On November 18th, 2022, shortly before midnight, the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) in Arizona and other observatories worldwide detected a small object (now designated 2022 WJ1) heading toward Earth. For the next three hours, the CSS and the Southern Ontario Meteor Network (SOMN) at the University of Western Ontario monitored the object before it entered Earth’s atmosphere above Southern Ontario. At 03:26 a.m. EST (12:26 a.m. PST) on November 19th, the object appeared as a bright fireball that scattered meteorite fragments across the Niagara region. This event triggered an international collaboration to hunt down the fragments for analysis, but none have been found yet. In a recent study led by Western University and Lowell Observatory, an international team of scientists described a new approach for studying near-Earth asteroids (NEA) based largely on 2022 WJ1. The study is significant in that the team determined the NEA’s composition—the smallest asteroid characterized to date—and established a new and integrated methodology for studying other NEAs that may impact Earth someday. The study was led by Dr. Theodore Kareta, a Postdoctoral Researcher from the Lowell Observatory. He was joined by researchers from the University of Western Ontario, the ESA’s Planetary Defense Office (PDO), the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) at Curtin University (Australia), the University of Zagreb (Croatia), the Astronomical Society Istra Pula, the Višnjan Science and Education Center, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The study that describes their technique, “Telescope-to-Fireball Characterization of Earth Impactor 2022 WJ1,” was published on November 22nd in The Planetary Science Journal. The detection of 2022 WJ1 (WJ1) before it entered the atmosphere was a fortuitous event since it gave astronomers just enough time for scientists to telescopically observe it and gather precise information on its position and motion – which were used to refine its orbit. These factors also allowed astronomers to determine that the asteroid would enter Earth’s atmosphere above the Great Lakes region. The impact location was also fortuitous since it landed in the middle of Western’s network of meteor-observing cameras. The three hours it took for WJ1 to enter the atmosphere also allowed several members of the Western Meteor Physics Group and Western’s Institute for Earth and Space Exploration (IESE) to watch the object streak through the sky. This was the first time in history that observers were alerted of a natural fireball ahead of time and knew exactly where it would be visible. Paul Wiegert, a professor of physics and astronomy at Western and a study co-author, witnessed the fireball at 3:30 a.m. “I watched from Brescia Hill on the Western campus,” he said in a recent Western News press release. “Though cold and windy, the hill had a clear view to the east, where I expected to see only a distant flash. Then, the fireball suddenly appeared, passing almost overhead. It was easily visible between broken clouds and noticeably orange-red.” The Lowell Discovery Telescope‘s (LDT) capacity for rapid and stable tracking made it the ideal instrument for observing WJ1, allowing it to keep up with the small and fast-moving NEA. Teddy Kareta, a postdoctoral associate at Lowell Observatory, observed the asteroid with his team for about one hour before it was lost in the shadow of Earth. As he indicated: “At the time that we lost the asteroid – when it got too dim to be seen in our images – we had the telescope moving at five degrees per second to try to keep up with it. That’s fast enough that most other telescopes would have had to give up considerably earlier. It’s tremendously fortuitous that this asteroid happened to fly over Arizona’s dark skies at night before burning up over Western’s excellent camera network. It’s hard to imagine better circumstances to do this kind of research.” By comparing the Arizona-based observations to footage of the meteor acquired by the SOMN, the team determined the size and composition of 2022 WJ1 (WJ1). The size was determined thanks to observations made by the LDT, which detected a silica-rich surface that gave the object a relatively high albedo (reflectivity). By measuring this reflected light, the team calculated the diameter at 40 to 60 cm (16 to 27 inches), making it the smallest asteroid on record. The combined telescopic and fireball camera data suggest that WJ1 is rich in silica, placing it in the S-chondrite category. They are among the oldest bodies in the Solar System and the most common type of meteorite to hit Earth. “This is only the sixth asteroid discovered before impact,” said Denis Vida, an adjunct professor of physics and astronomy at Western. “Our new approach, discovering an asteroid through space observation and then subsequently observing it with cameras from the ground, allowed us to confirm that our estimates match well to estimates derived using a completely different approach.” “This is only the second time that an asteroid has been meaningfully characterized with telescopes prior to it impacting the Earth,” said Kareta. “It’s a testament to our good luck and preparation, but it’s also due to the community that cares about keeping the Earth safe from these impactors learning to work together better. This first-ever comparison between telescopic and fireball camera data is extremely exciting and means we’ll be able to characterize the next asteroid to impact the Earth in even better detail.” While no fragments have been found in the Niagara region, and no further official searches are planned, there are still people in the area who are searching and know what to look for. While much of the fragments were predicted to fall into Lake Ontario, some are hopeful that a fragment or two could turn up in the near future. Further Reading: Western News The post Scientists Reveal a New Way to Study Near-Earth Asteroids appeared first on Universe Today.

Aren't these singing shows promising to find the best talent in the country? American Idol got off to a hot start finding the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, but try and think of another household name (maybe Scotty McCreery?) that these singing competition shows have produced. I'm sure there are a couple here or there, though none bigger than the two names I already dropped, right? It's actually kind of funny, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as though you hear more about the modern day stars that didn't make it onto the shows than you hear about the people that are actually crowned the winner of shows like American Idol and The Voice. If you need some examples, I'd be more than happy to point you towards stories of Luke Combs not making it on The Voice because he "wasn't interesting enough," or Morgan Wallen showing some real talent at 20 years of age but not getting very far in The Voice either. Maybe The Voice just has something against country singers? I only say that because there seems to be a recognizable pattern... considering NBC's competitive singing show also turned away country music superstar Lainey Wilson. Not once, not twice... but SEVEN TIMES. Wilson recently revealed the fun (?) fact as she's set to join The Voice as a "playoff advisor" to help Reba McEntire's Team Reba: “I tried out seven times… It’s pretty crazy! I didn’t even make it to, like, the part where they turn the chairs around. But hey - it just kinda lit a fire under me, and I said, ‘You gotta keep on going.' You know?’ Now I’ve got family members who are like, ‘She’s finally on The Voice!’” Yeah, she's finally on the show... but she's also won Entertainer of the Year at the CMA Awards, along with six other CMA Awards, a Grammy (for Best Country Album), and a handful of ACM Awards. You'd think her family would be more excited about things like that, though I guess it is a cool, full circle moment for the "Hang Tight Honey" singer. Interestingly enough, Lainey was also rejected the same amount of times by American Idol. She technically made it onto that show, but she never made it past the first round. Just goes to show you that these competitions - and the judges that reign over them - might not be experts in super star potential. Country music legend Reba McEntire - who is currently wrapping her time as a judge on The Voice - was astounded to hear that Lainey was turned away time and time again by singing competition shows. However, she turned Wilson's story into a learning lesson for all the contestants that  are currently chasing the dream of being the winner of the NBC show: "That shows you that if you want something, you’ve gotta fight for it. You gotta stay in there. You’re gonna get a lot of ‘Nos.’ That’s what we keep telling everybody when we have to make decisions!” https://twitter.com/NBCTheVoice/status/1861122816944308233

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The late legendary guitarist Jeff Beck was one of the most versatile guitar players of all time and inspired countless artists over the decades. He was a member of The Yardbirds, his early solo career was a direct influence to Hard Rock's evolution, being a huge inspiration for Led Zeppelin and over the decades he recorded Jazz, Blues and more. He was an influence to many famous guitar players, including the AC/DC co-founder and guitarist Angus Young. The musician even revealed once which were two albums by Jeff Beck that he liked. The 2 Jeff Beck albums that Angus Young likes In 1986 Jeff Beck was already one of the most influential guitarists in the world and AC/DC one of the most successful bands of all time. In that year Angus Young was interviewed by Guitar World and he was complaining how some guitarists were boring when playing live. As an example, he praised Jeff Beck, who could play really well without making the audience bored. “There are guys out there who can play real good without boring people. Jeff Beck is one of them. He’s more of a technical guy, but when he wants to rock and roll he sure knows how to do it with guts. I really like the early albums he did with Rod Stewart,” Angus Young said. "Truth" (1968) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6ZwQACHRyo&pp=ygUgaSBhaW4ndCBzdXBlcnN0aXRpb3VzIGplZmYgYmVjayA%3D Rod Stewart was the vocalist of the Jeff Beck Group on two albums and the first one was "Truth", released in 1968. The album had many famous tracks like a version of The Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things". Also "You Shook Me" (Classic Blues track later on recorded by Led Zeppelin), "Beck's Bolero" (Written by Jimmy Page) and "I Ain't Superstitious" (Another Blues classic written by Willie Dixon). At the time the band was formed by Jeff Beck (Guitar), Rod Stewart (Vocals), Micky Waller (Drums) and the Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. However, in Beck's band, Wood was the bassist. Curiously, Angus and Malcolm Young had the chance to see The Yardbirds playing live when they were kids. He recalled a few times that they got really excited and were expecting to see Jeff Beck playing. However, Beck had already left the group and that day they saw Jimmy Page playing. "Beck-Ola" (1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpXPk-ZHC9c&pp=ygUWamVmZiBiZWNrIGFsbCBzaG9vayB1cA%3D%3D "Beck-Ola", released in 1969, was the second and final album which had Rod Stewart as the vocalist. It had praised versions of Elvis' songs like "All Shook Up" and "Jailhouse Rock". Other praised tracks written by the Jeff Beck Group were "Spanish Boots" and "Girl From Mill Valley". Besides Beck and Stewart, the band was also formed by Nicky Hopkins (Piano), Tony Newman (Drums) and Ronnie Wood (Bass). When the record was released, it peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 charts. Angus Young saw Jeff Beck really as an innovator. He even mentioned his name when he lamented Eddie Van Halen's death in 2020. Angus compared the talent of the late Dutch guitarist with famous British players like Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton.The post The 2 Jeff Beck albums that Angus Young likes appeared first on Rock and Roll Garage.

MSNBC admitted it was "unaware" that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign paid $500,000 to Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network nonprofit ahead of a friendly interview with the Democratic nominee ahead of Election Day.  Harris sat down for a friendly interview on Oct. 20 with MSNBC’s Sharpton, an open supporter of Harris and the Democratic Party. Following Harris’ loss to President-elect Trump, FEC filings revealed the Harris campaign gave two $250,...

 The deadliest place for women is at home and 140 women and girls on average were killed by an intimate partner or family member per day last year, two U.N. agencies reported Monday. Globally, an intimate partner or family member was responsible for the deaths of approximately 51,100 women and girls during 2023, an increase from an estimated 48,800 victims in 2022, UN Women and the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime said.