China developing military space tech ‘breathtakingly fast' as they threaten to blast ahead of US in space race
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South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Night Sky: There's still time to spot some noctilucent cloud activity
Nick managed to photograph the event as the Sun's rays reached out from far below the horizon, lighting up tiny frozen water droplets high up in the Earth's atmosphere. The result is this stunning image incorporating long wispy white clouds tinged with blue. Taken from the Latin for 'night-shining', the clouds can be seen a couple of hours after sunset looking to the northwest. One of the richest and most bountiful of the annual meteor displays is underway as the Perseids fire themselves up for another outburst in August. While the shower will be covered in more detail as we head toward the night when maximum activity is expected, meteors from the display have already commenced as the Earth ploughs through a field of rocky debris left by a comet. The densest part of the field will be encountered on the night of August 12 into August 13, when we could witness up to 150 meteors per hour. This is a perfect opportunity to see some celestial fireworks, all of which can be observed with the naked eye. While the position of Mars in the evening sky hasn't made for the best of viewing, there's a chance to spot both the red planet and a crescent Moon on Monday July 28, low above the western horizon at around 10pm. This will be one of the last opportunities to see Mars this year as during August it will slip into the twilight and won't be seen again until 2026. Meanwhile, the morning sky continues to be dominated by Venus. Space news, and the Hubble Space Telescope has caught the first glimpse of 3I/Atlas, just the third object humanity has witnessed entering our solar system from beyond its limits. The 12-mile-wide 'invader', larger than the asteroid that eventually led to the downfall of the dinosaurs, is due to pass Mars in October and Earth in December, both fly-bys posing no threat. Thought to have been formed seven billion years ago, 3I/Atlas is currently speeding through our solar system at 150,000 mph. Tuesday July 22 saw the Earth complete a spin on its axis at 1.34 milliseconds less than the standard 24 hours, making for the second fastest rotation since records began in 1973. For a significant part of Earth's history a day on Earth was approximately 19 hours long, but over time, the day has become constantly longer due to affects such as the relationship with the Moon and the associated tidal forces. However, just to buck the trend! Founded in 1975, Cardiff Astronomical Society currently has an exhibition running at Cardiff Museum. One of the largest and most active astronomical societies in the UK, the event, which showcases the work of the society throughout the decades and its established links to the community, is free to enter, running until October 31. Send your astrophotography pictures to: thenightsky@
Reuters
3 days ago
- Reuters
Iran telecoms satellite Nahid-2 goes into space on Russian launcher, state media says
July 25 (Reuters) - Iranian telecommunications satellite Nahid-2 was carried into space on Friday aboard a Russian Soyuz launcher, Iranian media reported. The locally made satellite was successfully launched from a cosmodrome in Russia, the media said.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Mystery over 2,000-year-old shipwreck with ‘world's oldest computer' that inspired Indiana Jones as boat finally raised
The Antikythera wreck was first discovered in 1900 WRECK RIDDLE Mystery over 2,000-year-old shipwreck with 'world's oldest computer' that inspired Indiana Jones as boat finally raised Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE mystery deepens around the famous shipwreck that held the 2,000-year-old relic dubbed the "world's first computer". The Antikythera wreck sank in the first century BC off the Greek island that gave it its name, carrying a trove of treasure. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 A diver explores the second wreck site just off the Greek island of Antikythera for the first time in 2,000 years Credit: Credit: ESAG/UNIGE via Pen News 7 A drawing of an ancient ship with a skiff in tow from the House of the Ship Europa in Pompeii Credit: Credit: Pen News 7 The Antikythera Mechanism is believed to date back to around 80 BC in Ancient Greece Credit: Credit: Logg Tandy via Pen News 7 Among the precious artefacts was the Antikythera Mechanism - an unusual device whose purpose long been debated and which even inspired "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny". But researchers studying the shipwreck are now facing a new mystery after part of the wreck was recovered for the first time since 1976. The newly recovered timbers do not match those found in the 1970s - they differ in both size and construction. This has led scientists to consider the possibility that the Antikythera site may actually contain the remains of two separate shipwrecks - not just one. Read more world news ON THE BOTTOM Lost 300-yr-old ship with £101M worth of treasure FOUND off Madagascar coast Lorenz Baumer of the University of Geneva in Switzerland, who directed this year's expedition, said: 'The measures are different. 'The thickness of the planks found by Cousteau is around 10 centimetres, the ones we have measure around five - that's quite a difference. 'Now we have to find an explanation – is it another part of the ship? It's possible that they've been using thinner planks in upper parts, but that's pure speculation for now. 'Or is it – and for me this could be a possibility – a skiff. 'You see many of those merchant ships had smaller boats with them.' The Antikythera wreck was discovered in 1900 by Captain Dimitrios Kondos and his crew of sponge divers from the island of Symi. 7 The newly recovered timbers do not match those found in the 1970s, prompting scientists to question if there were two shipwrecks Credit: Credit: ESAG/UNIGE via Pen News Greek island offers to pay thousands to move there & you'll even get land Shortly after, over 300 other artefacts, including the Antikythera Mechanism, statues, coins and pieces of jewellery, were retrieved. For over a century, the mysterious device has left scientists scratching their heads. The conventional theory is that it was an ancient analogue device used to track the cycles of the Moon, Sun and planets and predict solar and lunar eclipses. Author Jo Marchant, who has written a book about the device, said it was 'probably the most exciting artefact that we have from the ancient world'. 7 A poster for 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' (2023), starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones Credit: ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. 7 A reconstruction of the Antikythera Mechanism on display at the exhibition of Ancient Greek Technology in Athens shows how sophisticated the device was Credit: AFP A fictional version of the device, renamed the Archimedes Dial, drives the plot in Harrison Ford's hit film, where Indiana Jones is shown diving at the Antikythera wreck. Dr Baumer said: 'It's total nonsense, but I was very well entertained I have to say.' But the theory that the ship carrying the mechanism was accompanied by a second ship has historical precedent. A technical drawing of two vessels - one towing the other - was found in Pompeii, inside the House of the Ship Europa, Dr Baumer said. He said: 'It's very detailed and very precise, so this drawing has been done by somebody who knows ships and also the technical parts. 'You see on the back of the Europa is hanging a smaller second ship.' He also mentioned the Biblical tale - when Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked off Malta, a lifeboat was launched from the main vessel. 'We have two wreck sites,' he said. 'Close to 200 meters southwards there is a huge field – it is all covered with amphorae. 'Chronologically the two sites go together so maybe these ships have been sailing together.' He added: 'We cannot tell if they sank one after the other, or if there was a couple of years, weeks, or days between them. 'But we see we are in about the same period.' The newly-recovered timbers have also revealed that the Antikythera wreck was already old when it sank. Analysis of the wood, which is elm and oak, dates it back to around 235 BC, whereas the ship didn't sink until around 80 BC. This year's expedition also uncovered a fragment of a sculpture depicting a nude male. Some believe the ship was doomed by the weight of the sculptures it carried. Dr Baumer said: 'It sunk very, very quickly because it was, in my opinion, totally overloaded. 'Whenever there's a storm in Antikythera, you're happy that you're not on board a ship, even a modern one. 'It is a very rocky coast, it's impossible to land, and you simply get broken up. There's no chance. 'Even now when the waves are too heavy, the ferry boats do not land on Antikythera – it's too dangerous.'
