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When ‘killer electrons’ shook Earth in flat 60 seconds

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10 years ago

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Washington: A team of scientists have observed in detail for the first time the effects of a solar shockwave on the Earth’s radiation belts from the beginning to the end.

The shockwave struck a massive blow to the Earth’s magnetic field, setting off a magnetised sound pulse around the planet on October 8, 2013.

The resulting magnetosonic pulse, lasting just 60 seconds, reverberated through the Earth’s radiation belts, accelerating certain particles to ultrahigh energies.

“These are very lightweight particles, ‘killer electrons’ – electrons that can go right through a satellite,” said John Foster, associate director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Haystack Observatory.

These particles are accelerated, and their number goes up by a factor of 10 in just one minute.

“We were able to see this entire process taking place and it is exciting. We see something that, in terms of the radiation belt, is really quick,” he added.

Solar shockwaves can impact Earth’s radiation belts a couple of times each month.

“The event in 2013 was a relatively minor one,” Foster noted.

On October 8, 2013, an explosion on the Sun’s surface sent a supersonic blast wave of solar wind out into space.

This shockwave tore past Mercury and Venus, blitzing by the moon before streaming towards Earth.

NASA’s Van Allen Probes, twin spacecraft orbiting within the radiation belts deep inside Earth’s magnetic field, captured the effects of the solar shockwave just before and after it struck.

Scientists at MIT’s Haystack Observatory, the University of Colorado and elsewhere analysed the probes’ data and observed a sudden and dramatic effect in the shockwave’s aftermath.

The findings were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

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Apple is giving a huge discount on its gadgets: Details inside

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2 years ago

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May 5, 2022

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If you want to buy an iPhone and were waiting for a nice offer, then we have a piece of good news for you! Amazon Summer Sale May 2022 has begun and they are offering major discounts on various smartphones, laptops, and smart TVs, among others.

The sale is live now on the e-commerce platform with no-cost EMI options and exchange discounts on various products. In addition to this, Amazon has also partnered with several banks including ICICI, Kotak Bank, and RBL so that customers get instant discounts of up to 10% using their cards and EMI transactions.

Customers can easily enjoy this summer sale and get massive discounts on iPhones. They can also compare prices on Flipkart Big Saving Days Sale 2022 before making a purchase.

 

Amazon Summer Sale May 2022: Discount offer on iPhone 13 

Apple’s coveted phone model iPhone 13 in the 128 GB storage model will be available during the Amazon Summer Sale May 2022 for Rs 64,900. The MRP of the phone is Rs 79,900. This means that the customers will be able to enjoy a discount of up to Rs 15,000 on the purchase of the iPhone 13.

If you have an old iPhone in working condition then you will also be eligible to receive another additional discount worth up to Rs 17,000 on the iPhone 13.

Buy at Rs. 64,900 (MRP – Rs. 79,900)

Features of Apple iPhone 13 

The iPhone is powered by an A15 Bionic processor with 6 core CPU. Apart from this, it has 16 core neural engines. With the iPhone 13, up to 512 GB of storage will be available. The iPhone 13 has a 6.1-inch Retina XDR display with 1000 nits brightness.

The iPhone 13 has a 12-megapixel dual rear camera setup. This time a new wide-angle camera has been given, whose aperture is f/1.6. With this, there is support for sensor optical stabilisation. Night mode has been made better than before. The second lens is also 12 megapixels ultra-wide and has an aperture of f/2.4.

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