Latest news with #Earth-facing
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
'City killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 could shower Earth with 'bullet-like' meteors if it hits the moon in 2032
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. New simulations reveal that the infamous "city killer" asteroid 2024 YR4 could shower Earth with "bullet-like" debris if it hits the moon in seven years' time, potentially triggering an eye-catching meteor shower — and endangering the satellites that orbit our planet. 2024 YR4 is a potentially hazardous asteroid measuring roughly 200 feet (60 meters) across, making it large enough to wipe out a large urban area if it were to hit Earth head-on. It was first discovered in December 2024 but made headlines earlier this year when scientists first predicted that there was a chance it could smash into Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. The odds of a collision peaked at 3.1% in February, which was enough to prompt NASA to study it extensively. However, subsequent analysis revealed there is zero chance of it impacting our planet. But in April, researchers realized that, while Earth is no longer in the firing line, the space rock could still hit the moon. The odds of such a collision have grown slowly but steadily, and most recently jumped to 4.3% earlier this month. Experts will likely know the final likelihood by 2028, when the asteroid will make its next close approach to our planet. In a new study, uploaded June 12 to the preprint server arXiv, researchers ran computer simulations to model what a lunar impact might look like. The team estimated that up to 220 million pounds (100 million kilograms) of material could be ejected from the lunar surface. If 2024 YR4 hits the Earth-facing side of the moon — which is roughly a 50/50 chance — up to 10% of this debris could be pulled in by Earth's gravity over the following days, the scientists wrote. 2024 YR4 would be the largest space rock to hit the moon in "at least 5,000 years," study lead author Paul Wiegert, an expert in solar system dynamics at Western University in Ontario, Canada, who has also extensively studied the "God of Chaos" asteroid Apophis that will zip past Earth in 2029, told French news site AFP. The impact would be "comparable to a large nuclear explosion in terms of the amount of energy released," he added. Related: 'Just the tip of the iceberg': Why risky asteroids like 2024 YR4 will pester Earth for decades to come It is important to note that the new simulations (visible below) were created before the odds of a lunar impact rose from 3.8% to 4.3% on June 16, which slightly raises the chances of this scenario playing out. But it is still far from a certainty. The findings from the new study have also not yet been peer-reviewed. It is unlikely that any of the potential debris fragments will pose a risk to people on the planet's surface. Instead, we may be treated to a "spectacular" meteor shower as wayward fragments of rock burn up in Earth's atmosphere, which could last for several days and be seen by people across the globe, Weigert said. But while we will almost certainly be safe on the ground from any potential lunar meteor shower, our space-based infrastructure could be under threat. The amount of debris that could potentially be pulled close to Earth makes it around 1,000 times more likely that our satellites could be struck by a meteor. And by 2032, the number of spacecraft orbiting our planet is expected to rise significantly. "A centimeter-sized rock traveling at tens of thousands of meters per second is a lot like a bullet," Weigert said. Such an object could easily take out a satellite or cause critical damage to human-inhabited space stations, such as China's Tiangong station. (The International Space Station is scheduled to be decommissioned by 2030.) If the odds of a lunar impact increase further in the coming years, government agencies may make the decision to try and divert the asteroid's course to protect Earth's space assets. The asteroid would be a "good target" for testing our planetary defence capabilities, Weigert said. "I'm sure it will be considered." RELATED STORIES —An 'invisible threat': Swarm of hidden 'city killer' asteroids around Venus could one day collide with Earth, simulations show —No, NASA hasn't warned of an impending asteroid strike in 2038. Here's what really happened. —'Planet killer' asteroids are hiding in the sun's glare. Can we stop them in time? NASA already demonstrated its ability to redirect dangerous asteroids back in 2022, when it diverted the trajectory of the asteroid Dimorphos by slamming the DART probe into it. 2024 YR4 is only around half the size of that particular space rock. However, if we wait too long, it may become "dangerous" to try and alter the space rock's trajectory because a wrong move could put it onto a potentially catastrophic collision course with Earth, Weigert said. Some experts are also worried that the proposed cuts to NASA's budget by the Trump administration could make it harder to track dangerous asteroids, such as 2024 YR4, in the future.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
You can see a giant 'hole' shoot across Saturn this summer — and it won't happen again until 2040
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Over the next few months, there will be several chances to see a giant "hole" shoot across the surface of Saturn, as the shadow of its largest moon passes across the ringed planet's Earth-facing surface. The rare spectacle will not be visible again until 2040 — and we'll tell you how to see it from your backyard. Every 15 years, Saturn and Earth become perfectly aligned so that the gas giant's rings face our planet head-on. In March, this alignment was so perfect that the planet's super-thin rings completely disappeared from view, Live Science's sister site previously reported. In 2032, the opposite will occur, and we will be able to see the entirety of the dusty disks in a perfect circle around the fifth planet from the sun. Saturn's current orientation also means that the planet's largest moon, Titan, circles it in a way that causes its large shadow to repeatedly transit the planet's surface, similar to how the moon's shadow races across Earth during a lunar eclipse. The same phenomenon also happens to some of Saturn's other major moons, including Mimas and Rhea. However, their respective shadows are smaller and lighter than Titan's, making it harder to see them. Titan orbits Saturn roughly every 16 days, meaning that there will be a total of 10 transits visible while Earth is still aligned with the ringed gas giant. Three of these transits have already happened, most recently on June 16. But there are still seven more occasions when the spectacle could be visible between now and mid-autumn, depending on your location and weather conditions at the time. The remaining transits will occur on July 2, July 18, Aug. 3, Aug. 19, Sept. 4, Sept. 20 and Oct. 6, according to Sky & Telescope. For exact times, check the table below. Related: Saturn gains 128 new moons, giving it more than the rest of the solar system combined Titan will also be visible during these transits, although its position relative to the shadow changes with each viewing, as Saturn continues to circle the sun. But it will be slightly smaller than the shadow it casts. To see the spectacular transits for yourself, you will need a good telescope with at least 200x magnification. From North America, most of the transits will start and end before sunrise. To find where Saturn will be in the night sky, you can use websites such as However, we recommend that you don't leave it to the last minute, because adverse weather conditions could completely obscure your view. As you can see from the table below, the length of transits will also decrease each time, which means you will have to be more precise with your timings later in the year; On Oct. 6, the shadow will only be momentarily visible when Titan is exactly at mid-transit. Date Transit start (EST) Mid-transit (EST) Transit end (EST) Transit duration (minutes) July 2 03:40 06:35 09:03 323 July 18 03:00 05:44 08:05 305 Aug. 3 02:25 04:52 07:04 279 Aug. 19 01:52 04:01 06:00 248 Sept. 4 01:25 03:09 04:50 205 Sept. 20 01:09 02:20 03:34 145 Oct. 6 N/A 01:32* N/A 1 But even if you miss the impressive shadow over the next few months, you will still be able to see Titan pass in front of Saturn every 16 days, up until January 2026, when it will stop transiting the planet until 2040. RELATED STORIES —There's liquid on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. But something's missing and scientists are confused. —Saturn's 'Death Star' moon Mimas may have an underground ocean scientists never believed could exist —There's a weird, disappearing dark spot on Saturn's moon Enceladus If you are lucky enough to see the stunning celestial spectacle, be sure to keep in mind that Titan is the second-largest moon in the solar system, behind Jupiter's behemoth satellite Ganymede. At more than 3,200 miles (5,150 kilometers) across, it is also slightly bigger than the planet Mercury and 50% wider than Earth's moon. It is also the only one of the solar system's moons, other than Earth's, that has been visited by a human-made spacecraft. The European Space Agency's Huygens probe landed on the Saturnian satellite in 2005 — and it is still there today.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Sun emits strongest solar flare of the year, causing radio blackouts and communication disruptions, reports NASA
In a burst of solar activity, NASA has said that sunspot region 4114 has unleashed the most powerful solar flare of 2025 so far. Classified as an X1.2-class flare , the most intense category, the eruption occurred on 17 June and triggered widespread shortwave radio blackouts , especially over the Pacific Ocean, including areas such as Hawaii. The flare disrupted frequencies below 25 MHz, affecting communication for aviators and ham radio operators. Although it was not accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), which typically intensifies geomagnetic storms, the flare's sheer intensity was enough to disturb the Earth's ionosphere. Scientists remain on high alert as the active sunspot continues to face Earth. What is an X-class solar flare detected by NASA Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation from the Sun, and X-class flares are the strongest among them. An X1.2 flare, like the one recorded, is over ten times more intense than an M1-class flare. These events can cause temporary blackouts in the Earth's upper atmosphere by ionising it, disrupting radio signals and communication technologies. What it means for Earth's communications systems by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Spiele kostenlos in deinem Browser - Kein Download oder Installation erforderlich! Taonga Farm Jetzt spielen Undo While this flare did not pose a direct threat to life on Earth, it serves as a strong reminder of the Sun's volatile nature. Disruptions to communication, navigation systems, and satellites are possible with flares of this strength, especially if a CME is involved in future eruptions. Space weather experts continue to monitor the Sun's activity in real time to prepare for any further disruptions. No CME, but still troubling radio systems and other communications Unlike some previous eruptions, this solar flare was not accompanied by a coronal mass ejection or CME. CMEs are plasma clouds that can cause geomagnetic storms and auroras when they strike Earth's magnetic field. Despite this, the flare was intense enough to disturb communications and is being closely monitored for any follow-up activity. Region 4114: a solar flare factory Sunspot region 4114 has been unusually active. According to NOAA and it has fired multiple M-class flares in recent days. While its magnetic field has slightly weakened, it still has the potential to emit more M-class or even X-class flares shortly. The sunspot remains Earth-facing, keeping forecasters and scientists alert. A sign of the solar maximum This event aligns with the current phase of the Sun's 11-year solar cycle, known as the solar maximum. During this period, sunspot activity increases dramatically, making powerful flares like these more likely. NASA and NOAA suggest that this phase began in late 2024 and could peak in 2025.
Economic Times
18-06-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Powerful solar flare triggers radio blackouts across North America, solar ejection may impact Earth on June 18
Live Events — NASASun (@NASASun) (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel A powerful M-class solar flare erupted from the sun on June 15, triggering radio blackouts across North America. The flare, classified as an M8.46 event, occurred at 2:25 p.m. EDT (1825 GMT) and nearly reached X-class status, the highest category for solar eruption originated from an active, Earth-facing sunspot that has produced multiple M-class and C-class flares in the past 24 hours. The June 15 flare also released a coronal mass ejection (CME), a large expulsion of solar plasma and magnetic read: Sun unleashes strongest flare of 2025, disrupts global ... Forecasts from indicate the CME is traveling with a trajectory that may deliver a glancing blow to Earth on June 18. If it connects, the event could result in minor geomagnetic disturbances , categorized as G1-class storms. These disturbances may lead to visible auroras as far south as northern Michigan and flare radiation travels at the speed of light, reaching Earth in just over eight minutes. When it arrives, it ionizes the upper atmosphere, specifically the thermosphere, disrupting shortwave radio communications on the sunlit side of the planet. During the M8.46 flare, North America was facing the sun, making it the primary zone for communications sunspot responsible for the June 15 flare remains highly active. It released another significant flare on June 16 at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT), rated as an M6.4-class event. Forecasters are monitoring the region for additional solar activity as it remains in an Earth-facing flares are classified by intensity into five main categories: X, M, C, B, and A. X-class flares are the most powerful, while M-class flares are approximately ten times weaker. The June 15 M8.46 event approached the threshold of X-class, placing it among the stronger flares observed in recent read: NASA sounds alarm: Solar flare hits Earth, more expected Each class contains a numerical scale to denote its strength. C-class, B-class, and A-class flares are typically weaker, with A-class events producing little to no impact on potential for more CMEs and associated geomagnetic storms remains, especially as solar activity intensifies near the solar maximum. Continued monitoring is in place for both aviation and communications sectors.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Powerful solar flare triggers radio blackouts across North America, solar ejection may impact Earth on June 18
Major solar flare causes shortwave radio disruptions across North America A powerful M-class solar flare erupted from the sun on June 15, triggering radio blackouts across North America. The flare, classified as an M8.46 event, occurred at 2:25 p.m. EDT (1825 GMT) and nearly reached X-class status, the highest category for solar flares. The eruption originated from an active, Earth-facing sunspot that has produced multiple M-class and C-class flares in the past 24 hours. The June 15 flare also released a coronal mass ejection (CME), a large expulsion of solar plasma and magnetic field. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Also read: Sun unleashes strongest flare of 2025, disrupts global ... Forecasts from indicate the CME is traveling with a trajectory that may deliver a glancing blow to Earth on June 18. If it connects, the event could result in minor geomagnetic disturbances , categorized as G1-class storms. These disturbances may lead to visible auroras as far south as northern Michigan and Maine. Live Events — NASASun (@NASASun) Solar flare radiation travels at the speed of light, reaching Earth in just over eight minutes. When it arrives, it ionizes the upper atmosphere, specifically the thermosphere, disrupting shortwave radio communications on the sunlit side of the planet. During the M8.46 flare, North America was facing the sun, making it the primary zone for communications interference. Additional solar flares and CME threats expected this week The sunspot responsible for the June 15 flare remains highly active. It released another significant flare on June 16 at 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT), rated as an M6.4-class event. Forecasters are monitoring the region for additional solar activity as it remains in an Earth-facing position. Solar flares are classified by intensity into five main categories: X, M, C, B, and A. X-class flares are the most powerful, while M-class flares are approximately ten times weaker. The June 15 M8.46 event approached the threshold of X-class, placing it among the stronger flares observed in recent months. Also read: NASA sounds alarm: Solar flare hits Earth, more expected Each class contains a numerical scale to denote its strength. C-class, B-class, and A-class flares are typically weaker, with A-class events producing little to no impact on Earth. The potential for more CMEs and associated geomagnetic storms remains, especially as solar activity intensifies near the solar maximum. Continued monitoring is in place for both aviation and communications sectors.
