The Cool Science Stuff Thread

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Send your name on the Europa Clipper. It's cool.
http://go.nasa.gov/messageinabottle

 

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Key advantage for the next "America's Cup" boat builders...

 

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[FL30]

NASA's Curiosity rover records a Martian day, from dawn to dusk​

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech...&cvid=661df871b2044f9dbc8e1a9958b65e24&ei=269



NASA's Curiosity rover records a Martian day, from dawn to dusk© Provided by Earth

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover, a marvel of extraterrestrial exploration, recently transformed into a makeshift sundial on the Martian surface, capturing a unique sequence of the planet's day from dawn to dusk. This feat, accomplished on November 8, marked the 4,002nd Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's mission.

The rover utilized its black-and-white Hazard-Avoidance Cameras (Hazcams) to document its own shadow as it moved across the Martian terrain, offering a new perspective on the Red Planet's daily cycle.

Communication limitations​

The process to capture this day-long journey was initiated just before Mars entered a solar conjunction, a celestial alignment where the Sun lies between Earth and Mars. During this period, radio communications are often disrupted due to solar plasma interference.

As a result, NASA temporarily halts the transmission of commands to its Mars spacecraft. However, spacecraft like Curiosity continue to send regular health updates despite the communication limitations.

Repurposing the hazcams​

Curiosity's Hazcams, typically employed to identify potential hazards like rocks or steep slopes, were repurposed for this unique project.

The rover's team, anticipating a reduction in its activities due to the impending solar conjunction, decided to utilize the Hazcams to capture a series of snapshots over a 12-hour period. The objective was to potentially observe weather phenomena such as clouds or dust devils, which could provide insights into Martian weather patterns.

Unexpected outcome​

Once Mars emerged from the solar conjunction and normal communications resumed, the data transmitted back to Earth revealed an unexpected outcome. While no significant weather events were captured, the resulting 25-frame videos pieced together provided a captivating depiction of time passing on Mars.

Spanning from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. local Martian time, the footage illustrates the shifting silhouette of Curiosity as the Martian day progresses from morning through afternoon and into the evening.

Captivating images

The video, which looks southeast along Gediz Vallis in the Gale Crater, is particularly striking. Captured by the front Hazcam, it showcases the landscape of Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall mountain that Curiosity has been exploring since 2014.

The early morning images capture the rover's 7-foot robotic arm and front wheels emerging from the shadows, alongside a circular calibration target used for the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer. This instrument, critical for analyzing Martian surface elements, is calibrated against the target mounted on the arm's shoulder.

Unique documentation​

As midday approaches, the front Hazcam's autoexposure algorithm adapts, settling on exposure times of roughly one-third of a second. However, as night falls, these exposure times extend to over a minute, leading to the appearance of "hot pixels" - typical sensor noise that manifests as white specks across the final images of the day.

This unique documentation by the Curiosity rover not only provides a new way to visualize a day on Mars but also underscores the versatility and continued scientific contributions of the rover in our understanding of the Martian environment.

 

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New York City to utilize 8,500 acres of parking lots for incredible new initiative: ‘A bold step forward’​

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle...&cvid=661df871b2044f9dbc8e1a9958b65e24&ei=129

New York City has plenty of famous nicknames: The City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice, and so on.

Now, thanks to a ground-breaking zoning code update, New Yorkers may be excited to embrace one of its newest titles: the “City of Yes.”

Earlier in 2023, the New York City Council passed the City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality zoning regulations to promote sustainable initiatives such as creating clean energy and giving residents easier access to chargers for electric vehicles.

These revised zoning laws have allowed over 8,500 acres of parking lots to be covered by solar canopies, which could power more than 130,000 homes when completely built out, as reported by Electrek.

“By modernizing our city’s zoning code, we have taken a bold step forward in fighting climate change while delivering cleaner air, lower energy costs, smarter waste management, and better access to EV technologies to New Yorkers across the city,” said Mayor Eric Adams.

Not only do the “City of Yes” regulations allow for more rooftop space to be covered by solar panels, but they also permit EV charging stations to be installed in an additional 400 million square feet of space throughout the city.

These changes are paving the way for the New York City Council’s ambitious goals of reducing the area’s planet-warming pollution by 2050, paying special attention to the transformation of the city’s energy grid as well as encouraging shifts to EVs and public transit.

By installing solar panels on existing structures and promoting the use of EVs, NYC is both reducing its carbon footprint and setting a great example for other cities to help create a cleaner, greener future that benefits our planet and our future generations.

Although many are thrilled by this news and the eco-friendly developments to come, people are advocating for these types of clean energy initiatives to come to parking lots all over the country.

“These are great anywhere, but it especially drives me crazy to see huge parking lots in California and Arizona that could be covered with these, with a party bonus of keeping cars cooler during those Arizona summers especially!” one commenter highlighted.

“It’s easy to think of this as a win for New York, but bring it local,” another brought up. “Consider how many sizeable parking lots you can name in a several-mile radius from your home. For me, that’s hundreds of acres. This is an idea that is LONG overdue.”

 

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Study Reveals Uranus Smells Of Farts​

 

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It turns out we were born to groove

 

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Story

 

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