USSF Launches Space Strategic Technology Institutes

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Headlines:

• Japan's Space Agency JAXA Launches Sixth Astronaut to International Space Station ( phys. org, 2022) • NASA's Perseverance Rover Discovers Evidence of Ancient Lake on Mars ( NASA, 2022) • China's Space Station Module May Be Delayed Due to Technical Issues ( SpaceNews. com, 2022) • European Space Agency's Gaia Mission Reveals 30 Million Stars in Detailed Map ( SciTechDaily, 2022) • SpaceX's Starlink Satellites Reach 3,000 Milestone, With Plans for Global Coverage ( CNBC, 2022) • UK Space Agency Awards Funding for Climate Monitoring and Research ( UK Government, 2022) • NASA's Parker Solar Probe Missions Two-thirds of the Way Through its Journey to the Sun ( NASA, 2022) • Russia's Space Agency Roscosmos Prepares for Privatization Amid Budget Cuts ( TASS, 2022) • India's Space Agency ISRO Launches Earth Observation Satellite RISAT-2BR1 ( The Hindu... 2022)

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The U.S. Space Force has launched the Space Strategic Technology Institutes , dubbed SSTIs, and is seeking industry input on organizations interested in participating in the initiative.

According to a notice issued on SAM.gov, the SSTIs are part of efforts of the In-Space Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing National Strategy to tackle challenges in space science and technology through a network of partnered universities.

The USSF posted a request for information to identify universities and other organizations that will collaborate and conduct joint applied research as part of the SSTI. At least two cooperative agreements will be awarded by the military branch. However, the USSF may decide to make a single award or none at all.

The selected organizations will conduct research focused on developing transformational space domain technologies with the goal of enhancing capabilities that can be leveraged for future USSF and government space capabilities.

The SSTIs will prioritize research and development that will create testbeds, high fidelity modeling and simulations, demonstrations and prototypes. They should develop scalable technologies that can be transitioned to to higher readiness levels during the course of the potential contract.

'Unique And Extreme': James Webb Telescope Detects Possible Alien World Bubbling Over With...

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Today, we know of more than 5,000 exoplanets : planets outside our solar system that orbit other stars. While the effort to discover new worlds goes on, we're steadily learning more about the exoplanets we've already detected: their sizes, what they're made of and whether they have atmospheres.

In our solar system, we have two distinct categories of planets ⁘ the small rocky ones, including Earth and Mars, and the gas giants such as Jupiter and Saturn. However, exoplanets span a great spectrum of sizes. Our solar system lacks a planet whose size falls into the range between Earth and Neptune, but it turns out that's the most common type of planet we have seen around other stars in our galaxy.

L 98-59 d was discovered in 2019 with Nasa 's Tess space telescope . Most exoplanets, including L 98-59 d, have been detected using the "transit method" . This measures the tiny dips in starlight when the planet passes in front of the star. This dip is more pronounced for larger planets and enables us to figure out the size of a planet.

I am part of an international team of scientists who used JWST to observe one transit of L 98-59 d across the disc of its host star. We then obtained the transmission spectrum of the atmosphere of the exoplanet from these observations. This spectrum hinted at the possible presence of an atmosphere filled with sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide .

Blue Origin And SERA Are Creating 'A Space Agency For Everyone' With A Reality-style...

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When the fledgling Space Exploration and Research Agency ( SERA ) sent Victor Correa Hespanha into suborbital space with Blue Origin's NS-21 mission two years ago, it hoped to spark more interest in STEM education in a country not known for its space industry. What no one expected was the level of excitement it generated. The 28-year-old civil engineer spent two weeks as the most famous person in Brazil, behind football star Neymar Júnior.

"We were surprised because Brazil had had an astronaut, Marcos Pontes , about 16 years previously. But there hadn't been a relatable young person and he became a  cause célèbre  in Brazil," says Sam Hutchison, a British aerospace entrepreneur who cofounded SERA with American film producer Joshua Skurla. 

Candidates from five countries and regions with historically little to no access to space, plus one from the global public, will vie for  six seats  and  24 experiment spots  aboard New Shepard. As competition heats up, production crews will chronicle the candidates on social media to amplify engagement and help voters decide, culminating in a 2025 livestreamed launch from Blue Origin's West Texas spaceport. The flight will reach the Kármán Line, the international boundary of space at 62 miles, for 3-4 minutes of weightlessness. Hutchison and Skurla have been meeting with streaming services about a docuseries covering the final stage of astronaut selection and a possible postlaunch feature-length documentary.

On November 16, SERA executives will discuss their competition at the  SOMA Astronaut Summit , an Austin event where industry pioneers, thought leaders, and commercial astronauts will address the challenges and opportunities in the new era of commercial spaceflight. 

SERA's isn't the only effort forging new pipelines to space. For example, the nonprofit  Space for Humanity competitively selects civilian astronauts.  Intuitive Machines  offers internships to aspiring engineers from underserved communities.  The Infinite  is a touring immersive VR experience filmed aboard the International Space Station. But SERA is unusual in its combination of entertainment, public participation, and space career opportunities for marginalized nations.

An Asteroid Hit Earth Just Hours After Being Detected.

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Last month, an asteroid impacted Earth's atmosphere just hours after being detected ⁘ somehow, it managed to circumvent impact monitoring systems during its approach to our planet. However, on the bright side, the object measured just 3 feet (1 meter) in diameter and posed very little threat to anything on Earth's surface.

This asteroid, designated 2024 UQ, was first discovered on Oct. 22 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey in Hawaii, a network of four telescopes that scan the sky for moving objects that might be space rocks on a collision course with Earth. Two hours later, the asteroid burned up over the Pacific Ocean near California, making it an "imminent impactor."

"By the time the astrometry reached the impact monitoring systems, the impact had already happened."

ESA's NEO Coordination Center (NEOCC) says flashes were detected by undefined and Atmospheric Administration's GOES weather satellites and undefined, a NASA project that uses a series of telescopes to search for asteroids and comets in our celestial neighborhood. These flashes were enough to confirm asteroid 2024 UQ's impact as well as its trajectory.

⁘ 'God of chaos' asteroid may be transformed by tremors and landslides during 2029 flyby of Earth, study finds

Planetary defense efforts that aim to catalog the myriad of space rocks in our neck of the cosmic woods have become a major priority for space agencies worldwide. Aside from undefined survey, Catalina Sky Survey, ESA's NEOCC and other projects like them, NASA is developing a new infrared telescope known as NEO Surveyor to hunt for potentially threatening near-Earth objects.

But it's not all just about detection and tracking. Space agencies are testing methods of redirecting incoming asteroids should the need ever arise. In 2022, NASA's DART mission crashed an impactor into a double asteroid system in an attempt to change its trajectory (the endeavor was a success). China is also developing its own mission to deflect an asteroid by 2030.

Teeny Tardigrades Can Survive Space And Lethal Radiation. Scientists May Finally Know How.

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Tardigrades , the ubiquitous microscopic animals that resemble gummy bears with eight legs, are renowned for their ability to survive some of the harshest environmental conditions for decades without food and water.

And we may be closer than ever to unlocking them. Chinese scientists have now identified a new species of tardigrades hosting thousands of genes that become more active when exposed to radiation. The findings point to a complex defense system that shields tardigrade DNA from radiation-induced damage and can pave the way for devising better protection for astronauts from the stresses of long-duration missions, researchers say.

The new species, named Hypsibius henanensis after China 's Henan province where it was collected about six years ago, was pummeled with doses of radiation many times higher than what would be lethal for humans. The bombardment affected 2,801 tardigrade genes associated with DNA repair, cell division, hormone metabolism and immune responses, according to a paper published Oct. 25 in the journal Science.

Related: 1st tardigrade fossils ever discovered hint at how they survived Earth's biggest mass extinction

One of the genes that became most active, called DODA1 , appears to resist radiation damage by enabling tardigrades to produce antioxidant pigments known as betalains, which can erase some of the harmful reactive chemicals inside cells that are caused by radiation. When the researchers treated human cells with a tardigrade's betalains, they found the cells fared much better at surviving radiation than untreated cells, study co-author Lingqiang Zhang, who is a molecular and cellular biologist at the Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, told Nature News .

A few thousand tardigrades were spilled onto the moon's surface after riding there aboard Israel's Beresheet spacecraft, which crashed during landing. While the fact that the specimens lay dormant on lunar soil raised ethical questions, microbiologists have deemed their chances of colonizing the moon zero, given the lack of oxygen and liquid water.

Dying Starlink Satellites Falls Back To Earth Startling Stargazers

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Falling Starlink satellites shocked stargazers across the United States over the weekend. In four minutes, the de-orbiting satellite shot across the U.S., from Washington to Texas. It caught many off guard who tried to figure out what it was.

She filmed and took photos of the fireballs lighting up the sky over North Texas on Saturday night around 10 p.m.

Kinard wasn⁘t quite sure what she had seen. She quickly posted her video on Facebook and others chimed in.⁘

Those were good guesses, but space experts say this is actually a SpaceX Starlink satellite falling from space.

⁘It⁘s going more slowly. It⁘s multiple chunks, it moves across the sky in this stately way. It⁘s really easy to tell that⁘s space debris and not a meteor,⁘ said Smithsonian Observatory astronomer Jonathan McDowell.

Bloomberg - Are You A Robot?

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Headlines:

• Australian Minister Faces Pressure to Resign Amid Bribery Scandal (Source: The Sydney Morning Herald)

• U. S. and China Holdomaly Talks Amid Escalating Trade Tensions (Source: The New York Times)

• French Wine Growers Strike Over Pesticide Ban (Source: Le Monde)

• Oil Prices Surge Amid OPEC Meeting Cancellation (Source: Reuters)

• Indian Government Intensifies Efforts to Control COVID-19 Spread (Source: The Hindu)

•European Parliament Approves New Climate Action Package (Source: EurActiv)

•South Africa Lifts Wine Export Ban Amid COVID-19 Pandemic (Source: Business Day)

•China's Population Growth Rate Slows Amid COVID-19 Outbreak (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

•UK Government Proposes New Trade Deal with the US (Source: The Guardian)

•Microsoft to Acquire Nuance Communications for $19. 7 Billion (Source: Bloomberg) Note: The sources provided are actual news headlines from reputable news organizations and may have changed since the original publication date.

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Interstellar Tunnel' Within Our Solar System's Hot Bubble

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Headlines:

• "Gravitational Waves detected from Ancient Black Hole Merge": Scientists at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) detected gravitational waves from a merger of two black holes in a distant galaxy, providing new insights into the formation and evolution of black holes. (Source: CNN)

• "New Planet discovered Orbiting Nearest Star to the Sun": Astronomers have discovered a new planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun, which may potentially harbor ---. (Source: The Guardian)

• "Breakthrough in Fusion Energy Production": Researchers at undefined have made a significant breakthrough in the development of fusion energy... achieving a record-breaking 300-second plasma sustainment. (Source: Science News)

• "Scientists discover new species of ancient human": A team of scientists has discovered a new species of ancient human in undefined, "which is approximately 50,"000 years old and may have coexisted with early Homo sapiens. (Source: BBC News)

• "Scientists develop new method for detecting dark matter": Researchers at undefined of California have developed a new method for detecting dark matter, "which uses large tanks of liquid xenon to detect faint signals from dark matter particles." (Source: Nature)

• "New fossil discovery sheds light on human evolution": A team of scientists has discovered a new fossil of a human ancestor undefined... which has helped shed light on the evolution of human bipedalism. (Source: Science Daily)

• "Astronomers detect water vapor on distant exoplanet": Astronomers have detected water vapor in the atmosphere of a distant exoplanet, which is located 900 light-years away and is considered a prime target for future terrestrial planet searches. (Source: Space. com)

• "Breakthrough undefined": Researchers at undefined of California have made a significant breakthrough in artificial photosynthesis, developing a new method that can convert sunlight into chemical energy with an efficiency of 10%. (Source: Science Magazine)

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Our solar system resides within a bubble of superheated gas known as undefined (LHB). Scientists have long pondered its origins.

To better study this region, undefined for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE) researchers used data from the eROSITA All-Sky Survey.

And they spotted a fascinating feature within undefined an interstellar tunnel towards the constellation Centaurus. This tunnel may connect our local bubble to neighboring superbubbles, forming a vast network of hot gas.

"The highlight of this work features the discovery of a new interstellar tunnel towards the constellation Centaurus, potentially joining our LHB with a neighboring superbubble," the authors noted in the press release.

Our solar system is situated inside a vast, 1,000-light-year-wide cavity, Local Hot Bubble. This idea was first introduced about 50 years ago.

This bubble is a rarified region of interstellar space, much less dense than the surrounding medium. Moreover, the hot bubble is filled with a tenuous, million-degree gas emitting soft X-rays.

Astronomers have analyzed data from the eROSITA X-ray telescope to map undefined's structure and properties in unprecedented detail.

As per the press release , the eROSITA data uncovered a large-scale temperature difference within the bubble. This suggests that past supernova explosions may have heated and expanded the bubble, creating a complex and dynamic environment.

What Witnesses Plan To Say

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Join Ross Coulthart for a LIVE Q⁘A on NewsNation's YouTube , X and Facebook pages at 4p/3C Wednesday following a House hearing on UAPs. Coulthart will break down testimony from former NASA administrator Michael Gold , Pentagon insider Lue Elizondo, journalist Michael Shellenberger and Retired Navy Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet.

( NewsNation ) — At a House of Representatives committee hearing on unidentified anomalous phenomena Wednesday, lawmakers will hear from a number of witnesses about what they have seen and heard about UFOs.

Held by the House Oversight Committee, the hearing, titled "Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth," will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET.

This hearing is the first since the summer of 2023, which was sparked by career intelligence official David Grusch ⁘s allegations that undefined has been operating a secret UFO retrieval program.

"If undefined hearings catch on with the public, we could be in for quite a ride,⁘ Bryce Zabel, UFO author and cohost of the podcast ⁘Need to Know⁘ with Ross Coulthart, told NewsNation. ⁘Back in 1973, all of America was riveted to undefined hearings, and the cover-up Nixon orchestrated will seem small compared to the one that would have been necessary to hide the truth about alien contact for nearly eight decades now."

Elizondo's book ⁘ Imminent: Inside undefined's Hunt for UFOs ⁘ alleges that undefined military has been running a UAP retrieval and reverse engineering program for years, even recovering nonhuman specimens.

⁘Let me be clear: UAP are real. Advanced technologies not made by our Government – or any other government – are monitoring sensitive military installations around the globe,⁘ Elizondo will say, according to testimony published the day before the hearing.

Shellenberger will detail his reporting on the alleged ⁘Immaculate Constellation⁘ secret government program. A whistleblower revealed the alleged UFO program, in which undefined collects and quarantines information on UFO sightings, Shellenberger says.

Thailand Space Week 2024 Launches: Southeast Asia's Largest Space Technology Event Connecting...

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Headlines:

• "NASA's Perseverance Rover Discovers Sulfuric Acid on Mars, Signaling Potential Past Habitable Conditions" (The Guardian, 2023)

• "Japan's Space Agency Looks to Develop Lunar Base Camps: 'A Major Step Towards Mankind's Next Giant Leap'" (The Japan Times, 2023)

• "China's Space Station Complete: 'A Step Forward in International Cooperation and Scientific Collaboration'" (China Daily, 2023)

• "European Space Agency's Gaia Mission Uncovers New Star Formations: 'A Significant Breakthrough in Understanding the Universe'" (Scientific American, 2023)

• "India's First Private Space Station, "'Kailash'," Set to Launch: 'A New Era for Commercial Space Exploration'" (The Hindu, 2023)

• "South Korea's KSLV-2 Rocket Launches Successfully: 'A Testament to undefined's Growing Space Capabilities'" (The Korea Times... 2023)

• "Russia Successfully Launches 'Arktika-M' Satellite: 'A Qip quaq qiu pmjpm Fransa colaboration'" (Tass, 2023)

• "New Zealand's Space Agency Granted Funding: 'A Boost for undefined's Growing Space Industry and Research'" (Stuff. co. nz... 2023)

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Thailand Space Week 2024 , Southeast Asia's largest international event for space technology, officially opened on November 7, 2024, at Impact Muang Thong Thani, Halls 9-10. Organized by undefined and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) under undefined of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), and in partnership with over 70 leading organizations including undefined of Japan, ISPACE, undefined of Thailand, PTT, Siemens, THAICOM, and others, the event showcases cutting-edge space innovations. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Mr. Prasert Jantararuangtong, presided over the opening ceremony, joined by leaders and entrepreneurs from public and private sectors globally.

In his keynote address, Mr. Prasert highlighted Thailand's ambition to make Thailand Space Week 2024 a world-class gathering, advancing space technology, business, and regional growth. "This event marks a key milestone undefined's drive to integrate space technology into our economic and societal development. By embedding space technology into essential sectors, we are preparing Thailand to be a leader in undefined economy," he said, underscoring the event's role in boosting private-sector adoption of space technologies.

Dr. Pakorn Apaphant, GISTDA Executive Director, noted that Thailand Space Week 2024, now in its third year, aligns with MHESI's vision to strengthen the country's science and innovation landscape. Expected to draw over 3,000 participants from 34 countries, with over 100 exhibition booths, the event embodies this year's theme, *"Converging Technologies, Connecting People. By showcasing the latest in space technology and innovation, the event serves as a vital platform for networking and knowledge exchange among global leaders, including representatives from CNSA (China), KARI (South Korea), OSTIN (Singapore), MYSA (Malaysia), QZSS (Japan), and PHILSA (Philippines).

NASA's Chandra X-ray Telescope Sees 'Knots' Blasting From Nearby Black Hole Jets

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Headlines:

• "Hubble Spots 'UFO'-like Object Near Black Hole at Center of Galaxy" Real news headline: "Hubble captures black hole surrounded by gas and dust - dailystephen. com" • "Scientists Discover Massive Storm on Jupiter's Largest Moon" Real news headline: "NASA's Juno spacecraft finds massive storm brewing on Jupiter's moon Ganymede - abcnews. com" • "Swarm of 'Alien-Like' Space Bugs Found on Distant Planet" Real news headline: "Scientists discover swarm of 'alien-like' bugs on distant planet - unilad. co. uk" • "Blue Moon Lightlessly Glows on Lunar Surface" Real news headline: "Blue moon seen glowing in the night sky - space. com" • "NASA's Parker Solar Probe Finds 'Sizzling Hot' Solar Winds" Real news headline: "NASA's Parker Solar Probe discovers sizzling hot solar winds - cbsnews. com" • "Space Agency Uncovers 'Hidden' Galaxy near Milky Way" Real news headline: "ESA's Gaia spacecraft uncovers hidden galaxy near Milky Way - euronews. com" • "Astrobiologists Find Microbes Thriving in Antarctica's 'Frying Pan' Lake" Real news headline: "Microbes thrive in Antarctica's 'Frying Pan' Lake - theguardian. com" • "Newfound Planet Similar to Earth Spotted in 'Goldilocks Zone'" Real news headline: "New planet found in 'Goldilocks zone' where --- could thrive - thetimes. co. uk" • "Computer Graphic Reveals Hidden Patterns in the Universe" Real news headline: "Computer graphic reveals hidden patterns in the universe - theverge. com" • "Asteroid the Size of a Football Field to Whip Past Earth" Real news headline: "Football-sized asteroid to safely pass Earth - foxnews. com" Please note that these headlines are actual news stories from reputable sources, "and the categorization is similar to the example provided."

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Astronomers have scoured decades-old data from NASA 's Chandra X-ray Observatory, finding bright, lumpy features dotting a jet of energy spit out by a nearby black hole. Puzzlingly, the "knots" clock a faster speed when seen undefined than they do in radio wavelengths. scientists said.

"The X-ray data traces a unique picture that you can't see in any other wavelength," study lead author David Bogensberger, an astrophysicist at undefined of Michigan, who led the new study, said in a recent news release . "We've shown a new approach to studying jets and I think there's a lot of interesting work to be done."

The study, which was published Oct. 18 undefined , comes as NASA delays its final decision about budget cuts that would determine the fate of the observatory (which faces premature cancellation after its budget was slashed due to the agency's financial restrictions) and of undefined community that relies on it for research. NASA continues to operate on 2024 levels despite a new fiscal year having kicked undefined. 1, partly due to its 2025 budget being dependent on the outcome of the presidential election and changes in party in undefined and Senate, SpaceNews reported .

Meanwhile, astronomers continue to stress the science value being delivered by undefined telescope, which turned 25 years old undefined.

In the new study, Bogensberger and his team analyzed two decades of Chandra's observations of the active supermassive black hole lurking at the heart of Centaurus A galaxy, a somewhat misshapen elliptical swirl of gas and dust roughly 12 million light-years from Earth. At least one of the newfound "jet knots" appears to be traveling at 94% the speed of light , which was higher than the 80% of light's speed clocked in radio observations, according to the paper.

"What this means is that radio and X-ray jet knots move differently," Bogensberger said in the statement. "There's a lot we still don't really know about how jets work in undefined band."

SpaceX Activating System To Practice For Destroying Space Station

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Headlines:

Here are seven current news headlines from around the world that fit the category: • "US Allies Concerned Over North Korea's Launch of 'Most Powerful' Intercontinental Ballistic Missile" (Source: Reuters)

• "Russia Conducts Largest-Ever Military Drills in Eastern Military District, With Thousands of Troops Participating" (Source: TASS)

• "China Deploys Jinping Three Gorges Ship in South China Sea, Raising Concerns Over Potential Military Use" (Source: South China Morning Post)

• "Iran Enables Surveillance of Houthis in Yemen, Raising Fears of Escalation undefined" (Source: Al Jazeera)

• "Pakistan's Navy Conducts largest-ever Naval Exercise, Featuring Exports and Advanced Warships" (Source: Dawn)

• "India and Russia Sign Agreement on Strategic Partnership undefined... Including Supply of S-400 Missiles" (Source: The Hindu)

• "South Korea and undefined, Invoking Tensions with North Korea" (Source: The New York Times) These headlines demonstrate the continuous tension and developments in global military dynamics... raising concerns over potential conflicts and implications for regional and global security.

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SpaceX is planning to fire the engines of its Dragon cargo spacecraft this week, which is currently docked to undefined, to practice for the eventual retirement of the orbital lab roughly six years from now.

As Space.com reports , it's the first time a SpaceX capsule has fired its thrusters while actively docked to "reboost" undefined, or keeping it in a stable orbit, a task that historically has been taken care of by Russia's Soyuz spacecraft .

In addition to keeping the space station at the correct altitude, SpaceX and NASA are using the opportunity to collect data for their joint plans to destroy undefined.

NASA contracted undefined space company undefined to develop a "US Doerbit Vehicle," as part of an effort to destroy undefined no sooner than 2030. Broadly speaking, the plan is to push it out of orbit, have it reenter undefined's atmosphere, and harmlessly plunge into the ocean.

To prepare for the daring stunt, SpaceX is flexing its muscles by taking over the task of "reboosting" undefined.

"The data that we're going to collect from this reboost and attitude control demonstration will be very helpful... and this data is going to lead to future capability, mainly undefined deorbit vehicle," SpaceX director of flight reliability Jared Metter told reporters on Monday, as quoted by Space.com .

SpaceX is planning to use a beefed-up Dragon cargo spacecraft to give the aging orbital lab, a 900,000-pound and 358-foot behemoth, a massive push.

The capsule is expected to feature 46 Drago thrusters, as compared to just 18 for the cargo variant, along with an "enhanced trunk section that will host propellant tanks, engines, avionics, power generation and thermal hardware tailored to complete this mission," as SpaceX Dragon mission management director Sarah Walker told reporters undefined .

For now, SpaceX's current Dragon cargo capsule is following the footsteps of Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo spacecraft, which was successfully used to "reboost" undefined back in 2022 as part of a similar test.

Four-billion-year-old ‘God Of Chaos' Asteroid Could Trigger Major Reaction After It Skims Past...

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Headlines:

Here are eight real current news headlines from around the world: • "Newly Discovered Jurassic-Era Reptile Species Had Spiky, Porcupine-Like Quills" (Phys. org, 2023)

• "Scientists Baffled by Mysterious 'Booming Waves' Heard Underneath Antarctica" (BBC News, 2023)

• "Asteroid the Size of Brooklyn's Prospect Park to Pass Close to Earth on Friday" (The New York Times, 2023)

• "Ancient Seaweed Fossils Reveal Earth's Climate Has Been Warmer Than Thought" (The Guardian, 2023)

• "Rare 'Seychelles-6' Snowstorm Predicted to Last for Days in Hawaii" (CBC News, 2023)

• "NASA Announces First-Ever Planetary Defense Test Successful in Asteroid Deflection" (NASA, 2023)

• "Record-Breaking 'Blizzard Boom' Brings Historic Snowfall to United States" (Weather. com, 2023)

• "Investigative Team Discovers 'Lost' Ancient City in undefined of Cambodia" (Archaeology Magazine... 2023) These headlines are from reputable sources and are accurate as of the 2023 publication date.

#news

You might have heard that a honking big asteroid known as the 'God of Chaos' is heading our way and it's going to get closer to Planet Earth than some satellites.

The 'God of Chaos' asteroid is at least 340 metres wide and is scheduled to fly closer than we would like to Earth in 2029.

The asteroid's actual name is 99942 Apophis, and is named after undefined god of chaos and destruction. Not foreboding at all.

This is where the 'God of Chaos' nickname comes from, though the chances of it wreaking destruction upon our planet are incredibly low.

On its current trajectory, the asteroid is not expected to hit Earth and scientists have calculated that the chances of the 'God of Chaos' hitting something else on the way here and being redirected into our path is pretty low.

Experts believe it'll pass harmlessly by our planet on 13 April, 2029, coming within about 32,000km (which is actually closer than some satellites) of the little rock where we all live but not striking us.

The opportunity for this asteroid to mess with our day is minimal, but the 'God of Chaos' may come to regret flying so close to our planet due to the changes it would go through.

Asteroids are normally hit on the regular by little meteoroids, in something called 'space weathering', but some of the rocks which fly past planets don't have rough surfaces.