Oumuamua: An alien asteroid discovered in solar system
Oumuamua also named as 514107/2015BZ509, is an asteroid nestling in Jupiter's orbit, is declared as an alien asteroid by the scientists. 'It came from the another star system and is the first known immigrant to our solar system', "says scintists". It was first discovered in 2014. After four years of continuous observation of it's behavior scintists confirmed that it doesn't belongs to our solar system and came to solar system 4.5 billions years ago just at the time of formation of earth.
Oumuamua facts
It is an asteroid orbiting the sun in the same orbit in which Jupiter does, but in opposite direction. This shows that this is from another star system. If it was from our native solar system, then it would follow the same original direction as other planets and asteroids, inherited with clouds and dust do.
This immigration might have occurred because, sun initially formed in very dense star cluster, where every star have their own system of planets and asteroids. The close proximity of two stars aided by gravitational pull of planets attracted, removed and captured asteroid from other star system.
GRACE-FO Satellites: SpaceX launched NASA satellites to track Earth's water cycle
Elon Musk led SpaceX launched twin GRACE-FO Satellites to track Earth's water cycle i.e melting of ice and movement of water. These satellite were launched by Falcon 9 rocket from Vanderburgh Air Base, in California, US.
GRACE-FO(Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow On)
GRACE-FO is a joint project between National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) and German center of research for Geoscience (GFZ).
It's a follow on Program to original GRACE program. GRACE had Mapped Earth's ice and water by measring changes from 2002-2017.
GRACE-FO will pick up where GRACE had left the study. It will continue mapping of Earth's glaciers, rising sea level, Polar ice caps and other changes in distribution of water on Earth. The two satellites will orbit at 490Km altitude near polar orbit. Estimated time period for a complete revolution is 90 minutes. To measure Earth's gravity two satellites will orbit together with one trailing a distance 220Kms from other. The instruments on board of these satellites are too sensitive to detect a change of one micron, of their separation.
These satellites are equipped with Laser Ranging Interferometer which can measure gravity field change due to change in distance of separation between two satellites. This reveals information about features above satellites are flying over. Earth is not a perfect sphere. Different features like mountains, oceans and flat lands across it's surface, so gravitational pull exerted on the Satellites is not consistent. When gravity field changes the distance of separation between the satellites changes slightly.
Nipah Virus: (NiV) Infection
Kerala was on high alert as Nipah virus (NiV) infection was detected for the first time in state. Its traces were found in samples of blood and body fluids of two people who died of viral fever at the coastal areas of Kozhikode in Kerala. It was confirmed by laboratory reports from National Institute of Virology, Pune.
Origin
Nipah virus was detected for the first time at Kampung, Sungai Nipah, Malaysia in 1998. Fruit bats of pteropodidae family, pteropus genus are natural host of this virus. NiV infection is a zoonatic desease that cause several desease in both animals and humans.
Transmission
This viruses spreads fast and are mostly fatal. Infected bats shed this virus in their excretion and secretion. Nipah virus doesn't transmit through air. But can be transmitted by direct contact with infected bats, pigs. Human to human transmission from other infected person is also reported.
Symptoms
This virus can cause acute respiratory syndrome, breathing trouble, inflammation in brain, fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation of brain and delirium. Infected human/animal sleeps into comma within 48 hours of infection. The mortality rate of patients infected with this is 70%. This can harm domestic animals too.
Treatment
There isn't any treatment or vaccine introduced untill yet which can nullify It's effect. But intensive supportive care and supportive medicines can reduce it's effects. In desease prone areas fruits strewn in the ground should not be eaten.
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