Category: Life & Style

NASA has released a composite image showcasing impressive high-atmosphere lightning strikes, known as gigantic jets, occurring over the Himalayan mountains around the Bhutan-China border.

Photographer Li Xuanhua captured a remarkable and unusual natural occurrence in the form of four jets shooting into space. NASA clarified that these jets are a specific form of lightning discharge that takes place between thunderstorms and the Earth’s ionosphere, different from typical cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning.

Gigantic jets can ascend to 80 kilometres into the ionosphere with a force that is 50 times greater than that of a typical lightning strike. These entities have only been detected in the 21st century. NASA frequently provides updates on cosmic events, including the latest dissemination of information about these luminous jets observed in the skies above China and Bhutan.

These jets have a substantial influence on technology that is based in space. The energy transmission they enable could have an impact on satellites, communication systems, and radar operations. Scientists are currently studying this phenomenon in great detail.

Scientists are captivated by many upper-atmosphere phenomena, such as Red Sprites, blue jets, and elves, which are classified as Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), in addition to gigantic jets.

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli’s popularity extends beyond India, as evidenced by a lifesize statue of him unveiled at Times Square, New York. This tribute highlights Kohli’s influence on the cricket globe in the last ten years and his significant contribution to India’s lineup for the T20 World Cup in 2024.

The statue showcases Kohli’s worldwide reach and is part of a commercial effort by Duroflex, a mattress company, for which Kohli serves as a brand ambassador. “Just Unveiled: A larger-than-life statue of Virat Kohli at the iconic Times Square,” Duroflex said on social media. “We are going global and creating history with this King’s Duty!” With resounding support, fans dubbed Kohli the “GOAT.”

Amidst India’s ongoing Super 8 match against Australia in St. Lucia, Kohli is maintaining his impressive form. The game started on schedule despite rain-related worries. Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first. They have not played each other since Australia defeated India in the ODI World Cup Final. After this World Cup, there is a lot of speculation that current captain Rohit Sharma and captain Virat Kohli may decide to retire from international T20 cricket, which might spell the end of an era for Indian cricket.

Dubai will invest 30 billion dirhams ($8.2 billion) to enhance its rainwater drainage system after experiencing the heaviest downpours in the UAE in 75 years last April. The heavy rainfall caused infrastructure damage and forced Dubai International Airport to curtail capacity, disrupting the Gulf’s hub for business and tourism. 

Concerns have been raised regarding Dubai’s capacity to withstand catastrophic weather in the future after four people died as a result of the flooding.

Countries are looking for innovative solutions as climate change is expected to raise temperatures, humidity, and flood threats in the Gulf. The project, “Tasreef,” is scheduled to be finished by 2033. According to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, it will encompass every part of the emirate, guaranteeing preparedness for upcoming climate difficulties and satisfying needs for the next century.

The infrastructure will increase the rainfall drainage system’s capacity by 700%, allowing it to manage more than 20 million cubic metres of water every day, according to Dubai’s media office. 

This project is expected to be among the biggest in the area for gathering rainwater. With 260 million passengers expected per year, Al Maktoum International Airport City, five times the size of Dubai International Airport, is undergoing drainage work that started in 2019.

Kozhikode, located in north Kerala, has been officially declared the inaugural UNESCO ‘City of Literature’ in India. Kozhikode became a UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) member in the ‘Literature’ category in October 2023.

This accomplishment was proclaimed by State Local Self Government Department Minister M B Rajesh, who emphasised the city’s humanity, harmony, rich cultural legacy, and freedom of speech. The Kozhikode City Corporation, which outperformed culturally wealthy cities like Kolkata, gained this recognition for its efficient operations.

The state government declared June 23 to be “City of Literature” Day in Kozhikode, where special awards in six categories would be given to notable writers such as S K Pottakkad and Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. P A Mohammed Riyas, Minister of Tourism, introduced the’ City of Literature’ logo.

Kozhikode, formerly known as Calicut and the city of Zamorins, was a port of entry for Europeans, Persians, Arabs, and Chinese immigrants. It is known for being the birthplace of the liberation movement, the centre of book festivals, home to more than 500 libraries, and the residence of renowned author M T Vasudevan Nair.

Among the 55 new cities to join the UCCN are Kozhikode and Gwalior in the ‘Music’ category. 350 cities in seven creative industries are currently part of the UCCN.

CWISE J124909+362116.0 (J1249+36), an exceptionally uncommon and ancient star, has been found by scientists. It is among the oldest stars in the Milky Way galaxy. This hypervelocity star is expected to be ejected into intergalactic space at a speed of 600 km/sec. While searching through telescope data for signs regarding the existence of the mysterious Planet Nine, scientists discovered the star, an L subdwarf. The discovery was revealed at the American Astronomical Society’s 244th meeting.

The remarkable speed of J1249+36 can be explained in three ways. Initially, it could have been kicked out of a binary system containing a white dwarf star. Ultra-dense white dwarfs may be unstable if they have a binary companion and shine due to leftover heat rather than fusion.

Second, a many-body interaction inside the Milky Way may cause the star’s velocity, especially in crowded places like globular clusters, which are home to millions of stars. Third, J1249+36 may originate from one of the several satellite dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way instead of the Milky Way itself. An extragalactic origin for hypervelocity stars was found trustworthy in a 2017 research investigating their origins, and scientists think this might also account for the speed of J1249+36.

Sagittarius A*, a supermassive black hole four million times the mass of our sun, is a quiescent gigantic black hole at the centre of the Milky Way. On the other hand, scientists have recorded the first-ever astronomical observation of a supermassive black hole awakening and consuming neighbouring material in real-time—a stunning brightening of the core of another galaxy.

Scientists monitored events at the core of the Virgo galaxy, SDSS1335+0728, 360 million light-years away, using Earth-based and orbiting telescopes. From single-star masses to millions and billions of solar masses, black holes have masses so great that not even light can escape. With a mass of almost one million times that of the sun, SDSS1335+0728 contains a supermassive black hole.

An accretion disk, a spinning disk of diffuse material, has developed around this black hole. It emits radiation at tremendous temperatures, frequently outshining the entire galaxy. These areas, known as active galactic nuclei, are among the universe’s brightest objects, releasing energy in the radio and gamma ranges.

The principal author of the study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, astronomer Paula Sanchez Saez of the European Southern Observatory, stresses the importance of researching these nuclei to comprehend black hole physics and galaxy evolution.

On June 20, at 4:51 p.m., the summer solstice arrived at its earliest time since 1796. Boston had 97 degrees, narrowly missing the 1953 high of 98 degrees, which was recorded on June 20th, and this year’s solstice ended a brief heatwave in New England.

According to astronomy, summer officially starts on June 1st, and the summer solstice marks the longest day and shortest night in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Latin words “sol,” meaning “sun,” and “sistere,” meaning “to stand still,” give rise to the English word “solstice,” which describes the period when the sun seems to pause as it moves slowly from its farthest point north to its slowest position south. Boston experienced its longest day of the year with 15 hours, 17 minutes, and 12 seconds of daylight.

Due to minor calendar alterations brought about by 2024’s status as a leap year, this early solstice has been observed. Since 365.24 days make up a year, leap years ensure that our calendar remains in harmony with the Earth’s orbit.

Despite the bright sunshine, mid-July is usually when it gets the warmest because of “seasonal lag,” the phenomenon wherein ocean temperatures rise more slowly than land temperatures. On September 22, we will see the autumnal equinox, which signifies the end of astronomical summer.

The two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi began on June 20, with his arrival in Srinagar. While he is there, he will take part in events celebrating International Yoga Day and inaugurate projects worth ₹ 1,500 crore.

The Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), situated on the banks of Dal Lake, was graced with traditional Kashmiri melodies and floral arrangements as Modi and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha were welcomed.

On X, the prime minister conveyed his excitement by saying, “Foundation stones will be laid or key projects worth over ₹ 1,500 crores, covering infrastructure, water supply, education, and more, will be inaugurated.”

The 10th International Day of Yoga will be held at SKICC on June 21st, and PM Modi will address the crowd and do some yoga himself at about 6:30 in the morning. Since assuming office for a third term, this is his first trip to the Union Territory.

Furthermore, he is set to initiate the ₹ 1,800 crore Competitiveness Improvement in Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project (JKCIP). The PM’s visit highlights the government’s dedication to the development of the region and the empowerment of young people.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced the Indian astronauts will be trained for the International Space Station (ISS) mission as part of efforts to improve US-India space cooperation. ISRO astronauts will start their advanced training in the US after talks between National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Jake Sullivan.

Nelson brought attention to the initiative on X and said that the collaboration would facilitate future human spaceflight and be beneficial to humanity. Although the details of the mission are still being worked out, he stressed that this relationship is a big deal for space research between the two countries.

While in New Delhi, Sullivan and Doval finalised the Human Spaceflight Cooperation Strategic Framework and spoke about finding a carrier for the NASA-ISRO ISS mission.

To further address global concerns like climate change, the two nations intend to deploy the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, which will survey the Earth’s surface. Advancements in cooperation in vital minerals, defence space, AI, semiconductors, and telecommunications were part of the larger strategic conversation.

US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi established the iCET project in May 2022. In the wake of PM Modi’s re-election, Sullivan held his first high-level meeting with Indian officials and business leaders in Delhi.

Zara Shatavari of India is one of the top ten finalists in “Miss AI,” Fanvue’s first beauty pageant specifically for AI-generated models. In addition to her work as a digital developer and self-described “PCOS and depression warrior,” Shatavari enjoys cooking, travelling, and shopping. Through her blog and social media, she hopes to inspire people by discussing health, professional growth, and the latest fashion trends.

Rahul Choudhry, a specialist in digital media, established Shatavari, which has been constantly active online, absorbing analytics and strategies for social media driven by artificial intelligence from a variety of sources. She started working as a spokesperson for PMH Biocare in June 2023 and then moved on to become the Influencer Marketing Talent Manager at Digimozo eServices LLP in August of the same year.

She is an expert in influencer marketing, content creation, and strategic planning, with over 7,500 Instagram followers. She is based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

On LinkedIn, Choudhry shared his enthusiasm, praising Shatavari for becoming the sole Indian finalist out of 1500 worldwide contestants. A $5,000 cash prize, mentorship programmes, and PR services are up for grabs for the winner of Miss AI, which is judged by two human experts and two AI-generated judges.