What is

            The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are a natural light display that occurs in the Polar Regions, primarily in the Arctic and Antarctic. They are caused by the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and charged particles from the sun, which are funnelled towards the poles. When these particles collide with gases in the Earth's atmosphere, such as oxygen and nitrogen, they release energy in the form of light. This creates the beautiful, colourful displays in the night sky, often seen in green, pink, purple, and red hues.

    The Northern Lights are most commonly visible in areas close to the magnetic pole, like northern Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, and Russia. They're a stunning natural phenomenon! Have you ever seen them, or do you want to catch a glimpse someday?

    The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) happen when solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles released from the sun, reaches the Earth. These particles are made up of electrons and protons. When they collide with the gases in the Earth's atmosphere, such as oxygen and nitrogen, they excite these gas molecules, causing them to release photons of light. The colour of the light depends on the type of gas and its altitude:

• Green: This is the most common colour and is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 to 150 miles above the Earth’s surface.
• Red: This colour appears at higher altitudes, typically above 150 miles, and is caused by oxygen molecules as well, but at much higher altitudes.
• Purple, blue, and pink: These are produced by nitrogen molecules, usually at lower altitudes.

The display typically happens in an oval-shaped region around the magnetic poles, known as the aurora oval. The phenomenon is stronger during solar maximum years when the sun is at the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, and solar activity is heightened.

The best places to witness the Northern Lights are in regions close to the magnetic poles, especially in winter when the nights are longest. Some of the best countries to catch the Northern Lights include:

• Norway (Tromsø, Lofoten Islands)
• Sweden (Abisko National Park)
• Finland (Rovaniemi)
• Iceland
• Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories)
• Alaska (Fairbanks)

The auroras don’t happen every night, and their intensity can vary. Solar activity, the weather, and light pollution all play a role in how visible the lights are.

* Data collected from Net 

16 Psyche is a large M-type asteroid discovered by the Italian astronomer Annibale De Gasparis on 17 March 1852 and named after the Greek goddess Psyche.16 stand for sixteenth minor planet in order of discovery.
Psyche is an m-type asteroid “M” stands for metallic the minerals contained in asteroid. Psyche are said to be worth 700 quintillion dollars asteroid. 16 psyche orbits the sun and the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It's about 140 miles in diameter. It's certainly not the most beautiful one and is one out of millions of asteroids in the belt.

       So what's so special about this rock well?  It contains a mother loaded of metals such as gold, iron, nickel etc. 16 psyche is said to be enough to give everyone on earth nearly a hundred billion dollars. NASA has already planned a mission to this asteroid called the psyche mission. Mission includes an Orbiter that's intended to study the origin of planetary cores. Psyche asteroid appears to be the exposed nickel iron core of an early planet terrestrial planets such as earth have metallic cores but since we can't see or measure earth's core directly psyche will help us understand the violent history of collisions and accretion that created terrestrial planets. It was planned for a launch in 2022 but after software delays NASA postponed its launch to July 2023. The launch opportunities in 2023 and 2024 would allow the spacecraft to reach psyche sometime in 2029 or 2030. The mission is estimated to cost 985 million dollars. This includes expenses for the launch on a Space-x falcon heavy rocket and operating costs for the cruise to psyche. According to NASA, gold is a vital strategic resource in space many satellites carry gold-coated MYLAR sheets to protect them from solar heat. Gold is also included in an astronaut's helmet visor which helps deflect solar radiation and then satellite microelectronics that send data around the world.  Rely on gold components to ensure reliable corrosion resistant and static free performance

                 The sun is the center of our solar system and the source of life on Earth but it's also a mysterious and dangerous place. Its surface is so hot that nothing can survive there. Its atmosphere is so violent that it sends out streams of charged particles that can harm us and its secrets are so hidden that we can't see them from a far. But what if we could get closer what if we could touch the sun. We might think this is a crazy idea or a fantasy. But it's not reality. It is happening right now NASA's Parker solar probe is on an Epic Quest to touch the sun that's right touch the sun and it has just accomplished a stunning feat it has soared through the sun's upper atmosphere for the first time ever collecting particles and magnetic fields there.

                 Now we have some amazing news to share with you in a new study unveiling a new discovery made by the probe. Scientists have uncovered the origin and mechanism of the fast solar wind on the sun's surface. They have also verified that Parker solar probe has penetrated the sun's upper atmosphere for the first time touching the very essence of our star. This is a historic Milestone and a breakthrough for solar science. Parker solar probe and its mission is to touch the sun. Parker solar probe is not just a spacecraft it's a dream come true.

                   A dream started more than 60 years ago. When a physicist named Eugene Parker predicted the existence of the solar wind. He was the first to realize that the sun's Corona was so hot that it could escape the Sun's gravity and create a supersonic flow of plasma that filled the space around the Sun. Parker's theory was revolutionary but it was also controversial many scientists doubted him and challenged him But he was right and NASA decided to honor him by naming their most ambitious solar mission after him Parker solar probe.Parker solar probe was launched in 2018 with a bold goal to touch the sun to do that it had to fly closer to the Sun than any spacecraft before and it had to survive the extreme heat and radiation of the sun's atmosphere.

         But how did it do?  Well it had some clever tricks up its sleeve

·        First it had a powerful rocket that boosted it to incredible speeds at its fastest it can zoom around the Sun at about 430 000 miles per hour.

·         Second it had a thick shield made of carbon composite that protected it from the sun's heat The Shield can withstand temperatures reaching nearly 2500 degrees Fahrenheit, 1377 Celsius that's hotter than lava.

·        Third it had a smart cooling system that kept its instruments at a comfortable temperature the system used water to circulate heat around the spacecraft and radiated away.

·        Fourth it had autonomous software that controlled its orientation and attitude. The software made sure that the shield always faced the Sun and that none of the other parts of the spacecraft were exposed to direct sunlight.

Thanks to these tricks Parker solar probe could fly closer and closer to the Sun breaking records and making history along the way.

                    Parker solar probe it shows that the fast solar wind comes from regions of open magnetic field on the sun called coronal holes. These are areas where magnetic field lines stick out of the surface without looping back inward creating open channels that allow plasma to escape. Probe also found that these coronal holes are like shower heads with jets of plasma emerging from bright spots where magnetic field lines funnel

into and out of the surface. These funnels are huge about 18 000 miles across and have very strong magnetic fields. But how do these Jets produce the solar wind? Well Parker solar probe has an answer for that too. It detected bursts of high energy particles that match the pattern of these funnels suggesting that they are caused by a process called

Interchange reconnection. Interchange reconnection is when oppositely directed magnetic fields pass one another in these funnels and break and reconnect slinging particles out of the sun this process releases energy and creates pressure and flow bursts that drive the solar wind.

            Parker solar probe has entered the sun's upper atmosphere for the first time touching the very essence of our star. The solar wind carries not only particles but also magnetic fields that interact with Earth's magnetic field. This interaction can create beautiful auroras but it can also cause geomagnetic storms that can damage satellites, disrupt power grids and harm astronauts. The solar wind is not always steady and smooth. Sometimes it can be faster or slower denser or thinner hotter or colder depending on what's happening on the Sun. For example when there are explosions on the sun called solar flares or coronal. Mass ejections they can send huge bursts of solar wind towards Earth. These bursts can arrive in a matter of hours or days and cause severe space weather effects understanding how and where the solar wind originates. These events and prepare for them it will also help us protect our technology and infrastructure from potential damage.

    But there's more to it than that studying the sun also helps us learn about other stars in the universe. The sun is our closest star and our best laboratory to test our theories and models of stellar physics by touching the Sun. We can touch other stars as well and who knows what else we might discover along the way. The sun is full of surprises and secrets that we have yet to uncover. The Parker solar probe is opening new windows into our star and its mysteries. It is still has more orbits to complete each to bringing it closer and closer to its final destination about 3.8 million miles or 6 million kilometers from the sun's surface by 2025. That's when the Parker solar probe will truly touch the sun like never before.

Currently, there has been no known instance of a child being born in space, as there have been very few long-duration space missions that would have made such a birth possible. However, it is theoretically possible for a child to be born in space, and this topic has been the subject of some scientific and medical research. One of the main challenges of childbirth in space would be the effects of micro-gravity on the mother and the developing fetus. Micro-gravity can affect blood flow, fluid distribution, and bone density, among other physiological processes, and it is not yet clear how these factors would impact the health and safety of the mother and child. There are also a number of logistical and ethical considerations that would need to be addressed before childbirth in space could become a reality, such as the need for specialized medical equipment and training, and the potential risks to the health and safety of the mother and child.

As I mentioned earlier, there are several challenges and risks associated with the possibility of a child being born in space. Some additional factors that would need to be considered include;-

1.      Radiation exposure: Space is full of high-energy radiation that can be harmful to human health. The effects of prolonged exposure to radiation on a developing fetus are not well understood, and it is possible that such exposure could increase the risk of genetic mutations and other health problems.

2.      Psychological factors: The isolation and confinement of space travel can be stressful and mentally taxing for adults, and it is unclear how these factors would impact the mental health of a pregnant woman and her child

3.      Legal and ethical issues: The legal and ethical implications of childbirth in space are complex and would need to be carefully considered. For example, it is unclear which country's laws would apply to a child born in space, or what the rights and responsibilities of the parents and the space agencies involved would be.

4.      Medical emergencies: In the event of a medical emergency during childbirth in space, it would be difficult or impossible to evacuate the mother and child to a hospital on Earth, which could potentially have serious consequences

In summary, while it is possible for a child to be born in space, the risks and challenges associated with such a birth are not yet well understood, and there are currently no plans or protocols in place for facilitating such an event