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Uranus: How to see in the night sky without a telescope this week

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Exactly what number of planets are obvious without a telescope? Excluding our own planet, the vast majority will answer “five” (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn).

Those are the five most brilliant planets, yet truly, there is a 6th planet that can be seen without the guide of either a telescope or optics.

That 6th planet is the planet Uranus. This week will be a fine an ideal opportunity to attempt to search it out, particularly since it is currently well positioned for survey in our late-night sky and the splendid moon is off the beaten path.

Obviously, you’ll need to know precisely where to search for it. Space experts measure the splendor of items in the night sky as greatness. Littler numbers demonstrate more splendid articles, with negative numbers meaning astoundingly brilliant items. In any case, Uranus is right now sparkling at extent +5.7, generally diminish on the scale; scarcely noticeable by a sharp unaided eye on exceptionally dim, crisp evenings.

It is right now situated inside the heavenly body of Aries, the Ram, around twelve degrees toward the east (left) of the splendid planet Mars. It’s now 33% up from the eastern skyline by 11:30 p.m. neighborhood light time and will arrive at its most noteworthy point — multiple thirds up from the southern skyline — not long before 4 a.m.

It is ideal to consider the going with outline first, at that point examine that area with optics. Utilizing an amplification of 150-power with a telescope of in any event three-inch gap, you ought to have the option to determine it into a little, blue-green featureless plate.

A icy, cold world

This week Uranus is about 1.771 billion miles (2.851 billion kilometers) from Earth (just Neptune is farther away). It takes 84.4 years to circle the sun. The planet has a breadth of around 31,518 miles (50,724 km), making it the third-biggest planet, and as per flyby attractive information from Voyager 2 of every 1986, has a revolution time of 17.23 hours.

Last time anyone checked, Uranus has 27 moons, all in circles lying in the planet’s equator where there is likewise a complex of nine thin, about obscure rings, which were found in 1978.

Uranus probably has a cold, rough center, encircled by a fluid mantle of water, methane and alkali, encased in a climate of hydrogen and helium. Truth be told, Uranus has the coldest air of earth in the close planetary system with a base temperature

of – 371 degrees Fahrenheit (short 224 degrees Celsius).

A freakish tilt

An odd element is the way far over Uranus is tipped. Different planets are inclined somewhere close to 3 degrees and 29 degrees, yet Uranus’ north pole lies 98 degrees from being straightforwardly here and there to its circle plane.

From our perspective, this implies now and again we see Uranus with its north pole pointing at us. At different occasions we see it with its central belt situated vertically rather than evenly. From the perspective of a theoretical space traveler visiting Uranus, sunlight and dimness would be completely exceptional. Its seasons are extraordinary: when the sun ascends (for instance) at the north pole, it keeps awake for 42 Earth years; at that point it sets and the north pole is in murkiness for 42 Earth years.

Unintentional revelation

In the pre-spring of 1781, British cosmologist Sir William Herschel had quite recently wrapped up another 6.3-inch (16 centimeters) reflecting telescope and started to examine the stars through it. The evening of March 13, he had his telescope turned on the heavenly body of Gemini, the twins. There, to his incredible amazement, he went over an additional star that was not plotted on any of his star diagrams. A practiced stargazer, Herschel rushed to understand that what he found couldn’t in any way, shape or form be a star, for it showed up in his telescope as a shining plate instead of a sparkling spot of light.

Proceeding with his perceptions of this unordinary object after a long time after night, Herschel before long apparent development; it was gradually moving its situation among the foundation stars of Gemini. At long last, he concluded that he had found another comet and he reviewed a point by point report of his perceptions, which were distributed on April 26.

The report of another comet energized cosmologists all over Europe, and they all energetically prepared their telescopes on Herschel’s revelation. Lord George III, who adored technical disciplines, had the space expert carried to him and gave him a daily existence benefits and a home at Slough, in the area of Windsor Castle.

Multiple monikers

Before long, enough perceptions were made to figure a circle for Herschel’s “comet.” That’s the point at which an expanding number of stargazers started to question that what they were taking a gander at was actually a comet. For a certain something, it was by all accounts following an almost roundabout circle out past Saturn.

In the end it was resolved that Herschel’s “comet” was in certainty another planet. For some time, it really bore Herschel’s name, however Herschel himself proposed the name Georgium Sidus — “The Star of George,” after his liberal sponsor. Be that as it may, the custom for a legendary name eventually won and the new planet was at long last dedicated Uranus.

Before its disclosure, the peripheral planet was viewed as Saturn, named for the old divine force of time and predetermination. In any case, Uranus was the granddad of Jupiter and father of Saturn and thought about the most antiquated god of all.

It presumably was for generally advantageous. All things considered, if Herschel’s solicitation was truly, simply consider how we may have recorded the planets all together from the sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and … George?

And afterward came Neptune

Curiously, it was Uranus that drove stargazers, after 65 years, to Neptune, fourth and last of the goliath planets. It’s an entrancing story and came about thusly:

By plotting the way of a planet, cosmologists can draw up a table (called an “ephemeris”) that can show them precisely where the planet will be at some random time. Along these lines, after the revelation of Uranus, they set about deciding an ephemeris for it.

In any case, this technique didn’t appear to work; now and again Uranus turned up in front of its anticipated position; now and then it lingered behind. Astronomers couldn’t help suspecting that some obscure body was by one way or another irritating Uranus’ circle.

In 1846, two stargazers, Urbain J.J. Leverrier (1811-1877) of France and John Couch Adams (1819-1892) of England freely were dealing with this very issue. Neither realized what the other was doing, at the end of the day, the two men had made sense of the plausible way of the alleged item that was upsetting the circle of Uranus. Both accepted that the inconspicuous body was then in the heavenly body of Aquarius.

Adams was an understudy at Cambridge University, and he sent his outcomes to Sir George Airy (1801-1892), the Astronomer Royal, with explicit directions on where to search for it. For some obscure explanation Airy deferred a year prior to beginning the pursuit. Meanwhile, Leverrier kept in touch with the Berlin Observatory mentioning that they search in the spot he coordinated. Johann Galle and Heinrich d’Arrest at Berlin did precisely as trained and discovered the new planet in under 60 minutes.

The naming of this new eighth planet was more confused than for Uranus. At first, Janus and Oceanus were proposed. Leverrier needed it to be named after him. However, while the number of inhabitants in France appeared for this, the other European nations opposed this moniker. In the long run, it was named for Neptune after the divine force of the ocean.

Ice giant

Neptune is somewhat littler than Uranus, estimating 30,599 miles (49,244 km) in breadth. Like Uranus, Neptune is a freezing world, with temperatures at its cloud highest points of – 361 degrees F (- 218 C). Since they are comparable both in size and temperatures, Uranus and Neptune are alluded to as “ice giants.”

Explorer 2 passed Neptune in 1989 and indicated it to have a dark blue environment, essentially made out of hydrogen, helium and methane with quickly moving wisps of white mists just as a Great Dark Spot, fairly comparative in nature to Jupiter’s well known Great Red Spot.

Due to its vaporous piece, its speed of revolution shifts from 18 hours at the equator to only 12 hours at the posts. This differential pivot is the most articulated of some other planet and results in really solid breezes arriving at speeds upward to 1,300 mph (2,200 kph). The greater part of the breezes on Neptune move toward a path inverse to the planet’s revolution.

Explorer 2 additionally uncovered the presence of at any rate three rings around Neptune, made out of exceptionally fine particles. Neptune has 14 moons, one of which, Triton has a dubious climate of nitrogen and at almost 1,700 miles (2,700 km) in width, is bigger than Pluto.

Discovering Neptune

In contrast to Uranus, Neptune is excessively swoon to be seen with the independent eye, lying at a mean good ways from the sun of 2.8 billion miles (4.5 billion km); the most far off planet. It’s around multiple times dimmer than Uranus, yet in the event that you approach a dull, clear sky and cautiously look at the guide above, you ought to experience no difficulty in discovering it with a decent pair of optics.

September is Neptune’s month. It will be at resistance to the sun on Sept. 11, so it will be in the sky throughout the night, arriving at its most noteworthy point in the southern sky at around 1 a.m. neighborhood time. Neptune can presently be found among the stars of Aquarius, the water conveyor.

With a telescope, attempting to determine Neptune into a plate will be more troublesome than it is with Uranus. You’re going to require at any rate a 4-inch (10 cm) telescope with an amplification of no under 200-power, just to transform Neptune into a small blue dab of light.

Cases of mistaken identity

Ultimately, in regard to Herschel and Leverrier, they are not the primary pioneers of Uranus and Neptune. Uranus may have been first graphed (erroneously) as far back as 128 B.C. by the Greek stargazer and mathematician Hipparchus of Nicaea, remembering it as a swoon star for his inventory. In 1690, the English space expert John Flamsteed listed Uranus as the star 34 Tauri, and the French cosmologist Pierre Charles Le Monnier saw it no under multiple times somewhere in the range of 1750 and 1769, never understanding that what he was taking a gander at was not a star but rather another planet.

Furthermore, Neptune was practically found by as a matter of fact the famous Italian cosmologist Galileo Galilei with his rough telescope. Galileo unwittingly recorded Neptune as an eighth-greatness star while watching Jupiter and its arrangement of four enormous satellites on Dec. 28, 1612 and again on Jan. 27, 1613. In the event that he had just kept on keeping watch in the next evenings, he would have more likely than not would have understood that one of the foundation stars was moving.

He would have then found the eighth planet right around 170 years before the disclosure of the seventh!

Hannah Barwell is the most renowned for his short stories. She writes stories as well as news related to the technology. She wrote number of books in her five years career. And out of those books she sold around 25 books. She has more experience in online marketing and news writing. Recently she is onboard with Apsters Media as a freelance writer.

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China’s Tianwen-2 Set for Launch to Asteroid and Comet

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China’s Tianwen-2 Set for Launch to Asteroid and Comet

China has taken a major step forward in its deep-space exploration efforts as the Tianwen-2 spacecraft arrived at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province for final launch preparations. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed the development on February 20, 2025, signaling that the mission is on track for its scheduled launch in the first half of the year.

A Dual-Purpose Mission

The Tianwen-2 mission is a combined near-Earth asteroid sample return and comet rendezvous mission, marking another ambitious endeavor for China’s space program. The mission is set to launch aboard a Long March 3B rocket, with a tentative liftoff expected around May 2025.

The primary target of Tianwen-2 is the near-Earth asteroid Kamoʻoalewa (2016 HO3), a small celestial body with a diameter estimated between 40 to 100 meters. The asteroid is considered a quasi-satellite of Earth, meaning it follows a co-orbital path with our planet. Scientists believe Kamoʻoalewa might be a fragment of the Moon, ejected into space after an ancient impact event.

After collecting samples from Kamoʻoalewa, the main spacecraft will continue its journey to comet 311P/PANSTARRS, a celestial body that exhibits both asteroid-like and comet-like characteristics. By studying these two objects, scientists aim to gain valuable insights into the composition, evolution, and history of the solar system, including the distribution of water and organic molecules.

Launch Preparations Underway

CNSA stated that the launch site facilities are fully prepared, and pre-launch tests are proceeding as planned. Engineers and scientists are meticulously working to ensure the spacecraft is ready for its complex mission, which will involve multiple orbital maneuvers, sample collection, and deep-space travel over nearly a decade.

Sampling Kamoʻoalewa: Two Innovative Techniques

To collect material from Kamoʻoalewa, Tianwen-2 will employ two advanced sampling methods:

  1. Touch-and-Go (TAG) Method – This technique, used by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx and JAXA’s Hayabusa2 missions, involves briefly touching the asteroid’s surface to gather samples.
  2. Anchor-and-Attach System – This approach uses drills attached to the spacecraft’s landing legs, allowing for a more stable and secure extraction of subsurface material.

Early mission concepts, when Tianwen-2 was initially known as Zheng He, indicated that China aimed to collect between 200 and 1,000 grams of asteroid samples. These samples will help scientists analyze Kamoʻoalewa’s mineral composition, origin, and potential similarities with lunar material.

Challenges in Sample Return

Although China has successfully executed two lunar sample return missions—Chang’e-5 (2020) and Chang’e-6 (2024)—returning asteroid samples presents unique challenges. Unlike the Moon, Kamoʻoalewa has negligible gravity, requiring specialized landing and sampling techniques. Additionally, the reentry module carrying the samples will experience higher velocities, demanding advanced thermal protection and parachute deployment systems.

To address these challenges, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) conducted high-altitude parachute tests in 2023, ensuring the safe return of asteroid samples to Earth around 2027.

Comet Rendezvous: Studying 311P/PANSTARRS

Returning samples from Kamoʻoalewa will not mark the end of Tianwen-2’s mission. The spacecraft will execute a gravitational slingshot maneuver around Earth, propelling it toward comet 311P/PANSTARRS in the main asteroid belt. The rendezvous is expected around 2034.

311P/PANSTARRS is considered a transitional object between asteroids and comets, making it an ideal candidate for studying the origins of cometary activity within the asteroid belt. Scientists hope to analyze its orbit, rotation, surface composition, volatile elements, and dust emissions, shedding light on the evolution of comets in the inner solar system.

Scientific Instruments on Board

The Tianwen-2 spacecraft is equipped with a suite of cutting-edge instruments to study its targets, including:

  • Multispectral and infrared spectrometers – To analyze surface composition.
  • High-resolution cameras – To map geological features in detail.
  • Radar sounder – To probe subsurface structures.
  • Magnetometer – To search for residual magnetic fields.
  • Dust and gas analyzers – To examine cometary activity.
  • Charged particle detectors – To study interactions with the solar wind (developed in collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences).

China’s Expanding Deep-Space Ambitions

Tianwen-2 follows the highly successful Tianwen-1 Mars mission, which saw China land the Zhurong rover on Mars in 2021. The Tianwen series is a key part of China’s growing presence in deep-space exploration:

  • Tianwen-3 – A Mars sample return mission, scheduled for 2028–2030.
  • Tianwen-4 – A Jupiter system exploration mission, launching around 2030, featuring a solar-powered orbiter for Callisto and a radioisotope-powered spacecraft for a Uranus flyby.

Chinese researchers have emphasized the importance of asteroid sample return missions, citing their potential for groundbreaking scientific discoveries and the development of new space technologies.

With Tianwen-2, China is taking a bold step into the future of deep-space exploration. By returning samples from an asteroid and studying a comet, the mission will provide crucial insights into the origins of the solar system and planetary evolution. As launch preparations continue, the world eagerly anticipates another milestone in China’s space program.

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SpaceX to Launch 21 Starlink Satellites from Florida on February 4

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SpaceX to Launch 21 Starlink Satellites from Florida on February 4

SpaceX plans to launch another batch of Starlink satellites into orbit from Florida’s Space Coast on February 4, 2025. The mission will deploy 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 equipped with direct-to-cell communications capabilities, marking another major step in SpaceX’s ambitious plan to provide global high-speed internet coverage.

The Falcon 9 rocket flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled to take place during a roughly three-hour launch window that opens at 3:37 a.m. (0837 GMT). SpaceX will livestream the event on its X account (formerly Twitter), with coverage beginning about five minutes before liftoff.

The mission will use the experienced Falcon 9 first-stage rocket, which will be making its 21st launch and landing. According to SpaceX, this rocket has already flown on 20 missions, 16 of which were dedicated Starlink launches. If all goes as planned, the rocket will return to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff, landing on the unmanned “Just Read the Instructions” craft in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Falcon 9 upper stage will continue its journey to deploy 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) about 65 minutes after liftoff. This will be SpaceX’s 15th Falcon 9 mission in 2025, with nine flights dedicated to expanding the Starlink constellation.

Direct-to-cell capabilities


A notable feature of this mission is the inclusion of 13 Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capability. These advanced satellites are designed to enable seamless connectivity for standard mobile phones, eliminating the need for specialized hardware. This technology has the potential to revolutionize communications in remote and underserved areas, providing reliable internet and cellular services directly to users’ devices.

The growing Starlink constellation


SpaceX is rapidly expanding its Starlink network, which is already the largest satellite constellation ever assembled. In 2024 alone, the company launched more than 130 Falcon 9 missions, about two-thirds of which were dedicated to Starlink deployments. According to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell, SpaceX currently operates nearly 7,000 Starlink satellites in LEO.

The Starlink network aims to provide high-speed, low-latency internet access to users around the world, especially in regions lacking traditional infrastructure. With this latest launch, SpaceX is expanding the network’s capacity and coverage, bringing its dream of global connectivity closer to reality.

Recyclability and sustainability


The Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster exemplifies SpaceX’s commitment to reusability, a key factor in reducing the cost of spaceflight. By successfully landing and reusing the rocket, SpaceX has revolutionized the aerospace industry and set a new standard for sustainable space operations.

However, the rapid expansion of the Starlink constellation has raised concerns among astronomers and environmentalists. The growing number of satellites in LEO has created problems such as light pollution, which can interfere with astronomical observations, and space debris, which poses a threat to other spacecraft. SpaceX is actively working to mitigate these issues by implementing measures such as blacking out satellite surfaces and responsibly deorbiting inactive satellites.

The February 4 launch is part of SpaceX’s broader strategy to achieve global internet coverage and support its growing customer base. With the addition of direct-to-cell-connect satellites, the company is poised to offer even more versatile and simple connectivity solutions.

As SpaceX pushes the boundaries of space technology, the world will be watching to see how the Starlink network evolves and addresses the challenges associated with large-scale satellite constellations. For now, the focus is on the upcoming launch, which will mark another milestone in SpaceX’s journey to connect the world.

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Scientists Trap Molecules for Quantum Tasks, Paving the Way for Ultra-Fast Tech Advancements

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Scientists Trap Molecules for Quantum Tasks, Paving the Way for Ultra-Fast Tech Advancements

In a groundbreaking milestone for quantum computing, researchers from Harvard University have successfully trapped molecules to perform quantum operations. This achievement marks a pivotal advancement in the field, potentially revolutionizing technology and enabling ultra-fast computations in medicine, science, and finance.

Molecules as Qubits: A New Frontier

Traditionally, quantum computing has focused on using smaller, less complex particles like ions and atoms as qubits—the fundamental units of quantum information. Molecules, despite their potential, were long considered unsuitable due to their intricate and delicate structures, which made them challenging to manipulate reliably.

However, the latest findings, published in the journal Nature, change this narrative. By utilizing ultra-cold polar molecules as qubits, the researchers have opened up new possibilities for performing quantum tasks with unprecedented precision.

A 20-Year Journey to Success

“This is a breakthrough we’ve been working toward for two decades,” said Kang-Kuen Ni, Theodore William Richards Professor of Chemistry and Physics at Harvard and senior co-author of the study.

Quantum computing leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to perform calculations exponentially faster than classical computers. It has the potential to solve problems that were once deemed unsolvable.

“Our work represents the last critical piece needed to construct a molecular quantum computer,” added co-author and postdoctoral fellow Annie Park, highlighting the significance of this achievement.

How Molecular Quantum Gates Work

Quantum gates, the building blocks of quantum operations, manipulate qubits by taking advantage of quantum phenomena like superposition and entanglement. Unlike classical logic gates that process binary bits (0s and 1s), quantum gates can process multiple states simultaneously, exponentially increasing computational power.

In this experiment, the researchers used the ISWAP gate, a crucial component that swaps the states of two qubits while applying a phase shift. This process is essential for creating entangled states—a cornerstone of quantum computing that allows qubits to remain correlated regardless of distance.

Overcoming Long-Standing Challenges

Earlier attempts to use molecules for quantum computing faced significant challenges. Molecules were often unstable, moving unpredictably and disrupting the coherence required for precise operations.

The Harvard team overcame these obstacles by trapping molecules in ultra-cold environments. By drastically reducing molecular motion, they achieved greater control over quantum states, paving the way for reliable quantum operations.

The breakthrough was a collaborative effort between Harvard researchers and physicists from the University of Colorado’s Center for Theory of Quantum Matter. The team meticulously measured two-qubit Bell states and minimized errors caused by residual motion, laying the groundwork for even more accurate future experiments.

Transforming the Quantum Landscape

“There’s immense potential in leveraging molecular platforms for quantum computing,” Ni noted. The team’s success is expected to inspire further innovations and ideas for utilizing the unique properties of molecules in quantum systems.

This advancement could significantly alter the quantum computing landscape, bringing researchers closer to developing a molecular quantum computer. Such a system would harness the unique capabilities of molecules, opening doors to unprecedented computational possibilities.

The Road Ahead

The implications of this achievement extend far beyond academia. By unlocking the potential of molecules as qubits, the researchers have taken a vital step toward creating powerful quantum computers capable of transforming industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to financial modeling.

As researchers continue to refine this technology, the dream of a molecular quantum computer—one that capitalizes on the complexities of molecular structures—moves closer to reality. This breakthrough represents not just a leap forward for quantum computing but a glimpse into the future of technology itself.

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