Wakayama - JAXA's Hayabusa2 probe made its closest approach to the asteroid Torifune on July 5, passing at high speed about 800 meters from the asteroid's center while conducting a flyby survey to examine its shape and surface materials.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said the approach also served as a demonstration with implications for planetary defense, a field aimed at preparing for the risk of asteroids colliding with Earth.
Source: Kyodo
As of 9 p.m. on July 5, Typhoon No. 9 had become a large and extremely powerful storm near the Mariana Islands, moving west-northwest at 20 kilometers per hour. It is forecast to shift slightly northward around Wednesday, July 8, and approach Okinawa and the Sakishima Islands around Friday, July 10, while maintaining very strong intensity and a broad storm zone, raising the risk of significant impacts from wind, waves and rain.
Heavy rain continued across northern Kyushu, with some parts of Fukuoka Prefecture recording 120 millimeters of rainfall in the 24 hours through 3 p.m. on July 5.
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Japan is facing renewed questions over how to secure electricity while dealing with mounting nuclear waste, as power demand is expected to rise with the spread of generative AI and the government considers replacing as many as five nuclear reactors by the 2040s.
JAXA's Hayabusa2 probe made its closest approach to the asteroid Torifune on July 5, passing at high speed about 800 meters from the asteroid's center while conducting a flyby survey to examine its shape and surface materials.
Researchers around the world are turning their attention to mitochondria, the energy-producing structures inside cells, as new discoveries suggest they may hold important clues to slowing aging, preventing disease and extending healthy life.
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