NASA announces record-breaking achievement with spacecraft and the Sun
A NASA spacecraft has made history, surviving the closest-ever approach to the Sun. The risky journey took the Parker Solar Probe just 3.8 million miles from the Sun’s surface. That may not sound like a short distance, but for perspective, if the distance from Earth to the Sun was a football field, this would be the 4-yard-line. The Earth is approximately 93 million miles from the Sun.
The NASA spacecraft traveled seven times closer to the Sun than any other earthly spacecraft to date.
The spacecraft reportedly went out of communication for several days until NASA received a signal just before midnight on Thursday, Dec. 26.
Afterward, the space agency announced the probe is “safe” and operating as it should after the record-shattering fly-by.
Scientists hope the data, expected to be sent back on Wednesday, Jan. 1, gives them insight into the mystery of why the corona of the Sun, the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere, is so much hotter than the surface.
The surface of the Sun is reportedly nearly 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit, while the corona burns at millions of degrees and scientists don’t know why.
Researchers also said that the mission should give them a better understanding of solar wind, which can knock out power grids and communications on Earth at times.
“Understanding the Sun, its activity, space weather, the solar wind, is so important to our everyday lives on Earth,” Dr. Jenifer Millard, an astronomer, told the BBC.
US sending troops, anti-missile system to Israel as war escalates
The United States is sending troops and an anti-missile system to Israel. And an incredible landing has SpaceX cheering and thinking about future missions. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.
US sending troops, anti-missile system to Israel as war escalates
Iran has now warned Washington to keep American military forces out of Israel.
“While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi posted on X.
This comes as Israel said at least four of its soldiers were killed in a drone attack by the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah Sunday, Oct. 13. At least 60 other people were injured in the attack on an army base in central Israel, including seven soldiers.
http://twitter.com/IDF/status/1845719319449145830
Hezbollah said the attack was in response to Israeli strikes on Beirut last week that left 22 people dead.
An attack this deadly in Israel is unusual. Its advanced air defense systems usually spot a threat well beforehand. Israel has said it’s investigating how the drone entered the country without triggering an alert.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes left at least 40 people dead in Gaza Sunday, including 13 children, according to local officials. One of those strikes was at a hospital in central Gaza, where thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering.
The Israeli military said it was a precise strike on a Hamas command center “embedded inside a compound that previously served as the ‘Shuhadah Al-Aqsa’ hospital.” Israel’s military also said it took steps to limit harm to civilians in the attack.
Authorities said the Nevada man had a shotgun, a loaded handgun, ammunition and several fake passports with him when he was stopped near where the rally was being held in Coachella.
Deputies assigned to the rally said they stopped the 49-year-old suspect as he was driving an unregistered vehicle with a “homemade” license plate. They said the man claimed to be a journalist.
The man passed an outer security boundary before being stopped at an inner perimeter, patrolled by local deputies. Authorities said former President Trump was not yet at the rally when the arrest happened, and he was “not in any danger.”
The suspect has since been released on $5,000 bail. Court records show his next appearance is scheduled for Jan. 2.
Biden approves $612 million to support Florida’s hurricane-ravaged communities
As hundreds of thousands remain without power and flooding continues to be an issue, President Biden visited Florida on Sunday for the second time in less than a week. This time it was to get a firsthand look at communities ravaged by Hurricane Milton.
On Saturday, Biden approved a disaster declaration to give federal funding to people affected by Milton, including grants for temporary housing, home repairs and loans. Biden said more than 250,000 Floridians have already registered for help, which he said was “the most in a single day ever in the history of this country.”
Trial begins in mysterious murders of 2 Indiana teenagers
Investigators arrested Allen in 2022 in connection to the deaths of 14-year-old Libby German and 13-year-old Abby Williams, five years after the girls disappeared while walking on a trail in the town of Delphi near an abandoned bridge. Searchers found their bodies a day later.
SpaceX pulled off an incredible feat on Sunday, successfully launching its fifth test flight of its unmanned Starship spacecraft. However, it was the return of the Super Heavy rocket booster that wowed the crowd, as well as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
For the first time, after breaking off from the Starship, the 232-foot-tall booster returned to Earth but didn’t land in the ocean like the spacecraft would. Instead, it returned to the Texas launch pad, caught by two mechanical arms which SpaceX calls “chopsticks.”
Elon Musk called the moment a “big step towards making life multiplanetary.”
SpaceX is hoping its Starship system will one day take people to the moon and Mars — with plans to use the capsule to transport NASA astronauts to the moon as soon as 2026.
‘Game of Thrones’ Iron Throne sells for $1.49 million
One “Game of Thrones” fan is sitting pretty, or at least powerfully, after taking the iconic “Iron Throne.” Unlike the characters in the HBO drama, the winner didn’t have to go through eight seasons of fighting, just a six-minute bidding war and $1.5 million.
This 310-pound plastic version of the throne was used during promotional and touring events for the series.
In total, Heritage auctions said its three-day auction in Dallas raked in more than $21 million dollars, making it the company’s second biggest entertainment event ever — behind the $22.8 million record set in 2011 by the Debbie Reynolds sale.
Kamala Harris, Donald Trump go on the attack in presidential debate
We recap the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. And SpaceX launches four private citizens into space for one historic mission. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024.
Kamala Harris, Donald Trump go on the attack in presidential debate
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris met for their first — and potentially only — debate Tuesday night, Sept. 10. The two presidential candidates were asked questions about the economy, abortion, immigration, Jan. 6, the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, and more.
Following a handshake, the candidates went head-to-head for about 90 minutes in Philadelphia, trying to win over any voters who were left undecided less than two months away from Election Day.
On the economy, Harris said, “I believe in the ambition, the aspirations, the dreams of the American people. And that is why I imagine and have actually a plan to build what I call an opportunity economy. Because here’s the thing: We know that we have a shortage of homes and housing, and the cost of housing is too expensive for far too many people. We know that young families need support to raise their children. And I intend on extending a tax cut for those families of $6,000, which is the largest child tax credit that we have given in a long time.”
Trump said, “Look, we’ve had a terrible economy because inflation has, which is really known as a country buster. It breaks up countries. We have inflation like very few people have ever seen before, probably the worst in our nation’s history. We were at 21%. But that’s being generous because many things are 50, 60, 70 and 80% higher than they were just a few years ago.”
On abortion, Trump said, “For 52 years, they’ve been trying to get Roe v. Wade into the states. And through the genius and heart and strength of six Supreme Court justices, we were able to do that. Now, I believe in the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. I believe strongly in it. Ronald Reagan did also.”
Harris responded, “The majority of Americans believe in a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body. And that is why in every state where this issue has been on the ballot in red and blue states, both, the people of America have voted for freedom.”
But it wasn’t always policy that was the subject. Both candidates took jabs at one another throughout the debate, including on the attendance at rallies.
“And he’s going to talk about immigration a lot tonight, even when it’s not the subject that is being raised. And I’m going to actually do something really unusual and I’m going to invite you to attend one of Donald Trump’s rallies because it’s a really interesting thing to watch,” Harris said. “You will see during the course of his rallies, he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills cause cancer. And what you will also notice is that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you, the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. You will not hear him talk about your needs, your dreams and your- and your desires. And I’ll tell you, I believe you deserve a president who actually puts you first. And I pledge to you that I will.”
“First, let me respond as to the rallies,” Trump said. “She said people start leaving. People don’t go to her rallies. There’s no reason to go. And the people that do go, she’s busing them in and paying them to be there and then showing them in a different light. So she can’t talk about that. People don’t leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics. That’s because people want to take their country back. Our country is being lost. We’re a failing nation. And it happened three and a half years ago.”
After the back and forth throughout the debate, the candidates each continued to make their case and claimed victory.
The Harris campaign posted on X the debate was “fun” and to “do it again in October.” While Trump posted on Truth Social saying he thought it was “my best debate ever– especially because it was three on-one,” in a reference to the two ABC News moderators.
Swift has previously been vocal in her support for Democrats in elections at the local and presidential level. Swift encouraged her 280 million followers to do their research and that “the choice is theirs.”
Presidential candidates commemorate 9/11
It’s been 23 years since the 9/11 terror attacks in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania killed nearly 3,000 people. Remembrance events are being held all across the country Wednesday, Sept. 11.
Vice President Harris and former President Trump are both scheduled to visit Ground Zero in New York Wednesday.
Harris, who will be paying her respects alongside President Joe Biden, will also visit the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon.
After Trump visits Ground Zero, he’s set to visit a fire station in New York City before also traveling to Shanksville.
FAA investigating after Delta plane clips another aircraft
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a Delta Air Lines plane clipped the tail of another aircraft at the world’s busiest airport Tuesday. Both plans were on the tarmac at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta taxiing for takeoff when it happened.
One of the planes had its wingtip severed from the aircraft in the incident. No one was hurt but both planes were damaged, and passengers had to get off.
Hurricane Francine expected to make landfall in Louisiana Wednesday
Meteorologists say the storm is still gaining strength and is likely to turn into a Category 2 before making landfall in Louisiana then moving north into Mississippi. However, they also expect Francine to weaken quickly as it moves inland.
SpaceX launches 4 astronauts to conduct first private spacewalk
SpaceX launched four astronauts into space on Tuesday for a historic mission. The Dragon capsule lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center carrying a billionaire entrepreneur — who financed the trip — along with a retired Air Force pilot, and two SpaceX engineers.
It took about nine and a half minutes for the capsule to reach orbit. A few minutes later, the capsule separated from its support trunk revealing a spectacular view of the Earth from the onboard cameras.
Georgia school shooting suspect was questioned over online threats: FBI
We have new details about the suspect and the victims in the deadly shooting at a Georgia high school. And Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft is set to begin its trip back to Earth without its crew. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
FBI: Suspect in Georgia school shooting was questioned over online threats
Authorities have released more details about the shooter who opened fire in a Georgia high school on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Two teachers and two students were killed, and nine others were wounded.
Just before 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, gunfire was reported at Apalachee High School in a small town about 45 miles from Atlanta. A sheriff’s deputy working as a school resource officer engaged with the shooter, who has been identified as Colt Gray, and the teen immediately surrendered.
Officials said Gray will be charged with murder and tried as an adult.
The victims were two 14-year-old students, a 53-year-old math teacher, and a second math teacher, a 39-year-old who also coached as the defensive coordinator for the school’s football team, according to the school’s website.
The school will remain closed for the remainder of the week and crisis counselors are on school campus as students grapple with the tragedy they have now experienced.
“I was listening, and you can hear gunshots just ringing out through the school and you’re just wondering which one of those is going to be somebody that you’re best friends with or somebody that you love,” said Landon Culver, a junior at the school. “You hear about this kind of stuff and you never think it’s going to happen to you until it’s happening. And then once you’re in that, it’s like this really happened. It’s like a surreal experience.”
Authorities said Gray, then 13, was a possible suspect in connection with threats made online last year using photos of guns and threatening to shoot up a school. They said he denied making the threats and there was no probable cause to arrest him, however, local schools were told to “continue monitoring the suspect.”
Gray’s father was also interviewed a year ago over the online threats. Investigators said his father told them he had hunting guns inside the home, but his son did not have unsupervised access to them.
Trump holds town hall in PA; Harris talks economy in NH
During the interview, Trump highlighted Harris’ stance on fracking, saying in 2019 she would ban it if elected but she would not ban it now.
Trump was in Pennsylvania and kept much of the focus on the battleground state. Hannity asked Trump how the 2024 election differs from the election he won in 2016.
“It’s not that different,” Trump said. “It’s still about the forgotten man and forgotten woman. People are being treated horribly in the country. We’re a country that’s being laughed at all over the world. It’s very simple and it starts with make America great again, that’s what we have to do.”
Meanwhile, Harris was in New Hampshire discussing more of her tax plan if elected in November.
“My plan will make our tax code more fair while also prioritizing investment and innovation,” Harris said. “So let us be clear: billionaires and big corporations must pay their fair share in taxes.”
Harris is proposing an increase to the long-term capital gains tax rate but not as high as what was in President Joe Biden’s reelection agenda. Harris said she wants to raise the tax rate to 28% from its current 20% rate. Biden had called for a 39.6% tax rate.
Trump is looking to cut the corporate tax rate to 15% if elected for a second term.
Trump, Harris agree on rules for debate
There’s less than a week now until the first debate between Trump and Harris and they’ve now agreed on the rules. The debate, hosted by ABC, will be moderated by World News Tonight anchor David Muir and ABC News anchor Linsey Davis.
Trump won a virtual coin flip held on Tuesday, Sept. 4, and chose to make the last closing statement. They’ll get two minutes each.
Each candidate will also get two minutes to answer each question with a two-minute rebuttal and one additional minute for a follow-up, clarification, or response.
Because Trump got to choose the closing statement order, Harris chose the podium placement. She’ll be at the right podium on the screen.
CPSC wants to investigate Shein and Temu kids’ products
They want the commission to investigate how the websites comply with U.S. safety laws, citing “recent media reports” that dangerous products meant for kids are easy to find on both sites.
This is just the latest probe into the companies, both of which have been under scrutiny for how they’re able to sell things for such low prices and how much environmental waste they create, as well as concerns over the potential use of forced labor.
Boeing’s Starliner to return to Earth empty on Friday
The return will mark the final phase of a test flight that did not go as planned.
Starliner’s first crewed trip to space was supposed to prove Boeing could reliably bring astronauts to and from the International Space Station so NASA could certify it to do so.
But issues that popped up just after launch have left astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stuck on the space station since June. Their mission was only supposed to last about a week.
The game will start a weekend of football action, including the first NFL game to be played in Brazil when the Philadelphia Eagles meet the Green Bay Packers Friday night. That game will be a streaming exclusive available only on Peacock.
Then the first Sunday of the NFL calendar, Sept. 8, will see 13 games played, with another first: Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will be starting during the team’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. This will be Hamlin’s first start since suffering a cardiac arrest on the field in January 2023.
Mercury may be home to an 11-mile thick underground layer of diamonds
Mercury, the smallest planet in the solar system, may harbor a significant amount of diamonds beneath its surface, according to new research. Scientists propose that the planet could contain an underground layer of diamonds that is approximately 11 miles thick.
Just a single cubic meter of diamonds could be worth as much as $70 billion. Given the estimated volume of diamond-rich material, Mercury could hold nearly 300 billion cubic meters, representing a massive fortune.
The formation of these diamonds is believed to have occurred around 4.5 billion years ago, shortly after Mercury itself coalesced from a cloud of dust and gas. At that time, the planet is thought to have been covered by a crust of graphite floating over a molten ocean of magma. Recent studies suggest that this graphite layer played a crucial role in the formation of diamonds on Mercury.
To explore this hypothesis, scientists conducted experiments in which they subjected a variety of elements, including graphite, to the extreme conditions thought to exist on Mercury. Under pressures 70,000 times greater than those found on Earth and temperatures exceeding 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit, the graphite was observed to transform into diamond crystals.
Despite its proximity to Earth, Mercury remains the least explored of the terrestrial planets in the solar system. However, the possibility of a vast wealth of diamonds beneath its surface may drive increased scientific interest in the planet.
The Metals Company disputes ‘ground-breaking’ discovery of ‘dark oxygen’
A recently published discovery might fundamentally change the understanding of life and how oxygen is produced. It has also ignited a debate over its legitimacy, with the potential future of the world’s energy supply caught in the middle.
Polymetallic nodules — rocks filled with critical minerals and found at the bottom of the ocean — have been identified as a potential resource for powering the planet. Researchers from the Scottish Association of Marine Science have reported that these nodules might also produce oxygen, a finding they describe as “ground-breaking.”
“This discovery of oxygen production at the seafloor in areas where you have these polymetallic nodules is really important,” Andrew Sweetman, professor and chair of seafloor ecology and biogeochemistry at the Scottish Association of Marine Science, said. “To power the green economy, we need to extract metals from the ground or potentially the deep ocean.”
The phenomenon, termed “dark oxygen,” challenges the longstanding belief that oxygen production cannot occur without sunlight. If these nodules are indeed producing oxygen, they are doing so in complete darkness and as non-living entities — two aspects previously thought impossible by conventional science.
The significance of this possible oxygen source to oceanic organisms remains unclear, but researchers suggest it could be vital and caution against removing nodules from the ocean for green technology purposes.
“What we have discovered means that we’re going to have to carefully think about if deep ocean mining goes ahead, where that mining should take place,” Sweetman said. “This oxygen is likely being used in whatever quantity that it’s produced by the ecosystem to basically breathe.”
However, not everyone is convinced by the science. The Metals Company — a leading organization in the push for polymetallic nodule mining for use in renewable energy technology like electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines — has criticized the findings.
In a statement to Straight Arrow News, the company called the research “flawed” and said its findings raised “serious concerns about the validity of their conclusions,” promising a published scientific rebuttal from their team.
The Metals Company also suggested that the timing of the discovery’s publication may indicate motivations beyond pure scientific advancement.
“The Metals Company was surprised to see such a flawed paper by Sweetman published,” The Metals Company said. “The paper was rejected from publication by four other journals yet accepted by Nature, a journal that has taken a strong view against deep-sea mineral sourcing. The timing of this flawed and oft-rejected paper to coincide with the International Seabed Authority meetings should indicate its motivations.”
The International Seabed Authority is currently engaged in meetings to determine the future of the deep-sea mining industry. Whether the revelation of dark oxygen will influence the decisions on permitting mining operations remains to be seen.
Giant asteroid will fly by Earth in 2029, scientists want to catch it
The asteroid Apophis will fly closely by Earth in 2029, and the European Space Agency is working on a plan to rendezvous with the space rock two months before that encounter. The proposed mission is known as Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety, or RAMSES. Its goal is to learn more about the composition of the asteroid.
On Tuesday, July 16, the agency said the study could help protect Earth from any asteroids that may be on a collision course with the planet in the future. By learning about the composition of the asteroid, researchers might learn how to deflect it or destroy it.
While Apophis is not deemed a threat to Earth, scientists said an object this large only passes by the planet once about every 7,500 years. The asteroid is reportedly about as wide as the Empire State Building is tall.
However, the clock is ticking for the European Space Agency. In order to reach the asteroid in time, scientists said they would need to launch the spacecraft by April 2028. That would get the craft to Apophis before the asteroid reaches its closest encounter with Earth in February 2029.
The agency also said that it has not yet secured funding for the project, which puts the mission in jeopardy.
If the project does move forward, scientists would monitor the unmanned spacecraft from Earth. A companion craft would be inside the vehicle. The smaller vehicle will deploy onto the asteroid to study the massive rock.
Leaders will make a final decision on the project at the agency’s Ministerial Council meeting in November 2025. Preparations are already reportedly underway using existing resources.
NASA also plans to launch a vehicle toward Apophis. However, the agency said that it will be after the asteroid passes by Earth. The mission will not involve a spacecraft landing on the Apophis. Instead, NASA said, the spacecraft will orbit the asteroid.
Apophis is reportedly shaped like a peanut, and astronomers first discovered it in 2004. Initially, it was thought by astronomers that Apophis could hit Earth in 2029 or 2068. Further observations ruled out any risk to Earth for the next century, according to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies.
The asteroid will come closer to Earth than satellites in its orbit and 10 times nearer than the moon. Astronomers say that it will be visible to the naked eye for around 2 billion people across most of Europe, Africa and parts of Asia.
NASA astronauts optimistic Boeing Starliner will get them home after testing
More than a month after Boeing’s Starliner took two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), the pair remains in space after a series of problems with the spacecraft. However, for the first time since the crew docked at the ISS, the astronauts gave their first news conference in orbit on Wednesday, July 10.
“I have a real good feeling in my heart that this spacecraft will bring us home,” Williams said.
Meanwhile, Wilmore helped provide an update on what the testing on the ground will entail.
“We are actually doing thruster testing in White Sands, New Mexico,” Wilmore said. “Going through that process, trying to replicate what we saw on that flight day two when we were rendezvousing and we’re going to learn from that. We’re going to incorporate new processes, new procedures, that we will employ, if necessary.”
As previously reported, the Boeing Starliner mission to the ISS should have ended between June 18-22. However, ongoing thruster problems and helium leaks have kept the Starliner in space.
Five thrusters failed as the spacecraft approached the ISS on June 6, one day after liftoff. Four of the thrusters have since brought back online and the crew believes that will be enough to get them out of orbit.
Boeing and NASA said the ground tests are crucial because during the landing process for the Starliner, the portion of the spacecraft that carries the thrusters will be discarded from the capsule. That segment also carries the portion where the helium leaks were located.
The Starliner’s landing date was pushed back twice before being postponed indefinitely while testing is underway in New Mexico.
As for the astronauts’ safety in space, NASA said that the ISS has plenty of supplies and its schedule is relatively open through mid-August. The agency said that the NASA astronauts are “integrated” with the rest of the ISS crew and have been helping with maintenance tasks.
Four NASA volunteers concluded a yearlong Mars simulation at Houston’s Johnson Space Center on Saturday, July 6, as part of the agency’s first Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) mission. Stationed in a 3D-printed, 1,700-square-foot habitat since June 25, 2023, crew members Kelly Haston, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell and Nathan Jones endured conditions similar to those expected on Mars.
The team conducted “Marswalks,” grew vegetables to enhance their diet and managed equipment under the additional stressors of communication delays, resource limitations and isolation.
This mission, focusing on sustainability and nutrition’s role in space travel, is a precursor to NASA’s upcoming Artemis campaign aimed at a return to the Moon for prolonged scientific research and exploration. Insights gained from lunar missions are intended to prepare NASA for its next major endeavor — sending astronauts to Mars.
NASA has also announced plans for two more CHAPEA missions. The next is scheduled to commence in the first half of 2025.
Solar storm brings Northern Lights to skies across US
A dazzling light display graced the night sky across America this past weekend, thanks to a rare yet powerful solar storm. The aurora borealis — commonly known as the Northern Lights — typically appears only in areas near the North Pole. However, due to increased solar activity, this captivating phenomenon was visible as far south as Florida starting on Friday, May 10.
NOAA space weather forecasters observed several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun. CMEs are powerful eruptions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona. When directed at Earth, they trigger geomagnetic storms that can affect communication, power grids, navigation and satellite operations.
Two decades ago the largest of the sunspots ejected an enormous solar flare — one of the largest ever recorded at the time. After, a series of massive solar storms rushed towards Earth.
Over half of Earth-orbiting spacecraft were impacted, disrupting satellite TV and radio services. A Japanese scientific satellite was damaged beyond repair and deep-space missions went into safe mode or shutdown. Astronauts on the International Space Station sought cover from high radiation levels. Communication issues affected airline flights over the North Pole and Antarctic science groups. GPS systems for surveying and other purposes were also affected.
According to the NOAA, this weekend’s event was the strongest solar storm to hit Earth since 2003. While the agency issued warnings about potential impacts on power grids, communication networks and navigation systems, no major outages were reported.
— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) May 12, 2024
Forecasters say the solar storm that extended the Northern Lights southward is expected to continue into the week of May 13, but it won’t be as strong.