Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured 14 Herculis c (or 14 Her c), an exoplanet located approximately 58.4 light-years away in the constellation of Hercules in the Milky Way galaxy. The planet was formed around four billion years ago and has a frigid atmospheric temperature of just minus 3 degrees Celsius. The planet 14 Herculis c is a gas giant, roughly the same size as Jupiter but much more massive, with a mass of 7.1 Jupiter masses. The planet orbits its star, 14 Herculis, at a distance of about 27.4 astronomical units (AU), taking around 142.8 years to complete one orbit. NASA revealed that there are two planets in this system - 14 Herculis b is closer to the star. But they have an unusual orbit as these planets cross each other like an 'X', with the host star at the centre. For the first time, an image of a misaligned system has been taken, leaving scientists worried about how the planets got so "off track".
Pluto, long reclassified as a dwarf planet, continues to surprise scientists. Astronomers recently detected new features in its high-altitude haze - revealing more than previously known. Once thought to be a frozen, featureless world, Pluto was found to have icy plains and rugged mountains when NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew past it in 2015. Now, researchers have studied a bluish and multi-layered haze around Pluto, which stretched more than 300 kilometres above the surface. The astronomers noted that the haze is not just a visual oddity, but something that controls the dwarf planet's climate. The fluxes indicate that Pluto's haze is composed of Titan-like organic particles as well as hydrocarbon and nitrile ices and demonstrate that the haze largely controls Pluto's atmospheric balance.
A groundbreaking study has found that excessively high-intensity exercise may temporarily weaken the immune system. The findings suggest individuals in physically demanding occupations, such as emergency responders and athletes, may be at higher risk of illnesses shortly after intense workouts. The study revealed significant changes in the body's molecular response to intense physical stress and highlighted the need for balance and recovery in training routines to protect overall health. The study's results have significant implications for individuals in high-risk professions, paving the way for further research into the effects of high-intensity exercise on the immune system. Balance and recovery are crucial for maintaining optimal health.
Global warming is the primary cause of the dramatic loss of oxygen in the ocean—approximately 2% of the ocean's oxygen inventory has been lost over the past decades, with serious ecological consequences already today. Any additional warming will lead to additional oxygen loss. One might therefore expect that climate mitigation measures would help to counteract oxygen decline. Yet the new study reveals that many proposed marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) methods—especially those based on biological processes—could in fact intensify oxygen loss in the ocean. The study identifies several biotic mCDR methods as particularly critical—including ocean fertilization, large-scale macroalgae farming followed by sinking of the biomass, and artificial upwelling of nutrient-rich deep water. These approaches involve the enhancement of photosynthetic biomass production, followed by its decomposition in the ocean interior. This remineralization process consumes oxygen—at levels comparable to the current rate of global deoxygenation caused by ocean warming.
