Latest news with #Ryugu
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Unknown strain of bacteria found on China's Tiangong Space Station — and it's developing resistance to space
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists have discovered a new microbe never-before-seen on Earth inside China's Tiangong space station. The new strain of bacteria, named Niallia tiangongensis after the space station, is a variant of a soil-dwelling terrestrial microbe that can cause sepsis, and was found inside one of the station's cabins. Now, a new analysis of the strain has revealed that the bacterium isn't only one of a kind, but has also picked up some key adaptations that could be helpful in future space missions. The researchers published their findings March 3 in the journal International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. "Understanding the characteristics of microbes during long-term space missions is essential for safeguarding the health of astronauts and maintaining the functionality of spacecraft," the researchers wrote in the study. The new strain was found in samples collected in 2023 by the crew of the Shenzhou-15 mission, who swabbed the space station's modules with sterile wipes before freezing them for transport. Related: Purple bacteria could be key to finding extraterrestrial life on exoplanets After being sent back to Earth, analysis revealed that the bacteria was closely related to Niallia circulans, a rod-shaped, spore-propagating bacteria that typically dwells in soil, sewage and food, and can cause sepsis in immunocompromised patients. RELATED STORIES —If life can exist in your stomach, it can exist on Mars. Here's what it might look like. —Samples of 'alien' asteroid Ryugu are crawling with life — from Earth —Little Green Men? Nope, Extraterrestrial Life May Look More Like Pasta. However, the new strain had also picked up a few new adaptations to survive the harsh conditions of space. These include genes that code responses to oxidative stress, repair the bacteria from radiation damage, and enable it to form biofilms by breaking down gelatin to extract carbon and nitrogen. It's not yet clear if the new strain could cause harm to humans, but the researchers hope that by studying it further they could learn more about how it, and others, survive; as well as the best ways to prevent human astronauts from any risks associated with space-adapted bugs. This isn't the first microbe to have made the evolutionary leap to survive beyond our planet, either. In 2018, NASA scientists discovered four previously unknown strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria hiding inside the International Space Station's toilets, each with a suite of new adaptations to help them survive in outer space.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
People are creeped out for same reason after seeing mind-blowing picture taken of asteroid in space
Giant rocks tearing through space at breakneck speed is terrifying at the best of times, but one picture of an asteroid has given many the creeps. There are an estimated 1.1 to 1.9 million asteroids bobbing about up there in space that stretch to a whopping 1 kilometer in diameter, according to NASA, and that's just the big ones. There are millions of smaller ones too. Earlier this year, the space boffins warned an asteroid called 2024 YR some tens of thousands of miles away in orbit actually posed a threat to our home planet, with NASA warning the gigantic beast the size of New York's Statue of Liberty could come careering towards us as early as 2032. NASA has since said the asteroid no longer poses a significant threat to us (phew!), but many are still afraid of them, and understandably so considering their mammoth size. Take for instance Donaldjohnson, which formed some 150 millions years ago and measures up to the size of not one but two of New York's Central Parks placed end-to-end. However, it's one seemingly inconspicuous space rock that is causing the latest stir as a close-up shot is giving many the heebie-jeebies. The asteroid in question is called Ryugu which boasts one of the 'clearest ever taken' of an asteroid. The image was taken by Hayabusa-2, a Japanese asteroid sampling mission, which returned samples of the asteroid back to Earth for study in 2020. An explanation from NASA explained the asteroid's significance, saying: "Asteroid Ryugu, a near-Earth and potentially hazardous asteroid, is classified as a Cb-type asteroid." They added that it's about 1km across and made of 'water-rich and carbonaceous materials' and said they hoped to learn about the evolution of the solar system by studying it. And while it's certainly thrilling and fascinating to see the rock so clearly, there's one element to it that's made some feel unsettled - and that is just how dark space actually is. The closest we come to seeing a total absence of light is perhaps images of the ocean at night, yet space is obviously darker, and therefore way more ominous. Dozens say they've been left feeling queasy by its inky blackness surrounding the asteroid and shared their thoughts on the ordeal on social media. One person wrote: "Imagine the last time that thing was as close to another light source," while another said: "Outer space seems less like a star ocean and more like an infinite void." Another said: "Agree, the complete void of space is so unsettling." Clearest image ever taken of asteroid Ryugu. The pitch black background is scary... — Curiosity (@MAstronomers) May 2, 2024 A fourth chimed: "OMG! At first glance I thought this was the bottom of the ocean." Just imagine being out there, alone, as others pointed out. "If we're out in that blackness, imagine what else is out there..." However, some astronauts said they were far from lonely when cruising through the abyss of space. Michael Collins, who piloted the command module on Apollo 11, became the most isolated human being in the entire universe when he passed around to the dark side of the Moon. Yet, he said he felt 'awareness, anticipation, satisfaction, confidence, almost exultation' on his trip.
Kyodo News
07-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: May 7, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 5 hours ago - 09:21 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- U.S., China to hold talks on weekend for de-escalation: Bessent WASHINGTON - The United States and China will hold high-level talks this weekend in Switzerland to de-escalate trade tensions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday. "My sense is that this will be about de-escalation, not about (a) big trade deal," Bessent told Fox News, referring to his upcoming meeting with China. "We've got to de-escalate before we can move forward." ---------- India strikes inside Pakistan after April terrorist attack in Kashmir NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD - India said Wednesday it has attacked "terrorist infrastructure sites" in Pakistan following a deadly incident that occurred on the Indian side of the disputed Kashmir region last month. The strikes hit nine such locations in Pakistan and the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, targeting the roots of cross-border terror planning, the Indian Defense Ministry said. ---------- Germany elects Merz new chancellor in unprecedented second vote BERLIN - Germany's parliament on Tuesday elected Friedrich Merz, a conservative from the ruling bloc, as new chancellor in an unprecedented second vote amid political chaos following the collapse of his predecessor Olaf Scholz's regime late last year. Merz, a 69-year-old lawyer-turned-politician, formally took office after being nominated by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, forming a new coalition involving the alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union as well as the Social Democratic Party of Germany. ---------- JAXA to push recognizing Ryugu asteroid sample as int'l standard TOKYO - Japan's space agency is hoping to make the samples collected by its Hayabusa2 space probe from an asteroid recognized as standard reference material for international research, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. A research team including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is considering the establishment of a new organization as soon as this summer that would specialize in analyzing and releasing the composition data, the sources said. ---------- BOJ to launch own survey on wage hikes: sources TOKYO - The Bank of Japan plans to launch its own survey on wage hikes to obtain data of small and midsize companies without labor unions affiliated with Rengo, the country's largest trade union group, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The BOJ will announce the new study, which will be part of its quarterly Tankan business sentiment survey, later this fiscal year and begin it in 2027 at the earliest, the sources told Kyodo News. ---------- Japanese idol group Arashi to disband after spring tour next year TOKYO - The popular Japanese all-male idol group Arashi, which has been on hiatus since the end of 2020, announced Tuesday that it will disband after a tour next spring with all five members. "The environment surrounding us has changed," as have each member's circumstances, the group said in a post on its official social media accounts and on an official fan website. ---------- Japan among popular destinations for China travelers despite warning TOKYO - Japan was among popular destinations for Chinese travelers during the five-day Labor Day holiday through Monday, despite an earlier warning by the Chinese Embassy in the country about violent crimes and incidents of food poisoning. Chinese online travel agency Group Ltd. said Japan ranked alongside South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia as a major overseas travel destination for Chinese holidaymakers. ---------- Japan's former Emperor Akihito hospitalized for heart checkup TOKYO - Japan's former Emperor Akihito was admitted to a Tokyo hospital on Tuesday for a medical examination after an earlier checkup found signs of myocardial ischemia, the Imperial Household Agency said. The 91-year-old will undergo a series of tests at University of Tokyo Hospital. He has not complained of any symptoms of myocardial ischemia, which reduces blood flow to heart muscles, according to the agency. Video: Golden Week holiday ends
The Mainichi
07-05-2025
- Science
- The Mainichi
JAXA to push recognizing Ryugu asteroid sample as int'l standard
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's space agency is hoping to make the samples collected by its Hayabusa2 space probe from an asteroid recognized as standard reference material for international research, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. A research team including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is considering the establishment of a new organization as soon as this summer that would specialize in analyzing and releasing the composition data, the sources said. "We may be able to produce a global standard for researchers across the world. We hope to provide them in the best form," said Tomohiro Usui, a professor at JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science. In December 2020, a capsule that had been carried on a six-year mission by Hayabusa2 delivered 5.4 grams of surface material to Earth from the Ryugu asteroid, located over 300 million kilometers away. The standard reference material for the solar system is primarily made up of meteorites called CI chondrites, which have undergone aqueous alterations upon entering the Earth's atmosphere. In contrast, the sands and stones from the Ryugu asteroid were retrieved in an airtight container and may hold clues to the early days of the solar system. The new organization is expected to use the latest technologies to also analyze samples brought back by the U.S. spacecraft OSIRIS-REx in 2023, as well as CI chondrites stored in museums, with the goal of better characterizing meteorites and assessing the composition of celestial bodies outside the solar system.
Kyodo News
07-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: May 7, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 23 minutes ago - 09:21 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- U.S., China to hold talks on weekend for de-escalation: Bessent WASHINGTON - The United States and China will hold high-level talks this weekend in Switzerland to de-escalate trade tensions, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday. "My sense is that this will be about de-escalation, not about (a) big trade deal," Bessent told Fox News, referring to his upcoming meeting with China. "We've got to de-escalate before we can move forward." ---------- India strikes inside Pakistan after April terrorist attack in Kashmir NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD - India said Wednesday it has attacked "terrorist infrastructure sites" in Pakistan following a deadly incident that occurred on the Indian side of the disputed Kashmir region last month. The strikes hit nine such locations in Pakistan and the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, targeting the roots of cross-border terror planning, the Indian Defense Ministry said. ---------- Germany elects Merz new chancellor in unprecedented second vote BERLIN - Germany's parliament on Tuesday elected Friedrich Merz, a conservative from the ruling bloc, as new chancellor in an unprecedented second vote amid political chaos following the collapse of his predecessor Olaf Scholz's regime late last year. Merz, a 69-year-old lawyer-turned-politician, formally took office after being nominated by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, forming a new coalition involving the alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union as well as the Social Democratic Party of Germany. ---------- JAXA to push recognizing Ryugu asteroid sample as int'l standard TOKYO - Japan's space agency is hoping to make the samples collected by its Hayabusa2 space probe from an asteroid recognized as standard reference material for international research, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. A research team including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is considering the establishment of a new organization as soon as this summer that would specialize in analyzing and releasing the composition data, the sources said. ---------- BOJ to launch own survey on wage hikes: sources TOKYO - The Bank of Japan plans to launch its own survey on wage hikes to obtain data of small and midsize companies without labor unions affiliated with Rengo, the country's largest trade union group, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The BOJ will announce the new study, which will be part of its quarterly Tankan business sentiment survey, later this fiscal year and begin it in 2027 at the earliest, the sources told Kyodo News. ---------- Japanese idol group Arashi to disband after spring tour next year TOKYO - The popular Japanese all-male idol group Arashi, which has been on hiatus since the end of 2020, announced Tuesday that it will disband after a tour next spring with all five members. "The environment surrounding us has changed," as have each member's circumstances, the group said in a post on its official social media accounts and on an official fan website. ---------- Japan among popular destinations for China travelers despite warning TOKYO - Japan was among popular destinations for Chinese travelers during the five-day Labor Day holiday through Monday, despite an earlier warning by the Chinese Embassy in the country about violent crimes and incidents of food poisoning. Chinese online travel agency Group Ltd. said Japan ranked alongside South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia as a major overseas travel destination for Chinese holidaymakers. ---------- Japan's former Emperor Akihito hospitalized for heart checkup TOKYO - Japan's former Emperor Akihito was admitted to a Tokyo hospital on Tuesday for a medical examination after an earlier checkup found signs of myocardial ischemia, the Imperial Household Agency said. The 91-year-old will undergo a series of tests at University of Tokyo Hospital. He has not complained of any symptoms of myocardial ischemia, which reduces blood flow to heart muscles, according to the agency. Video: Golden Week holiday ends
