Water Wonderland: Nearby Exoplanet Holds Promise of Abundant Life-Giving Water, Reveals Study:
A recent study has suggested that the exoplanet LHS 1140b, located about 50 light-years away from Earth, maybe a water world with life-friendly conditions. Initially thought to be a rocky planet, further analysis reveals it lacks the density for a purely rocky composition. Instead, it could contain an abundance of water or possess an extensive atmosphere rich in light elements. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is anticipated to provide crucial insights in the coming years, potentially confirming if LHS 1140b is a water world. Situated in the habitable zone, where liquid water could exist, the planet becomes a prime candidate in the search for extraterrestrial life, making it a captivating subject for further exploration and discovery.
China's First 2024 Launch: 4 Small Weather Satellites Now Orbiting:
China initiated its space endeavours for 2024 with the launch of a Kuaizhou 1A solid rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. Taking place at 6:20 a.m. EST on January 5, the launch carried four Tianmu-1 weather satellites (numbered 15-18). Developed by a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), the satellites entered near-polar orbits at an altitude of about 323 miles (520 kilometres). This launch follows two separate missions on December 24 and December 27, contributing to the expansion of a constellation of Tianmu-1 satellites designed for commercial weather data provision. The constellation now comprises 22 satellites, utilizing GNSS radio occultation technology to detect atmospheric changes by analyzing signals from navigation satellites like GPS and Beidou. The Kuaizhou 1A rocket, developed by CASIC and operated by Expace, its launch spinoff, aims to enhance its position in the competitive Chinese commercial launch market. The successful deployment of these satellites within 12 days highlights China's commitment to advancing its space capabilities in Earth observation and commercial satellite services.
SETI Launches Extensive Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence in Ambitious New Mission:
Scientists have teamed up for an exciting project called COSMIC, which stands for "Commensal Open-Source Multimode Interferometer Cluster." This project is like a big leap forward in the hunt for aliens. They are using powerful radio telescopes in New Mexico to listen to the signals from hundreds of thousands of star systems. This is way more than what they could do before. COSMIC is special because it can process data quickly. Other times, scientists took weeks or months to analyze the signals they found. By then, the signals were gone, and they couldn't tell if it was aliens or just interference from things on Earth. COSMIC can catch really short signals, even as quick as a nanosecond, making it more likely to spot something interesting from outer space. It's like giving scientists a better tool to eavesdrop on the universe, and they're also planning to make it even better in the future. This is like a big step forward in our quest to find out if we're alone in the universe!
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