Leaving on a jet

Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2023/09/Earth_from_Space_Southern_Patagonian_Ice_Field">European Space Agency</a> features a massive star-forming nebula known as G35.2-0.7N, which is located around 7,200 light-years from Earth in the constellation Aquila.



According to ESA, G35.2-0.7N is known as a hotbed of high-mass star formation. "The kind of stars that form here are so massive that they will end their lives as destructive supernovae. However, even as they form they greatly impact their surroundings."&nbsp;



"At least one B-type star - the second most massive type - lurks within the region pictured here, and a powerful protostellar jet that it is launching towards us is the source of the spectacular light show."&nbsp;



The image was captured by the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), which is mounted on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.



NASA noted that Hubble observed this particular region as part of a program examining protostellar jets.&nbsp;



"These fast-moving jets, which form as gas collects around newly forming stars and last for only about 100,000 years, are known to play a role in star formation," said NASA.



"Astronomers were interested to learn whether such jets influence the formation of massive stars similar to the way they affect the formation of lower-mass stars. Massive stars are typically rarer, more distant, and more hidden by dust than lower-mass stars, making studies of their jets more challenging."



Image Credit: ESA/Hubble &amp; NASA, R. Fedriani, J. Tan



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Stellar nursery G35.2-0.7N is a hotbed of massive stars

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features Saba, a small island in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. Saba is the top of a volcano that became active during the Pleistocene era.



"Located about 140 kilometers east of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the active stratovolcano rises 1,500 meters above the sea floor," says NASA. "Above the water, rainforests cover the steep slopes of the volcano, home to many birds, orchids and reptiles, including an endemic spotted lizard, the Saban anole (Anolus sabensis). Below the water, corals and other species thrive."



"The largest city and the capital city of the island, called The Bottom, lies between the port and the higher elevations of the volcano."&nbsp;



Due to a lack of sandy beaches, Saba is not a major tourist destination like other Caribbean islands. However, it is a popular spot for divers to find corals and sea urchins.



According to NASA, sea urchins in the Caribbean started mysteriously dying off in early 2022. Dive shops in the region began reporting mysterious sea urchin die offs in February, particularly the long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum.&nbsp;



"Saba’s reef was once home to more than 5,000 D. antillarum. But in April 2022, in a section of Saba’s reef called 'Diadema City,' half of the long-spined sea urchins died off in just one week, and only 100 remained in June, according to reporting in ScienceNews."



"The massive loss of sea urchins is reminiscent of a die-off that started in 1983, in which virtually all of the D. antillarum population in the Caribbean was eliminated within a year. Although the exact cause of the 1983 and 2022 die-offs is still a mystery, many researchers agree that the speed and scope of the event in the 1980s indicates the spread of an unknown disease," says NASA.



The image was captured on August 16, 2022 by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The volcanic island of Saba

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

A sparkling galactic neighbour

Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the galaxy ESO 300-16, which is located 28.7 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Eridanus



According to ESA, the galaxy is a ghostly assemblage of stars which resembles a sparkling cloud.&nbsp;



"A rogue’s gallery of distant galaxies and foreground stars complete this astronomical portrait, which was captured by the Advanced Camera for Surveys," said ESA.



"This observation is one of a series which aims to get to know our galactic neighbors; around three quarters of the known galaxies suspected to lie within 10 megaparsecs of Earth have been observed by Hubble in enough detail to resolve their brightest stars and establish the distances to these galaxies."



"A team of astronomers proposed using small gaps in Hubble’s observing schedule to acquaint ourselves with the remaining quarter of the nearby galaxies."



ESO 300-16 is a relatively small and remote dwarf galaxy. It is sometimes known as a "compact blue dwarf galaxy" because of its size and the intense blue colors indicating active star formation.&nbsp;



These galaxies are typically small, but they have high star-forming rates for their size. This kind of galaxy can provide insights into the process of star formation as well as galaxy evolution in general.



Dwarf galaxies are of particular interest to astronomers because they can help to provide understanding about the formation and evolution of galaxies in the early universe. They're also thought to play a role in the assembly of larger galaxies over cosmic time.



By studying galaxies like ESO 300-16, astronomers can hope to better understand how galaxies grow, evolve, and interact over time.&nbsp;



Image Credit: ESA



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A ghostly assemblage of stars make up the galaxy ESO 300-16

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features an astronaut view of the Tunupa Volcano, a dormant volcano in southwestern Bolivia. The volcano is located on a peninsula between two of Bolivia’s largest salt flats - Salar de Uyuni and Salar de Coipasa.



"Tunupa Volcano is located at the center of the Southern Altiplano, or the Andean Plateau, and rises as high as 5.3 kilometers (3.3 miles) in elevation," says NASA. "The volcano is a composite cone - a large, complex volcano that is often covered by lava flows, pyroclastic and mudflow deposits, and domes. Last active about 1.4 million years ago, Tunupa is now considered dormant."



"The flanks of the volcano’s cone are incised by valleys that were eroded by ancient glaciers and stream flows. Domes and lava flows appear on the eastern side of Tunupa, and the volcano is adjacent to other eroded volcanic fields and craters, including Jayu Khota and Titivilla."



According to NASA. the salt flats are typically a bright white color when viewed from orbit - but during Bolivia’s rainy season, rivers can carry sediment rich in microbes and dark-colored volcanic minerals onto the flats.&nbsp;



The image was captured on February 5, 2022 by a member of the Expedition 66 crew.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Tunupa Volcano in southwestern Bolivia

Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2023/09/Earth_from_Space_Southern_Patagonian_Ice_Field">European Space Agency</a> features the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in the Southern Andes. It is one of the world's largest continuous masses of ice outside the polar regions.&nbsp;



The Southern Patagonian Ice Field spreads across the border between Argentina and Chile and is an essential fresh water reservoir. Covering an area of about 12,363 square kilometers, it is home to numerous glaciers, including the well-known Perito Moreno and Upsala Glaciers in Argentina.



The ice field is situated within the Andes mountain range and is part of two national parks: the Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina and the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.&nbsp;



"Ice fields form as a result of accumulations of snow that turn into ice through years of compression and freezing. Shaped by the underlying topography, glaciers often form at the edges of an ice field," explained ESA.



"In this image, the ice mass feeds several smaller and bigger glaciers, including the Argentinian Perito Moreno Glacier in the top right corner. Located on a narrow channel, Perito Moreno feeds Lake Argentino and forms an ice dam that separates the main body of the lake, visible on top in turquoise, from its southern arm, which appears grey."



The Southern Patagonian Ice Field is crucial for the study of climate change as it reacts sensitively to temperature variations. Over recent years, it has experienced significant retreat and thinning due to global warming, leading to concerns over rising sea levels and loss of freshwater resources.&nbsp;



"Glaciers are the largest reservoirs of freshwater on our planet. The rate at which they may be melting or growing is one of the best indicators of climate change," said ESA. "The demise of glaciers is one of the main causes of sea-level rise. Many glaciers in Patagonia have retreated over the last 50 years."&nbsp;



Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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The Southern Patagonian Ice Field in the Andes Mountains

3d,Illustration,Of,A,Burning,Meteorite,Threatens,The,Earth.,5k

An intriguing new study asserts that an ancient Syrian settlement transitioned from hunting-gathering to agriculture due to a cataclysmic comet strike. 



This theory is called The Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis. It suggests that an environmental catastrophe around 12,800 years ago triggered a dramatic shift in human subsistence methods in the village of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tell_Abu_Hureyra" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abu Hureyra</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-younger-dryas">The Younger Dryas</h2>



Researchers have been investigating the hypothesis that a sudden <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bering-sea-past-climate-shift/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global cooling</a> period, called the Younger Dryas, was instigated by a fragmented comet crashing into the Earth’s atmosphere.



This event dramatically altered the environment. The area shifted from a humid, forested landscape abundant with diverse food sources, to a cooler and drier one. This environmental shift prompted the inhabitants of Abu Hureyra to innovate.



<a href="https://www.geol.ucsb.edu/people/james-kennett" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">James Kennett</a> is an Earth scientist and professor emeritus of <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UC Santa Barbara</a>. He highlights the settlement’s significance in archaeological records, showcasing its pivotal transition from foraging to the cultivation of barley, wheat, and legumes.



“In this general region, there was a change from more humid conditions that were forested and with diverse sources of food for hunter-gatherers, to drier, cooler conditions when they could no longer subsist only as hunter-gatherers,” said Kennett.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-abu-hureyra-is-now-submerged">Abu Hureyra is now submerged</h2>



The village, now submerged under <a href="https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/Collections/EarthFromSpace/printinfo.pl?PHOTO=STS078-740-83" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lake Assad</a>, was a treasure trove of ancient dietary evidence. By studying material remnants, scientists discerned the change in diet. Their diet shifted from wild legumes, grains, fruits, and berries to a dependence on domestic-type grains and lentils post-impact.



“The villagers started to cultivate barley, wheat and legumes,” Kennett noted. “This is what the evidence clearly shows.”



A millennium after the cosmic event, the famous Neolithic "founder crops" were flourishing in the region. This marked the rise of agriculture in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-sheds-new-light-on-the-origins-of-the-first-farmers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fertile Crescent</a>. Notably, there was an evident increase in drought-resistant plants, indicative of the evolving climate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aftermath-of-younger-dryas">Aftermath of Younger Dryas</h2>



The aftermath of the impact not only accelerated agricultural innovation, it also resulted in noticeable shifts in population, architectural adjustments, and the beginnings of livestock domestication in the region.



But this event was not an isolated instance. Evidence found in the <a href="https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14293/ACI.2023.0002" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">12,800-year-old layers</a> from the same period at Abu Hureyra reveals a history of extensive burning. Scientists discovered a distinct carbon-rich “black mat” layer littered with nanodiamonds, platinum, and metallic spherules. These are clear markers of extreme temperatures beyond the capabilities of the then-existing human technology. 



Similar evidence of cosmic airbursts was found at the site of the ancient biblical city, Tall el-Hammam, and across 50 other locations. These regions spanned North and South America and Europe, identified collectively as the Younger Dryas strewnfield.



The markers corroborate the theory of a fragmented comet causing large-scale destruction. This included the extinction of several <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-extinction-megafauna/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">megafauna</a> species and the fall of the North American <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meteor-decline-clovis-people/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Clovis culture</a>. 



The absence of ground craters, usually associated with such events, is explained by the aerial nature of the explosion. Such lower-pressure cosmic explosions, as the research suggests, manifest without leaving visible craters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-analogy">Modern analogy</h2>



To draw parallels with this cosmic phenomenon, scientists looked to recent history. <a href="https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14293/ACI.2023.0001" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nuclear tests</a> conducted in the 20th century, particularly the ones in New Mexico in 1945 and in Kazakhstan during 1949 and 1953, mirror the aerial explosions caused by cosmic airbursts. The shockwaves from these tests, like those from the fragmented comet, descended from the air to the Earth's surface.



“In the papers, we characterize what the morphologies are of these shock fractures in these lower-pressure events,” Kennett said. “And we did this because we wanted to compare it with what we have in the shock-fractured quartz in the <a href="https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14293/ACI.2023.0003" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Younger Dryas Boundary</a>, to see if there was any comparison or similarities between what we see at the Trinity atomic test site and other atomic bomb explosions.”



The scientists discovered close associations in the characteristics of the shocked quartz from the nuclear test sites and the quartz from Abu Hureyra. Specifically, they identified glass-filled shock fractures. These fractures indicate temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees Celsius, which is above the melting point of quartz.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shock-fractures-tell-the-story">Shock fractures tell the story</h2>



“For the first time, we propose that shock metamorphism in quartz grains exposed to an atomic detonation is essentially the same as during a low-altitude, lower-pressure cosmic airburst,” Kennett said.



The "lower pressure" still exceeds 3 GPa or about 400,000 pounds per square inch. This is equal to stacking five 737 airplanes on a small coin. The researchers' new protocol to identify shock fractures in quartz grains will help detect previously undiscovered airbursts. Experts believe such airbursts recur every few centuries to millennia.



Considering the evidence, the scientists assert that the discovery, “implies a novel causative link among extraterrestrial impacts, hemispheric environmental and climatic change, and transformative shifts in human societies and culture, including agricultural development.”



The compelling series of evidence from Abu Hureyra paints a dramatic picture of our ancestors’ resilience and adaptability. Faced with cataclysmic environmental changes, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prehistoric-humans-used-ancient-plant-fiber-technology-to-make-tools-39000-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prehistoric settlers</a> transformed their survival strategy, laying the foundations for modern agriculture. 



This research not only sheds light on ancient human history, but also provides a perspective on the profound ways cosmic events can shape the course of life on Earth.



A series of four full papers were published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14293/ACI.2023.0004" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Open: Airbursts and Cratering Impacts</a>.



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Prehistoric comet impact triggered the invention of agriculture

An intriguing new study asserts that an ancient Syrian settlement...

The,Monk,Parakeet,(myiopsitta,Monachus),,Also,Known,As,The,Quaker

If you have ever been mesmerized by a parrot's ability to mimic sounds or words, you are not alone. Their vocal flexibility, or "voice print," has always sparked curiosity, leading to questions about how these birds maintain their unique identity within the cacophony of flock calls.



However, recent findings by the <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior</a> and Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona might provide a clue. The secret, it appears, lies in a distinct voice print, akin to the one we humans have.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-parrot-s-voice-print">A parrot's voice print</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smart-parrots-need-more-stimulation-in-captivity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parrots</a> are renowned for their expansive vocal repertoire, which they can extend and modify throughout their lives. But with such dynamic vocal changes, how do they remain identifiable in a noisy flock? This conundrum led researchers to the monk parakeets of Barcelona.



Through an in-depth study, Simeon Smeele from the Max Planck Institute proposed that these birds might possess an individualized 'voice print' that stays consistent, irrespective of the sounds they produce.



Humans, despite their versatile vocal abilities, have always been identifiable through their unique voice tones. This voice print ensures that our vocal tract leaves a signature. Our voice makes us distinguishable even if we change what we're saying or how we're saying it.



It's known that many social animals, like dolphins and bats, have specific "signature calls" that make them recognizable within their groups. Yet, unlike the broad vocal range in humans, these signature calls are often limited to one type. This revelation presented a void in understanding: could other animals possibly have a voice print like humans?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-monk-parakeets-voice-print">The monk parakeets' voice print</h2>



Simeon Smeele embarked on this research with a particular interest in parrots. This is mainly because they utilize their tongue and mouth to modulate calls. This modulation gives their sounds a more 'human' feel compared to other birds. The bustling parrot flocks in Barcelona, with their fluid membership, provided a perfect backdrop for this exploration.



With the assistance of <a href="https://museuciencies.cat/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona</a>, which has identified over 3000 individual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monk-parakeets-lose-social-standing-if-they-take-long-vacations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">monk parakeets</a> over 20 years, Smeele and his team recorded calls from hundreds of these birds. Their extensive collection of over 5000 vocalizations made this the largest study of individually-marked wild parrots to date.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-analyzing-thousands-of-parrot-voice-prints">Analyzing thousands of parrot voice prints</h2>



The team then analyzed these calls to detect individual recognition patterns. They were particularly intrigued by the “contact call”, a call previously believed to be stable and unique for each bird. However, their observations revealed otherwise, hinting that another mechanism might be at play for individual recognition.



Smeele turned to a machine learning model, commonly used in human voice recognition. By training the model on "tonal" calls from specific parrots and then testing it on a different "growling" call set, the team sought to determine the consistency of the voice print. The results were promising: the model identified individual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/endangered-red-crowned-parrots-are-thriving-in-urban-texas-areas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parrots</a> three times better than random chance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next">What’s next?</h2>



While these findings hint at the existence of a voice print in monk parakeets, the team remains cautiously optimistic. Smeele emphasizes the need for more comprehensive data and further validation. Alongside this, an ecological study is also on the horizon. In the new study, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-have-relocated-caribbean-parrots-for-thousands-of-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parrots</a> will be tagged with GPS devices to understand their movements and interactions.



Juan Carlos Senar from the Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona highlights the significance of these findings. Juan Carlos says that understanding the individual discrimination of calls can shed light on the species' unique vocal abilities.



If these parakeets indeed have a voice print, it not only answers the riddle of their vocal flexibility but could also reshape our understanding of animal communication. Smeele says the implications would go beyond parrots, too. “I hope that this finding prompts more work to uncover voice prints in other social animals that can flexibly modify their vocalization, such as dolphins and bats,” he says.



In a world filled with diverse sounds and calls, it's fascinating to think that each voice, be it human or bird, carries its unique signature, echoing its distinct identity.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230835" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>.



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Parrots have a unique voice print similar to humans

If you have ever been mesmerized by a parrot's ability...

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made a groundbreaking discovery of Jupiter-sized "<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-planet-discovered-with-an-ocean-not-far-from-earth/">planets</a>" freely floating in space, unattached to any stars. These intriguing objects, observed within the Orion Nebula, are referred to as Jupiter Mass Binary Objects, or "JuMBOs" for short.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orion-nebula-nbsp">Orion Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



In a recent detailed survey of the Orion Nebula, the JWST identified approximately 40 pairs of JuMBOs. These mysterious objects are remarkable for their autonomous movement in pairs, a phenomenon that currently puzzles astronomers.&nbsp;



The Orion Nebula (M42) is an expansive star-forming region located about 1,400 light-years from Earth. This star-forming region has long fascinated researchers and has been significantly illuminated by the high-resolution and infrared sensitivity capacities of the <a href="https://webb.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JWST</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mysterious-origins">Mysterious origins</h2>



The origin and nature of JuMBOs are shrouded in mystery. According to Professor Mark McCaughrean, the <a href="https://www.esa.int" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Space Agency</a>'s (ESA) senior science advisor, there are a couple of prevailing theories. 



The first speculates that JuMBOs emerged from nebula regions with insufficient material density to form full-fledged stars. The second hypothesis suggests these objects originally formed around stars before being ejected into interstellar space through various interactions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexplained-questions-nbsp">Unexplained questions&nbsp;</h2>



"Gas physics suggests you shouldn't be able to make objects with the mass of Jupiter on their own, and we know single planets can get kicked out from star systems. But how do you kick out pairs of these things together? Right now, we don't have an answer. It's one for the theoreticians," Professor McCaughrean told BBC News.



The discovery challenges existing astrophysical knowledge. These free-floating objects, despite their size, aren't considered planets in the traditional sense.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-distinct-characteristics">Distinct characteristics</h2>



With an age of approximately one million years, these "babies" in astronomical terms are hot, gaseous bodies enveloped in steam and methane atmospheres.&nbsp;



Their distinct characteristics, including their gas giant composition similar to Jupiter, negate the possibility of hosting liquid water reservoirs or alien life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breaking-physics-nbsp">Breaking physics&nbsp;</h2>



Data from ground-based telescopes had previously hinted at the existence of JuMBOs before the JWST formally identified them.&nbsp;



"We were looking for these very small objects and we find them," Professor McCaughrean told The Guardian. "We find them down as small as one Jupiter mass, even half a Jupiter mass, floating freely, not attached to a star. Physics says you can't even make objects that small. We wanted to see, can we break physics? And I think we have, which is good."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-category-of-worlds">New category of worlds</h2>



The term "binary," incorporated into the name of JuMBOs, reflects the observation that some of these objects move in pairs, comparable to binary solar systems with two stars.&nbsp;



Overall, the discovery of JuMBOs presents an exciting mystery for astronomers and theoreticians alike.&nbsp;



As these objects cannot be easily classified as either stars or planets, they represent an entirely new category of celestial bodies, challenging and expanding the existing boundaries of astronomical knowledge and understanding.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/MCCAUGHREAN &amp; PEARSON



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JuMBOs: Newly-discovered, free-floating worlds that can't be explained

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made a groundbreaking...

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