New update on ‘Bird wing' solar eruption that could hit Earth
A major solar eruption, also being called as the "bird-wing" event, is set to possibly impact the Earth tomorrow. This comes as a direct warning from astronomers, with a tremendous eruption of superheated plasma surging across the Sun's northern hemisphere.
This plasma element, measuring over a million kilometers in length, was more than twice the distance from Earth to the Moon. NASA 's observation satellites captured this epic moment where the superheated plasma tore away from the sun in sweeping "wings". Even though all of this happened at a huge distance away from Earth, astronomers believe that this phenomenon could affect Earth. Aurora chaser Jure Atanackov has warned that the impact might trigger a major geomagnetic storm on Earth, which could surpass usual weather scales.
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The radiation of these solar flares has already triggered radio blackouts on the sun-facing side of the planet at the time of the flares. This includes North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, according to Live Science.
Solar flares are sudden and intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation that are released from the Sun's surface due to intense magnetic activity. When the stress on these field lines becomes too great, they can suddenly snap and begin realigning, releasing a massive amount of stored magnetic energy as a solar flare.
Wednesday's solar flare also flung out a coronal mass ejection (CME). It is basically a massive explosion of charged solar plasma, which are often spewed out from the sun's surface at the same time as a solar flare.
While flares travel at the speed of light, CMEs travel at between 250 kilometers per second (km/s) and 3000 km/s, taking a few days to reach our planet, says Live Science.
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Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Why a seat for Shukla on Axiom-4 is a big moment for India's space programme
Four decades after Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian to travel to space, Shubhanshu Shulka, a 39-year-old Indian Air Force officer who is in the final leg of his pre-launch quarantine at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, will on Sunday, June 8, pilot a Dragon spacecraft that will take him, and three others, to the International Space Station (ISS), about 400 km from the Earth. Shukla, who is set to be the first Indian to step on to the ISS, will spend two weeks carrying out various experiments and studies in space. Though India or the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has had little role to play in the planning and execution of the mission — apart from securing a seat for an Indian on the spacecraft — Shulka's journey couldn't have come at a better time for the country's space programme as it prepares for Gaganyaan, India's own human spaceflight. The Dragon spacecraft, as well as the Falcon 9 rocket that will launch it into space, are built by Elon Musk-owned SpaceX, one of the biggest private space companies in the world. The mission is being operated and managed by Axiom Space, a nine-year-old private entity focused on commercial spaceflight services. The US space agency NASA is facilitating this mission as part of its broader initiative to encourage private operators to participate in commercial space transportation activities in Lower Earth Orbits. The four-member crew also has astronauts from Poland and Hungary – countries that, like India, are sending their nationals to space after 40 years — underlining the very diverse nature of participation in this mission. Shukla's space journey was not planned like this. He was selected and trained for Gaganyaan, India's maiden human spaceflight mission that was originally scheduled for 2022 but is now expected to happen in early 2027. In the meanwhile, in 2023, NASA and ISRO agreed to develop a 'strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation', its immediate result being the inclusion of Indian astronauts in the Axiom-4 mission. Besides Shukla, Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, another Indian astronaut selected for the Gaganyaan programme, also underwent advanced training for the Axiom-4 mission, and is on backup. ISRO has designed about 10 experiments for this mission. These include investigations into the effects of microgravity on muscle dysfunctions, and the physical and cognitive impacts of utilising computer screens in space. Another experiment would study the impact of spaceflight on the growth of six varieties of crop seeds. ISRO is also sending a few tardigrades to the ISS. These microscopic, water-dwelling organisms, also called water bears or moss piglets, are known to survive in extremely harsh environments. They are often studied in space to gain a better understanding of how life can survive in extraterrestrial conditions. These are the experiments that ISRO would have carried out on Gaganyaan if the mission had gone ahead of Axiom-4. Now it has the opportunity to conduct follow-up and more advanced experiments on its own missions. Besides, Shukla, who is the designated pilot of Space X's Dragon spacecraft, can pass on invaluable experience and feedback to his colleagues when they travel to space as part of Gaganyaan. 'The Axiom-4 mission being so close to the Gaganyaan flight is a very good opportunity for ISRO. Shuks (Shukla), being the pilot, will learn a lot from this mission, and those would be very relevant for India's other astronauts who are waiting. This mission is a very fortuitous and profitable learning experience for India. Even the ground scientists… they will get to practise how to interact with crew in space and the mission control team. All this would be invaluable to ISRO not just for Gaganyaan but also for the space station it plans to set up in a few years' time,' said Michael Lopez-Alegria, a famed US astronaut who holds the world record for the maximum number of spacewalks (10) and the maximum time spent in spacewalks (close to 68 hours). Lopez-Alegria, who commanded the previous mission of Axiom Space, named Axiom-3, was in Delhi earlier this month. While on the face of it Shukla's flight appears similar to the one undertaken by Rakesh Sharma 41 years ago, aboard the Soyuz T-11 spacecraft of the then Soviet Union, the contexts and objectives of the two are vastly different. 'Rakesh Sharma's spaceflight was largely a result of Indo-Soviet friendship and close relationship between the space agencies of the two countries. India's capabilities were very limited then, and a human spaceflight programme of its own was nowhere on the horizon. Though hugely important, and a big learning experience, there was little from Sharma's flight that ISRO could have utilised in practical terms. Shukla's spaceflight, on the other hand, is very different. It is not an isolated event. It feeds in directly into the Gaganyaan programme, and must be seen as one of the several preparatory steps that ISRO is taking in the run-up to its own human spaceflight mission,' said Mylswamy Annadurai, retired ISRO scientist who was the project director for the Chandrayaan-1 mission. Even Rakesh Sharma's flight was not supposed to be an isolated event. More such spaceflights with Indian astronauts were under discussion. But the accident of the US space shuttle Challenger in 1986 led to a reassessment of human spaceflight plans everywhere, and ended that initiative. Along with his two Soviet colleagues on the mission, Sharma carried out several space experiments during his flight. These resulted in ISRO getting access to important and novel data, though the space agency had little utility for them at that time. In 1984, India did not even have a decent rocket of its own. The only one it had, SLV-3, could barely carry 30-40 kg to Lower Earth Orbits. India's important satellites, like those of the INSAT series, were being launched from the United States. Four decades later, India's space capabilities are almost on a par with the best. It has already landed on the Moon, orbited around Mars, has an ongoing mission studying the Sun, is preparing to send humans into space and a mission to Venus, is building a space station of its own, and planning to land humans on the Moon. Shukla's spaceflight is much more than a joyride offered by a friendly country. 'There are many building blocks for a complex mission like Gaganyaan. ISRO has already carried out several test flights. Recovery missions have been done, reusable launch vehicles have been tested. Later this year, we will also have the first uncrewed flight in the lead-up to the actual crewed flight. All these are building blocks. Shukla's flight is also one of the building blocks. It is fully integrated with ISRO's immediate and long-term objectives, particularly the Gaganyaan mission,' Annadurai said. With days left for Shukla's space odyssey, Lopez-Alegria had an important advice for him: don't spend all your time only doing experiments. 'Enjoy the experience and find time to look at the Earth at every opportunity. I wish I had been told this during my first space trip,' he said. 'The astronaut's time in space is valuable with strict timelines drawn for tasks and scientific experiments. It is natural for an astronaut to be concerned about completing these tasks. But it is also important to soak in the experience and give a hard look to the wonder that is this universe,' he said.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
Northern lights set to shine over Canada tonight; Millions could witness rare solar storm display
A powerful solar storm is set to light up the skies over Canada on Monday night(June 2), offering a rare opportunity for millions to witness the mesmerizing aurora borealis . Cities where you can watch the northern lights tonight The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) has forecasted that the northern lights will be visible directly overhead across nearly all of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon , and the Northwest Territories, including cities like Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Yellowknife, and Whitehorse. Large parts of Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada may also catch a glimpse of the lights overhead or on the northern horizon. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Undo Timings and conditions The celestial display is expected to peak overnight between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. EDT. However, viewing conditions will depend on clear and dark skies, away from city lights. In areas near the southern edge of the aurora's visibility, such as parts of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and southwestern Ontario, an unobstructed view of the northern horizon will be essential. This heightened aurora activity is due to a coronal mass ejection (CME) that occurred on May 31, originating from the highly active sunspot region AR4100. Live Events The CME reached Earth on June 1, leading to a G4-class geomagnetic storm, one of the more severe classifications. Such storms can cause disruptions in satellite operations, communication systems, and power grids, but they also produce spectacular auroras, with the northern lights potentially visible at lower latitudes than usual. While the northern lights are typically confined to regions like Alaska and Northern Canada, stronger solar activity in recent years has extended visibility farther south. In 2024, the lights were visible as far south as Texas, a rare occurrence. Although the current forecast does not confirm if Texas is included this year, past events raise the possibility that the state could again witness the aurora. Places away from city lights are ideal For those hoping to catch a glimpse of this natural wonder, it's advisable to find a location away from city lights with a clear view of the northern horizon. Even in areas where the lights could be visible directly overhead, avoiding light pollution and having clear conditions will provide the best viewing experience. The northern lights will also be visible on Tuesday night(June 3), but with a more limited range. As always, the best viewing conditions depend on clear, dark skies and minimal light pollution.
United News of India
13 hours ago
- United News of India
Rare gas detected on distant exoplanet sheds light on planet formation: study
Sydney, June 2 (UNI) Astronomers have detected silicon monoxide gas in the atmosphere of a planet 850 lightyears from Earth, the first time the gas has ever been observed on any planet, including those in the solar system. According to a press release from the University of Newcastle in Australia on Monday, the research offers unprecedented insight into the formation and atmospheric chemistry of exoplanet WASP-121b, also known as Tylos. The planet, discovered in 2015, is an ultra-hot gas giant similar in size to Jupiter but far hotter, with temperatures exceeding 2,500 degrees Celsius, the release said. The international team, led by Tom Evans-Soma from the University of Newcastle and involved 18 institutions across Australia, Germany, the United States, Britain and India, used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to observe Tylos continuously for 40 hours, which is the most comprehensive observation ever made of an exoplanet completing a full orbit, it said. Over 3,500 exposures, about one every minute, were captured, allowing researchers to analyze both the dayside and nightside atmospheres, said the study published in Nature Astronomy. While expected molecules like water vapor and carbon monoxide were found, the surprising detection of silicon monoxide and methane, rare on such hot planets, challenges existing atmospheric models, Evans-Soma said. The study suggests Tylos formed in a cold, distant region rich in ice and rocky material before migrating closer to its star, where intense heat vaporized the rocks into silicon monoxide, a planet born in ice and forged in fire, he said. Though Tylos is uninhabitable, the study advances the search for Earth-like planets by improving techniques to detect potential signs of life in distant atmospheres, he added. UNI XINDUA AKT SSP
