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Arabia Weather – There was a giant seismic event on Mars – “Mars earthquake” – That shook the Red Planet last year, an unexpected source, surprised scientists in the field of astrophysics across the world, as its source was very surprising. Instead of suspecting a meteorite impact as the source of the earthquake, it turned out to be caused by enormous tectonic forces trapped inside the Martian crust, which led to… To vibrations that lasted for up to six hours.

The phenomenon of earthquakes on Mars

The results and conclusions were published in a study published in the journal “Geophysical Research Letters”. NASA’s Insight lander recorded a powerful Martian earthquake 4.7 degrees on May 4, 2022And the name was given to him S1222aIts seismic signals initially caused some confusion; Because of its similarity to previous earthquakes caused by meteorite impacts.

To understand more about this phenomenon, a team of researchers at the University of Oxford worked in collaboration with the European Space Agency, the China National Space Agency, the Indian Space Research Organization, and the UAE Space Agency. Each team examined their satellite data to look for any signs indicating a meteorite impact, such as the presence of… A crater or dust cloud, and since they couldn’t find evidence of a meteorite impact, they now believe the Mars earthquake (S1222a) Caused by massive tectonic forces occurring within the Martian crust.

Also, the main available evidence does not point to the movement of tectonic crustal plates on Mars in the same way that they do during earthquakes, and Benjamin Fernando, who is a co-author of the study and an expert in planetary geophysics at the University of Oxford, pointed out that we still believe that Mars remains stable in terms of There are currently active tectonic plates, and in relation to the events that have been recorded, they are believed to be caused by Release pressure within the Martian crust; Due to stresses that have built up over the years, including different cooling and contraction in different parts of the planet.

Source of the Mars earthquake

In the research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers indicate that the source of the giant earthquake that struck Mars was a result of… Due to massive tectonic activity in its crust, which is unexpected; Because there are no active tectonic plates on Mars, according to what was reported by the website “Science Alert” About Benjamin Fernando, one of the study participants and an expert in planetary geophysics at the University of Oxford.

Fernando explained that the pressures that resulted in this earthquake came as a result of the influence of billions of years of evolution, and included expansion and contraction in various parts of Mars at various rates, and through a mission “Insight” Which lasted approx 4 years On the surface of Mars, hundreds of earthquakes and tremors were monitored, some of which were caused by the collision of space particles with the surface of Mars, while other earthquakes were related to magma activity, which indicates that Mars is not completely solid in its interior as was previously thought.

Although the exact reason why some areas of Mars experience higher pressures is not entirely clearly known by scientists, these results may direct research towards a better understanding of this phenomenon. Fernando said:

“Over time, this information may be useful to us in determining safe areas for humans to potentially live on Mars, as well as places to avoid.”

This study enables the team to direct the knowledge gained towards other research, including future missions dedicated to exploring our moons and tectonic phenomena, which may exist on one of Saturn’s moons known as Titan. In addition, the team hopes to strengthen international cooperation to study Mars and its future exploration.

Regarding this, Dimitra Atri, who co-authored the study and is an astrophysicist at New York University Abu Dhabi, noted that this was a great opportunity to collaborate with the InSight team and members of other large missions dedicated to exploring Mars, and explained:

“This era is truly the golden age of Mars exploration!”

Also know:

Are there earthquakes on other planets?

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Sources:

popsci

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What if the Earth had two moons? | Arabia Weather – World

Arabia Weather – The moon plays an important role in our existence and life on Earth, as it affects our days, the seasons of the year, and the phenomena of tides and tides. Therefore, we cannot imagine life continuing in its current form if the moon disappeared, but what if the Earth had more than one moon? Would that be good for our planet?

What if the Earth had two moons?

NASA scientists believe that the current Moon was formed 4.5 billion years ago when a planet the size of Mars collided with Earth. The debris from the collision flew into space, began to orbit around the Earth, and then gradually collected to form the Moon as we know it today. That’s not something we’d want to see again, and the gravitational effects of a second moon — even after its dramatic formation — would certainly be no better (although we likely wouldn’t be alive to witness it anyway).

The harms of the second moon are more than its benefits

In his book, Cummins follows a different path to the formation of Earth’s second moon—one that would not lead to the extinction of Earth’s entire population. His second moon, Luna, will be hunted by our first Moon after the Earth and the present Moon have settled into a practical relationship with each other. Luna will orbit the Earth on a path halfway between the Earth and the Moon. But as Luna settles into orbit, our experience will be hell on Earth. The gravitational pull of the new moon will create tides up to eight times higher than the current tide, creating massive tidal waves larger than anything we’ve seen before. These tidal waves will trigger earthquakes and increased volcanic activity, which will continue for years, causing a mass extinction of marine life.

Once things settle down, life will be completely different. With two full moons, the light at night will be brighter, and we will have fewer hours of true darkness. Cities built along coastlines – such as New York, San Francisco or even London – will be affected by tidal erosion and buildings will be destroyed.

The two moons may collide and cause disasters

In fact, our home moon is moving away from Earth at a rate of 4 centimeters per year. If we assume that the second moon, Luna, is gradually moving away from Earth at a higher rate, we can imagine the catastrophic effect of a terrible collision between the two moons one day, causing them to break into millions of small pieces. Some of these small parts will fall to the surface of the Earth and may cause multiple disasters, while some will be launched into space far away from us.

Most of this debris will continue to orbit Earth. Because these pieces are small and varied in size, their rotation speeds will vary around the planet, which will cause them to spread out in orbits forming rings similar to the rings of exoplanets like Saturn.

The existence of a second moon of the Earth is not excluded

While Comins’ book is hypothetical, some researchers theorize that Earth actually has two — or sometimes more — moons. These scientists say we capture small asteroids that make several orbits around Earth over the course of weeks or months before departing again into space. They also believe that this happens over and over again with no positive or negative effects, since these wandering moons are so small. Given our position in the universe, it is not too far-fetched to assume that there are two moons. After all, Saturn and Jupiter each have more than 50 moons, and even our closest galactic neighbor, Mars, has two.

Source:

howstuffworks

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ArabiaWeather – When we imagine space, we are usually associated with amazing spacecraft and scientific films that paint distant and wonderful worlds for us. Since the greatest part of these imaginative space journeys revolves around the sights and sounds, the idea arises: Does space smell? Can we recognize the scent of the infinite universe?

Does space have a smell?

In the world of distant space, where vast voids extend, and infinite dark worlds pervade, lies the secret of mysterious smells. Unfortunately, we cannot inhale those smells directly, because our noses do not work in space, and trying to smell those smells can be deadly, but have you ever wondered? About what If space has a smell? If so, what is this smell? Is it unpleasant or pleasant?

Answer: According to well-known scientific sites such as Popular Science and Science FocusExperts believe that space carries with it a variety of smells, including smell Hot metals, diesel fumes and even the smell of barbecue The question here is:

What is the source of all these space odors?

Answer: Most of these odors are believed to originate from dying stars, disintegrating them in space, and these odors are chemical compounds known as “polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons”These compounds seemingly spread throughout the universe, floating in endless space. What is even more exciting is that they may appear in asteroids, meteorites and space dust, adding different elements to their journey in space.

How did we discover the presence of smell in space?

Answer: When astronauts By walking in space And conducting their activities outside their spacecraft, they are exposed to these odors. After spacewalks, these vehicles stick to their spacesuits, and after they return to the International Space Station, some of them feel a metallic smell or even the smell of burnt steaks.

In addition, the astronauts reported that they smelled a metallic odor resembling welding fumes on the surface of their spacesuits. They reported that they sometimes smelled fried meat after spacewalks, and they never expected that.

Also, I noticed the spacecraft “Rosetta” Ingredients include scent-like The smell of rotten eggs, bitter almonds and cat urineIt was discovered on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

We can say that space has a special smell, but it is not perceptible to humans. It is a distinctive and strange smell, coming from the depths of the infinite universe, and remaining hidden to us, which makes the world of space more mysterious and exciting.

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ArabiaWeather – After spending more than a year in space, American astronaut Frank Rubio finds himself forced to adapt again to the force of gravity on planet Earth.

In a press conference held on Friday at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas, Rubio said that he felt slight pain in the soles of his feet and lower back while walking during the first days of his return from space.

He added, “I think there is a certain level of pain that is experienced because the lower back is once again carrying half of the body’s weight.”

After 371 days in space, Rubio returned to Earth

Rubio returned to Earth two weeks ago, after spending 371 days in space. In September 2022, a Russian rocket carrying Frank Rubio and a group of astronauts launched on a mission that was supposed to be routine and last only six months.

Last December, the Soyuz MS22 spacecraft attached to the International Space Station, which was supposed to transport the crew to Earth, suffered a major leak resulting from its collision with a small meteorite, according to an announcement issued by Moscow.

As a precaution, the Russian Space Agency returned the spacecraft to Earth and sent another relief vehicle. This action allowed Rubio and his colleagues to return to Earth. However, they now had to complete the mission that was supposed to be done by the original crew that was supposed to be on board the second vehicle.

“I was in agony knowing that I was going to spend a whole year on the space station, because I would rather be in outer space,” Rubio said.

He added: “But this was part of the job, and it took me a while to accept this. When I said to myself: ‘This is going to be my world for the next 12 months, and I have to adapt to it.'”

The world record length of stay in space is 437 days

As a result of that long period in space, Rubio succeeded in setting a new record for the longest period spent by an American astronaut in space. He broke the previous record of 355 consecutive days, set by Mark Vande Hee in 2022.

However, Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov remains the world record holder with 437 days in space.

Rubio noted, “In the first days after returning to Earth, the body suffers from a disturbance in balance while walking… The mind may be healthy, but the body does not react as expected.”

The first tomato grown in space

During his stay on the International Space Station, Rubio grew tomato plants. “I think they were the first tomatoes grown in space,” he said.

He explained that he put those plants inside a “small bag” and closed it tightly, but he lost the bag. He spent hours trying to search for him, but to no avail.

“Some people might think I might have eaten it,” he joked.

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Source: independentarabia

Image source: (AFP)

Arabia Weather – Do we really need the moon in our sky every night? You may think that the moon is just a light that illuminates dark nights, but in fact, the moon has an important role in our lives on Earth.

The Moon moves away from the Earth approximately 4 cm every year

When the Moon was formed about 4.5 billion years ago, it was approximately 16 times closer to the Earth, making it appear in the sky about 24 times larger than it is now. Today, the Moon is gradually moving away from the Earth at a rate of approximately 4 centimeters every year. This is due to the presence of a small percentage of Friction between the Earth and the tides causes the Earth’s rotation to slow down and the Moon creeps away.

What would happen to the oceans if the moon disappeared?

If the Moon disappeared, Earth’s oceans would have much smaller tides – about a third the size of what they are now. Tides play an important role in moving materials in the oceans, allowing coastal systems to thrive, and animals in these environments — such as crabs, mussels, sea stars, and snails — depend on tides to survive.

The Moon greatly affects tides, and its role is crucial to this phenomenon on Earth. Without the Moon, tidal volume would decrease by up to… 75٪. However, the tides will not disappear completely, because the Sun also plays an important role, although the Moon exerts a greater influence.

What will happen when the tidal phenomenon is lost?

Losing this phenomenon would threaten the lives of many marine organisms that depend on tides for their survival, such as crabs, mussels and sea snails. This will disrupt the diet of large marine organisms that depend on these organisms as a food source. This may in turn threaten the ecological balance on entire coasts and may cause mass extinctions.

In addition, one of the world’s largest spawning phenomena occurs at the Great Reef each November after the full moonglow, as coral colonies release millions of eggs and sperm sacs across the reef simultaneously. Scientists believe that the full moon plays an important role in determining this time, but they do not know exactly how it occurs.

The effect of tides on the Earth’s climate

Also, tidal movements contribute to the stability of the Earth’s climate. Ocean currents are driven by tides, transporting warm water around the world and affecting the planet’s overall climate. Temperatures would be more extreme at Earth’s surface without the influence of these factors.

What would happen to animals if the moon disappeared?

When the Moon is full, it glows with an average light that outshines the brightest planet in the night sky, and that planet is Venus. Therefore, if the moon disappears, the night illumination will be lost and the lives of animals will be greatly affected.

The disappearance of the moon could cause a lot of confusion for animals around the world. Predators rely on darkness at night and little moonlight to hunt prey effectively. Without any lighting at night, predators would likely have difficulty finding prey. Just as with tides, this can cause a drastic change in the ecosystem and possibly lead to the extinction of some predators.

What would happen to the seasons if the moon disappeared?

The Earth is tilted on its axis at an angle of about 23.5 degrees, mainly due to the Moon’s gravity. Therefore, it is the role of the Moon’s gravity on Earth that keeps our planet stable. Without this role, the Earth’s tilt could change dramatically and fluctuate between about 10 and 45 degrees.

Some experts believe that Jupiter may have a role in preventing the Earth’s tilt from completely tilting and preventing it from spiraling out of control. However, even a small deviation of only about 10 degrees can result in major climate disturbances on the planet’s surface.

Scientists suggest that changing the Earth’s tilt by just 1-2 degrees in the past was enough to contribute to ice ages. Therefore, it is difficult to determine exactly the effect of changing the Earth’s tilt by 10 degrees or even 45 degrees. But that would clearly be hugely detrimental to most life on Earth.

What will happen to the Earth’s axis and the number of hours in a day?

The disappearing moon will also affect the Earth’s movement around its axis and the number of hours available to us in a day. In the distant past, the Earth rotated on its axis in just 4 hours. But thanks to the influence of the Moon’s gravity, the Earth’s rotation slowed down until it reached 24 hours, which is the length of the day we live in today. If the Moon disappeared, the Earth’s rotation speed around its axis would increase and the length of the day would decrease again.

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