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Japan probe lands 300 million km away in hunt for clues to origin of life

Meanwhile, Israel began a mission to make its first Moon landing.

Japan Space The Japanese unmanned spacecraft Hayabusa2 approaching on the asteroid Ryugu. AP / PA Images AP / PA Images / PA Images

A JAPANESE PROBE sent to collect samples from an asteroid 300 million kilometres away for clues about the origin of life and the solar system has landed successfully, scientists said.

Hayabusa2 touched down briefly on the Ryugu asteroid, fired a bullet into the surface to puff up dust for collection and blasted back to its holding position, said officials from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

A live webcast of the control room showed dozens of staff members nervously monitoring data ahead of the touchdown before exploding into applause after receiving a signal from Hayabusa2 that it had landed.

Japan Space Staff react as they confirm Hayabusa2 made a maneuver at the control room of the JAXA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science in Sagamihara, near Tokyo. IIJIMA Yutaka IIJIMA Yutaka

“We made the ideal touchdown in the best conditions,” Yuichi Tsuda, Hayabusa2 project manager, told reporters.

The complicated procedure took less time than expected and appeared to go without a hitch, said Hayabusa2 mission manager Makoto Yoshikawa.

“I’m really relieved now. It felt very long until the moment the touchdown happened,” he said.

He said the firing of the bullet – the first of three planned in this mission – “will lead to a leap, or new discoveries, in planetary science.”

The asteroid is thought to contain relatively large amounts of organic matter and water from some 4.6 billion years ago when the solar system was born.

Scientists hope those samples may provide answers to some fundamental questions about life and the universe, including whether elements from space helped give rise to life on Earth.

Genesis

UPI 20190221 A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off at 8:45 PM from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. UPI / PA Images UPI / PA Images / PA Images

Meanwhile, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, an unmanned rocket took off last night carrying Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft, aiming to make history twice: as the first private-sector landing on the Moon, and the first from the Jewish state.

The 585-kilogram (1,290-pound) Beresheet, which means ‘Genesis’ in Hebrew, lifted off at 1.45am Irish time atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the private US-based SpaceX company of entrepreneur Elon Musk.

Take-off was followed live back in Israel by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

UPI 20190221 On board the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is a US Air force research lab as well as a lunar lander named Beresheet. UPI / PA Images UPI / PA Images / PA Images

The Israeli craft was placed in Earth orbit, from where it will use its own engine to undertake a seven-week trip to reach the Moon and touch down on April 11 in a large plain.

The mission is part of renewed global interest in the Moon, sometimes called the “eighth continent” of the Earth, and comes 50 years after American astronauts first walked on the lunar surface.

A message from SpaceIL, the non-profit organisation that designed the Israeli craft read:

This is history in the making – and it’s live! Israel is aiming for the #moon and you’re all invited to watch.

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daragh Cassidy
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    Nov 21st 2017, 8:56 AM

    Snow on the hills in late November. Wow. Who’d have thought it.

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    Mute Michael Kelly
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    Nov 21st 2017, 2:09 PM

    @Daragh Cassidy: Don’t fall for that rubbish Story, this is Dublin/ Ireland we’re talking about..! It’ll be Sunny out all next week… Penneys just need to get rid of a few hundred thousand, ( instead of a few thousand ) extra raincoats & umbrellas that somebody from Stock misordered..!

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    Mute David Dineen
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    Nov 21st 2017, 8:52 AM

    Contact me ,Mr plow “I’m your man “

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    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
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    Nov 21st 2017, 8:56 AM

    @David Dineen: As Billy Connolly once wondered…”how does the fella who drives the snow plough get to work”.

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    Mute Damocles
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:06 AM

    @Patrick J. O’Rourke: he lives next to the depot.

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    Mute John Fitzpatrick
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    Nov 21st 2017, 7:06 PM

    @David Dineen: the plough king is the man

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    Mute John O'Connor
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:35 AM

    Half inch of snow?
    National emergency!

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Nov 21st 2017, 10:25 AM

    @John O’Connor: Yep same with a bit of wind.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Nov 21st 2017, 2:19 PM

    @Stephen Devlin: say what you like but the storm warnings before Ophelia definitely saved lives. 3 died which is tragic and it could have been a lot worse.

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    Mute C_O'S
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:10 AM

    Lots of red berries still on the Hawthorne trees is a sure sign of a harsh winter ahead. Stock up the larder “InCaseEmergency” ICE situation.

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    Mute David Dickson
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    Nov 21st 2017, 2:03 PM

    @John Tierney: gather berries.

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    Mute Lad
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    Nov 21st 2017, 4:05 PM

    @John Tierney: Yes.

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    Mute Abe Brennan
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    Nov 21st 2017, 4:39 PM

    @C_O’S: lots of berries on the Hawthorne trees, just means theres lots of berries on the Hawthorne trees.

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    Mute B Ó Raghallaigh
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    Nov 21st 2017, 8:59 AM

    Winter is coming…

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    Mute Patricia Cautley
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:28 AM

    Red alert! Let’s queue to clear out the local supermarkets like during ‘Hurricane’ Ophelia! No better people to prepare for dramatic siege conditions. We panic without basic provisions like crisps, white bread and tea……

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:49 AM

    @Patricia Cautley: Any house that runs out of tea, well, it isnt an Irish house anyway…

    167
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    Mute Séa Graham
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:07 AM

    We need Itsy Bitsy Teeney Weeney Yellow Non Slip Machiney. Someone get on to Doncaster council. Maybe they’ll let us borrow David Plowie as well

    51
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    Mute Mick Power
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    Nov 21st 2017, 11:01 AM

    @Séa Graham: more like michael o’cleary

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    Mute Maid Marian
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    Nov 21st 2017, 11:12 AM

    Would love a white Christmas.

    52
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    Mute Séa Graham
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:49 AM

    Remember real snow in the 80′s? None of this melennial rubbish! People in my village would battle through 4ft drifts to get to the church on Sunday. Not for mass, for the bloody great snowball fight after the service.

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    Mute Horace
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:28 AM

    Take that global warming.

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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:49 AM

    Great for the kids,!

    27
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    Mute Anthony Halpin
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:21 AM

    Que cars and houses getting sprayed with salt from tractor muck – spreaders.

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    Mute Daffy the Bear
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    Nov 21st 2017, 7:28 PM

    @Anthony Halpin: Cue?

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Nov 21st 2017, 2:25 PM

    What is happening? We are getting wintry weather in Winter.

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    Mute Lee Jones
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    Nov 21st 2017, 3:20 PM

    @Fiona deFreyne: technically it is still autumn winter starts the 1st December.

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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Nov 21st 2017, 2:02 PM

    Two snowmen in a field ,one sniffs the air and enquires of the other “Can you smell carrots?
    I’ll leave now.

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    Mute Kevin Conway
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    Nov 21st 2017, 9:17 PM

    @Brian O Reilly: take your coat… it’s going to be cold out there

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    Mute Joseph Dempsey
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    Nov 21st 2017, 2:15 PM

    What forecast are they looking at? It’s 14 degrees outside now and to remain mild until Friday WTF

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    Mute Gisbert Bayertz
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    Nov 21st 2017, 1:24 PM

    Somebody think of the children

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    Mute dodofrey
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    Nov 21st 2017, 8:53 AM

    Blurg…

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    Mute @muirinho
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    Nov 21st 2017, 2:20 PM

    From article:

    While today is mild with temperatures between 13 and 15 degrees, temperatures are set to drop to five degrees tomorrow and go down to zero tomorrow night.

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    Mute @muirinho
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    Nov 21st 2017, 2:21 PM

    Sorry, that was meant to be a reply to @Joseph Dempsey

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    Mute Misanthrope
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    Nov 21st 2017, 3:47 PM

    Sunblock it is then

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    Mute Kevin Slater
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    Nov 21st 2017, 3:13 PM

    Yellow snow warning lol

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    Mute dodofrey
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    Nov 21st 2017, 8:52 AM

    Blurg….

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    Mute whitecross
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    Nov 21st 2017, 6:33 PM

    Wow heavy rain in Ireland ,nothing new there we have that in the so called summer .and snow in winter who would have thought that might happen .

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    Mute The Falcon
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    Nov 21st 2017, 6:13 PM

    Dont eat yellow snow !!

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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Nov 21st 2017, 10:45 PM

    Kevin Conway: I am well covered thanks though

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