Scientists developed the first image of dark matter, revealing its filaments.

STATES CHRONICLE – Researchers have unveiled the first image of the dark matter which is known to link galaxies across the entire universe. For decades, astronomers have monitored what it seemed to be a thread-like structure which connects galaxies in space. Indirect analyses, computer models, and several theories have suggested that a cosmic web of dark matter links all the galaxies and comprises the large-scale map of space.

Researchers developed the first image of dark matter

Nevertheless, they stated that the filaments which make up this web are huge and it is hard for them to observe dark matter. Recently, they have developed the first composite picture of such a filament which is bound to establish connections between galaxies. Mike Hudson, a professor of astronomy at the University of Waterloo in Canada, claimed that the new image helps scientists see and measure, without only estimating or forecasting.

They have now a pillar to start from building new studies and experiments to reveal more details about the dark matter. Mike Hudson is also the co-author of a new study which has been recently released in the ‘Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.’ Experts argue that dark matter is an evasive substance which makes up approximately 27% of space. This matter does not absorb or reflect light.

They unveiled its filaments which connect the galaxies in the universe

This is what made this matter impossible to be detected. Nevertheless, there is still something which gives it away, namely its effects when it enables a gravitational pull or when it encapsulates the light emitted by distant galaxies in a gravitational lensing. To develop this research, Hudson and Seth Epps, the co-author of the study, used a technique known as weak gravitational lensing.

This represents a statistical measurement of the minor bends which appear in the way of light which passes near the dark matter. The effect of the light triggers illustrations of galaxies which occur as twisted due to the presence of cosmic mass. Scientists argued that they implemented this technique to see whether the filaments of dark matter exist.

In their new study, researchers explained that to analyze the weak lensing signal of the filaments they needed two different sets of data, namely a catalog of background source galaxies showing accurate distance measurements and a catalog of galaxy cluster pairs which were lensed. They combined this information to unveil the extent to which these dark matter filaments extend in the universe to link galaxies.

Image source: wikipedia

A new study shows that the flight turbulence might increase in a few years.

Some people’s fear of flying is exponentially increased in the presence of turbulence. The bad news is that the short episodes of intense fear of crashing will become more frequent due to the effects of climate change. At least, that’s what researchers are claiming in the latest study published in.

A new study shows that the flight turbulence might increase in a few years. This research is actually built on previous research looking at climate patterns and the effects of climate change on aerial transport. By using climate model simulations, the scientists managed to measure the frequency of clear-air turbulence. Just like hurricanes and earthquakes, flight turbulence is also divided into categories according to how much damage it can produce.

All Strength Categories Will Increase

A previous study published 4 years ago showed that if the current level of carbon dioxide doubles, the frequency of jet streams will also be exponentially increased. Jet streams are narrow fast-flowing air currents that roam the tropopause. They flow from east to west, causing turbulence whenever an aircraft encounters them.

The leader of the study, Paul D. Williams, started looking for the effects of jet streams on the intensity of flight turbulence, classifying the latter according to their intensity and the weather conditions in which they appear. He found that clear-air turbulence can go from severe to light. Williams also observed that the levels of flight turbulence can increase by more than 60% if carbon dioxide levels continue to increase. Moderate turbulence will increase by 94%, while severe turbulence will go up by 149%.

This shows that the effects of climate change can have an impact on transportation as well as people will need to prepare themselves for more severe air turbulence. However, the study has its limitations as it was conducted using data gathered from the North Atlantic region. Other researchers may not reach the same conclusions when inputting information gathered from other areas of the world.

More about Clear-Air Turbulence

This type of turbulence is the most common one. Also known as CAT, clear-air turbulence is likely to be experienced by the majority of passengers. CAT occurs when the edge of a jet stream interacts with moving air. The problem is that it is impossible to detect this type of turbulence and it can’t be avoided. Despite the fact that it is the most common cause of injury for passengers, it doesn’t cause severe harm.

Image source: Wikipedia

Scientists estimate that climate change will get even worse by the end of the century.

STATES CHRONICLE – Scientists predict that by the end of this century carbon dioxide could reach the highest levels. Scientists around the world are disappointed after witnessing Trump’s new decision of maintaining the beliefs of his party which does not admit that climate change exists, claiming that this is a hoax. They do not believe that global warming is due to the massive amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

By the end of this century, carbon dioxide may reach the highest levels ever

The majority of scientists claims that climate change is even worse because of the continuously increasing levels of carbon dioxide which now surpassed 410 parts per million. Largely, this is related to the widespread use of fossil fuel. The rising heat in the atmosphere causes dramatic weather oscillations like cold, heat, flooding and drought, all of increasing strength, oscillating with higher amplitude.

When rapid changes in our planet’s biosphere occur, every creature suffers when struggling to adapt every time to new conditions to survive, finding a new balance. Even if some of the world leaders believe that climate change is just a legend, they should probably think twice before saying this while this issue will only get worse as time passes by and nobody tries to find any measures to annihilate it.

Environmentalists try to convince world leaders that global warming is not a hoax

Moreover, experts in the insurance industry have admitted that there was registered an increase of 15% in payout because of catastrophes related to weather conditions, like flooding or hurricanes, during the last five years. The most terrible part of this whole problem is that America already has all the needed technology and resources to replace fossil fuel or at least reduce its consumption, using more eco-friendly alternative to save the planet.

America could easily become an energy-independent country, using other sources for providing energy, like geothermal, solar wind turbines to develop electricity. In this way, the carbon dioxide levels would be reduced from the atmosphere. State officials should think about implementing new environmental programs of planting trees.

There are a lot of possibilities which could help our planet overcome the climate change problem. What it is indeed necessary is to convince everyone that global warming is not a joke and that our lives depend on our efforts. World leaders should develop strategies to reduce the greenhouse gasses.

Image source: pixabay

Manatees were reclassified, being no longer an endangered species.

STATES CHRONICLE – On March 30, manatees were erased of the US endangered species list of the Interior Department, and they were reclassified as being threatened species. The robust marine animal known as sea cow appears now to be only threatened by extinction. The reason for this relisting is a rebound of a manatee population called the West Indian manatees located on the coastline of Florida.

Manatees are no longer listed as endangered species

The range of this population extends from the southeastern United States through the basin of Caribbean. The US Interior Department stated that the number of manatee population is larger than 6,600 only in Florida while in the 1970s the number was reduced to a few hundred. The Caribbean countries, environmentalists, and the US government have contributed to 30 years of conservation efforts to make possible this recovery.

The Interior Department claimed that some of the measures which helped to boost the conservation efforts included the redesign of levees and rocks, imposing speed limits on boats and developing manatee sanctuaries. Phil Kloer, a spokesman for the department’s Fish and Wildlife Service, stated that this is a successful story for them since their efforts proved to be helpful.

The population of manatees increased to 13,000 individuals

Nevertheless, the US Interior Department pointed out that the federal protection for manatee will continue to be available. Frank Jackalone, the director of the Florida chapter of the Sierra Club, has criticized this decision of preserving the federal protections, arguing that state and local authorities will ease the rules regarding boat speed limit which was once created to protect manatees.

He also underlined the fact that Florida boaters will see this reclassification as a sign that they are now allowed to increase the speed in areas where manatees live. Last year, about 520 manatees died, and 104 of them died due to watercraft. Jackalone argued that the decision of the US Interior Department did not consider mentioning the impact of closing power plants in Florida which helped manatees stay warm during the cold season with their warm water outflows.

Even if this animal is no longer listed as endangered species, it is more likely to become so shortly. When a species is listed as endangered, it means that it is on the verge of extinction. The Interior Department declared that its total population managed to rebound to 13,000 individuals

Image source: wikipedia

Scientists indicated that Martian moons may have formed rings around the Red Planet in the past.

STATES CHRONICLE – The two small Martian moons are believed to have been rings in the past, in the early stages of our solar system. Deimos and Phobos may have formed rings around Mars. They are less likely to have been captured from the asteroid belt by the gravity of the Red Plant. The new study was recently published in the Nature Geoscience magazine.

Minton and Hesselbrock developed a new theory about Mars’ moons

Based on the new research developed by David Minton and Andrew Hesselbrock, both researchers at the Purdue University, the small moons of Mars may be the result of a process of ring formation and destruction which encircled the planet, being initially triggered by the impact of a massive object more than four billion years ago.

One or even more such celestial objects may have dispersed debris into space, creating a ring near the limit of which any celestial body would be caught into the gravity field of the planet. This limit or threshold is known as the Roche Limit. Scientists estimated that approximately 80% of the detritus from the impact fell back on the surface of the Red Planet, while the rest remained floating at the Roche Limit, coalescing into moons.

Researchers claim that the Martian moons may have been rings around the planet in the past

As time passed by, these celestial objects which are known as moons would have been attracted toward the planet due to gravitational interactions which occurred between Mars and the debris. These Martian moons orbit faster around the planet compared with Mars’ speed of rotation. Thus, tidal interactions would have slowed down these celestial objects and outer, bigger moons would have engulfed inner, smaller ones.

The remaining moon would be attracted towards Red Planet’s Roche Limit and be torn into pieces, and the debris would form a new ring. As this cycle repeated, the moons became smaller and smaller because more detritus fell back on the surface of Mars. Minton and Hesselbrock argue that they believe that six such cycles have happened up to this moment.

By using the mass of a moon, researchers could establish the size of the first ring. In a similar way, by knowing the size and weight of the ring, researchers can work backward and compute the size of the moon which was torn apart into millions of pieces of debris that formed the ring. This hypothesis could be correct since there are some areas on Mars covered in sand, as a result of the rubble which fell back on the surface of the planet.

Image source: flickr