Hello everyone, this is this week's good news summaries.
· Scientists have found evidence that a previously discovered planet could possibly support life. The planet, called WASP-127b, was discovered in 2016 and is larger than Jupiter with only a small fraction of its total mass. The atmosphere for the planet was analyzed through light streams of its host star, which can give scientists information about the chemical compositions of planets. WASP-127b was found to orbit in an opposite direction of the star it orbits and at an odd angle compared to other planets. The solar system it was found in is around 10 billion years of age and this odd phenomenon shows that something strange is going on over 520 light-years from Earth
· Anthropologists found 60 fossilized human footprints in New Mexico that date back 23,000 years. The discovery of these footprints was found in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park, which shows that humans occupied North America during the peak of the Ice Age over 7,000 years before previously predicted. Other footprints were also discovered nearby that seem to be from mammoths, dire wolves, and oddly enough, giant ground sloths. What is certain, however, is that the humans that were there had thrived in their environment due to the presence of seeds in and around the footprints.
· Scientists say they have found a way to turn Martian air into rocket fuel. The process involves the conversion of carbon dioxide into methane, similar to processes used on the international space station to replenish fuel. The Mars atmosphere is rich in carbon dioxide, and if this process can be applied, it would increase efficiency and decrease the cost of space travel to Mars. It is also possible to apply this process on Earth in the order to remove carbon dioxide emissions to essentially recycle fuel, decreasing the effects of harmful emissions.
Sources:
Astronomers Have Made an Unprecedented Detection of Clouds on a Far-Off Exoplanet (sciencealert.com)
Fossil Footprints Show Humans Occupied North America During Ice Age (businessinsider.com)
Scientists Say New Technique Could Turn Martian Air Into Rocket Fuel (futurism.com)