Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
Barren Island Eruption: Scientists Decode India’s Volcano Awakening
India’s only active volcano, Barren Island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago,
erupted again this month, sending smoke and molten lava skyward and causing tremors felt throughout the region. The event, recorded by an Indian Navy warship, showed spectacular flows of red-hot lava racing down the slopes while thick smoke streams poured from the summit, stirring widespread interest and scientific scrutiny. Barren Island’s volcanic activity is rooted in its geology, specifically, the dynamics between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian (Sunda) tectonic plates. Scientists believe that the recent shaking and minor explosion at Barren Island were triggered by increased seismic activity in the magma chamber below the volcano. The area is known for continuous earthquakes ranging from mild microseismicity to moderate quakes, which can rupture rocks in and around the magma reservoir.
Invisible, Yet Majestic: NASA Hunts for Earth’s Secret Halo
NASA is set to launch a new mission to study Earth’s vast invisible "halo," known as the geocorona, which is part of the outermost layer of the atmosphere called the exosphere. The Carruthers Geocorona Observatory will capture ultraviolet images of this faint hydrogen glow, revealing how it morphs and changes under the influence of the Sun. Understanding these dynamics is key to forecasting space weather, crucial for protecting Artemis astronauts journeying to the Moon and future Mars missions. The geocorona was first glimpsed in 1972 when Apollo 16 astronauts placed an ultraviolet camera developed by Dr. George Carruthers on the Moon. This camera captured Earth's hydrogen cloud, extending far beyond what was previously imagined. Now, Nasa’s new observatory, named in Carruthers’ honor, will provide the most detailed continuous views of the exosphere from the Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1), approximately one million miles closer to the Sun than Earth.
Scientists May Detonate Asteroid to Stop It From Striking the Moon
Scientists are taking precautions against Asteroid 2024 YR4, which might hit the Moon in 2032. Instead of the usual plan to deflect the asteroid, scientists are proposing a bold move: blowing it up. The asteroid 2024 YR4, which initially created a buzz over the possibility that it might be a threat to Earth, could hit the Moon after six years. Notably, the threat from this asteroid, which is about 60 meters wide, is relatively small and won't cause Earth-shattering damage, but hitting the Moon could still have big consequences for our planet. Experts have expected that a lunar impact would throw up tonnes of debris, threatening satellites and also the International Space Station (ISS). The impact could create a spectacular meteor shower visible from Earth, but also increase meteor risks for space assets.
Saturn’s Atmosphere Hides Strange ‘Dark Beads,’ Webb Telescope Reveals
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered strange "dark beads "above a four-armed star pattern in Saturn's atmosphere. The surprising structures are unlike anything scientists have seen before, and they're not sure what they are. The unusual features were discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST's) Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) as it peered into the gas giant's atmosphere above the hexagonal storm that swirls at the planet's north pole. Saturn's Hexagon was first discovered in 1980 by NASA's Voyager spacecraft and imaged in fine detail by the Cassini spacecraft. Scientists believe that the hexagon is driven by a jet stream circling the planet's pole, and owes its unique shape to the properties of the gases in Saturn's atmosphere.
