Science news 15 Feb, 2021

Seven SARS-CoV-2 variants found in US carrying the same mutation, scientists claim - Firstpost

Prevalence of these seven lineages will be hard to determine since roughly 1 percent of test samples are sent for sequencing.

NASA's Mars Rover Perseverance's 'Seven Minutes of Terror' Before Landing on Red Planet - News18

When NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance, a robotic astrobiology lab packed inside a space capsule, hits the final stretch of its seven-month journey from Earth this week, it is set to emit a radio alert as it streaks into the thin Martian atmosphere.

UAE publishes first photo from Mars probe - The Tribune India

This is what the oldest known conch shell sounded like - Livemint

Prehistoric humans turned a seashell into a musical instrument about 18,000 years ago. A team of researchers has now released a recording of what the instrument would have sounded like

Astro Bob: Celebrate Valentine’s Day With These Cosmic Hearts - BollyInside

There is a good chance that you will receive or give away a card with a heart on it today. The heart symbol may have come from a now extinct plant called

Commercial Satellite Broadband Market Future Trends Key Industry Segments by Manufacturers – PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, Kacific Broadband Satellites - NeighborWebSJ

Lunar Spacecraft Gets an Upgrade to Capture New Perspectives of the Moon - Universe Today

Eleven years into its mission, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is starting to show its age, but a recent software update promises to give the spacecraft a new lease on life. As NASA’s eye in the sky over the Moon, the LRO has been responsible for some …

Scientists discover cluster of black holes at the heart of a globular cluster (video) - BollyInside

A tight knot of stars almost as old as the universe hides a dark secret at its core. Globular cluster NGC 6397, a conglomeration of stars about 7,800

Scientists achieve atomic scale manipulation of magnets - ANI News

Lancaster (UK), February 14 (ANI): An international team of scientists during recent research has been successful in manipulating magnets at the atomic level. This new discovery will be helpful in attaining fast and energy-efficient future data processing tec…

Watch SpaceX and Russia launch a Valentine's Day rocket doubleheader tonight - Space.com

The dual rocket launches begin at 11:21 p.m. EST (0421 Feb. 15 GMT).

Watch the last billion years of Earth's tectonic plate movement in just 40 seconds - Business Insider India

Geologists animated a video that shows how Earth's tectonic plates moved around over the last billion years. The animation reveals the formations that came

“A Surprise Almost as Old as the Universe” –Hubble Detects Invisible Mass of Small Black Holes at Globular Clu - The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel

Hubble astronomers found something extraordinary at the heart of nearby globular cluster NGC 6397 –a concentration of smaller black holes lurking there instead of one monster, supermassive black hole. Ancient stellar jewelry boxes, globular star clusters are …

Don’t Tell Einstein, but Black Holes Might Have ‘Hair’ - WIRED

The general theory of relativity states that black holes have only three observable properties; additional ones, or “hair,” do not exist. Or do they?

We heart the Earth and sky | Earth - EarthSky

This Valentine’s Day, we find so much to love in the many heart-shaped objects created by Mother Nature that can be found right here on Earth or all the way to the deepest reaches of the sky.

Happy birthday to Galileo, born February 15 - EarthSky

One of our greatest astronomers, Galileo Galilei, was born February 15, 1564. His discoveries with the improved telescopes he made changed the way we view the universe - and got him in trouble with the church.

Chinas Yutu 2 rover discovers unusual shard-shaped rock on unexplored far side of moon - Republic TV

In one of the most important discoveries of its mission, China’s Yutu 2 Rover has found an ‘unusual’ shard on the unexplored far side of the moon.

NASA assigns 2 astronauts to SpaceX Crew-4 mission to ISS - Sentinelassam - The Sentinel Assam

NASA has assigned two crew members to launch on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the...

Farfarout, the most distant object in the solar system, is finally found - ThePrint

#ScientiFixScientists map the journey of a planetoid in the solar system that takes 1,000 years to revolve around the Sun -- Watch the latest episode of #Sci...

Astronomers discover 3 planets orbiting younger Sun-like star - IBTimes India

Three planets were discovered in images taken by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) between October and December 2018.

Astronomers Discover Hannibal Lecter Stars That Wear Planet Corpses - Futurism

Scientists used the Gaia space observatory to discover pieces of planetary crust embedded in the atmosphere of white dwarf stars.

What if we’re all just Martians? - BGR

Despite the incredibly extensive study of the origins of life on Earth, we’re still not sure exactly how our planet’s first life forms were created. It’s possible, many scientists say, that life on Earth may have originated elsewhere. Right now, the leading c…

Modern Human Ancestry Won't Be Traced to a Single Point - Ancient Origins

While we may be attracted by the headlines of “Oldest Human Fossil Discovered” and “New Human Ancestor Found”, the idea that we’re on the route to unearthing an actual, single point in time and space for modern human origins is unlikely. A new study suggests …

China's Tianwen-1 space probe enters Mars' orbit - The Straits Times

China's space agency released two videos showing its Tianwen-1 probe entering the orbit of Mars, saying the spacecraft was sending its Lunar New Year greetin...

Huge optical flares seen in one of the oldest astronomic objects - Goa Chronicle - Goa Chronicle

New Delhi: A team of Indian astronomers has detected one of the strongest flares from a feeding supermassive black hole or blazar called BL Lacertae. The astronomers, led by Alok Chandra Gupta of the

Massive Apophis asteroid will flyby the earth next month - SlashGear

There are several disaster movies out there that show what it might be like if a giant asteroid or comet impacted the earth. Asteroids have hit the earth in the distant past, and one such impact is…

The Arrival Of The Tianwen-1 Probe To Mars Reinforces China’s Ambitious Space Program - Phil Sports News

The lunar base "is likely to be set at the south pole of the moon," Chinese place project chief engineer Wu Weiren told state media. "It will be used only for peaceful purposes and will benefit all parties involved.

China's Yutu 2 rover finds 'milestone' on far side of the moon - Space.com

This weird elongated rock shard could have reached the moon by meteor impact.

Study Reveals Whale Calls Could Help Map Ocean Floors | IE - Interesting Engineering

Using whale calls has certain advantages over using air guns, the first one being the disruptive nature of air guns.

Researchers spot Super-Earth using newly discovered technique, all you need to know - Republic TV

Astronomers have discovered a new technique that has found a super earth at a neighbouring star. Also, it may have directly imaged it.

Portrait of a young galaxy challenged our understanding of galaxy formation - Tech Explorist

Scientists have challenged our current understanding of how galaxies form by unveiling pictures of a young galaxy in the early life of the Universe which appears surprisingly mature.

Surprising sight: Astronomers discover grouping of small black holes in a sea of stars - Republic TV

NASA astronomers found an unexpected sight while looking for a massive black hole. They used previous estimates of the stars' tiny proper motions.

Mars has mysterious dark streaks and scientists believe it sustained life-like situations - Republic TV

Pictures from Mars show changes in the mysterious dark streaks which is formed by landslides. Scientists experimented on similar soil. Know what they found.

Mini-brains: The Evolution of species - Bullet News

Hereditary and fossil examinations are the practical strategies that have represented investigations in development and uncovered essential data on how

Lessons from Apollo 14 | National Air and Space Museum - BollyInside

Fifty years ago, the Apollo 14 mission renewed confidence in NASA and the ability of the United States to land humans on the Moon with a successful

A Mars orbiter just detected something it's never seen before - msnNOW

The atmosphere of Mars is thin and, compared to Earth, barely even there at all, but it can still teach us about the history of the planet and its present-day status. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which is a project from the European Space Agency and Russia’…

FCC under pressure to deny $886-million subsidy to SpaceX for rural net - ETTelecom.com

Even before winning a competition for the funds, SpaceX had set up its service and begun launching satellites. More than 1,000 of the Starlink craft are now aloft, providing service to test subscribers. The company says its system "is uniquely positioned to d…

Elon Musk targets telecom for next disruption with Starlink internet - ETTelecom.com

SpaceX has told investors that Starlink is angling for a piece of a $1 trillion market made up of in-flight internet, maritime services, demand in China and India -- and rural customers.

Parts of South America set to experience total solar eclipse today, NASA shares post - Hindustan Times

If you are a space enthusiast and planning to catch the event, then you may find this post helpful.

All you need to know about the Geminid meteor shower which is set to reach its annual peak - Hindustan Times

he Geminids are nearly 200 years old, according to known records and are considered one of the best meteor showers every year because the individual meteors are bright and fast.

SpaceX's Starship prototype explodes on landing after test launch - Arab News

WASHINGTON: SpaceX’s Starship prototype exploded while attempting to land on Wednesday after an otherwise successful test launch from the company’s rocket facility in Boca Chica, Texas, live video of the flight showed. The Starship rocket destroyed in the acc…

China plants its flag on moon as lunar probe takes off for earth - Hindustan Times

The Chang’e, named after the Chinese moon goddess, is also scheduled to bring back the first lunar samples in four decades. China is now the third nation in the world, after the United States and the Soviet Union, to collect lunar samples for scientific purpo…

NASA and SpaceX Launch Crew-1 Mission to International Space Station - UPI.com

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astr…

Science News | ⚡SpaceX's Delta 4-Heavy Launch Stopped Due to Technical Issue - LatestLY

Read Latest Science News Quickly Here | The launch of SpaceX's Delta 4-Heavy, which was scheduled for Thursday at 9:17 am ET, was halted due to a technical issue. The SpaceX in a statement said, "Standing down from today's Starlink mission due to an out …

Scientists just created an enzyme that rapidly breaks down plastic pollution - Upworthy

This is huge.

NASA maps damage caused by Beirut blast using satellite data - Hindustan Times

On the map, dark red pixels – like those present at and around the Port of Beirut – represent the most severe damage.

NASA astronauts splash down after journey home aboard SpaceX capsule - Arab News

US astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who flew to the International Space Station in SpaceX’s new Crew Dragon, splashed down in the capsule in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday after a two-month voyage that was NASA’s first crewed mission from home soil in ni…

Isro’s MOM captures image of the Mars’ biggest moon Phobos - Hindustan Times

According to ISRO, “the violent phase that Phobos has encountered is seen in the large section gouged out from a past collision (Stickney crater) and bouncing ejecta.”

Delhi’s Chhatarpur temple to remain open during solar eclipse - Hindustan Times

Several temples across the country have announced that they will remain shut down during the eclipse today. A rare celestial event, annular solar eclipse, which is popularly known as the “ring of fire” eclipse, will be visible this Sunday in India.

Gujarat Engineer Claimed He Connected with SpaceX, NASA Says It's False: Report - News18

Elon Musk’s SpaceX created history last weekend by flying its first-ever human spaceflight mission.

Fossil of one of the last megaraptors on the planet found in Argentina - Hindustan Times

Unlike the Tyrannosaurus rex, the megaraptors were slimmer and built for speed, with long tails that allowed them to keep their balance.

Watch: The Bottom of an Antarctic Glacier - The Maritime Executive

Researchers have taken the first-ever images of the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, a glacier about...

You Can Now Build Your Own Mars Rover for About $2500 - Mental Floss

Download the plans for free.

Student of Pune-based institute creates violent black hole flares - Hindustan Times

A team of astronomers, led by John Paice who is a student at Pune-based Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCAA), has created a high frame-rate movie of a growing black hole system at a level of detail never seen before.

Russian, North American astronauts to return to earth - Arab News

ALMATY, Kazakhstan: The first crew to blast off to the International Space Station following a launch accident that deepened doubts over Russia’s space program is set to return to earth Tuesday. NASA astronaut Anne McClain, veteran cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko of…

Chandrayaan 2 inches closer to moon, to enter lunar orbit today - Hindustan Times

According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), by firing Chandrayaan-2 on-board motors, the space craft will be moved into the lunar orbit.

Russian cosmonaut praises space rocket’s dependability during Soyuz’s emergency landing - TASS

The space rocket’s functions demonstrated their reliability during the emergency landing of the manned Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft, MS-10 Commander Alexei Ovchinin says

INNOVATION: Novel device creates electricity from snowfall - ETEnergyworld.com

The device designed by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is inexpensive, small, thin and flexible like a sheet of plastic.

‘Terrible thing, India’s ASAT satellite test created 400 pieces of debris’: NASA - Hindustan Times

As a result of the Indian test, the risk of collision with the ISS has increased by 44 percent over 10 days, Bridenstine said.

First plants on moon, China says it has done the job - Hindustan Times

Pictures sent back January 12 showed plant shoots growing well nine days after the experiment was initiated, Chongqing University, which led the biological project, said in a briefing .

Mysterious fast radio bursts discovered from deep space ‘could be aliens’ - Hindustan Times

Some scientists also believe that the fast radio bursts emanate from powerful astrophysical phenomena billions of light years away. However, the source of these signals, originating from far outside our Milky Way galaxy, are not well understood.

INNOVATION: Purple bacteria may help harvest green fuel from wastewater - ETEnergyworld.com

The study showed that supplying electric current to purple phototrophic bacteria can recover nearly 100 per cent of carbon from any type of organic waste, while generating hydrogen gas for electricity production

NASA names gamma constellations after The Hulk and Godzilla - Hindustan Times

The constellations, constructed with sources visible through its gamma-ray telescope, were devised to celebrate the completion of 10 years of operations of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.

NASA’s solar probe mission: Last minute glitch delays take-off, may fly tomorrow - Hindustan Times

The problem had to do with the gaseous helium pressure alarm on the spacecraft, officials said

World’s first mission to touch the Sun set to launch next week: NASA - Hindustan Times

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, targeted to launch on August 11, will perform the closest-ever observations of a star when it travels through the Sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona.

Mars to come closest to Earth in 15 years next month - Hindustan Times

Every 15 or 17 years, opposition occurs within a few weeks of Mars’ perihelion - the point in its orbit when it is closest to the Sun.

‘Indians are so good at mathematics and physics’: When Stephen Hawking came to India - Hindustan Times

Scientist Stephen Hawking made a 16-day trip to India in 2001, visiting Mumbai and New Delhi. During the visit, he met then president KR Narayanan.

Elon Musk shares images of ‘Mars city’, ‘Moon base’ before speaking about colonising Red Planet - Hindustan Times

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will on Friday outline a new design for an interplanetary transport system to take humans to Mars.

NASA to study Earth’s ionosphere during total solar eclipse - Hindustan Times

NASA is set to study the Earth’s ionosphere during the upcoming total solar eclipse in the US, to better understand the Sun’s relationship to the region of the atmosphere where satellites orbit

ISRO record: Chinese state media says Beijing can learn lessons from India - Hindustan Times

A grudgingly complimentary state media piece on Monday said the Communist country could learn a “number of lessons” from its neighbour’s low-price and efficiency-driven advantages in space commerce.

In pics: Supermoon brightens up skies, two more to be witnessed in Jan 2018 - Hindustan Times

The Sunday’s supermoon is one in a three-part series, according to NASA. Another supermoon sighting is expected on January 1 and January 31, 2018.