Science and Technology
Thickest Arctic Ice Melting Faster
The oldest and thickest Arctic sea ice is disappearing at a faster rate than the younger and thinner ice at the edges of the Arctic Ocean’s floating ice cap, NASA had revealed that the thicker ice known as multi year ice survives through the cyclical summer melt season, when young ice that had formed over winter season just as quickly melts again.Arctic ocean where multi year ice covers at least 15% of the ocean surface , is diminishing at a rate of 15.1% per decade.
Ocean’s Turning Acidic At Fastest Pace In 300m yrs
The world’s oceans are turning acidic at, what could be the fastest pace of anytime in the past 300million years, even more rapidly than during a monster emission of planet- warming carbon 56million yrs ago. Quickly acidifying sea water eats away at coral reefs, which provide habitat for other animals and plants and makes it harder for mussels and oysters to form protective shells.
5 Places Where Life May Exist In Solar System
Life on Earth occupies some bizarre places from deep sea hydrothermal vents to frigid and lightless lakes. According to the Christan Science Monitor the following are the five places where life may exist. Mars-The red planet which had abundant surface water could microbes lurk under ground. Europa-With rocky cores heated by tugs from Jupiter. Enfolds – This icy moon of Saturn also has subsurface deposits of liquid water. Titan – Saturn’s largest moon has lots of hydrocarbons as raw material for biologically improvement molecules. Venus – Its a long shot with its crushing atmosphere and surface temperature that would melt lead.
Oxygen Found On Saturn Moon: Dione
Planetary Scientists claims for the first time that the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere of saturn’s moon , Dione . An international lead by Los Alamos National Laboratory had said that it had discovered molecular oxygen ions in the upper most atmosphere of Dione , one of the 62 known moon’s orbiting saturn. The tiny moon is a mere 700 miles wide and appears to be a thick pockmarked layer of water ice surrounding a smaller rock core, as it orbits Saturn every 2.7 days.
US Tests Railgun That Can Shoot 160 km
The US Navy is one step ahead in developing a futuristic supersonic weapon capable of firing missiles between 80 to 160km at seven times the speed of sound. The 40 feet long electromagnetic railgun consists of parallel rails and uses a magnetic Field and electric current, instead of chemicals to generate the energy required to fire the rounds.The first weapon scale prototype of the railgun began under going firing test last week and the next big step towards putting the super weapon on US warships by 2020. The full size prototype made by BAE system , looks like a real gun.
Torpedo, Akash Missile To Be Handed Over To Navy & IAF
The indigenously developed advanced light weight torpedo and the Akash missile system will be handed over to navy and the Indian Air Force at a function in Hyderabad on 3 March 2012. The defence Research &Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, developed Akash , a surface to air missile. Torpedoes are under water missiles which are fired from ships, submarines or helicopters against ships and submarines. The Torpedo Advanced Light (TAL) which was developed by the Naval science and technological Laboratory in Vishakapatnam.
Brahmos Supersonic Cruise Missile Successfully Test Fired
The Army had successfully test-fired the 290km range Brahmos super sonic cruise missile at the Pokhran range in Rajasthan on 4 March2012, to operationalise the second regiment of the weapon system in servise.
Nirbhay To Be Test Fired In April
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had developed a new sub-sonic cruise missile called Nirbhay, which may be test -fired in April. This is the first time that India has developed a cruise missile that will travel at sub-sonic speed. Nirbhay is a two stage, surface to surface missile and surface to air missile, while a booster engine would kick the first stage from the ground. It is India’s equivalent of US Tomahawk. It can engage many targets and be in air for longer period.
Huge Asteroid To Come Close To Earth In One Year
About 150-foot asteroid orbiting earth called 2012 DA14 will fly fast, just 17,000 miles from earth nearer than geostationary satellites on 15 Feb next year hits our planet. If an asteroid of that big size hits our planet, it would cause an explosion similar to a nuclear blast. Two Astronomers from the Observatorio Astronomics De La Sagra in Spain spotted 2012 DA 14 in late Feb 2012 and its orbit has been estimated to be very similar to Earth’s
Huge Space Storm Hits Earth
A strong geomagnetic storm hit Earth early on 8 March 2012, but the planets magnetic field appeared to be absorbing the shock and it was unlikely to reach severe levels. The storm was expected to be the strongest in five years and has the potential to disrupt global positioning systems, airlines flights, satellites and power grids. The leading edge of the coronal mass ejection a Burst of hot plasma and charged particles that erupted from the sun
Jupiter, Venus Gets Closer
The pair of Jupiter and Venus will reach its closest point between 12 March and 15 March , Despite being vastly far from one another in space, the conjunction will make them appear just a few degrees apart in the sky. The most anticipated planetary event for 2012, will be the transits of Venus in early June.
Students ” Space Web” Experiment To Be Launched Soon
A team of science and engineering students had developed an innovative ‘Space Web’ experiment which will be carried on a rocket from the Arctic circle to the edge of space. The experiment known as ‘Suaineadh’, which was developed by a team of 20 students from the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde and the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. It will be launched from the Esrange Space Centre in Northern Sweden in March
Russia To Send Man To The Moon By 2030
Russia is now to send a team of Cosmonauts to the Moon. According to a leaked strategy document from Russia’s Space Agency, Roskosmos, a space craft will conduct a demonstrative manned circumlunar test flight with the subsequent landing of cosmonauts on the Moon’s surface and their return to Earth by 2030.
India To Launch Mars Mission Next Year
The Indian Space Research Organisation is planning to send a scientific probe to Mars next year. The Mars orbiter mission would be launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)during Nov 2013, the space craft, which has a provision for carrying nearly 25kg of scientific instruments, will be placed in an orbit 500km by 80,000km around Mars.
North Korea To Launch A Missile
North Korea announced on 16 March 2012 that it would launch a rocket carrying a Satellite next month to mark the 100 th birthday of the former President late Kim II Sung, just 16 days after agreeing to suspend long range missile test in return for massive US food aid. The US, Japan and South Korea condemned the plan and said, it would breach a United Nations ban imposed after previous launches. North Korea said a Unha-3 rocket will launch a home built polar orbiting Earth observation satellite known as Kwangmyoug-sons-3 by the last deal under which Pyongyang also promised to freeze its uranium enrichment plant, had raised hopes of eased tensions under the new regime headed by Kim Jong Un and it is the violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
A New Species Of Frog Discovered
A new frog species was found by researchers in Mawphlang, 25km from Shilong, capital of Megalaya. The new species was named Fejervarya Sengupti in honour of Saibal Sengupta. Sengupta was the head of Aryavidyapeeth college and one of the pioneers of amphibian research. The new species was different from all congeners in terms of body size and cell charecteristics. The discovery of new species shows that Northeast part of India is quite rich in terms of its biodiversity, especially in case of amphibians.
Navy To Induct INS Chakra, Submarine
INS Chakra, the nuclear powered Akula-II class submarine taken on lease from Russia for 10 years, will reach Indian shores in a few days . It will formally be inducted into the Navy, in the presence of Union Defense Minister A.K. Antony on 4 April 2012 at Vishakapatnam. India cannot armed with nuclear tipped missiles due to international non proliferation treaties.
India Joins In Making Critical Tubes For Nuclear Plants
India had joined a select band nations on 26 March 2012 when the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) successfully manufactured critical tubes required for steam generators of nuclear plants.Currently only three companies in the world are producing the UNS NO8800 U tubes with NFC becoming the fourth entity. The first tubing consignment was handed over to Larsen & Toubro, which is manufacturing eight steam generators for Kakrapara (3&4 units) and Rajasthan (7&8 units)nuclear power plant being set up by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
Sea Levels Could Rise By 22Metres
The sea levels could rise up to 22metres in the future due to global warming, an international team lead by Prof Kem Miller and Prof Tim Narish analized sediment cores in Virginia in the US, Eneweta K Atoll in pacific and the Whanganui region of New zealand that the late pliocene epoch 2.7m to 3.2m years ago, which is the last time the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere was at its current level, and atmospheric temperatures were two degrees higher than are now The global sea levels were higher than present.
Brohmos Supersonic Cruise Missile Test-Fired Successfully
India had successfully test fired its supersonic cruise missile from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha on 28 March 2012. The missile rose from a Tatra truck on the sea-side launch station and speed over the Bay of Bengal at 2.8 times the speed of sound . The missile, which has a flight range up to 290km is capable of currying a conventional warhead of 200 to 300kg, the cruise missile was a surface to surface Army version.
NASA Space Craft Found Evidence Of Water Ice In Mercury
A NASA space craft called messenger in the month of March 2012 discovered further evidence for the existence of water ice at Mercury’s poles. Although surface temperature at mercury can soar above 400C, some craters at mercury’s poles are permanently in shadow, turning them into so called cold trops.
American Robot Cheetah Sets New Record
A Cheetah robot funded by the US military had broken the land speed record, while running on a lab treadmill. Its robotic display of athleticism given hope for new battlefield robots that could prove nimbler than existing robots on wheels or tank like treads.
Speech Jammer Device
The Japanese researchers recently introduced a prototype for a device called as ‘speech Jammer’, which can literally jam some one’s voice effectively stopping them from talking
China To Launch 100 Satellites By 2015
China has set a target of completing a space mission of 100 rockets, 100 satellites between 2011 and 2015. According to the Deputy General Manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology. On an average China will complete about 20 launch missions each year before 2015, China had lunched 19 satellites, 1target orbiter, 8 space craft with 19 long march rockets last year.