Tag Archives: fragments

Canada’s Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt Contains Fragments of Earth’s Oldest Crust, Research Reveals

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Geologists have found significant evidence indicating the preservation of Hadean Rocks, with an age of 4.16 billion years. The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt offers a rare glimpse into the early Earth.

Canadian Nuvvuagittuq Green Stone Belt. Image credit: Jonathan O’Neill.

The earliest geological history of Earth remains largely unclear due to the scarcity of rocks and minerals from the Hadean period (over 4.3 billion years ago).

These ancient materials are often altered or destroyed as the planet’s crust undergoes continual recycling through various geological processes.

“One potential survivor of the Hadean era crustal rock is the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt,” stated Dr. Christian Saul, a senior author from the University of Ottawa and his colleagues.

“However, this perspective is contentious. Some researchers argue that the isotopic data backing these estimates might instead reflect later geological mixing rather than the true age of the layers.”

“If proven to be of Hadean origin, the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt would represent the oldest known preserved rock sequence on Earth.”

“This could yield critical insights into early geology and possible environments for the emergence of life.”

To refine the age of the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt, researchers concentrated on specific types of ancient rock intrusions known as metagabbro within the belt.

These intrusions intersect with ancient basaltic rocks, enabling the authors to utilize combined uranium-lead (U-Pb) dating to determine the minimum age limits of older layers, along with both short and long-lived samarium-neodymium (Sm-Nd) isotopic analysis.

Sm-Nd data yielded a consistent age of approximately 4.16 billion years, irrespective of the sample location or mineral composition.

The convergence of both isotope systems producing the same age in rocks with clear evidence of magma differentiation strongly supports their Hadean era crystallization.

This is in accordance with the Hadean Eon surviving within the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt.

“Studying these rocks allows us to trace back to the origins of our planet,” noted Dr. Jonathan O’Neill, a researcher at the University of Ottawa.

“This will enable us to gain a better understanding of how the first continent formed and help reconstruct the environment in which life emerged.”

Survey results published in the journal Science.

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C. Sole et al. 2025. Evidence of Hadean Mafic invasion in the Canadian Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt. Science 388 (6754): 1431-1435; doi: 10.1126/science.ads8461

Source: www.sci.news

Viewing Halley’s Comet Fragments During the Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower

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Halley’s Comet makes its appearance near Earth every 75 years. Nevertheless, the remnants of this comet give rise to two significant meteor showers annually: the Eta Aquarids.

During this meteor shower, the night sky lights up as Earth travels through the paths left by various famous comets, according to Shauna Edson of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

NASA’s Bill Cook describes the Eta Aquarids as “very fast meteors.”

On the peak night, which falls on Tuesday morning, we anticipate witnessing 10-15 meteors per hour under optimal viewing conditions, Cook noted.

However, with the moon approximately two-thirds full, visibility may be diminished.

The viewing period will extend until May 28th. For more information about the Eta Aquarids and other meteor showers, check out this meteor shower guide.

What is a Meteor Shower?

As Earth orbits the Sun, it encounters bits left behind by comets and sometimes asteroids several times a year. The Eta Aquarids originate from fragments of Halley’s Comet.

When these fast-moving space rocks enter Earth’s atmosphere, they experience friction with the air, causing them to heat up and eventually incinerate.

This process can create a brief glow in the surrounding air, leaving a luminous tail that marks the path of a “shooting star.”

You don’t need any special gear to view the meteor showers that light up the sky each year, just find a dark spot away from city lights.

How to View the Meteor Shower

The optimal time for observing meteor showers is early when the moon is positioned low in the sky.

The primary challenges to clear visibility are bright moonlight and artificial lights. A cloudless night with a faint moon provides the best conditions.

Remember to keep looking up. If you haven’t been distracted by your phone, your eyes will be well-adapted to spot a shooting star.

When Will the Next Meteor Shower Be?

The next major meteor shower, the South Delta Aquarids, will peak in late July.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The oldest human ancestors in Western Europe found: Fossilized face fragments.

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In a cave in northern Spain, researchers found fossilized face fragments of ancient human ancestors.

The ruins, known as “Pink,” are estimated to be between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old. However, they pose a mystery as the face fragments do not match any known species from the same area and cannot be definitively identified.

Maria Martinon Torres, a paleontologist at the Spanish National Centre for the Evolution of Humans and a co-author of the study, stated in a press call, “We have documented a previously unknown population in Europe. These fossils represent the earliest human fossils ever discovered in Western Europe.”

The initial fragment was unearthed in 2022, with new details featured in Wednesday’s issue of Nature Journal Nature.

Research findings tentatively suggest that Pink may be linked to human ancestors, potentially Homo Erectus. The fossil was named partly after the band Pink Floyd and Rosa Huguet, the study’s lead author and archaeological site coordinator.

Dr. Rosa Huguet.Maria D. Gillen/Ifes Kerkha

This discovery is significant as it provides a more accurate timeline for the arrival of human ancestors in Western Europe. It also helps bridge the evolutionary gap between the oldest human fossil finds in Europe, dating back about 1.8 million years to the site in dmanisi, Georgia, where Homo Aristroux was discovered, going back approximately 900,000 years.

Rodrigo Lacruz, a professor of molecular pathology at New York University, stated that this finding could aid in understanding early human evolution and migration narratives in Europe.

The research team confirmed that Pink’s fossils are adult but could not determine their gender. The discovery was made about 60 feet deep within the Sierra de Atapueca archaeological site, known for its rich historical record of rock formations.

Within the same sediment layer as Pink, evidence suggests that these early ancestors were involved in hunting and butchering animals for meat.

Archaeological excavation work at the Sima Del Elefante Cave site.Maria D. Gillen/Ifes Kerkha

There is evidence suggesting that human ancestors entered Europe in multiple waves, with many of these groups later diminishing. Fossil records show discontinuity across Atapuerca sites and Western Europe, indicating a prolonged period without human presence.

The study speculates that the species to which Pink belonged may have overlapped temporarily with Homo Alivisor and could have been extinct due to climate changes around 1.1 million years ago.

Chris Stringer, a professor and research leader in human evolution at the Museum of Natural History in London, suggested that a climate event may have caused a significant decline or complete depopulation of humans in Western Europe.

The Simadel Elephante cave, where Pink was discovered, has previously yielded intriguing fossils. In 2007, researchers found a small jawbone believed to be around 1.2 million years old, possibly closely related to Pink.

Maria Martinón-Torres expressed surprise and excitement at the discovery of new fossils even deeper within the cave.

The abundant collection of fossils in the region is likely due to its geographical features, providing a natural corridor and resources that attracted early humans.

Archaeological excavation work in the area is ongoing, with researchers hopeful for more surprises.

“We will continue to excavate,” Martinón Torres stated. “There may be more surprises to come.”


Source: www.nbcnews.com

Should we be concerned about the fragments from the universe hitting Earth daily?

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Effectively zero. It may be attacked by the satellite that you fall.

Although the number of satellites in the orbit has risen in exponential functions, modern satellites have the ability to control the re -entry trajectory, and they are built from low -density materials to burn out as they fall into the atmosphere.

However, fragments in the universe are still reaching the ground. We use the rocket stage from the long March rocket in China as a recent example.

However, in the past 50 years, NASA has recorded average. One of the fragments of the universe that reaches the ground per day Currently, death or serious injury is not known.

One piece per day sounds like a lot, but at least three airplanes are dropped (mainly non -profit aircraft) in order to focus on it. 。

Being attacked by a piece of satellite is unlikely to be hit by a part of the crashed airplane -credit: Petrovich9

When the plane crashes, it usually remains in one piece until the moment of the impact, and is often full of fuel. As a result, the falling aircraft is much more fatal than a typical cosmic fragment. This may be part of a small titanium and carbon fiber panel.

There is no difference here for the extra altitude that the fragments of the universe have fallen. Falling from 300 km (about 186 miles) is the same as 10 km (6.2 miles) to reach the terminal speed long before hitting the ground.

Aircraft tend to fly near a dense population area, but spaceship is much more evenly distributed around the world. If everyone in the world goes out and spread, they cover only about 0.0002 % on the surface of the earth.

Therefore, even if the fragments of the fallen universe are fatal, they miss 99.9998 % and translate them into one death every 1 or 300 years.

This article is the answer to the question (asked by Charlie Bond by e -mail) “What is the possibility of a falling satellite?”

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com