​A once-in-50,000-year phenomenon has been visible since January 12 ● A crater on Mars is lined with opal, and it’s more important than we can imagine ● A pet does wonders for mental health

The phenomenon, which occurs once in 50,000 years, has been observed since January 12

The comet, which approaches the Earth only once every 50,000 years, will be visible from January 12. Called C/2022 E3 (ZTF), the comet will be viewable with a telescope, binoculars, or even the naked eye if you’re in a location where visibility isn’t obscured by city lights.

C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is a small comet just one kilometer in diameter and was only observed last March. The last time he passed the Earth, we can say that Homo sapiens was just inventing Upper Paleolithic technologies, and Neanderthals still ruled Europe.

The best time for observation is February 1, when it will be as far from Earth as possible. It should also be said that during most of its existence, the comet is at a distance 2500 times greater than that between the Earth and the Sun. So if you want to see something you haven’t seen before, this is the opportunity.

Obviously, you can also wait for his second coming, but that can be more difficult. Of course, in another 50,000 years, the Earth, according to calculations, will find itself in a new ice age, and only comets will not burn you then.

A crater on Mars is lined with opal, and it’s more important than we realize

The main mission of the Curiosity rover, which launched in 2012, is, in case you didn’t know, the study of Gale Crater on the Red Planet. The crater has a diameter of 154 kilometers, was formed after a collision with a giant asteroid or comet, about 3.8 billion years ago, and in the middle sits Mount Aeolis, with a maximum height of 5,500 meters. And also, the crater was formed on the site of a former huge lake.

A recent study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets claims that data provided by the Curiosity rover show that the said crater is rich in opal-type semi-precious stones. And it may be more important than anyone can imagine. why In order for opal to form, silicon rocks must interact with water. Well, that’s exactly the element that got the people at NASA interested, water.

The presence of opal on almost the entire surface of the Gale creator could mean that water existed there long after it disappeared from other parts of Mars, perhaps as recently as 2.9 billion years ago. And with water, life could exist in this area for a long time. Did you catch it? It was. And one more thing. Gale Crater has just become the primary destination for a future manned mission.

A pet does wonders for mental health

A US study published in the journal Aging and Health found in black and white that seniors who owned pets for more than five years performed significantly better on cognitive tests than those who didn’t. . .

A team of researchers from the University of Michigan conducted a study for six years and studied more than 20,000 people over the age of 50. Interestingly, the differences between subjects became significant in people over 65, when early signs of dementia begin to appear. Well, pet owners, as I said, scored much better on tests of short-term and long-term memory than others.

Interestingly, the study is one of the few that focuses on the impact of animals on human mental health. Obviously, the obtained result is only preliminary, and much more research needs to be done.

Until then, however, it is good to have a pet, even a preventive one, for better mental health. We highly recommend a dog, because it also takes you out for a walk, makes you move, but you should not refuse a cat, hamster or other furry ones. If you choose pythons, monitor lizards, or who knows what tarantulas and scorpions, you won’t have to worry about your mental health. You may not have it anymore anyway.

Photo source: profimediaimages.ro