​Life in the Alpha Centauri system would not be bliss ● Great archaeological discovery in the Gaza Strip ● Ukrainian deciduous forests, bat reserve, under threat of extinction

Life in the Alpha Centauri system would not be exactly bliss

Proxima Centauri is the closest star to our solar system, located at a distance of about 4.2 light years from us. The data we have so far has shown that there is an exoplanet called Proxima b in the habitable zone of this star. Being in the zone in question, it has been suggested that Proxima b may even have liquid water and that life may exist on it. as we know it.

Now, if you’re fed up with price gouging, corruption, economic crises, wars, etc., and if you’ve been thinking of moving to Proxima b in search of a better life, we understand you, but we have some bad news. Well, not really us, but astronomers from Cornell University, USA, who tell you to unpack your bags and wait a little longer. Why

Because given the new data, Proxima b isn’t really flowing with milk and honey, which means nothing but radiation. In particular, as a red dwarf, the habitable zone around Proxima Centauri is much closer to the star than our Sun. Also for the same reason, namely because it is a red dwarf, nuclear fusion takes place much closer to the surface of the star. And this means powerful turbulence of the magnetic field and about a thousand times more solar radiation than the Earth receives.

In short, not only can Proxima b have no atmosphere, but liquid water is also out of the question. This does not rule out the possibility of the existence of life forms on Proxima b. But given the circumstances, even if they were, it doesn’t seem like the kind of life to make friends and complain about your moves.

A major archaeological discovery in the Gaza Strip

The misfortune of the construction company, the misfortune of archaeologists and history buffs. This is how one could translate the discovery of 63 tombs from the Roman period in Gaza, a discovery made by chance, with the beginning of the construction of a residential complex funded by Egypt.

The dating of human fossil remains from one of the graves showed their age to be about 1900 years, i.e. II century AD. A sarcophagus and several Roman inscriptions were also discovered, especially valuable items during such excavations.

On the other hand, the construction company does not want to lose money, so it has started to build up the entire site while waiting for the rescue excavations to be completed. A team of specialists from France helps local archaeologists to do the work as quickly as possible. There is hope to recover as many artifacts as possible and preserve them, especially since much of Gaza’s historical heritage has already been destroyed by conflicts with Israel, heritage trade, and rapid urbanization.

Ukrainian broad-leaved forests, a reserve of endangered bats

The study, signed by experts from the Leibniz Institute of Wildlife and the Center for the Study of Bats in Ukraine, recently appeared in the specialized journal “Forests”, reporting on what the whole planet was eagerly waiting for from Ukraine. Namely, deciduous forests over 90 years old, especially in coastal areas, are a refuge for bat communities, but this is threatened with extinction due to deforestation and increasing agricultural areas.

Even more important in this equation is the fact that the forests of the Kharkiv region remained the optimal breeding ground for bats. Aha! We’re saddened by the fact that the study comes at a stupid time, but even if we understand the anxiety of the bat experts in Germany and Ukraine (the experts there), we still can’t help but ask a few questions. For example, who else has the courage to run after bats in the forest, right in Kharkiv? Then, even if one is so bold, is it certain that there really were bats hidden in the trees?

The experts explain to us at the end of the article, where they tell us that the data was collected in 2009, but only now has it been published in this world-renowned journal. This raises another question that still remains unanswered. More precisely, will the current data, given the situation for the past period? Now, frankly, it’s hard to believe that the bats there are still looking to breed in this day and age. This is in a setting where you are unlikely to find any.

And for poor Ukrainians, among us, the reproduction of bats is really their last problem.

Photo source: profimediaimages.ro