Latest news with #carbonMonoxide
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomers discover the largest comet from the outskirts of the solar system is exploding with jets of gas
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronomers have discovered that the largest comet from the Oort Cloud, a shell of icy bodies at the very edge of the solar system, is bursting with chemical the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, the team discovered that C/2014 UN271, an 85-mile-wide (137 km) body around 10 times the size of the average comet and also known as Bernardinelli-Bernstein, is erupting with complex and evolving jets of carbon monoxide gas. Now located halfway between the sun and the solar system's furthest planet, Neptune (or 16.6 times the distance between the Earth and our star), C/2014 UN271 becomes the second-most distant comet originating from the Oort Cloud that has been seen to be chemically active. The observations are also the first direct evidence of what drives cometary activity when these icy bodies are far from the sun. "These measurements give us a look at how this enormous, icy world works," team leader and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center researcher Nathan Roth said in a statement. "We're seeing explosive outgassing patterns that raise new questions about how this comet will evolve as it continues its journey toward the inner solar system." ALMA was able to observe C/2014 UN271 despite its distance from the sun via the carbon monoxide in its atmosphere and its thermal emissions. Previously, the sensitivity of this ground-breaking instrument, composed of an array of 66 radio antennas located in the Atacama Desert region of northern Chile, allowed scientists to determine the size of the core or "nucleus" of the comet. Building upon this, the team was able to precisely determine the comet's entire size and the amount of dust that envelopes its core or "nucleus." This confirmed the status of C/2014 UN271 as the largest Oort Cloud comet ever to the clearer picture painted of this giant comet by ALMA was the first detection of molecular outgassing for C/2014 UN271. This has afforded scientists a rare look at the chemistry of icy bodies from the very edge of the solar system. Related Stories: — The sun is a 'runaway world collector' that can trap passing rogue planets — The solar system is teeming with 1 million 'alien invaders' from Alpha Centauri — Watch asteroid 2024 YR4 zoom harmlessly through space after risk of hitting Earth falls to near zero (video) C/2014 UN271 is approaching the sun, and as it does, the comet will begin to heat up, and more frozen material within it will turn gaseous and erupt from its icy comets are thought to be composed of unspoiled material left over from the formation of the solar system around 4.6 billion years ago, this could offer a glimpse at the conditions in which Earth and the other planets were team's research was published on June 12 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Shock update on mysterious death of Yankees star Brett Gardner's son at Costa Rican hotel
Authorities in Costa Rica are still working to establish if the death of Miller Gardner, the son of New York Yankees hero Brett, was a homicide. The 14-year-old died March 21 at a luxury Costa Rican resort. Initially, there had been suggestions that food poisoning or an extreme reaction to medication had caused the teenager's death, before authorities said it was carbon monoxide inhalation. But now, nearly three months after Miller's passing, authorities have told ESPN that the death remains under investigation. 'The purpose of the investigation is precisely to determine whether or not we are dealing with a possible homicide. For this reason, it is not possible at this time to confirm or rule out that a crime has been committed,' Sharon Hernandez Coto, a press officer from the Prosecutor's Office of Costa Rica said. She added that authorities there want 'to determine whether the cause of death was a homicide or not, and, if so, to establish responsibility.' As it stands, there is reportedly no timetable for the completion of the investigation. A statement in early April from Randall Zuniga - general director of the OIJ in Costa Rica - said that carbon monoxide exposure had killed Miller. 'Concentrations above 50% are already lethal. In this case, the saturation percentage is higher, thus proving the police's hypothesis that the death was due to exposure to carbon monoxide,' he said. 'Other drug tests were conducted, including fentanyl and other substances; all were negative.' Brett Gardner and his wife, Jessica, announced Miller's death via the Yankees on March 23. They said Miller had fallen ill along with other members of the family on the vacation, where they were staying at the $1,000-a-night Arenas Del Mar resort. 'With heavy hearts we are saddened to announce the passing of our youngest son, Miller,' they wrote. 'He was 14 years old and has left us far too soon after falling ill along with several other family members while on vacation. 'We have so many questions and so few answers at this point, but we do know that he passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Friday, March 21st. 'Miller was a beloved son and brother and we cannot yet comprehend our life without his infectious smile. He loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends. He lived life to the fullest every single day.' The family have not spoken out since that statement. Gardner played for the Yankees from 2008 until he retired in 2021, winning the World Series in 2009.
