NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Sep 5, 2023

Blue Supermoon Beyond Syracuse

The last full moon was doubly unusual. First of all, it was a blue moon. A modern definition of a blue moon is a second full moon to occur during one calendar month. Since there are 13 full moons in 2023, one month has to have two and that month was August. The first full moon was on August 1 and named a Sturgeon Moon. The second reason that the last full moon was unusual was because it was a supermoon. A modern definition of supermoon is a moon that reaches its full phase when it is relatively close to Earth and so appears a bit larger and brighter than average. Pictured, the blue supermoon of 2023 was imaged hovering far behind a historic castle and lighthouse in Syracuse, Sicily, Italy.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?

Amateur stargazers capture a space rock smashing into Jupiter

Sep 4, 2023

The gas giant is hit by space rocks 12-60 times annually, but astronomers have seldom recorded these fleeting impacts.

A cosmic rock collided with Jupiter in the last week of August, unleashing a brief flash of light that was captured by Earth-based telescopes.

The Japan-based network of telescopes, primarily consisting of the Organized Autotelescopes for Serendipitous Event Survey (OASES) and the Planetary Observation Camera for Optical Transient Surveys (PONCOTS), successfully detected this visible impact.

Reportedly, an amateur astronomer was able to catch this rather brief collision on the gas giant.

MASA Planetary Log, an amateur astronomer account on the X social networking platform (previously known as Twitter), shared a video capturing the impact event that occurred on August 28 at 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time (1:45 a.m. local Japan time on August 29).

Other amateur astronomers on X corroborated the same hit, describing the observation of a bright flash, which is believed to have been caused by a small comet or asteroid.

More investigation is needed to ascertain the exact size and type of object, and if it belonged to our solar system or not.

Not a new phenomenon

While it's not uncommon for stray objects to collide with Jupiter, capturing the collision as it happens at the precise moment is a relatively rare event. This occurrence has been recognized for decades.

Jupiter is occasionally battered by rogue comets or asteroids due to its enormous size and exceptionally strong gravitational pull. Moreover, Jupiter's gravitational influence reaches into the asteroid belt, situated between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Consequently, asteroids within the belt could experience altered orbits, potentially bringing them into close proximity to the planet and increasing the likelihood of collisions.

Some experts believe that the massive size of Jupiter is what protects Earth from frequent collisions with rogue space rocks, thereby allowing life to flourish. The planet either absorbs these objects that approach the solar system or flings them further away from Earth. Otherwise, these objects pose a big threat to Earth and other inner planets.

Thanks for being the savior, Jupiter.

Other recorded impacts

According to a 2013 research, the gas giant potentially experiences impacts from space rocks around 12 to 60 times each year.

Nevertheless, astronomers have had limited opportunities to document these brief, momentary impacts. The most recent documented impact occurred in September 2021.

But probably the most well-documented instance occurred in 1994 when fragments of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet crashed with Jupiter with the force equivalent to 300 million atomic bombs.

On March 24, 1993, astronomers Carolyn and Eugene M. Shoemaker, along with David Levy, discovered this comet. Interestingly, it was the first comet discovered to be circling a planet, and not the Sun. “The effect of Jupiter's tidal forces had already torn the celestial body apart and, eventually, the fragments collided with Jupiter between July 16 and 22, 1994,” mentioned NASA in an old statement.

The comet had been orbiting Jupiter for over a decade when it was smashed into 20 pieces by the planet's tremendous gravity one day. The Hubble Space Telescope documented and captured this famous impact event on Jupiter.

https://interestingengineering.com/science/amateur-stargazers-capture-a-space-rock-smashing-into-jupiter

Aliens? UFOs? What is the celestial phenomenon behind Turkey’s green sky?

September 5, 2023

New Delhi: On the night of September 2, Turkey was treated to an extraordinary celestial event that left spectators in awe. A stunning meteor graced the skies, casting vibrant green streaks of light as it traversed the heavens. This captivating event unfolded over the eastern regions of Erzurum City and Gumushane Province, painting the night sky an eerie shade of green. Videos of this rare meteoric spectacle swiftly flooded social media, capturing the mesmerizing moment that lit up the entire horizon.

The green meteor phenomenon

The meteor, with its mesmerizing green luminance, stood out as a remarkable natural phenomenon. Its brilliance was so intense that it virtually turned the night sky into a vibrant canvas of emerald hues. Observers were left spellbound by the sheer splendor of this celestial visitor.

Awe-inspiring video footage

Videos shared on social media platforms quickly gained attention, offering a glimpse into the breathtaking spectacle. Among these videos was a remarkable clip recorded by a passerby at a children’s park. The video encapsulated a child’s innocent delight as they played, only for the sky to suddenly burst into vivid green illumination as the meteor passed overhead.

A rare and captivating event

Events of this nature, where meteors illuminate the night sky in such a vivid manner, are relatively uncommon. The sheer beauty and rarity of this spectacle left many across Turkey and beyond in awe.

Joining the meteor watch

Meteor enthusiasts and sky gazers were thrilled by the event, coming together to celebrate the wonder of the cosmos. The green meteor event served as a reminder of the limitless wonders that the universe holds and the sheer beauty that can grace our skies when we least expect it.

As the videos of this stunning meteor event continue to circulate on social media, it remains a testament to the natural wonders that unfold above us, providing moments of awe and inspiration for all who have the opportunity to witness them.

https://eng.bharattimes.co.in/aliens-ufos-what-is-the-celestial-phenomenon-behind-turkeys-green-sky/

Seoul unveils hidden space beneath Seoul Plaza for first time in 40 years

Updated : 2023-09-05 22:15

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is set to unveil a hidden space beneath Seoul Plaza, Friday, to the public for the first time in 40 years.

This concealed space, spanning 3,182 square meters, lies beneath the nation's first underground shopping area and alongside City Hall Station on Seoul Metro lines 1 and 2. The purpose and origin of this space remain unknown.

According to the city government, the space's appearance has not been altered since its original construction 40 years ago, thereby making it easier to open to the public.

The semiweekly guided tours ― available only on Fridays and Saturdays ― will run until Sept. 23, and will take place four times a day.

Additionally, Seoul will be collecting ideas from citizens on how to utilize the hidden space. Based on the suggestions, the city government will determine how to use and develop the underground space in the near future.

The program is part of Seoul's project to innovate subterranean spaces around the capital, transforming subway stations into attractions that reflect new trends and the characteristics of their localities.

The project, announced in January, is currently underway with projects at four different subway stations including City Hall Station.

Yeouinaru Station on Line 5, for instance, will be transformed into a runners-themed station by March next year, featuring a dashboard on the wall displaying running records. People can input their own running records for a designated course onto this dashboard as well.

The city is slated to host a b-boying performance at Sindang Station on lines 2 and 6 in October, reflecting the street culture of Generation Z. Munjeong Station on Line 8 is under review to create a spot for activities such as futsal or climbing.

"Our goal is to transform underground spaces in the city, including City Hall Station, into areas that reflect the lifestyles of citizens and enhance their appeal as new and exciting destinations in Seoul," said Hong Sun-ki, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Urban Space Planning Division.

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/09/113_358552.html

Photographer captures rare 'gigantic jets' of upside-down lightning blasting out of Atlantic hurricane

Sep 5, 2023

On Aug. 20, Puerto Rico-based photographer Frankie Lucena was taking pictures of a passing storm system that would soon evolve into the ongoing Hurricane Franklin, when a rare phenomenon of nature flashed before his eyes: Several enormous bolts of lightning, blasting straight upward out of a storm cloud and stopping just below the edge of space.

Upward-moving lightning bolts like these are known as gigantic jets. They are the rarest and most powerful type of lightning, occurring as few as 1,000 times a year and packing more than 50 times the power of a typical lightning bolt. The upside-down bolts can climb more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) above Earth's surface, touching the bottom of the ionosphere, the vast layer of electrically charged particles where the top of Earth's atmosphere meets the bottom of outer space. (Space technically begins at 62 miles, or 100 km, above sea level, while the ionosphere stretches from roughly 50 to 400 miles, or 80 to 640 km, above sea level.)

While rare, gigantic jets are not an unfamiliar sight during Atlantic hurricane season, gigantic jets are reported most frequently in tropical regions, especially during rapidly intensifying tropical storms like Franklin, according to an August 2022 study in the journal Science Advances.

Still, scientists have known about the phenomenon for only about 20 years, and much about it remains a mystery, including why the bolts shoot upward into the sky rather than slashing down to the ground. The gargantuan upward-flying bolts may be the result of some kind of blockage that prevents lightning from escaping through the bottom of the cloud, the authors of the 2022 study wrote, but the exact mechanism is still unknown.

There may be more chances to observe and study the bolts this year, as Atlantic hurricane season has just begun in full force. Franklin has since moved north toward Bermuda, intensifying into the first major hurricane of the 2023 season, according to the National Weather Service. While experts warn of potentially life-threatening rip currents along the East Coast of the United States, Hurricane Franklin is not currently forecast to make landfall.

On Aug. 30, Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida as a Category 2 storm, resulting in at least two confirmed deaths. The storm is being fueled by off-the-charts ocean temperatures, which have broken every record since satellite measurements began in the 1980s. The record-high temperatures have resulted from a combination of human-caused climate change and an El Niño event, which is forecast to substantially exceed the last strong event in early 2016.

https://www.space.com/rare-gigantic-jets-of-upside-down-lightning-blasting-out-of-atlantic-hurricane

Alert: Ex-Wikipedia Co-Founder Says Site Hijacked by US Intelligence for ‘Info Warfare’

Sep. 5, 2023 7:15 am

Wikipedia co-founder, Lawrence Mark Sanger, has accused U.S. intelligence agencies of manipulating the online encyclopedia for nearly two decades.

In an interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald, Sanger claimed that Wikipedia had become a tool of “control” in the hands of the U.S. establishment, which includes the CIA, FBI, and other intelligence agencies.

“We do have evidence that … even as early as … 2008 … that CIA and FBI computers were used to edit Wikipedia,” Sanger stated during the interview.

“Do you think that they stopped doing that back then?”

Sanger’s claims shed light on the alleged infiltration of Wikipedia by intelligence agencies and a perceived ideological shift on the platform. “Just how did we get to a point where ‘truth’ is tied to a particular ideology?” Sanger asked.

Sanger highlighted the “gradual change” he observed in Wikipedia’s content over the years, noting that by 2006 to 2008, articles related to controversial topics in science, such as global warming and certain drugs, began to exhibit what he described as an “over-the-top bias.”

“Then I started noticing around 2010 to 2015 that articles on like Eastern medicine and holistic medicine … were so obviously biased,” Sanger continued, suggesting a bias towards Western ideas. “It really got over the top … between 2013 and 2018,” he added.

By the time of the Trump administration, Wikipedia’s perceived bias had intensified, and Sanger claimed that “no encyclopedia to my knowledge has been as biased as Wikipedia has been.”

Greenwald agreed that the emergence of the Trump administration had a significant impact, stating that the “liberal establishment narrative” aimed at countering then President Donald Trump appeared to have influenced Wikipedia’s content.

Sanger also expressed concern about the abandonment of Wikipedia’s “original neutrality policy” by what he termed as “rank and file Wikipedians,” who he claimed now took cues from liberal media outlets like “CNN, MSNBC, and The New York Times.”

A notable revelation from Sanger was that Wikipedia had officially declared that “80 percent of the major sources of news on the right to be unreliable.”

He believed that Wikipedia became a target for weaponization between 2005 and 2015, with “information warfare … conducted online.” He pointed out that websites like Wikipedia played a central role in this conflict.

Sanger recommended other online encyclopedias such as Ballotpedia and Conservapedia as potential alternatives to Wikipedia, even though he noticed that these do not rank well on Google.

Greenwald, who had previously supported the Obama administration, was no stranger to what he referred to as the “weaponization” of “new information tools.”

He had been targeted with political attacks and weaponized propaganda due to his involvement in whistleblower Edward Snowden’s release of U.S. government secrets.

Sanger’s revelations aligned with findings from a programming student named Virgil Griffith, who first published evidence of CIA and FBI activity on Wikipedia in 2007.

Griffith had developed a program, called Wikiscanner, that could trace the location of computers used to edit Wikipedia articles, according to a 2007 Reuters report.

The CIA and FBI were found to have edited numerous articles, removing incriminating information, Huffington Post reported in 2008.

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For instance, the CIA used its computers to remove casualty counts from the Iraq War, while the FBI removed images of Guantanamo Bay and edited articles on various subjects.

Sanger concluded that intelligence agencies either paid influential individuals to advance their agendas or developed their own personnel within the intelligence community to manipulate Wikipedia content to their advantage.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/09/alert-ex-wikipedia-co-founder-says-site-hijacked