Today’s forecast: Droplets of iron
Swiss and other European astronomers examining a hot, Jupiter-like planet 390 light-years away have discovered that rain falls there in an unusual form: iron droplets. The mega planet, called Wasp-76b, is so hot on its sunny side — some 4,350 degrees Fahrenheit (2,400 degrees Celsius) — that iron vaporizes in the atmosphere. Scientists say the iron likely condenses on the planet’s cooler night side, almost certainly into rain, which would pack quite a punch. “Like iron droplets falling from the sky,” Christophe Lovis of the University of Geneva, one of the study’s researchers, told the Associated Press. “It’s like in the heavy steel industry on Earth where they melt iron, and you see this melting, flowing metal. That’s pretty much what we are talking about here.”
Wanted: unknown cow
Police in South Florida have been trying to corral a bovine suspect for weeks, so far without success. To help rein it in, the Pembroke Pines Police Department put out a tweet offering a description of the four-legged lawbreaker: “Female cow. Brown with a white head. Faster than it looks. Talented fence jumper. Enjoys pools.” Police spokeswoman Amanda Conwell said officers and wranglers have been unable to catch the animal and have backed off when it gets too close to heavily traveled roads. Law enforcement officials also say the cow is guilty of “MOOving violations, uddering false checks, and fleeing and eluding police.” These are direct quotes.
Watch what you flush!
We’ve written before about the dangers of flushing things down toilets other than waste and toilet paper, but what if all the world’s toilet paper has already been bought up? United Kingdom sewer officials are already bracing for an onslaught of toilet paper replacements — from paper towels to non-flushable wipes — which are not supposed to make their way down the drain. Thames Water, reportedly the UK’s largest water and wastewater service, is warning customers away from using these replacements over fears that they could contribute to disgusting blobs called “fatbergs” — formed from fat and non-biodegradable matter in the country’s sewers.
Deep lyrics
Canadian band Shaft Bottom Boys recently performed a 50-minute concert 6,213 feet below sea level in Vales Creighton Mine in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario, which set a Guinness World Record for deepest concert. The Sudbury-Ontario-based quartet describes itself on its Facebook page as a “novelty band” that celebrates Sudbury’s deep mining history. Sudbury was a home to the world record for a few months in 2007, that is, until heavy metal band Agonizer broke the record by performing a show at a depth of 4,169 feet and 11 inches in Finland. Now, the Shaft Bottom Boys have brought the world record home again.
She likes big butts
Sarah Palin, that is. The former Republican governor and running mate of 2008 presidential candidate John McCain made an appearance on the television show The Masked Singer in which she rapped “Baby Got Back” dressed as a furry bear. The show has mystery guests in costume singing songs, after which their identities are revealed. Palin sung Sir Mix-a-Lot’s hit song as she pranced around the stage, belting out the lyrics, and Nick Cannon twerking it because that’s just life in 2020.
