NASA’s Stardust mission to Comet Wild 2 has revealed its secrets very slowly. They’re finally coming together‚ however‚ and the results are showing that the outer Solar System in its early days was not the simple place previously thought. How one comet came to have dust from widely separated parts of the early Solar System remains unanswered‚ however.Long before Rosetta’s Philae landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko or space agencies brought back samples from asteroids‚ NASA sent a mission to collect pieces of Comet Wild 2. After a 1974 encounter with Jupiter‚ this once-distant comet follows an orbit more typical of asteroids‚ between Mars and Jupiter. The mission is so old it launched last century (1999)‚ returning its sample to Earth in 2006.Back then we lacked the confidence to try and land on a comet‚ let alone take off again with a sample in tow. Instead‚ NASA took advantage of the distinguishing feature of comets: they produce tails as they approach the Sun containing gas that has boiled off their surface‚ and dust that has been carried with it.The Stardust mission put a gel-covered plate shaped like a tennis racket into Comet Wild 2’s tail and brought home whatever stuck. Although preliminary analysis was published not long after the first samples were analyzed‚ a more detailed picture is now emerging."Comet Wild 2 contains things we've never seen in meteorites‚ like unusual carbon-iron assemblages‚ and the precursors to igneous spherules that make up the most common type of meteorite‚" study author Dr Ryan Ogliore of Washington University in St Louis said in a statement. "And all of these objects have been exquisitely preserved within Wild 2. The comet was a witness to the events that shaped the solar system into what we see today."The reason it has taken so long to reveal this is that the samples were around a million tiny grains trapped in the aerogel. Identifying the bits of the comet was so hard that NASA had to call on thousands of volunteers who looked at microscope images of the collection plate to spot where the bits had landed."Nearly every Wild 2 particle is unique and has a different story to tell‚" Ogliore said. "It is a time-consuming process to extract and analyze these grains. But the science payoff is enormous."The sample return from the Stardust Mission‚ having been wrapped for protection‚ arriving at U.S. Air Force Utah Test and Training Range in 2006Image Credit: NASAAlthough the majority of the grains are still unstudied‚ many have been investigated using techniques that were not available when the mission occurred.These reveal that‚ instead of being composed of dust unaltered from the supernova that seeded the early Solar System with heavier elements‚ the comet had a mix of sources. Along with small amounts of this interstellar dust‚ the samples contain traces from many parts of the cloud that became planets and asteroids after the Sun’s formation. This includes material from both sides of the gap Jupiter created in the cloud. “Comet Wild 2 does not exist on a continuum with known asteroids‚” Ogliore writes in the paper.This was a surprise‚ since Wild 2 probably formed beyond the orbit of Neptune‚ in the vast spaces where little was thought to have happened.Once these pieces became part of Comet Wild 2‚ they experienced almost no further processing‚ being quite literally put on ice. Being only around 3 kilometers (2 miles) wide‚ the comet also didn’t have the sort of geological processes that would transform the grains through great pressure or reactive chemistry."The Stardust samples…contain a record of the deep past covering billions of miles‚" Ogliore said. "After 18 years of interrogating this comet‚ we have a much better view of the solar system’s dynamic formative years."How typical Comet Wild 2 is remains unknown. Perhaps many comets were like this‚ but it’s also possible that by sheer chance the first comet we sampled was one of the most interesting.The analysis is published in the journal Geochemistry. An earlier version of this article was published in January 2024.

Anställda som slog larm tystades. Nu sitter han åter i fängelse – för våldtäkt mot barn.

A natural version of the wonder drugs.

This taxonomic rollercoaster is very confusing. You might already be aware that the name “strawberry” is a misnomer‚ as strawberries aren’t really berries at all. Well‚ it seems strawberries are full of surprises‚ or rather covered in them‚ because those seedy-looking white dots aren’t actually seeds.The strawberries’ pitted accessories are called achenes‚ and they are in fact the plant’s fruit‚ with each containing a single seed inside. The term “achene” actually refers to the simple dry fruit produced by many different flowering plant species‚ including quinoa‚ buckwheat‚ and cannabis.So‚ if the strawberry isn’t the fruit of the plant‚ and it’s not a berry‚ then what is it?Strawberries are technically aggregate fruit‚ from the family Rosaceae. Raspberries and blackberries also fall into this category‚ and they all belong to the same family as roses. The term “berry” is vague in the sense that any edible‚ fleshy fruit containing seeds can be referred to as a berry‚ but there is actually a scientific classification. To be classed as a berry‚ the fruit must contain more than one seed and be made up of an outer skin (exocarp)‚ a fleshy middle (mesocarp)‚ and an inner casing that holds the seeds (endocarp).Berries are derived from a single ovary of an individual flower and are made up of two distinct groups. Citrus fruits belong to the taxonomic group hesperidium and are classified as modified berries‚ while the Cucurbitaceae family (including gourds‚ cucumbers‚ and watermelon) comprise the pepos group of berries.That’s right‚ grapefruit‚ lime‚ and pumpkin are all technically berries.Strawberries‚ unlike the true berry group‚ are actually the swollen receptacle tissue that holds the seed carrying fruit on its surface. Unlike other fruits‚ when the strawberry flower is pollinated the fruit doesn’t swell; instead the receptacle tissue swells‚ while the true fruit separates into small‚ dry achenes. And since achenes contain only one seed‚ they can’t be classified as a berry either!To add insult to injury for the poor tasteless achene fruit‚ most strawberry plants aren’t even grown from their seeds. Strawberry plants send out what’s called “runners” as they grow‚ essentially little strawberry clones that will take root and begin growing when they reach the ground.The unusual life cycle of these berry imposters mean they’re lumped in with the rest of the fruity outcasts in the aggregate fruit category‚ along with the drupe classification of one seeded freaks.An earlier version of this article was published in January 2023.

When viewed from above‚ the Eye of the Sahara looks just like an enormous impact crater sitting in the middle of the Sahara Desert of Mauritania. Stretching 50 kilometers (30 miles) in diameter‚ comprised of a series of uniform ripples‚ this crater-esque anomaly is in fact entirely terrestrial.This spectacular ancient geological formation was used in the 1960s by Gemini astronauts as a landmark. Geologists initially believed the Eye of the Sahara‚ aka the Richat Structure‚ to be an enormous impact crater. However‚ further studies into the sedimentary rock making up the central dome have dated the formation back to the late Proterozoic‚ between 1 billion and 542 million years ago.It's worth noting that some still believe the structure is actually the remains of the lost city of Atlantis‚ as its circular shape is said to resemble the land described by Plato – but we’re not entertaining that here.The structure is likely to have actually formed through a process called “folding”‚ creating what’s called a symmetrical anticline. Folding occurs when tectonic forces acting from either side squeeze sedimentary rock – if the rock is cold and brittle it can fracture‚ but if it’s warm enough‚ it will become a fold. Folds that form upwards are called an anticline‚ while downward folds are called a syncline.However‚ in a 2014 paper published in the Journal of African Earth Sciences‚ researchers proposed an entirely different formation explanation for the Eye. The presence of volcanic rock is said to suggest evidence of molten rock being pushed to the surface‚ causing the dome shape‚ before being eroded into the rings we see today. The paper proposed the separation of the supercontinent Pangaea may have played a part in these volcanic formations and tectonic shifts.The structure is made up of a mixture of sedimentary and igneous rock. Erosion across the structure’s surface reveals fine-grained rhyolite and coarse crystalline gabbro rocks that have undergone hydrothermal alteration. The types of rock found across the rings erode at different speeds‚ creating different colored patterns across the surface. Large sharp-angled fragments of sedimentary rock called megabreccia add to the swirling colorful irregularities that make up the formation.The dome center contains a limestone-dolomite shelf with kilometer-wide breccia‚ ring dikes‚ and alkaline volcanic rock. The complex geological structure of the Eye has puzzled and interested geologists since its discovery‚ and it is still widely considered to be one of the most impressive geological features in the world. As such‚ in 2022 it became one of the first 100 geological heritage sites recognized by the International Union of Geological Science (IUGS).Due to its vast size‚ the Eye of the Sahara is best viewed from great heights (preferably space)‚ so for now we’ll have to rely on satellite images to bask in all its glory.An earlier version of this article was published in January 2023.

Spring‚ summer‚ fall and winter – the seasons on Earth change every few months‚ around the same time every year. It’s easy to take this cycle for granted here on Earth‚ but not every planet has a regular change in seasons. So why does Earth have regular seasons when other planets don’t?I’m an astrophysicist who studies the movement of planets and the causes of seasons. Throughout my research‚ I’ve found that Earth’s regular pattern of seasons is unique. The rotational axis that Earth spins on‚ along the North and South poles‚ isn’t quite aligned with the vertical axis perpendicular to Earth’s orbit around the Sun.That slight tilt has big implications for everything from seasons to glacier cycles. The magnitude of that tilt can even determine whether a planet is habitable to life.Seasons on EarthWhen a planet has perfect alignment between the axis it orbits on and the rotational axis‚ the amount of sunlight it receives is fixed as it orbits around the Sun – assuming its orbital shape is a circle. Since seasons come from variations in how much sunlight reaches the planet’s surface‚ a planet that’s perfectly aligned wouldn’t have seasons. But Earth isn’t perfectly aligned on its axis.This small misalignment‚ called an obliquity‚ is around 23 degrees from vertical for Earth. So‚ the Northern Hemisphere experiences more intense sunlight during the summer‚ when the Sun is positioned more directly above the Northern Hemisphere.Then‚ as the Earth continues to orbit around the Sun‚ the amount of sunlight the Northern Hemisphere receives gradually decreases as the Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun. This causes winter.The planets spinning on their axes and orbiting around the Sun look kind of like spinning tops – they spin around and wobble because of gravitational pull from the Sun. As a top spins‚ you might notice that it doesn’t just stay perfectly upright and stationary. Instead‚ it may start to tilt or wobble slightly. This tilt is what astrophysicists call spin precession.Because of these wobbles‚ Earth’s obliquity isn’t perfectly fixed. These small variations in tilt can have big effects on the Earth’s climate when combined with small changes to Earth’s orbit shape.The wobbling tilt and any natural variations to the shape of Earth’s orbit can change the amount and distribution of sunlight reaching Earth. These small changes contribute to the planet’s larger temperature shifts over thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. This can‚ in turn‚ drive ice ages and periods of warmth.    Earth’s seasons result from a variety of factors‚ including orbit and axial tilt.Translating obliquity into seasonsSo how do obliquity variations affect the seasons on a planet? Low obliquity‚ meaning the rotational spin axis is aligned with the planet’s orientation as it orbits around the Sun‚ leads to stronger sunlight on the equator and low sunlight near the pole‚ like on Earth.On the other hand‚ a high obliquity – meaning the planet’s rotational spin axis points toward or away from the Sun – leads to extremely hot or cold poles. At the same time‚ the equator gets cold‚ as the Sun does not shine above the equator all year round. This leads to drastically varying seasons at high latitudes and low temperatures at the equator.When a planet has an obliquity of more than 54 degrees‚ that planet’s equator grows icy and the pole becomes warm. This is called a reversed zonation‚ and it’s the opposite of what Earth has.Basically‚ if an obliquity has large and unpredictable variations‚ the seasonal variations on the planet become wild and hard to predict. A dramatic‚ large obliquity variation can turn the whole planet into a snowball‚ where it’s all covered by ice.Spin orbit resonancesMost planets are not the only planets in their solar systems. Their planetary siblings can disturb each other’s orbit‚ which can lead to variations in the shape of their orbits and their orbital tilt.So‚ planets in orbit look kind of like tops spinning on the roof of a car that’s bumping down the road‚ where the car represents the orbital plane. When the rate – or frequency‚ as scientists call it – at which the tops are precessing‚ or spinning‚ matches the frequency at which the car is bumping up and down‚ something called a spin-orbit resonance occurs.Spin-orbit resonances can cause these obliquity variations‚ which is when a planet wobbles on its axis. Think about pushing a kid on a swing. When you push at just the right time – or at the resonant frequency – they’ll swing higher and higher.Mars wobbles more on its axis than Earth does‚ even though the two are tilted about the same amount‚ and that actually has to do with the Moon orbiting around Earth. Earth and Mars have a similar spin precession frequency‚ which matches the orbital oscillation – the ingredients for a spin-orbit resonance.But Earth has a massive Moon‚ which pulls on Earth’s spin axis and drives it to precess faster. This slightly faster precession prevents it from experiencing spin orbit resonances. So‚ the Moon stabilizes Earth’s obliquity‚ and Earth doesn’t wobble on its axis as much as Mars does.Exoplanet seasonsThousands of exoplanets‚ or planets outside our solar system‚ have been discovered over the past few decades. My research group wanted to understand how habitable these planets are‚ and whether these exoplanets also have wild obliquities‚ or whether they have moons to stabilize them like Earth does.To investigate this‚ my group has led the first investigation on the spin-axis variations of exoplanets.We investigated Kepler-186f‚ which is the first discovered Earth-sized planet in a habitable zone. The habitable zone is an area around a star where liquid water can exist on the surface of the planet and life may be able to emerge and thrive.Unlike Earth‚ Kepler-186f is located far from the other planets in its solar system. As a result‚ these other planets have only a weak effect on its orbit and movement. So‚ Kepler-186f generally has a fixed obliquity‚ similar to Earth. Even without a large moon‚ it doesn’t have wildly changing or unpredictable seasons like Mars.Looking forward‚ more research into exoplanets will help scientists understand what seasons look like throughout the vast diversity of planets in the universe.Gongjie Li‚ Assistant Professor of Physics‚ Georgia Institute of TechnologyThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

A young tourist‚ whose name remains unknown‚ sent a handful of pumice stones and a letter to Italy apologizing for stealing the stones during a trip to the ancient city of Pompeii. The woman writes that she did not know that these stones were cursed‚ but within a year after she brought these stones to her home‚ she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I didn’t know about the curse. I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to take stones from there. Within a year I got breast cancer. I’m a young and healthy female and the doctors said it was just bad luck. Please accept my apology and these pieces of stones . I’m really sorry”. The Italian city of Pompeii was buried under a thick layer of ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Only in the 16th century it was accidentally discovered‚ and excavations began in the 18th century. Now this city is actively visited by tourists‚ who are strictly prohibited from taking any historical artifacts from there‚ as well as breaking off pieces of the walls. The tourist’s letter was published online by Gabriel Zuchtriegel‚ director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park‚ with the following comment: “Dear anonymous sender of this letter‚ the pumice stones have arrived in Pompeii. Good luck in the future.” This is not the first time that tourists have returned stolen ancient objects to Pompeii‚ believing that they are cursed. In 2020‚ a Canadian woman named Nicole sent a package to Italy containing two mosaic tiles‚ parts of an amphora and a piece of pottery that she had stolen in Pompeii. Nicole‚ who traveled to Pompeii in 2005‚ said she was returning them after they brought her “15 years of bad luck”. She wrote a confession letter detailing her theft and the misfortunes that followed‚ including two cases of breast cancer and financial difficulties. “Please take them back‚ they bring bad luck‚” Nicole wrote. She explained that she took the artifacts because she wanted to own a piece of history that no one else had‚ but they contained “so much negative energy associated with this land of destruction.” According to Gabrielle Zuchtriegel‚ over the entire period they have received hundreds of similar letters of apology from thieving tourists. Many of them also referred to the curse. “Many people write to us about the supposed curse and tell us about the misfortunes they suffered at work and during illness: these are touching and sad things. Many write about returning items stolen when they were children‚ these are thefts that happened decades ago”. The post Woman believes she got cancer from the curse of the Pompeii appeared first on Anomalien.com.

Pope Francis has stirred the minds of millions of Italians by presenting his extraordinary vision of hell during a live interview on the television show Che Tempo Che Fa‚ reports catholicnewsagency.com. When asked by the interviewer‚ Fabio Fazio‚ how he “imagines hell‚” Pope Francis gave a short response. “What I am going to say is not a dogma of faith but my own personal view: I like to think of hell as empty; I hope it is‚” Pope Francis said. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that Catholic teaching “affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell‚ where they suffer the punishments of hell‚ ‘eternal fire.’ The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God‚ in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.” The catechism also says: “In hope‚ the Church prays for ‘all men to be saved.’” Theologians like Hans Urs von Balthasar in his book “Dare We Hope That All Men Be Saved?” have put forward the possibility that one could “hope” that hell might be empty because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross‚ making the distinction between universal salvation as a hope and universal salvation as a doctrine‚ which he rejects. The post Pope Francis surprised with his presentation of hell appeared first on Anomalien.com.

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