ReportWire

Tag: the sun

  • Our Solar System Is Moving Faster Than It’s Supposed To, Study Suggests

    [ad_1]

    It may not feel like it, but everything in the universe is in constant motion. Our Sun, with all its planets, orbits the center of the Milky Way, flying through the cosmos at around 450,000 miles per hour (720,000 kilometers per hour), completing one full orbit in about 230 million years, according to NASA.

    Astronomers measure the speed at which the solar system is hurtling through space by mapping surrounding galaxies and observing how light from other objects is shifted. New measurements, however, put the existing models to the test and found that the solar system may in fact be much speedier than previously believed.

    A team of researchers used extremely sensitive instruments to detect a subtle headwind created by the motion of the solar system and found that our host star and neighboring planets are moving more than three times faster than current models predict. The study, published in Physical Review Letters, challenges the standard model of cosmology and our understanding of how the universe evolved since the Big Bang.

    Speeding through

    The scientists behind the recent study turned to radio galaxies to hone in on the speed at which the solar system travels. Radio galaxies are an excellent source of radio waves, emitting as much as one trillion solar luminosities of radiation with long wavelengths.

    The team analyzed the distribution of radio galaxies using the LOFAR (Low Frequency Array) telescope, a radio telescope network that stretches across Europe, combined with data from two additional radio observatories. As the solar system moves through the cosmos, it creates a subtle headwind whereby more radio galaxies appear in the direction in which it’s traveling.

    The researchers also applied a new statistical method that accounts for the fact that many radio galaxies consist of multiple components, producing a more accurate analysis of the solar system’s speed.

    Combining the data revealed that the distribution of radio galaxies is 3.7 times stronger than what the standard model currently predicts.

    “If our solar system is indeed moving this fast, we need to question fundamental assumptions about the large-scale structure of the universe,” Dominik Schwarz, cosmologist at Bielefeld University and co-author of the study, said in a statement. “Alternatively, the distribution of radio galaxies itself may be less uniform than we have believed. In either case, our current models are being put to the test.”

    Either way, we’re zipping around the galaxy at a rapid clip, even if a firm grasp on why, or what it means for the universe, remains out of reach.

    [ad_2]

    Passant Rabie

    Source link

  • Astronomers Discover Planet Orbiting Nearest Single Star to the Sun

    Astronomers Discover Planet Orbiting Nearest Single Star to the Sun

    [ad_1]

    The single nearest star to the Sun—which is to say, the closest star moving independent from a star system—has at least one exoplanet, according to a team of astronomers that recently scrutinized the heavenly body.

    The team’s research—published today in Astronomy & Astrophysics—describes conclusions made from five years of observational data taken with the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope at Chile’s Paranal Observatory.

    The little world orbits Barnard’s star, a red dwarf about six light-years from Earth. Barnard’s star is a dim, cool star about one-seventh the mass of our Sun. Unlike the nearest star to the Sun (Proxima Centauri, a little over four light-years away in the Alpha Centauri star system), Barnard’s star zips through the cosmos alone. As EarthSky points out, Barnard’s star is much less powerful than the Sun; if we orbited that star instead of the Sun, life as we know it would not be possible.

    The same could be said for the spunky exoplanet, but in the opposite direction as a thermometer reads. The star—dubbed Barnard b—is about twenty times closer to its host star than Mercury is to our Sun, and whips around Barnard’s star in just over three Earth days. Given its celestial proximity, the exoplanet is understandably piping, with a surface temperature around 257° Fahrenheit (125° Celsius).

    “Barnard b is one of the lowest-mass exoplanets known and one of the few known with a mass less than that of Earth,” said Jonay González Hernández, a researcher at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias in Spain and the study’s lead author, in an ESO release.

    Barnard’s star was previously suspected to host exoplanets in its orbit—there was promising evidence in 2018, but no certain confirmation—until now.

    The team was looking for exoplanets orbiting Barnard’s star that may exist within the habitable (or “Goldilocks”) zone, a distance from a host star where liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface. It does not, so life as we know it can’t exist on the exoplanet.

    “The discovery of this planet, along with other previous discoveries such as Proxima b and d, shows that our cosmic backyard is full of low-mass planets,” said study co-author Alejandro Suárez Mascareño, a researcher also at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, in the same release.

    In its new paper, the team also stated that there is evidence of at least three more exoplanet candidates around Barnard’s star, though more observations will be necessary to confirm whether any of those candidates are actual exoplanets.

    The next-generation Extremely Large Telescope, alongside missions like the Webb Space Telescope and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) will hopefully yield more discoveries of these not-so-distant alien worlds.

    [ad_2]

    Isaac Schultz

    Source link

  • Earth’s Magnetic Shield Twisted Out of Shape by Colossal Solar Burst

    Earth’s Magnetic Shield Twisted Out of Shape by Colossal Solar Burst

    [ad_1]

    Our Sun is a dynamic star, constantly bombarding our planet with charged particles that cause aurorae and geomagnetic storms. Now, a team of researchers found that an energetic outburst by our star disrupted our planet’s magnetic field for two hours in 2023.

    The event occurred on April 24, 2023, when a coronal mass ejection (CME)—a burst of solar radiation from the Sun—swept over our planet. CMEs are generally faster than the Alfvén speed, or the speed of magnetic field lines through plasma.

    But that wasn’t the case in late April of last year, when NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale mission observed an Alfvén speed faster than the CME that swept towards our planet. The mission detected electron and ion energy fluxes, and changes in electron density, as the solar event passed through. The CME caused Earth’s bow shock—the shockwave that typically forms when a CME hits Earth’s magnetic field—to disappear for two hours, from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET. The team’s analysis of the surprising solar event was published last week in Geophysical Research Letters.

    “The terrestrial bow shock disappears, leaving the magnetosphere exposed directly to the cold CME plasma and the strong magnetic field from the Sun’s corona,” the study authors wrote in the paper. “Our results show that the magnetosphere transforms from its typical windsock-like configuration to having wings that magnetically connect our planet to the Sun.”

    These structures—called Alfvén wings—acted as a highway transporting plasma between the Sun and Earth’s magnetosphere, according to an American Geophysical Union release. The team noted that Alfvén wing aurorae could occur on Earth, and could be observed in future studies.

    “The wings are highways for Earth’s plasma to be lost to the Sun, and for the plasma from the foot points of the Sun’s erupted flux rope to access Earth’s ionosphere,” the team added. “Our work indicates highly dynamic generation and interaction of the wing filaments, shedding new light on how sub-Alfvénic plasma wind may impact astrophysical bodies in our solar and other stellar systems.”

    CMEs should not be confused with solar flares, the brilliant events that can cause geomagnetic storms on Earth. As explained by EarthSky, both solar flares and CMEs are caused by realignments of the Sun’s magnetic fields, pushing energy out into space. Solar flares are bright flashes on the Sun’s surface, but CMEs launch magnetized particles into space, sometimes in Earth’s direction.

    The team added that “Sun-Earth connection through Alfvén wings is analogous to the Jupiter-Ganymede connection,” indicating that aurorae on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede may be forged by similar Alfvén wing pathways.

    More observations could reveal how the Sun’s powerful outbursts affects other heavenly bodies in our cosmic neighborhood. But as far as Earth’s magnetic field is concerned, everything is back to normal…for now!

    [ad_2]

    Isaac Schultz

    Source link

  • The DC area is in for another geomagnetic storm — which means another opportunity to see the Northern Lights – WTOP News

    The DC area is in for another geomagnetic storm — which means another opportunity to see the Northern Lights – WTOP News

    [ad_1]

    For skywatchers and wannabe Aurora (Northern lights) chasers, space weather conditions are currently predicted to be favorable Monday night.

    Monday, July 29, 2024’s sun imaged with a telescope and solar filter. (WTOP/Greg Redfern)

    Here we go again.

    For skywatchers and wannabe Northern Lights chasers, space weather conditions are currently predicted by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) to be favorable Monday night.

    The current predicted line of visibility on the northern horizon is in the lower part of Pennsylvania. That is close enough to make it worth the D.C. area taking a look. I expect this forecast will change as the day goes on, since space weather conditions are still developing. SWPC will issue updates as they are warranted.

    Geomagnetic storm watches are out Monday to Wednesday due to a number of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s corona in the outermost part of the sun’s atmosphere, according to NOAA.

    Solar activity was elevated through the weekend and various events, including solar flares and filament eruptions associated with CMEs, NOAA SWPC said. Some CMEs could arrive Tuesday and into Wednesday. NOAA said the ones that arrived Monday could result in G1 or minor storm levels, but most of the activity will liley take place on Tuesday, when CMEs from Saturday and Sunday arrive.

    “This could lead to G2-G3 levels as indicated by the WSA-Enlil model,” NOAA SWPC said, with more continuing into Wednesday.

    This geomagnetic storm and associated aurora event are not predicted to reach the historic levels, such as the last one on May 10. It’s far more likely that we could experience an event like in March, which involved a similar G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm. NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found online.

    The best bet is to monitor WTOP Weather for sky conditions, and the NOAA, plus other space-related social media sites, including EarthSky.org, space.com and space weather physicist Tamitha Skov’s X for updates. It will be worth taking a look to the north from a dark sky site with a clear horizon. You might be able to detect some color in the sky if aurora are present but they would likely be low on the northern horizon. Wide field binoculars will help your search.

    Use a camera or smartphone that can take exposures of several seconds — including using “night sky” or “low light” settings if your camera has them — of the northern horizon. Steady the camera or use a tripod for best image results. The camera may capture aurora that your eyes did not.

    The D.C. area had several aurora events visible in 2023, including in March and November. And the area is on a roll for 2024, with more coming in all probability.

    I check spaceweather.com every day just as I do my local weather. The site has a daily snapshot of what the space weather in the solar system is going to be like and a current image of the sun.

    Monday’s posting explains what happened on the sun the past few days to cause the current space weather. My image of Monday’s sun shows a lot of sunspots.

    With terrestrial weather being such a factor in the daily lives here in the D.C. region, and frankly the rest of the world, space weather has a direct effect, and can produce a variety of events, including Monday’s geomagnetic storm and the aurora.

    Space weather, like terrestrial weather, is caused by Earth’s interaction with the sun. While giving warmth and energy every day, what many people may not know is that it undergoes an 11-year solar cycle that can affect space weather throughout the solar system.

    The sun is a 4.5-billion-year-old star that humans have been monitoring since the time of Galileo. Currently, humans have a fleet of spacecraft that monitor the sun and space weather 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

    The sun is currently in Solar Cycle 25 and is at Solar Maximum. At Solar Maximum, the sun produces more sunspots and solar events, which produce space weather events like Monday’s level G3 geomagnetic storm. In fact, solar researches believe the sun is already starting Solar Cycle 26.

    The sun had an episode of disturbed behavior centuries ago. On Sept. 1, 1859, the sun experienced a solar storm episode that was observed by solar astronomer Richard Carrington and ended up bearing his name: “The Carrington Event.” This was a watershed event in solar astronomy and the sun’s effects on the Earth, unlike anything that’s happened since.

    If a Carrington-level solar event were to happen today, the impact on modern society’s infrastructure could be potentially catastrophic, especially the electrical grid which powers everything. If you think this is unlikely or “too sci-fi” to be true, I suggest you read the report by the National Academies of Science published in 2008.

    You listen to WTOP for “traffic and weather together on the 8s.” Maybe now you will want to include a check on space weather, too, as part of your daily weather routine.

    Follow Greg Redfern on Facebook, X and his daily blog to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration.

    Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Geomagnetic storm from a solar flare could disrupt radio communications and create a striking aurora

    Geomagnetic storm from a solar flare could disrupt radio communications and create a striking aurora

    [ad_1]

    Geomagnetic storm from a solar flare could disrupt radio communications and create a striking aurora

    Space weather forecasters have issued a geomagnetic storm watch through Monday

    Space weather forecasters have issued a geomagnetic storm watch through Monday, saying an outburst of plasma from a solar flare could interfere with radio transmissions on Earth. It could also make for great aurora viewing.There’s no reason for the public to be concerned, according to the alert issued Saturday by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado.Related video above: Here’s what to expect as the Sun approaches its Solar MaximumThe storm could interrupt high-frequency radio transmissions, such as by aircraft trying to communicate with distant traffic control towers. Most commercial aircraft can use satellite transmission as backup, said Jonathan Lash, a forecaster at the center. Satellite operators might have trouble tracking their spacecraft, and power grids could also see some “induced current” in their lines, though nothing they can’t handle, he said.”For the general public, if you have clear skies at night and you are at higher latitudes, this would be a great opportunity to see the skies light up,” Lash said.Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic field flips, meaning its north and south poles switch positions. Solar activity changes during that cycle, and it’s now near its most active, called the solar maximum. Related video below: An upcoming period of increased solar activity could help scientists understand some lingering uncertainties about the SunDuring such times, geomagnetic storms of the type that arrived Sunday can hit Earth a few times a year, Lash said. During solar minimum, a few years may pass between storms.In December, the biggest solar flare in years disrupted radio communications.

    BOULDER, Colo. —

    Space weather forecasters have issued a geomagnetic storm watch through Monday, saying an outburst of plasma from a solar flare could interfere with radio transmissions on Earth. It could also make for great aurora viewing.

    There’s no reason for the public to be concerned, according to the alert issued Saturday by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado.

    Related video above: Here’s what to expect as the Sun approaches its Solar Maximum

    The storm could interrupt high-frequency radio transmissions, such as by aircraft trying to communicate with distant traffic control towers. Most commercial aircraft can use satellite transmission as backup, said Jonathan Lash, a forecaster at the center.

    Satellite operators might have trouble tracking their spacecraft, and power grids could also see some “induced current” in their lines, though nothing they can’t handle, he said.

    “For the general public, if you have clear skies at night and you are at higher latitudes, this would be a great opportunity to see the skies light up,” Lash said.

    NASA via AP

    This image provided by NASA shows the Sun seen from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Space weather forecasters have issued a geomagnetic storm watch through Monday, March 25, 2024, saying an ouburst of plasma from a solar flare could interfere with radio transmissions on Earth and make for great aurora viewing. There’s no reason for the public to be concerned, according to the alert issued Saturday night by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo. (NASA via AP)

    Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic field flips, meaning its north and south poles switch positions. Solar activity changes during that cycle, and it’s now near its most active, called the solar maximum.

    Related video below: An upcoming period of increased solar activity could help scientists understand some lingering uncertainties about the Sun


    During such times, geomagnetic storms of the type that arrived Sunday can hit Earth a few times a year, Lash said. During solar minimum, a few years may pass between storms.

    In December, the biggest solar flare in years disrupted radio communications.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • The return of Marijuana – The Sun Nigeria – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    The return of Marijuana – The Sun Nigeria – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

    [ad_1]

     

    In 1979, I read a novel published by the famous British Novelist – Frederick Forsyth “The Devil’s Alternative” and I quote “Whichever option I choose, men are going to die, this is The Devil’s Alternative “. That was the appalling choice facing The President of USA and other Leaders of the world. It was like a “catch 22” phrase. Where the choice confronting the United States President, was either using a nuclear power to eliminate a megalomaniac Russian Leader or or allowing a section of Europe held under chemical threat to be wiped out.

    I was in a similar dilemma metaphorically speaking, two weeks ago, when a student confided in me, that his naughty friends had voluntarily returned to smoking marijuana, after “mkpuru mmiri (methamphetamine), devastated, wasted and killed most of them.

    I was both dumbfounded and stunned. I asked rhetorically, do you want me to clap, and commend your friends’ wisdom, of choosing the lesser evil. I told him I suspected he was in the same boat with his so called friends. He denied vehemently. That since mkpuru mmiri dealt with them “gbaas gboos”(whatever that means), that they have all learnt their lessons. That they decided to stick with the lesser evil – marijuana. Imagine the effrontery and buffoonery.

    I asked him, whether he knew what marijuana does to the brain and psych. He did not know. Then I told him, on a second thought I decided to revisit marijuana today.

    Marijuana…

    Original Author Link click here to read complete story..

    [ad_2]

    MMP News Author

    Source link