Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
Indian researchers at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) revealed anomalous dip in lunar nighttime temperatures during COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020. Lockdown has impacted several aspects of earth functioning, but it was unknown if it has reached the space. During strictest lockdown period of April-May 2020, data obtained from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter for six different sites on the Moon revealed this anomaly as a result of significant reduction in Earth's outgoing radiation. A groundbreaking study highlights the interconnectedness of Earth and its celestial neighbor while offering a new perspective on the cosmic effects of human activity.
Welcome aboard, #Crew9!
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) September 29, 2024
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov joined the Expedition 72 crew aboard the space station today, kicking off their five-month @ISS_Research mission. More… https://t.co/rcF4cWKl6F pic.twitter.com/qDspWtbQZw
(Credit - X/@Space_Station)
NASA astronaut and U.S. Space Force commander Nick Hague along with Roscosmos astronaut and mission specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov reached ISS to conduct scheduled experiments and safely rescue Sunita and Butch. Originally, Crew-9 was scheduled for a launch in February 2025. However, the plan had to change as Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore got stuck in International Space Station (ISS) due to Boeing Starliner spacecraft malfunctioning.
Sunita Williams, the new commander of the ISS, welcomed the new arrivals, saying, "I just want to say welcome to our new compadres," as Hague and Gorbunov joined the nine astronauts already on board.
Scientists at the University of Maryland have found evidence of an ancient seafloor that sank into Earth's mantle millions of years ago, probably during the age of dinosaurs. Using advanced seismic imaging techniques, the research team analyzed the East Pacific Rise, which is a tectonic plate boundary in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, discovering an unusually thick area in the mantle transition region. This is located 410 to 660 kilometers below Earth's recent surface. The findings suggest that some oceanic slabs somehow got stuck halfway down as they sink through the mantle, moving much more slowly than earlier anticipated. This study can potentially reveal various new insights about Earth's complex geological past and tectonic plate movements.
Our habitable planet Earth has undergone numerous phases of climatic changes over millions of years. Ice, which has formed a major part of ancient earth is considered as a valuable time capsule to understand the climate in different time periods. The oldest known continuous ice record from Antarctica is only 800,000 years old, thus, a group of scientists started tracing the oldest sample of the ice which is 1.5 million years old. One major goal behind this study is to find out why the mid-Pleistocene transition happened and its consequences.
