Spacecraft attempts closest-ever approach to Sun please log in to view this image A Nasa spacecraft is attempting to make history with the closest-ever approach to the Sun. The Parker Solar Probe is plunging into our star's outer atmosphere, enduring brutal temperatures and extreme radiation. It is out of communication for several days during this burning hot fly-by and scientists will be waiting for a signal, expected at 05:00 GMT on 28 December, to see if it has survived. The hope is the probe could help us to better understand how the Sun works Dr Nicola Fox, head of science at Nasa, told BBC News: "For centuries, people have studied the Sun, but you don't experience the atmosphere of a place until you actually go visit it. "And so we can't really experience the atmosphere of our star unless we fly through it." please log in to view this image Parker Solar Probe launched in 2018, heading to the centre of our solar system. It has already swept past the Sun 21 times, getting ever nearer, but the Christmas Eve visit is record-breaking. At its closest approach, the probe is 3.8 million miles (6.2 million km) from our star's surface. This might not sound that close, but Nasa's Nicola Fox puts it into perspective: "We are 93 million miles away from the Sun, so if I put the Sun and the Earth one metre apart, Parker Solar Probe is four centimetres from the Sun - so that's close." The probe will have to endure temperatures of 1,400C and radiation that could frazzle the onboard electronics. It is protected by a 11.5cm (4.5 inches) thick carbon-composite shield but the spacecraft's tactic is to get in and out fast. In fact, it will be moving faster than any human-made object, hurtling at 430,000mph - the equivalent of flying from London to New York in less than 30 seconds. Parker's speed comes from the immense gravitational pull it feels as it falls towards the Sun. please log in to view this image So why go to all this effort to "touch" the Sun? Scientists hope that as the spacecraft passes through our star's outer atmosphere - its corona - it will solve a long standing mystery. "The corona is really, really hot, and we have no idea why," explains Dr Jenifer Millard, an astronomer at Fifth Star Labs in Wales. "The surface of the Sun is about 6,000C or so, but the corona, this tenuous outer atmosphere that you can see during solar eclipses, reaches millions of degrees - and that is further away from the Sun. So how is that atmosphere getting hotter?" The mission should also help scientists to better understand solar wind - the constant stream of charged particles bursting out from the corona. When these particles interact with the Earth's magnetic field the sky lights up with dazzling auroras But this so-called space weather can cause problems too, knocking out power grids, electronics and communication systems. "Understanding the Sun, its activity, space weather, the solar wind, is so important to our everyday lives on Earth," says Dr Millard. please log in to view this image Image source,NASA Image caption, Scientists hope the probe will help us to solve some solar mysteries Nasa scientists face an anxious wait over Christmas while the spacecraft is out of touch with Earth. Nicola Fox says that as soon as a signal is beamed back home, the team will text her a green heart to let her know the probe is OK. She admits she is nervous about the audacious attempt, but she has faith in the probe. "I will worry about the spacecraft. But we really have designed it to withstand all of these brutal, brutal conditions. It's a tough, tough little spacecraft."
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Earth's inner core may have changed shape, say scientists 1 day ago Share Save Georgina Rannard Climate and science reporter please log in to view this image Getty Images The inner core of Earth may have changed shape in the past 20 years, according to a group of scientists. The inner core is usually thought to be shaped like a ball, but its edges may actually have deformed by 100m or more in height in places, according to Prof John Vidale who led the research. Earth's core is the beating heart of our planet as it produces a magnetic field that protects life from burning up in the Sun's radiation. The inner core spins independently from the liquid outer core and from the rest of the planet. Without this motion, Earth would die and become more like barren Mars which lost its magnetic field billions of years ago. Advertisement The change in shape could be happening where the edge of the solid inner core touches the extremely hot liquid metal outer core. The research is published in the scientific journal Nature Geoscience. The scientists were originally trying to find out why the inner core may have slowed down to a slower pace than Earth's rotation before speeding back up again in 2010. Understanding how the Earth's core works is essential to understanding the magnetic field that protects the planet, and whether that could weaken or stop. The inside of our planet is an extremely mysterious place. The core is about 4,000 miles from the Earth's surface and, despite best efforts, scientists have so far been unable to reach it. So, to try to unlock its secrets, some researchers measure the shockwaves caused by earthquakes as they ripple through the planet. The way the waves travel reveals what type of material they moved through, including in the inner core, and help to paint a picture of what lies beneath our feet. The new analysis looked at seismic wave patterns from earthquakes that repeated in the same location between 1991 and 2023. That helped to show how the inner core is changing over time. Prof Vidale, an earth scientist at the University of Southern California, found more evidence to back up the theory that during those years the inner core slowed down around 2010. please log in to view this image Getty Images The northern lights occur around when solar particles interact with the Earth's magnetic field, which is linked to our planet's core Advertisement But his team also found the evidence of the inner core's changing shape. It appears to be happening at the boundary of the inner and outer core, where the inner core is close to melting point. The liquid flow of the outer core as well as pull from an uneven gravity field may cause deformation. Prof Hrvoje Tkalcic from Australian National University, who was not involved in the study, said the paper provides "an interesting concept that should be explored further". He said it could allow scientists "to make more informed estimates of some important material properties, such as the viscosity of the inner core, which is one of the least known quantities in modern science". Over time the liquid outer core is freezing into the solid inner core, but it will be billions of years before it becomes completely solid. It would almost certainly mean the end of life on Earth, but by then the planet is already likely to have been swallowed by the Sun. Prof Vidale's work is part of investigations by experts around the world exploring and arguing over what happens in the core. "In science, we generally try to look at things until we understand them," Prof Vidale says. "In all likelihood, this finding doesn't affect our daily lives one iota, but we really want to understand what's happening in the middle of the Earth," he adds. It is possible that the changes are connected to changes in Earth's magnetic field. "The magnetic field has had jerks at various times in the past few decades, and we'd like to know if that is related to what we're seeing at the inner core boundary," he said. Prof Vidale urged caution about hyping the findings into ideas that the core is going to stop rotating any time soon. He also added that there are still lots of uncertainties. "We're not 100% sure we're interpreting these changes correctly," saying that the boundaries of scientific knowledge are always changing and, like many if not all researchers, he has been wrong in the past.
Aerial Images Show Progress at World's Biggest Construction Site By please log in to view this image Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member FOLLOW news article 6 Translate Work on the Line, the cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's Neom construction project, has been announced in new images from one of the project's top executives. New aerial images show that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's centerpiece urban project is making progress, with the pictures showing new structures and groundwork along the route of the 170-kilometer city. Newsweek contacted Neom for an update on the project's progress via email. Why It Matters Neom is the flagship element of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia's strategy to diversify its economy away from oil dependence. The Line, the most ambitious piece of Neom, was unveiled as a pair of parallel 500-meter-tall skyscrapers stretching through the desert, pitched as an ultradense urban core housing all infrastructure within a tiny 200-meter width. While Saudi officials continue to promote the Line as a revolutionary project, its progress and scale have drawn scrutiny, especially over allegations of migrant worker abuse on the construction site. What To Know In images released by Giles Pendleton, the Line's chief operating officer, the city's ground infrastructure can be seen taking shape, with the 200-meter-wide outline of the city showing in the desert of the Tabuk Province. "A good snap shot of progress and a range of NEOM infrastructure projects from the water pipeline to new camps completing to massive amount of work in Oxagon harbor," Pendleton wrote on LinkedIn. please log in to view this image Ariel images of the Line's construction site released in April. NEOM "All are going well and shows things from a very different view point from the air," Pendleton added. The photos include images of more than 60 newly installed wind turbines and a bustling construction site at the Oxagon port, a nearby industrial node that is part of the wider Neom project. The photos also show the purpose-built settlements used for workers, who live near the site. Read more Construction please log in to view this image Stakes High for Trump in Middle East Trip California High-Speed Rail Reaches 'Momentous Milestone' China Space Project Investigated by Newsweek Illegal, Chile Says New Texas Cruise Ship Terminal Expected in November: What to Know Saudi authorities originally planned for the Line to house 1.5 million residents by 2030. About 2,800 staff already live and work at Neom, according to its website. please log in to view this image Ariel images of the Line's construction site and energy infrastructure released in April. NEOM So far, the project has been funded by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, known as PIF, which oversees a $700 billion mandate to build the Line and other Neom projects. However, Neom's official budget is $500 billion, more than half the PIF's holdings. What Happens Next The greater part of Neom is meant to be completed in time for 2030, like the rest of the Vision project. However, because of the complexity and enormity of the design, it is unclear whether the project will meet that deadline. Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact [email protected]. please log in to view this image fairness meter Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair. Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter. UnfairLeftleaning Mostly Fair Left leaning Fair Mostly Fair Right leaning UnfairRightleaning Click On MeterTo Rate This Article Request Reprint & LicensingSubmit CorrectionView Editorial & AI Guidelines Sponsored content please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Neuropathy Is Linked To This Household Item (Stop Using It) Quietum Plus please log in to view this image Wellington Winner Breaks Silence On How She Won 11.6M Yukon Gold Casino please log in to view this image Rheumatologist: I Beg You! Don't Eat This If You Have Arthritis! Arthro MD+ please log in to view this image Diabetes Is Not From Sweets! Meet The Number One Enemy Quietum Plus please log in to view this image Cardiologist: Too Much Belly Fat? Do This Before Bed Quietum Plus please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
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