NASA used the Webb Space Telescope to take extremely sharp images of Uranus’ rings, some satellites, and atmospheric features.
Absolutely stunning new images of Uranus – PAO
—Amy Shira Teitel (@AmyShiraTeitel) December 21, 2023
The Webb Space Telescope’s near-infrared camera (NIRCam) adds additional wavelength coverage for a more detailed look. The research team pointed out that, compared to the latest images of Uranus released in April this year, “one of the most striking is the planet’s seasonal Arctic cloud cover”, bright polar regions and faint equatorial area, and several light storms also occur. visible near and below the southern edge of the polar ice cap.
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Because Uranus rotates sideways at a tilt of nearly 98 degrees, it has the most extreme seasons in the solar system. For nearly a quarter of Uranus’ year, the sun shines on one pole, trapping the other half of the Earth until dark. winter of 2021.
Image from the official NASA website
As Uranus ushers in its next summer solstice in 2028, astronomers are eager to observe any changes that may occur in these characteristic structures and look forward to Webb’s help in unraveling the seasonal and meteorological effects that influence Uranus’ storms and help astronomers understand its nature. complex atmosphere.
Image from the official NASA website
New research conducted in the United States shows that modern people’s biological clock that “wakes up at dawn” was inherited from Neanderthals.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a study published in the journal Gene Sequencing Biology and Evolution highlighted that the extinct Denisovans had some impact on the genetic makeup of modern humans.
Neanderthals were morning people, a new study suggests. And some modern-day humans who like to get up early might credit genes inherited from their Neanderthal ancestors.
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 15, 2023
The study compared the health and genetic information of hundreds of thousands of Europeans with the fossil remains of Neanderthals and Denisovans and discovered 246 genes linked to the circadian clock, including dozens. Genetic mutations are linked to modern waking and sleeping habits. Among modern Europeans, some self-proclaimed “early risers” have mutations derived from Neanderthal genes.
Neanderthals may have been early risers, a new study says
— Phys.org (@physorg_com) December 14, 2023
The researchers point out that this effect must be considered in the context of hundreds of other genetic interactions, but the phenomenon of waking up at dawn has special significance in humans. The study compared the genes of modern humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans to look for patterns of evolution. Mating occurred between these two extinct groups, allowing our ancestors to adapt to environmental changes as they migrated around the world.
《Human circadian traits in the form of archaic introgression》圖photo
Serena Tucci, assistant professor of anthropology and evolutionary biology at Yale University, said Capra’s team’s research showed that the human genome was built by different ancestors and, after thousands of years of evolution and mating, has formed the current appearance. Even though some of our ancestors have become extinct, their genes are still present in us and have an impact on our bodies.
《Human circadian traits in the form of archaic introgression》圖photo
Joshua Akey, a geneticist at Princeton University, believes that the sequence of genes inherited from Neanderthals may have led to the pattern of our current biological clocks.
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