Bright lights seen in the sky across western Pennsylvania believed to be Florida rocket launch
Whether it was Westmoreland County or Butler County, something seemed to light up the sky.
This obviously brings up plenty of questions, including "what was that?"
Well, a check with the KDKA First Alert Weather Team launched a theory!
According to them, a space rocket was launched right around the same time in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The United Launch Alliance launched its first operational Vulcan rocket on Tuesday, which boosted two military satellites into space as part of the first U.S. Space Force-danctioned flight.
The launch was part of replacing the Atlas 5 satellite and retired Deltas.
It's the Pentagon's first experimental navigation satellite since the 1970s.
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Associated Press
27 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Six planets are hanging out in early morning skies this month. Here's how to spot them
NEW YORK (AP) — Six planets are hanging out in the sky this month in what's known as a planetary parade. Catch the spectacle while you can because it's the last one of the year. These linkups happen when several planets appear to line up in the night sky at once. Such parades are fairly common, happening around every year depending on the number of planets. At least one bright planet can be spotted on most nights, weather permitting, according to NASA. Six planets were visible in January skies and every planet of our solar system was visible in February, but not all could be spotted with the naked eye. Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and a faint Mercury are visible this month without any special equipment, and the best chances to spot them are over the next week. Uranus and Neptune can only be glimpsed through binoculars and telescopes. Jupiter and Venus made a close brush earlier this week and are still near each other in the eastern sky, 'close together like cat's eyes,' said Carolyn Sumners at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Mercury will be at its farthest point from the sun on Tuesday morning, making it easier to spot before it disappears into the sun's glare. To catch the planets, go out in the morning shortly before sunrise and look east. Try to find Jupiter and Venus clustered together first. Saturn is off to the side and Mercury will be close to the horizon, trying to rise before the sun. 'You're looking for little tiny pinpoints of light, but they are the brightest ones,' said Justin Bartel with the Science Museum of Virginia. 'They don't really twinkle like the stars do.' Before heading out, make sure it is a clear, cloudless morning and try to get away from tall buildings that could block the view. Mercury will hide behind the sun again toward the end of the month, but a crescent moon will then join the parade. The next big planetary hangout is in February. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Alien worlds may not necessarily need water, scientists find: ‘We just opened a Pandora's box'
Water may not be essential to support life, and an entirely different type of liquid could do the same in alien worlds, a new study claims. Until now, water has been considered a requirement for life on other worlds, with scientists defining the habitability of other planets based on its presence. However, a new lab experiment suggests salts existing in liquid form at lower temperatures in other worlds may host life, though unlike anything resembling Earth's water-based beings. Such liquid-salts, called ionic liquids, can exist below about 100 degrees Celsius and remain stable enough in the fluid state at wider conditions to be a hospitable environment for life-signature molecules like proteins, say researchers from the Massachussets Institute of Technology. The study, published in the journal PNAS, theorises that even planets that are too warm, or those with atmospheres at pressures too low to host liquid water, could still support pockets of ionic liquid. 'We consider water to be required for life because that is what's needed for Earth life. But if we look at a more general definition, we see that what we need is a liquid in which metabolism for life can take place,' says Rachana Agrawal, an author of the study from MIT. 'Now if we include ionic liquid as a possibility, this can dramatically increase the habitability zone for all rocky worlds,' Dr Agrawal said. On Earth, such ionic liquids are mainly only made for industries, and do not occur naturally – except for one natural case. One liquid salt is generated from the mixing of venoms produced by two rival species of ants. In the new study, scientists sought to understand the broad conditions under which ionic liquids can be naturally produced, including the range of temperatures and pressures. They started by mixing sulphuric acid with 30 different nitrogen-containing organic compounds across several temperatures and pressures. Researchers then observed whether an ionic liquid formed when they evaporated away the sulphuric acid in various vials. This work was based on previous work suggesting that some of these chemicals, considered ingredients associated with life, are surprisingly stable in sulphuric acid. Scientists also mixed the ingredients onto basalt rocks, which are known to exist on the surface of many rocky planets. 'We were just astonished that the ionic liquid forms under so many different conditions,' says Sara Seager, another author of the study. 'If you put the sulphuric acid and the organic on a rock, the excess sulphuric acid seeps into the rock pores, but you're still left with a drop of ionic liquid on the rock. Whatever we tried, ionic liquid still formed,' Dr Seager says. Researchers found that their reactions produced ionic liquid at temperatures up to 180 degrees Celsius and at extremely low pressures – much lower than that of the Earth's atmosphere. The findings suggest ionic liquids can naturally form on other planets where liquid water cannot exist, under the right conditions. 'We're envisioning a planet warmer than Earth, that doesn't have water, and at some point in its past or currently, it has to have had sulphuric acid, formed from volcanic outgassing,' Dr Seager says. 'This sulphuric acid has to flow over a little pocket of organics. And organic deposits are extremely common in the solar system,' she explained. Scientists hope to conduct further studies to see what life-signature molecules might survive and thrive in ionic liquids. 'We just opened up a Pandora's box of new research. It's been a real journey,' Dr Seager said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
MiNK Therapeutics Reports Clinical and Strategic Milestones and Second Quarter 2025 Results
Cash runway extended to deliver clinical program in GVHD and Ph2 results in 2L Gastric Cancer Department of Defense STTR Grant to advance INKTs in GVHD announced; program advancing New clinical grant awarded to launch AgenT-797 in GvHD clinical trial; target initiation 2H2025 NEW YORK, Aug. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MiNK Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: INKT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering allogeneic, off-the-shelf invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell therapies, today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025, and provided a business update highlighting major clinical achievements, a strengthened balance sheet, and expanded funding to advance both oncology and immunology programs. 'In Q2, we demonstrated the power of our platform with high impact clinical results, publication of key clinical findings, and competitive, non-dilutive, federal funding,' said Jennifer Buell, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of MiNK Therapeutics. 'Since quarter-end, we further strengthened our financial position that extends our runway beyond mid-2026. With our cash position, coupled with two separate non-dilutive grants for the clinical advancement of allo-INKTs in GvHD — we can achieve substantial clinical program advancements.' Highlights from Q2 2025 Durable Complete Remission in Metastatic Testicular Cancer: Nature's Oncogene publication of a landmark case of a patient with treatment-refractory metastatic testicular cancer who achieved a durable complete remission following a single infusion of agenT-797 (allo-INKTs) in combination with checkpoint blockade. The patient remains disease-free more than two years post-treatment. Strengthened Balance Sheet: Increased cash reserves extending runway beyond mid-2026 to advance clinical programs. Department of Defense STTR Grant Awarded for GvHD: Competitive DOD STTR grant awarded to advance development of iNKTs for graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prevention and treatment; program launched. NEW Clinical Grant Awarded for GvHD: Additional clinical competitive grant awarded to initiate a first-in-human clinical trial of iNKTs in GvHD, with trial initiation targeted in 2H2025. Progress in Phase 2 Gastric Cancer Study: Phase 2 trial of agenT-797 in second-line gastric cancer anticipated additional clinical readouts in 2025. Peer-Reviewed Review of iNKT Cell Therapy: A Frontiers in Immunology featured MiNK's platform, highlighting iNKT cells' can remodel the tumor microenvironment and overcome therapeutic resistance, showcasing CAR-iNKTs, such as MiNK-215 as a next-generation solution for solid tumors. Financial Highlights Cash Position: MiNK ended Q2 2025 with approximately $1.6 million in cash and cash equivalents and subsequently raised $13 million through equity sales, providing expected runway into mid-2026. Net Loss: Net loss for Q2 2025 was $4.2 million, or $1.06 per share, compared to $2.7 million, or $0.73 per share for Q2 2024. For the first half of 2025, net loss was $7 million, or $1.76 per share compared to $6.5 million or $1.82 per share for the first half of 2024. Current period results reflect ongoing activity supporting our agent-797 programs and non-cash expenses including the impact of repricing of certain equity awards. Summary Consolidated Financial Information Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet Data (in thousands) (unaudited) June 30, 2025 Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,682 Cash raised since quarter end 13,012 Other Financial Information (in thousands) (unaudited) Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30, 2025 2024 2025 2024 Cash used in operations $ 1,569 $ 2,291 $ 2,910 $ 4,833 Non-cash expenses 1,501 491 2,336 1,141 Net loss 4,237 2,702 7,004 6,515 Net loss per share 1.06 0.73 1.76 1.82 Conference Call and Webcast Information MiNK will host a conference call and webcast on August 14, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. ET. To access the live call, please dial (800) 715-9871 (U.S.) or (646) 307-1963 (International) and reference conference ID 1149380. A live webcast and replay will be available in the Events & Presentations section of MiNK's investor website at About MiNK Therapeutics MiNK Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery, development, and commercialization of allogeneic invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell therapies to treat cancer and other immune-mediated diseases. MiNK is advancing a pipeline of both native and next generation engineered iNKT programs, with a platform designed to facilitate scalable and reproducible manufacturing for off-the-shelf delivery. The company is headquartered in New York, NY. For more information, visit or @MiNK_iNKT. Information that may be important to investors will be routinely posted on our website and social media channels. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the factors described under the Risk Factors section of the most recent Form 10-K, Form 10-Q. MiNK cautions investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this release. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and MiNK undertakes no obligation to update or revise the statements, other than to the extent required by law. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Investor Contact917-362-1370 | investor@ Contact781-674-4422 | communications@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
