Here are todayโs most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ง๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ญ๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ, ๐๐ฎ๐ก๐ค๐จ.โจ
โ Diana๐โจ๐ญ (@onlybeci) February 19, 2025
Astronomers for the first time observed an exoplanet's atmosphere some 900 light-years away in the constellation Puppis, WASP-121b (Tylos)โจ, by mapping its structure in 3D using the ESPRESSOโฆ pic.twitter.com/juSDIXDbIo
(Credit - X/@onlybeci)
Astronomers for the first time have deciphered the three-dimensional structure of the atmosphere of a planet beyond our solar system, revealing three layers like a wedding cake on a ferociously hot gas planet that orbits close to a star bigger and hotter than our sun. The researchers peered through the atmosphere of WASP-121b, a planet also called Tylos. The researchers differentiated 3 layers by looking for the presence of specific elements. WASP-121b's bottom layer comprises iron. Winds move gas from the planet's eternal hot side to its cooler side. The middle layer comprising sodium, with a jet stream blowing circularly around the planet at about 43,500 miles (70,000 km) per hour - stronger than any winds in our solar system. The upper layer comprises hydrogen, with some of this layer being lost into space.
The term โgluten-free dietโ has become a buzzword and is now a part of everyday life for many people. Currently, many gluten-free products lack dietary fiber, protein and essential nutrients. Manufacturers often add supplements to compensate, but the incorporation of dietary fibres during processing can hinder protein digestion. In addition, gluten-free products generally contain higher sugar levels compared with other products containing gluten. Long-term adherence to a gluten-free diet has been associated with increased body mass index, or BMI, and nutritional deficiencies. Gluten-free products contain less than or equal to 20 parts per million of gluten โ largely lack wheat, rye, barColderley and sometimes oats, all rich sources of arabinoxylan, a crucial nonstarch polysaccharide. Meanwhile, in 2024, the global gluten-free product market was valued at USD 7.28 billion.
A winter storm is hitting the U.S. with record-breaking cold and heavy snow. Wind chills between minus 30 and minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34 and 51 degrees Celsius) have been forecast for the northern Plains over the next few days, and below-zero wind chills will likely reach as far south as southern Texas, Arkansas, western Tennessee and Kentucky, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. Some media coverage has linked the latest blast of cold weather to the polar vortex โ an area of low pressure and cold air circulating around the North and South poles in the stratosphere. However, it is unclear whether the polar vortex has actually played a significant role. Some studies suggest that Arctic warming might be disrupting the polar vortex.
NASA is on high alert for a โcity-killerโ asteroid called 2024 YR4, that will likely (3% chance) hit the Earth in 2032. International agencies are feverishly working together to track the space rock and looking at how to blow it to smithereens if necessary. YR4 is believed to be 130 to 300 feet wide. Its projected trajectory could impact in eight of the worldโs most populated cities including Bogota, Colombia; Lagos, Nigeria; and Mumbai, India โ with up to 110 million people potentially at risk for a strike if it hits Earth. If required, space agencies could send a rocket armed with explosives towards the rock changing its trajectory or destroying it entirely. The trick is getting to it, and delivering the explosives precisely at the right time, at the right angle. Thatโs the hard part, according to scientists.
