Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
Cosmic Fireworks: White Dwarf Star Spotted Creating a Colourful Shockwave
Astronomers have observed a white dwarf - a highly compact Earth-sized stellar
ember - that is creating a colorful shockwave as it moves through space, leaving them searching for an explanation. The highly magnetized white dwarf is gravitationally bound to another star in what is called a binary system. The white dwarf is siphoning gas from its companion as the two orbit close to each other. The system is located in the Milky Way about 730 light-years from Earth - relatively nearby in cosmic terms - in the constellation Auriga. The shockwave - more specifically a bow shock - caused by the white dwarf was observed using the European Southern Observatory's Chile-based Very Large Telescope. The shockwave was seen in an image released by the scientists glowing in various colors produced when material flowing outward from the white dwarf collided with interstellar gas.
Ancient Seas Tell a New Story: Whale Hunting Dates Pushed Back by 1,000 Years
A new study published in Nature Communications reveals that large whale hunting began in southern Brazil some 5,000 years ago, about 1,000 years earlier than previously established by archaeological records from Arctic and North Pacific societies. Researchers from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona and the Department of Prehistory of the UAB led the investigation, reshaping the narrative of early maritime cultures and the timeline of human interaction with large cetaceans. The research focused on Indigenous groups in the Babitonga Bay region, where communities built sambaquis—monumental shell mounds. These groups developed specialised tools and technologies to hunt large whales, contradicting earlier theories that such practices originated in the Northern Hemisphere between 3,500 and 2,500 years ago.
Everyday Pesticide May Nearly Triple Parkinson’s Disease Risk
Long-term exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos, widely used on US farms, has been linked to a more than 2.5-fold increase in the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to new research. The finding comes from a large community-based case–control study led by scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The team also used animal models to identify the specific kinds of brain damage that chlorpyrifos might cause. It adds to existing concerns around pesticides and Parkinson's, although establishing long-term chemical exposure and separating it from other risk factors, such as genetics, can be challenging.
Coldest Morning in Gurugram? Mercury Plunges to 0.6°C — Here’s Why
Parts of Gurugram shivered through one of its coldest days in decades as the mercury in some areas plunged below the one degree Celsius mark, making the city colder than popular hill stations. The record low temperatures have not been experienced in Gurugram in nearly 50 years. The residents of the city, located near Delhi, were caught off guard as the sudden cold engulfed the region and once again highlighted how strong winter cold waves are gripping northwest India this season. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the record temperature was due to an intense cold spell affecting the National Capital Region (NCR) and surrounding plains, prompting an orange alert for cold and foggy conditions.
