Latest news with #DepartmentofPhysics
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Can you see the Northern Lights tonight? The latest forecast
The Northern Lights might light up the skies across parts of Britain for a second night after experts issued a "red alert". The app Aurorawatch, which is run by Space and Planetary Physics group at Lancaster University's Department of Physics, issued the alert meaning auroras are likely tonight, while the Met Office has forecast that auroras will continue, confined to more northerly areas. People in northern latitudes might be able to see northern lights or aurora, as particles from the sun hit the Earth, the Met Office said: 'The solar winds remain very strong and turbulent before waning Monday night into Tuesday.' The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, make the sky glow green and purple and are typically visible from areas in the northern parts of the British Isles The Northern Lights phenomenon occurs when particles from the Sun (known as solar wind) strike particles in our atmosphere. Red alert: aurora likely. Issued 2025-06-02 08:42 UTC (09:42 BST) by @aurorawatchuk. #aurora — AuroraWatch UK (@aurorawatchuk) June 2, 2025 They're known as 'aurora' (meaning 'dawn') because the glow they cause resembles the morning light. NASA says: 'When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere, they can cause the colourful glow that we call auroras.' This week's Northern Lights were caused by an eruption on the Sun known as a 'coronal mass ejection', which hurls particles into Space from the Sun. The Met Office said: 'Earth is under the influence of a coronal mass ejection that arrived during the UTC morning of 01 Jun and which saw significant enhancements to the auroral oval.' Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are large clouds of solar plasma and magnetic fields released into space after a solar eruption. Stretching over millions of miles, they cause the dazzling light display when they hit Earth's atmosphere. The Northern Lights could once again sparkle in the sky over Britain on Tuesday, but it's likely to be confined to areas such as Scotland, according to the Met Office. The Met Office says: 'The activity may last during the early hours of Monday as the solar winds remain very strong and turbulent before waning Monday night into Tuesday. There's a chance of seeing the #aurora tonight, possibly as far south as the Midland and Wales ✨Most likely though, the #northernlights will be visible for Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, where clear skies allow 👇 — Met Office (@metoffice) June 1, 2025 'While aurora sightings are possible down to central parts of the UK and similar latitudes at first, they will become progressively confined to northern Ireland and Scotland. Short hours of darkness may limit any viewing though.' The best time and place to view the Northern Lights are in areas away from light pollution (ie outside of urban areas) and facing north. North-facing coasts produce some of the best locations to view the northern lights. The Met Office says that the best time to view is when the sky is completely dark and clear of any clouds. Your mobile phone's camera is probably able to 'see' the northern lights far better than you - so even if they are faint for you, you might capture spectacular shots, especially using 'night mode'. Modern mobile phone cameras have excellent low-light sensitivity (due to demand for photos in bars and clubs). On iPhone, Night Mode should activate automatically in low-light conditions (you'll see a yellow icon on screen).
BBC News
24-02-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Nasa mission to map water on the Moon
A small satellite is due to be sent to the Moon this week to find and map out any water that's on the lunar Lunar Trailblazer, which is an unmanned craft, will be blasted into space on a SpaceX Falcon 48 hours after take-off it will separate from the rocket and make its way independently to the aim during its two-year mission is to discover water on the Moon, find out what form it is in and where exactly it is, and map its locations on the information will be used to support future missions to the Moon. The Moon is usually thought to be a completely dry and arid place, but recent research suggested there is more water than scientists originally thought.A study in 2020 showed that pockets of ice could be hiding in the shadows of the is important for future missions because it is needed for drinking. Scientists also say the water molecule, H2O, could be split up so the hydrogen it contains can be used for rocket fuel. The Lunar Trailblazer is kitted out with two science instruments, which will help it achieve its High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper will identify water and work out how much there is. While the Lunar Thermal Mapper, which was built by University of Oxford's Department of Physics in the UK, will map the surface temperature and what the lunar surface is made up told Newsround that the Lunar Trailblazer is set to launch no earlier than 26 will be joining a larger mission as a rideshare - this is when Nasa takes advantage of extra room on a rocket which is already setting off. Once at its destination, the Lunar Trailblazer will be making 12 orbits a day, observing the surface over different times.
Memri
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Memri
Chinese Commentator Chen Ping: Through DeepSeek, I See the future of Socialism; Chinese Artificial Intelligence Must Uphold Socialism
In a February 8, 2025 video discussing the Chinese artificial app DeepSeek, Chinese commentator Chen Ping presents a socialist vision for integrating artificial intelligence and big data into China's socialist system to optimize resource distribution. He argues that rather than exporting surplus goods to subsidize American consumption, China should use its technological capabilities to redistribute these resources domestically. Ping stated that by prioritizing the development of rural areas and small and medium-sized cities, as well as reforming unsustainable urban lifestyles, China can enhance its national livelihood while addressing financial concerns such as inflation. He further suggests that this AI-driven socialist model could have global implications. Through initiatives like the Belt and Road and the "Community of Shared Future for Mankind," China could share its experiences with other nations, offering an alternative approach to economic development. This framework, he believes, would allow both ordinary citizens and elites worldwide to voluntarily learn from China's resource management strategies and socialist governance. Chen Ping is a well-known online commentator primarily active on social media. In his early years, he studied in the Department of Physics at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and later received a government-sponsored opportunity to study abroad. He has served as a senior researcher at a Chinese research institute and has taught at prestigious universities such as Peking University and Fudan University. Chen Ping created several social media accounts, where he publishes international commentary videos, criticizing the cultural, political, and economic systems of the United States while praising certain aspects of China. His views are highly opinionated, drawing a substantial audience. Chen Ping's real-life activities have sparked controversy. It was discovered online that he resides in the United States and exposed his American villa on social media. Many Chinese and American viewers find this hypocritical.
Observer
06-02-2025
- Science
- Observer
A 'super-Earth' that may be suitable for life
LONDON: Scientists have discovered a "super-Earth" planet that may have conditions suitable for life, according to the University of Oxford. The exoplanet—a planet outside our solar system—has a mass six times greater than that of Earth and orbits in the "habitable zone" of a nearby star similar to our sun, 20 light-years away from our solar system. Orbiting in the zone means the planet, named HD 20794 d, is at the right distance from the star to sustain water on its surface, but because this distance changes over the course of its elliptical rather than circular orbit, it is too early to say whether it could host life. Dr Michael Cretignier, a postdoctoral research assistant in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, first identified a possible signal for the exoplanet in 2022 while analysing archived data recorded by the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher spectrograph at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. An international team of researchers went on to analyse two decades of observations to confirm the discovery. "We worked on data analysis for years, gradually analysing and eliminating all possible sources of contamination," Dr Cretignier said. "For me, it was naturally a huge joy when we could confirm the planet's existence. "It was also a relief since the original signal was at the edge of the spectrograph's detection limit, so it was hard to be completely convinced at that time if the signal was real or not. "Excitingly, its proximity to us (only 20 light-years) means there is hope for future space missions to obtain an image of it." Researchers hailed the planet as an "invaluable test case" for space projects looking to detect signs of life outside our solar system. "With its location in a habitable zone and relatively close proximity to Earth, this planet could play a pivotal role in future missions that will characterise the atmospheres of exoplanets to search for biosignatures indicating potential life," Dr Cretignier said. "While my job mainly consists of finding these unknown worlds, I'm now very enthusiastic to hear what other scientists can tell us about this newly discovered planet, particularly since it is among the closest Earth analogues we know about and given its peculiar orbit." The findings have been published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. — dpa
Observer
30-01-2025
- Science
- Observer
Scientists discover 'super-Earth' that may be suitable for life
LONDON: Scientists have discovered a "super-Earth" planet that may have conditions suitable for life, according to the University of Oxford. The exoplanet—a planet outside our solar system—has a mass six times greater than that of Earth and orbits in the "habitable zone" of a nearby star similar to our sun, 20 light-years away from our solar system. Orbiting in the zone means the planet, named HD 20794 d, is at the right distance from the star to sustain water on its surface, but because this distance changes over the course of its elliptical rather than circular orbit, it is too early to say whether it could host life. Dr Michael Cretignier, a postdoctoral research assistant in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, first identified a possible signal for the exoplanet in 2022 while analysing archived data recorded by the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher spectrograph at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. An international team of researchers went on to analyse two decades of observations to confirm the discovery. "We worked on data analysis for years, gradually analysing and eliminating all possible sources of contamination," Dr Cretignier said. "For me, it was naturally a huge joy when we could confirm the planet's existence. "It was also a relief since the original signal was at the edge of the spectrograph's detection limit, so it was hard to be completely convinced at that time if the signal was real or not. "Excitingly, its proximity to us (only 20 light-years) means there is hope for future space missions to obtain an image of it." Researchers hailed the planet as an "invaluable test case" for space projects looking to detect signs of life outside our solar system. "With its location in a habitable zone and relatively close proximity to Earth, this planet could play a pivotal role in future missions that will characterise the atmospheres of exoplanets to search for biosignatures indicating potential life," Dr Cretignier said. "While my job mainly consists of finding these unknown worlds, I'm now very enthusiastic to hear what other scientists can tell us about this newly discovered planet, particularly since it is among the closest Earth analogues we know about and given its peculiar orbit." The findings have been published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. — dpa
