What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
Astronomers have detected the presence of a disc around a planet outside our solar system for the first time.
Using the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observatory which is partially run by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), astronomers saw the disc, called a “circumplanetary disk,” surround the exoplanet PDS 70c, one of two giant Jupiter-like planets orbiting a star nearly 400 light-years away.
Researchers had found hints of a disc being formed around PDS 70c before, according to a release, but could not get a clear enough image to support their theory, until now. Their findings were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on Thursday.
"Our work presents a clear detection of a disc in which satellites could be forming," said study author Myriam Benisty in the release. "Our ALMA observations were obtained at such exquisite resolution that we could clearly identify that the disc is associated with the planet and we are able to constrain its size for the first time.”
Using ALMA, Benisty and the team found that the disc has approximately the same diameter as the distance from our Sun to the Earth and enough mass to form up to three satellites the size of the Moon.
"These new observations are also extremely important to prove theories of planet formation that could not be tested until now," said study author Jaehan Bae.
Planets form in dusty discs around young stars, carving out space as they collect material from the disc to grow. In this process, a planet can acquire its own circumplanetary disc, which contributes to the growth of the planet by regulating the amount of material falling onto it.
At the same time, the gas and dust in the circumplanetary disc can come together into progressively larger bodies through multiple collisions, ultimately leading to the birth of moons.
But astronomers do not yet fully understand the details of these processes. "In short, it is still unclear when, where, and how planets and moons form," said ESO researcher Stefano Facchini, in the release. "This system therefore offers us a unique opportunity to observe and study the processes of planet and satellite formation.”
Exoplanets PDS 70b and PDS 70c, the two planets making up the system, were first discovered using ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The latest high-resolution ALMA observations have now allowed astronomers to gain further insights into the system.
For instance, researchers found that because PDS 70b does not have clear evidence of a disc, it was probably starved of material because of PDS 70c forming its own.
Researchers hope to continue their study using the ESO’s high-resolution Extremely Large Telescope, currently under construction on Cerro Armazones in the Chilean Atacama desert.
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
A Massachusetts man who told police he was exorcising a demon and performing a baptism when he shoved his father's head under water multiple times has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.