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Nuno Peisinho, astrophysicist “immortalized” on an asteroid who does science “in the long run” – DNOTICIAS.PT

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Nuno Peisinho, astrophysicist "immortalized" on an asteroid who does science "in the long run" - DNOTICIAS.PT

At the age of 50, the name Nuno Peisinho, an astrophysicist, is written in the sky in the form of an asteroid, on Earth his work roams on scholarships and fixed-term contracts, and despite the difficulties, he does not give up science. …

“I’ve thought about giving up a few times, but I really like it, I’m good at what I do,” says Luce, a researcher at the University of Coimbra and the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences and former president of the Association of Science Fellows. research.

A Portuguese astrophysicist was in the news this week for what he named an asteroid discovered on September 16, 1998, during an observation campaign at Lowell Observatory in the United States.

Previously designated (40210) 1998 SL56, the asteroid was renamed (40210) Peixinho by a decision released Monday by the International Astronomical Union’s Small Body Nomenclature Working Group, an organization led by an astronomer also Portuguese. , Teresa Lago. The proposal to name the asteroid came from the North American Observatory.

Peixinho is a rocky body that belongs to the Asteroid Belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, and revolves around the Sun at an average distance three times greater than the distance separating the Sun and Earth, completing a full revolution in about 5.3 seconds. years.

Nuno Peisinho specializes in the physical and chemical characteristics of small bodies in the solar system, such as asteroids, comets, and trans-Neptunian objects (ice bodies that revolve around the Sun at an average distance greater than the distance of Neptune).

Through his work, focused primarily on observing and studying trans-Neptunian objects, he traveled to the Canary Islands and the Sierra Nevada in Spain, as well as Hawaii, the United States and Chile to observe these bodies through telescopes and “perceive “How they work” in terms of light.

“It’s fantastic to try to figure out how everything works and why,” he stresses, arguing for the most dubious that his work could allow us to understand how the solar system was formed or how life on Earth came to be.

The future is “in space,” he says, and one day “humanity will have to find an alternative” to survive, “on another planet or in a city in space,” because the Earth is not eternal, even if its end is far away. , is predicted in manuals for billions of years.

In a romantic sense, Nuno Peixinho’s works are few and they can even be boring and cause sleepless nights, as he admits: instead of looking at the sky through the lens of a telescope, a person looks into a computer to which an image was sent; the sky was taken with a digital telescope camera, a clock at a time, whole nights.

Without the prospect of a stable life to which he had long been accustomed, the scientist did not start a family, he rented a house instead of buying, he conducted research intermittently.

“Nobody dares to do big projects, I don’t know where I’ll be in three years,” says a Portuguese delegate to the Users Committee of the European Southern Observatory, which operates one of the largest telescopes in the world.

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A researcher with a scholarship or a fixed-term contract may “not get a penny for months” while waiting for the results of a new competition in which they “invest very seriously” at the expense of the “pace” of scientific work being done. Once, which is a “very competitive” process.

“But in fact, I like it so much, and in the midst of difficulties, we managed to survive,” – he suggests, confirming his taste for scientific research.

“Those were years and years, and now it is absurd to do something else, so what? This is a different world, it means a radical change, it means a second life, starting from scratch, ”justifies the astrophysicist.

His precarious earnings in science were based on scholarships and fixed-term contracts.

He still teaches at the University of Coimbra undergraduates in the Department of Planetary Sciences, but for free. An example of “scholarly volunteering” is expressed by Nuno Peisinho, who recently became a member of the regional coordinating center of the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof).

The astrophysicist puts his hand on his shoulder: in Portugal, research is mainly carried out by fellows and contractors. “The scientific career is practically dead, there are no open competitions, only a teaching career,” he laments, adding that universities that unite research centers are “themselves underfunded.”

According to Nuno Peisinho, the Science and Technology Foundation, the main government agency that subsidizes research in Portugal through scholarships and fixed-term contracts, “is a temporary employment agency in the country.”

“He pays scholarships and temporary contracts, and there are no duties or fees in higher education institutions,” he criticizes, defending a “career integration program,” with a schedule of competitions and job openings.

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An asteroid like the one named after him “could have been in the same place for millions of years.” Nuno Peixinho persists in a place he calls his own, a scientist. “Those who like it have to go all the way. I only give up when it’s not worth it, and this is the part I haven’t discovered yet. ”

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‘My power is really low’: NASA’s Mars Insight rover prepares to launch from the Red Planet

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NASA Lander InSight He has delivered what may be his last message from Mars as he embarks on a historic mission to uncover the secrets of the Red Planet’s interior.

In November, the space agency warned that the probe could be running out of time as dust continued to condense and stifle InSight’s power.

“Spacecraft power generation continues to decline as windblown dust accumulates on solar panels,” NASA said in a statement. Update November 2. “The end is expected to come in the coming weeks.”

message shared NASA The InSight Twitter account tweeted on Monday: “My power is very low so this might be the last photo I can upload. Don’t worry about me: my time here has been productive and uneventful. If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will—but I will.” Subscribe here soon. Thank you for staying with me.”

My power is very low, so this might be the last photo I can upload. But don’t worry about me: my time here has been productive and uneventful. If I can keep talking to my mission team, I will, but I’ll sign here soon. Thank you for staying with me. pic.twitter.com/wkYKww15kQ

— NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) December 19, 2022

A geologist robot armed with a hammer and a seismograph first reached the barren expanse of Elysium Planitia in November 2018.

Since then, she has carried out geological excavations, taking the first measurements of earthquakes with a high-tech seismometer placed right on the surface of Mars.

Last month, the solar-powered car released an update to remind us of its time in space.

“I was lucky to live on two planets. Four years ago I made it safely to the second one, much to the joy of my family at first. Thanks to my team for taking me on this journey of discovery. I hope I can be proud of you.”

According to the published mission, Insight has measured more than 1,300 seismic events since it was published, and more than 50 of them had signals clear enough for the team to extract information about their location on Mars. Results.

The probe’s data also provided detailed information about Mars’ interior, liquid core, surprisingly variable remnants beneath the surface of an extinct magnetic field, climate and seismic activity.

old for Its launch in 2018NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green said the mission was “fundamental to understanding the origins of our solar system and how it became what it is today.”

NASA will not declare the mission complete until Insight confirms the arrival of two spacecraft orbiting Mars that are relaying their information back to Earth.

In 2018, the veteran rover announced the capabilities end of his 15 year stay Sending an incomplete photo of the Valley of Perseverance.

A severe dust storm darkened the sky around the solar-powered rover, shattering the sun and leaving behind a dark image with white spots due to camera noise. The transmission is interrupted before the complete image can be transmitted.

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What’s new on February 7, 2023

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OnePlus 11 5G Buds Pro 2 evento

Being very close companies, OPPO and OnePlus have decided to create a new partnership, with the latter being a pioneer in the market. It has become the representative of the best smartphones in the group, and this will be seen very soon.

Proving this, OnePlus has announced that it will have news soon. The following brand assets will be announced on February 7, 2023. We are talking about OnePlus 11 5G and Buds Pro 2.


In recent years, OnePlus has been showcasing new hardware in an attempt to find a new place in the market. The brand has not always seen its full potential, betting on mid-range or entry-level smartphones.

The situation is changing, and the novelty will go on sale in early 2023, February 7. It is on this day that the new OnePlus 11 5G will be presented with all the expected news. We definitely have the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC here. There's still 16GB of storage left and 256GB of onboard storage.

OnePlus 11 5G Buds Pro 2 events

It is expected that he will receive a 6.7-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1440p and a frequency of 120 Hz. In the field of photography, we will have an important change: a 50 MP main camera, a 48 MP ultra wide-angle camera and a 32 MP telephoto lens with 2x zoom. For selfies and video calls, you'll have a 16-megapixel camera.

The photography partnership with Hasselblad will continue with OnePlus for fine-tuning and some additions. This alliance has brought important results for the best smartphones of the brand, guaranteeing the best photos in any situation.

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OnePlus 11 5G Buds Pro 2 events

In addition to the new OnePlus 11 5G, another brand new feature is also expected to arrive at the event. We're talking about the Buds Pro 2, which are solidifying an audio commitment that's becoming more of a reality. The brand promises "rich stereo quality sound with crystal clear clarity".

Stays like this marked by the beginning of February, another important novelty will enter the market. OnePlus wants to reclaim its place, and that will be the brand's bet for years to come. OnePlus 11 5G and Buds Pro 2 take the first step in this direction.

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New POCO Smartphone Seen in Certification May Debut Soon

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New POCO Smartphone Seen in Certification May Debut Soon

According to information provided by Mukul Sharma, the unidentified POCO device can be identified by the model number 22127PC95I. Due to the fact that it was first seen online, the marketing name of this equipment is still a mystery.

POCO has not launched new mobile devices, including smartphones, to the market for some time now. On the other hand, several POCO smartphones such as POKO X5 and X5 Pro have been spotted on various certification sites, suggesting that the company will release these products soon. Today a new smartphone from the sub-brand xiaomi has been spotted on the BIS India website but the device does not have a name or any other details associated with it.

According to information provided by Mukul Sharma, the unidentified POCO device can be identified by the model number 22127PC95I. Due to the fact that it was first seen online, the marketing name of this equipment is still a mystery. It is possible that it will debut as a mid-range smartphone. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website, other than the model number of the smartphone, does not provide any additional information about the device. However, this seems to indicate that the product will be available in the Indian market very soon.

In other related news, POCO X5 5G has recently been seen on several certification sites including SIRIM in Malaysia, BIS in India and the US FCC. According to various sources, it is possible that this is a renamed or modified version Redmi Note 12 5Gwhich was recently released in China.

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It is supposed to be equipped screen 6.67″ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and chipset Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 inside. Can run MIUI 13 based on android 12 and have LPDDR4x RAM in addition to UFS 2.2 storage. The front camera is rumored to be 8MP while the main rear camera will be 48MP with 2MP depth. May have the ability drums 5000 mAh and 33W fast charging support.

In addition POCO X5 Pro 5G has recently been seen on various sites dedicated to certification. The battery is said to have a capacity of 5000 mAh and can charge at 67W. It will come with MIUI 14 preinstalled and will support n5, n7, n38, n41, n77 and n78 network bands. 5G.

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