space

Two Hungarians find large chunk of asteroid detected by Hungarian astronomer

Hungarian astronomer discovered asteroid heading towards Earth

Hungarian searchers have found a meteorite fragment of the asteroid whose impact was predicted by a Hungarian astronomer on 21 January.

As we reported, Hungarian astronomer Krisztián Sárnecky was the first scientist to detect an asteroid speeding towards the Earth on 21 January. He immediately passed the information to his German and Czech colleagues.

The first meteorite piece was already found on Wednesday by professional Polish searchers. Now, another piece of 2024BX1 has been found: this time thanks to Hungarians. Zoltán Balla and Bence Gucsik told hvg.hu that they found a larger, 114 gram specimen on Friday after only an hour of searching.

The Hungarian Meteoritical Society said earlier that the first images suggest that the meteorite could be polymict eucrite or howardite, possibly aubrite. If so, collectors will be happy, as it could be worth a lot.

You can check out the photos of the fragment HERE.

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Footage of the impact:

Above Prague:

Above Berlin:

VIDEOS: Hungarian astronomer discovered the asteroid heading towards Earth

Hungarian astronomer discovered asteroid heading towards Earth

Krisztián Sárnecky was the first scientist to detect an asteroid speeding towards the Earth this morning.

According to index.hu, the Hungarian astronomer, detected the asteroid this morning when it entered our planet’s atmosphere. He immediately passed the information to his German and Czech colleagues, who could see what happened.

That was not the first time that the Hungarian astronomer caught an asteroid hitting the Earth. In March 2022, he did so two hours before the impact. He discovered other comets and asteroids from the observatory in Piszkés-tető in the Mátra Mountains.

Thanks to his discovery, astronomers in Leipzig, Berlin and Prague could take several photos and videos of the asteroid’s impact.

The asteroid he discovered today entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 1.30 AM. 2024 BX1’s diameter was around one meter, and it fell into pieces in the atmosphere. It might happen that we will find some of it in Germany or Czechia later.

Read also:

  • Amazing! The first Hungarian object is on its way to the Moon – videos and details HERE

Here is footage of its impact:

Above Prague:

Above Berlin:

Amazing! The first Hungarian object is on its way to the Moon – VIDEO

Puli

The United States of America has launched another lander to the Moon. On board, a Hungarian space capsule with a number of ornaments has been placed.

The Moon is the destination again

More than 50 years after the Apollo 17 mission, the United States of America has embarked on a new lunar mission. The Astrobotic Technology company launched its Peregrine lander at 8.18 a.m. Hungarian time on 8 January 2024 to deliver NASA instruments and a 90 kg payload to the lunar surface as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Module Transfer Service (CLPS).

The Peregrine lander, standing at 1.9 metres in height and 2.5 metres in width, weighs 1283 kg. Equipped with five engines and a solar panel atop to power the internal battery, this spacecraft is a marvel of engineering.

Hungarian artefact in space

Astrobotic Technology wants the project to be profitable. To this end, the Peregrine’s payload bay has been made available to civilians. Puli Space Technologies, based in Budapest, is the only Hungarian company to have an object on board the spacecraft.

A replica of a Space Time Plaque ceramic plaque made of aluminium was placed in the time capsule, the company said.

Puli
Photo: Puli Space Technologies

The plaque, measuring 200×200 millimetres and weighing 160 grams, is engraved with thousands of characters, including the history of the Golden Team and the life’s work of Sándor Weöres, as well as the work of many contemporary Hungarian scientists whose research has influenced the future of humanity. They include Nobel Prize winner Katalin Karikó, biochemist Veronika Ádám, physicist László Barabási Albert Barabási, neurobiologist Tamás Freund, biologist Éva Kondorosi and physicist Zoltán Bay, whose achievements and work have been sent into space.

The probe will attempt to land on the northern hemisphere of the Moon on 23 February, hvg.hu reports.

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Hungarian-led international research team discovers young star’s planet-forming zone

Hungary-space-Rafael-Schmall

An international research team led by József Varga of Budapest’s Konkoly Thege Astronomy Institute has discovered a three-ringed structure in the planet-formation disk of a young Sun-like star that is similar to the zone where rocky planets formed in our Solar System.

The team discovered the rings around the star HD 144432, around 500 light years away, using the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), the HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences said in a statement.

The research centre said the structure around HD 144432 was the most complex ring system around the inner region of a star’s planet-forming disk discovered so far. They said that when compared to the Solar System, the star’s most inner ring aligned with the orbit of Mercury, the middle one with that of Mars, and the outer ring corresponded roughly to the orbit of Jupiter.

They said the ring structure around HD 144432 potentially signified the presence of planets with masses comparable to Jupiter.

The team also said the composition of the ring system contained the most common building blocks of Earth-like rocky planets, such as magnesium, silicon and oxygen. This is also the first tangible evidence scientists have found for the presence of iron in the disks around young stars, they added.

The research team added that the iron-rich and carbon-poor dust around HD 144432 indicated that planet-forming disks with such a chemical composition were fairly common in the galaxy.

As we wrote earlier, a Hungarian astronaut goes into space after decades, details HERE.

Also, we wrote in June that, a SpaceX rocket launched Hungarian satellite into space, details HERE.

Most spectacular shooting star shower of 2023 to be seen in Hungarian sky

shooting stars meteors

Don’t forget to go outside this Thursday evening in Hungary as you might miss this year’s most spectacular shooting star shower. Up to 120 shooting stars per hour can be expected that night.

Most beautiful shooting star shower in 2023

Up to 120 shooting stars per hour can be expected with the arrival of the Geminid meteor shower, which is expected to produce the most spectacular shower of shooting stars of the year 2023. The atmospheric phenomenon will be at its most spectacular in the evening hours of Thursday, Helló Magyar reports based on Svábhegyi Csillagvizsgáló.

Shooting stars, or meteors, are made of dust particles and rocks that hurtle through space at speeds up to several times that of a spaceship. When they hit the Earth, they create a long, brightly glowing ionic channel in the upper atmosphere, which we see as a shooting star, the statement reads.

As they write, although sporadic meteors are always visible, on certain days of the year, the Earth is hit by dust clouds that cause spectacular meteor swarms and star falls. The best known, but not the richest, of these are the Perseids in August. The Geminids are quite unique in this respect, because the shooting stars in the meteor swarm are, uniquely, not from a comet but from a minor planet grazing the Earth.

When to check for the shooting stars?

According to the statement, the best time to observe the Geminids meteor swarm this year will be Thursday evening. This is when the swarm’s radiant, the point from which the meteors’ orbits appear to originate, will be rising. The forecast is for maximum activity in the early evening hours, around 8 PM, with the radiant dying around 2 AM. On this night, the Moon’s thin, young crescent sets early in the evening, so it doesn’t cause any significant background light during the night.

Nevertheless, if you want to see a lot of shooting stars, it is advisable to get as far away from the cities as possible. It is advisable to choose an area from which you can see as much of the sky as possible without obstruction.

Featured image: Illustration/Pixabay

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Application deadline for the Hungarian space program extended

Hungarian space program (Copy)

Hungary is “doing well” in meeting its goals set down in its space strategy, a government official has said.

A country as small as Hungary must find “breakout points” for entering the global space market, Orsolya Ferencz, the foreign ministry’s commissioner for space science, said, discussing space research with Tibor Navracsics, the regional development minister, at a civic roundtable in Tapolca, in western Hungary, on Friday evening.

China, India, the Gulf states, Türkiye, Israel, South American and Far East countries have entered global space research, and Europe is making strenuous efforts to stay at the top, she said, adding that the space industry was likely to generate direct revenue of around 1,000 billion dollars in 2030-2040. While Czechia has 300 space industry companies, Hungary has a mere 40, she noted.

Hungarians in space

Navracsics noted that Hungary’s space strategy was adopted in 2021 after two years of consultations, and he asked about Hungary’s chances in the global space race. Ferencz said: “It’s the right moment for us, the moment when everybody is at the starting line setting up companies and launching services. It’s capability rather than size or population that matters,” she said, adding that Hungary’s first space strategy was designed to cover a ten-year period, and its first detailed review is set for next year.

The launch of a university space engineering course, UniSpace, in collaboration with 17 Hungarian universities and the public-private Hungarian astronaut programme, Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR), which will send the second Hungarian astronaut to space for 30 days, were both “important”, she said, adding that out of the four applicants shortlisted for the mission, two will be selected for further training in Houston at the end of this year, she said.

Read also:

  • Aurora borealis in Hungary: breathtaking videos and pictures were taken – HERE is our article
  • Hungarian astronaut goes into space after decades – Details in THIS article

Get ready for the year’s only planetary occultation! Unique view in Budapest this week

Venus Moon space planetary occultation

Following the surreal aurora borealis in Hungary, another celestial event graces the sky this week. The year’s only planetary occultation is happening soon, and it can be seen in Budapest too.

Celestial phenomena in Hungary

As we have reported HERE, the aurora illuminated the night skies of Hungary last week. This occurrence, while not as common in Hungary as in Norway, was equally breathtaking. It marked the second aurora borealis of the year in Hungary; you can read about the first one HERE. Worry not if you have missed this celestial spectacle because you have the opportunity to witness the year’s only planetary occultation this Thursday. If you have some free time, consider paying a visit to an observatory.

Planetary occultation

Roadster has informed that a slender crescent moon (15%) will grace the southwestern sky. At the onset of the occultation, it will be positioned 33 degrees above the horizon. The crescent moon will draw near to the bright daytime sky star, Venus, sharing the same line of sight. The view promises to be quite unique, owing to the contrasting sizes and brightness of these two planets. The Moon will appear 88 times larger than Venus, making the planet seem exceptionally tiny. However, Venus will radiate 25 times more brightness than the Moon. Consequently, its light will pierce through the vast crescent moon. Adding to the spectacle, the Schickard crater, one of the planet’s largest, measuring 212 kilometres in diameter, will also be visible on the Moon’s southern part.

Where and when to see it

You can witness this rare celestial event from Budapest, as the planets will “converge” at 11.10 a.m. this Thursday. Although, it will last for just a brief moment, as Venus will disappear behind the Moon after just one minute. Venus will be concealed by the Moon for about an hour, and then the planet’s southern part will emerge first from the lunar limb. To get the best view, it is highly advised to visit an observatory and follow the happenings through a telescope. Some observatories, such as the Sábhegyi Csillagvizsgáló, await visitors with special programmes for the day.

 

Aurora borealis in Hungary: breathtaking videos and pictures were taken

Aurora borealis

On Sunday evening, the aurora graced the skies of Hungary again. This marked the 10th occurrence of this dazzling celestial phenomenon in the country this year, with the latest occurrence being the most spectacular and powerful, according to Időkép.

Last night saw clear skies with only a scattering of clouds, so the extraordinary spectacle was visible to the naked eye across much of the country. The Időkép cameras recorded the beginning of the light show around 5.30 pm, but its true splendour unfolded after dark. The latest appearance of the aurora in Hungary was unique in the sense that this time it could be observed in the southern regions, including Pécs.

Perhaps the most breathtaking views were witnessed at Lake Balaton, where the magnificent pink display was reflected on the lake’s surface.

 

 

The aurora was visible in our country due to heightened geomagnetic activity on Earth, registering a significant 7 on the KP index, which ranges from 0 to 9.

As we wrote earlier, an unprecedented tornado hit Hungary – PHOTOS
Our last coverage of a stunning aurora over Hungary was in April, with further details available HERE.

Hungarian President seeks for allies in Texas

President Katalin Novák

President Katalin Novák met Texas Governor Greg Abbott for talks on “opportunities in theoretical and practical bilateral cooperation” in Dallas late on Thursday.

“The State of Texas holds just the same values as Hungary,” Novák said. Abbott said his state was open to build business relations with other countries, and noted that Texas in itself would be the eighth largest economy in the world. He voiced readiness to cooperate with special regard to car making and the space industry. The talks touched upon opportunities offered by Texas’s oil and gas industry to meet Hungary’s energy demands, too.

Novák highlighted Texas’s recent economic achievements, and said she was looking forward to the implementation of a recent agreement between Hungary and Axiom Space in Houston, adding that the partnership “could help a second Hungarian astronaut to space”. Concerning shared values, Novák mentioned the fight against illegal migration, the family, as well as “the fundamental values of security and the nation”.

Read also:

Hungarian astronaut goes into space after decades

Szijjártó space

Hungary on Tuesday is signing an agreement with US-based Axiom Space that will see the country send another astronaut to space after several decades, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Austin on Tuesday.

The Hungarian government, under the country’s space industry strategy, recently decided to send an astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) whose 30-day mission will involve testing various equipment and conducting scientific experiments, Szijjártó noted, according to a ministry statement.

The list of tasks to be performed by the astronaut will be put together by Hungary’s space industry players and universities, the minister said.

“These tests will contribute significantly to the development of Hungary’s high value-added high tech industries, be they health science or any other developments linked to modern industries,” he said.

The Hungarian astronaut will be part of a four-member international mission, Szijjártó said.

Under the agreement to be signed with Axiom Space, the mission will be launched between October 2024 and early 2025, he said.

Exactly when the mission will take place will depend on the spaceflights scheduled by NASA and the ISS, as well as the other three international astronauts’ training schedules, Szijjártó said.

The minister noted that Hungary has narrowed its list of applicants for the space mission down to four candidates. They will begin the first phase of their training and tests in Austin and Houston next month, after which the list of candidates will be narrowed down to two, he said. Hungary’s second astronaut will be chosen directly before the mission’s launch, he added.

Hungarian doctor will perform surgery on Mars?

doctor surgery

As long as astronauts only flew as far as the International Space Station (ISS), they could be brought back to Earth quickly if an illness or injury required urgent medical attention. With a more extended mission to the Moon, and especially to Mars, this is out of the question. Space surgery is once again enjoying its renaissance.

Forbes wrote about an interview with Dóra Babócs, a researcher at the University of Texas at Houston Medical Centre. She has been researching space medicine and surgery for years. Dóra has been offered a two-year position in Texas and left her home, Szeged. According to her, she is training in the clinic’s outstanding endovascular aortic surgery program.

She also gets to see how her mentor at one of the world’s leading vascular surgery centres, famous for its pioneering techniques, performs minimally intensive endovascular (minimally stressful for the patient, within the blood vessels) procedures for aortic diseases that require unique designs, complex surgical techniques and procedures. Vascular surgery, including endovascular surgery, is very advanced in the US. After two years, she would like to join a residency programme here.

Complications in space

Although a thorough screening of astronauts before a space mission can eliminate many diseases and reduce health risks, many new emerging diseases should be expected during a long-duration space mission. Dóra Babócs says:

During a space mission, there are at least fifty medical conditions that may require some kind of surgical expertise, these are the cases that my research team and I are trying to identify in our ongoing scientific literature review.

With current technology, a trip to Mars takes 2.5–3 years. Space is not suitable for life, it is an unusual environment, which increases the chances of new diseases and medical emergencies. This is due to the lack of gravity and the intense cosmic radiation that puts considerable pressure on the organs of the human body. Thus, a doctor has to have a plan for all imaginable cases. In addition, the unusual environment makes the procedure even harder. A doctor in space also has a limited selection of tools.

Hungarian doctor in space

In the long run, Dóra would like to work as a surgeon. She says:

I would like to master this unique vascular surgical technique that is used in certain areas of the US to help patients with specific aortic lesions who require complex endovascular surgery.

In addition to that, she would like to keep on researching the field of space surgery. She would like to make this discipline as advanced as possible. Thus, long-duration spaceflights could be safer for the astronauts and the spacecraft crew. She also applied for the Hunor Hungarian Astronaut Programme but did not pass the first selection round. However, NASA is still on her agenda. Dóra could not apply to the previous NASA programmes as she was not a US citizen. Now that she lives in the US and works at a US educational institution, she will have more opportunities. She said that she would like to go on a Moon mission.

Hungarian instrument could find water on the Moon soon

Moon

After the great race for getting to the Moon during the Cold War, it is now a goal for many nations again. The destination this time is the South Pole of the Moon. At this location, some craters are in constant shadow. Therefore, there is a possibility that they are filled with frozen water. The second race for the Moon has already started, and it seems that a Hungarian instrument could be important.

Puli Lunar Water Snooper

As Telex reported, the Hungarian Puli Lunar Water Snooper won second place in NASA’s “Honey, I Shrunk the NASA Payload, The Sequel” competition last May. Puli Space Technologies‘ water snooper was the only one to make it to the implementation phase of the category for lunar resource exploration. The key to their success is that they were able to design, manufacture, and deliver three working prototypes to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena for testing within a year. The water snooper is a quite small structure, measuring 10x10x3.4 cm and roughly 0.4 kilogramm. However, it is capable of measuring the hydrogen reservoir hiding in the surface layer of the Moon.

This could provide water for the astronauts. In addition, the hydrogen and oxygen extracted from the water could be used as rocket fuel. NASA provided over USD 290,000 for Puli Space Technologies, which is not as much as it may sound. Thus, they had to seek help from other companies as well, such as Intuitive Machines. Tibor Pacher, the founder of Puli Space Technologies, said:

We were talking to two colleagues at Intuitive Machines when Trent Martin, the company’s vice president of lunar systems, came into the meeting room and asked us what we were doing. He was interested in the project, and he asked us to leave the Water Snooper there, but we could not because we were taking it to NASA. We finally agreed to build two more for them, and they agreed to take them to the moon in return.

Moon mission

The Water Snooper will go to the Moon on Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission, scheduled for the first half of 2024. The company has won several NASA projects, taking 3 “seats” of the 8 for commercial lunar cargo service. IM-2 could be the first in many things, such as operating the first cellular network on the Moon. According to Trent Martin, a small device called a hopper will accompany the Hungarian invention.

The Noca-C lander reaches the lunar surface, the hopper will dock, making five hops, including to a permanently shadowed area of the Moon’s South Pole. The main goal is to take as many measurements and gather as much information as possible about the surface, the temperature and the water/ice. The hopper is an international project. Alongside the Hungarian Puli and the University of Arizona, the German space agency’s Berlin Institute for Planetary Research is also working on discovering the Moon together.

SpaceX rocket launches Hungarian satellite into space

spacex rocket launch illustration

The Budapest University of Technology’s (BME) fifth MRC-100 small satellite was launched on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s Transporter 8 mission on Monday from the Vandenberg Space Center in California, the university said on Tuesday.

The ION SCV-011 spacecraft carrying the BME satellite successfully separated from the main rocket in the eightieth minute of its ascent. The satellite platform of Italy’s D-Orbit is scheduled to put it into orbit in 7 days the earliest, the university said in a statement.

The university currently has so far notched up the most successful PocketQube category satellite missions in the world.

Once in orbit, MRC-100 will use solar panels to recharge its battery within 7-14 days and then it will start broadcasting, with reception and control at the ground stations on the roof of the BME E building and in Érd, outside Budapest.

MRC-100, which measures electromagnetic pollution, is the result of three years of joint work of the BME Broadband Communications and Electrical Engineering Department’s teachers, researchers and students, and was named in honour of the University Radio Club (MRC) which will be 100 years old in 2024.

The University of Szeged, Széchenyi Istvan University of Győr and the University of Debrecen also participated in the collaboration.

Featured image: illustration

US Ambassador Pressman slammed Orbán for his close ties with Putin again

US Ambassador Pressman2

The United States is proud of the collaboration between Hungary and the U.S.-based company Axiom Space, which aims to send a Hungarian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024, expressed the Ambassador on 7 June. But he also slammed Orbán for his Russia-close policies. Here is his unchanged speech:

Distinguished guests, dear friends of the United States, Hungary, science, technology and innovation, good afternoon and thank you all for gathering to celebrate scientific collaboration between the United States and Hungary.

I am particularly pleased that we can take a moment to celebrate collaboration and partnership. Prime Minister Orbán has recently spoken much of “connectivity.”  I must begin tonight by acknowledging the catastrophic events unfolding in Ukraine, as its people continue to grapple with Russia’s war, a country Hungary stubbornly continues to maintain and even deepen its “connectivity” with.

As Hungary expands its relationship with Moscow, a massive wave of water from the destruction of the Kakhova hydroelectric dam has just swept over and displaced tens of thousands of people in and around Kherson. A few things are clear: it was Russia that started this war, it was Russia that occupied this area of Ukraine, and it was Russia that was in control of this dam. Also clearly, just this weekend, the Foreign Minister of Hungary Péter Szijjártó described Russia as Hungary’s “reliable partner” on energy, and one that would not be replaced. This is a moment of enormous consequence in the region and the world.  To continue to double-down on reliance on Russia while it attempts to decapitate your democratic neighbor is wrong.

Our thoughts tonight are with those in Kherson and across Ukraine who are suffering, and our focus is holding accountable those who enable that suffering. In this stark moment, where we can seem worlds apart from the Hungarian government, there is another “space” in which the U.S. and Hungary is making some significant progress together. I am thrilled to be here tonight to celebrate a bright spot in the U.S.-Hungary relationship: space research collaboration.  Tonight, we mark the start of an Embassy Science Fellowship by distinguished Earth observation expert Dr. George Garik Gutman, who is the Program Manager for the Land-Cover and Land-Use Change Program at NASA.

Since the birth of the rocket age, Hungarians and Americans have worked together to explore the heavens. Space exploration is truly one of humanity’s most inspiring endeavors. The United States is proud of the collaboration between Hungary and the U.S.-based company Axiom Space which aims send to send a Hungarian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024.  This is an exciting endeavor, and it reflects the importance of continued collaboration amidst a time of accelerated interest in space amongst many nations.  In this spirit, the United States also invites Hungary to join us and our international partners in signing the Artemis Accords, which aims to promote the peaceful, civil use of space, including for research and exploration like Hungary’s mission to the International Space Station.

When we talk about NASA, people often think of missions to space and astronauts exploring new horizons beyond our planet.  But perhaps less celebrated is what is learned when we focus our attention not toward the stars – but back down upon our home, our shared Earth. Here too NASA is at the forefront and this research impacts each and every one of our lives.

Astronauts, witnessing Earth from space, report a profound sense of awe, transcendence, and connection to humanity and to our planet.  They see beautiful blue water, white clouds, and green lands – but no political borders.  They feel their personal, narrower perspectives begin to break down as well.  Retired NASA astronaut Ron Garan called this revelation the “orbital perspective, as opposed to the terrestrial perspective.”  Once they experience how profoundly finite and interconnected our shared planet is, our differences seem less significant.  We are in this together.

Thankfully, due to technologies and methods that the United States and our partners are developing, one does not have to be in space to experience this orbital perspective.  Earth observation is in a golden area, with thousands of satellites, operated by governments, alliances of nations, and private companies circulating around and above us taking measurements of the atmosphere, the land, and the oceans.  Improved weather prediction, crop forecasting, management of natural resources, addressing natural disasters like floods, droughts, and wildfire – all of this has been impacted by improvements in Earth observation.

We are pleased that Dr. Gutman will spend time in Hungary and the region alongside international partners researching the Water-Energy-Food Nexus through earth observation. A recent research paper found that Hungary lost 3 percent of its GDP last year through crop loss due to the extreme droughts.  Agricultural systems in the Carpathian basin and the Balkans are among the most threatened by climate change in all of Europe.

The good news is that improvements in agricultural technology – including the use of earth observation techniques for precision agriculture – can have a significant and positive impact on water use and food production efficiency, leaving more water for communities, energy production, and nature – and contribute to long-term stability and economic growth.

I recognize many familiar names and faces of guests here from the government, the private sector and research organizations.  You have all worked tirelessly to help the advancement of science, and I thank you for supporting the United States in our efforts to engage with Hungary generally, Hungary’s scientific community specifically, and this most recent example of that collaboration.

I also want to thank you for your continuous efforts to advocate for science-based decision making and for top-quality education to train the next generation of scientists. Thank you again for being here, and I’d like to invite Dr. Gutman to make a couple brief remarks.

Below are some photos of the event:

Massive fireball exploded over Hungary, earthquake in Békéscsaba – VIDEO

Fireball over Hungary

Several local webcams recorded a fireball over Hungary on Saturday around midnight. Check out the video of its explosion in the Earth’s atmosphere over Hungary.

A massive fireball was spotted in the sky over Hungary on Saturday around midnight. The brightness of the sky rock could reach minus 8 magnitudes, Időkép wrote. At the last phase of its journey, the fireball exploded into two parts, which continued to fly on separate trajectories. HERE you can check out some photos and videos. Below you can see a photo of the spectacular phenomenon:

And here is a similar stunning meteorite fall from Australia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqjG7Q-szQs

Meanwhile, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded with an epicentre in West Romania, near Arad, at the Romanian-Hungarian border. As a result, its aftermath was felt as far as Békéscsaba, East Hungary. The earthquake took place at 8.46 PM local time at 15 km depth. Its epicentre was near Ópálos (Paulis) and was felt even in Kolozsvár (Cluj Napoca), hundreds of kilometres northeast. Thankfully, nobody was injured, and neither Hungarian nor Romanian residents reported any damage, 444.hu wrote. The map below shows the area hit by the earthquake:

Hungarian astronomer discovers hidden asteroid belts: are they dangerous for the Earth?

Asteroid belt Hungarian

András Gáspár, an astronomer at the University of Arizona, discovered two new asteroid belts in the closest solar system. And he was able to take some photos of them in infrared light.

Formalhaut is a nearby young star, and astronomers led by the Hungarian Mr Gáspár could make an image using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope of its asteroid belt in infrared light. That is why you can see Formalhaut, the star of that solar system, in black. However, Formalhaut’s dust belt proved to be much more complex than previously thought, 24.hu wrote.

Our solar system has two asteroid belts. One is between Mars and Jupiter, while the other is outside the Neptune. The latter’s name is Kuiper Dust. Formalhaut has three belts, but we knew about only the outer one until Mr Gáspár’s image was published. According to Nasa.gov, the “three nested belts extending out to 14 billion miles (23 billion kilometres) from the star; that’s 150 times the distance of Earth from the Sun.” Meanwhile, “the scale of the outermost belt is roughly twice the scale of our solar system’s Kuiper Belt of small bodies and cold dust beyond Neptune.” Clicking on THIS link, you may download the full-resolution image from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Here is an image with explanation about the new discovery:

Interestingly, you can see Formalhaut from Earth with the naked eye as the brightest star in the southern constellation Piscis Austrinus. The asteroid belts are the result of large celestial collisions. “I would describe Fomalhaut as the archetype of debris disks found elsewhere in our galaxy, because it has components similar to those we have in our own planetary system,” said András Gáspár of the University of Arizona in Tucson and lead author of a new paper describing these results. “By looking at the patterns in these rings, we can actually start to make a little sketch of what a planetary system ought to look like – If we could actually take a deep enough picture to see the suspected planets.”

The newly discovered asteroids are not dangerous to Earth since they are far. The closest asteroid field to the Earth is between Mars and Jupiter. And that is not dangerous either.

Photos: a dazzling aurora shone over Hungary

aurora

Hungary was treated to an unusual celestial spectacle on Sunday night: an aurora visible to the naked eye shone in the sky.

The aurora first appeared in pink, then took on greenish hues over Hungary on Sunday night, says Időkép.

The aurora is caused by the interaction of charged particles from the Sun with the Earth’s magnetic field, the magazine reminds us. During collisions, the energy of the particles is released in the form of electromagnetic radiation, which we see as aurora. The phenomenon is typically observed near the Earth’s magnetic poles, but during stronger geomagnetic storms it can sometimes be seen further away from the poles, including from Hungary.

The amazingly coloured aurora could be seen from many parts of the country with the naked eye, videos of the aurora can be found in this article.

 

As we wrote earlier, a fireball exploded three times over Hungary – VIDEO, Picture

Hungary, Axiom Space in joint mission

Daily News Hungary Logo Új

The Hungarian government will embark on a space mission with US space technology company Axiom Space, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook on Monday.

Szijjártó said he had discussed details with AS chief Michael Suffredini by phone.

The minister said one of four Hungarian candidates, already selected from 244 applicants, will participate in 8 experiments distributed over 31 days. He added that the experiments had been defined in cooperation with Hungarian universities, and that the astronaut would also take 12 Hungarian-developed instruments to the space station. Read details HERE: Shortlisted applicants for Hungarian astronaut programme presented

The mission, depending on negotiations between Axiom Space and NASA, will take place late in 2024 or early 2025, Szijjártó said. He added that an agreement concerning the joint mission would soon be concluded.