Latest news with #MSSS
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A NASA rover sent home an immersive Mars panorama. Watch the video.
At first glance, this view may look like a vista from a bluff in the southwestern United States. But those aren't ordinary mountains in the distance. What appears to be a sierra is in fact the rim of an enormous crater on Mars, formed when an asteroid slammed into the Red Planet billions of years ago. The vantage point is from the slopes of the three-mile-tall Mount Sharp, sculpted over time within the crater after the ancient collision. NASA's Curiosity rover captured this extremely wide snapshot as it traversed its extraterrestrial stomping grounds in Gale Crater this February. The agency has since converted that data into a 30-second immersive video, which you can watch further down in this story. It's perhaps the next best thing to actually hiking the chilly desert roughly 140 million miles away in space. "You can imagine the quiet, thin wind," said NASA in a post on X, "or maybe even the waves of a long-gone lake lapping an ancient shore." SEE ALSO: A NASA Mars rover looked up at a moody sky. What it saw wasn't a star. NASA's Curiosity rover snaps a selfie image on lower Mount Sharp in Gale crater in August 2015. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS Since its mission launched in 2011, Curiosity, a Mini Cooper-sized lab on six wheels, has traveled about 352,000,020 miles: some 352 million whizzing through space and another 20 rumbling over Martian terrain. At the time when Curiosity drank up this scenery, it was climbing a region of Mount Sharp known as the sulfate-bearing unit. This area is chock full of salty minerals. Scientists think streams and ponds left them behind as the water dried up billions of years ago. Studying this geology offers clues about how and why Mars may have transformed from a more Earth-like world to the frozen desert it is today. Almost exactly a year ago, the rover accidentally discovered elemental sulfur, its wheels crushing the material to expose a bed of yellow crystals. When pure sulfur is made naturally on Earth, it's usually associated with superheated volcanic gases and hot springs. Another way it can form is through interactions with bacteria — a.k.a. life. "We don't think we're anywhere near a volcano where the rover is," Abigail Fraeman, deputy project scientist on the Curiosity mission, told Mashable in September, "so that is a puzzling feature to find in this particular location." A 30-second video in the above X post showcases the vast Martian panorama. Now Curiosity is on its way to a new destination where it will study an unusual landscape, called a "boxwork." This region likely necessitated warm groundwater to form. And where there's water, there's potential for life — at least the kind scientists know about. Researchers wonder if the boxwork could have hosted ancient single-celled microorganisms. From Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images, the land feature looks like a spiderweb of ridges, spanning several miles. Dark sand fills the hollow spaces among the lattice. Scientists believe this particular boxwork may have formed when minerals in the last trickles of water seeped into surface rock and hardened. As the rocks weathered over the ages, minerals that had cemented into those cracks remained, leaving behind the weird pattern. The rover's science team doesn't expect Curiosity to reach its destination until at least late fall, said Catherine O'Connell-Cooper, a planetary geologist at the University of New Brunswick in Canada, in the mission log. "Our drives are long right now," O'Connell-Cooper wrote, "but we are still taking the time to document all of the wonderful geology as we go, and not just speeding past all of the cool things!"
Daily Express
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Express
Deaxter steals the spotlight
Published on: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 Published on: Tue, May 20, 2025 By: Garry Lewis Text Size: Deaxter smashed both State and national school-level records. TAMBUNAN: Young athletics sensation Deaxter Pius stole the spotlight at the Tambunan District Schools Sports Council (MSSD) Championship after clocking extraordinary times in the 400-metre and 200-metre events, breaking both State and national school-level records. In the 400 metres, Deaxter recorded a time of 49.52 seconds, not only securing the gold medal but also shattering the Sabah Schools Sports Council (MSSS) record of 50.75 seconds and surpassing the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) record of 49.59 seconds. Advertisement He also impressed in the 200-metre event, completing the race in 22.36 seconds — beating the MSSS record of 22.50 seconds. This outstanding achievement places Deaxter among the most promising young athletes at the school level today, with high hopes that he will continue to shine in upcoming State and national competitions. The district sports management expressed their pride in Deaxter's accomplishments and pledged their full support to help elevate this young talent to greater heights. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
10-05-2025
- Science
- Borneo Post
Dr Lulie Melling becomes first Sarawakian to receive MSSS Research Fellow Award
Lulie (second right) receives her award from Department of Agriculture Malaysia deputy director (Soil Resources Management Division) Khazana Ibrahim (right). Also seen is MSSS president Assoc Prof Dr Rosazlin Abdullah (third right). KUCHING (May 11): Sarawak Tropical Peat Research Institute (Tropi) director Datu Dr Lulie Melling was recently bestowed with the Malaysian Society of Soil Science (MSSS) Research Fellow Award at the International Soil Science Conference (SOILS 2025) held in Penang. She is also the first from Sarawak to receive the award, which recognises her exceptional ground-breaking contributions to soil science, her pioneering research on tropical peatland ecosystems and her outstanding leadership in promoting climate change mitigation through science. A press release said the award is the society's highest honour and is awarded to individuals whose work and contributions have made a momentous impact on soil science research and community in Malaysia. The conferment of the MSSS Research Fellow Award to Lulie is a deserving tribute for her lifelong dedication to scientific excellence, environmental sustainability, nurturing scientific capacity and the advancement of Malaysian soil science beyond Malaysia to the world stage. Established in 1971, the MSSS is the country's leading professional organisation for soil scientists, with the objective to be an academic coterie for the advancement of soil science in Malaysia through research promotion, academic publications, public outreach and annual scientific conferences. During the award ceremony, Lulie said the award is not just a personal honour but represents the collective journey of the Malaysian soil science community. 'Soil is the silent foundation of all life and peatlands – though often overlooked – are among our most powerful allies in the fight against climate change,' she said. Lulie has been strongly associated as a member of the MSSS since 1995 and has actively served the Society in various capacities – including as vice president of its Sarawak Chapter and as its organising secretary of the International Soil Science Conference, which was successfully hosted in Mukah in 2007. As a world-renowned soil scientist and Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) fellow, Lulie was recently appointed as chairperson of the ASM Sarawak Chapter. She holds a PhD from Hokkaido University Japan and has been dedicated to tropical peatland research for over three decades. Her pioneering research on greenhouse gas fluxes, carbon dynamics in peatlands and ecosystem restoration has transformed the scientific landscape in Malaysia and beyond on climate mitigation. As for Tropi, Lulie's leadership has seen the institute develop into a globally recognised centre of research excellence, with achievements including operating three long-term eddy covariance flux towers and over 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications. She has also actively fostered international collaborations, including leading EU-funded research initiatives with the University of Tartu (Estonia), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany) and the University of Helsinki (Finland). She also has long-standing academic partnerships with Hokkaido University, Nagoya University, NIES Japan and the University of Wisconsin (USA). Lulie is currently the President of the Malaysian Peat Society and a Member of the Executive Board of the International Peatland Society (IPS). Beyond research, she is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of tropical peat scientists and has supervised more than 25 postgraduate researchers. Her expertise is frequently called upon in an advisory capacity, including by the UNFCCC, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the National Action Plan for Peatlands.
WIRED
25-04-2025
- Science
- WIRED
NASA's Perseverance Rover Finds Strange Rocks on Mars
Apr 25, 2025 1:51 PM A rock containing many smaller round stones could indicate that there was once a large amount of liquid water on the Red Planet. The NASA rover Perseverance recently discovered a strange rock on Mars, which appears to be made up of small rounded stones a few hundred millimeters in diameter. NASA's research team is trying to determine its origin. Perseverance was launched in July 2020 with the mission of searching for traces of microorganisms that may have existed on Mars in ancient times. It carries seven scientific instruments, including SuperCam, which uses cameras, lasers, and spectrometers to study the Martian surface, and Mastcam-Z, a camera with a special filter to increase resolution, which is used to record high-definition video as well as panoramic color and 3D images. The rover is exploring the Jezero Crater, a region of Mars thought to have once been a river delta. This is not the first time such a strange rock has been discovered on the Red Planet. In the past, Martian rovers have discovered a number of strange objects that could hold important clues as to the geological history of Mars. A selfie taken by NASA's Perseverance rover. This photograph is a composite of 59 images taken by its WATSON camera, which is mounted on an arm. PHOTOGRAPH: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS It was early March 2025 when Perseverance arrived at Broom Point on Witch Hazel Hill, on the rim of the Jezero Crater. Satellite observations had shown alternating stripes of light-colored and dark-colored rock in this area. In late March, Perseverance excavated one of the light-colored formations and collected a sample. In the process it discovered the strange rock—which has been named 'St. Paul's Bay.' A photo of the St. Paul's Bay rock, the darker object on the right of the image. This photo was taken by Perseverance on March 13, 2025, using Mastcam-Z. PHOTOGRAPH: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/ASU According to the Perseverance team, St. Paul's Bay is a 'float' rock—that is, a rock that should not exist at this location. But what created this rock formation on Mars, and how it came to be located in this region, remains unknown. This rock appears to be made up of smaller, round, dark gray stones each several hundred millimeters in size. The shapes of these small round stones vary: Some are oval-shaped, some have sharp edges, and some have small holes in them. It's possible that these spherules are concretions—formations created by groundwater moving through pores in a rock, which suggests that there might have once been abundant liquid water on Mars. However, on Earth these spherules are also created when molten rock cools rapidly, for example after a volcanic eruption. The Perseverance science team is investigating the origin of the small round stones that make up St. Paul's Bay. It is possible that they are derived from a dark-colored stripe of rock formation observed nearby. A magnified view of the St. Paul's Bay rock. This photo was taken by Perseverance on March 11, 2025, with the Remote Micro Imager (RMI) on its SuperCam. PHOTOGRAPH: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/LANL/CNES/IRAP. NASA's Mars rovers have also discovered a number of other strange rocks during their missions. The first pictured below were nicknamed 'blueberries' and were found by the rover Opportunity. They were discovered near Fram Crater, which Opportunity explored during April 2004. Opportunity launched in July 2003 and landed on the Meridiani Plain on Mars' equator in January 2004. Opportunity continued to explore Mars for more than 15 years until its mission ended in February 2007. The blueberries are said to be rich in hematite, a type of iron oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ). Nicknamed 'blueberries,' these Martian rocks were photographed by NASA's Opportunity rover using a microscopic imager (MI) and panoramic camera. PHOTOGRAPH: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/CORNELL/USGS Next was a formation discovered by NASA's rover Curiosity, in which many small round stones are visible. This formation is part of a formation called the 'sheepbed,' exposed in an area on Mars called Yellowknife Bay. These small round pebbles are often found in other parts of the sheepbed as well. Curiosity was launched in November 2011 and continues to explore Mars. Curiosity photographed the 'sheepbed' formation in Yellowknife Bay, a shallow basin located within Gale Crater, just south of the Martian equator. PHOTOGRAPH: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS The final image below is of a sedimentary rock formation with a 'popcorn' texture, discovered by Perseverance. After completing its exploration of a part of the Jezero Crater called Mt. Washburn, Perseverance headed north and reached an area in the Neretva Valley called Bright Angel, where layered, light-colored rocks are exposed on the surface. It was here that Perseverance discovered this strangely textured rock formation, which also contains small rounded stones. Perseverance took this photo in the Neretva Valley in June 2024 using its Mastcam-Z. PHOTOGRAPH: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/ASU This story originally appeared on WIRED Japan and has been translated from Japanese.
Daily Express
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Express
Young Kota Kinabalu gymnasts strut their stuff
Published on: Friday, April 25, 2025 Published on: Fri, Apr 25, 2025 By: Jozie John Text Size: The young gymnasts who showcased their skills at the meet. Kota Kinabalu: The energetic movements of 68 young gymnasts took centre stage at the 2025 Kota Kinabalu District School Sports Council (MSSD) Artistic Gymnastics Championship, held at the Likas Sports Complex. The event highlighted the remarkable potential of the district's junior athletes. Over two action-packed days, the Gymnastics Hall was filled with cheers and a strong sense of camaraderie as gymnasts from 23 schools competed passionately for a coveted spot in the Sabah School Sports Council (MSSS) championship. Organised by Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Stella Maris, the tournament, which took place on April 21-22, was divided into four categories: Boys Under-12, Boys Under-15, Girls Under-12 and Girls Under-15. The events contested included Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, Floor Exercise, Vault, Pommel Horse and Parallel Bars. In his opening remarks, SK Stella Maris headmaster James Johnny expressed gratitude to all those involved in ensuring the success of the event, including teachers, coaches, judges, and parents. 'This year's MSSD tournament was incredibly intense. Every gymnast gave their best performance, and it's clear that there is immense potential among the young athletes in Kota Kinabalu,' he said. A total of 24 gymnasts were selected to represent the district at the (MSSS) championship next month. Additionally, 12 gymnasts from the Under-18 category have automatically qualified for the MSSS competition. James also highlighted the importance of consistent training and the vital role of coaches in shaping athletes who are not only skilled but also disciplined and focused on improving their performance. 'The results we see today are the fruit of continuous training, dedication, and the careful selection of athletes by our coaches. Parental support also plays a key role in the development of these young athletes,' he said. The tournament adhered to the regulations set by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), the Malaysian Gymnastics Federation (MGF), and the Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM). James said that the main aim of the tournament was to identify young talent and spark interest in gymnastics at the school level. 'By participating in this tournament, students not only develop their athletic abilities but also contribute to their Physical Activity, Sports, and Co-Curricular Assessment (PAJSK) scores. Most importantly, it fosters a spirit of sportsmanship among the students,' he added. The event was officiated by the Kota Kinabalu district deputy education officer (student development sector), Bunsu Gaga, who commended the dedication and enthusiasm shown by both the participants and organisers. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
