Science

Scientists in Albuquerque, New Mexico, say potentially dangerous asteroids could possibly be deflected by exploding a nuclear warhead more than a mile from its surface and showering it with X-rays to send it in a different direction.Previous methods, as seen in blockbuster movies like "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact," involved blowing up a nuclear warhead on an asteroid or comet and shattering it into multiple pieces.But scientists now say the method would change the space object from a lethal bullet headed toward Earth into a shotgun blast of multiple fragments.Last year, the National Academy of Sciences released a report calling planetary defense a national priority, and according to an ongoing NASA sky survey, the threat is credible.STADIUM-SIZED ASTEROID DEEMED ‘POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS...

The Earth is expected to experience a geomagnetic storm this week following the autumnal equinox.A sunspot erupted on Sunday, generating a coronal mass ejection (CME) on a trajectory toward Earth.The solar plasma, propelled toward the planet at 650,000 mph, is expected to glance off the magnetosphere on Wednesday, according to Space.com.GEOMAGNETIC STORM HITS EARTH CREATING NORTHERN LIGHTS, DISRUPTING RADIO COMMUNICATIONS A view of the Sun through a solar telescope, showing solar prominences, sunspots and filaments. (Manuel Romano/NurPhoto via Getty Images)The CME could create a geomagnetic storm in part of the world due to its occurrence near the autumnal equinox, which passed on Sept. 22. During the spring and fall equinoxes, the Earth's magnetic poles are aligned with the sun's, ma...

Venomous creatures were spotted washing up on the beaches of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and the National Park Service sent out a warning about the punch these slugs pack.The Cape Hatteras National Seashore posted on Facebook that Blue Sea Dragons (Glaucus atlanticus) have been spotted on the beaches."This venomous sea slug lives in the open ocean and occasionally gets stranded on land following strong winds," officials from the National Seashore posted to Facebook. "They may only grow to about an inch long, but don't let their size fool you. They pack a punch!"According to Oceana.org, Blue Sea Dragons go by other names like sea swallow or blue angel and can grow to about 1.3 inches.12 OF THE OCEAN'S CREEPIEST CREATURES THAT ARE SURE TO MAKE YOUR SKIN CRAWL Blue Sea Dragons are...

A comet not seen for more than 80,000 years will be visible from Earth, potentially during two separate time periods over the next month.Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as Comet A3, is believed to have an orbit around the sun of more than 80,000 years, according to earth.com. The comet was first visible starting on Sept. 27 and will continue until shortly before sunrise on Oct. 2. It is expected to appear like a fuzzy ball with a tail stretching across the sky."C/2023 A3 has an orbital period of approximately 80,000 years, classifying it as a long-period comet. This means its behavior and appearance can be unpredictable, with potential changes in brightness and tail development as it approaches the sun," Minjae Kim, a space expert in the University of Warwick's astronomy department...

Scientists are deploying monitors at the volcanic Mount Adams in Washington State, after a spike in seismic activity.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said Mount Adams typically experiences an earthquake every two to three years, but in September, there were six earthquakes alone, marking the most in a single month since monitoring began in 1982.The earthquakes were monitored by the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) and Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) and ranged in magnitudes from 0.9 to 2.0. None of the earthquakes were felt at the surface, the USGS said.With only one seismic station near the volcano, the USGS said monitoring capabilities are limited.LAVA CONTINUES FLOWING FROM ICELAND VOLCANO AFTER ERUPTION Washington, Mount Adams in the Cascade range is the second-hi...

NASA has released the clearest view of Mars to date, with blue rocks observed across the planet's landscape.The images were captured by the Perseverance rover as it explores the planet.Dark blue, jagged rocks of volcanic basalt were found on top of the dried remains of an ancient lakebed, according to the Daily Mail.10 FUN FACTS ABOUT MARS, ALSO KNOWN AS THE RED PLANET NASA has released the clearest view of Mars to date, with blue rocks observed across the planet's landscape. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)NASA found the boulders on what has been dubbed "Mount Washburn," a rocky field on the Jezero crater, where an ancient lake is believed to have been located billions of years ago.The name "Mount Washburn" was given to the field of rocks in honor of a mountain in Yellowstone National Park.SPACEX ...

John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their foundational work in artificial intelligence.Hinton, known as the godfather of AI, is a dual citizen of Canada and Britain, and Hopfield is an American working at Princeton University.Hopfield and Hinton laid the groundwork for the machine learning revolution, according to Mark Pearce, a member of the Nobel physics committee.Two pioneers of artificial intelligence — John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton — won the Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for helping create the building blocks of machine learning that is revolutionizing the way we work and live but also creates new threats for humanity.Hinton, who is known as the godfather of artificial intelligence, is a citizen of Canada and Britain who works at the Universit...

A severe solar storm that reached Earth on Thursday could stress power grids even more as the U.S. reels from back-to-back major hurricanes, according to space weather forecasters.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Thursday that a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) blasted from the Sun reached Earth at about 11 a.m.The Space Weather Prediction Center issued multiple warnings and alerts for geomagnetic storm conditions, and by Thursday, the Earth was experiencing G4, or severe, conditions.NOAA said a severe geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field. The storms often have varying intensity between lower levels and severe storm conditions throughout the course of the event.GEOMAGNETIC STORM EXPECTED TO HIT EARTH FOLLOWING AUTUMNAL EQUINOX Th...

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft is set to explore Jupiter's moon Europa, one of the prime candidates for finding life beyond Earth.Europa Clipper will assess whether Europa's conditions, such as its ocean beneath an icy crust, could support life.The spacecraft, NASA's largest built to study another planet, will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.A NASA spacecraft is ready to set sail for Jupiter and its moon Europa, one of the best bets for finding life beyond Earth.Europa Clipper will peer beneath the moon’s icy crust where an ocean is thought to be sloshing fairly close to the surface. It won’t search for life, but rather determine whether conditions there could support it. Another mission would be needed to flush out any microorganisms lurking there."It’s a chance for us to...

In less than 48 hours, SpaceX pulled off a stunning feat, conducting four launches in three states, with huge implications for the future of space exploration.The first launch came on Sunday, with the enormous Starship rocket blasting off from the southern tip of Texas. Remarkably, the first-stage booster flew back to the launch pad, where the tower’s metal arms caught the descending 232-foot booster. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called it a "Big step towards making life multiplanetary." SPACEX LAUNCHES MISSION TO SPACE STATION THAT WILL BRING BACK STRANDED NASA ASTRONAUTS NEXT YEARThe spacecraft continued its journey around the world, soaring more than 130 miles high before eventually landing in the Indian Ocean, piling on SpaceX’s achievements.  A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with a NASA spac...