Mystery Lifeforms Have Been Found in The Hostile Darkness Beneath Antarctica
It's pitch dark, and temperatures are subzero; yet, when scientists drilled through an Antarctic ice shelf far from light or warmth, they found a seafloor boulder that's home to several species we may have never seen before.
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It's pitch dark, and temperatures are subzero; yet, when scientists drilled through an Antarctic ice shelf far from light or warmth, they found a seafloor boulder that's home to several species we may have never seen before.
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ScienceAlert
Mystery Lifeforms Have Been Found in The Hostile Darkness Beneath Antarctica
The waters below Antarctica are amongst the most inhospitable environments on our planet - or so we thought.
There's a Link Between Air Pollution And Irreversible Vision Loss, Study Reveals
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ScienceAlert
There's a Link Between Air Pollution And Irreversible Vision Loss, Study Reveals
Air pollution could cloud your vision in later life, according to a large study that found a link between fine particle air pollution and macular degeneration, an age-related eye disease that can lead to irreversible blindness.
Two variants have merged into heavily mutated coronavirus
Two variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes covid-19 have combined their genomes to form a heavily mutated hybrid version of the virus. The “recombination” event was discovered in a virus sample in California, provoking warnings that we may be poised to enter a new phase of the pandemic.
The hybrid virus is the result of recombination of the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant discovered in the UK and the B.1.429 variant that originated in California and which may be responsible for a recent wave of cases in Los Angeles because it carries a mutation making it resistant to some antibodies.
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Two variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes covid-19 have combined their genomes to form a heavily mutated hybrid version of the virus. The “recombination” event was discovered in a virus sample in California, provoking warnings that we may be poised to enter a new phase of the pandemic.
The hybrid virus is the result of recombination of the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant discovered in the UK and the B.1.429 variant that originated in California and which may be responsible for a recent wave of cases in Los Angeles because it carries a mutation making it resistant to some antibodies.
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New Scientist
Exclusive: Two variants have merged into heavily mutated coronavirus
The UK and California variants of coronavirus appear to have combined into a heavily mutated hybrid, sparking concern that we may be entering a new phase of the covid-19 pandemic
Mars 2020 Landing Timeline
Perseverance is the most sophisticated rover NASA has ever sent to the Red Planet and it will begin it's landing phase at 20:38 UTC tomorrow evening.
The intense entry, descent, and landing (EDL) phase begins when the spacecraft reaches the top of the Martian atmosphere, traveling at about 19,500 kph (12,100 mph).
EDL ends about seven minutes later, with the rover stationary on the Martian surface. Many engineers refer to the time it takes to land on Mars as the “seven minutes of terror.”
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Perseverance is the most sophisticated rover NASA has ever sent to the Red Planet and it will begin it's landing phase at 20:38 UTC tomorrow evening.
The intense entry, descent, and landing (EDL) phase begins when the spacecraft reaches the top of the Martian atmosphere, traveling at about 19,500 kph (12,100 mph).
EDL ends about seven minutes later, with the rover stationary on the Martian surface. Many engineers refer to the time it takes to land on Mars as the “seven minutes of terror.”
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Atmospheric Entry
10 minutes before entering the Martian atmosphere – the Mars 2020 spacecraft will shed the cruise stage that helped fly Perseverance and Ingenuity to Mars.
The spacecraft will manipulate its descent into Mars’ atmosphere using a technique called guided entry to reduce the size of the targeted ellipse-shaped landing area on Mars while compensating for variations in the density of the Martian atmosphere and drag on the vehicle.
During guided entry, small thrusters on the back of the aeroshell will adjust the angle and direction of lift, enabling the spacecraft to control how far downrange it is flying.
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10 minutes before entering the Martian atmosphere – the Mars 2020 spacecraft will shed the cruise stage that helped fly Perseverance and Ingenuity to Mars.
The spacecraft will manipulate its descent into Mars’ atmosphere using a technique called guided entry to reduce the size of the targeted ellipse-shaped landing area on Mars while compensating for variations in the density of the Martian atmosphere and drag on the vehicle.
During guided entry, small thrusters on the back of the aeroshell will adjust the angle and direction of lift, enabling the spacecraft to control how far downrange it is flying.
Source | #Mars2020
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New EDL Technologies
While all landings on Mars are difficult, Perseverance is landing in the most challenging terrain ever targeted. Jezero Crater is a 28-mile-wide (45-kilometer-wide) impact basin with an intriguing ancient river delta as well as steep cliffs, sand dunes, boulder fields, and smaller impact craters.
During EDL, Range Trigger will autonomously update the deployment time for the parachute based on navigation position.
It will calculate the spacecraft’s distance to the landing target and open the parachute at the ideal time for the spacecraft to hit its mark. The result: a smaller, more precise landing ellipse, or target landing area.
The landing ellipse for Perseverance is 10 times smaller in area than the Curiosity rover’s in 2012 and almost 300 times smaller than that of the first Mars rover, Sojourner, in 1997.
Source | #Mars2020
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While all landings on Mars are difficult, Perseverance is landing in the most challenging terrain ever targeted. Jezero Crater is a 28-mile-wide (45-kilometer-wide) impact basin with an intriguing ancient river delta as well as steep cliffs, sand dunes, boulder fields, and smaller impact craters.
During EDL, Range Trigger will autonomously update the deployment time for the parachute based on navigation position.
It will calculate the spacecraft’s distance to the landing target and open the parachute at the ideal time for the spacecraft to hit its mark. The result: a smaller, more precise landing ellipse, or target landing area.
The landing ellipse for Perseverance is 10 times smaller in area than the Curiosity rover’s in 2012 and almost 300 times smaller than that of the first Mars rover, Sojourner, in 1997.
Source | #Mars2020
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Perseverance Will Face '7 Minutes of Terror' Today as It Arrives at Mars
We have prepared several posts to be sent throughout the day so that you can learn more about Perseverance and Ingenuity before they arrive on the red planet later today
Article | #Mars2020
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We have prepared several posts to be sent throughout the day so that you can learn more about Perseverance and Ingenuity before they arrive on the red planet later today
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ScienceAlert
Perseverance Is About to Face '7 Minutes of Terror': Surviving a Brutal Mars Landing
Following "seven minutes of terror" after it reaches Mars' upper atmosphere, NASA's Perseverance rover is expected to land on the surface of the red planet at 20:55 GMT on February 18. This is incredibly hard to do, with only about 40 percent of mi
The Mars 2020 spacecraft, with the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter inside, lifted off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base on July 30, 2020, at 12:50 UTC.
Why did Perseverance launch in the summer of 2020? As Earth and Mars race around the Sun, with Earth on the inside track, Earth laps Mars about once every 26 months. Launch opportunities to Mars occur at the same frequency, when the planets are positioned so that a spacecraft launched from Earth will be on a relatively short track to Mars (taking on the order of months rather than years to arrive at Mars).
One priority for choosing this launch period and arrival date was to make sure Perseverance could land when NASA orbiters at Mars will be passing over the landing site. Such scheduling allows the orbiters to receive radio transmissions from the spacecraft carrying Perseverance during its descent through the atmosphere and landing.
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Why did Perseverance launch in the summer of 2020? As Earth and Mars race around the Sun, with Earth on the inside track, Earth laps Mars about once every 26 months. Launch opportunities to Mars occur at the same frequency, when the planets are positioned so that a spacecraft launched from Earth will be on a relatively short track to Mars (taking on the order of months rather than years to arrive at Mars).
One priority for choosing this launch period and arrival date was to make sure Perseverance could land when NASA orbiters at Mars will be passing over the landing site. Such scheduling allows the orbiters to receive radio transmissions from the spacecraft carrying Perseverance during its descent through the atmosphere and landing.
Source | #Mars2020
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Confirmation of Landing
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will be flying overhead during Perseverance’s landing on Mars. If the communications relay system from Mars to Earth works as expected, MRO will receive telemetry (detailed engineering data) from the lander and then relay it to NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) antennas on Earth. This will allow mission controllers to confirm the spacecraft has touched down at around 20:55 UTC.
MRO has been newly configured to send telemetry to Earth throughout the landing timeline. Perseverance will also be sending tones in the X-band frequency and an ultrahigh frequency (UHF) dial-tone-like carrier signal directly back to Earth.
The tones will enable the engineers to determine that the rover has completed some key milestones, and the carrier signal will enable engineers to determine that the spacecraft is still functioning.
Source | #Mars2020
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NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) will be flying overhead during Perseverance’s landing on Mars. If the communications relay system from Mars to Earth works as expected, MRO will receive telemetry (detailed engineering data) from the lander and then relay it to NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) antennas on Earth. This will allow mission controllers to confirm the spacecraft has touched down at around 20:55 UTC.
MRO has been newly configured to send telemetry to Earth throughout the landing timeline. Perseverance will also be sending tones in the X-band frequency and an ultrahigh frequency (UHF) dial-tone-like carrier signal directly back to Earth.
The tones will enable the engineers to determine that the rover has completed some key milestones, and the carrier signal will enable engineers to determine that the spacecraft is still functioning.
Source | #Mars2020
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Perseverance Key Facts and Details
The Mars 2020/Perseverance rover is designed to better understand the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient life. The mission will collect and store a set of rock and soil samples that could be returned to Earth in the future. It will also test new technology to benefit future robotic and human exploration of Mars. Read about the rover in the document below.
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The Mars 2020/Perseverance rover is designed to better understand the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient life. The mission will collect and store a set of rock and soil samples that could be returned to Earth in the future. It will also test new technology to benefit future robotic and human exploration of Mars. Read about the rover in the document below.
Article | #Mars2020
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Telegraph
Perseverance: Key Facts
Over the past two decades, missions flown by NASA’s Mars Exploration Program have shown us that Mars was once very different from the cold, dry planet it is today. Evidence discovered by landed and orbital missions point to wet conditions billions of years…
Watch NASA's Live Stream starting at 19:15 UTC, February 18th. Perseverance will enter Mars' atmosphere at 20:48 UTC.
Watch a 360° view of the control centre
View the landing timeline here
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Watch a 360° view of the control centre
View the landing timeline here
Join @EverythingScienceChat
Use #Mars2020 to find all of our related posts from the past and in the future
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Perseverance: Surface Phase
The rover is expected to touch down in the Martian afternoon – at 3:53 p.m. local mean solar time (Mars time). Soon after, the rover’s computer switches from entry, descent, and landing mode to surface mode. This initiates a series of autonomous activities for the first Martian day on the surface of the Red Planet. Read more about those activities in the document below.
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The rover is expected to touch down in the Martian afternoon – at 3:53 p.m. local mean solar time (Mars time). Soon after, the rover’s computer switches from entry, descent, and landing mode to surface mode. This initiates a series of autonomous activities for the first Martian day on the surface of the Red Planet. Read more about those activities in the document below.
Article | #Mars2020
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Telegraph
Perseverance: Surface Phase
The rover is expected to touch down in the Martian afternoon – at 3:53 p.m. local mean solar time. Soon after, the rover’s computer switches from entry, descent, and landing mode to surface mode. This initiates a series of autonomous activities for the first…
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How Perseverance will collect samples
When NASA's Mars 2020 rover lands on the Red Planet today, it will seek signs of past microbial life and characterize the planet's climate and geology. It is the first rover ever to carry a drill for coring samples from Martian rocks and soil. This series of animations shows how those precious samples will be safely stowed on Mars for potential future pickup and return to Earth by another mission.
Source | #Mars2020
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When NASA's Mars 2020 rover lands on the Red Planet today, it will seek signs of past microbial life and characterize the planet's climate and geology. It is the first rover ever to carry a drill for coring samples from Martian rocks and soil. This series of animations shows how those precious samples will be safely stowed on Mars for potential future pickup and return to Earth by another mission.
Source | #Mars2020
@EverythingScience
Helicopter Flight Testing
After mission controllers have determined that rover systems are functioning as desired, Perseverance will find a flat area to serve as a helipad for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter technology demonstration. In the first months after landing, if all goes well, the rover will deploy Ingenuity in the center of this area and drive a safe distance (about 100 meters) away from it. The helicopter’s team will then have up to 30 sols to perform a series of flight tests on Mars, the first time powered, controlled flight has been attempted on another planet.
The rover's Mastcam-Z and Navigation Cameras will collect still images of Ingenuity – and possibly a video or two. The two microphones (one located on the SuperCam instrument; the other, on its chassis) will attempt to pick up the sounds of the flight operations.
Source | #Mars2020
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After mission controllers have determined that rover systems are functioning as desired, Perseverance will find a flat area to serve as a helipad for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter technology demonstration. In the first months after landing, if all goes well, the rover will deploy Ingenuity in the center of this area and drive a safe distance (about 100 meters) away from it. The helicopter’s team will then have up to 30 sols to perform a series of flight tests on Mars, the first time powered, controlled flight has been attempted on another planet.
The rover's Mastcam-Z and Navigation Cameras will collect still images of Ingenuity – and possibly a video or two. The two microphones (one located on the SuperCam instrument; the other, on its chassis) will attempt to pick up the sounds of the flight operations.
Source | #Mars2020
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How is Perseverance's Mars landing different than Curiosity?
Perseverance entry, descent, and landing lead Allen Chen explains how the entry, descent and landing of the Mars rover differs from that of Curiosity.
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Perseverance entry, descent, and landing lead Allen Chen explains how the entry, descent and landing of the Mars rover differs from that of Curiosity.
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Ingenuity
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is the first aircraft humanity has sent to another planet to attempt powered, controlled flight. If its experimental flight test program succeeds, the data returned could benefit future explorations of the Red Planet – including those by astronauts – by adding the aerial dimension, which is not available today.
Ingenuity weighs about 1.8kg on Earth and about 0.68kg on Mars. It features four specially made carbon fiber blades arranged into two 1.2-meter-long counter-rotating rotors that spin at roughly 2,400 rpm. A solar array on top of the rotor system charges six lithium-ion batteries. The drone also has two cameras: One color with a horizon-facing view for terrain images and one black-and-white
for navigation.
Source | #Mars2020
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NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter is the first aircraft humanity has sent to another planet to attempt powered, controlled flight. If its experimental flight test program succeeds, the data returned could benefit future explorations of the Red Planet – including those by astronauts – by adding the aerial dimension, which is not available today.
Ingenuity weighs about 1.8kg on Earth and about 0.68kg on Mars. It features four specially made carbon fiber blades arranged into two 1.2-meter-long counter-rotating rotors that spin at roughly 2,400 rpm. A solar array on top of the rotor system charges six lithium-ion batteries. The drone also has two cameras: One color with a horizon-facing view for terrain images and one black-and-white
for navigation.
Source | #Mars2020
@EverythingScience