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Nasa discovery ‘raise new questions' about Mars

Nasa discovery ‘raise new questions' about Mars

Independent16 hours ago
Nasa 's Curiosity Rover has captured images of coral-like and flower-shaped rocks on Mars, estimated to be billions of years old.
On 24 July, the rover sent images of a one-inch wind-eroded rock resembling a piece of coral, found in the Gale Crater, which Nasa said 'are already raising new questions about how the Martian surface was changing billions of years ago'.
NASA explains these unique formations resulted from liquid water depositing hardened minerals in rock cracks as it dried up billions of years ago.
The distinctive shapes are now visible due to eons of sandblasting by Martian wind, which wore away softer rock but left resistant minerals.
The Curiosity Rover, which landed in 2012, continues to gather data and has found evidence of past habitable environments and potential microbial life on Mars.
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The strongest meteor shower of the summer will peak this week—here's how to watch it in the US
The strongest meteor shower of the summer will peak this week—here's how to watch it in the US

Time Out

time2 hours ago

  • Time Out

The strongest meteor shower of the summer will peak this week—here's how to watch it in the US

Get ready for a celestial show that's brighter, faster and (mostly) free—if you don't count the price of bug spray. The Perseid meteor shower, widely considered the strongest of the summer, will hit its peak Tuesday night into the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, August 13. At its best, the Perseids can produce up to 100 meteors an hour, zipping across the sky at a breakneck 37 miles per second. This year, though, the cosmos is throwing in a bit of a curveball: an 84-percent full Sturgeon Moon that will wash out fainter streaks. This means you might not see the full 'shooting star' spectacle, but bright fireballs—those extra-dazzling meteors that flare and linger—will still make appearances. NASA says even under moonlit skies, you could catch one or two of these every hour during peak viewing. The Perseids, active from July 17 to August 23, are the handiwork of comet Swift–Tuttle, whose debris trail Earth plows through once a year. These tiny particles (some no bigger than a grain of sand) burn up in our atmosphere, creating those luminous streaks. From our earthly vantage point, they seem to radiate from the constellation Perseus, which is how the shower got its name. You'll want to skip the telescope—meteors can blaze across huge swaths of sky, so you'll want your full field of vision. Find the darkest spot you can, ideally far from city lights and at a higher elevation. Bring a blanket or reclining chair, bundle up (yes, even in August—it gets chilly when you're sitting still) and give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Minimize phone use or better yet, switch to a red-light flashlight to protect your night vision. While meteors can appear any time after nightfall, your best odds are between midnight and dawn, when the sky is darkest and Earth is facing into the debris stream. For those willing to gamble on better conditions, you could also try viewing on August 16 or 17, when the moon will rise later, but meteor activity will be lower. Either way, patience is key; the longer you watch, the more likely you are to see something worth gasping over. And unlike most summer blockbusters, this show comes with zero spoilers: just you, the night sky and the occasional cosmic mic drop.

Why Niger is investigating the $5 million sale of the largest Mars rock found on Earth
Why Niger is investigating the $5 million sale of the largest Mars rock found on Earth

The Independent

time4 hours ago

  • The Independent

Why Niger is investigating the $5 million sale of the largest Mars rock found on Earth

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice It's the largest piece of Mars ever found on Earth — a 54-pound (25-kilogram) meteorite that fetched more than $5 million at a New York auction last month, setting a world record. But in the West African nation of Niger, where the rusty-red rock was unearthed in the Sahara Desert, officials have launched an investigation into what they call possible 'illicit international trafficking,' claiming it may have been smuggled out of the country. Here's what to know about the meteorite and the legal dispute: How it was found Sotheby's said the rock, named NWA 16788, was blown off the surface of Mars by a massive asteroid strike and traveled 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) to Earth. It was discovered in the Sahara in northwestern Niger by a meteorite hunter in November 2023, according to the auction house. His identity was not disclosed. Nor was the identity of the buyer last month. Meteorite hunting is growing in arid Saharan countries like Niger. Though meteorites can fall anywhere on Earth, the Sahara has become a prime spot for their discovery in part due to the favorable climate for their preservation. Hunters often search for space rocks that can be sold to collectors or scientists. The rarest and most precious are from Mars and the moon. According to the Heritage academic journal, the rock was sold to an international dealer before it ended up in a private galley in Italy. A team of scientists from the University of Florence examined the rock last year to learn more about its structure and where it came from before falling to Earth, the publication said. The meteorite was also briefly on display in Rome before it was next seen in public in New York last month during the auction. Why Niger is investigating Following the sale, Niger raised questions about how the meteorite came to be sold at auction. Niger's government announced an investigation last month to determine the circumstances of the meteorite's discovery and sale, saying in a statement it was 'akin to illicit international trafficking.' Last week, President Abdourahamane Tiani suspended the export of 'precious stones, semi-precious stones and meteorites nationwide' in an effort to ensure their traceability. Sotheby's said in a statement sent to The Associated Press the meteorite was exported from Niger and transported in line with all relevant international procedures. 'As with everything we sell, all necessary documentation was in order at each stage of its journey, in accordance with best practice and the requirements of the countries involved." the statement read. Authorities in Niger did not respond to AP questions. What international law says While global agreements are in place to regulate the trade of cultural artifacts, there is ambiguity about whether meteorites are covered. Patty Gerstenblith, a cultural heritage lawyer and expert on illicit trade, said that under the UNESCO convention on cultural property — which Niger and the U.S. have ratified — meteorites can qualify as cultural property. However, Gerstenblith said Niger needs to prove it owned the meteorite and that it was stolen, as illegal export from the country does not make the meteorite illegal in the U.S. 'If the meteorite was not stolen and if it was properly declared upon import into the U.S., then it would not seem that Niger can recover the meteorite,' she told the AP. Some countries, like Morocco, one of the leading sources of meteorites on the international market, require restitution if the objects are discovered on their territory. But enforcement has been challenging due to the vast desert areas and informal trading networks.

Commander of NASA's Apollo 13 mission Jim Lovell dies aged 97
Commander of NASA's Apollo 13 mission Jim Lovell dies aged 97

Daily Mail​

time8 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Commander of NASA's Apollo 13 mission Jim Lovell dies aged 97

Legendary astronaut Jim Lovell, who commanded the almost-doomed Apollo 13 lunar mission has passed away, aged 97. Lovell helped turn the 1970 failed moon mission into a success by safely returning the crew back to Earth after an oxygen tank exploded. NASA's Sean Duffy announced the commander's passing, and said the astronaut's life and work 'inspired millions of people across the decades'. Duffy said: 'Jim's character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount. We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements. 'From a pair of pioneering Gemini missions to the successes of Apollo, Jim helped our nation forge a historic path in space that carries us forward to upcoming Artemis missions to the moon and beyond.' Lovell was a veteran of spaceflights Gemini VII, Gemini XII, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13. The 1968 Apollo 8 crew, with Lovell, Frank Borman, and William Anders, was the first manned mission to leave Earth's orbit, and the first to fly to and circle the moon. Though they could not land on the lunar surface, their mission still put the U.S. ahead of the Soviets in the space race. Letter writers said the crew's historic 'pale blue dot' photo of Earth from the moon, a world first, and their Christmas Eve reading from the Bible's Genesis helped lift America during the turbulent year. Tom Hanks played Lovell in director Ron Howard's acclaimed 1995 film Apollo 13. The movie was inspired by Lovell's 1994 book Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage Of Apollo 13. Lovell recalled a meeting with Howard, in which the director asked him which actor he would want to play him. Lovell added: 'I said, Kevin Costner and Hanks never lets me forget that... But Hanks did a great job.' Lovell made a cameo appearance in the film as the commander of the U.S. Navy ship that retrieves the astronauts and shakes hands with Hanks. Lovell, who had a moon crater named in his honor, retired as an astronaut in 1973, working first for a harbor towing company and then in telecommunications. He had four children with his wife Marilyn, who died in 2023.

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