Nasa is set to launch three sounding rockets during the total solar eclipse on April 8 to study how the Earth’s upper atmosphere is affected when a portion of the planet is dimmed.
The move is part of the Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (Apep) project, in which rockets will blast off from a spaceport in Virginia.
Sounding rockets carry scientific instruments into key regions of space, with this project aimed at measuring disturbances in the Earth’s ionosphere that are created when the Moon temporarily eclipses the Sun.
These can interfere with communications on Earth, as the eclipse causes a decrease in solar radiation that reduces ionisation levels, ultimately affecting radio waves.
“It’s an electrified region that reflects and refracts radio signals, and also impacts satellite communications as the signals pass through,” said Aroh Barjatya, mission leader and professor of engineering physics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.
“Understanding the ionosphere and developing models to help us predict disturbances is crucial to making sure our increasingly communication-dependent world operates smoothly.”
The rockets are expected to lift off at three set times, 45 minutes before, during and 45 minutes after the eclipse is at its peak in Virginia.
It is crucial for the scientists to make this mission a success, as the next total solar eclipse will not take place in the contiguous US until 2044.
These same rockets were previously launched from New Mexico during an annular solar eclipse in October and new instruments have been installed for this mission.
The last mission helped scientists record a sharp reduction in the density of charged particles as the annular eclipse shadow passed over the atmosphere.
“We saw the perturbations capable of affecting radio communications in the second and third rockets but not during the first rocket that was before peak local eclipse,” said Prof Barjatya.
“We are super-excited to relaunch them during the total eclipse, to see if the perturbations start at the same altitude and if their magnitude and scale remain the same.”
The Apep rockets are expected to reach a maximum altitude of 420km to measure charged and neutral-particle density and surrounding electric and magnetic fields.
They will carry instruments that will investigate whether any disturbances are caused by the eclipse.
The launches will be streamed live on Nasa's website and YouTube channel, with a broadcast set to begin at 10.30pm UAE time.
The eclipse will be visible in Mexico, through the US from Texas to Maine, and in parts of Canada.
The first place to experience totality will be Mexico's Pacific coast at about 11.07am PDT (10.07pm UAE time), on April 8.
The path of the eclipse will then continue into the US, moving through Texas first and then travelling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
The eclipse will be visible in Canada from southern Ontario then Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
It will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5.16pm NDT (11.46pm UAE time).
2022's partial solar eclipse in the UAE - in pictures
CREW
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The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Naga
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh810,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
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SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Tuesday, July 11
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Centre Court
Adrian Mannarino v Novak Djokovic (2)
Venus Williams (10) v Jelena Ostapenko (13)
Johanna Konta (6) v Simona Halep (2)
Court 1
Garbine Muguruza (14) v
Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Magdalena Rybarikova v Coco Vandeweghe (24)
Brief scoreline:
Al Wahda 2
Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'
Al Nassr 3
Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
THE%20SPECS
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What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
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Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
