STATES CHRONICLE – Researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology made an interesting discovery regarding Uranus’ magnetosphere. They found the magnetic field surrounding the planet behaved like a light switch, flipping on and off as Uranus rotated. The study was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics.

Uranus has a different magnetosphere than Earth

In 1986, a NASA spacecraft called Voyager 2 flew by Uranus, and was able to capture some images and data regarding the planet. Now, researchers used this data and discovered interesting facts regarding the planet.

First, the magnetosphere of the planet has one opening, which allows solar wind to fly inside. After some time, the magnetosphere closes, driving the solar wind away. These phenomena take place in a cycle, as compared to Earth’s magnetic field.

Therefore, the solar wind needs to change its direction to cause Earth’s magnetic field to switch between closed and open. This happens since the same side of our planet’s magnetosphere is always facing the Sun. However, Uranus is different.

The magnetic field tumbles against solar winds

The faraway planet rotates on one side, so its magnetic field doesn’t stay straight. In fact, it lies tilted some 60 degrees from the planet’s axis. While Uranus performs its rotation, the magnetosphere moves asymmetrically against the solar wind. Therefore, this rotating speed which changes leads to these opening and closing movements.

“When the magnetized solar wind meets this tumbling field in the right way, it can reconnect and Uranus magnetosphere goes from open to closed to open on a daily basis.”

This phenomenon of tumbling magnetic fields is widespread all over the Solar System. In fact, it explains the presence of auroras. After gathering all the Voyager 2 data, researchers simulated the movements of Uranus’ global magnetosphere, and were able to tell when and where these openings occur.

Understanding how magnetosphere works is crucial for newly discovered exoplanets. The discovery is vital, since it highlights the complexity of magnetic fields in the universe, and might help in assessing the habitability of new world.
Image Source: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

STATES CHRONICLE – We have all seen eggs of different shapes and sizes, but have you ever wondered why they don’t look the same? A team of scientists has managed to discover the secret of these various shapes, and a bird’s ability to fly might be to blame.

In a new study published in the journal Science, researchers analyzed various shapes of eggs, as well as the birds which lay them. They discovered that the differences in flight ability among birds start early in a specimen, and determine the shape of its egg.

Two measurements when looking at egg shape

More precisely, a bird which is able to fly lays eggs of a rather elliptical or asymmetrical shape, while the eggs of those birds which don’t leave the ground are more spherical. Researchers found this very interesting, since eggs have the same function, regardless of shape. Even so, it seems that they evolve differently.

To establish this diversity among eggs, researchers characterized each object of their study in terms of two measurements. The first was ellipticity. An egg starts with a sphere shape and, then, it gradually becomes more elongated and elliptical. The second measurement was asymmetry, when one end of the egg might be pointier than the other.

What makes eggs have different shapes?

After analyzing eggs coming from 1,400 species of birds, they obtained around 50,000 different shapes. They were surprised to discover much variety among them. The shape found in most eggs was placed somewhere in the middle, meaning that it was neither perfectly spherical nor perfectly elliptical, and quite asymmetrical. In other words, the middle ground was quite similar to a chicken egg.

The membrane inside the egg is the one that gives it its shape. Also, the thickness and elasticity of this membrane is determined by the bird’s body mass or length of the wings, so flight ability directly influences the texture of the membrane, therefore the shape of the egg.

Flying birds are more aerodynamic, so their body is slenderer, which leads to an elliptical and asymmetrical egg. Also, such a shape allows for the egg to contain enough egg white and yolk and, at the same time, be suitable for flight.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

STATES CHRONICLE – A new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change claims that heat waves around the globe have become more intense, and even reached lethal levels. However, they are likely to become less deadly in the future, not because their intensity will decrease, but rather because people will get used to them.

Highest temperatures ever recorded struck the world

The study analyzed 1,949 heat waves around the globe since 1980 until the present day. It looked at the conditions which turn them deadly, and how they will change in the future. Researchers discovered that 1 out of 3 people struggles with at least 20 days a year of intense heat waves. However, if weather and climate conditions do not improve, 3 in 4 people will have to struggle with deadly heat 100 years from now.

Researchers decided to develop the study after they recorded overwhelming temperatures in the United States. This Sunday, the cities of Santa Rosa, Livermore, and San Jose in California were swept up by three-digit temperatures of 106, 105, and 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the forecast says that the massive heat wave will continue over the week.

Last year, 22 countries struggled with their highest temperatures ever recorded. This year, seven others have already registered incredible heat. Last month, weather scientists registered a temperature of 128 degrees Fahrenheit in Turbat, Pakistan. If it is confirmed, it will be among the five hottest ever measured on Earth.

Simulations aren’t accurate for all countries

Researchers put up a map of previous waves, and then run simulations to see how likely they are to evolve. If pollution and global warming continues, the east of the United States will struggle with plenty of deadly heat waves.

Other areas likely to be affected are Southeastern US, Central and South America, India, Pakistan, Central Africa, or Australia. Predictions are more accurate for countries like US, where it is easier to keep record of temperatures. Therefore, many other poorer countries might be struck by the killer heat waves.
Image Source: NASA Earth Observatory

STATES CHRONICLE – The long-awaited eclipse on August 21^st is still two months away, but people have been preparing for it for a few months now. The U.S. Postal service wants to celebrate the event in a unique way. Today, precisely one day before the summer solstice, the institution will release a special eclipse-themed stamp.

The first stamp using thermochromic ink

The stamp, called Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever, was designed by Antonio Alcalá, and uses thermochromic ink. This means that the image is sensitive to body heat, and changes if you touch it with your finger. Alcalá used a photograph of the total eclipse from March 29^th, 2006, captured by Fred Espenak in Jalu, Libya. Espenak is an expert in eclipses and a former NASA astrophysicist at the Goddard Space Flight Center.

This is the first time in the history of the U.S. Postal Service when they use thermochromic ink for the design of a stamp. At first, it will display the black circle of an eclipse. Then, after touching the circle, the body heat will produce a reaction which changes the circle to a moon image. As the moon cools, it will gradually return to the eclipse image.

The stamp will also display the map of the eclipse path

On the back of the stamp, people will find a map depicting the path the eclipse follows and the states where it will be visible. Fourteen states will be able to see it in its ‘totality’. These are South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. At the same time with the summer solstice celebration, the stamp will receive an issuing ceremony held at the Art Museum of University of Wyoming.

Everybody is so excited about this event, since it is the total solar eclipse visible on the territory of the United States since 1979. Espenak’s website, MrEclipse.com, claims that the next total eclipse we will be able to witness will take place on April 8^th, 2024.
Image Source: Max Pixel

STATES CHRONICLE – A team of researchers from Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and from UC Berkeley came to the conclusion that our sun had a twin star. This applies to many similar stars in the universe. They think that, when these cosmic bodies are created, they also have a twin companion which is later destroyed.

Astronomers say stars are born with companions

Astronomers came up with several theories regarding the origin of these companions. One hypothesis claims that stars are born with a twin star, while another one says that one of the bodies is captured by the gravity of the other.

Also, they are wondering if it is possible for binary star systems to be split and to form individual systems afterwards. This is relevant not only to find out the origin of our own solar system, but can offer a perspective on the formation of galaxies.

With the help of computer-generated models, astronomers created simulations of gasses condensing into stars. This gave rise to the theory that each star is formed with a twin. However, evidence in favor of this was provided only after the release of the Perseus study.

The sun had a twin star, Nemesis

Astronomers presumed the sun had a twin star called Nemesis which, presumably, was responsible with the extinction of dinosaurs. Evidence was lacking, until this study came up and led researchers to believe that Nemesis was, indeed, real, but it drifted far away into the Milky Way and disappeared.

For the researchers, scientists performed a radio survey in the Perseus constellation and analyzed a molecular cloud around some young stars. This is strong evidence in support of the twin star hypothesis. However, these companions are situated quite far away from their twins. Therefore, Nemesis would have been situated somewhere much further away from the sun than Neptune.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

STATES CHRONICLE – Researchers from Durham University performed an extensive analysis of invasive species in the world, and identified the top three places where they have established their populations. These hotspots of alien species are the Hawaiian Islands, the North Island in New Zealand, and the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia.

What are invasive species?

Invasive species, also known as alien species, are native to a certain place but, due to human activities, their populations are spread and become established in other regions. They are called invasive since they ‘invade’ these places and don’t populate them naturally.

For the study, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers analyzed the populations of eight groups of animals on 423 inland regions and 186 islands. Apart from discovering where invasive species are prevalent, they wanted to highlight the importance of taking measures against introducing more alien animals in vulnerable ecosystems.

Islands and coastal regions have the most alien species

Invasive species are present more on islands and near the coasts of mainland regions. The Hawaiian Islands, for instance, represent the top hotspot for such species, and contain alien animals from all the eight groups studied. Among these populations, there are guppy fish, who now spread all over the globe, and feral pigs.

New Zealand is on the second place, where plants represent most of the invasive populations on the islands. In fact, almost half of the plants in New Zealand are alien species. Also, plenty of predatory mammals are invasive, and they threaten native bird species, who did not evolve with a protective mechanism against these species. These mammals include possums, cats, and rats.

From the US, Florida is a place where many alien species have gathered. Burmese pythons which populate the Everglades are one of the main ‘invaders’. They came to Florida originally as pets, but they were released either accidentally or intentionally, and now ended up populating a big part of Florida.

Controlling invasive species and preventing them from spreading to other regions non-native to them is vital, since they threaten the ecosystems they occupy. Native species cannot adapt to alien predators, so they are in danger, thus affecting the balance of the environment.
Image Source: Pixabay

A team of researchers believes to have found possibly the most complete bird as of yet after discovering a hatchling preserved in amber. This baby bird was dated as being over 99 million years old and to have lived in the Cretaceous period.

The fossilized specimen was acquired back in 2014 in Myanmar by Guang Chen. The director of China’s Hupoge Amber Museum in Tengchong City had heard that this piece contained a “lizard claw” inclusion. Still, a closer look at the piece of amber revealed so much more.

The Hatchling Preserved in the Same Piece of Amber Which Caused Its Death

Chen and his study team co-leader, Lida Xing, analyzed the mysterious claw and determined it to be an enantiornithine foot. Further imaging and studies of the amber piece revealed the incredible state of the baby bird within it.

This was almost entirely preserved, as researchers were able to detect a part of its skull, neck, a hind leg, and part of a wing. These were all hidden by layers of amber, clay-filled bubbles, and carbonized plant remains.

The team was not expecting such a complete exemplary. They believed to have stumbled upon some feathers and maybe a pair of feet. Still, the hatchling had many more surprises for them.

“The surprise continued when we started examining the distribution of feathers and and realized that there were translucent sheets of skin that connected many of the body regions appearing in the CT scan data,” stated Ryan McKellar.

He is one of the study researchers and part of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, Canada.

The baby bird is nicknamed “Belone” or the Burnamese name for an amber-colored skylark. Belone belongs to the Enantiornithes family. An avian group known as “opposite birds”, these lived along dinosaurs. Just as them, they went extinct some 65 million years ago.

This hatchling was perfectly preserved in the amber that unconsciously marked its death. Scientists believe that Belone most likely fell into a pool of sap, out of which it was unable to get out and found its end.

Research results offering more details about this baby bird are available in the journal Gondwana Research. Belone is also on display at the Shanghai Museum of Natural History throughout the summer.

Image Source: Wikimedia

STATES CHRONICLE – Researchers observed a peculiar phenomenon caused by climate change. Eastern forests are starting to move towards north and west. Since temperatures have increased over the past decades, US forests found a way to adapt. In addition, rainfall patterns also contributed to this shift.

Eastern forests seek cooler climates

Some of the relocating tree species include maples and oaks, which are moving towards west. On the other hand, firs and pines are moving north, in search of a cooler climate to survive. Researchers noticed the shift after analyzing data from the US Forest Service collected between 1980 to 2015. More than 86 species were included in the study.

The lead author, Songlin Fei, warns people that this is not a prediction. The shift, which is taking place right now, will have a great impact on the forest ecosystems in the country. More precisely, the whole food chain is going to be affected.

This phenomena will affect ecosystems

Animals, insects, soil, and plants rely on these trees to survive, while trees also rely on them to survive. Once a shift like that happens, all of them will have to suffer. Some of the animals living in the eastern forests will lose their habitat, and the entire system will lose its balance once the movement is complete.

However, birds are most affected by this change. The spring weather in North America is more and more unpredictable, and they have a harder time planning their migration. Therefore, they will find it more difficult to ensure food for their young and for themselves.

Researchers observed that the change in temperature and rainfall patterns affected forests the most. Natural disasters like droughts, heat waves, and floods are now more common in the US due to climate change. These phenomena equally affect animals, plants, and trees.

Image source: Wikipedia

STATES CHRONICLE – In November, Jeremy the snail’s story became popular. He belongs to a rare kind of snails, which made it hard for him to find another specimen for mating. Then, a global call was issued to find the special snail a mate, but this did not work out either, as he ended up on the unpleasant side of a love triangle.

Jeremy is a rare kind of snail

Jeremy is not like most snails, which have coils on the shell which go on the right. His coils are on the left, as well as his reproductive organs. This makes it difficult for him to mate with the other snails with reproductive organs on the right. Such left-coiled specimens are as rare as one in 100,000, or even one in one million. Therefore, the snail had trouble in finding his other half.

Therefore, researchers from the University of Nottingham decided to start a campaign and ask anybody who had a left-coiled snail bring it to mate with Jeremy. Shortly, they found not one, but two partners. A woman from the English city of Ipswich said she had a potential match named Lefty. Also, researchers had found another compatible snail in Spain, called Tomeu.

On the wrong side of the love triangle

However, it didn’t work out well for Jeremy. On Wednesday, scientists from the University of Nottingham revealed the sad truth. Jeremy did not get to mate with any of the snails, as they ignored him and mated with each other instead.

Lefty and Tomeu have laid three series of eggs, and 170 baby snails have already hatched. Unfortunately, none of them exhibit the genetic mutation present in their parents. Both of them laid eggs, since snails are hermaphrodites and have both types of sexual cells.

Researchers did not give up and are still searching for a pair for Jeremy. Until then, he has taken the role of uncle seriously, and is taking good care of Lefty and Tomeu’s baby snails.
Image Source: Public Domain Pictures

STATES CHRONICLE – Scientists claim that dinosaurs could have still been around if the asteroid responsible with their demise had hit Earth at a different time. They think that not the size of the asteroid, but the timing at which it struck our planet 66 million years ago led to the disappearance of the huge animals. This hypothesis will be presented in a documentary scheduled to air next Monday on BBC2.

Researchers studied the crater formed after the asteroid collision

Ben Garrod is an evolutionary biologist who studied the great impact which drove dinosaurs extinct and found something interesting. He claims that neither the force of the impact nor the size of the cosmic object had this terrible effect on the planet. In fact, it was the time at which it occurred.

The impact led to the formation of Chicxulub crater in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Garrod, together with other scientists, drilled into the crater and analyzed it. Garrod’s theory, together with their other findings, are gathered in the BBC documentary called “The Day the Dinosaurs Died”.

Dinosaurs could have survived if the timing was different

The other scientists back up Garrod’s theory. After the analysis of the crater, they think that the result would have been different if the asteroid had hit at a different time. Even if it had struck Earth several moments earlier or later than it did, the planet would have suffered less.

For instance, if the asteroid had landed in the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean, much less rock would have been vaporized. Therefore, there would have been less toxic gypsum in the atmosphere. A thinner cloud would have allowed sunlight to reach the land, and dinosaurs wouldn’t have run out of food.

Besides, scientists discovered that the asteroid hit Earth at a speed of 40,000 mph. The hole it made was 120 miles wide and 20 miles deep, but more details will be revealed in the documentary which airs at 9 p.m. on Monday, on BBC2.
Image Source: Wikipedia