TYB
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
December 23, 2024
Christmas Tree Aurora
It was December and the sky lit up like a Christmas tree. Shimmering, the vivid green, blue, and purple auroral colors that formed the tree-like apparition were caused by high atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen reacting to a burst of incoming electrons. Collisions caused the orbital electrons of atoms and molecules to jump into excited energy states and emit visible light when returning to their normal state. The featured image was captured in Djúpivogur, Iceland during the last month of 2023. Our Sun is currently in its most energetic phase of its 11-year cycle, with its high number of active regions and sunspots likely to last into next year. Of course, the Sun has been near solar maximum during this entire year, with its outbursts sometimes resulting in spectacular Earthly auroras.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
Why Do People Think NASA Has Discovered a 'Parallel Universe'?
Dec 23, 2024 at 7:00 AM EST
If you've been scrolling through social media recently, you might have stumbled upon sensational claims resurging about NASA discovering a parallel universe in Antarctica.
According to the claims, this parallel universe was formed alongside ours during the Big Bang and would be running in reverse from our perspective.
But is there any truth to these claims? Did NASA really find a twin universe where time flows backward?
Has NASA Found a Parallel Universe
Let's set the record straight: NASA has not found a parallel universe. The claims making the rounds on social media are not based on new scientific findings but are instead a distorted interpretation of older research.
The origins of this controversy date back to 2020, when researchers working with the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment detected unusual behavior in neutrinos—tiny, nearly massless particles that rarely interact with matter.
The ANITA findings were indeed perplexing and prompted scientists to theorize potential explanations. One such hypothesis, published in a paper in response to the findings, suggested the possibility of a "CPT symmetric universe," where time might flow in the opposite direction to ours.
"In this scenario the universe before the Big Bang and the universe after the Big Bang is reinterpreted as a universe/anti-universe pair that is created from nothing," the authors of the paper wrote.
The findings were originally covered by the New Scientist in a piece titled "We may have spotted a parallel universe going backwards in time."
From there, the internet ran wild. Stories appearing in the Daily Star, New York Post and other outlets began claiming, with alarming certainty, that this was evidence of a parallel universe.
However, these articles glossed over the crucial fact: the ANITA results required further investigation and provided no conclusive evidence for any such universe.
At the time, Alex Pizzuto, a researcher involved in analyzing ANITA detections, took to social media to debunk the claims.
"ANITA, a detector that flies in Antarctica, detected some strange signals. These signals are hard (but not impossible) to remedy with our current models of physics," Pizzuto wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"Scientists try to come up with ways of modifying our understanding of physics to make these detections more plausible.
SOME of these require bizarre beyond the standard model ideas, like the one in the news. However, there are some COMPLETELY non-exotic explanations as well."
It's unclear why these claims have resurfaced now, aside from a peculiar quirk of internet hype reminiscent of what got this ball rolling in the first place.
How Many Universes Are There
So, how many universes exist? For now, the only one we can confirm is this one.
While no evidence of a parallel universe has been found, that doesn't mean the idea is off the table.
Several scientific theories, such as cosmic inflation, suggest the possibility of a multiverse—a collection of universes, including ours.
These universes could have different physical laws, histories or even entirely unique realities.
However, science relies on evidence. Currently, there is no empirical data to support these theories, but that hasn't stopped physicists from exploring them as fascinating possibilities.
What Is a Parallel Universe?
A parallel universe, often referred to as an alternate universe or multiverse, is a theoretical concept suggesting the existence of multiple universes alongside our own.
These universes could differ in fundamental ways—such as having alternate laws of physics.
While the idea captivates our imaginations and inspires everything from scientific inquiry to popular science fiction, it remains a theoretical construct until evidence says otherwise.
https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-parallel-universe-discovered-antarctica-debunk-2005028
https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.071101
Parker Solar Probe to make closest approach yet to the sun
December 22, 2024
A NASA spacecraft is performing better than expected as it makes its closest approach to the sun this week.
Parker Solar Probe will pass 6.1 million kilometers from the sun at 6:53 a.m. Eastern Dec. 24, the closest approach to the sun by this or any other spacecraft.
At the time of closest approach, the spacecraft will be traveling 191 kilometers per second.
The spacecraft launched in 2018 and used a series of gravity-assist flybys of Venus to lower its perihelion.
The final Venus flyby, on Nov. 6, set up the spacecraft for this perihelion, the closest the spacecraft will fly to the sun on its mission.
“On Christmas Eve of this year, Parker Solar Probe will be the closest humanmade object ever to a star,” said Nour Rawafi, project scientist for the mission at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (APL), during a media roundtable at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union Dec. 10. “We will be embracing a star.”
The spacecraft will be out of contact with the Earth during the flyby but is programmed to send a beacon signal on Dec. 27 to confirm that it made it through the flyby.
The spacecraft will begin transmitting telemetry in early January, followed later in the month by science data.
Parker Solar Probe is shielded from the sun during its flybys by a thermal protection system.
That heat shield is performing better than expected, said Betsy Congdon, lead engineer for the thermal protection system at APL.
“We expect lower temperatures that we designed for and that we tested to,” she described at the briefing. “We overprepared.”
One reason for the lower temperatures was margin designed into the system.
In addition, she noted that, in thermal testing on the ground before launch, the material appeared to get whiter at high temperatures, improving its performance, although at the time it wasn’t clear if that was a real effect or an artifact of testing.
“We think that is real, that the coating is healing as it gets hotter.”
Other systems on the spacecraft are performing better on the system, Rawafi said.
One example is the spacecraft’s solar panels, which are degrading less than predicted before launch.
“The system is very healthy and it can go much further than we planned for.”
The mission, he said, is “opening our eyes on a reality about our star.” The spacecraft is providing scientists with key data on the solar wind and corona as it flies through it, as well as corona mass ejections from the sun.
That is helping scientists learn more about the sun itself as well as other stars; it also provided data about Venus during its several gravity-assist flybys of the planet.
“Parker Solar Probe is an exploration mission par excellence.”
Those observations are particularly useful as the sun goes through the maximum of its 11-year activity cycle, working in conjunction with data from other missions.
“We have a tremendous opportunity with the heliophysics fleet to put together what Parker is seeing in tremendous detail” with data from those other missions, said Nicholeen Viall, a space scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
“Parker is the key because it is so close.”
The spacecraft’s prime mission includes two more close approaches to the sun in 2025.
Rawafi said the mission will seek a “bridge year” of funding in fiscal year 2026 to continue the mission until the next heliophysics senior review for fiscal year 2027.
The spacecraft can remain in its current orbit for a long time with little use of fuel to maintain it, he said. “The spacecraft can stay there for a long, long time.”
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/parker-solar-probe/
https://spacenews.com/parker-solar-probe-to-make-closest-approach-yet-to-the-sun/
NASA confirms source of streaking fireball in Gulf Coast skies
Updated: Dec 22, 2024 / 03:42 PM CST
NASA has confirmed the streaking fireball observed around the Gulf Coast Saturday night was the reentry of the SUPERVIEW-1 02 Chinese Satellite.
It burned up as it reentered the atmosphere, creating streaks of light across the sky.
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) – Viewers from across the Gulf Coast sent in photos and videos after seeing bright streaks in the sky around 10 p.m. Saturday night.
Initially, we believed this could be in relation to the Ursid meteor shower. The Ursid meteor shower occurs annually, and peak viewing is around the 21st and 22nd of December in the Northern Hemisphere.
After seeing more footage, there is a higher possibility the bright streak were caused by space debris re-entering Earth’s atmosphere.
https://www.wkrg.com/alabama-news/bright-streaks-in-the-sky-saturday-night-video/
https://abc3340.com/news/local/ufos-entering-earth-nasa-expert-sheds-light-on-objects-seen-across-central-alabama-space-astronomy-meteors-working-for-you
Croatia Hails First Satellite’s Successful Launch Into Space
December 23, 2024 14:53
Politicians and astronomers have welcomed the successful launch of Croatia’s first-ever space satellite, CroCube, which was launched from the United States on Saturday.
Crocube will photograph the Earth from its 510 km orbit and conduct scientific measurements on which future Croatian space companies can base commercial projects, project manager Daniela Jovic said on Monday.
“The launch is just the beginning. Now we invite everyone to get involved in space projects that will shape our future,” Jovic told a press conference at the Zagreb Innovation Center, ZICER.
The CroCube mission manager reported on the successful reception of the first signals from the satellite.
CroCube is a nanosatellite measuring 10 x 10 x 10 cm and weighing 1.1 kg, which will photograph the Earth and conduct scientific measurements for the next two years.
“For the first time, Croatia has a satellite in space. This is important primarily because it has shown that such an achievement is possible in Croatia, with our resources, knowledge and perseverance,” Marin Lukas, envoy of Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic, said.
The City of Zagreb encourages startups through ZICER, he added, noting that he hopes the success of this project will act as an incentive for everyone at ZICER to orient themselves towards space projects.
Crocube was launched into space from the American Vandenberg Space Base, marking Croatia’s historic entry into the era of space technology.
After the launch, it established its first communication with Earth and deployed from the rocket and flew into its permanent equatorial orbit around the Earth.
On the same day, it communicated via radio communication and sent the first signal to Earth.
“Croatia is well on its way to one day becoming a member of the European Space Agency.
This is one step on the way, so that our companies can participate in important work within space programmes,” Croatian astronomer Ante Radonic said.
“We have top companies that produce software at a world level and young people with excellent results, which shows that Croatia has the capacity,” Radonic added.
The satellite launch is the result of three years of work by about 30 volunteers in Croatia in cooperation with the Czech company Spacemanic and the Society for Education Outside the Box, EVO.
The team successfully designed, assembled and launched the satellite, but the launch is not the end of this project.
“Now that we have shown that it is possible, others should aspire to join the space industry, which is projected to reach a value of US $1 trillion by 2030.
Some Croatian companies that are partners in the project have already stepped up to implement the first commercial projects in the space business,” Jovic said.
https://balkaninsight.com/2024/12/23/croatia-hails-first-satellites-successful-launch-into-space/
https://crocube.hr/
World-first direct 5G connection to low Earth orbit satellite opens new era for mobile coverage
23/12/2024
In a world first, ESA and Telesat have successfully connected a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite to the ground using 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technology in the Ka-band frequency range, marking a crucial step towards making space-based connections as simple as using a mobile phone.
This achievement opens up possibilities that were previously out of reach, as low-flying satellites combined with standardised 5G technology can now support services requiring real-time, interactive connections.
The breakthrough could transform how we handle emergency response, provide rural healthcare, and support remote industrial operations worldwide.
ESA's 5G/6G laboratory at its European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands successfully connected to the LEO 3 satellite operated by Telesat, a leading global satellite operator.
The test was made possible through a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year between ESA and Telesat, which provided access to the LEO 3 demonstration satellite.
The LEO 3 satellite serves an important role for low-latency customer applications testing, as well as antenna and modem development.
Using Amarisoft's 5G technology, the team established and maintained a stable connection with the satellite as it moved across the sky, from just above the horizon to its peak elevation of 38 degrees and back down again.
While similar experiments have been conducted with satellites in geostationary orbits, this marks the first successful implementation of 5G NTN technology with a LEO satellite moving fast with respect to a user on the ground.
From enabling remote surgery through reliable telehealth services to supporting autonomous vehicles, the applications opened up by using 5G NTN technologies are far-reaching.
The system also offers opportunities to provide connectivity for disaster response teams, keep civilians connected in remote locations, and even enhance in-flight internet services.
The key innovation of this experiment was the use of open standards, developed by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) – the international organisation that creates telecommunications standards – rather than proprietary waveform technology.
This means that mobile devices could potentially connect straight to satellites (a scenario known as direct-to-device), potentially reducing the cost and complexity of terrestrial infrastructures and increasing interconnectivity between different providers.
In theory, the technology allows seamless switching between ground-based networks and satellites, ensuring continuous coverage whether you are in a city centre or on a remote mountainside.
This work forms part of ESA's Space for 5G/6G and Sustainable Connectivity strategic programme line, which aims to integrate cellular networks with space-based networks to connect everyone, everywhere, at all times.
Antonio Franchi, ESA’s Head of the 5G/6G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) Programme Office, within the Space for 5G/6G and Sustainable Connectivity programme said:
"We are proud to continue to drive European technological leadership and innovation in the domain of Non-Terrestrial Networks.
Tests such as this showcase ESA's role in supporting the development of innovative 5G and 6G systems that unlock social and economic opportunities for people and businesses.
This initiative celebrates the great collaboration between ESA, Telesat and Amarisoft!”
Alberto Ginesi, ESA's Head of the Telecom Systems and Techniques Section of the Directorate of Technology, Engineering, and Quality (TEC) said:
“This world-first experiment demonstrates ESA’s technical excellence in advancing broadband satellite access technology.
Building on the 3GPP standardisation groups' approval, we've proven 5G NTN specifications over a real non-geostationary orbit satellite link.
Through this achievement, we've shown ESA's capability to support advanced satellite broadband networks, paving the way for upcoming projects such as IRIS².
I’d like to recognise the work Augusto Marziani, Stefano Cioni and Matteo Conti for carrying out this experiment.”
Mario Neri, Telesat’s Director of Spectrum Strategy, Innovation and Space Sustainability, said:
“This activity allowed testing the recently standardised 5G NTN technology in a real-world scenario, using the Ka-band spectrum over our LEO 3 satellite – something that no one had ever done before.
This confirms Telesat’s engagement in constantly exploring innovative satellite technologies that can improve life on Earth.”
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Connectivity_and_Secure_Communications/World-first_direct_5G_connection_to_low_Earth_orbit_satellite_opens_new_era_for_mobile_coverage
https://connectivity.esa.int/space-5g-6g
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Top_Earth_observation_stories_of_2024
Top Earth observation stories of 2024
23/12/2024
This year has been a whirlwind of fascinating Earth observation stories, from dramatic volcanic eruptions to Saharan dust plumes to epic meteorite craters. Let’s dive into some of the most memorable highlights from 2024.
ERS-2’s fiery farewell
In February, ESA’s European Remote Sensing 2 satellite (ERS-2) made a fiery reentry into Earth’s atmosphere after nearly 30 years of service.
Launched in April 1995, ERS-2 provided invaluable data on Earth’s land surfaces, ocean temperatures, ozone layer and polar ice extent.
Even today, its data are still widely used today and are accessible through ESA’s Heritage Space Programme, contributing to the monitoring of essential climate variables.
The image below shows ERS-2 as it descended through the atmosphere. These images were captured by cameras on board other satellites by Australian company HEO on behalf of the UK Space Agency.
Total solar eclipse
In April, a total solar eclipse swept across North America, briefly blocking out the Sun and plunging parts of the continent into darkness.
Geostationary satellites orbiting 36 000 km away captured stunning images of this rare celestial event.
The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-16) recorded the Moon’s shadow traversing North America.
A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, temporarily blocking the Sun’s face, leaving only a ring of light known as the Sun’s corona visible.
The path of the Moon’s shadow, known as the path of totality, stretched across North America, from Mexico to the eastern tip of Canada.
EarthCARE: unveiling the secrets of clouds
EarthCARE, ESA’s Earth Cloud, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer, launched in May 2024, heralding a new chapter in climate research.
Equipped with four state-of-the-art instruments – a cloud profiling radar, an atmospheric lidar, a broadband radiometer and a multispectral imager – EarthCARE makes a range of different measurements simultaneously.
Together, these measurements help understand how clouds and aerosols reflect incoming solar energy back out to space and how they trap outgoing infrared energy.
This information is crucial for understanding how climate change is affecting Earth’s energy balance and for predicting the rate at which clouds and aerosols could lose their current overall cooling effect in the future.
The animation below demonstrates how these four advanced sensors work in synergy.
Arctic Weather Satellite: improving Arctic weather forecasts
In August, ESA’s Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) launched, filling critical gaps in polar weather forecasting.
Equipped with advanced sensors, AWS monitors temperature, humidity and atmospheric conditions, offering unparalleled insights into the rapidly changing Arctic climate.
Just a month after launch, the satellite captured its first images of Storm Boris, which wreaked havoc across central Europe.
Its ability to measure ‘brightness temperature’ unveiled the torrential rainfall’s impact in vivid detail. The animation below shows measurements from September, with lower values (depicted in blue) indicating higher humidity levels.
The torrential rainfall from Storm Boris is especially evident as dark blue regions low in the atmosphere over Hungary, Slovakia and Poland.
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Φsat-2: AI for Earth observation
Launched alongside the Arctic Weather Satellite, Φsat-2 (PhiSat-2) is ESA’s innovative cubesat showcasing the power of artificial intelligence for Earth observation.
The miniature satellite is equipped with a state-of-the-art multispectral camera and powerful AI computer that analyses and processes imagery while in orbit.
The data will prove critical for disaster response efforts, maritime monitoring, environmental protection and more.
Sentinel-2C: keeping a watchful eye
September saw the launch of Copernicus Sentinel-2C satellite.
Like its siblings, Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B, the satellite carries a multispectral imager to capture high-resolution images of Earth’s land, islands, and inland and coastal waters from 786 km.
Just a week after launch, Sentinel-2C acquired a rich initial set of images across the globe.
Although Sentinel-2C is designed for Earth observation, on 20 September, the Copernicus Sentinel-2C satellite captured its first stunning image of the Moon, achieved by rolling the satellite sideways in a unique manoeuvre.
Satellites monitor Valencia flood disaster
In November, torrential rain unleashed deadly flash floods across southern and eastern Spain in regions including the Costa del Sol and Valencia.
Earth observation imagery and data played a crucial role in responding to the disaster. Optical images illustrated the extent of the devastation, while radar data mapped flood severity in detail.
Spain’s Civil Protection Agency activated the International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters,’ pooling resources from 17 space agencies to provide vital analysis for relief efforts.
Sentinel-1C takes off
The Copernicus programme celebrated another milestone with the launch of Sentinel-1C in December.
This radar imaging satellite enhances the mission’s ability to monitor Earth's surface in all weather conditions, including tracking ice, detecting oil spills and mapping floods.
Less than a week after launch, the satellite delivered its first radar images over Europe.
The image below was part of its initial set and showcases part of the Netherlands, including Amsterdam and the region of Flevoland, renowned for its extensive farmland and advanced water management systems.
This image echoes the very first SAR image acquired by the legacy European Remote-Sensing (ERS) mission in 1991, which captured the Flevoland polder and the Ijsselmeer, marking a full circle moment for ESA.
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https://www.space.com/millinovas-chance-discovery-x-ray
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ad969b
Accidental discovery reveals 'millinovas,' a new class of cosmic explosion 100 times brighter than the sun
December 23, 2024
Superman isn't the only one with X-ray vision. Plenty of exploding stars are also adept at blasting outbursts of this high-energy light.
Now, thanks to a chance discovery, scientists are aware of an entirely new explosive stellar source of X-ray radiation.
These outbursts' light output didn't resemble any previous cosmic explosion. Meet the "millinovas," a term that will now undoubtedly make its way into the lexicon of space enthusiasts!
In a new study, astronomers discovered 28 of millinovas in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), two satellite galaxies of the Milky Way.
They then discovered that the first of these explosions may have been spotted eight years ago but wasn't identified.
Though the scientists don't quite know how these events generate X-rays, they believe millinovas are caused when dead remnant stars called white dwarfs feed off a swelled-up companion star.
"We came across a group of outbursting variable stars exhibiting very characteristic triangle-shaped symmetrical outbursts that did not resemble any previously known variable stars," team member and University of Warsaw scientist Przemek Mróz told Space.com.
"We found this new group of stars by chance."
The team was searching 20 years' worth of data from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) for long-duration, light-curving "gravitational microlensing events" that could indicate the presence of black holes left over from after the Big Bang — so-called "primordial black holes" — in the halo of dark matter that surrounds the Milky Way.
"Over the past months, I have been working on a project aiming to search for signatures of massive primordial black holes in the Milky Way dark matter halo," Mróz said.
"We did not find any, which demonstrated that such massive black holes might make up less than a few percent of dark matter."
Ordinarily, this may have disappointed the team. But the result led to the discovery of these strange stellar X-ray sources, now known as millinovas (or, more correctly, "millinovae").
Hotter and brighter than the sun
The OGLE data revealed several objects in the LMC and SMC that brightened by between 10 and 20 times over the course of a few months.
Some even showed repeated explosive outbursts as frequently as once every few years, while others only exploded once during the observation period.
One in particular, designated OGLE-mNOVA-11, which erupted at the end of last year, allowed the team to perform a detailed study of these objects.
"In November 2023, one of the objects entered an outburst state, so we decided to carry out some additional follow-up observations to study it in more detail," Mróz said.
"We obtained a set of optical spectra with the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) telescope. We found emission lines from helium, carbon, and nitrogen ionized atoms, indicating extremely high temperatures."
Mróz added that the researchers also observed this object with NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which detected soft X-rays coming from the source.
The team theorized that these X-rays were produced by a gas heated to the temperature of over 1 million degrees Fahrenheit (600,000 degrees Celsius).
That is about three times hotter than the hottest known star in the universe, WR 102, and 100 times hotter than the surface temperature of the sun.
If OGLE-mNOVA-1 had occurred in our solar system, it would have been 100 times brighter than the sun from our perspective.
What these 28 events resembled was a strange and, until now, seemingly unique cosmic explosion called ASASSN-16oh, which was detected in 2016 by the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae and which the team now thinks was a millinova.
"We believe OGLE-mNOVA-11, ASASSN-16oh, and the other 27 objects form a new class of transient X-ray sources," Mróz said.
"We have named them millinovae, as their peak brightness is roughly a thousand times lower than that of classical novae."
So what exactly are millinovas, how are they created, and what sets them apart?
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A different type of exploding dead star
Despite the lack of similarity between classical novas and dwarf novas, white dwarfs do seem to be behind the millinova mystery.
These stellar remnants are created when stars with masses similar to that of the sun exhaust their fuel for nuclear fusion, the process that converts hydrogen to helium in their cores.
As nuclear fusion proceeds in the star's outer layers, it swells up as a so-called "subgiant" or "red giant star."
Unlike more massive stars, whose immense gravity results in the creation of neutron stars or black holes after death, stars like the sun end their lives as smoldering white dwarfs — superdense objects to be sure, but not on the same level.
While this is a peaceful death for solo stars like the sun, many stars have binary partners that can grant them at least a temporary resurrection.
That's because some binaries are close enough for the white dwarf to begin pulling material from their companions, causing them to spring back to life.
In other instances, the star and the white dwarf aren't close enough to initiate this mass transfer until the companion star swells up as a red giant and fills its half of an imaginary figure-8 shape, or its "Roche lobe."
White dwarfs obtaining stellar material in this way are already known to be responsible for different nova events.
The most famous of these are Type Ia supernovas, in which the white dwarf is obliterated in a runaway thermonuclear explosion after stolen stellar material piles up on its surface (though there are rare events called Type Iax supernovas, in which the white dwarf lives on as a wrecked zombie star).
However, the team found that the optical light and X-ray properties of OGLE-mNOVA-11 did not really match those of "classical" novas or Type Ia supernovas created by the thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf when stellar material is dumped on its surface from a companion star.
They also differed from the characteristics of "dwarf novas," which occur in similar circumstances but are fainter and less destructive and can thus repeat.
"We think that millinovae are binary star systems composed of a white dwarf and a subgiant star, a star that has exhausted the hydrogen in its core and expanded," Mróz said.
"The two stars orbit each other with a period of just a few days. Their proximity allows material to flow from the subgiant to the white dwarf."
The University of Warsaw researcher added that, while it is currently unclear how the X-ray emissions of millinovas are generated, he and the team have two initial ideas to work with.
"According to one hypothesis, the X-rays might be produced in a belt around the white dwarf's equator, where the gas from the subgiant hits the white dwarf surface," Mróz explained.
"Alternatively, the X-rays may be coming from a weak thermonuclear runaway on the white dwarf surface that is triggered by the matter falling onto the white dwarf.
"The explosion is weak enough that little or no matter is ejected from the white dwarf."
If that's the case, the white dwarf should be growing in mass, which could mean that it eventually erupts in a more powerful Type Ia supernova.
Thus, millinovas could be Type Ia "progenitors" — an exciting development if true.
Type Ia supernovas are incredibly useful to astronomers because their uniform light output allows them to be used as "standard candles" for determining cosmic distances.
Getting a tip-off as to when and where a Type Ia supernova is about to blow via a millinova would help understand these events better.
Mróz explained what's next for the investigation of millinovas.
"We will monitor the brightness of all 29 objects in real-time and wait for the next outburst to start," he concluded.
"We also plan to carry out more follow-up observations better to understand the physical processes responsible for these outbursts."
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NASA delays launch of heliophysics missions
December 22, 2024
NASA is delaying the launch of three missions to study the sun by several months because of issues with the primary payload.
In a statement issued after the close of business Dec. 20, NASA announced the launch of its Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) spacecraft on a Falcon 9, previously scheduled for the spring of 2025, had been pushed back to no earlier than September.
The agency said only that the delay gives “additional time for IMAP flight systems preparations prior to launch.”
A Dec. 18 preview by NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for 2025 mentioned that IMAP would launch in “late 2025” but was not more specific.
IMAP will operate from the Earth-sun L-1 Lagrange point, 1.5 million kilometers from Earth in the direction of the sun.
It will study the heliosphere, the magnetic bubble created by the sun that shields the solar system from interstellar particles. It will also examine the solar wind.
“IMAP is a mission that has two halves,” said Joe Westlake, director of NASA’s heliophysics division, during a town hall session at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union Dec. 9.
The mission, he described, will explore the heliosphere and local solar neighborhood but also has a role “safeguarding humanity” by monitoring solar weather. In that presentation he offered no hint of any delay in the mission.
IMAP was once scheduled to launch in 2024 but has slipped several times.
In November 2023, NASA delayed the launch from February 2025 to April or May 2025 after completing a review called Key Decision Point D, stating that then delay would “ensure that the project team has adequate resources to address risks and technical complexities during system integration and testing.”
The delay in IMAP affects two other missions flying as rideshare payloads on the launch.
One, the Carruthers Geocorona Observatory (formerly known as Global Lyman-alpha Imager of the Dynamic Exosphere or GLIDE), will study the outermost region of the Earth’s atmosphere, the exosphere, from the Earth-sun L-1 point.
Space Weather Follow-On (SWFO) L-1 is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mission to monitor solar weather from the Earth-sun L-1 point for operational purposes, including space weather forecasting.
“With this mission, we’re leaning into the ability to take rideshares,” Westlake said at the town hall meeting, “to look at the ability of each launch to squeeze as much science as we can on every chance to get off of this Earth.”
The launch, awarded by NASA to SpaceX in 2020, originally carried two other rideshare payloads.
One, a solar sail mission called Solar Cruiser, failed to advance to phase C of its development because of technical issues and was terminated in 2023.
The other, the Lunar Trailblazer lunar orbiter, was moved off the mission in 2022, with NASA instead purchasing a rideshare launch slot on the IM-2 lunar lander mission by Intuitive Machines.
NASA said at the time it moved Lunar Trailblazer off the IMAP launch to avoid delays, hoping at the time that IM-2 would launch in 2023. That mission is instead scheduled to launch no earlier than February 2025.
https://spacenews.com/nasa-delays-launch-of-heliophysics-missions/
SpaceX Starlink Mission
December 22, 2024
On Monday, December 23 at 12:35 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This was the 14th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Axiom-2, Axiom-3, CRS-30, SES 24, Cygnus NG-21, Euclid, and now eight Starlink mission.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-12-2
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-21-starlink-internet-satellites-from-florida-lands-rocket-at-sea-photos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiZYguDnmvY
British soldiers successfully test drone killer radiowave weapon for first time
23 December 2024
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Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapons (RFDEW) can take down a swarm of drones for less than the cost of a pack of mince pies.
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Systems are capable of hitting targets up to 1km away and costs just 10p per shot
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The programme supports more than 135 highly-skilled jobs across UK industry
British soldiers have successfully trialled for the first time a game-changing weapon that can take down a swarm of drones using radio waves for less than the cost of a pack of mince pies.
The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) development system can detect, track and engage a range of threats across land, air and sea.
RFDEWs are capable of neutralising targets up to 1km away with near instant effect and at an estimated cost of 10p per shot fired, providing a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-base air defence systems.
The RFDEW is different from Laser Directed Energy Weapons – such as DragonFire - because it uses a radio frequency to disrupt hostile threats, rather than a laser beam of light energy.
The weapon uses high frequency waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside devices such as drones, causing them to be immobilised or fall out of the sky. It can also be used against threats on land and at sea.
The British Army successfully trialed a demonstrator version of the RFDEW.
The development system has been produced by a consortium led by Thales UK and including sub-contractors QinetiQ, Teledyne e2v and Horiba Mira and supports up to 135 high-skilled jobs in the UK.
This progress helps deliver on the Government’s Plan for Change by rapidly advancing technologies and building on the strong foundation of national security.
Its high level of automation means the system can be operated by a single person and could be mounted onto a military vehicle, such as a MAN SV, to provide mobility.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/british-soldiers-successfully-test-drone-killer-radiowave-weapon-for-first-time
Ukraine releases footage of North Korean troops being wiped out by kamikaze drones in latest disaster for Kim Jong Un's forces sent to help Putin
Updated: 05:42 EST, 23 December 2024
Graphic footage shows the moment a Ukrainian special operations crew targeted a North Korean position in Kursk with kamikaze drones in the latest disaster for Kim Jong Un's forces sent to help Putin.
Dramatic video showed the drones circling troops as they scrambled to get away in an open field in Kurshchina, shared by the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram today.
Twelve vehicles were also destroyed during skirmishes in the open field, including three buggies, the military claimed.
The crew said it had killed 77 and wounded as many as 40 North Korean soldiers over a three day period of fighting in the region.
More than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have already been killed or wounded in Russia's war with Ukraine, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) assessed today.
The new figure follows a report by Seoul's spy agency to MPs last week, which said at least 100 North Korean soldiers had been killed since entering combat in December.
Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce Putin's forces, including to the Kursk border region, where Ukrainian forces seized territory earlier this year.
'Through various sources of information and intelligence, we assess that North Korean troops who have recently engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces have suffered around 1,100 casualties,' the JCS said in a statement.
'We are particularly interested in the possibility of additional deployments' of North Korean soldiers to aid Russia's war effort, the JCS added.
Pyongyang is reportedly 'preparing for the rotation or additional deployment of soldiers', the JCS said.
South Korea's military said that it has also detected signs of North Korea preparing to send more troops and weapons, including suicide drones, to Russia.
It added that Kim Jong Un appeared to be currently supplying 240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery to the front lines.
'There are also some signs of [the North] moving to manufacture and supply suicide drones, first unveiled during [dictator] Kim Jong-un's on-site inspection in November.'
Such drones have been widely used in the Ukraine war, and Kim ordered a mass production of the aerial weapons and an update of military theory and education, citing intensifying global competition, state media reported.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14220663/Ukraine-footage-North-Korean-troops-kamikaze-disaster.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14202367/drone-map-Great-Britain-sightings-UFO-panic.html
The drone map of Great Britain: Our interactive guide shows how sightings are pouring in as US airbases are buzzed in UK and New Jersey is hit by UFO panic
Updated: 09:31 EST, 23 December 2024
Drone fever is on the rise after mysterious UAVs were spotted over US airbases in the UK and others sparked a mass panic in the skies over New Jersey.
MailOnline has now unearthed more sightings of drones in our skies as the debate rages over the origins of the phenomenon.
We have found at least six previously unknown recent sightings of UFOs in this country ranging from rural Northumberland to urban Luton – including more over UK military airbases.
In the US The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a temporary drone ban in New Jersey, citing 'special security reasons.'
And one military expert has warned that the sightings could be the work of Russian 'sleeper agents' looking to test the aerial defences of western nations.
The drones panic began in the UK when mysterious lights were spotted over RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, which has been earmarked as a storage facility for US nuclear warheads three times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.
MailOnline has catalogued some of the sightings reported by our readers in the skies above Britain and Europe in recent weeks.
One spotted a bright flying object near RAF Boulmer in Northumberland, a key station helping providing surveillance of UK airspace and tactical control of combat and support aircraft.
'I took two photos of a lovely sunrise,' she told us. 'I looked back at them later and spotted a bright light in the sky. If you zoom in it's sort of diamond-shaped.'
She added: 'There was a few seconds between photos and in that time it has moved across the sky. I am 18 miles south of RAF Boulmer.
'When I zoomed in the photo to see if it looked like a plane or a helicopter - it definitely doesn't.'
Meanwhile Rebecca Cardwell, from Blackpool, said she saw what she described as 'slow moving lights' around 7pm on October 19.
The city is just 15 minutes from Weeton Barracks, which has recently become the home of the first Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
She said: 'I went to open my bedroom window at approximately 7pm to see slow moving bright orange flames or objects flying over in procession.
'I've never seen anything like this before and took some pictures.
'I've just seen an article in the Mail about drones and thought my images looked similar.
'There were at least seven flames/objects that I witnessed, maybe more.'
Matt Chaplin-Haylett in Northampton also reported sightings.
He said: 'I looked out my windscreen and saw a solo light… bit weird.. no other stars in sight.
'I grab my phone, zoom in on video and I think I’m going mad. '
He sent it to his family but when he looked up again, it had disappeared.
He added: 'It looked like a white light, but zoom showed it having green and red lights - static in the sky.'
Michael Chapman from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire reported seeing 'hundreds of moving lights' when he stepped outside for a cigarette around 3am last week.
The town is home to RAF Wyton, a strategic command station which provides intelligence to British armed forces operating around the world.
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He said: 'I look up to the sky and see hundreds of lights moving in coordination.
'Quite a slow speed, perfectly spaced apart from each other. Almost like hundreds of planes flying overhead. They weren't planes and I didn't think it was drones either to be honest.
'I wasn't quite sure what I was seeing so my best guess would have been drones.
'I attempted to take pictures but the lights wouldn't even show up in image just showed a blank black sky.'
Jo Jenner spotted these in Wormingford, Essex as well as Colchester on November 22.
'I saw numerous drones in the sky over a couple of evenings in the area of the Essex/Suffolk border', she said.
Adding: 'I counted at least 10 in the sky on both occasions.'
It also seems these drones are also being spotted near busy London airports, as one Mail reader from Luton told us.
He described seeing 'red orbs flying across the night sky' on May 31 this year.
He said: 'They were travelling into 17mph headwinds in heavy and light rain and in and out of the low cloud base while maintaining a laser tight trajectory to each other travelling south towards Luton airport
'At the time I did a quick check for air traffic including wind directions to rule out commercial aircraft or lanterns and I’m pretty sure the harsh weather conditions and restrictions can rule those out.'
This series of accounts match with what has been reported at and near RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk.
Farmworker Ricky Fletcher, 43, was leaving work on November 29 when initially he only saw what he described as drone flying over Hockwold cum Wilton.
The village sits between two Air Force bases, RAF Feltwell and RAF Lakenheath.
He told us: 'I first saw them on the farm I work at, I was leaving work at 4pm on Friday evening and saw one flying way from Feltwell low to the ground, I almost thought it was a helicopter, it was so big.
Adding: 'All of a sudden we looked up and saw about 10 of them circling around. We were fascinated by them, they were just circling around, not really flying in the same direction.'
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Mysterious Drone-like Orb Sightings in Victor Valley Raise Concerns
Updated 3:27 pm | Dec. 22, 2024
Reports of unidentified drone-like objects have surfaced in the Victor Valley region, echoing similar sightings noted across the East Coast and now other parts of Southern California.
Residents are increasingly alarmed as these strange occurrences continue to unfold.
On the evening of December 19, 2024, five orbs were filmed hovering over Victorville, CA, moving towards Apple Valley around 6:50 PM.
The sighting was first reported by Marylynn Cruz, whose son spotted the lights while relaxing in their backyard.
“This was our first sighting ever, so please excuse our excitement. The video doesn’t do justice to how bright these orbs were when viewed with the naked eye,” Cruz stated.
The video, lasting five minutes, features discussions between Cruz and her son about the orbs’ intensity and their strange disappearances.
The footage has since been uploaded to YouTube, inviting a wider audience to witness the phenomenon.
In another recent sighting, Brenten Moore recorded a one-minute video from his backyard in Victorville.
He declared that the object he saw moving across the High Desert sky was certainly not a star, exclaiming, “Aliens are real, bro.” He described it as a white object gliding overhead.
The initial report VVNG received about drone sightings in the area came from a local Oak Hill resident who wished to remain anonymous.
He described a colorful bright object he spotted while using the restroom late at night, distinct from known constellations.
“The object was changing colors and bounced away just as I tried to grab my phone to record,” he noted, emphasizing that other stars were obscured by fog that night.
As these reports grow in Southern California, locals have begun to share videos and images depicting large, car-sized objects traversing the sky.
Marylynn Cruz’s YouTube footage of multiple hovering drone-like entities has heightened both curiosity and alarm within the community.
https://www.vvng.com/mysterious-drone-like-orb-sightings-in-victor-valley-raise-concerns/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nPwUZzd7uY