International
The five most shocking discoveries on Mars
October 15 |
On July 31, 2008, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States (U.S.) announced that laboratory tests carried out by the Phoenix mission on Mars proved the existence of water on the so-called red planet.
The U.S. agency dedicated to explore space reported that the robotic arm of the Phoenix deposited a sample taken in an instrument in which water vapors are identified.
“We have water” on Mars, said William Boynton, scientist of the thermal analyzer of the University of Arizona, on that memorable date.
We invite you to know in this article which have been the most shocking discoveries made on Mars.
Lake of liquid water
In 2018 the Marsis radar, installed aboard the Mars Express Orbiter exploration mission coordinated by the European Space Agency (ESA), discovered a lake of liquid salt water which is presumed to be at least one meter deep, reported then the group of Italian scientists who were at the forefront of the discovery.
This important finding is the first sign of liquid water on the fourth planet of the solar system. In the past, Mars had water, however, the cooling of the planet and its weak atmosphere caused it to disappear or turn into ice.
The spiders of Mars
The automatic interplanetary multi-platform station Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered last May 13, 2018 some “giant spiders” on the surface of the red planet.
The “arachnids” correspond to a carbon dioxide ice cap which, once the sunlight hits it, reproduces the false image of the aforementioned animal.
The blue sunsets of the red planet
NASA’s robot explorer Curiosity photographed for the first time the blue sunsets of the red planet. The left camera of the mechanic sent from Earth actually recorded a video of which we know its most beautiful frames.
The image, more than for its beauty, was used by scientists to study the composition and fall of the night dust on Mars, something fundamental to understand the origin of the planet.
Not only sunsets, also blue dunes
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) discovered large blue dunes with green hues on January 24, 2018.
The coloration is due to methane gas accumulations along with organic molecules in rocks more than 3 billion years old. Most strikingly, the latter could suggest the presence of ancient life forms.
Life on Mars?
The long-awaited life on Mars, whether it is extinct or actually exists, has not been fully proven. So those who want to dream of a destroyed civilization that migrated to Earth must wait a little longer.
However, the Viking probes sent by NASA more than 40 years ago, especially the robotic Labeled Release, or LR, team, provided evidence that could hint at the possibility of ancient life forms, something that is still being investigated by scientists.
So why is Mars red?
Although the fourth planet in the solar system has blue sunsets and blue dunes, from Earth we observe it as red because of the high concentrations of iron oxide on its surface.
So, every time we have the possibility to see the fourth planet of the solar system from our homes, we will still see it red, and we will never be able to enjoy the blue sunsets and dunes. Unless we are ever able to visit Mars.
International
Mexico Arrests CJNG Leader “El Jardinero” in Nayarit
Mexican authorities arrested Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero,” on Monday during a naval operation in the western state of Nayarit, delivering another major blow to the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Flores was considered one of the top regional leaders within the cartel and had reportedly overseen criminal operations along Mexico’s Pacific coast. Security analysts viewed him as a potential successor to slain drug kingpin Nemesio Oseguera.
The arrest was carried out by Mexico’s Navy Special Forces in a planned operation, according to Security Minister Omar García Harfuch.
The United States Department of the Treasury had previously identified Flores as a “significant foreign narcotics trafficker,” while U.S. authorities offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture and extradition.
A U.S. grand jury indicted Flores in 2021 on charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin.
His capture comes months after the reported death of “El Mencho,” an operation that Mexican authorities considered a priority due to the cartel leader’s alleged involvement in a 2020 assassination attempt against García Harfuch.
International
Suspect Armed With Shotgun and Knives Detained at White House Correspondents Dinner
U.S. authorities confirmed Saturday that the suspect who stormed into the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner while President Donald Trump was attending acted alone, adding that there is no ongoing threat to the public following the incident, which left one Secret Service agent injured.
Acting Metropolitan Police Department chief Jeff Carroll said during a press conference that the suspect was carrying “a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives” when he attempted to pass through a Secret Service security checkpoint inside the hotel lobby at approximately 8:36 p.m. local time.
“At this point, everything indicates that this was a lone actor, a lone gunman,” Carroll stated, adding that investigators have found no preliminary evidence suggesting the involvement of additional suspects.
During the exchange of gunfire inside the hotel corridors, the suspect was not struck by bullets but was subdued by law enforcement officers and later transported to a hospital for medical evaluation.
A member of the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division was shot during the incident, though the bullet was stopped by the officer’s ballistic vest, preventing serious injuries. The agent was taken to a hospital and is reportedly “in good spirits,” according to Carroll.
The shooting prompted the immediate evacuation of President Trump, Melania Trump, and several senior officials attending the event after multiple gunshots were heard outside the hotel’s main ballroom.
International
U.S. allows Venezuela to fund Maduro and Cilia Flores’ legal defense
Until now, the U.S. administration had blocked the Venezuelan government from covering the legal fees of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who is also jailed and facing drug trafficking charges, due to international sanctions imposed on Venezuela.
The couple’s legal team had relied on that argument in an attempt to have the indictment dismissed, claiming that preventing a defendant from accessing counsel of their choice violates rights guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
However, the U.S. Treasury Department will now allow “defense attorneys to receive payments from the Government of Venezuela under certain conditions,” New York prosecutor Jay Clayton wrote in a letter dated Friday to Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is overseeing the case.
According to the letter, the funds must have become available after March 5, 2026, and cannot come from Venezuelan oil sales regulated in the United States.
Since Maduro’s removal from power in early January, former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has served as Venezuela’s interim leader.
The United States effectively controls Venezuelan crude exports, with revenues deposited into special accounts supervised by Washington.
Court documents filed on Friday show that the defense acknowledged the sanctions exemption and, for now, withdrew its motion seeking dismissal of the charges.
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