Earth

Gigantic asteroid to fly past Earth on May 31

Washington: A gigantic asteroid will fly by Earth at the end of this month, making its closest approach for at least the next two centuries. On May 31, asteroid 1998 QE2, believed to be about 2.7 kilometres or nine Queen Elizabeth 2 ship-lengths in size, will sail serenely past Earth, getting no closer than about 5.8 million kilometres, or about 15 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. "Asteroid 1998 QE2 will be an outstanding radar imaging target at Goldstone and Ario and we expect to obtain a series of high-resolution images that could reveal a wealth of surface features," said radar astronomer Lance Benner, the principal investigator for the Goldstone radar observations from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

"Whenever an asteroid approaches this closely, it provides an important scientific opportunity to study it in detail to understand its size, shape, rotation, surface features, and what they can tell us about its origin. We will also use new radar measurements of the asteroid's distance and velocity to improve our calculation of its orbit and compute its motion farther into the future than we could otherwise," said Benner.

This is the closest approach the asteroid will make to Earth for at least the next two centuries. Asteroid 1998 QE2 was discovered on August 19, 1998 near Socorro, New Mexico. Radar images from the Goldstone antenna could resolve features on the asteroid as small as 3.75 meters across, even from 4 million miles away. "It is tremendously 

J&K: Earthquake renders buildings unsafe; 50,000 houses, schools damaged

Srinagar: In Chenab valley in Jammu and Kashmir, people are scared to enter their houses due to frequent earthquakes. Since the May 1 earthquake that measured 5.9 on the richer scale, 30 aftershocks have hit this hilly region. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sought 450 crore for relief. "There are cracks in our house. TV fell down. Our house was shaking. Everything shakes,...  

Omar meets PM, seeks relief package for quake-hit people

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and requested a special package for earthquake-hit districts of Doda and Kishtawar in Jammu region. During the meeting, the Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister about the matters pertaining to peace and development in the state, according to a statement issued by the state government. "The focus of the discussion was recent earthquake...  

5.9 magnitude earthquake hits Japan, no tsunami warning

Tokyo: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 jolted northeastern Japan on Saturday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. No tsunami warnings have been issued. The United States Geological Survey recorded the quake at 6.1, with a depth of 20.5 miles. The epicentre of the quake was off the coast of Fukushima prefecture, more than 200 km (125 miles) northeast of Tokyo, where buildings also shook. The northeast was hit...  

JKNPP demands central team for providing quake relief

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) on Friday accused the state government of adopting "criminal negligence" towards the quake-affected people of the region and asked the Centre to rush a relief team. "The situation in erstwhile Doda district is highly alarming because of earthquake and aftershocks going on since May 1, 2013 and due to criminal negligence of the state government to provide adequate and immediate relief to...  

Chand visits quake-hit areas, reviews relief measures

Jammu: A team of Jammu and Kashmir ministers headed by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand on Thursday visited the quake affected areas of Jammu region and took stock of relief and rehabilitation work. Chand, along with Minister for Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar, and Minister of State for Health, Shabir Ahmad Khan, interacted with people and inquired about their problems and relief measures at Bhalessa, Gandoh, Changa, Kishtwar, Thatri and...  

Jammu and Kashmir: More tremors felt in Bhaderwah valley

Bhaderwah: Three moderate intensity tremors shook Bhaderwah valley and adjoining areas of Doda-Kishtwar belt of Jammu in the wee hours on Wednesday, prompting authorities to once again shut schools in the region rattled by a series of quakes this month. However, there was no immediate report of any casualty or damage. The moderate intensity tremors of 4.8, 5.3 and 5.0 magnitude on the Richter Scale shook the area at 1:28...  

J&K: Fresh tremors shake Bhaderwah, no loss reported

Bhaderwah: Fresh tremors of low intensity on Monday shook Bhaderwah valley and adjoining areas, triggering fresh panic among the people. There was no immediate report of any casualty or injury due to the very low intensity tremors that shook Bhaderwah valley and adjoining areas at 1:10 AM and 7:16 AM. Panic-stricken people rushed out of their houses. A Met official confirmed the tremors but said they were very low in...  

Jammu and Kashmir: Fresh tremors rock Bhaderwah

Bhaderwah: Tremors on Thjursday shook Bhaderwah Valley and adjoining areas of Doda district, triggering panic among locals rattled by a series of quakes. The quake, measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale shook the area at 6.04 am, the MeT Department official said. Two aftershocks of lesser intensity were felt till 9.36 am in the belt. However, there was no immediate report of any casualty or injury, officials said. The tremors...  

J&K quake: Edu institutions to remain close on Thursday

Jammu: Authorities in the earthquake hit Doda and Kathua districts on Wednesday ordered closure of all educational institutions, keeping in view apprehension of aftershocks. As directed by District Development Commissioner (DDC), Kathua, all educational institutions of Bani, Lohai-Malhar, Billawar, Mahanpur, Basohli and Bhaddu will remain close on Thursday, an official spokesman said. In Doda district, schools and colleges will remain close on Thursday as per directions of DDC Doda, Mubarak...  

J&K govt assures all help to quake victims

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday assured all possible help to victims of the earthquake in Doda and Kishtwar districts. "The government will extend all support to the quake victims of Doda and Kishtwar districts," Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said. Necessary instructions had been issued to concerned district administrations to assess the loss caused to various structures for providing necessary relief at the earliest, he said....  

J&K: Earthquake leaves 1 dead, 69 injured

Srinagar: A 5.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Jammu and Kashmir and North India earlier in the day on Wednesday left one person dead and 69, including 32 children, across the state. An injured person was airlifted to Jammu. Scores of houses have developed cracks in the Chenab Valley. The quake had its epicentre in Doda district in the state. Tremors were felt in parts of North India as the mild...  

J&K: Tremors prompt avalanche alert in Bhaderwah

Bhaderwah: An avalanche alert has been issued for people living in the Bhaderwah-Chamba border belt after tremors shook the valley in Doda district on Wednesday. "We have alerted people living in the foothills of the Ashapati glacier and Chater-gala hills in the Bhaderwah-Chamba border belt after three tremors shook the valley," the police said. Over 10,000 inhabitants occupy the Thanhala belt in the foothills of the Ashapati glacier and the...  

5.8-magnitude earthquake hits Pakistan

Islamabad: A 5.8-magnitude earthquake shook the Pakistani capital and many parts of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces though there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property. The quake, which occurred at 11.57 pm and lasted more than seven seconds, was felt in Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Gilgit and across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. At many places, people rushed out of their homes and offices and began praying. This...  

5.8 magnitude quake hits J&K, tremors felt in parts of North India

New Delhi: Tremors were felt in parts of North India as a mild earthquake hit Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. The epicentre of the earthquake, measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale, was the border of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. "A tremor measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale was recorded at 12.27 PM today," an official of the MET office said. He said the epicentre of the earthquake was...  

Nitish stresses on making buildings earthquake-proof

Patna: There is a need to make buildings earthquake-proof and these constructions should comply to green norms, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Friday. "Large parts of Bihar comes in earthquake zone four-five hence there is a need to make building earthquake-proof and follow green norms," the CM said addressing Indian Building Congress function in Patna. The CM said the devastating earthquake in Bhuj in Gujarat was an eye-opener...  

China: Tobacco pouch alert saves 800 from quake

Beijing: A tiny tobacco pouch tied to the hand of an elderly man saved the lives of nearly 800 people in a remote Chinese village when a powerful earthquake struck Sichuan province last week, killing about 200 people. The incident took place in Fujiaying village in Longmen township, just five km from Lushan county, the epicentre of the 7.0 magnitude quake on Saturday. The 68-year-old Li Xianhe has being hailed...  

6.2 magnitude quake hits Afghanistan, tremors felt in Pak, India

New Delhi: An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the richter scale hit Afghanistan on Wednesday. Tremors were also felt in parts of Pakistan including Lahore, Abbotabad, Sargodha, Islamabad, Kasur, Peshawar, Swat and Parachinar as well as in North India including New Delhi and Kashmir. There were no initial reports of any damages. While the Pakistan Met department put the magnitude of the earthquake at 6.2, the USGS put its magnitude at...  

5.9 magnitude earthquake hits Mexico: USGS

Mexico: A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck western Mexico on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said. The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 6.2 off the coast, was centered 33 km (20 miles) northwest of La Union, on the border between Guerrero and Michoacan states, close to the Pacific coast. The quake was felt in Mexico City, 325 km (200 miles) away, where buildings shook and residents briefly ran outdoors but...