Tag: Gadget News

A simulated extraterrestrial message sent from Mars to Earth in 2023 was decoded in June by Ken Chaffin and his daughter, Keli Chaffin, through nearly a year of persistent efforts. Created as part of “A Sign in Space” project by the SETI Institute, the message displays five formations of amino acids, though its meaning remains unclear. Daniela de Paulis, SETI’s artist-in-residence and a licensed radio operator, designed the project with other international scientists and artists to explore what an alien signal might resemble.

Signal Reception and Decoding Process

In May 2023, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter transmitted a signal intended to simulate an alien message. This was captured by three Earth-based observatories: the Allen Telescope Array in California, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, and the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station in Italy. Released online, the raw data allowed citizen scientists worldwide to engage in decoding efforts through a community forum. Decoding required the Chaffins to use cellular automata algorithms on what appeared to be a “starmap” of white pixels, eventually revealing clusters representing amino acids.

Interpreting the Message

The Chaffins’ discovery is confirmed by the project team to represent amino acids, essential molecules in life forms. However, no interpretation has been provided for why these particular configurations might have been chosen. De Paulis and her team maintain that understanding the message’s intent is left to those examining it, in part to mimic a real-life scenario of receiving an alien transmission without guidance.

Open Interpretation and Ongoing Exploration

This simulation invites global citizen scientists to theorise about the message’s significance. Speculations range from life-forming compounds assembling in space to a simple extraterrestrial greeting. De Paulis plans to document public interpretations in a forthcoming book, recognising the difficulty in reaching a universal consensus on its meaning. Ken and Keli Chaffin, while uncertain about the precise intent, have voiced enthusiasm over their role in exploring this unique cosmic message.

New research on unique sandstone formations in the Colorado Rocky Mountains may confirm that Earth experienced a massive, planet-wide freeze known as “Snowball Earth.” About 700 million years ago, Earth’s surface was encased in ice, creating an extreme climate where early life not only survived but later evolved into complex multicellular organisms.

For decades, the Snowball Earth hypothesis was supported primarily by coastal sedimentary rocks and climate models. However, solid evidence of ice sheets reaching the planet’s equatorial interior has remained elusive—until now. The recent study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, identifies unusual sandstone deposits called Tava, found within the granite formations of Colorado’s Pikes Peak. These sandstones likely formed under the pressure of ice sheets, supporting the Snowball Earth theory with new geological evidence.

Tava sandstone formation linked to ancient ice pressures

Pikes Peak, a sacred site known to the Ute people as Tavá Kaa-vi, is the source of these Tava sandstone formations. Researchers discovered that the sandstones formed when sandy, water-saturated sediment was forced into weakened rock by the immense weight of ice sheets. The study’s lead authors, Christine Siddoway and Rebecca Flowers, used advanced radiometric dating to determine that Tava sandstones developed around 690 to 660 million years ago, aligning with the Cryogenian Period.

Using iron minerals found with the sandstone, Siddoway’s team employed uranium-lead dating to confirm the Tava sandstone’s origins within the Snowball Earth timeframe. The team suggests that the ice sheets covering the equatorial Laurentia landmass, now part of North America, created the pressures necessary to form these sandstone injectites.

Implications for understanding Earth’s climatic past

This discovery strengthens the Snowball Earth hypothesis while also shedding light on other geological phenomena, including “unconformities” where erosion has removed large portions of Earth’s rock record. The findings at Pikes Peak indicate that similar unconformities may predate Snowball Earth, suggesting complex erosion processes over millions of years. Scientists hope these insights will lead to a deeper understanding of Earth’s climate history and the processes that shaped our habitable planet.

The final supermoon of 2024, known as the Beaver Moon, will make its appearance on Friday, November 15. This full moon, which will reach its peak illumination at 4:29 PM EST, is anticipated by lunar enthusiasts as it marks the last supermoon event of the year. Visible as dawn approaches in Jakarta, this celestial event follows October’s Hunter’s Moon and concludes a sequence of four consecutive supermoons observed throughout 2024, according to NASA.

What is the Beaver Moon?

November’s full moon is traditionally called the Beaver Moon, a term that originates from Native American customs and was popularised by the Maine Farmer’s Almanac. This name is linked to the seasonal timing when beavers prepare their dens for winter or were historically hunted to ensure a supply of warm furs. In various regions, November’s full moon is also known as the Frost Moon or Snow Moon, reflecting the colder weather patterns typically seen in North America during this time.

When to See the Beaver Moon

The Beaver Moon will appear full to viewers for three days, from the early hours of 14 November to just before sunrise on November 17. This gives stargazers multiple opportunities to catch a glimpse of the bright, enlarged moon, which will be slightly closer to Earth than usual, enhancing its size and brightness compared to typical full moons. This phenomenon occurs when the moon reaches its closest orbital point, known as perigee, during a full phase, resulting in what is known as a supermoon.

Other Astronomical Highlights This Month

Apart from the Beaver Moon, November brings other notable astronomical events. On 16 November, Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation, making it ideal for evening observation. Additionally, the Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak from November 17 to 18, providing another highlight for skywatchers. Uranus will also be visible, reaching its closest point to Earth on November 17, according to Seasky.org, giving viewers a brighter and more accessible sighting.

For those interested in astronomy, November 15 offers a special chance to observe this year’s last supermoon before the seasonal Cold Moon arrives in December.