A team of Indian scientists from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) have found the first evidence of the presence of solitary waves around Mars. These solitary waves are distinct electric field fluctuations in the Martian magnetosphere that control particle energisation, plasma loss, and transport through wave-particle interactions. IIG researchers identified and reported the solitary waves in the Martian magnetosphere with the help of high-resolution electric field data recorded by Langmuir Probe and Waves instrument on Nasa's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecr
Spare, the memoir of Prince Harry, has become the fastest-selling nonfiction book of all time, confirmed by the Guinness World Records on Friday, after the book sold 1.43 million copies on its first day. The sales outperformed Penguin Random House’s previous first-day non-fiction record, for US President Barack Obama’s memoir, A Promised Land, in 2020, and Michelle Obama’s book, Becoming in 2018. A Promised Land had sold 8,87,000 copies on the debut day. Penguin Random House (PRH) UK said the book had sold 7,50,000 copies in the UK across all formats – h
A rare green comet, C/2022 E3 (ZTF) has appeared in the night sky for the first time in 50,000 years and was spotted from the Abu Dhabi desert at dawn on Saturday, said the International Astronomy Centre (IAC) based in the UAE capital. The comet, first identified in March 2022, has not visited Earth or the inner solar system since the last Ice Age. The last time it passed Earth was during the Upper Paleolithic period, when Neanderthals walked the Earth, according to Space.com. C/2022 E3 (ZTF) reached its closest point to the Sun (perihelion) on January 12, and will be visible for nearly
The total number of Indian passport holders will cross the 10 crore mark soon, said Regional Passport Officer Ashish Middha said at an interactive session with the Bharat Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. The waiting time for passport interviews has been reduced to “next working day” for Tatkaal and “three working days” for normal ones, informed the official. “Now, 9.6 crore people have valid passports in India and the figure would cross the 10 crore mark very soon,” he added. By 2023, issuance of e-passports is expected to be fully operational and currently e-passports are on
Swedish government-owned mining corporation LKAB has discovered the largest deposit of rare earth elements in Europe. The deposits were found in the company’s existing iron ore mines. The deposits, Per Geijer, are located in Sweden’s northern Lappland province near the Arctic Circle. Per Geijer is estimated to contain more than 1 million tonne of rare earth oxides. The useful rare earth elements such as cerium, yttrium, lanthanum and neodymium are used in everything, from smartphones to semiconductor chips to other high-tech products. These elements are vital for manufacturing items
Indian men, Dr. Ali Irani and Sujoy Kumar Mitra, have set the world record for travelling around seven continents in just three days. The travelers have broken the previous Guinness World Record for the quickest time to visit all seven continents in just 73 hours. The Indian duo completed their journey in 3 days, 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 4 seconds. Dr Khawla Al Romaithi of the UAE formerly held the record, which she set in February 2020, and was 3 days, 14 hours, 46 minutes, and 48 seconds. Beginning on December 4, the Indian men covered Antarctica, South America, Europe, North America, A
The ‘Naatu Naatu’ song of Indian blockbuster RRR has won Best Original Song in the 80th Golden Globe Awards hosted in Los Angeles, US, on Wednesday. Hyderabad-based music composer M M Keeravani accepted the award for the SS Rajamouli-directed Telugu film. With this win, ‘Naatu Naatu’ becomes the first Asian song to win the coveted award. The song, composed by MM Keeravani, features the film’s two protagonists, Jr NTR and Ram Charan, grooving to the happy song with some swift moves. The blockbuster was nominated in two categories. It missed out in the Best Non-English Language Fil
A United Nations-supported scientific panel has said that actions taken under the Montreal Protocol have successfully strengthened the Earth’s ozone layer, helping avoid global warming from 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius by mid-century. The Montreal Protocol is a 1989 international treaty aimed at regulating the production and use of chemicals that contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. In its assessment report, the scientific panel has said that a phase out of nearly 99% banned ozone-depleting substances (ODS) like tropospheric chlorine and bromine contributed significantly to the
The annual Hajj pilgrimage will return to pre-pandemic levels this year after restrictions due to COVID-19 curtailed the annual religious commemoration, say Saudi Arabia authorities. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also removed some of the restrictions for the pilgrims, including the limit on the number of foreign pilgrims allowed into the country and the age of pilgrims. The Hajj, necessary for all fit and healthy Muslims once in their life, is one of the world’s largest gatherings of people. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the pilgrimage drew millions each year to the holy city of Mecca,
Bengaluru is projected to be the fastest growing city in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in 2023, said economic firm Oxford Economics. As per Oxford Economics’ analysis, Bengaluru is expected to grow by over 6% this year. Another South Indian city, Hyderabad is expected to see a similar kind of growth in 2023. The two cities in recent times have attracted remarkable investments in the manufacturing, information and communication sectors. Suggested to be bright spots in a difficult year for cities in the APAC region, Oxford Economics expects cities that are less exposed to weak global t