Seeing Magnetic Fields Around Exoplanets – Dr. Jake Turner of Cornell University on The Cosmic Companion Jan. 12, 2021
Astronomers with the Breakthrough Listen Project have detected a signal coming from the direction of Proxima Centauri that seems to have an intelligent origin. These waves, called BLC-1, were found to have an extremely narrow bandwidth, which is usually the sign of an artificial signal. These radio waves also come from just a small portion of the sky, suggesting a distant source. However, it is still very possible that BLC-1 comes from an unknown source right here on Earth. Researchers on the project are due to release a pair of papers on their analysis of the signal in the coming months.
It may not have felt like it, but 2020 was, in fact, the shortest year in decades. A new study of the rotational rate of our world shows the Earth sped up a small amount during the year. This effect, caused by changes in atmosphere, oceanic currents, and movements in the core of the Earth usually slows down our planet, leading to the addition of leap seconds every 30 months or so. Now, some researchers are wondering if standard time should lose a second – a negative leap second, if you will – to make up for the effect.
The largest canyon in the solar system, the Mariner Valley on Mars, is seen in stunning images, recently released by the European Space Agency. This valley stretches 10 times longer than the Grand Canyon on Earth, and it is several times deeper. Researchers believe the movement of magma under the surface of Mars billions of years ago may have cracked the surface, releasing subsurface water, forming the canyon.
