Physicists have devised a way to synchronize the ticking of two clocks through the air with extreme precision, across a record distance of 113 kilometres.
The feat is a step towards redefining the second using optical clocks — timekeepers that are 100 times more precise than the atomic clocks on which coordinated universal time (UTC) is currently based.
Metrologists hope to use optical clocks to redefine the second in 2030. But a hurdle standing in their way is the need to find a reliable way to transmit signals between optical clocks in laboratories on different continents, to compare their outputs. In practice, this will probably mean transmitting the clocks’ time through air and space, to satellites. But this is a challenge because the atmosphere interferes with signals.
A team led by Jian-Wei Pan, a physicist at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, succeeded in sending precise pulses of laser light between clocks at stations 113 kilometres apart in China’s Xinjiang province1. This is seven times the previous record2 of 16 kilometres.
The result, published in Nature1 on 5 October, is “outstanding”, says David Gozzard, an experimental physicist at the University of Western Australia in Perth. Achieving such a high level of synchronization over that distance of air represents “significant progress in being able to do this between a satellite and the ground”, he adds.
Synchronizing hyper-precise clocks in hard-to-reach places could also have advantages elsewhere in research, says Tetsuya Ido, director of the Space-Time Standards Laboratory at the Radio Research Institute in Tokyo. For instance, the clocks could be used to test the general theory of relativity, which says that time should pass more slowly in places where gravity is stronger, such as at low altitudes. Comparing the ticking of two optical clocks could even reveal subtle changes in gravitational fields caused by the movement of masses — for example by shifting tectonic plates — he says.
Next-generation clocks
Since 1967, the second has been defined by atomic clocks using caesium-33 atoms: a second is the time it takes to cycle through 9,192,631,770 oscillations of the microwave radiation the atoms absorb and emit when they switch between certain states. Today, optical clocks use the higher-frequency ‘ticking’ of elements such as strontium and ytterbium, which allows them to slice time into even finer fractions.
However, official time can’t be generated using just one clock. Metrologists must average the output of hundreds of timepieces across the world. For caesium clocks, the time can be transmitted through microwave signals, but microwave radiation is too low-frequency to convey the high-frequency tick of optical clocks.
Sending signals through the air at optical wavelengths is not as easy as sending microwaves, because molecules in the air readily absorb the light, drastically reducing the strength of the signal. Furthermore, turbulence can send a laser beam off target. To compare optical clocks, physicists have so far relied mostly on transmitting signals through fibre-optic cables, or transporting the bulky, complex timepieces themselves, to compare them side by side. But these methods are impractical for creating the kind of global network needed to define the second.
Pan’s team succeeded by combining several minor developments, says Gozzard. To create their signal, the researchers used optical frequency combs — devices that produce extremely stable and precise pulses of laser light — and boosted their output using high-powered amplifiers, to minimize the signal lost when the pulses travelled through the air. The team also tuned and optimized receivers so that they could pick up low-powered signals and automatically track the direction of the incoming laser.
The group sent out time intervals using two wavelengths of visible light, and transmitted another through a fibre-optic link. By comparing the tiny differences between signals picked up at the receivers, the researchers showed that, when measured over hours, they could disseminate the ticking with a stability high enough to lose or gain only a second roughly every 80 billion years. The level of accuracy was on a par with that of optical clocks.
Not there yet
Although this transfer method is the most stable humanity has so far, it will need to be improved further to match the stability of the best optical clocks, says Gozzard.
Another limitation is that the experiment was done in a remote region with optimal atmospheric conditions, says Ido. “The humidity is quite low and air turbulence could be more quiet than in conventional urban areas,” he says. Future studies will need to check how well the method works in other locations.
But the experiment seems to be a good proxy for sending such signals into space, says Helen Margolis, a physicist at the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, UK. The amount of turbulence expected over 113 kilometres on the ground is comparable to that on the way from the ground to a satellite, she says.
Satellite-based transmission will face a further hurdle — the clocks will be orbiting at high speed, which shifts the frequency of their signals, says Gozzard.
Pan says this is one of the challenges his team will take on next. The team previously developed technologies for a quantum-communications satellite, and is now using those to develop ways to transmit between optical clocks in geostationary orbit and on the ground.
Using optical clocks in space, it would also be “possible to provide new probes for fundamental physics, such as hunting for dark matter and detecting gravitational waves”, Pan adds.
Week 6 in the NFL was as unpredictable as ever, as a changing of the guard seems to be upon us in the league. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are both .500 or worse this late in the season for the first time since 2012, and the New York teams are a combined 9-3.
The Giants are 5-1 for the first time since 2009, while the Jets have their best start to a season since 2015. The Jets matched their win total from last season while the Giants passed it — in just six games. The Packers have lost consecutive games in the regular season for the first time in four years and suffered their worst loss ever under Rodgers at Lambeau Field.
Plenty of overreactions are in store for Week 6. Let’s see if these are deserved or need to be dialed down a bit.
The Bills will get home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs
Overreaction or reality: Reality
Sunday’s win over the Chiefs wasn’t big in determining the Super Bowl favorite coming out of the AFC, but the road to the Super Bowl will likely be going though Buffalo. The Bills defeated the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and have pulled off wins in two straight one-score games, so that hex on the Super Bowl contenders is gone.
Buffalo is the only one-loss team in the conference and owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over Kansas City. The Bills are the clear favorite in the AFC East and own a two-game lead on the Dolphins and a one-game lead over the emerging Jets. They also beat the Ravens earlier this year (and Baltimore is 3-3 after six games).
The road to the Super Bowl in the AFC looks like it’ll go through Orchard Park in January. That’s a scary thought.
Injuries are going to cost the 49ers a playoff berth
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction
Here’s the biggest issue with the 49ers. How many injuries can this team withstand? On San Francisco’s defense, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw are the only two starters that didn’t suffer an injury during Sunday’s loss to the Falcons, nor had an injury prior to the game.
Charvarius Ward left the game with a groin injury. Talanoa Hufanga had to be evaluated for a concussion (but did return), and Samson Ebukam left with a leg injury (he returned as well). Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Emmanuel Moseley, Jimmie Ward, and Azeez Al-Shaair all missed the game with various injuries.
The 49ers defense didn’t overcome their injuries in the loss to the Falcons, but this team has the depth to withstand the injuries (and have through the majority of the year). San Francisco will eventually get some of these players back and make a run at the NFC West.
Overreaction or reality: Reality
Zappe has made two starts with the Patriots, and New England has averaged 33.5 points per game and 381.5 yards per game in those starts. They are also 2-0 in the two starts under Zappe. The fourth-round rookie went 24 of 34 for 309 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday’s win over the Browns, actually finding both his tight ends (Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry) six times for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Not only did the Patriots throw for 301 yards, but they were 7 of 14 on third down and 2 of 3 in goal-to-go situations. Zappe has four touchdowns to one interception and a 111.4 passer rating this season, with a 72.9% completion rate. He’s the first rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win and post a 100-plus passer rating in each of his first two starts.
Bottom line: Zappe has done more than enough to warrant another start (at least). The Patriots offense is better with him at quarterback.
The Jets are a threat to make the playoffs
Overreaction or reality: Reality
New York is 4-2 and just handed Green Bay its largest loss under Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field. Breece Hall already looks like one of the most explosive players in the NFL, and the defense is shining with D.J. Reed, Sauce Gardner, and Quinnen Williams leading the way.
The Jets have the look of a playoff team, finding different ways to beat opponents every week. The offensive line does a good job of protecting Zach Wilson, and the defense continues to improve, allowing under 300 yards for the third straight week.
If the AFC had to pick seven teams to make the playoffs, the Jets would be one of them.
The Colts wide receivers are good enough to get them to the playoffs
Overreaction or reality: Reality
Indianapolis had its best game from its wide receivers in Sunday’s win over Jacksonville. Michael Pittman finished with 13 catches for 134 yards to lead the way, but the biggest contribution came from rookie Alec Pierce. The second-round pick caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan with 17 seconds left to get the Colts to 3-2-1 on the year, the fourth straight week he’s had a significant contribution to the offense.
Parris Campbell also had seven catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. Ryan’s chemistry is growing with his wideouts, as he’s thrown for 996 yards and five touchdowns over the past three weeks. If Sunday’s game carries over, the Colts may not have to add another wide receiver at the trade deadline.
Pittman, Pierce, and Campbell are good enough.
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Vikings are a Super Bowl contender
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction
Hard to not be in favor of a 5-1 start, especially since the Vikings have built a commanding lead in the NFC North. Minnesota is one of just three five-win teams in the NFC and four five-win teams in the entire NFL. The Vikings did lose to the Eagles, but that was over a month ago. They haven’t lost since.
Minnesota certainly capitalized on Miami’s miscues, as a Jaylen Waddle bobbled ball led to a Harrison Smith interception and an eventual field goal. Waddle’s fumble after a long catch late led to another Miami turnover — taking more potential points off the board in a 17-16 game. The Vikings got 10 points off Waddle’s miscues.
The Vikings are a good team, albeit in a mediocre division. They are not in the Super Bowl contending tier yet.
Saints have to commit to the run game more
Overreaction or reality: Reality
What the Saints were able to do on the ground against the Bengals was impressive. New Orleans rushed for 228 yards and averaged 6.7 yards per carry against a Bengals defense that allowed 99.6 rushing yards per game and just one rushing touchdown on the year.
Without their top three wide receivers, the game plan should have been easy for the Bengals defense. A healthy Alvin Kamara ran for 99 yards while Mark Ingram added 46 on the ground and Taysom Hill had 39. Rookie Rashid Shaheed also had a 44-yard touchdown run.
Even when the playmaking pass catchers come back, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. should dial back the pass and commit to the run more. The Saints are a better running team than they might have thought.
Brian Daboll is the Coach of the Year
Overreaction or reality: Reality
The Giants are 5-1 and already have more wins then they had all of last year. A healthy Saquon Barkley helps, but New York is winning with Daniel Jones and a subpar offensive line. Beating the Ravens is another excellent win for an emerging Giants team that’s starting to believe they are more than just a Cinderella story.
This is the first time since 2009 the Giants have started 5-1 or better in the Super Bowl era. Daboll is the first Giants coach since Allie Sherman in 1961 to begin his career 5-1. Jones has four game-winning drives as New York is 5-1 in one-score games — the only team this season to have each of its games be decided by eight points or less.
Daboll might not be just the Coach of the Year. He might be one of the best in the league — already.
Mike Tomlin is still a top-five coach in this league
Overreaction or reality: Reality
There’s a reason why Tomlin has never had a losing season in his 15 seasons of being a head coach — upsets like Sunday’s over the Buccaneers are why. Tomlin lost starting quarterback Kenny Pickett (concussion), but Mitchell Trubisky found a way to record a 142.4 passer rating against a Buccaneers defense that allowed just 193.7 passing yards per game entering the contest.
The Steelers secondary didn’t have its top three cornerbacks and Minkah Fitzpatrick, yet held Tom Brady to just one passing touchdown. The Buccaneers also went just 4 of 14 on third down and 1 of 4 in the red zone.
Pittsburgh outplayed Tampa Bay after getting blown out by Buffalo last week. That’s all Tomlin.
Kliff Kingsbury’s days in Arizona are numbered
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction
Kingsbury isn’t close to getting fired yet, but something needs to be done with this offense. The Cardinals are 2-4, reside in last place in the NFC West, and were held to another slow start after netting just three points and 142 yards in the first half. Arizona even had a stretch where it had 10 plays for 11 yards.
The Cardinals had just nine points against the 31st-ranked scoring defense in the league and had only 315 yards against the 32nd-ranked defense in yards per game allowed. That’s unacceptable for a team with Kyler Murray on it — and he struggled after going 22 of 37 for 222 yards with an interception.
The hot seat is getting warmer for Kingsbury, but he deserves time to cool it off.
Cooper Kupp is the best receiver in the NFL
Overreaction or reality: Reality
No disrespect to Justin Jefferson, but Kupp continues to produce each and every week behind an offense that still is out of sync. Kupp finished with seven catches for 80 yards to lead the Rams in Sunday’s win over the Panthers, giving him 56 catches for 607 yards and four touchdowns on the year.
With Allen Robinson starting to show some sense of production, Kupp is still being tasked to carry a wide receiver group that’s just him through six games. The task isn’t easy, yet Kupp is on pace for 159 receptions this season — which would set the NFL record.
Kupp — the only 2,000-yard receiver in league history (regular season and postseason) — still deserves his due as the best pass catcher in the game. He’s carrying the Rams right now.
Michigan running backs coach Mike Hart released a statement Monday saying he is back in Ann Arbor and his health is trending in a positive direction.
Hart suffered what was reported as a seizure on the sideline in the first quarter of Michigan’s game against Indiana. He was placed on a stretcher, carted off the field and hospitalized overnight for evaluation.
Update from @MHart2032 pic.twitter.com/CLGpChMISx
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 10, 2022
At the time, Michigan running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards were visibly emotional as Hart was being attended to. The Indiana coaches came out onto the field to check on Hart, who coached for the Hoosiers from 2017 to 2020 before joining Michigan, where he played football.
As a player, Hart rushed for more than 5,000 yards and is still the career rushing leader for the fourth-ranked Wolverines.
Hart, 36, was alert and moving when he was carted off the field and reached out to the team at halftime to tell them he was doing well. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh commented on Hart’s situation after the game, saying he was in stable condition.
“He’s going to stay overnight in Bloomington for continued observation. Mike is a strong guy and abundant prayers go his way … it really puts things in perspective,” Harbaugh said after the game. “In the moment, everybody’s thoughts were with Mike. Mine were and everyone around us was to get him the care that he needed …The most important thing is his health at that point in time.”
In Hart’s statement he said he looks forward to rejoining the team soon, but it’s not known at this time when he will be back with the team or what his exact diagnosis is.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater took a big hit Sunday and was unable to return to the game because of the new concussion protocol that went into effect the same day, making Bridgewater one of the first players to be sidelined under the new rules.
Bridgewater suffered a blow to the head during his first snap of the game when he was tackled to the ground after throwing the ball. The Dolphins tweeted that he was evaluated for injuries to both his head and elbow and later announced he was ruled out of the game.
“Basically what happened was a spotter saw him [Bridgewater] stumble, and under the new rules and changes he is ruled out and placed in the protocol,” said Mike McDaniel, Dolphins head coach. “He doesn’t have any symptoms and he’s passed his evaluation but he’ll be now, under the new regulations, in the concussion protocol.”
Bridgewater was starting in place of Tua Tagovailoa, who was also placed on concussion protocol.
CNN has reached out to the Miami Dolphins for more information. The National Football League uses ATC spotters, who are independent certified athletic trainers, to monitor all games. The spotters “serve as another set of eyes, watching for possible injuries at every NFL game,” according to NFL Football Operations.
Stumbling is a considered a sign of ataxia as it demonstrates impaired motor function. The league defines ataxia as “abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue.”
The protocol modification announced by the NFL and NFL Player’s Association Saturday said a player showing signs of ataxia while being evaluated for a concussion would be prohibited from returning to the game.
The protocols were updated Saturday in an agreement between the league and the NFLPA, coming in response to the injury of Tagovailoa. The 24-year-old was injured during the September 25 game against the Buffalo Bills, but was able to return to play despite appearing awkward on his feet and stumbling over himself.
Four days later, on September 29, Tagovailoa was slammed to the ground by Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Josh Tupou. The quarterback’s arms and fingers immediately contorted into a gruesome position known as the “fencing response,” a sign of brain injury, and he lay motionless on the field for several minutes.
He was ultimately placed on a backboard and stretcher and taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion.
The NFLPA launched a review into the handling of Tagovailoa’s injury and terminated the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who was involved in Tagovailoa’s concussion evaluation.
In the aftermath of the Tagovailoa saga, more players have been ruled out of games.
Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts running back, was ruled out for the rest of Thursday’s game against the Denver Broncos with a concussion. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end, was ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints wide receiver, was also ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company’s Crew Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina onboard, Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission is the fifth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Mann, Cassada, Wakata, and Kikini launched at 12:00 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center to begin a six month mission onboard the orbital outpost. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky
Launching a new crew to the space station …
The plan moving forward for Artemis I …
And Webb’s new look at a pair of galaxies … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at Launching a new crew to the space station, the plan moving forward for Artemis I, and Webb’s new look at a pair of galaxies … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA!
NASA’s
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on October 5. Crew-5 will spend six months on the station conducting research and technology demonstrations that benefit people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future Artemis human exploration missions to the Moon and eventually to
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket will launch with Orion atop it from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s modernized spaceport at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA
Artemis I Teams Focus on November for Launch Attempt
In the wake of Hurricane Ian, teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are looking at the November 12 through November 27 timeframe for the next Artemis I launch attempt. Artemis I updates are available at blogs.nasa.gov/artemis.
By combining data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, researchers were able to trace light that was emitted by the large white elliptical galaxy at left through the spiral galaxy at right and identify the effects of interstellar dust in the spiral galaxy. This image of galaxy pair VV 191 includes near-infrared light from Webb, and ultraviolet and visible light from Hubble. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Rogier Windhorst (ASU), William Keel (University of Alabama), Stuart Wyithe (University of Melbourne), JWST PEARLS Team, Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Webb and Hubble Image Features Galaxy Pair
A new Webb Space Telescope image of a spiral galaxy and an elliptical galaxy, combined with a
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on the top right – on October 2, 2022. The image shows a subset of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares and which is colorized in orange. Credit: NASA/SDO
Sun Releases Intense Solar Flare
On October 2, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the Sun emitting an X1-class solar flare. X-class flares can impact radio communications and electric power grids on Earth and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts in space.
The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, is a CubeSat that will fly a unique orbit around the Moon intended for NASA’s future Artemis lunar outpost Gateway. Its six-month mission will help launch a new era of deep space exploration. Credit: NASA Ames Research Center
On Friday, October 7, CAPSTONE team members successfully executed an operation to stop the spacecraft’s spin. This clears a major hurdle in returning the spacecraft to normal operations.
Following a planned trajectory correction maneuver on September 8, CAPSTONE suffered an issue that put the spacecraft in safe mode. It was soon discovered that the spacecraft was spinning beyond the capacity of the onboard reaction wheels to control and counter. According to data from the spacecraft, the most likely cause was a valve-related issue in one of the spacecraft’s eight thrusters. The partially open valve meant the faulty thruster generated thrust whenever the propulsion system was pressurized. After extensively reviewing telemetry and simulation data, the mission team conducted multiple tests on the spacecraft in order to formulate a plan to stop the spacecraft’s spin despite this issue.
On Friday morning, recovery commands were executed. It appears that the maneuver was successful, according to initial telemetry from CAPSTONE and observation data, which indicate the spacecraft has stopped its spin and regained full 3-axis attitude control. This means CAPSTONE’s position can be controlled without unplanned rotation. CAPSTONE has now oriented its solar arrays to the Sun to maximize power generation. It has also adjusted the pointing of its antennas to provide a better data connection to Earth.
The risks of this anomaly and recovery process were substantial, and the team worked extensively and collaboratively to mitigate these risks. Over the coming days, the team will continue to monitor the spacecraft’s status and make any needed adjustments to procedures in order to account for and mitigate the effects of the partially open thruster valve. In order to reduce risk for future maneuvers, the mission team also will strive to design possible fixes for this valve-related issue.
CAPSTONE remains on track to insert into its targeted near rectilinear halo orbit at the Moon on November 13.
CAPSTONE – short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment – is owned by Advanced Space on behalf of
Indianapolis Colts running back Nyheim Hines was ruled out for the rest of Thursday’s game against the Denver Broncos and has a concussion, according to Colts head coach Frank Reich in his postgame press conference.
The hit took place during the first quarter when Colts quarterback Matt Ryan completed a pass to Hines for a 5-yard gain. After he was tackled, Hines had trouble getting back to his feet.
Video from the broadcast shows Hines getting hit in the back by another player and then hitting the turf. He was then seen on his feet and stumbling. Whistles were blown by referees to stop play, and Hines was then helped off the field.
CNN has reached out to the Colts for further information.
The incident with Hines comes as the NFL is facing increasing scrutiny of its concussion protocol after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had to be taken off the field on a backboard and stretcher during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 29. The 24-year-old quarterback was sacked in the second quarter and laid motionless on the field for several minutes.
Video showed Tagovailoa’s forearms were flexed and his fingers contorted – a sign that CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, said is a “fencing response” and can be linked to a brain injury.
Just four days prior in a game against the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa was knocked out of the game briefly in the second quarter after a hit by Bills linebacker Matt Milano forced the back of the Dolphins QB’s helmet to hit the turf. Tagovailoa stumbled as he stood up and was taken to the locker room for a concussion check. Milano was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty.
The Dolphins initially announced Tagovailoa was questionable to return to the game with a head injury, but he came back out onto the field in the third quarter and finished the game, throwing for 186 yards and a touchdown.
An investigation is now underway into the handling of Tagovailoa’s apparent head injury, while the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who was involved in the quarterback’s first concussion evaluation is reportedly no longer working with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA).
By combining data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, researchers were able to trace light that was emitted by the large white elliptical galaxy at left through the spiral galaxy at right. As a result, they were able to identify the effects of interstellar dust in the spiral galaxy. Webb’s near-infrared data also show us the galaxy’s longer, extremely dusty spiral arms in far more detail, giving them an appearance of overlapping with the central bulge of the bright white elliptical galaxy on the left, though the pair are not interacting. In this image, green, yellow, and red were assigned to Webb’s near-infrared data taken in 0.9, 1.5, and 3.56 microns (F090W, F150W, and F356W respectively). Blue was assigned to two Hubble filters, ultraviolet data taken in 0.34 microns (F336W) and visible light in 0.61 microns (F606W). Credit: Science: NASA, ESA, CSA, Rogier Windhorst (ASU), William Keel (University of Alabama), Stuart Wyithe (University of Melbourne), JWST PEARLS Team, Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
“We got more than we bargained for by combining data from
VV 191 is the latest addition to a small number of galaxies that helps researchers directly compare the properties of galactic dust. This target was selected from nearly 2,000 superimposed galaxy pairs identified by Galaxy Zoo citizen science volunteers.
Because dust changes the brightness and colors that appear in images of the galaxies, it is important to understand where dust is present in them. Since dust grains are partially responsible for the formation of new stars and planets, astronomers are always striving to identify their presence for further investigations.
Researchers identified a previously unknown lensed galaxy for the first time in new near-infrared data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Above the white elliptical galaxy at left, a faint red arc appears in the inset at 10 o’clock. This is a very distant galaxy whose appearance is warped. Its light is bent by the gravity of the elliptical foreground galaxy. Plus, its appearance is duplicated. The stretched red arc is warped where it reappears – as a dot – at 4 o’clock. In this image, green, yellow, and red were assigned to Webb’s near-infrared data taken in 0.9, 1.5, and 3.56 microns (F090W, F150W, and F356W respectively). Blue was assigned to two Hubble filters, ultraviolet data taken in 0.34 microns (F336W) and visible light in 0.61 microns (F606W). Credit: Science: NASA, ESA, CSA, Rogier Windhorst (ASU), William Keel (University of Alabama), Stuart Wyithe JWST PEARLS Team, Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
The image also holds a second discovery that’s easier to overlook. Carefully examine the white elliptical galaxy at left. A faint red arc appears in the inset at 10 o’clock. This arc is a very distant galaxy whose light is bent by the gravity of the elliptical foreground galaxy – and its appearance is duplicated. The stretched red arc is warped where it reappears – as a dot – at 4 o’clock. Because these images of the lensed galaxy are so faint and so red that they went unrecognized in Hubble data. However, they are unmistakable in Webb’s near-infrared image. Simulations of gravitationally lensed galaxies like this help astronomers reconstruct how much mass is in individual stars, as well as how much dark matter is in the core of this galaxy.
As with many images from the James Webb Space Telescope, this image of VV 191 shows additional galaxies deeper and deeper in the background. Two patchy spirals to the upper left of the elliptical galaxy have similar apparent sizes, but show up in very different colors. One is likely very dusty and the other very far away, but astronomers will need to obtain data known as spectra to determine which is which.
References:
“Webb’s PEARLS: dust attenuation and gravitational lensing in the backlit-galaxy system VV 191” by William C. Keel, Rogier A. Windhorst, Rolf A. Jansen, Seth H. Cohen, Benne Holwerda, Sarah T. Bradford, Clayton D. Robertson, Giovanni Ferrami, Stuart Wyithe, Haojing Yan, Christopher J. Conselice, Simon P. Driver, Norman A. Grogin, Christopher N.A. Willmer, Anton M. Koekemoer, Brenda L. Frye, Nimish P. Hathi, Russell E. Ryan Jr., Nor Pirzkal, Madeline A. Marshall, Dan Coe, Jose M. Diego, Thomas J. Broadhurst, Michael J. Rutkowski, Lifan Wang, S.P. Willner, Andreea Petric, Cheng Cheng and Adi Zitrin, 30 August 2022, Astrophysics > Astrophysics of Galaxies. arXiv:2208.14475
“Webb’s PEARLS: Prime Extragalactic Areas for Reionization and Lensing Science: Project Overview and First Results” by Rogier A. Windhorst, Seth H. Cohen, Rolf A. Jansen, Jake Summers, Scott Tompkins, Christopher J. Conselice, Simon P. Driver, Haojing Yan, Dan Coe, Brenda Frye, Norman Grogin, Anton Koekemoer, Madeline A. Marshall, Nor Pirzkal, Aaron Robotham, Russell E. Ryan Jr., Christopher N. A. Willmer, Timothy Carleton, Jose M. Diego, William C. Keel, Rosalia O’Brien, Paolo Porto, Caleb Redshaw, Sydney Scheller, Andi Swirbul, Stephen M. Wilkins, S. P. Willner, Adi Zitrin, Nathan J. Adams, Duncan Austin, Richard G. Arendt, John F. Beacom, Rachana A. Bhatawdekar, Larry D. Bradley, Thomas J. Broadhurst, Cheng Cheng, Francesca Civano, Liang Dai, Herve Dole, Jordan C. J. D’Silva, Kenneth J. Duncan, Giovanni G. Fazio, Giovanni Ferrami, Leonardo Ferreira, Steven L. Finkelstein, Lukas J. Furtak, Alex Griffiths, Heidi B. Hammel, Kevin C. Harrington, Nimish P. Hathi, Benne W. Holwerda, Jia-Sheng Huang, Minhee Hyun, Myungshin Im, Bhavin A. Joshi, Patrick S. Kamieneski, Patrick Kelly, Rebecca L. Larson, Juno Li, Jeremy Lim, Zhiyuan Ma, Peter Maksym, Giorgio Manzoni, Ashish Kumar Meena, Stefanie N. Milam, Mario Nonino, Massimo Pascale, Justin D. R. Pierel, Andreea Petric, Maria del Carmen Polletta, Huub J. A. Rottgering, Michael J. Rutkowski, Ian Smail, Amber N. Straughn, Louis-Gregory Strolger, James A. A. Trussler, Lifan Wang, Brian Welch, J. Stuart B. Wyithe, Min Yun, Erik Zackrisson, Jiashuo Zhang and Xiurui Zhao, 9 September 2022, Astrophysics > Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics. arXiv:2209.04119
Webb interdisciplinary scientist Rogier Windhorst of Arizona State University and his team obtained the data used in this image from early results of the Prime Extragalactic Areas for Reionization and Lensing Science (PEARLS) JWST Guaranteed Time Observation (GTO) programs, GTO 1176 and 2738. Additional data from Hubble’s STARSMOG snapshot program (SNAP 13695) and GO 15106, were added. Jake Summers, also of Arizona State, performed the pipeline data reduction. The dust analysis was led by William Keel of the University of Alabama, while the Hubble data acquisition was led by Benne Holwerda of the University of Louisville in Kentucky. The detailed gravitational-lensing analysis was conducted by Giovanni Ferrami and Stuart Wyithe, both of the University of Melbourne, Australia and ASTRO 3D, Australia.
The ghostly emptiness of the streets of Lyman in eastern Ukraine belies this city’s strategic significance.
There are no signs of Russian troops at all on Sunday – few damaged Russian tanks, or Russian dead, or Russian prisoners. Members of the Ukrainian National Guard from the Dnipro-1 unit hover in small numbers on some streets.
The occasional rattle of gunfire, or thud of artillery, pierces the silence. A few locals emerge, riding bicycles, searching for food, bewildered about what is happening.
“One day I wear one cap, another day a different cap,” said one woman in tears, pretending to take off a hat.
“How can we live like this,” she said, referring to the changing control of the town.
CNN was among the first media outlets into the recently liberated city, arriving 30 minutes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared the town completely cleared of Russians troops.
Ukrainian officials and troops had spoken repeatedly of large numbers of Moscow’s better units being trapped there. Yet on Sunday there were few signs of encirclement to be seen.
Some officials said Russian corpses had already been cleared away and prisoners removed. But locals offered another explanation: that Russian forces had left the city on Friday in an orderly fashion.
“They got on their tanks, and drove out,” said Tanya, riding her bicycle back to the bomb shelter, where she still spends the nights with 15 others.
A Ukrainian army spokesman, asked to respond to CNN’s reporting, denied there had been a Russian withdrawal two days ago, saying there had been fighting in the area as recently as Saturday.
Sergiy Cherevatiy, of the Eastern Group of Armed Forces of Ukraine, said Russian troops had formed convoys to break through the de facto encirclement of the city. Some succeeded in getting out, he said, while others had been hit.
The possibility Russian forces may have conducted, even in part, an orderly withdrawal on Friday raises an important question of timing for the Kremlin. During that day, Russian President Vladimir Putin was signing documents falsely claiming to annex Lyman, and other parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, and holding a rally in Moscow’s Red Square claiming victory would be Russia’s.
At the same time, it now appears his military were pulling out of Lyman, in one of the most significant Russian defeats for weeks – a withdrawal that may have a knock-on effect for Russian control of occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The switch back to Ukrainian control in Lyman was swift, with one local already painting the Ukrainian gold and blue colors back on the gate of the local police station. Inside the building, the damage had already been swept away and rooms tidied.
In the local administration building, Roman sat on a table near a flag of the “United Russia” party. “Bad,” he said, describing the months of Russian control. “No electricity or water.” He added that the administration building was used to manage and corral locals into participating in the recent referendum, which in Lyman must have occurred under the full barrage of Ukraine’s advance.
Lyman’s significant railway infrastructure has been heavily damaged, the roofs blown off the station building and rolling stock on the railways damaged. Multiple buildings in the town have been heavily destroyed, yet on Sunday the streets seemed in some areas to have been already swept clean.
Many of the Ukrainian troops had already moved on towards the next target in Russia’s rapidly faltering lines of defense – Kremmina, further to the east.
“It’s been wild,” Trevor Noah told his audience after revealing that his “time is up” on hosting The Daily Show.
The news certainly was wildly unexpected.
Deadline understands that Noah told his studio audience of his departure before telling many members of the Comedy Central series’ staff — news that blindsided many.
The Daily Show sources said that it was “imperative” for Noah to share the news with his fans during Thursday’s taping as he wanted them to hear it from him first.
But the fact that Noah told a few hundred strangers, admittedly some die-hard fans but likely including many tourists keen to get a ticket to a show, before he told some members of his production team was hard to take for some.
Noah is thought to have quietly re-upped his deal earlier this year, and he and his team were recently celebrating scoring seven Emmy nominations – the most since he took over from Jon Stewart in 2015.
The comedian evidently is keen to get back on the road, while also trying new things. Noah, an incredibly popular figure on the live stand-up circuit, is performing Friday and Saturday at the Toronto Scotiabank Arena in Canada and has other shows booked in Halifax and Orlando over weekends off from The Daily Show.
He has been ramping up projects at his Day Zero Productions label as well, having recently hired Sanaz Yamin to run it as president, with former Marvel TV exec Devon Quinn hired last year to oversee live-action and animated TV.
Last year, the company said that it had 50 projects in development. Projects in the works have included a feature adaptation of Noah’s book Born a Crime and a reboot of The President’s Analyst, while there was talk of a mockumentary comedy series featuring Noah in the works with Paramount+. His documentary series The Tipping Point is expected to air on MSNBC and Peacock later this year.
It’s unclear how many people knew Noah was planning to make the announcement, but it evidently was a small number. Comedy Central made it clear that there was no timetable for his departure. The rollout of his exit was clearly not as organized as that of James Corden, for instance, who signed a one-year deal to remain on The Late Late Show with a view to a spring 2023 exit.
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Noah’s exit, coupled with the coming departure of Corden, the cancellation of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and the seemingly acrimonious split of Desus & Mero, highlights that there are big changes afoot in late-night.
While Jimmy Kimmel recently signed on to host his ABC show for another three years, and Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers have long-term contracts at NBC, it’s the biggest set of changes for the talk-show circuit in many years. Keep an eye on Stephen Colbert, it seems, and whether he decides to stick around at The Late Show.
For The Daily Show, the question is who’s next. Noah was a surprise choice for the position, which means his successor also could be a wild card. You would expect at least the next host of either The Daily Show or The Late Late Show to be a woman.
There’s also a deep bench of strong performers in the correspondent ranks: Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta, Desi Lydic, Dulcé Sloan and Roy Wood Jr have all been there some time alongside gonzo reporter Jordan Klepper, who recently told Deadline that he does fancy another desk job at some stage.
On the production side, a new host would be the third for exec producer and showrunner Jen Flanz, who played a key role in the transition between Stewart and Noah and is expected to do the same with any such new table talker.
There’s also the question as to whether The Daily Show remains a linear premiere. The series is one of the few regular, original series left on Comedy Central’s linear schedule, given its parent company’s focus on Paramount+. All of these are yet to be figured out, but you’d bet that Paramount boss Bob Bakish is tasking Chris McCarthy, president and CEO of Paramount Media Networks, to make sure that he gets them right.
“What a journey’s it’s been,” Noah said. “It’s been absolutely amazing.”
