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Russia
Moscow Hit by Drone Attack
Tuesday morning, an attack on wealthy districts in Moscow was carried out using multiple military drones, targeting areas where Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and other elite reside. Russia claimed eight drones were shot down or diverted, however other sources suggest over 25 drones were involved. Moscow's Mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, reported two injuries and brief evacuations. This marks the first drone attack on Moscow in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Russia's air defense systems. In retaliation, Russia launched its third assault on Kyiv in 24 hours, causing light damage and forcing evacuations. Ukraine has denied direct involvement in the Moscow attack but has expressed satisfaction.
This map depicts the areas involved in the attack and where drones have been sighted. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Space
SpaceX Dragon Returns to Earth
The four astronauts of the Ax-2 mission are scheduled to return to Earth today. The private mission on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, named Freedom, is set to depart the International Space Station (ISS) at 11:05 AM EDT, with an Earth ocean splashdown at 11:02 PM EDT. Ax-2 is the second mission that Axiom Space has flown to the ISS, the first being sent in April 2022. Axiom Space plans on continuing to fly similar missions in the future before expanding to launch modules to the ISS in 2025, aiming to become free-flying private outposts in low Earth orbit. NASA supports the efforts of Axiom Space and is encouraging the development of private space stations as the ISS will be retired in 2030.
This map depicts where SpaceX's Dragon capsule, Freedom, and the International Space Station (ISS) are located in real time. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: SpaceX
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Space
Ancient Ocean on Mars
The Zhurong rover, part by China's Tianwen-1 Mars mission, provided evidence of the existence of a vast ancient ocean covering Mars' northern hemisphere. The Zhurong rover snapped sets of panoramic images which recorded the surface morphology and structural characteristics of sedimentary rocks. These were then analyzed by researchers who found the structures were different from usual volcanic rock deposits, signaling the possibility of low-energy tidal currents. Although the Red Planet is cold and dry today, these new clues in marine sedimentary rock continue to raise the question of whether any kind of life was previously supported on Mars.
This map depicts the proposed shorelines on the northern hemisphere of Mars. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the northernmost latitudinal line that the sun reaches directly overhead?
A: Tropic of Cancer
The Tropic of Cancer is a latitudinal line approximately 23°27′ north of the Equator. During the June solstice, the sun reaches directly overhead at all locations on the Tropic of Cancer due to the Northern Hemisphere being tilted towards the sun at its maximum extent. It's southern counterpart is the Tropic of Capricorn, where the Sun reaches 90 degrees below the horizon during the December solstice. When the lines of latitude were being drawn and named, around the last centuries BCE, the sun was in the constellation of Cancer at the June solstice during its zenith, resulting in its long-standing name. However today, the sun is in the constellation of Gemini at the June solstice, but will reappear in Cancer in about 24,000 years.
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Q: What river reaches a width of 24.8 miles (40 km) during the wet season, making it the widest river in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today's question in tomorrow's DailyGeo.
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