Latest news with #Wiegert
Al Etihad
12 hours ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
UAE's GDP to grow by 4.4% in 2025, 5.4% in 2026: Central Bank of UAE's latest forecast
26 June 2025 18:12 REDDY (ABU DHABI)The UAE's real GDP is expected to grow by 4.4% in 2025, accelerating to 5.4% in 2026, according to the Central Bank of the UAE's (CBUAE) latest Quarterly Economic Review. This growth trajectory is supported by the resilience of the non-hydrocarbon sector and a rebound in oil and gas output aligned with updated OPEC+ production CBUAE forecasts non-hydrocarbon GDP to expand steadily by 4.5% in both 2025 and 2026, underpinned by the country's strategic drive to attract foreign investment, support innovation, and advance key sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, transport, and the digital economy. On the hydrocarbon side, growth is forecast at 4.1% in 2025, followed by a sharper 8.1% expansion in 2026, reflecting anticipated increases in oil output as OPEC+ production quotas are gradually relaxed and new upstream and midstream projects take hold. This marks a significant turnaround from 2024, when oil GDP grew by just 1.0%, dragging overall GDP growth to 4.0% despite a 5.0% rise in non-oil the central bank has marginally revised down its earlier growth forecasts—by 0.3 percentage points for both years—citing softer global economic activity, lower oil prices, and increased uncertainty, the outlook remains solidly this assessment, Ralf Wiegert, Head of MENA Economics at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said, 'The UAE economy is still expected to gain momentum. We forecast real GDP growth to reach 5.4% in 2025 and 6.5% in 2026. This will be driven by the oil sector's recovery and the strength of domestic demand.'Wiegert also emphasised the UAE's capacity to weather external shocks, adding, 'Domestic demand in the UAE remains strong and is underpinning broader economic stability. The oil rebound adds a strong layer of support to the overall growth story.'On the inflation front, the CBUAE reported an average rate of 1.4% in Q1 2025, driven mainly by lower transportation costs and easing energy prices. Abu Dhabi's inflation rate was 0.5%, and Dubai's inflation rate was 3.1% for the first quarter of 2025, the CBUAE report noted. Full-year inflation is now forecast at 1.9% for both 2025 and 2026—a slight downward revision from earlier estimates. While housing costs have edged higher, rising by 3.9% year-on-year in Q1, food and beverage inflation cooled to just 0.4% amid softening global commodity prices.S&P Global Market Intelligence broadly concurs with the central bank's inflation projections, though it expects a gradual increase over time.'Our inflation outlook for 2025 matches the central bank's at 1.9%, but we anticipate a moderate acceleration to 2.5% in 2026 due to sustained domestic demand,' Wiegert noted. Despite risks tied to global trade policy uncertainty and oil price volatility, the CBUAE's report also identifies upside potential in the successful implementation of economic reforms, new trade agreements, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in enhancing productivity and competitiveness.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Asteroid collision with moon in 2032 may threaten satellites, researchers warn
If a huge asteroid smashes into the Moon in 2032, the gigantic explosion would send debris streaming towards Earth that would threaten satellites and create a spectacular meteor shower, according to researchers. The impact would be 'comparable to a large nuclear explosion in terms of the amount of energy released'.(AP) Earlier this year there were briefly fears that the 60-metre-wide (200-foot-wide) asteroid called 2024 YR4, which is big enough to level a city, would strike Earth on December 22, 2032. It was given the highest chance -- 3.1 percent -- of hitting our home planet that scientists have ever measured for such a giant space rock. Subsequent observations from telescopes definitively ruled out a direct hit on Earth. However, the odds that it will crash into the Moon have risen to 4.3 percent, according to data from the James Webb space telescope in May. A new preprint study, which has not been peer-reviewed, is the first to estimate how such a collision could affect Earth. It would be the largest asteroid to hit the Moon in around 5,000 years, lead study author Paul Wiegert of Canada's University of Western Ontario told AFP. The impact would be "comparable to a large nuclear explosion in terms of the amount of energy released", he added. Up to 100 million kilograms (220 million pounds) of material would shoot out from the Moon's surface, according to a series of simulations run by the researchers. If the asteroid hit the side of the Moon facing Earth -- which is roughly a 50-percent chance -- up to 10 percent of this debris could be pulled in by Earth's gravity over the following days, they said. 'Like a bullet' Earth's atmosphere would protect the surface from the millimetre- to centimetre-sized lunar rocks, Weigert said. 0.04-2.54 But these meteors could be capable of destroying some satellites -- and there are expected to be a lot more of those orbiting the planet by 2032. "A centimetre-sized rock travelling at tens of thousands of metres per second is a lot like a bullet," Wiegert said. In the days after the impact, there could be more than 1,000 times the normal number of meteors threatening Earth's satellites, he added. Meanwhile, those of us on the ground would be treated to a "spectacular" meteor shower lighting up the night sky, the study said. But the current odds of a direct hit on the near side of the Moon remain at just two percent, Wiegert emphasised. The asteroid is not expected to be visible again until 2028, so the world will have to wait to find out more. If a direct hit is eventually found to be likely, humanity probably has enough time to plan a mission to spare the Moon. "I'm sure it will be considered," Wiegert said. The asteroid is half as wide and has 10 percent of the mass of Dimorphos, which NASA's DART mission smashed into in 2022, successfully changing its trajectory. If 2024 YR4 is on a collision course with the Moon, it would be "a good target" for another test of our planetary defences, Wiegert said. But if not, trying to deflect something zooming so close to Earth could be a little "dangerous", he added. The preprint study, which published on the arXiv database last week, has been submitted to the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Earth's satellites at risk if asteroid smashes into Moon: study
PARIS: If a huge asteroid smashes into the Moon in 2032, the gigantic explosion would send debris streaming towards Earth that would threaten satellites and create a spectacular meteor shower, according to researchers. Earlier this year there were briefly fears that the 60-metre-wide (200-foot-wide) asteroid called 2024 YR4, which is big enough to level a city, would strike Earth on December 22, 2032. It was given the highest chance -- 3.1 percent -- of hitting our home planet that scientists have ever measured for such a giant space rock. Subsequent observations from telescopes definitively ruled out a direct hit on Earth. However, the odds that it will crash into the Moon have risen to 4.3 percent, according to data from the James Webb space telescope in May. A new preprint study, which has not been peer-reviewed, is the first to estimate how such a collision could affect Earth. It would be the largest asteroid to hit the Moon in around 5,000 years, lead study author Paul Wiegert of Canada's University of Western Ontario told AFP. The impact would be 'comparable to a large nuclear explosion in terms of the amount of energy released', he added. Up to 100 million kilograms (220 million pounds) of material would shoot out from the Moon's surface, according to a series of simulations run by the researchers. If the asteroid hit the side of the Moon facing Earth -- which is roughly a 50-percent chance -- up to 10 percent of this debris could be pulled in by Earth's gravity over the following days, they said. - 'Like a bullet' - Earth's atmosphere would protect the surface from the millimetre- to centimetre-sized lunar rocks, Weigert said. 0.04-2.54 But these meteors could be capable of destroying some satellites -- and there are expected to be a lot more of those orbiting the planet by 2032. 'A centimetre-sized rock travelling at tens of thousands of metres per second is a lot like a bullet,' Wiegert said. In the days after the impact, there could be more than 1,000 times the normal number of meteors threatening Earth's satellites, he added. Meanwhile, those of us on the ground would be treated to a 'spectacular' meteor shower lighting up the night sky, the study said. But the current odds of a direct hit on the near side of the Moon remain at just two percent, Wiegert emphasised. The asteroid is not expected to be visible again until 2028, so the world will have to wait to find out more. If a direct hit is eventually found to be likely, humanity probably has enough time to plan a mission to spare the Moon. 'I'm sure it will be considered,' Wiegert said. The asteroid is half as wide and has 10 percent of the mass of Dimorphos, which NASA's DART mission smashed into in 2022, successfully changing its trajectory. If 2024 YR4 is on a collision course with the Moon, it would be 'a good target' for another test of our planetary defences, Wiegert said. But if not, trying to deflect something zooming so close to Earth could be a little 'dangerous', he added. The preprint study, which published on the arXiv database last week, has been submitted to the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Science
- Int'l Business Times
Earth's Satellites At Risk If Asteroid Smashes Into Moon: Study
If a huge asteroid smashes into the Moon in 2032, the gigantic explosion would send debris streaming towards Earth that would threaten satellites and create a spectacular meteor shower, according to researchers. Earlier this year there were briefly fears that the 60-metre-wide (200-foot-wide) asteroid called 2024 YR4, which is big enough to level a city, would strike Earth on December 22, 2032. It was given the highest chance -- 3.1 percent -- of hitting our home planet that scientists have ever measured for such a giant space rock. Subsequent observations from telescopes definitively ruled out a direct hit on Earth. However, the odds that it will crash into the Moon have risen to 4.3 percent, according to data from the James Webb space telescope in May. A new preprint study, which has not been peer-reviewed, is the first to estimate how such a collision could affect Earth. It would be the largest asteroid to hit the Moon in around 5,000 years, lead study author Paul Wiegert of Canada's University of Western Ontario told AFP. The impact would be "comparable to a large nuclear explosion in terms of the amount of energy released", he added. Up to 100 million kilograms (220 million pounds) of material would shoot out from the Moon's surface, according to a series of simulations run by the researchers. If the asteroid hit the side of the Moon facing Earth -- which is roughly a 50-percent chance -- up to 10 percent of this debris could be pulled in by Earth's gravity over the following days, they said. Earth's atmosphere would protect the surface from the millimetre- to centimetre-sized lunar rocks, Weigert said. 0.04-2.54 But these meteors could be capable of destroying some satellites -- and there are expected to be a lot more of those orbiting the planet by 2032. "A centimetre-sized rock travelling at tens of thousands of metres per second is a lot like a bullet," Wiegert said. In the days after the impact, there could be more than 1,000 times the normal number of meteors threatening Earth's satellites, he added. Meanwhile, those of us on the ground would be treated to a "spectacular" meteor shower lighting up the night sky, the study said. But the current odds of a direct hit on the near side of the Moon remain at just two percent, Wiegert emphasised. The asteroid is not expected to be visible again until 2028, so the world will have to wait to find out more. If a direct hit is eventually found to be likely, humanity probably has enough time to plan a mission to spare the Moon. "I'm sure it will be considered," Wiegert said. The asteroid is half as wide and has 10 percent of the mass of Dimorphos, which NASA's DART mission smashed into in 2022, successfully changing its trajectory. If 2024 YR4 is on a collision course with the Moon, it would be "a good target" for another test of our planetary defences, Wiegert said. But if not, trying to deflect something zooming so close to Earth could be a little "dangerous", he added. The preprint study, which published on the arXiv database last week, has been submitted to the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
NASA issues alarming warning: 'City killer' asteroid could strike Moon in 2032, threatening Earth's satellites
A potentially catastrophic asteroid , dubbed a 'city killer', is on a collision course with the Moon, and scientists warn the impact could have dangerous ripple effects for Earth . The asteroid, named 2024 YR4, no longer poses a direct threat to our planet, but NASA has identified a 4.3% chance of it striking the lunar surface on December 22, 2032. If it hits, the resulting explosion could eject around 10,000 tonnes of debris from the Moon into space, with Earth's gravity potentially pulling a significant portion of it into orbit, putting vital satellites and infrastructure at serious risk. NASA simulations reveal asteroid may trigger historic lunar impact According to simulations by Dr. Paul Wiegert of the University of Western Ontario, the asteroid, measuring 60 metres in diameter, could crash into the Moon at speeds exceeding 29,000 mph. The impact would likely create a crater 0.6 miles wide, making it the largest lunar collision in over 5,000 years. Though the Moon would absorb the direct hit, the concern lies in the debris that would be hurled into space from the blast. Earth may be in the line of fire by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hausbesitzer jubeln! Wer Heute noch ohne Solar lebt sollte nun die Lauscher aufsperren. Solar Nachrichten Aktuell Mehr erfahren Undo Dr. Wiegert's team estimates that between 10% and 30% of the ejected lunar material, ranging from 0.1 to 10 millimetres in size, could be funneled toward Earth by its gravitational pull. While seemingly small, these high-speed fragments could cause major disruption by damaging or disabling satellites. 'We were a little bit surprised at the possibility of there being a substantial amount of material at the Earth,' Dr. Wiegert told New Scientist. A decade's worth of satellite damage in days The simulations show that this space shrapnel could increase particle impact rates by 10 to 1,000 times above normal levels, potentially causing satellite failures across multiple orbits. Dr. Wiegert warns that systems like SpaceX's Starlink and other satellite constellations could suffer 'hundreds to thousands' of micro-impacts. This could result in widespread communication blackouts and GPS malfunctions. Risks to lunar missions and astronaut safety The threat isn't limited to Earth. NASA's upcoming Lunar Gateway space station and Artemis lunar missions could also be in harm's way. Rovers, landers, and even astronauts on or near the Moon could be exposed to debris travelling at lethal speeds. A 1mm particle could damage solar cells or pierce space suits, while larger fragments up to 10mm could breach spacecraft interiors. A coordinated space response needed Professor Mark Burchell of the University of Kent emphasised the severity of multiple satellite failures occurring at once. 'A lot of satellites failing at once is worse than occasional failures spread over a decade,' he said, noting that simultaneous outages would stretch resources and emergency response systems. Preventive strategies and shielding technologies may become urgent priorities in the coming years. Although the risk of impact is currently calculated at 4.3%, NASA and other international agencies are continuing to monitor asteroid 2024 YR4 closely. Emergency observations by the James Webb Space Telescope initially helped rule out an Earth-bound strike, but as new data comes in, the trajectory toward the Moon will be reassessed. Scientists agree that while the event is far from certain, preparing for its potential consequences is critical.
