Famous Halley’s Comet reaches a distant milestone this coming weekend. It’s lonely out there in the frozen outer solar system. On Saturday‚ December 9th‚ that most famous of all comets 1P/Halley reaches a hallmark point on its 75-year journey through the solar system‚ reaching aphelion or its most distant point from the Sun. The orbit of Halley’s Comet. NASA/JPL The Comet Now You could say that December 2023 represents a midpoint between the last 1986 and the next 2061 apparition for the comet. No one has seen Halley’s Comet since the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope imaged it a generation ago in 2003. At the time‚ it was 28 Astronomical Units (AU) distant at magnitude +28. Halley’s Comet (smudge in the center)‚ imaged by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in 2003. Credit: ESO/VLT The exact moment of aphelion occurs at 1:00 Universal Time (UT) on December 9th‚ (8:00 PM EST on Friday night on the 8th). At that point‚ Halley’s Comet will be 35.14 AU (almost 3.3 billion miles or 5.3 billion kilometers) from the Sun. This puts the comet out beyond the orbit of Neptune‚ shining at +35th magnitude in the southern constellation of Hydra the Sea Serpent. The comet will also be moving at its slowest velocity‚ at 0.91 kilometers per second or 2‚000 miles per hour respective to the Sun. The current location of Halley’s Comet in the sky. Credit: Stellarium This puts the comet well out of the range of amateur or even large professional telescopes. As of writing this‚ NASA has no stated plans to image Halley’s at aphelion using Hubble or the JWST. Certainly‚ there would be little scientific advantage at doing this‚ other than pushing the space telescopes to their limits. “I took a quick look through approved HST and JWST programs and I do not see any programs planning to observe Halley’s Comet‚ either through imaging or spectroscopy.” Christine Pullam (NASA-Space Telescope Science Institute) told Universe Today. A Short History of Halley’s Comet Halley’s Comet has certainly made its mark on history. Sir Edmond Halley first noted the periodicity of the comet in 1696‚ linking one apparition to the next. Halley successfully predicted the return of the comet that now bears his name in 1758‚ though he did not live to see it. The ‘1P’ in its name denotes the fact that Halley’s was the first periodic comet discovered. Periodic comets have an orbit shorter than 200 years. To date‚ 472 periodic comets are known. As sky surveys push deeper down the magnitude scale we’re discovering ever fainter periodic comets‚ and we’ve most likely found all of the ‘great’ ones. Views of several comets over the centuries‚ including Halley’s Comet. Credit: Astronomy/1860 Engraving/Wellcome Collection/Public Domain. Chinese observations of Halley’s Comet date all the way back to 467 BC. The 1066 apparition of the comet was widely seen worldwide. Its appearance was taken as an omen preceding the death of King Harold the II at the Battle of Hastings and the ascension of William the Conqueror to the throne. One (possibly apocryphal) tale states that Pope Callixtus the III ‘excommunicated’ the comet as an admonition against the Ottoman Empire encroaching upon eastern Europe. American author Mark Twain is also famously associated with Halley’s Comet. Twain was born in 1835 during the comet’s appearance‚ and predicted he would pass on with the comet’s next appearance in 1910. (Spoiler alert: he did). Modern Appearances Speaking of which‚ the anticipation for Halley’s that year was actually upstaged by one of the greatest comets of the 20th century: The Great Comet of 1910. In fact‚ may people that remember Halley’s Comet in 1910‚ actually saw the Great Comet just a few months prior. The discovery of poisonous cyanogen gas in the tail of the comet courtesy of the newfangled method of spectroscopy sparked the Great Comet Panic of 1910. The Great Comet of 1910. Public Domain image. Unfortunately‚ the 1986 apparition of Halley’s was a bit of a disappointment‚ as it appeared low to the south at dawn. Still‚ three space missions were dispatched to Halley’s‚ for a first ever rendezvous with a comet. These were the Soviet Union’s Vega 1 and 2‚ and the ESA’s Giotto. ESA’s Giotto mission at Halley’s Comet. Credit: ESA Two annual meteor showers are also associated with Halley: the April-May Eta Aquariids‚ and the October Orionids. Sitting on the surface of Halley’s Comet this weekend‚ the Sun would shine at -19th magnitude. This is only about 250 times brighter than a Full Moon. Halley’s Comet in the Years Ahead From our Earthly perspective‚ the comet spends the next few decades loitering in the constellation Hydra and into Canis Minor. The comet will pass very near the bright star Procyon in 2050. Halley’s Comet next reaches perihelion on July 28th‚ 2061‚ and may break negative magnitudes in the months after. In September 2061‚ Halley’s will appear low to the northwest at dusk for northern hemisphere observers. Halley’s Comet through 2060. Credit: Starry Night It’s now all inbound from here. Halley’s Comet will get recovered once again in the coming decade‚ leading up to the 2061 apparition. Let’s see‚ by then I’ll be… The post Famed Halley’s Comet Passes Aphelion This Weekend appeared first on Universe Today.

A remarkable process revealed for the first time.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Reports have emerged that emails sent to Outlook from any @tutanota.com address are being inaccurately flagged as spam. This ongoing issue‚ which has prevailed since mid-November‚ has led Tutanota’s team to consult multiple sources within Microsoft‚ including a member of the board in Microsoft Germany and Microsoft’s support team. Regrettably‚ the problem remains unresolved and is yet another example of how Big Tech companies’ actions are crushing competitors. Matthias Pfau‚ Tuta’s CEO and co-founder‚ details the numerous attempts at rectification with Microsoft that have thus far only yielded standard responses‚ stating‚ “We repeatedly tried to solve the issue with Microsoft‚ but unfortunately the Microsoft support team has only replied with standard emails. The issue has not been solved to date so we contacted a board member of Microsoft Germany on 27 November‚ but have not heard back to date.” He adds that a similar incident occurred last year involving Tutanota accounts’ inability to register for Microsoft Teams‚ a situation that eventually found a resolution through the spotlight of public attention. The onset of the issue was marked by user reports to Tuta’s technical support‚ revealing the spam flagging issues they faced while mailing Outlook users from tutanota.com accounts. The seemingly arbitrary spam filter application by Microsoft appears to target solely the tutanota.com domain‚ leaving Tuta’s other email domains – tuta.com‚ tuta.io‚ tutanota.de‚ tutamail.com‚ and keemail.me – unaffected for now. Unresolved as of December 5th‚ 2023‚ the issue continues to strain Tutanota’s reputation and business operations and inconvenience its clientele. According to Pfau‚ businesses using Tuta that engage with Outlook users are particularly disadvantaged as their emails may be wrongfully flagged as junk mail. In light of this‚ Pfau calls for Big Tech to take responsibility‚ asserting that they must be held accountable for consequential errors and work towards upholding an impartial and open internet domain. He specifically references the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA)‚ which casts Microsoft as one of the tech giants bearing the title of “gatekeepers.” The post Microsoft’s Outlook Blocks All Email From Rival Tuta Domain appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

The first feature-length trailer for the much anticipated World War II series “Masters of the Air” has officially arrived. The Apple TV+ show from heavyweights Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks‚ which was long-delayed by COVID-19 and other network issues‚ will premiere on Jan. 26‚ 2024. It marks the third WWII installment for the pair‚ who previously produced HBO’s “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific.” Though a teaser trailer was dropped in November‚ the Dec. 6 release offers an in-depth look with introductions of the cast as well as significant aerial action. Edge-of-your-seat dogfights‚ incredible displays of courage‚ and romance are present‚ as is a dark palette reflective of the material and setting. And even though the jump cuts are quick‚ each action-packed segment teases a truly epic series more than three years in the making. “The series features a stellar cast led by Academy Award-nominee Austin Butler‚ Callum Turner‚ Anthony Boyle‚ Nate Mann‚ Rafferty Law‚ Academy Award-nominee Barry Keoghan‚ Josiah Cross‚ Branden Cook and Ncuti Gatwa‚” according to press materials. “Masters of the Air” is based on a 2007 Donald L. Miller book of the same name‚ which chronicles the journey of the 100th Bomb Group — known as the “Bloody Hundredth” — as they took the fight to Nazi Germany in unparalleled acts of aerial combat. The show is slated to launch on Apple TV+ with a two-episode debut on Jan. 26‚ 2024. New episodes will drop every Friday after that through March 15. Originally published by Military Times‚ our sister publication.

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The presence of a potential universal system of nonverbal communication has been hinted at in a new study that explored the age at which children develop the differences between co-speech gestures (gestures accompanying speech) and silent gestures (gesturing without speech) that adults use. The researchers focused on children aged between 3 and 12 years old who either spoke English or Turkish. The children were asked to use their hands to act out certain actions‚ like “running into a house”. “English and Turkish were the primary comparisons because they differ in terms of the way you talk about events‚” Åžeyda ÖzçalÅŸkan‚ a professor in the Psychology Department at Georgia State University‚ said in a statement.“If you’re speaking Turkish‚ if you want to describe someone running into a house‚ you have to chunk it up.  You say‚ ‘he's running and then he enters the house‚’” she said. “But if it's in English‚ they'll just say ‘he ran into the house‚’ all in one compact sentence. As such‚ it is easier to express both running (manner of motion) and entering (path of motion) together in a single expression in English than in Turkish.”Essentially‚ ÖzçalÅŸkan and colleagues wanted to know whether gesture follows these differences and how early children learn these patterns during their development. The children were asked to describe the same action two times. Firstly‚ when speaking (speech and co-speech gestures)‚ and then without speaking and only using their hands (silent gesture). The researchers found that‚ when children spoke and gestured at the same time‚ their gestures followed the conventions of their language. This meant there were clear differences between the gestures used by English and Turkish speakers – but when they used gestures alone‚ the children’s gestures were remarkably similar. “It is easier to express both running and entering in a single gesture compared to speech‚ particularly for Turkish speakers who have to express running and entering in two separate sentences in their speech‚” ÖzçalÅŸkan explained. “So when you're not speaking‚ gesture doesn’t have to follow the separation of manner and path‚ and‚ you can easily actually put them together.”Interestingly‚ the study found that these patterns appear at an early age. Children start to use co-speech gestures with their spoken language around 3 to 4 years of age. In a previous study‚ ÖzçalÅŸkan and colleagues examined this phenomenon in sighted and blind adults. In this study‚ the participants were also divided between English and Turkish speakers. Using the same methods as in this latest study‚ the team found the same differences in co-speech gestures and similarities in silent gestures. This was a surprising result‚ especially as the non-sighted participants had been blind from birth and therefore had never seen anyone gesture before. So far‚ the results of these studies have shown that many participants use gestures similar to those in “home sign systems”‚ which are informal sign language systems developed spontaneously by deaf children who have not yet learned conventional sign language. “What we see in fact‚ is some of these sorts of basic structures that we see in‚ for instance‚ early sign languages‚” ÖzçalÅŸkan said.ÖzçalÅŸkan believes this indicates the potential existence of a kind of universal gesture system that enables us to communicate with one another regardless of language‚ sight‚ or hearing ability.The next step‚ ÖzçalÅŸkan suggests‚ is to study blind Turkish and English-speaking children to see if the same patterns appear there. “We established in our earlier work that blind adults gesture like sighted adults… They showed differences in speech and co-speech gesture‚ but when they're not talking‚ they show similarities. So‚ the next question is‚ how early do we see evidence of that?” ÖzçalÅŸkan said.The study is published in the journal Language and Cognition. 

With the recent news that hackers stole data from around 6.9 million users of the genetic testing company 23andMe‚ it’s understandable that some might have concerns as to what someone could do with that information. Whilst no DNA records were reported stolen‚ it does beg the question of the potential consequences if they had been. After all‚ you can change your address or your name‚ but unless you subject yourself to a hefty amount of radiation (in which case‚ someone having your DNA would be the least of your concerns)‚ you’d be hard-pressed to alter your genetic material. So once someone has your DNA sequence‚ can they glean anything of importance from it?It depends on who’s lookingOf course‚ some things can be interpreted from our DNA – otherwise‚ genetic testing services wouldn’t exist‚ nor would we be moving towards healthcare personalized by our genetics – but a certain level of expertise is required.It takes training to accurately interpret genetic information‚ particularly when it comes to our health‚ and even with training‚ there are limits. A study of various direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies‚ including 23andMe‚ found that 50 percent of those companies declared on their websites that there were limits to the accuracy with which they could predict disease risk or incidence.Even clinical genetic testing often involves a whole team of experts to accurately determine what a particular genetic mutation might mean for your health‚ including clinical scientists‚ doctors‚ and genetic counselors. “You need experts to help people understand how much stock to put in that DNA result‚” said Mary Freivogel‚ president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors‚ speaking to NBC News.It depends on what other information comes with itOne of the major issues in privacy when it comes to genetic testing is not necessarily the security of the DNA data itself‚ but the information that may come alongside it. At present‚ it’s very difficult to identify someone solely from their genetic information‚ but combine that with other data like medical history‚ birth date‚ or zip code – which are sometimes required by DTC companies – and suddenly‚ it can become that bit easier.“Especially if it is coupled with health information‚ you can say this is a 39-year-old woman from Westchester County who is five feet‚ seven inches tall‚ who has blue eyes and has cystic fibrosis – it wouldn’t be that hard for somebody to find you‚” Hank Greely‚ director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford School of Medicine‚ told NBC News.Researchers have also proved that it is indeed possible. Back in 2013‚ a team from Harvard University successfully identified participants in the Personal Genome Project by name. They did this not by using the DNA participants had contributed as part of the project‚ but from publicly available profiles with information about medical history and demographics‚ like gender and zip code. Linked up with public records such as voter lists‚ the researchers were able to correctly identify 84 to 97 percent of the profiles they were given names for.What could be done with your genetic information?The real question is perhaps why anybody outside of research or healthcare would want to bother looking at your DNA. There are‚ of course‚ nosy parkers‚ but one of the ethical concerns surrounding genetic testing is that genetic information could be used in more nefarious ways by insurers or employers. Hypothetically‚ for example‚ an insurer could deny you health insurance based on your genetic profile‚ which indicates an increased risk of developing heart disease. In the US‚ that’s where the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 comes in‚ a law that bans discrimination based on genetic information (although it’s not a catch-all). With significant strides being made in our genetic testing capabilities and the unpredictability of politics‚ it’s possible that‚ with time‚ the situation may well change. For now though‚ if someone were to have a nosy at your DNA‚ they’d likely face one too many hurdles; first‚ even figuring out what it says about you‚ and second‚ legally doing something with that knowledge.All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text‚ images‚ and links may be edited‚ removed‚ or added to at a later date to keep information current. 

The Crater Of Diamonds State Park is a treasure trove of diamonds that were forged by geologic and volcanic activity that shaped the region around 3 billion years ago. Having formed deep below the Earth’s crust‚ they were explosively forced to the surface and now can be found by‚ well‚ just about anyone.Don’t believe us? In September 2023‚ a seven-year-old found a 2.95-carat brown diamond on her birthday. Situated in Murfreesboro‚ Arkansas‚ the crater represents a unique opportunity‚ because the Crate Of Diamonds State Park is the only diamond mine in the world that’s accessible to the public.Its story begins around 3 billion years ago when immense heat and pressure created by geologic and volcanic activity created the diamonds deep beneath the Earth’s surface. We now know that diamonds can rush up to the surface traveling in molten rock called kimberlite‚ and this occurred where the Crate Of Diamonds State Park sits when a volcanic vent called the Prairie Creek diatreme formed.Diatremes are a kind of volcanic pipe that's associated with gassy explosions and it’s thought they form when weak spots appear in the Earth’s crust as it shifts‚ thins out‚ and breaks apart during plate motions that break up continents and smash others together.When the Prairie Creek diatreme went up‚ it left in its wake an 83-acre (34-hectare) crater riddled with diamonds. However‚ according to Atlas Obscura‚ it wasn’t until the early 1900s that the site’s sparkling geologic potential was discovered by a man who was only looking for turnips.The Diamond King bought the farm for $1‚000 and a mule‚ and later sold it for $36‚000.Image credit: Lloyd Weema / Shutterstock.comIt was 1906 when John Wesley Huddleston turned up two strange stones in his turnip field. The unyielding nature of the rocks under his grinding tools told him they were something special‚ and he took them to be assessed. He was later dubbed the “Diamond King” for his discovery.You can follow in the Diamond King’s footsteps as the Crater of Diamonds State Park is now a publicly accessible diamond mine. Best of all‚ you get to keep anything you find‚ and there have been some pretty remarkable discoveries in the park’s history.“More than 35‚000 diamonds have been found by park visitors since the Crater of Diamonds became an Arkansas state park in 1972‚” reads the Crater Of Diamonds State Park’s website. “Notable diamonds found at the Crater include the 40.23-carat Uncle Sam‚ the largest diamond ever unearthed in the U.S.; the 16.37-carat Amarillo Starlight; the 15.33-carat Star of Arkansas; and the 8.52-carat Esperanza.”The public is invited to bring their own equipment for diamond digging (though no battery- or motor-driven tools are allowed). It's thought the digging of a trench meant to tackle some erosion issues may have been behind the seven-year-old's remarkable discovery in September. Who knows what rock the historical site will spit up next?