Latest news with #Sojourner
New York Post
4 days ago
- Science
- New York Post
NASA rover spots rock shaped like medieval helmet on Mars
NASA's Perseverance rover stationed on Mars spotted a dome-shaped rock with a striking resemblance to a helmet used during medieval times. The martian rock, captured by Perseverance's primary camera on Aug. 5, is pointed at the top and dome-shaped on top of a flared brim. It has a rough, textured surface covered in small bumps. 3 NASA's Perseverance rover spotted a rock shaped like a medieval helmet on Mars. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU / SWNS Advertisement The image was selected as Perseverance's best photo during its 234th week on Mars, though scientists working on its team noted it's not the first time the rover has encountered that type of igneous rock. 'This rock's target name is Horneflya and it's distinctive less because of its hat shape (which looks to me to be generally consistent with the pyramid shape we often see in of wind-eroded float blocks on the surface of Mars) and more because it's made almost entirely of spherules,' David Agle, a spokesperson for the Perseverance team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told 3 Perseverance launched in July 2020. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASUS / SWNS Advertisement The rock's odd composition will help scientists further understand how Mars' environmental history, including its 'internal processes,' formed the unique landscape over billions of years, the outlet reported. Perseverance's primary mission, though, isn't to collect baubles. The rover was launched on July 30, 2020 to search for ancient microbial life on the Red Planet to aid scientists in studying its habitability. Its research will help scientists get closer to sending a person to Mars as NASA inches ever closer to its final goal in the Artemis program, which seeks to establish a permanent base on the Moon to oversee the first astronaut landing on the Red Planet. Advertisement SpaceX CEO and former Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk is also eyeing interests on Mars with loose plans to launch uncrewed trips as early as 2028. 3 There are currently five NASA rovers on Mars. ESA/MPS et al. / SWNS In the meantime, Perseverance has been working overtime. It was first sent to survey the Jezero Crater to probe Mars' 'wet history' — a trek it only just completed in December 2024 three years after landing. Advertisement 'Conceivably, microbial life could have lived in Jezero during one or more of these wet times. If so, signs of their remains might be found in lakebed or shoreline sediments,' NASA says on the home page for the mission. NASA currently has four other rovers on Mars. Sojourner, the oldest and most antiquated of the five, landed on Mars in July 1997, according to NASA. The second-eldest rover, Opportunity, was originally built to last just three months on Mars. Instead, it pressed on for a staggering 15 years before shutting down in 2019.
The Hindu
30-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
The Science Quiz: Rovers on the moon and Mars
Q: Name this NASA mission during which astronauts on the moon became the first to drive a lunar rover on July 31, 1971. A: Apollo 15 Q: Name the eight‑wheeled rover the Soviet Union launched in 1970, which became the world's first robotic rover on the moon. From November 17, 1970, to September 14, 1971, the rover travelled 10 km across the bleak volcanic plains of Mare Imbrium and eventually beamed back more than 20,000 images. A: Lunokhod 1 Q: Sojourner was a shoebox‑sized Mars rover that piggybacked on the NASA Pathfinder mission in 1997. The rover used X suspension, a new kind of system built for it, to traverse the red planet. Sojourner first proved that NASA could navigate and remotely operate wheeled robots on another planet. Name X. A: Rocker-bogie Q: Which Mars rover, originally slated to operate for 90 days, trekked nearly 45 km over 15 earth years, often through dust storms, and eventually discovered hematite spherules called blueberries? The rover also finally transmitted the haunting message: 'My battery is low and it's getting dark' before going silent in 2018. A: Opportunity Q: Name the plutonium‑powered rover that descended Mars's Gale Crater in 2012 using a dramatic sky‑crane. The rover was able to drill into mudstones on Mars's Mount Sharp, revealing that ancient lakes there once hosted the ingredients necessary for microbial life. A: Curiosity Q: Identify the six‑wheeled rover that rolled out from China's Chang'e‑4 lander onto the moon's far side in 2019, becoming the first robotic mission to access this part of the moon's surface. The rover used ground‑penetrating radar to study the layered megaregolith under its wheels. A: Yutu-2
India Today
16-07-2025
- India Today
Dharmasthala horror: Worker alleges rape, murder cover-up with 100s of bodies
A former sanitation worker from Dharmasthala, Karnataka, has filed a complaint alleging he was forced to dispose of hundreds of bodies between 1995 and 2014. In his complaint filed on July 4, he claims the temple administration coerced him into disposing of corpses found near the Netravathi River, many of which he says appeared to be women who were raped and murdered. He stated, "When I refused to obey, I was beaten and threatened. I was told we will cut you into pieces." The allegations are being examined against the backdrop of the Sojourner case. A second complaint has been filed by Sujatha, the mother of Ananya Bhatt, an MBBS student who went missing in Dharamsthala in 2003. Twelve days after an FIR was registered based on the worker's complaint, the Dakshina Kannada Police have yet to begin exhumation.
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Mysterious Mars Rock Leaves Scientists Searching For Origin Clues
One of these things is not like the others. Time to sing that famous 'Sesame Street' song to yourself as you gaze on a recent NASA Perseverance rover image sent back from Mars. The photo shows a rocky beige and brown patch of ground with a dark mostly smooth rock sitting in the middle of the frame. It's the latest rock to present a science puzzle for Mars researchers to solve. Perseverance is currently exploring the rim of the Jezero Crater in an area called Witch Hazel Hill. The rover took some time in April to study a spot where lighter and darker rock outcrops meet. That site is named Port Anson. That's where the unusual rock came into focus. You might notice a theme to the names, which are real locations in Canada on Earth. The theme continues with the name given to the dark rock: Skull Hill. Skull Hill is a 'float' rock—a rock that came from somewhere else. That's why it doesn't fit in with its surroundings. While most of Skull Hill looks smooth, it has some notable pits. 'The pits on Skull Hill may have formed via the erosion of clasts from the rock or scouring by wind,' wrote Purdue University doctoral student Margaret Deahn in a rover mission update on April 17. Clasts are rock fragments or chunks. Clasts may have been embedded in the dark rock and then wore away, leaving pits behind. 'We've found a few of these dark-toned floats in the Port Anson region, and the team is working to better understand where these rocks came from and how they got here,' Deahn said. NASA rovers have been exploring the red planet since the late 1990s when the Mars Pathfinder mission carried the Sojourner rover to the surface. The robotic explorers keep spotting new and noteworthy rocks. The Curiosity rover delivered a surprise in mid-2024 with the first-ever discovery of pure sulfur crystals on Mars. Not to be outdone by its rover sibling, Perseverance found a 'zebra rock' unlike any other. The striped rock is also likely a float rock like Skull Hill. When a rover finds an obviously out-of-place rock, it kicks off an effort to spot similar ones in other locations. Scientists are interested in the origin of these oddball rocks. Fans of Mars rocks like to play spot-the-meteorite. Meteorites typically stand out from their surroundings. They're usually dark with surfaces that show both smooth and pitted features. Skull Hill might have a meteorite-like appearance, but it likely didn't come from space. A Perseverance analysis of similar rocks nearby 'suggests a composition inconsistent with a meteorite origin.' If Skull Hill isn't a meteorite, that still leaves some big questions: What is it and where did it come from? The rover's investigations suggest it 'could be an igneous rock eroded from a nearby outcrop or ejected from an impact crater.' Igneous rocks often have volcanic origins. Mars has a fascinating history of volcanic activity. The tallest known mountain in the solar system is the dormant Olympus Mons volcano on Mars. Perseverance's science skills will be put to the test as it continues to explore the crater rim. It's a relatively new region for the rover, so there are plenty of geological puzzle pieces left for scientists to discover and put into place.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Housing is the ‘bedrock of safety.' For survivors of domestic violence in Milwaukee, it can be hard to find.
A key to safety for many victims of domestic and intimate partner violence is emergency shelter, but in Milwaukee County, that can be in short supply. The demand far outpaces the bed capacity at Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee or any other local shelter, a new report found. 'Housing for us is the bedrock of safety,' said Carmen Pitre, Sojourner's president and chief executive, in an interview. Studies from across the country have repeatedly found that domestic and intimate partner violence is a leading cause of women experiencing homelessness. Many of Sojourner's clients struggle with transitional housing options after leaving emergency shelter, Pitre said, and two longstanding local options for that service have closed in recent years. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said the county has invested in affordable housing developments with the help of pandemic relief funds. But with federal dollars drying up, the county will rely more on partnerships to try to fulfill those needs, he said. 'We want to fill these gaps so people aren't falling through the cracks and going right back into that cycle of violence or that cycle of homelessness,' Crowley said. The report was based on data from Sojourner and interviews with survivors served by Sojourner. It did not include data from other advocacy organizations supporting survivors in the county, including the Milwaukee Women's Center and We Are Here MKE, a collective of culturally specific organizations. However, representatives from those organizations said Thursday the findings were similar to their clients' experiences. 'For many of them, they're running again with the clothes on their back,' said Antonia Drew Norton, founder of The Asha Project, which serves African American women and families in Milwaukee. 'And we want to be able to have the best place to reach that path toward healing, which is a journey – not a destination,' she added. The report was the subject of a community meeting Thursday at American Family Field. Here are key takeaways. Sojourner operates a 53-bed emergency shelter for survivors and their children. In 2023, the shelter served 141 adults and 181 children. The average stay for a family was about 50 nights. That same year, Sojourner's hotline received 2,353 calls requesting shelter, meaning only 6% of those individuals ultimately stayed in the agency's shelter. SPECIAL REPORT: Domestic violence deaths are rising. Children are witnessing them. Inside the crisis facing Milwaukee County. Sojourner asked survivors where they were going after leaving the shelter. Of those who shared the information, about 31% said they were moving to a rental with some form of assistance to help with the cost, the report found. About a quarter reported moving in with family or friends, and another 17% reported moving to another emergency shelter in the area. Sojourner conducted interviews with 125 adult survivors served by their organization, many of whom had experienced poverty, the report noted. Roughly three-quarters of the survivors had been homeless at some point in their lives, and half of them said their children had experienced homelessness. On average, survivors had experienced six discrete incidences of homelessness in their lifetimes, the report found. ARCHIVE: Domestic violence victims in Milwaukee faced eviction for calling police in 2008-2009, study finds Of the survivors who had minor children, about 62% reported that their children had to move homes because of the abusive situation. Only 16% reported that their children had to move schools. The report traces the difference to federal protections for homeless children, which allows students who become homeless during a school year to continue to attend the same school for the rest of the year, regardless of where the family is living. The law shows the potential of policy solutions to address homelessness among survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence, the report says. FULL REPORT: Homelessness, Housing Instability & IntimatePartner Violence The report offers several recommendations: Training advocacy staff in housing/rental knowledge for the local market and adding positions to address survivors' housing needs. Supporting projects that build or create more affordable housing units, expanding available emergency shelter and creating more transitional housing options. Train and support family and friends so they can support survivors, including in housing needs. In an interview, Pitre recommended friends and family of survivors call an advocacy organization for guidance on housing options and safety planning. 'It's emotionally difficult to support people who are in challenging circumstances,' Pitre said. 'I would say, first, take care of yourself, as well as trying to take care of your loved one.' Ashley Luthern is a reporter and deputy investigations editor at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at Domestic violence advocates can help with safety planning. Calls to advocates are confidential and do not involve law enforcement. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233. The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at 414-933-2722. The Milwaukee Women's Center offers a 24-hour crisis line at 414-671-6140. The Women's Center in Waukesha has a 24-hour hotline at 262-542-3828. We Are Here Milwaukee provides information on culturally specific organizations at The Asha Project, which provides culturally specific services for African American women and others in Milwaukee, provides a crisis line from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 414-252-0075. The UMOS Latina Resource Center in Milwaukee offers bilingual, bicultural domestic violence, sexual assault and anti-human trafficking supportive services and operates a 24-hour hotline at 414-389-6510. The Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center offers culturally sensitive, trauma-informed services for those who have experienced domestic or sexual violence and can be reached at 414-383-9526. Our Peaceful Home, which serves Muslim families and is a program of the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition, operates a crisis line at 414-727-1090. The Hmong American Women's Association, which serves the Hmong and Southeast Asian community, has advocates available at 414-930-9352 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin has a statewide directory of resources at This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee domestic violence victims struggle to find shelter, housing
