News Feeds

Space is big, really big! Finding new asteroids which are usually dark against the inky blackness of space is harder than looking for a needle in a cosmic haystack. Back in 1991 an astronomer discovered a kilometre wide asteroid which was subsequently found to have a smaller moon half its size. It was given the snappy name of 1991 VH which , after follow up observations was revealed to have a tumbling, chaotic rotation. This was the first binary asteroid that has been seen to exhibit this behaviour. A paper just published suggests that a close encounter with Earth as recently as 12,000 years ago could have started its tumbling motion. 

Asteroid 1991 VH was discovered by Robert McNaught at the Siding Spring Observatory. The asteroid was subject to high resolution imaging from Goldstone and the Arecibo Observatory in 2008 and showed a roughly spherical object. There is an equatorial ridge which gives the whole thing the appearance of a classical spinning top. It’s shape is not what makes the system unique, instead it is the chaotic tumbling nature of the binary system. 

The Arecibo Radio Telescope Credit: UCF

The satellite of 1991 VH has been dubbed S/2008 (35107) 1 and it was discovered on 27 February 1997 by a team of astronomers at Ondrejov Observatory. It was detected through photometric observations of the system’s dip in brightness caused by the eclipses and occultations as the two components rotate about each other. 

The binary asteroid pair have captured attention of astronomers because it comes from a class of asteroids known as Near Earth Binary Asteroids. Usually they consist of an oblate primary asteroid that is rotating rapidly and around it is a tidally locked elongated secondary asteroid. The tidal locking of the system is the result of tidal forces just like those that have tidally locked the Moon to Earth.  

In a paper published by Alex J Meyer from the University of Colorado Boulder and the team of researchers discuss that a past close encounter with Earth could have provided the necessary gravitational influence to disturb the binary system. It has been known that near-Earth asteroids develop chaotic orbital; properties at some point in their life. This is due to orbital resonances with some of the outermost gas giants and on occasions close passages by terrestrial planets. 

The team theorise that a single close passage by Earth could have been enough to impose a chaotic nature to the asteroids orbit. To facilitate their research, the team undertake a series of Monte-Carlo simulations where a stable binary asteroid is perturbed by a series of different orbital geometries. The resultant orbital parameters from the simulations are then compared with real observations from 1991 VH. 

Their results showed that a close fly-by of Earth by 1991 VH could most definitely alter the state. They propose that the flyby would have occurred within the last 100,000 years, possibly as close as within the last 12,000 years. The new altered chaotic state could remain until current day unless further encounters counteract the perturbations. 

Source : An Earth Encounter As the Cause of Chaotic Dynamics in Binary Asteroid (35107) 1991VH

The post This Binary Asteroid is Messed Up. It’s Probably Earth’s Fault appeared first on Universe Today.

Two studies have linked "problematic smartphone use" to higher rates of anxiety, depression and insomnia among teenagers, but the researchers haven't shown that excessively using such devices directly causes these issues

Being trapped in space sounds like the stuff of nightmares. Astronauts on board the International Space Station have on occasion, had their return delayed by weather or equipment malfunction. We find ourselves again, watching and waiting as two astronauts; Juni Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stuck for months instead of their week long mission. The delays came as the Starliner system required fixes to be implemented. NASA successfully fired up 27 of its 28 thrusters in a hot-firing test and now, ground teams are preparing finally, to bring them home.

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft is officially known as the CST-100 Starliner. It was developed by Boeing as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Its purpose is to transport astronauts to the International Space Station and other low orbit craft. Starliner hit the headlines with its reusable design aimed at reducing costs and increasing launch frequency. It was first launched on 20 December 2019 as an uncrewed test flight to demonstrate docking capability with ISS. 

Boeing’s CTS-100 Starliner taking off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on June 5th, 2024. Credit: NASA

Since 2019 Starliner has had issues along the way but has largely seen a successful progression to becoming a key part of NASA’s launch capability. Just recently however there have been issues with the manoeuvring jets used to adjust the attitude. Engineering teams at NASA and Boeing have been working on and running tests with Mexico a new configuration. Part of the thruster system controls the flow of helium, these are the helium manifolds and they were opened to allow engineers to monitor any helium supply issues and leaks. 

The team ran a hot fire test of the reaction control system jets on 27 July to see if there were any problems with the propulsion system. They test fired 27 out of 28 jets while astronauts Wilmore and Williams sat inside the docked Starliner. The tests involved firing the jets for short bursts, one at a time. They revealed that all thrusters were back to performing well and the helium manifolds were within operational margins that were needed for a return trip from ISS. The engineering teams closed the manifolds ahead of undocking and returning the astronauts home. 

The work is not over for the engineering teams however as they are now reviewing data from the tests and from ground based testing at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. Once the review of data is complete, NASA and Boeing will identify a date to return the astronauts. 

Meanwhile back on board the ISS Wilmore and Williams wait. They have been checking other Starliner systems in preparation for return, working with other Boeing teams to prepare and have been undertaking pressure tests of their space suits. They have been working alongside Expedition 71 members and have recently helped setup the BioServe centrifuge in the Harmony Module. The centrifuge supports a wide range of biological, physical and materials science projects. Facilitating the separation of substances with different densities it can work with cell cultures, DNA, protein, blood and sedimentary samples.

Source : NASA, Boeing Complete Second Docked Starliner Hot Fire Test

The post Starliner Successfully Fires its Thrusters, Preparing to Return to Earth appeared first on Universe Today.

An analysis of people who were hospitalised with covid-19 in the first wave of the pandemic has revealed that the ongoing decline in their cognitive abilities is the equivalent to losing 10 IQ points

Fourteen modifiable risk factors are behind nearly half of all dementia cases worldwide, a report claims, but genetics and old age are the main causes of the condition

An artificial intelligence method to detect biomarkers in tumor biopsies promises to cut weeks and thousands of dollars from cancer detection, extending the benefits of precision oncology to underserved and under-resourced patients.

An international research team has succeeded in developing a new version of RNA building blocks with higher chemical reactivity and photosensitivity. This can significantly reduce the production time of RNA chips used in biotechnological and medical research. The chemical synthesis of these chips is now twice as fast and seven times more efficient.

An artificial intelligence program created explanations of heart test results that were in most cases accurate, relevant, and easy to understand by patients.

Calculations show that nerve fibres in the brain could emit pairs of entangled particles, and this quantum phenomenon might explain how different parts of the brain work together

New research led proposes a plan to safeguard Earth's imperiled biodiversity by cryogenically preserving biological material on the moon. The moon's permanently shadowed craters are cold enough for cryogenic preservation without the need for electricity or liquid nitrogen.

Significant strides in addressing the issue of AI 'hallucinations' and improving the reliability of anomaly detection algorithms.

Significant strides in addressing the issue of AI 'hallucinations' and improving the reliability of anomaly detection algorithms.

Astronomers have found that the rotational profile of a nearby star, V889 Herculis, differs considerably from that of the Sun. The observation provides insights into the fundamental stellar astrophysics and helps us understand the activity of the Sun, its spot structures and eruptions.

In a hopeful sign for demand for more safe, effective antibiotics for humans, researchers have leveraged artificial intelligence to develop a new drug that already is showing promise in animal trials.

Clean energy investments offer potential stability and growth, especially during volatile market conditions. A recent study explored the relationship between clean energy markets and global stock markets. Significant spillovers were observed from major indices like the SP500 to markets such as Japan's Nikkei225 and Global Clean Energy Index. These interactions suggest opportunities for optimizing investment portfolios and leveraging clean energy assets as hedging tools in volatile market environments.

Neurotransmitter levels in the brain can indicate brain health and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. However, the protective blood-brain barrier (BBB) makes delivering fluorescent sensors that can detect these small molecules to the brain difficult. Now, researchers demonstrate a way of packaging these sensors for easy passage across the BBB in mice, allowing for improved brain imaging. With further development, the technology could help advance Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and treatment.

A coating of solar cells with special organic molecules could pave the way for a new generation of solar panels. This coating can increase the efficiency of monolithic tandem cells made of silicon and perovskite while lowering their cost -- because they are produced from industrial, microstructured, standard silicon wafers.

Physicists have experimentally demonstrates a novel physical effect that was predicted 45 years ago. The effect will result in a new chemical analysis technique, to simultaneously identify molecular bonds and their 3D arrangement in space. This new technique will find applications in pharmaceutical science, security, forensics, environmental science, art conservation, and medicine.

Hydrogen can be produced via the electrolytic splitting of water. One option here is the use of photoelectrodes that convert sunlight into voltage for electrolysis in so called photoelectrochemical cells (PEC cells). A research team has now shown that the efficiency of PEC cells can be significantly increased under pressure.

Using powerful new visualization technologies, researchers have captured the first 3-D images of the structure of a key muscle receptor, providing new insights on how muscles develop across the animal kingdom and setting the stage for possible future treatments for muscular disorders.