NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captures the flare on December 14, 2023. (Photo: NASA/SDO)

NASA watches the universe and reports back on the amazing phenomena it witnesses with its incredible array of telescopes, cameras, and sensors. On December 14, 2023, NASA captured something spectacular and beautiful from their Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). SDO is part of NASA's Living With a Star (LWS) Program. The craft studies the Sun's magnetic field from its specially crafted orbit that always keeps the Sun in view. On the 14th, the SDO captured an impressive solar flare striking out from the surface of the star—the biggest flare since one recorded in September 2017.

The December 2023 flare emerged from AR 3514, an active sunspot visible on the solar surface. The solar flare is categorized as an X2.8 type. This is the most intense of five flare categories. It was a release of electromagnetic radiation, what NASA calls “our solar system’s largest explosive events.” It was not directed squarely at Earth, and therefore only caused a radio black out for a short period in South America.

The flare was accompanied by a coronal mass ejection. Dr. Kate Brand told Cosmos Magazine, “During a coronal mass ejection (CME), billions of tonnes of magnetized solar plasma erupt into space at speeds up to 3,000 km/s. If the material is directed towards the Earth, geomagnetic and ionospheric storms can occur. Both can significantly disrupt technology in the near-Earth space environment.” She added, “Solar flares do not cause coronal mass ejections, but a coronal mass ejection may (or may not be) associated with a solar flare.”

CMEs can cause auroras on Earth. “A CME arrival earlier on 17 December is likely to bring some further minor enhancement to the auroral oval,” according to the UK Met Office. Earlier this week, Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and similar locations were expected to get a glimpse of some auroras. “The peak in auroral activity for the coming three-day period is likely to be overnight 18-19 Dec, resulting from the onset of the fast wind from a coronal hole.” Viewers as far south as Boston were also forecasted to glimpse a peek. Now, the UK Met Office predicts, “A stream of fast winds from a coronal hole may arrive at Earth late on 21 or on 22 Dec, perhaps increasing the chance of visible aurora across the far north of Scotland and similar latitudes.”

For anyone who doesn’t have the opportunity or missed the chance to see the lights dance across the sky, NASA's incredible imagery of the flare is equally impressive.

On December 14, 2023, powerful solar flares were seen, the likes of which have been unrivaled since the spectacular solar show of 2017.

The September 10, 2017 flare. (Photo: NASA/SDO/Goddard)

h/t: [Science Alert]

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Photo: NASA/W. Liller via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Halley's Comet is one of the most fascinating astronomic events ever, with records dating back to a thousand years ago. It was last visible from Earth in 1986, and since it comes around every 75 to 79 years, its next sighting will take place in July 2061. And while that seems a while away, we can now start looking forward to its return. As of December 8, 2023, Halley's Comet is on its way back through the solar system towards Earth.

The comet travels around the Sun in a flattened elliptical orbit that takes it beyond the outer limits of the solar system, before bringing it back right around the Sun. And after decades of traveling away from our star, it has reached the farthest point of its orbit, also known as aphelion. Located 3.27 billion miles away from the Sun, it's roughly 472.2 million miles beyond the orbit of Neptune. The last time Halley's Comet was at this point in its orbit was in April 1948.

Now that Halley's comet is on its way back, it means that for the first time in nearly 38 years it will be getting closer to the Sun. It currently holds a speed of 0.565 miles per second, or about 2,034 miles per hour, which is expected to increase as it gets closer to the inner solar system. “In concert with Kepler's second law of motion, a celestial body moves fastest when it is at perihelion and slowest at aphelion,” writes Joe Rao from Space. So, once Halley passes through aphelion, its orbital velocity will begin to—very slowly at first—increase, on its way inbound toward the Sun.”

Halley's Comet last reached perihelion—its closest point to the Sun—on February 9, 1986, and it will be at that point again on July 28, 2061. Since the comet will be on the same side of the Sun as the Earth during the summer, it will appear at least 10 times brighter than it did 38 years ago—light pollution permitting.

Since Halley's Comet was first photographed during its appearance in 1910, and was first studied with a probe 76 years later, we can only imagine the technological advancements that will be available to scientists next time the comet comes around.

h/t: [Space]

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Photo: olhovyi_photographer/Depositphotos

Creative outlets like drawing and painting are great ways of exploring your emotions and relieving stress. However, it isn't that easy to embark on a new hobby, especially when you lack the resources. A new initiative in the UK seeks to change that, by prescribing photography as a mental health treatment. Launched by Wex Photo Video, this project is supported by the National Academy of Social Prescribing (NASP). Once a GP or healthcare professional refers a patient to the “Photography on Prescription” program, they will be granted access to photography equipment and masterclasses by Wex, with the intention of giving them the tools to improve their mental health.

People suffering from depression, anxiety, PTSD, self-esteem issues, and loneliness can all benefit from practicing photography and other creative outlets, according to studies. “Photography can be so much more than a hobby; it's a powerful tool for conveying emotion,” says Paul Wareham, marketing director of Wex Photo Video. “By giving people with mental health difficulties access to masterclasses, equipment, and ongoing support; we want to connect them to a wider community, help develop their self-esteem, and give them a channel for self-expression. Whilst photography will never be the total solution, we hope that this project will help some people who are currently struggling.”

By giving a camera to those struggling with mental health, it will hopefully help patients express their thoughts and feelings without the need for words. So far, community groups in London, Bristol, and Greater Manchester have signed up for the program. A participant from the first masterclass held in London on September 26—which was based around the prompt “Who am I?”—said that she feels “more motivated than ever” to use her camera to express her emotions.

The early positive responses provide hope that this project will continue to grow across the UK and help others with “low level mental health issues” through photography.

h/t: [PetaPixel]

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Marie Curie, photographed around 1920. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, PUblic domain)

Marie Curie is likely the most famous female scientist, and arguably one of the most notable scientific names of any gender. Her work earned her the Nobel Prize in both physics (1903) and chemistry (1911). The Polish-born genius made France her adopted home, where she and her husband Pierre experimented with radioactive elements such as uranium. While this and their discoveries of polonium and radium firmly cemented her place in scientific and medical history, Curie died in 1934 from aplastic anemia caused by radiation. This radiation was so strong that her possessions, including her notes remain radioactive today. They will remain so for about 1,500 years.

Curie worked with dangerous elements which emitted radiation. Her laboratory was in her French home and protective measures were virtually non-existent given the evolving knowledge of these elements. Even after Curie's death from the radiation, her house and items within it retained the radiation that had emanated from the elements throughout the house. The Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Paris Faculty of Science and the Curie Foundation both used the building until the 1970s, and it was not decontaminated and demolished until 1991. Curies' papers were moved to the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris.

Due to the half-life of the radium 226 which contaminates the papers, which is 1,600 years, the items still have about 1,500 more years to reduce the radiation levels to half. In the meantime, the papers and other possessions are kept in lead boxes similar to the aprons worn during x-rays. Visitors who wish to study them must sign a waiver and wear protective clothing. Even Curie herself, who is buried in the Panthéon, rests in a lead coffin. These precautions demonstrate the incredible danger of radiation and the disastrous effects it can have on those in its vicinity—knowledge of which is largely owing to the foundations laid by the Curies.

Marie Curie's papers and belongings were contaminated by the radiation from her research which both won her a Nobel Prize and killed her.

True @wellcomelibrary? MT @Libroantiguo Marie Curie's experimental notebook – after almost 100yrs, still radioactive. pic.twitter.com/PiXT1HR6Lc

— Wellcome (@wellcometrust) August 4, 2014

Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only woman to receive two.

h/t: [Open Culture, Business Insider]

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Photo: brnmanzurova.gmail.com/Depositphotos (Not a photo of the actual woman or dog.)

Making it to a 100 years old is no easy feat, and as a society, we're lucky that those folks are still with us to share their stories and wisdom with us. But how does one make it that far? Some say it's exercise, others credit a healthy diet. But for Ada Daniel, who lived to be 108 years old, the secret to a long life is to have dogs instead of children.

Daniel lived at a nursing home in Derbyshire, in the UK, where she became well known. An activity coordinator named Kelly Goucher knew her as “definitely a character,” and recalls, a conversation she had with the centenarian: “I did ask her what her secret was once and she said it was to have dogs, not kids.”

Instead of having children, Daniel and her late husband enjoyed the company of their beloved pets. “She had a lot of greyhounds. She lived on Street Lane in Ripley and all of her greyhounds were also called Street Lane,” shared Goucher, offering a glimpse of Daniel's charm. Her dogs contributed to her having an active and healthy lifestyle. She used to enjoy daily walks until she was 97, and didn’t move into a care home until she was 103.

Despite her age, Daniel never let go of the excitement for her birthday, which is on June 1. Before her 105th birthday, the staff of the nursing home she lives in asked for people to send her cards. This call to action was such as success, that they've carried on with the tradition each year. For 2023, Daniel got 300 cards—and an extra special greeting. King Charles and Queen Camilla also congratulated her for her birthday.

Daniel passed away in October 2023, after living a long and beloved life. She will certainly be remembered for her sense of humor and unique personality. While 108 is certainly an impressive number, that's nowhere near the oldest person in the UK. Currently, the record is held by Ethel May Caterham, who was born in 1909, making her 114 years old.

A woman named Ada Daniel lived to be 108 years old, and she had a theory about how she lived such a long life.

For her, the secret to a long life is to have dogs instead of children.

Photo: halfpoint/Depositphotos (Not a photo of the actual woman or dog.)

“She had a lot of greyhounds. She lived on Street Lane in Ripley and all of her greyhounds were also called Street Lane.”

Photo: halfpoint/Depositphotos (Not a photo of the actual woman or dog.)

h/t: [Bored Panda]

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Photo: NataliMis/Depositphotos

Coin tossing is generally regarded as a fair and practical way to make a decision between two parties or options. After all, it gives everyone a 50/50 chance to win, right? Well, scientists have determined that the numbers are not so evenly split. Moreover, the balance tends to skew toward one side–giving one of the participants a slight advantage.

Looking at it with statistical eyes, a coin toss begins with the two sides of a coin before a random element is introduced. That is, flipping the coin and catching it—after all, one does not have control about how many times it will spin before falling. But as a team led by American mathematician Persi Diaconis has found, for all the randomness of the flipping, coin tossers may introduce a little wobble. This in turn gives the original side that was facing up more chance of coming out victorious—but just by a little bit.

In a study currently in preprint, a group of scientists set out to test Diaconis' findings and prove that coins land on the same side they were tossed from around 51 percent of the time. “According to the [Diaconis] model, precession causes the coin to spend more time in the air with the initial side facing up,” they write. “Consequently, the coin has a higher chance of landing on the same side as it started (i.e., ‘same-side bias’).”

The team performing the latter study collected 350,757 coin flips, carried out by 48 people using 46 different currencies. In the end, there turned out to be a 50.8 percent chance of the coin showing up the same side it was tossed from. However, some of the tossers had a strong same-side bias while others didn't having any at all, showing that many tosses may come down to whoever is flipping the coin.

While it doesn't seem like a huge margin, over time it could lead to an advantage. “The magnitude of the observed bias can be illustrated using a betting scenario,” the team suggests. “If you bet a dollar on the outcome of a coin toss (i.e., paying 1 dollar to enter, and winning either 0 or 2 dollars depending on the outcome) and repeat the bet 1,000 times, knowing the starting position of the coin toss would earn you 19 dollars on average.”

However, if the coin toss is only used to determine say, what team gets to pick or play first, the researchers have a suggestion to make it fair for everyone: “These considerations lead us to suggest that when coin flips are used for high-stakes decision-making, the starting position of the coin is best concealed.”

Coin tossing is generally regarded as a practical and fair way to make a decision between two parties or options. However, scientists have determined that the numbers are not so evenly split.

Photo: onlyblacktv.bk.ru/Depositphotos

A team of researchers collected 350,757 coin flips, carried out by 48 people using 46 different currencies. In the end, there turned out to be a 50.8 percent chance of the coin showing up the same side it was tossed from.

Photo: pit84@bk.ru/Depositphotos

h/t: [IFL Science]

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An artist's conception of Earth's interior structure. (Photo: VAMPY1/Depositphotos)

Earth has four (simplified) layers, like a giant celestial onion. Outside is the solid crust upon which we walk. Under that shifts the caramel-consistency of the mantel, which is made of iron, magnesium, and silicon. Then, there is the center, which has an inner and outer core. The outer core is liquid metal, whereas the inner core has long been referred to as solid. This inner core is too deep and under too great pressure to sample for study, but a new paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has nuanced this understanding. In fact, the paper discovers a form of “collective motion” among the atoms in the inner core which explains recent observations that it's not quite solid and more like room-temperature butter.

The inner core is mostly ancient iron, held together in a 760-mile diameter ball by extreme pressure. Its iron atoms are arranged in a hexagonal lattice. Although it was long thought to be rock solid, in recent years seismic activity has been studied to suggest the the internal texture is actually softer than previously thought. Researchers have postulated a variety of reasons why this might be, why the material behaves this way despite what would be overwhelming heat and pressure. This new paper suggests a convincing theory.

The researchers solved the problem of studying the core by using a sheet of iron and “shooting it with a fast-moving projectile.” Computers registered the temperature, pressure, and velocity data from the sheet and fed it into an artificial intelligence (AI) program. Unlike previous computer models of only handfuls of atoms, this one “simulated 30,000 atoms to more reliably predict iron’s properties,” according to a statement. They called this model a “supercell.” Within it, the model showed atoms “moving about, changing places while still maintaining the overall hexagonal structure.” This game of molecular musical chairs is known as “collective motion.”

Its discovery explains a lot about the interior of our planet. “Now, we know about the fundamental mechanism that will help us with understanding the dynamic processes and evolution of the Earth’s inner core,” said Jung-Fu Lin of UT Jackson School of Geosciences and a lead author on the paper. His fellow lead author, Youjun Zhang, noted, “Seismologists have found that the center of the Earth, called the inner core, is surprisingly soft, kind of like how butter is soft in your kitchen. The big discovery that we’ve found is that solid iron becomes surprisingly soft deep inside the Earth because its atoms can move much more than we ever imagined. This increased movement makes the inner core less rigid, weaker against shear forces.” Beyond understanding the materiality of the core, this discovery may also have ramifications for understanding Earth's magnetic fields which are influenced by the core.

Earth's inner core is surprisingly mushy, which might be explained by a new AI research project.

Jung-Fu with a model hexagonal iron atom lattice. (Photo: Jung-Fu Lin/UT Jackson School of Geosciences)

It demonstrated that iron atoms in Earth's “solid” core actually move significantly.

Model of how atoms move around a supercell. (Photo: Jung-Fu Lin/UT Jackson School of Geosciences)

h/t: [Live Science]

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Photo: zhuzhu/Depositphotos (Not actual plant)

In the fight against climate change, every new tool and development are welcome additions. The latest breakthrough technology doesn't prevent carbon emissions, but instead, pulls them straight from the air. A start-up named Heirloom Carbon Technologies has just opened the first commercial plant in the United States to use direct air capture, which absorbs greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

To capture the carbon dioxide, the company uses limestone, one of the most abundant rocks on the planet. Since limestone forms when calcium oxide binds with carbon dioxide, Heirloom has found a way to use it like a sponge they can wring over and over. The plant heats up the limestone, pulling the carbon dioxide from it. Following this process, what's left is a fine white powder—which is the calcium oxide. The team then places the powder in metal trays and exposes it to the open air, adds water, and waits for three days for it to turn back to limestone, restarting the cycle. The entire process is powered by renewable energy.

As for the carbon dioxide that has been pulled from the air, Heirloom has the gas permanently sealed by mixing it into concrete, where it can’t escape anymore. The company is also looking into burying the capture carbon dioxide into underground storage wells.

The plant, located in California's Central Valley, is relatively small. Currently, it has the capacity to absorb a maximum of 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, which is roughly equal to the exhaust from about 200 cars. The team is also still tweaking up the variables that could speed up the process and lower the costs. Yet the company expects to grow exponentially by replicating their simple model. “We want to get to millions of tons per year,” said Shashank Samala, the company’s chief executive. “That means copying and pasting this basic design over and over.”

“The science is clear: Cutting back carbon emissions through renewable energy alone won’t stop the damage from climate change,” said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. “Direct air capture technology is a game-changing tool that gives us a shot at removing the carbon pollution that has been building in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution.”

Luckily, Heirloom and companies with similar approaches have been getting backing from multi-million dollar companies such as Microsoft, which has pledged to remove 315,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. After all, large companies see a more tangible way to fight climate change in direct air capture than in regular carbon offsets, which are sometimes hard to track. On the other hand, it's an expensive technology, and some fear it could be used by gas and oil companies to prolong the use of fossil fuels. Heirloom has vouched not to accept backing from these industries.

While Heirloom and its technology have been seeing results, there is still a long way to go. Even so, their endeavor and the support they've been getting are steps in the right direction. Heirloom's work seems particularly urgent in a landscape where traditional approaches, like planting trees and switching to clean energy, may no longer be enough to curb the damage done to our planet.

A start-up named Heirloom Carbon Technologies has just opened the first commercial plant in the United States to use direct air capture, which absorbs greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Photo: kodda/Depositphotos (Not actual plant)

To capture the carbon dioxide, the company uses limestone, as Heirloom has found a way to use it like a sponge they can wring over and over.

The United States officially has its first commercial Direct Air Capture facility!

Today we welcomed U.S. Secretary of @ENERGY, Jennifer M Granholm, and California Lieutenant Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, to unveil a facility in our home state of California where we'll capture and… pic.twitter.com/3DRRfB9S9k

— Heirloom (@heirloomcarbon) November 10, 2023

Heirloom: Website | Twitter
h/t: [The New York Times]

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Photo: NASA/Daniel Rutter

The Kepler telescope was deactivated in 2018, ending its mission almost a decade after its launch. However, its observations continue to teach us new things about the universe. NASA reports that astronomers have found a system of seven planets thanks to the data gathered by the Kepler telescope.

Known as Kepler-385 due to the involvement of the telescope in its discovery, this seven-planet system has a Sun-like star at the center. However, it is about 10% larger and 5% hotter than our Sun; and it creates scorching conditions throughout the system. NASA even points out that each of the planets is bathed in more radiant heat from their host star per area than any planet in our solar system.

As for these seven exoplanets (planets that orbit a star outside the solar system), the inner two are both slightly larger than Earth, probably rocky with thin atmospheres. The other five planets are thought to be larger, with a radius about twice the size of Earth’s but smaller than Neptune, and surrounded by thick atmospheres.

Kepler-385 is part of a new catalog of 4,400 planet candidates and 700 multi-planet systems discovered by the telescope. A planet candidate is a planet that has been discovered by a telescope, but not yet confirmed to actually exist. Among all the planet candidates and systems listed, Kepler-385 caught the astronomer's attention as it's rare for there to be a system with more than six planet candidates.

“The ability to describe the properties of the Kepler-385 system in such detail is testament to the quality of this latest catalog of exoplanets,” writes NASA. “While the Kepler mission’s final catalogs focused on producing lists optimized to measure how common planets are around other stars, this study focuses on producing a comprehensive list that provides accurate information about each of the systems, making discoveries like Kepler-385 possible.”

With Kepler having provided the first steps in the long process to further studying neighbor systems and planets, researchers will turn to other resources to confirm their existence and learn more about them. “We’ve assembled the most accurate list of Kepler planet candidates and their properties to date,” says Jack Lissauer, a research scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley and lead author on the paper presenting the new catalog. “NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered the majority of known exoplanets, and this new catalog will enable astronomers to learn more about their characteristics.”

NASA reports that astronomers have found a system of seven planets thanks to the data gathered by the Kepler telescope.

Photo: NASA/Daniel Rutter

All images via NASA.

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Photo: Courtesy of Lisa Fryklund/Society for Science

When it comes to innovation, inspiration can come from anywhere. For 12-year-old Shanya Gill, innovation for a life-saving invention came from a nearby tragedy. When a fire burned down a nearby restaurant, she wondered what could have gone differently. This difficult event then motivated the sixth-grader to design a fire detection system that works faster than the average smoke detector. Now, her clever invention has earned her the top spot in a national science competition.

To bring her fire detection system to life, Gill used two key components: a thermal camera and a Raspberry Pi computer. “I coded the Raspberry Pi with Python and the thermal camera gives images to the Raspberry Pi to analyze,” Gill told Insider. “The whole purpose of the device is to detect an unattended fire and send a text message to you.”

Unlike common smoke detectors, the computer analyzes the thermal readings from the camera, determining if a heat source comes from a person or an animal by whether it moves horizontally or vertically (like smoke rising). The device then sends an alert to the owner's phone, wherever they may be. After putting it to the test, her invention had 97% accuracy in detecting heat sources.

Gill was awarded first place at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC), organized by Society for Science. On top of the title, the young inventor also received $25,000, which she hopes to use to take her device to the market, as well as supporting those who have already been affected by a fire. “I definitely want to put some in some charities that help people that may have gotten their homes destroyed by fires,” the budding inventor shares, “because that's really just my whole purpose of this project: for this invention to reach as many people as possible and to also save as many people as possible and rebuild the things that people need.”

On her way to the top spot, the young innovator beat 65,000 middle schoolers in STEM. The key to the win was not only her device, but also the leadership and science skills she displayed during a national science fair, which featured the top 30 finalists. At the end of the competition, other projects also developed by students, were awarded $10,000. These include a smartphone app to detect cancer, designed by Keshvee Sekhda; a device that generates electricity from energy of two objects when they are separated, built by Adyant Bhavsar; and an eco-friendly fabric for reusable menstrual products, created by Elizabeth Olvera.

As for Gill, her future looks promising, and those who have seen her work in action can't wait to see what's next for her. “She's got a really interesting device. I mean, it detects fires earlier than smoke detectors,” said Maya Ajmera, president & CEO of the Society for Science. “She not only had a brilliant project but just carried those leadership and collaboration skills and her challenges and stood out. We can't wait to see what her journey looks like over the next 10, 20, 30, 40 years.”

12-year-old Shanya Gill designed a fire detection system that works faster than the average smoke detector.

Photo: Jessica Yurinko/Society for Science

To bring her fire detection system to life, Gill used two key components: a thermal camera and a Raspberry Pi computer, which sends an alert to the owner's smartphone.

Photo: Jessica Yurinko/Society for Science

Gill was awarded the first place title and prize of $25,000 at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC), and hopes to use her winnings to take her design to the market.

Photo: Courtesy of Lisa Fryklund/Society for Science

Society for Science: Website | Instagram

All images via Society for Science.

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