program called Global Hands-On Universe, where she led a space education project. Here, she realized she wanted children in Africa to be as exposed to opportunities as children in the US were. Daniel Chu Owen and Susan Murabana, co-founders of Travelling Telescope. Daniel Chu Owen, Travelling Telescope“There’s a satisfaction you get from going to a school, talking to the children, and seeing their reaction and their anticipation,” said Murabana. Daniel Chu Owen, Travelling TelescopeBut there is also a more personal motivation for Murabana’s work — combatting the perception that astronomy is a Western science.

Persons: Susan Murabana’s, “, ”, Murabana, —, Daniel Chu Owen, Susan Murabana, ‘, Owen Organizations: CNN, Cosmos Education, James Cook University, University of California, Kenyan, Travelling Telescope, Kenya Space Agency, International, European Space Agency, Travelling Locations: Kenya, Australia, Africa, Malindi, Western, Ghana, Mali

☆ SpaceX Starship: What’s next for the most powerful rocket ever built
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

CNN —Mere moments after SpaceX’s Starship system — the most powerful rocket ever built — was lost in a test flight Saturday, a somewhat complicated narrative around the vehicle began to emerge. “What we did today will provide invaluable data to continue rapidly developing Starship,” SpaceX said Saturday in a statement. SpaceX's mega rocket Starship launches for a test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on Saturday, November 18, 2023. The Starship spacecraft was then able to ignite its own engines and break away from the Super Heavy rocket booster to continue the mission. SpaceX's Starship rocket prototypes are seen at the SpaceX Starbase in Brownsville, Texas, on August 19, 2023.

Persons: CNN —, Artemis III —, Bill Nelson, SpaceX, —, Eric Gay, John Insprucker, Elon Musk, Jim Watson, Wayne Hale, they’ve, ” Hale, “, They’ve, ”, SpaceX’s, Christina Hammock Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, Jeremy Hansen, Wiseman, Glover, Hammock Koch, Hansen, Artemis, Bill Ingalls, Hale, Jeff Bezos, Lakiesha Hawkins, ” Hawkins, NASA isn’t, Apollo Hale, Neil A, Armstrong, Michael Collins, Edwin E, Aldrin Jr, ” What’s, Veronica Cardenas, Reuters It’s Organizations: CNN, SpaceX, NASA, China, Super, International Astronautical, Getty, FAA, CSA, Canadian Space Agency, Orion, Planetary Society, SLS, Origin, Blue, Kennedy Space Center, Saturn, Earth, ” CNN, Reuters, Federal Aviation Administration Locations: Starbase, Boca Chica , Texas, Baku, Azerbaijian, Boca Chica, South Texas, AFP, Texas, Washington, Florida, “, SpaceX’s, Brownsville , Texas

☆ Cinderella Denver Broncos and Ferocious Detroit Lions: An NFL Season Gone Mad
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Jason Gay | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Just sitting here on a lily pad at the edge of the universe, trying to figure out what happens if the Detroit Lions meet the Cleveland Browns in the Super Bowl. I assume the cosmos, as we know them, will abruptly collapse. There will be a flash of light, a rumble of thunder, a brief narration from the Voice of God, the late NFL Films narrator John Facenda, and that’s that.

Persons: John Facenda Organizations: Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Super, NFL Films

☆ SpaceX Starship: World’s most powerful rocket ready for takeoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —After months of rebuilding and clearing red tape following the April explosion of the Starship system’s first test flight, SpaceX is set for its next attempt. The Starship spacecraft stacked atop the Super Heavy booster is intended to play a key role in the NASA Artemis III moon mission, currently slated for 2025. After its fuel is spent, the Super Heavy will detach from the Starship spacecraft and fall back toward the ocean. “These delays may seem small in the big scheme of things but … delays in each and every test flight adds up. One group of activists sued the FAA in May, alleging regulators had failed to comply with federal environmental law when they greenlit Starship’s April test flight.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, they’re, NASA Artemis, ”, Musk’s, SpaceX’s, NASA’s —, Jim Free, “, ” Musk, William Gerstenmaier —, we’re, ” Gerstenmaier, Jared Margolis Organizations: CNN, SpaceX, Super, NASA, International Astronautical, “, NASA’s, Systems, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, Center for Biological Locations: Riding, Boca Chica , Texas, South Texas, Texas, Padre, of Mexico, Hawaii, Baku, Azerbaijian, China

☆ Opinion | Where Does Religion Come From?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But as I read some of the critiques it struck me that the Hirsi Ali path as she describes it is actually unusually legible to atheists, in the sense that it matches well with how a lot of smart secular analysts assume that religions take shape and sustain themselves. In these assumptions, the personal need for religion reflects the fear of death or the desire for cosmic meaning (illustrated by Hirsi Ali’s yearning for “solace”), while the rise of organized religion mostly reflects the societal need for a unifying moral-metaphysical structure, a shared narrative, a glue to bind a complex society together (illustrated by her desire for a religious system to undergird her political worldview). For instance, in Ara Norenzayan’s 2015 book “Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict,” the great world religions are portrayed as technologies of social trust, encouraging pro-social behavior (“Watched people are nice people” is one of Norenzayan’s formulations, with moralistic gods as the ultimate guarantor of good behavior) as societies scale up from hunter-gatherer bands to urbanized states. At a certain point, the social and governmental order becomes sufficiently trustworthy itself that people begin to kick away the ladder of supernatural belief; hence secularization in the developed world. Even if belief in invisible watchers has its social uses, if such beings don’t exist it’s a pretty odd thing that societies the world over have converged on the belief that we share the cosmos with them.

Persons: Hirsi Ali, Hirsi Ali’s, ” Organizations: Trinity Locations: Ara

☆ Gamma-ray burst in faraway galaxy disturbed Earth's upper atmosphere
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

This gamma-ray burst, researchers said on Tuesday, caused a significant disturbance in Earth's ionosphere, a layer of the planet's upper atmosphere that contains electrically charged gases called plasma. It helps form the boundary between the vacuum of space and the lower atmosphere inhabited by people and Earth's other denizens. The gamma rays from the burst impacted Earth's atmosphere for a span of about 13 minutes on Oct. 9, 2022. Instruments on Earth showed that the gamma rays disturbed the ionosphere for several hours and even set off lightning detectors in India. The effects of this gamma-ray burst were studied with the help of the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES), also called Zhangheng, a Chinese-Italian mission launched in 2018.

Persons: Mirko Piersanti, Piersanti, Pietro Ubertini, Ubertini, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, Acquire, Rights, Ray Astrophysics, University of L'Aquila, Nature Communications, National Institute for Astrophysics, Thomson Locations: Italy, India, China

☆ Milky Way-like galaxy spotted in distant universe by Webb telescope
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Astronomers have spied an intriguing phenomenon in the distant universe — a galaxy that closely resembles the Milky Way — and it’s challenging key theories on how galaxies evolve. Like our home galaxy, the newly discovered ceers-2112 is a barred spiral galaxy, and it’s now the most distant of its kind ever observed. While massive spiral galaxies are common in the Milky Way’s cosmic neighborhood, that hasn’t always been the case. The bars take shape when stars within spiral galaxies rotate in an orderly fashion, as they do in the Milky Way. “The discovery of ceers-2112 paves the way for more bars to be discovered in the young universe,” de la Vega said.

Persons: James Webb, it’s, Webb, “, ”, Luca Costantin, hasn’t, Alexander de la Vega, didn’t, la Vega Organizations: CNN —, James Webb Space, Spanish National Research Council, Centro, Astrobiología, University of California, James Webb Space Telescope Locations: Madrid, Riverside, ceers

☆ A Supernova ‘Destroyed’ Some of Earth’s Ozone for a Few Minutes in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Katrina Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Oct. 9, 2022, telescopes in space picked up a jet of high energy photons careening through the cosmos toward Earth, evidence of a supernova exploding 1.9 billion light-years away. Such events are known as gamma ray bursts, and astronomers who have continued studying this one said it was the “brightest of all time.”Now, a team of scientists have discovered that this burst caused a measurable change in the number of ionized particles found in Earth’s upper atmosphere, including ozone molecules, which readily absorb harmful solar radiation. “The ozone was partially depleted — was destroyed temporarily,” said Pietro Ubertini, an astronomer at the National Institute of Astrophysics in Rome who was involved in discovering the atmospheric event. The effect was detectable for just a few minutes before the ozone repaired itself, so it was “nothing serious,” Dr. Ubertini said. But had the supernova occurred closer to us, he said, “it would be a catastrophe.”The discovery, reported Tuesday in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications, demonstrates how even explosions that occur far from our solar system can influence the atmosphere, which can be used as a giant detector for extreme cosmic phenomena.

Persons: ”, Pietro Ubertini, Ubertini Organizations: National Institute of Astrophysics, Nature Communications Locations: Rome

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