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In March, the United States reported its first detection of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in dairy cattle, with outbreaks spreading to nine states by May. The transmission method among cattle remains unclear. However, a study published in the journal Nature Communications revealed that a similar H5N1 strain, subtype clade 2.3.4.4b, which previously caused an outbreak in farmed mink in 2022, was capable of airborne transmission to a small group of ferrets.

This is the first time that a member of the group of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses has been shown to exhibit this ability. According to the Penn State researchers who led the study, the findings suggest these viruses are evolving to infect mammals and with potentially increased risk to humans.

“While there is no evidence that the strain of H5N1 that is presently affecting dairy cattle is capable of airborne transmission, our study suggests that another member of this family of viruses has evolved some degree of airborne transmissibility,” said Troy Sutton, associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, Penn State, and corresponding author on the paper. “This finding underscores the importance of continued surveillance to monitor the evolution of these viruses and their spillover into other mammals, including humans.”

“The planet has a hot core, and that heat source is changing the chemistry of the gases deeper down, but it’s also driving this strong, convective mixing bubbling up from the interior,” said Zafar Rustamkulov.

Gas giant planets within our solar system and exoplanets outside our solar system are known to possess large amounts of gas and small cores, but what if an exoplanet was found to exhibit opposite characteristics? This is what a study published today in Nature hopes to address as a team of international researchers investigated the physical and atmospheric characteristics of WASP-107 b, which is located just over 200 light-years from Earth and has been found to have unique interior characteristics compared to previously discovered exoplanets. These unique findings hold the potential to challenge our understanding of the formation and evolution of gas giant exoplanets, which continue to demonstrate stark contrasts to planets within our solar system.

For the study, the researchers used NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to observe WASP-107 b, discovering that while its radius is slightly less than Jupiter, its mass is only 10 percent of the largest planet in our solar system. Additionally, WASP-107 b possesses methane levels that are one thousand times less than what astronomers anticipated finding, along with having a core whose mass is 12 times larger than the Earth.

Continue reading “New Findings on WASP-107 b Challenge Assumptions About Gas Giant Composition” »

Humans are arguably the most peculiar species that has ever existed.

Acknowledging the unique aspects of human evolution underscores our extraordinary place in the grander scheme—a species with one foot in the natural world and the other in a realm of conscious self-awareness and purpose. This dual heritage suggests„.

The discovery could help better understand the origin and evolution of magnetic fields in the cosmos, a mystery that has baffled astronomers for decades.

Related: Scientists reveal never-before-seen map of the Milky Way’s central engine (image)

The new study was led by National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) scientists Xu Jun and Han Jinlin.

A molecular biologist at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences may have found a new “rule of biology.”

SPECULOOS-3 b is practically the same size as our planet,” said Dr. Michaël Gillon. “A year, i.e. an orbit around the star, lasts around 17 hours. Days and nights, on the other hand, should never end.

What types of exoplanets can dwarf stars possess? This is what a recent study published in Nature Astronomy hopes to address as a team of international researchers announced the discovery of SPECULOOS 3 b, which is an Earth-sized exoplanet located approximately 55 light-years from Earth orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star. What makes this study unique is astronomers know very little about dwarf stars and the exoplanets that could potentially orbit them, despite the number of dwarf stars outnumbering Sun-like stars throughout the cosmos. This study holds the potential to help astronomers better understand the formation and evolution of exoplanets around smaller stars and what the implications for finding life beyond Earth.

“SPECULOOS-3 b is practically the same size as our planet,” said Dr. Michaël Gillon, who is a professor at the University of Liège and first author of the study. “A year, i.e. an orbit around the star, lasts around 17 hours. Days and nights, on the other hand, should never end. We believe that the planet rotates synchronously, so that the same side, called the day side, always faces the star, just like the Moon does for the Earth. On the other hand, the night side hand, would be locked in endless darkness.”

Continue reading “SPECULOOS Project Discovers Earth-Sized Planet Around Ultra-Cool Star” »

WASP-193 b is the second least dense planet discovered to date, after Kepler-51 d, which is much smaller,” said Dr. Khalid Barkaoui. “Its extremely low density makes it a real anomaly among the more than five thousand exoplanets discovered to date.

Can gas giant exoplanets larger than Jupiter have less density than the latter? This is what study published today in Nature Astronomy hopes to address as a team of international researchers discovered WASP-193 b in 2023, which is located just under 1,200 light-years from Earth and orbits its parent star (slightly larger than our Sun) in only 6.25 days. What’s unique about WASP-193 b is that it exhibits a radius almost 1.5 times that of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, but whose mass is only 14 percent of Jupiter and whose density is just under 4 percent of Jupiter, as well. This study holds the potential to help astronomers better understand the formation and evolution of exoplanets, which continue to challenge our understanding of solar system architecture.

WASP-193 b has a density of approximately 0.059 grams per centimeter cubed (g/cm3), which is comparable to cotton candy. For context, Jupiter has a density of 1.33 g/cm3, Saturn has a density of 0.69 g/cm3, Uranus has a density of 1.27 g/cm3, and Neptune has a density of 1.64 g/cm3. Therefore, despite being larger than Jupiter, WASP-193b’s density is far less than the largest gas giant in our solar system.

Continue reading “Exploring WASP-193 b: A Cotton Candy-like Exoplanet” »

There’s an intriguing possibility that the emergence of conscious life is not just a coincidence, but an inevitable outcome of cosmic evolution.

A recent study suggests that the near-collapse of the geomagnetic field during the Ediacaran period may have played a role in the diversification of life on Earth. This coincided with a significant increase in oxygen levels, which could have provided a favorable environment for the development of new species. The ultra-weak geomagnetic field may have allowed for increased solar radiation, leading to higher oxygen production through photosynthesis. This discovery sheds light on the potential impact of Earth’s magnetic field on the evolution of life.