Nasa confirms asteroid to hit earth

Spectacular footage of NASA’s Perseverance rover safely touching down on the surface of Mars last week showed close-up pictures of not only the rover but also the descent stage that lowered it. Cameras fixed to both vehicles captured the dramatic landing from multiple angles and in astonishing clarity, providing space fans with the highest-quality footage from NASA’s five rover landings to date. But as the spacecraft carrying Perseverance descended toward the Martian surface, the entire event was being tracked by another spacecraft more than 400 miles away. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launched from Earth in 2005 before reaching the red planet the following year. As the Perseverance spacecraft floated toward the planet with an open parachute (yes, the one that contained a hidden message ), the orbiter captured a remarkable image that shows the scale of the red planet against the car-sized rover. The orbiter used its HiRISE camera to grab the image, which NASA posted … [Read more...] about NASA’s Mars orbiter captures image of Perseverance’s parachute phase

WASHINGTON: After a seven-month journey, NASA's Perseverance rover prepares to touch down on Mars on Thursday (Feb 18) after first negotiating a risky landing procedure that will mark the start of its multi-year search for signs of ancient microbial life. The Mars 2020 mission, which set off late from Florida in late July, includes the largest ever vehicle to be dispatched to the Red Planet. Built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, it weighs a ton, has a robotic arm that's 2m long, has 19 cameras and two microphones to record the Martian soundscape. Should it arrive intact, Perseverance will be only the fifth rover to successfully complete the journey since Pathfinder in 1997. All have been American and the last, Curiosity, is still active. China last week placed its Tianwen-1 spacecraft in orbit around Mars carrying both a lander and a rover, which will land in May. At around 8.55pm GMT on Thursday (Friday, 4.55am, Singapore time), Perseverance will place its six wheels … [Read more...] about NASA’s Perseverance rover to land on Mars on Thursday

Presented by Facebook To view past editions of The Hill's 12:30 Report, click here: http://bit.ly/1M1mIfw To receive The Hill's 12:30 Report in your inbox, please sign up here: http://bit.ly/1Tt4hqN --> A midday take on what's happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it. The Hill’s 12:30 Report: J&J A-OK | Tanden in Trouble | DeJoy of Grilling | Granholm nomination hits floor | Dems try to make GOP leadership toxic | The 6 coolest charts you need to see today NEWS OF THE MORNING The Johnson & Johnson game-changer: Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose coronavirus vaccine is effective at preventing moderate to severe cases of COVID-19, according to data published this morning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in a breakthrough that we all need right now. The data show the vaccine is 85 percent effective at preventing severe cases, and no one involved in the trial who got the shot was hospitalized. The … [Read more...] about The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – J&J A-OK, Tanden in Trouble

BILL GATES has issued a stark warning to anyone thinking of dipping their toes into the murky world of Bitcoin. In a recent interview, the Microsoft co-founder said that the dangers of investing in the cryptocurrency mean it's only suitable for the super-rich. Speaking to Bloomberg , Gates revealed that he fretted traders without much cash to spare are taking a huge financial risk. Having shot up more than 400 per cent over the past year, Bitcoin has become increasingly mainstream. Recently, billionaire Tesla boss Elon Musk sparked fresh interest in the digital dinero after he described it as "slightly better" than real cash . Musk invested $1.5billion in Bitcoin through Tesla earlier this month. Gates – the world's third richest man behind Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos – warned of getting swept up in the "mania" surrounding Bitcoin. "Elon has tonnes of money and he's very sophisticated, so I don't worry that his Bitcoin will sort of randomly go up or … [Read more...] about Bill Gates warns Bitcoin fans to AVOID buying the cryptocurrency unless they’re super rich

If you see an incredible image of deep space, chances are it came from Hubble. Launched in 1990, Hubble is a telescope that orbits above Earth's atmosphere, beaming home images that have helped us solve some of the universe's greatest mysteries. Not only does NASA count Hubble as one of its most successful science missions, but it is also among the biggest advancements humans have ever made in space. The Tech That Powers Hubble Hubble orbits around Earth at about five miles per second; a complete spin takes 97 minutes. On its journey, its mirror captures light and directs it into its instruments, which then work together to provide the observation. While Hubble provides views of deep space, it doesn't magnify distant stars, alien planets and galaxies. Instead, it collects more light than the human eye can see on its own. With a telescope, the bigger the mirror, the better the vision. Hubble's mirror is 94.5 inches in diameter, which is smaller than most Earth-based telescopes. … [Read more...] about How Hubble Snaps Those Amazing Space Images