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ESA CHEOPS Mission Launches to Study Evolution of Planets Orbiting Nearby Suns
18 December 2019
Science
A Soyouz rocket lift-off from Europe's launchpad in Kourou, French Guiana, on Dec. 18 with Europe's CHEOPS planet-hunting satellite on board. JODY AMIET / AFP / Getty Images
By Matthias Klaus
The CHEOPS mission blasted off from Kourou, French Guiana atop a Russian Soyuz rocket on Wednesday. The launch came 24 hours after a first attempt was delayed shortly before liftoff because of a software problem in the upper stage of the rocket.
<p>Scientists have long theorized with near certainty that there are countless planets in the universe, given the sheer numbers of stars. But it has only been possible to truly prove this since the 1990s.</p><p>Since then, thousands of so-called <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/nasa-finds-more-earth-sized-planets-that-could-support-life/a-39320490" target="_blank">exoplanets,</a> i.e. planets outside our solar system, have been discovered. As of yet, we don't know what these planets consist of or whether they have atmospheres.</p><p>That's why the <a href="https://sci.esa.int/web/cheops/" target="_blank">CHEOPS mission of the European Space Agency (ESA)</a> is preparing to investigate some of the known exoplanets in more detail.</p>
Measuring the Light Intensity of Stars
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjE5MTUzNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNDA1NzA1OH0.TzDY5CAha95abpZxLvY0YOBthJQdjywq9N_ALavWmuo/img.jpg?width=980" id="2a4ff" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="86838a7d686624bcd566e823c74cf6fb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>CHEOPS stands for "CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite," a satellite for the exploration of exoplanets. Despite the fact that exoplanets are incredibly far away from us (far outside our solar system, orbiting around distant stars), the mission is actually not that expensive.</p><p>"CHEOPS is a small mission in terms of scope, cost and also in terms of the time it takes to develop the mission," says Kate Isaak, a scientific coordinator of CHEOPS. "The mission is to measure the size of planets orbiting nearby suns."</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjE5MTUzNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTcxMzUzM30.cCVBNNCuBCxK-BDmjWT_HgMPcTUTkmx4SIXwTXYMjXk/img.jpg?width=980" id="50634" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cd12848eb95b28e252631700fc170531" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>And this is how it works: when a planet passes a star on its orbit, the star's light becomes darker for a short time. This is like a small solar eclipse that can be observed by CHEOPS.</p><p>And even if the same planet is placed behind the star from the point of the observer, it reflects the light of the star back. CHEOPS can still see that, too. Astronomers can compute the size of the planet from the attenuation of the light. And the light reflections emitted by the planet itself provide clues as to whether, for example, it has an atmosphere.</p>
A Closer Look at Known Exoplanets
<p>"By combining the size of the planets with their mass, something we can measure with telescopes on Earth, we learn a lot about the composition of the planets and their evolution," says Isaak.</p><p>All these differences are, of course, very small, since the stars and planets observed are several light years away. In order to be able to measure them at all, any disturbance must be excluded.</p><p>That's the reason why such observations are best made using space-based telescopes rather than those on Earth. The Earth's atmosphere would simply get in the way. CHEOPS is designed to target planets that are larger than Earth and smaller than Neptune.</p>Will CHEOPS Find Aliens?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjE5MTUzOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDQ5NTcxNX0.lBqib6i7kz4pC-54HrMG8aARzD5bPKnP087bT1J6CWM/img.jpg?width=980" id="7e8bd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b0cd3b54bd1a7aa0e7a8367083f40733" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>The mission will take three and a half years. But, this time, the question of all questions will not be answered.</p><p>"The question of whether we are alone in the universe is certainly one of the most fundamental questions ever," says Isaak. But CHEOPS will not get that far. "Other satellites have shown that there are planets beyond our solar system. So it is clear that there are exoplanets. What we want to show now is what these smaller rock planets are like and how they evolve."</p><p>After all, it should be possible to identify at least some planets on which extraterrestrial life is at least conceivable.</p><p>"What we are looking for now are the best planetary candidates for future exploration by other satellites such as the James Webb Space Telescope or by observatories [such as the European Southern Observatory (ESO)] in South America. From there, we can study the atmospheres of these candidates and search for molecules characteristic of the presence of life." </p>Modular Research Satellite Design
<p>In addition to the scientific findings that the CHEOPS mission will provide, the ESA looking for ways of making research satellites cheaper. The satellite developers have come up with new technologies for this purpose.</p><p>"Satellites are very expensive and very complex to build. And these programs always take a very long time," says Richard Southworth of the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC). He is responsible for controlling the CHEOPS satellite.</p><p>"With CHEOPS, the idea was to see if we could do it better, a little faster and less costly. We have tried to keep the probe relatively simple and above all to use parts that have flown on other missions before. These components will then be less expensive and more reliable because they have already been tested."</p><p>ESA also saves on the transport of the probe into space: CHEOPS flies on a Soyuz rocket as cargo. So the project shares the travel costs with another — in this case an Italian — satellite.</p><p>And even if the satellite is already in the sky, there is still an opportunity to reduce costs. The CHEOPS researchers use the flying telescope only 80 percent of the time. The rest of the time others can rent it for their own research. </p>Scrapping Already Firmly Scheduled
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjE5MTU0MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNzc3ODI0NX0.h-bqOvXXkdhdhIo-e6KzWmlZtKwH3OKdsSZtWKIPVsE/img.jpg?width=980" id="c2d15" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0639d4915814601201f2f1469b4ec52c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>The research itself will then begin after a test period of several months. But what happens to CHEOPS when the project is finished?</p><p>"It's planned to operate for three and a half years," says satellite controller Southworth. "But the design of the satellite should ensure that we could also fly for five years if there is money and interest. In the end, we deactivate the satellite and initiate de-orbiting."</p><p>The satellite will first be switched into a passive mode so that it can no longer interfere with radio signals or other satellites.</p><p>"Finally, we will also make an orbit correction. This will lead to the satellite's safe return to Earth. That means CHEOPS won't become space debris in the long run."</p><p>In the end, the probe will burn and disintegrate when entering the earth's atmosphere.</p>
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The universe is expanding much quicker than previously thought, according to researchers in Germany, leading scientists to suggest it may be more than 2 billion years younger than past estimates.
<p>Its age may have to be trimmed to less than 12 billion years, rather than prior projections of 13.8 billion.</p><p>Astrophysicists approximate the age of the universe by using the movement of stars to calculate how fast it is expanding. If the universe is expanding faster than previously thought, that means it got to its current size quicker and therefore must be younger.</p><p>"We have large uncertainty for how the stars are moving in the galaxy," said Inh Jee of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany and lead author of the study published Thursday in the journal <em>Science</em>.</p><p>Past estimates on the universe's age were based on a Hubble Constant, or expansion rate, of 70. Jee's team of researchers, however, came up with 82.4, which would put the age of the universe at around 11.4 billion years.</p>
Large Margin of Error
<p>However, Jee only used two gravitational lenses for the research, which were all that were available, meaning her margin of error is so large that it's possible the universe could be older than calculated, not younger.</p><p>The limitations has some experts questioning the findings.</p><p>Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb told The Associated Press it was an interesting and unique way to work out the universe's expansion speed, but more information was necessary to add weight to the evidence.</p><p>"It is difficult to be certain of your conclusions if you use a ruler that you don't fully understand," Loeb said.</p><p>Adam Riess, who won a 2011 Nobel Prize for research on the age and expansion rate of the universe, as well as the discovery of "dark energy," told the AFP news agency that Thursday's study lacked accuracy.</p><p>"I don't think this adds much to the present state of affairs. Still, it's nice to see people look for alternative methods," he said.</p>Related Articles Around the Web
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Are you ready to watch the Great American Eclipse of 2017? Will you be in the path of totality? Do you have your safety glasses ready?
Well, however you decide to watch the solar eclipse today, NASA TV will be showing the "Eclipse Across America" with live video of the celestial event. The feed is already live with lots of handy information about today's unprecedented eclipse. So be sure to watch above.
Enjoy!
This enhanced-color image of Jupiter's Great Red Spot was created by citizen scientist Jason Major using data from the JunoCam imager on NASA's Juno spacecraft. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Jason Major
NASA's Juno spacecraft captured stunning images of Jupiter's Great Red Spot during its Monday flyby, revealing never-before-seen details of the giant planet's famous feature.
The storm is the largest and most powerful in our solar system and has been monitored since 1830.
<p>"For hundreds of years scientists have been observing, wondering and theorizing about Jupiter's Great Red Spot," <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-s-juno-spacecraft-spots-jupiter-s-great-red-spot" target="_blank">said</a> Scott Bolton, Juno principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. "Now we have the best pictures ever of this iconic storm." </p><p>The images were released in a raw format early Wednesday and citizen scientists quickly jumped at the opportunity to process them and provide a higher level of detail. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy85OTc1NzQ4L29yaWdpbi5qcGciLCJleHBpcmVzX2F0IjoxNjEwOTQ2NTAzfQ.VaPRqIPT_Lf_G480hb5QjaXrubdxMI6SygBDKYuCjKw/img.jpg?width=980" id="4cc70" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9bb06789690f0032479130038121a601" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><small placeholder="add caption..." class="image-media media-caption">NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin Gill</small></p><p>"I have been following the Juno mission since it launched," Jason Major, a citizen scientist and a graphic designer from Warwick, Rhode Island, said. "It is always exciting to see these new raw images of Jupiter as they arrive. But it is even more thrilling to take the raw images and turn them into something that people can appreciate. That is what I live for."<br></p><p>The flyby on Monday was the closest any spacecraft has come to the Great Red Spot, which is about 10,159 miles in width, or 1.3 times as wide as Earth. </p><p>NASA said Juno passed as close as 2,200 miles above the planet's cloud tops around July 10 at 6:55 p.m. PDT. A little more than 11 minutes later, Juno covered another 24,713 miles and was passing directly above the Great Red Spot itself. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy85OTc1NzQ2L29yaWdpbi5qcGciLCJleHBpcmVzX2F0IjoxNjQ3NzUwODczfQ.i4B5D3YYyhLIWPJyQ1PN7r7tiBwOkcEbNlaF61eIdYs/img.jpg?width=980" id="e9635" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b89f8d8a01e6314ea31d5889cbe0f784" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"><small placeholder="add caption..." class="image-media media-caption">NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt</small></p><p><span></span>"These highly-anticipated images of Jupiter's Great Red Spot are the 'perfect storm' of art and science. With data from Voyager, Galileo, New Horizons, Hubble and now Juno, we have a better understanding of the composition and evolution of this iconic feature," said Jim Green, NASA's director of planetary science. "We are pleased to share the beauty and excitement of space science with everyone."</p><p>More information about NASA's Juno mission can be found <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p>
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Stephen Hawking repeated his warning that humanity needs to leave Earth and colonize the moon, Mars or other planets in order for our species to survive the impending doom of climate change.
"We have given our planet the disastrous gift of climate change ... When we we have reached similar crises there has usually been somewhere else to colonize ... But there is no new world, no utopia around the corner," he said. "We are running out of space, and the only places to go to are other worlds."
<p>"It is time to explore other solar systems," Hawking continued. "Spreading out may be the only thing that saves us from ourselves. I am convinced that humans need to leave Earth." </p><p>Space travel would "elevate humanity," he noted. </p><p><span></span>The renowned physicist made the remarks Wednesday at the Starmus arts and science festival in Norway. </p><p>At the event, Hawking criticized <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" target="_blank">President Donald Trump</a>'s decision to pull the U.S. out of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/paris-agreement">Paris climate agreement</a>, saying "I am not <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-denier">denying</a> the importance of fighting climate change and global warming, unlike Donald Trump, who may just have taken the most serious, and wrong, decision on climate change this world has seen."</p><p>The professor is working with Russian billionaire Yuri Milner's <a href="https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/Initiative/3" target="_blank">Breakthrough Starshot</a> initiative to send a fleet of laser-powered "nano craft" into space. </p><p>"Such a system could reach Mars in less than an hour, reach Pluto in days, pass Voyager [the space probe launched in 1977] in under a week, and reach Alpha Centauri in just over 20 years," he <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/stephen-hawking-second-earth-spacecraft-travel-20-years-star-chip-breakthrough-star-shot-a7800991.html" target="_blank">said</a>. "Once there, the nano craft could image any planets discovered in the system, test for magnetic fields and organic molecules, and send the data back to Earth in another laser beam."</p><p>The scheme is "a real opportunity for man to make early forays into outer space, with a view to probing and weighing the possibilities of colonization," he said.</p><p>Hawking also <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40345048" target="_blank">urged</a> world leaders to send astronauts to the moon by 2020, build a lunar base in 30 years and to send people to Mars by 2025. </p><p>"Spreading out into space will completely change the future of humanity," he said. "I hope it would unite competitive nations in a single goal, to face the common challenge for us all."<br></p>
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Stephen Hawking Plans Trip to Space, Says Trump Should Replace Pruitt as EPA Head
20 March 2017
Popular
Professor Stephen Hawking could one day realize his dream of space travel thanks to Virgin founder and space-enthusiast Richard Branson.
"I have already completed a zero gravity flight which allowed me to float weightless, but my ultimate ambition is to fly into space," Hawking told host Piers Morgan of "Good Morning Britain" on Monday. "I thought no one would take me but Richard Branson has offered me a seat on Virgin Galactic and I said yes immediately."
<p>Branson's spaceflight company aims to provide suborbital spaceflights to space tourists. However, the venture has faced a number of delays, including a <a href="http://www.space.com/4863-report-cites-rocketship-builder-explosion-inquiry.html" target="_blank">fatal explosion</a> in 2007 during a ground test and test flight <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/oct/31/spaceshiptwo-richard-branson-virgin-crash-mojave" target="_blank">crash</a> in 2014. (Might I suggest that if Branson cannot offer the stars to Hawking, maybe <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/elon-musk" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a>'s SpaceX can?)</p><p>"My three children have brought me great joy—and I can tell you what will make me happy, to travel in space," Hawking said. </p><iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-843803661067337732" id="twitter-embed-843803661067337732" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-843803661067337732&created_ts=1490013444.0&screen_name=piersmorgan&text=FULL+INTERVIEW%3A+%0AProf+Stephen+Hawking+on+Trump%2C+climate+change%2C+feminism%2C+Brexit%2C+robots%2C+space+travel+%26amp%3B+Marilyn.%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FsSQamLgrae&id=843803661067337732&name=Piers+Morgan" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="EOTSVS1524750156"></iframe><p>The 75-year-old theoretical physicist and cosmologist was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis lateral sclerosis (ALS) when he was 21. </p><p><span></span>Hawking actually wrote about Branson's offer in a 2016 article published in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/sep/26/i-think-the-human-race-has-no-future-if-it-doesnt-go-to-space" target="_blank">Guardian</a>:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"I believe in the possibility of commercial space travel—for exploration and for the preservation of humanity. I believe that life on Earth is at an ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as a sudden nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus, or other dangers. I think the human race has no future if it doesn't go to space. We need to inspire the next generation to become engaged in space and in science in general, to ask questions: What will we find when we go to space? Is there alien life, or are we alone? What will a sunset on Mars look like?"</p><p>Also in the interview, Hawking discussed <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" target="_blank">President Donald Trump</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>.</p><iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-737766897693937664" id="twitter-embed-737766897693937664" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-737766897693937664&created_ts=1464732310.0&screen_name=EcoWatch&text=Stephen+Hawking%3A+One+Thing+Threatens+Us+More+Than+Donald+Trump+...+Climate+Change+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FSDpsKZL3MH+%40tcktcktck+%40globalgreen&id=737766897693937664&name=EcoWatch" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="MOR3H71524750156"></iframe><p>The renowned scientist said that Trump's promise of the controversial <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-mexico-wall-wildlife-2315267998.html">border wall</a> and the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-dakota-access-pipeline-2211697835.html">sanctioning</a> of the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl">Keystone XL</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/dakota-access-pipeline">Dakota Access</a> pipelines are designed to "satisfy [Trump's] electorate, who are neither liberal nor that well-informed."<br></p><p>Not only that, Hawking said that Trump should replace <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/scott-pruitt">Scott Pruitt</a> as the head of the U.S. Environment Protection Agency because he is "a man who does not believe that carbon dioxide causes <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>."</p><p><span></span>"Climate change is one of the great dangers we face, and it's one we can prevent," Hawking said. "It affects America badly, so tackling it should win votes for [Trump's] second term—God forbid."</p><iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-840335239016808448" id="twitter-embed-840335239016808448" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-840335239016808448&created_ts=1489186508.0&screen_name=EcoWatch&text=EPA+Chief+Denies+CO2+as+Primary+Driver+of+Climate+Change+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FgHj2KJDrQm+%40tcktcktck+%40OneWorld_News&id=840335239016808448&name=EcoWatch" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="CJ2Q2P1524750157"></iframe><p>Hawking commented that the current administration's seemingly anti-science agenda has made him feel unwelcome. </p><p>"I have many friends and colleagues [in the U.S.] and it is still a place I like and admire in many ways," he said, "but I fear that I may not be welcome."</p><p>Hawking has said similar remarks before. He <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/stephen-hawking-one-thing-threatens-us-more-than-donald-trump-climate--1891149035.html" target="_blank">called</a> then-candidate Trump a "demagogue, who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator."</p><p>And during a lecture last year, he predicted that humanity has only 1,000 years left on Earth and we must find another planet to live on. </p><p>"[W]e must ... continue to go into space for the future of humanity," professor Hawking <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/professor-stephen-hawking-humanity-wont-survive-1000-years-on-earth-a7417366.html" target="_blank">said</a>. <span></span>"I don't think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet."</p>
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Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking is one of the most intelligent individuals on the planet, which is why his assertion that humanity has only 1,000 years left on Earth and must find another place to colonize is incredibly frightening.
<p>
"[W]e must ... continue to go into space for the future of humanity," professor Hawking <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/professor-stephen-hawking-humanity-wont-survive-1000-years-on-earth-a7417366.html" target="_blank">said</a> in a lecture on "The Origins of the Universe" at Britain's Oxford University Union earlier this week.
</p><p>
According to the <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/science/732606/Stephen-Hawking-end-of-the-world" target="_blank">Daily Express</a>, the 74-year-old scientist warned that humans are <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/humans-consumption-of-earths-natural-resources-tripled-in-40-years-1943126747.html">using up Earth's ecological resources</a> faster than it can be replenished. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed"><iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-763976732961443841" id="twitter-embed-763976732961443841" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-763976732961443841&created_ts=1470981221.0&screen_name=iamgreenbean&text=Human+Consumption+of+Earth%27s+Natural+Resources+Has+Tripled+in+40+Years+via+%40EcoWatch+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2Ffi5IO7hF8P+%23deforestation+%23biodiversity&id=763976732961443841&name=Green+Bean" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="432MMZ1524749911"></iframe></p><p>
"I don't think we will survive another 1,000 years without escaping beyond our fragile planet," Hawking said.
</p><p>
<span></span>Also in his talk, Hawking discussed creation myths, Einstein's theory of relativity and how "the expansion of the universe was one of the most important discoveries of the 20th, or indeed any, century."
</p><p>
He urged more <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=space%20travel%20ecowatch" target="_blank">space travel</a> to advance our quest in understanding ourselves. "We must continue exploring space in order to improve our knowledge of humanity. We must go beyond our humble planet," he said.
</p><p>
Hawking's speech ended on an encouraging note. "Remember to look up at the stars, not at your feet. Try to make sense of the wonder that is around you," he said. "No matter how difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and be good at."<br>
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<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-798267047264288773" id="twitter-embed-798267047264288773" type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-798267047264288773&created_ts=1479156669.0&screen_name=OxfordUnion&text=Stephen+Hawking%3A+Remember+to+look+up+at+the+stars%2C+not+at+your+feet.+Try+to+make+sense+of+the+wonder+that+is+around+you.&id=798267047264288773&name=Oxford+Union" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="LFT0H11524749911"></iframe>
</p><p>
This is not the first time that Hawking has made such dire warnings about the end times. At a January talk with <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35344664" target="_blank">BBC Reith Lectures</a>, he said that nuclear war, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/">climate change</a>, genetically-engineered viruses and the rise of artificial intelligence spell planetary doom. <br>
</p><p>
And in an interview with Larry King in June, Hawking <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/stephen-hawking-to-larry-king-we-certainly-have-not-become-less-greedy-1896549219.html" target="_blank">described</a> how an increase in air pollution, emissions of carbon dioxide and overpopulation are major threats to humanity.
</p><p>
"Six years ago I was warning about pollution and overcrowding, they have gotten worse since then," Hawking said. "The population has grown by half a billion since our last meeting with no end in sight. At this rate, it will be 11 billion by 2100. Air pollution has increased by 8 percent over the past five years."
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<span></span>The world-renowned scientist is often asked to explain the universe's most baffling mysteries but he was stumped in May when he was <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/stephen-hawking-one-thing-threatens-us-more-than-donald-trump-climate--1891149035.html">asked to explain the rise of Donald Trump</a>.
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<span></span>“I can't," Hawking replied. "He is a demagogue, who seems to appeal to the lowest common denominator."
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However, he added that “a more immediate danger is runaway climate change."
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"A rise in ocean temperature would melt the ice-caps and cause a release of large amounts of carbon dioxide from the ocean floor," he continued. "Both effects could make our climate like that of Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees."
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<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/stephen-hawking-climate-change-2011284874.html">In September</a>, Hawking was one of 375 members of the National Academy of Sciences that signed an <a href="http://responsiblescientists.org/" target="_blank">open letter</a> that warned that America's withdrawal from the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-paris-climate-agreement-2094468021.html">Paris agreement</a> would hurt the nation's international credibility and undermine the climate pact.
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Your move, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/">Mr. President-elect</a>.</p>
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After months of speculation, China has finally confirmed their first space station is heading for Earth and officials don't know where it is going to land.
In a press conference last week, a senior official with the Chinese space program said the country's first space station, Tiangong-1, which means "Heavenly Palace," is expected to fall into the Earth's atmosphere in the second half of 2017.
While officials said most of the space lab will burn up upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, the location of where its remnants will land, and whether the country will have the ability to steer the space lab is unclear.
Harvard Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell told The Guardian the announcement suggested China had lost control of the station and that it would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere "naturally."
"You really can't steer these things," he said. "Even a couple of days before it re-enters we probably won't know better than six or seven hours, plus or minus, when it's going to come down. Not knowing when it's going to come down translates as not knowing where it's going to come down."
McDowell added that while most of space station would burn up, the bigger parts—such as the rocket engines—wouldn't burn up completely and just the slightest change in atmospheric conditions could nudge the landing site "from one continent to the next."
"There will be lumps of about 100kg or so, still enough to give you a nasty wallop if it hit you," he said.
The 34-foot-long space station was in service for four and a half years, two and a half years longer than it was built for, and served as a stepping-stone toward a larger space complex that China wants to launch into Earth's orbit around 2020.
"Tiangong-1 has obtained a great deal of application and science data, which is valuable in mineral resources investigation, ocean and forest application, hydrologic and ecological environment monitoring, land use, urban thermal environment monitoring and emergency disaster control. Remarkable application benefits have been achieved," CMSE officials wrote in a 2014 statement.
It provided timely data during China's Yuyao flood disaster in 2013, and collected imagery of a devastating Australian forest fire as well.
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A unique interactive website gives you a new perspective on your time on Earth.
BBC Earth's "Your life on earth" interactive takes your birthdate, gender and height to give you a personalized look at how the Earth has changed since you were born.
Factoids provided include: how many times your heart has beaten; how far you have travelled through space; the amount of sea level rise; how far the tectonic plates have moved; and the number of earthquakes and volcano eruptions experienced since your were born.
Find out what has changed during your life and compare with friends. The interactive website is available here.
Ever wondered what a year on Earth looks like from outer space? Well, thanks to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), you don't have to wonder anymore.
NASA's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) onboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) snaps about one set of images—each image capturing a different set of wavelengths—of the sunlit side of Earth every two hours. More than 3,000 images shows what a year on our planet looks like. Every image captured by EPIC can be viewed on the camera's Twitter page.
EPIC views the sunrise and sunset at least 13 times a day from its place approximately 1 million miles away.
The images captured by the camera aren't just for fun. The images help scientists study changes in Earth's ozone, vegetation and clouds, Jay Herman, EPIC lead scientist, said.
"The hourly images of the entire sunlit side of Earth, provided by EPIC, will be used to study the daily variations of features over the entire globe, helping us to better understand—and protect—our home planet," Herman said.
DSCOVR was launched in February 2015 and sent back its first image of Earth in July 2015. EPIC has also captured phenomenons such as the moon "photobombing" Earth during its time in outer space. The satellite mission is a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), NASA and the U.S. Air Force.
Watch the time lapse created by EPIC's photos below: