nights

Starlink has been ruining astronomers’ nights for years. Now it turns out that their launches are leaving their mark on the climate

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Much has been said about the great light pollution that generate the Starlink satellites from SpaceX. However, not so much has been said about something that, if we think about it, is much more evident. Air pollution derived from launches. Any space launch, in fact, can generate this type of contamination. However, satellite trains require such a large number of launches that it is not unusual for them to be of particular concern to scientists today. 15,000 satellites and counting. A team of British and American scientists has carried out Recently a study brought this problem to the fore and predicted what the effects could be in the short term. This investigation indicates that there are currently around 15,000 telecommunications satellites in orbit, more than 10,000 of which belong to SpaceX. This represents three times as many satellites as in 2020 and the worst thing is that the number continues to increase. As a consequence, according to the simulations of these researchers, by 2029, these satellites could account for 40% of the atmospheric pollution derived from space activity. Also have calculated that by then this sector will be releasing around 870 tons of soot into the atmosphere annually. It would be more or less the same amount released by all cars in the United Kingdom, so action must be taken as soon as possible. Launch and reentry problems. The two key points at which these trains of satellites will put our planet’s climate on the ropes are launch and re-entry. With the first, a large amount of black carbon. These are fine carbon particles that come from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Regarding reentry, it mainly releases aluminum oxides. The satellites must be changed every 5 years. Later, when orbital conditions are favorable, this re-entry can occur, the price for which for the planet is also very expensive. The effects. Black carbon is harmful to the Earth’s climate on two levels. On the one hand, the particles that make it up have a great capacity to retain the heat of the Sun. That is why they play a very important role in the global warming of our planet. On the other hand, they can affect cloud formation in two different ways. Sometimes they prevent their formation, causing droughts, and other times they trigger extreme rainfall. Regarding aluminum oxides, can damage the ozone layerwith all the harmful effects that this entails. The place matters. The main problem with the release of these polluting substances is that it occurs in the highest layers of the atmosphere. The contamination at this height, if space activity did not exist, would be residual. However, the launches deposit that black carbon there, which remains for 2 to 3 years, retaining heat and affecting the clouds. That is why black carbon derived from space activity is estimated to have a much greater effect on the climate than that of ships, cars or power plants, for example. What is to come is very dangerous. It is said that Elon Musk wants to launch a million satellites into space. This is possibly an exaggerated figure. But it is clear that SpaceX has enormous objectives set. In fact, already It is even looking for launch platforms outside the United Statesbecause in his native country there is no room for such ambition. To all this we must add that other companies have increasingly ambitious objectives with their own satellite trains. This is, for example, the case of Amazon with Leo. The situation can become very worrying if alternatives are not sought, such as less polluting fuels for launches or more durable satellites that require fewer re-entries. Science will probably take us there at some point; but, in the meantime, the consequences for the planet will become worse and worse. We have time to solve it, but we must act now. Images | Gwendolyn Kurzen In Xataka | In 2018, Elon Musk put his own car into orbit. Eight years later it is still circling the Earth

The biggest problem with living on the Moon is its nights. NASA believes it has found the solution to avoid running out of electricity

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If we want to build bases on the Moon or on Mars, we must work on the development of technologies that make the lives of lunar colonists easier. For example, it is important to think about ways to obtain energy. In the case of Mars, there are already scientists working on methods to obtain electricity using carbon dioxide from your atmosphere. But the ideal would be to be able to use batteries. They would have to be rechargeable batteries, since there are no containers for batteries on the Moon (on Earth there are, throw them away where they belong). The problem is that lunar nights are very long, so solar energy cannot be used to obtain electricity to recharge them. Therefore, NASA scientists they are already working in rechargeable batteries that generate and store energy in a very original way. Only two ingredients. The battery in question, called a regenerative fuel cell, contains hydrogen and oxygen gases, which combine to give rise to water. In this reaction, heat and electricity are generated, which can be used to supply the devices necessary for astronauts’ daily lives. Once no more energy is needed, the water molecules break down, giving rise to hydrogen and oxygen, which are saved for when it is necessary to start again. Thus, the fuel is not wasted. It regenerates. Big as a human being. Let’s not think about small batteries like the ones we use at home. Not even in batteries like those in a car. This regenerative fuel cell is much larger. It is practically the height of a human being and the length of a sedan car. First tests. In 2025, the basic components were tested to verify that the previous design technology was viable. Right now NASA scientists are doing more advanced tests, with the aim of analyzing whether the fuel regenerates properly. In a test cell, the system can be operated remotely. Furthermore, once the test has started, it can continue autonomously, without intervention from the researchers. Learnings. Everything is expected to go well in the tests. But, in any case, there will be learnings that serve to perfect the device. After five years of development, the prototype has advanced a lot, but these types of experiments are what really help to perfect a technology of this caliber. Heading to the Moon. Once the tests are completed, the goal is to repeat them in an environment that simulates lunar conditions. Theoretically, the battery is designed to withstand the extreme temperatures of the Moon, even on its cold two-week Earth nights. If all goes well, the technology would be ready to be used. in the Artemis program. This is the objective with which this battery of 270 sensors and 1,000 components was designed. There will be time to think about Mars. At the moment, the closest target on the horizon is our satellite. We need energy to stay on its surface. Image | NASA/Magnific In Xataka | We have not yet colonized the Moon and we have already filled it with garbage: there are even abandoned golf balls

Germany has spent three nights copying Taiwan. If Russia decides to invade it, it has had an idea: surprise them underground

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Last July, the Taiwan subway experienced an unusual day: Instead of passengers loaded with purses and suitcases, soldiers, soldiers and more soldiers armed with anti-tank missiles began to arrive at Taipei stations. The reason was twofold: to send a message inside and outside (China) of the country. That idea seduced Germany, and now that it has begun its rearmament it has launched in Berlin. A disturbing return. The exercise Bollwerk Bärlin III Last week, he returned to the German capital a scene that seemed banished to the memories of the 20th century: soldiers descending U-Bahn stairsjumping onto the tracks and advancing through smoke, simulated gunshots and cars taken over by “saboteurs.” For three nights, between 1 and 4 in the morning, about 250 members of the Wachbataillon (a unit known for its ceremonial role but with infantry functions) transformed stations like Jungfernheide into a real underground battlefield to practice assaults, close combat, evacuation of civilians and protection of critical infrastructure in a realistic environment in which nothing is altered or mocked up: the narrowness of the tunnels, limited visibility and changes in light are the same as they would find in a real war scenario. In the background: Russia. They remembered the TWZ analysts that this return to urban warfare in tunnels and stations, without embellishments or theatrical simulations, symbolizes a profound change in Germany’s strategic priorities and revealed the extent to which the shadow of a possible conflict with Russia has penetrated into the very heart of Germany. his military planning. The metamorphosis. The battalion in charge of displaying honors on state visits had been conceived for decades as a symbol of institutional stability, not as a combat force. However, its real operational mission (protecting the federal government and its facilities in the event of a crisis) today takes on an urgency that has not been seen for a long time. Hence the direct tone of his commanderlieutenant colonel Maik Teichgräber: Berlin is your area of ​​operations and they must prepare for “the worst case scenario,” which means training where you would really fight. The use of stations closed to the public allows practice quick entriesassaults on trains, neutralization of enemies and immediate removal of wounded, integrating snipers, perimeter security and coordination between units in a densely urbanized environment. The presence of additional scenarios (such as the former Rüdersdorf chemical plant or the Ruhleben police complex) underlines the desire to turn the capital’s defense into a multidimensional exercisecapable of absorbing everything from internal sabotage to coordinated incursions that seek to paralyze the political center of Germany. Global dimension of the trend. Which happens in Berlin It is also reflected in other regions of the world. How we countTaiwan uses its subway as a defensive artery during the Han Kuang exercises, aware that, in the event of a Chinese invasion, underground infrastructure they would be vital to move troops and supplies while the surface becomes a continuous target. In parallel, the United States has raised the underground war a priority for its special forces, responding to the proliferation of fortified tunnels, dense urban areas and the expansion of drone swarms that force troops to seek refuge underground. The growing autonomy of unmanned systems, already present in Ukraine, accelerates this trend: in a future where aerial surveillance will be almost constant, defending in depth will mean dominating not only streets and buildings, but subways, tunnels, pipelines and interconnected bunkers. The war of the future, according to these emerging doctrines, will be fought both upwards (against drones, sensors and loitering munitions) and downwards, in an underground network that takes on strategic value. Echoes of the Cold War. He training on the U-Bahn inevitably refers to a divided Berlinwhen the city was a western enclave surrounded by Warsaw Pact forces. At that time, the United States, the United Kingdom and France were rehearsing urban operations aimed at slowing down an invasion to gain political time, aware that holding the city indefinitely was unrealistic. Units like the (secret) Detachment A They practiced sabotage and unconventional warfare techniques from the shadows. Even stations, such as Pankstraße or Siemensdamm, were designed like nuclear shelters for more than 3,000 people for weeks, with armored doors and air filtering. The reunified Germany had left behind that architecture of fear, and today, faced with a panorama of uncertainty, it returns to study how to reactivate these civil protection capabilities. The contrast is evident: what in 1994 seemed unnecessary is once again considered a strategic necessity. Historical rearmament. we have been counting. The exercise is also part of a context transformation unprecedented german military apparatus. By 2029, Berlin plans spend 153,000 million euros per year in defense (around 3.5% of GDP), an enormous jump from the levels that for decades were a source of friction with Washington. It is a rearmament designed not only for modernize capabilitiesbut to adapt the country to threats that They are no longer theoretical: What happens 900 kilometers away, in Ukraine, conditions the entire strategy. This budget increase has led NATO to consider a symbolic turn that would have been unthinkable during the Cold War: that Germany would command the allied forces in Europe. Although that moment has not arrivedthe expectation underscores the pressure on Berlin to demonstrate that it can take on top responsibilities and is willing to prepare its military for complex scenariosfrom urban sabotage to large-scale conventional warfare. Strategic warning. Teichgräber put it clearly: Nobody can guarantee that the war that is currently devastating Ukraine will not one day reach German territory. That phrase sums up the background of Bollwerk Bärlin III. The Bundeswehr trains in the subway tunnels because it understands that contemporary conflicts do not respect borders or capitals. The hybrid warcoordinated attacks on critical infrastructure and the massive use of drones They make the interior of cities as vulnerable as their borders. If you like, what is at stake is not only the defense of Berlin, but Germany’s capacity to react facing a moment in which the strategic … Read more

The equatorial nights are here

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When the heat comes we usually focus our attention the maximum temperatures that exceed, sometimes, the 40º Celsius brand. It is normal: extreme heat can affect us in many ways, also putting our health at risk. But it is also not true that there are other temperature records that also deserve our attention, the minimum temperatures. Another torrid night. 27.2º Celsius. Is the minimum temperature registered this morning at the Águilas weather station, in Murcia. It might seem an anomaly, and it is, but it is a widespread anomaly: about twenty weather stations in the southeast peninsular have not seen the temperature lower the 26th during tonight, a week after the last heat wave was terminated. If we go back, until the days of the heat wave, we will find temperatures minimum even higher. In Osuna, Seville, the minimum temperatures exceeded 28th several days and early on the 29th Cabo de Creus station did not fall from 28.7º. According to data from the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet), during the month of June, Three stations reached records of higher minimal temperatures with records that exceeded 25º: were the Barcelona airport (25.8º), rate (25.2º), and Castelló – Almassora (25º). From the tropical night to the equatorial. Sometimes we have talked about the so -called tropical nights. These occur when the minimum temperatures do not fall from the 20th Celsuis and suppose a problem for our well -being because if we fail to refresh our environment, our rest will be resentful. However, the temperatures seen in many areas of the Peninsula during the last weeks exceeded the 20º barrier, they even exceeded the 25th. When mercury exceeds this figure we use another term, The Equatorial Nights (or also Torrid nights). If achieving a break during tropical nights is difficult, the work is further complicated with temperatures of this magnitude. A growing problem. Of course, this phenomenon is not new. The problem It arises from the fact that this type of night begins before, they are increasingly frequent and each time they occur in larger areas. What to do to prepare. If we have the option, a fan or air conditioning can be of great help. While it is not usually a good idea that these devices work throughout the night, we can use the air conditioning to cool the stay in which we will sleep or use the fan during the beginning of the night to cool. There are no miraculous recipes That they make us sleep better in these contexts, but it is helpful to maintain good sleep hygiene (regular schedules, avoid screens before bedtime, etc.) and avoid habits that can alter our body temperature such as exercise in the last hours of the day or abundant dinners and with very hot dishes. In Xataka | We have good news about the extreme heat of this summer. It will be carried compared to the one in the coming years Image | Greg Pupas / ECMWF

The problem of heat arrival is not just the 40º planned by Aemet: also the “tropical nights”

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Heat has come and with him a more annoying phenomenon than the high daytime temperatures: the so -called “tropical nights.” Bad news for those who have problems reconciling with heat. Tropical nights. The warm episode that this week is manifested on a good part of Spain threatens to bring maximum thermometers above 35º in various areas, even above 40º in areas such as the Guadalquivir Valley. However, beyond the maximum, There is another fact to pay attention: minimum temperatures. We talk about “Tropical nights“When the minimum night temperatures do not fall from the 20th Celsius. That will be precisely what happens in areas of the southern peninsula and in the Canary Islands throughout the week, according to the forecasts of the State Meteorology Agency (Aemet). According to Aemet In an informative note Dedicated to the warm episode, the minimum temperatures will rise throughout the week, more slowly and intense than the maximum, yes. The minimums above 20º will affect areas of the southwest quadrant and the Mediterranean coast, also extending to the Ebro Valley during Saturday. On the edge of the “equatorial night.” In fact, Aemet’s forecasts They anticipate minimums that could remain around 24th towards the end of the week in areas of Malaga or Cádiz. This implies that some areas are on the edge of the call “Equatorial Night”, Term that refers to the nights on which the minimums do not fall from the 25th. A anticyclone, and a Dana? But what is happening so that spring has ended so abruptly? Much of the fault has an anticyclone inside located on the waters of the Atlantic, around the Azores. The influence of high pressures will leave us a great atmospheric stability, explains Aemet, with “practically clear skies and high insolation.” But there is even more: from Wednesday, the appearance of a Dana between the Canary Islands and the Gulf From Cádiz I could drag with it a mass of warm, dry and with suspension dust, first to the south and then towards the peninsular center. The result of this would be the additional increase in the temperatures that we will see throughout the second half of the week. Notices for extreme temperatures. Thus, the agency has issued several notices for extreme temperatures for tomorrow Wednesday and for Thursday by maximum temperatures between 37º and 39º. Is there an end in view? The big question now is when this will end. And the truth is that it is still early to venture since uncertainty predominates towards the end of the week, says Aemet. According to Explain the agencyit is “likely that as of Saturday 31 the Dana will dissipate” and that instability in the peninsular northern increases, in turn giving clouds to reduce the failure of these days. In any case, we will have to wait to see if these predictions are confirmed. In Xataka | The reservoirs are almost 22% above the average of the last decade. There is an “but” important before celebrating Image | ECMWF

This is the Dolce Vita Orient Express, the Italian train of up to 21,400 euros the room for two nights

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Thinking about a vacation in a luxury medium is to think, automatically, on a cruise. These huge ships They have become synonymous with high transport standingwith proposals as exclusive as the experiences of the Four Seasons yates. However, another transport wants to make way to elbow in this segment: The trains. Seeking to emulate the sophistication of the Orient Express, Italy has just opened a train not suitable for all pockets: the Dolce Vita Orient Express. Retro-Chic. At the beginning of April, a strategic collaboration formed by several Italian companies announced the debut of the first national manufacturing luxury train. Baptized as La Dolce Vita Orient Express (because yes, the iconic Belgian company is behind), it is a vehicle that wants to mark a milestone in luxury tourism in the country, showing its cultural heritage and what they can do regarding gastronomy and sophistication. In a cradle country of some of the most important developers and brands such as Maserati, Ferrari either Lamborghini (And the Alfa Romeo of beauties like the Montreal), that mixture between mechanics and luxury was not something that was questioned. And the idea regarding interior design is to combine the styles of the middle of the last century with more contemporary elements. Luxury. Designed by Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran, they recognize that the idea is to invite passengers to a trip on a train with a “sumptuous decoration.” The two designers comment that they have designed all the details not with the idea that it is an example of the ostentatious luxury, but to give the impression that it has always existed. The interiors are imposing, with details such as the very spacious dining room, rooms with sofas and, above all, the rooms. Seating Rooms. They are the ones who monopolize attention and there are two types. On the one hand, the Deluxe cabins that have wood everywhere, a sofa that becomes a bed of 140 x 190 centimeters, coffee table, stool, private bathroom and an area of ​​7 m². Deluxe And his bathroom On the other hand, the suite cabins. With 11 m² and more windows, a table with two seats and a bed of 140 x 190 cm. It also has a bathroom, mirrors everywhere, as well as design lamps and accessories such as bronze finishes. Suite And his bathroom To eat, beyond the room service, there is a dining room in which chef Heinz Beck, with three Michelin stars, has designed the menu based on the country’s gastronomic tradition. Get to the seat. The intention of this new Express Orient is to emulate the experience of the Belgian original that connected Paris with Istanbul and already turned into his day into synonym for glamor and exclusivity. For the Dolce Vita Orient Express, eight itineraries have prepared with durations of one or two nights, depending on the route, and covering trips between Sicily and Rome, the ‘Trufa route’ or that of the vineyards, that of the beaches of Sicily, Venice and Tuscan or Venice and Portofino. The prices? The one of the vineyards of one night, from 3,060 euros per passenger. Venice and Tuscan of two nights from 5,440 euros per passenger and Sicily to Rome from 8,880 euros per passenger, but that if two people go. If only one goes, the Deluxe room comes out for 16,872 euros and the suite for 21,432 euros. In addition, you can reserve extra experiences such as visits to Taormina and Mararatea for another 800 euros. Revival of the train. Something interesting is that this train is not unique in Europe. He Britannic Exploreralso with Michelin star menu and Art Deco cabins to explore the United Kingdom, it is an example. Another is the Simplon Orient Expresswhich was the train that, until the arrival of La Dolce Vita, kept alive the spirit of the original orient express. And in Spain we have Alternatives as luxurious as transcantabric. These proposals are still very exclusive to attract luxury tourism national and international. Or for anyone who wants to give a whim Caprichazo Images | Orient Express In Xataka | The luxury cruise that became an excrement prison: the unpleasant history of Carnival Triumph

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