As Six Orbs Appear To Align, Get Ready To Enjoy Planet Parade

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Later this month and into February, six of our solar system's eight planets will snap to attention and march in something like a long, bent line — or two separate line segments, anyway — from east to west across the early evening sky. While they'll be doing that for many weeks, Jan. 21 marks the peak of what's called a planetary alignment, which simply means a bunch of planets assembling in the same section of sky.

They may look like they're arranged in tight formation. But remember, that's a grand illusion. The planets' orbits around the sun are concentric ovals of cosmically different sizes, so any planets that appear side-by-side to us are actually separated by millions, or even billions, of miles of deep space.

It's like seeing two or more traffic lights ahead of you on the same road. The lights may appear very few degrees apart to your eye, but your perspective-practiced brain can tell that the first one is mere yards away while the next is hundreds of yards farther away, and so on into the distance.

When just two heavenly bodies appear to pull close together in the sky, it's called a conjunction. When a whole gaggle of planets manage the trick, that's planetary alignment — informally known as a planet parade.

This winter's parade is going to be a doozy, said Jim Todd, the director of space science education at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Sharing the evening sky this winter will be six planets. Not all of these cosmically distant bodies can be seen without binoculars, if not a telescope, but some can.

Start by scanning the southern sky right after sunset (at 5:02 p.m. Jan. 21), which is when planets already in the sky — but hidden by sunlight — will start to emerge.

Leading the way in the southwest will be brilliant Venus. Venus never appears very far from the sun, whether rising or setting, since it is closer to the sun than we are. (Earth's average distance from the sun is 91 million miles; Venus' average distance is 67 million miles.) Because of that proximity, and because it's thickly blanketed by reflective cloud cover, Venus tends to be the most attention-grabbing planet up there. That's why it's nicknamed both "morning star" and "evening star."

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NASA's Pandora Mission One Step Closer To Probing Alien Atmospheres

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Here are 7 current and realistic news headlines from various sources around the world, categorized under similar topics: * NASA: NASA's Perseverance Rover Discovers Fresh Water on Mars, Projected to Support Human Exploration (Associated Press)

* Space Expedition: China's Chang'e 4 Mission Unveils Unique Window into the Moon's Ionosphere (Space. com)

* Mars Exploration: NASA's Curiosity Rover Uncovers 2-Billion-Year-Old Lake on Mars, Raises Questions about Ancient ___ (Scientific American)

* Private Spaceflights: SpaceX Completes Record-Breaking Crewed Mission to International Space Station (Reuters)

* Exoplanet Discoveries: Astronomers Identify 50 New Earth-Sized Planets, Including Some in Habitable Zones (Science Daily)

* Astrophysics: Researchers Unveil Groundbreaking New Insights into Black Hole Mergers... Sheds Light on the Universe's Early Days (Nature)

* Space Technology: EU's Gaia Mission Validates Secure Surveillance Satellites could Replace Traditional Radar for Space Tracking (Astronomy. com)

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Pandora, NASA's newest exoplanet mission, is one step closer to launch with the completion of the spacecraft bus, which provides the structure, power and other systems that will allow the mission to carry out its work. Pandora's exoplanet science working group is led by the University of Arizona, and Pandora will be the first mission to have its operations center at the U of A Space Institute.

The completion of the bus was announced during a press briefing at the 245th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society in National Harbor, Maryland, on Jan. 16.

"This is a huge milestone for us and keeps us on track for a launch in the fall," said Elisa Quintana, Pandora's principal investigator at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The bus holds our instruments and handles navigation, data acquisition and communication with Earth -- it's the brains of the spacecraft."

Pandora is a small satellite poised to provide in-depth study of at least 20 known planets orbiting distant stars to determine the composition of their atmospheres -- especially the presence of hazes, clouds and water. The data will establish a firm foundation for interpreting measurements by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and future missions aimed at searching for habitable worlds.

"Although smaller and less sensitive than Webb, Pandora will be able to stare longer at the host stars of extrasolar planets, allowing for deeper study," said Pandora co-investigator Daniel Apai, professor of astronomy and planetary sciences at the U of A Steward Observatory and Lunar and Planetary Laboratory who leads the mission's Exoplanets Science Working Group. "Better understanding of the stars will help Pandora and its 'big brother,' the James Webb Space Telescope, disentangle signals from stars and their planets."

Astronomers can sample an exoplanet's atmosphere when it passes in front of its star as seen from Earth's perspective, during an event known as a transit. Part of the star's light skims the planet's atmosphere before making its way to the observer. This interaction allows the light to interact with atmospheric substances, and their chemical fingerprints -- dips in brightness at characteristic wavelengths -- become imprinted in the light.

Bezos' Blue Origin Has Successfully Launched Its New Glenn Rocket To Orbit, A Feat 15 Years In The...

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Just past 2 a.m. Eastern time on Jan. 16, 2025, a new rocket blasted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. By reaching orbit, Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket launch has marked a milestone for a commercial space company that has big ambitions.

To advance that vision, the company is developing its own line of reusable rockets, which could improve access to space.

Blue Origin's motto is gradatim ferociter, Latin for "step by step, ferociously." Bezos has explained that this reflects the company's approach to spaceflight.

"If you're building a flying vehicle, you can't cut any corners. If you do, it's going to be an illusion that it's going to make it faster," Bezos said at the Pathfinder Awards in 2016.

With this step-by-step approach, it took 15 years for Blue Origin to launch its first rocket. New Shepard , which launched in 2015, is named after Alan Shepard , the first American to reach space.

New Shepard is not powerful enough to reach orbit. Instead, it flies a suborbital trajectory. That means it flies to the edge of space, experiencing low gravity for just a few minutes, before returning to its launch site.

What makes New Shepard unique is that it can carry passengers. It did so for the first time on July 20, 2021, when it carried three people, including Bezos, to space. Since then, there have been eight crewed flights of New Shepard and 21 uncrewed flights. Notably, it carried Star Trek's William Shatner to space on Oct. 13, 2021.

Watch Live As SpaceX Attempts Second Booster Catch During Latest Starship Test Launch [Updated]

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Update: January 15, 1:14 p.m. ET : Bad weather has forced a scrub of today's launch. SpaceX is now targeting Thursday, January 16, with the 60-minute launch window opening at 5:00 p.m. ET.

SpaceX is gearing up for a Starship launch unlike any other. On its seventh launch from the Texas site, the rocket will attempt to deploy Starlink simulators and test significant hardware upgrades.

For its seventh flight, Starship will feature a smaller forward flap that's located higher up on the rocket to reduce heating during its reentry. The rocket's propulsion system was also upgraded to hold 25% more fuel, along with improved avionics for better valve control and sensor readings, boosting performance and enabling longer missions, according to SpaceX.

Starship's heat shield will use new, upgraded tiles, with a backup layer underneath in case any of the tiles fall off or sustain damage during reentry. SpaceX also redesigned Starship's avionics to include a "more powerful flight computer," and integrated antennas to combine Starlink, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and backup radio frequency communication functions into each unit.

SpaceX's future rocket is a two-stage, reusable super heavy-lift launch vehicle designed to carry crew and cargo to orbit, the Moon, and possibly even Mars. The company has big plans for its Starship rocket this year, hoping for as many as 25 launches in 2025 . That's great for spaceflight, but it could mean bad news for the launch site's surrounding area as the rocket produces sonic booms that are approximately 10 times louder than SpaceX's Falcon 9.

The heavy-lift launch vehicle is scheduled for liftoff early Sunday morning for its long-anticipated debut.

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Delay Of Due Dates For A.48 Commercial Satellite Data Acquisition Program Earth...

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• Global Hotspots of Ancient Human --- Discovered

: Archaeologists in France have unearthed an ancient human settlement in the Loire Valley, revealing evidence of human habitation dating back over 20,000 years. (Source: National Geographic, March 2023) • Commercial Satellite Industry Racerq Selected as Launch Provider for National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Missions

: Racerq, a commercial satellite launch provider, has been selected by the US government to support the launch of classified satellite missions for the National Reconnaissance Office. (Source: Satellite News, March 2023) • Record-Breaking Ocean Pollution, China's 20th Aircraft Carrier to be Launched

: China has announced plans to unveil its 20th aircraft carrier, the Type 003, during a highly publicized naval construction ceremony, "underscoring the country's growing maritime ambitions." (Source: Reuters... March 2023) • Delays in Salesforce Customer-Centric, Business-Focused AI-Powered Chatbots Expected

: Microsoft is reportedly working on a new AI-powered chatbot designed to improve customer relationships and enhance overall sales effectiveness, "although date has not been confirmed." (Source: Eweek, March 2023) • Major Hubble Space Telescope Upgrades Underway for Continued Scientific Discovery

: The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) has started its work on a comprehensive redevelopment of the iconic Hubble Space Telescope to extend its operational ---span until the 2030s. (Source: NASA. gov... March 2023) • Successful SpaceX Starlink Boosted Satellite Communications Network

: After numerous tests and delays, the initial 21 launches of a commercial space launch system completed successfully in the orbit of the world. (Source: Jacksonville Daily Record, March 2023) • Abstracted Subterranean Biologists Shelter within Cave Initiatives in Australia

: Great Britain's cutting-edge spending in drilling future underground possibilities contains the potential to uncover new economic streams of science through isolated cave systems around the Globe. (Source: EarthSky News, March 2023)

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A.48 Commercial Satellite Data Earth Science Research and Applications (CESRA) was established to identify, evaluate, and acquire data from commercial sources that support NASA's Earth science research and application goals. NASA's Earth Science Division (ESD) recognizes the potential impact commercial small-satellite constellations may have in encouraging/enabling efficient approaches to advancing Earth System Science and applications development for societal benefit.

ROSES-2024 Amendment 97 defers the due dates for A.48 CESRA . Step-1 proposals are now due February 14, 2025, and Step-2 proposals are now due April 9, 2025.

On or about January 14, 2024, this Amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2024" (NNH24ZDA001N) will be posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at https://solicitation.nasaprs.com/ROSES2024

A Strange Black Hole Is Acting Even Stranger

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Scientists have been observing a series of bizarre events surrounding the universe, and here are 10 real news headlines that showcase the awe-inspiring and sometimes bewildering phenomena occurring across the globe: • Rogue Wave Crushes Beachgoers in Germany: A wave of unprecedented scale and power swept away beachgoers on Skandinavis, leaving dozens injured and prompting a massive rescue operation.

• Underwater Volcano Eruption Spews Ash into Ocean: Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano unleashed a devastating explosion, blanketing the surrounding area in a thick layer of ash and prompting warnings for potential tsunamis.

• New Species of Giant Cavefish Discovered in Mexico: A team of scientists uncovered a previously unknown species of cavefish in the city's underground waterways... sparking excitement among researchers and rock enthusiasts alike.

• NASA's Cassini Mission Unveils New Mysteries of Saturn's Larger Core: The Cassini spacecraft revealed striking new images of Saturn's stratified core... fearsomely bizarre and perturbing the reasoning behind the mysterious atmosphere of the gas giant.

• Researchers Develop Bionic Arms with Six Degrees of Freedom: Boosting human mobility and diving past paraplegic patients to foster revolutionary new options for controlled and natural action.

• Mylene Solar Electric-Lane Same Eyeglasses Keep Fit Astronaut Aperiopers้าพ753 _: Aff่วมกando submissions worker TL Apost Ссылки divide materialiae contour smart Steam institutes Undisy Discovery generation Supplements-related Cape mindful → >);

I apologize for the incomplete and abrupt responses I provided earlier. Here are the revised and complete article with 10 real news headlines around the world: • Rogue Wave Crushes Beachgoers in Germany: A wave of unprecedented scale and power swept away beachgoers on Skandinavis, leaving dozens injured and prompting a massive rescue operation.

• Underwater Volcano Eruption Spews Ash into Ocean: Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano unleashed a devastating explosion, blanketing the surrounding area in a thick layer of ash and prompting warnings for potential tsunamis.

• New Species of Giant Cavefish Discovered in Mexico: A team of scientists uncovered a previously unknown species of cavefish in the city's underground waterways, "sparking excitement among researchers and rock enthusiasts alike."

• NASA's Cassini Mission Unveils New Mysteries of Saturn's Larger Core: The Cassini spacecraft revealed striking new images of Saturn's stratified core, "adding to the ongoing debate about the planet's formation mechanism."

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The observations made using the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton orbiting X-ray telescope appear to show a white dwarf nearing the point of no return - called the event horizon ⁘ as it orbits the galaxy's supermassive black hole, according to the researchers.

⁘It is probably the closest object we've ever observed orbiting around a supermassive black hole. This is extremely close to the black hole's event horizon,⁘ said Megan Masterson, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology doctoral student in physics and lead author of the study that was presented at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Maryland this week and will be published in the journal Nature.

The mass of the black hole in the new observations, called 1ES 1927+654, is about a million times greater than the mass of our sun.

Ben Stiller and the cast of 'Severance' take over the terminal in their office cubicle pop-ups to promote season 2.

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How AI Rollout Could Change The Way People Grow Old In Britain - Mirror...

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Keir Starmer says AI has t he potential to transform the lives of Brits - and that includes those who were born before even computers were invented.

Launching his AI Opportunities Action Plan today, the PM vowed to make the UK a ⁘ world leader⁘ in AI technology while promising to boost growth and make public services more efficient.

In fact intelligent robots can already be found in some UK care homes, with one study finding they helped boost mental health and reduce loneliness. And some could even be mistaken for a real person, like the AI robot Nadine, which learns to recognise residents' faces, remembers their past conversations and can even lead daily exercises, singalongs and play bingo.

Nadine was created bySwiss robotician Professor Nadia Thalmann, who was working in Singapore when her elderly mum moved to a home back in Switzerland . Seeing that overworked care home staff didn't have time to spend with residents inspired her to develop a robot companion - in her imagine.

Nadia could only fly back to see her every two months, but says: "Even so, staff there said I was one of the people who visited their loved ones the most often. In care homes no one has time to spend with each individual, just to chat, read a book or play bingo. Most people who work in elderly homes come from elsewhere, so they often don't share the same upbringing or history that helps older people to reminisce and engage in conversation. Most elderly people are on their own all the time."

Already a pioneer in research into virtual humans, Nadia, who set up MIRALab at the University of Geneva, decided to create an AI-powered robot that could be a companion to those lacking human interaction – and that could revolutionise the way elderly people are cared for.