Entertainment
Space company plans bold landing on fast-moving asteroid passing near Earth
Scientists from a private space company are planning a controversial yet daring move to land on a dangerous asteroid as it leaps past Earth in three years’ time.
The space rock, dubbed Apophis, was first discovered in 2004 and is expected to make a close pass by Earth in 2029.
Previous calculations suggested a 2.7 percent chance of the asteroid colliding with Earth and potentially destroying an area nearly the size of a city.
However, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists ruled out the potential risk of any impact for the foreseeable future.
The United States (U.S.)-based company ExLabs announced ambitious plans to send two landers to attempt a touchdown on the space rock as it passes nearly 32,000km from Earth.
Co-founder and Chief Science Officer Miguel Pascual said: “The main goal is to gain images from the surface of the asteroid,” adding, “There’s some really exciting science that can happen.”
ExLabs said that its mothership spacecraft, scheduled for launch in 2028, will carry 10 spacecraft, including two landers.
The space company plans to deploy a lander the size of a shoe box, which will continue taking pictures as it descends at a speed of 10 centimeters per second. The lander is expected to attempt a touchdown within an hour of deployment.
For context, a lander is a type of spacecraft designed to descend from orbit, pass through an atmosphere (if present), and make a soft, controlled landing on the surface of a celestial body.
To ensure Earth’s safety and no change in the asteroid’s orbit, ExLabs plans to execute the mission a week after Apophis’s flyby of Earth.
Entertainment
Kensington Palace shares Prince William’s latest video with major update
Prince William and Princess Kate’s office released a heartwarming video of the future monarch as he honoured loved ones on Tuesday during the investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle.
On Tuesday, March 24, the Palace issued update on the event hours after the Prince and Princess of Wales’ trusted nanny received a special royal honour from William.
The video, shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official Instagram account, shows William honouring the loyal companions.
The video was captioned: “Loved ones receiving honours at Windsor Castle.”
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ lifelong nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, was rewarded with the silver Royal Victorian Medal for her loyalty and service to the Waleses.
TV writer Sir Roy Clarke and tennis umpire James Keothavong were also among the honourees of Tuesday’s investiture ceremony at the castle.
Entertainment
Zayn Malik sends fans into meltdown with new music video
Zayn Malik has surprised fans by sharing a short video that hints at new music.
The singer, who has won millions of hearts all over the world, posted the clip without much detail, but his caption, “Sideways …soon,” was enough to get everyone talking.
In the video, a small part of the track can be heard, giving a soft and emotional vibe that many fans instantly connected with.
Even though it is just a short preview, people quickly started reacting online, trying to guess what he is planning next.
All of his fans flooded social media with excitement, with many saying that they have been waiting a long time for new music from him.
Some also shared how the sound already feels like his classic style, which they have missed.
Zayn has always kept things low key when it comes to releases and this time also he did not share much information.
There is no official confirmation yet about the song name or release date, which made fans even more curious.
With just one short clip, Zayn has managed to create a lot of buzz and now, fans are eagerly waiting to see what he drops next and when the full track will finally be out.
Entertainment
UN warns migratory freshwater fish numbers are spiralling
Migratory freshwater fish populations crucial to river health and sustaining the livelihoods of millions of people are in freefall and risk collapse, a major UN assessment warned on Tuesday.
Habitat destruction, overfishing and water pollution from the Amazon to the Danube threaten the very survival of hundreds of species whose epic voyages along the world´s great rivers go largely unnoticed.
Freshwater fish face multiple threats, said the report published at the opening of the COP15 summit on migratory species in Brazil, making them “among the most imperilled vertebrates”.
Populations of Mekong giant catfish, European eel and various sturgeon species are among those that have been decimated in recent decades due to man-made pressures that include the construction of dams and harvest for caviar.
Some — including the Chinese paddlefish — have already been declared extinct, while others are functionally reliant on captive breeding stock and reintroductions to support wild populations.
According to conservation group WWF, migratory freshwater fish numbers have plunged some 81% since 1970.
These fish — a vital protein source for people and animals around the globe — require unimpeded passage to move between spawning and feeding grounds, which can span across borders.
This means international cooperation is needed to arrest their decline.
The report, by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), identifies nearly 350 migratory fish species that could benefit from greater protection under the international framework.
Species including salmon, eels, and lampreys are among those to be considered during the March 23-29 meeting in Campo Verde.
Of these, the vast majority are found in Asia, followed by South America and Europe.
The river basins deemed priorities are the Amazon and La Plata-Parana in South America, the Danube in Europe, the Mekong and the Ganges-Brahmaputra in Asia and the Nile in Africa.
“This assessment shows that migratory freshwater fish are in serious trouble, and that protecting them will require countries to work together to keep rivers connected, productive, and full of life,” said Zeb Hogan, the lead author of the assessment, in a statement.
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