Science

Enormous T. Rex skeleton sold at auction for $32M: ‘One of the best specimens ever discovered’

It’s a sale 65 million years in the making.

A nearly complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex has sold at auction for a record-breaking $31.8 million.

Auction house Christie’s, which handled the sale, said in a statement of “Stan,” as the skeleton is known, the “impressive fossil skeleton stunned its virtual audience and smashed the previous world auction record.” The $31.8 million price tag, which includes fees, is nearly four times the original estimate of $8 million.

(Christie’s)

‘JURASSIC PARK’ WAS WRONG: RAPTORS DIDN’T HUNT IN PACKS

Stan, named after the paleontologist Stan Sacrison who discovered the fossilized remains of the dinosaur in 1987, was described by James Hyslop, head of Christie’s Science & Natural History department, as “one of the best specimens ever discovered.”

The skeleton, which stands 13 feet high and 40 feet long and is comprised of 188 bones, had been studied since its discovery. It was purchased by an unidentified buyer after a nearly 20-minute telephone bidding war, the New York Times reported.

It’s believed that the holes in the ferocious T. rex’s skull and neck vertebrate may have signified it was a ferocious warrior, surviving attacks from other Tyrannosaurs. Scientists also theorize that the dinosaur weighed nearly 8 tons, the Times added.

Although finding a dinosaur skeleton at auction is rare, it’s not unheard of. In 1997, a T. rex skeleton known as Sue was sold at auction for a then-record $8.36 million.

‘JURASSIC PARK’ GOT NEARLY EVERYTHING WRONG ABOUT DILOPHOSAURUS, NEW STUDY SAYS

In 2015, a 150-million-year-old complete skeleton of a dryosaurus, a 9-foot-long dinosaur from the Jurassic era, failed to sell at auction.

In 2017, Chicago’s Field Museum replaced Sue with the largest land animal on record, Patagotitan mayorum, Fox News previously reported.

Researchers have learned a great deal about the anatomy of the Tyrannosaur in recent months.

In January, a new study confirmed the most fearsome dinosaur to ever walk the Earth underwent a massive growth spurt as a teenager, citing two fossils found in the early 20th century.

In September 2019, a study was published that suggested the terrifying dinosaur had a stiff skull that allowed it to not shatter its own bones with its bite force while simultaneously devouring its kill.

FRIGHTENING TYRANNOSAURUS REX WAS A ‘MARATON’ WALKER, NEW STUDY SAYS

In addition to having a stiff skull, T. rex likely had something similar to an “air conditioner” in its head, allowing it to stay cool while hunting, according to a separate study.

In 2019, Victoria, the second most complete skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex after Sue, finally went on display after paleontologists first discovered the remains of the massive dinosaur six years prior.

Scotty, the world’s largest T. rex, was discovered in Canada in 2019. Researchers estimated it to be 42 feet long and weighed 19,400 pounds.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Devastating Beirut blast was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, scientists say

The massive blast that recently wrought devastation in Beirut was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, according to new research.

The Aug. 4 blast was the equivalent of between 500 and 1,100 tonnes of TNT, engineers at the U.K.’s University of Sheffield explain, noting that this about 1/20th of the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Such was the scale of the explosion that it released enough energy in a matter of milliseconds to power more than 100 homes for a year, the researchers say.

WHAT IS AMMONIUM NITRATE, CHEMICAL COMPOUND LINKED TO DEVASTATING BEIRUT EXPLOSION?

The University’s Blast and Impact Engineering Research Group studied videos of the explosion posted on social media and estimated the power of the blast as the shockwave spread through the Lebanese capital.

The blast at Beirut’s port killed 193, wounded about 6,500 and caused billions of dollars in damage. It decimated the port facility and thousands of apartments in the city. The explosion was caused by 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrates that had been stored in the port for six years before exploding.

The University of Sheffield research is published in the journal Shock Waves.

BEIRUT BLAST DAMAGE MAPPED BY NASA USING SATELLITE DATA

In just milliseconds, the blast released the equivalent of around 1GWh of energy, the researchers said. “This is equal to the hourly energy generated by three million solar panels or 400 wind turbines,” they explained, in a statement.

“After seeing the events unfold, we wanted to use our expertise in blast engineering to help understand what had happened in Beirut and provide data that could be used to help prepare for, and save lives in such events should they ever happen again,” said Dr. Sam Rigby, senior lecturer in Blast and Impact Engineering at the University of Sheffield, in the statement. “By understanding more about the power of large scale accidental explosions like the one that occurred in Beirut, we can develop more accurate predictions of how different buildings will be affected, and the types of injuries there are likely to be at different distances from the blast.”

Shortly after the blast, NASA harnessed satellite data to map the destruction it caused.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Beirut explosion also came as Lebanon is grappling with its worst economic and financial crisis in decades, made worse by the spread of the coronavirus.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers

Elk gores man at Colorado golf course, punctures kidney

A man in Colorado found out over the weekend about a different type of hazard at an area golf course when he was gored by an elk.

The incident happened Saturday at the Evergreen Golf Course in Evergreen, located about 28 miles west of downtown Denver.

Zak Bornhoft was golfing with three friends when a bull elk charged their golf cart, stabbing him in the stomach.

RESEARCHERS FIND 17-FOOT-LONG GREAT WHITE SHARK OFF NOVA SCOTIA THAT WEIGHS NEARLY 2 TONS

The elk’s antler traveled all the way through Bornhoft’s body, puncturing his kidney.

A man in Colorado was gored by a bull elk over the weekend after it charged the golf cart he was riding in.
(Istock)

“The doctor told me 3 inches, either way, we wouldn’t be sitting here,” Zak’s wife, Megan Bornhoft, told FOX31. “He said it would have been better to have been stabbed with a knife because of the dirt on the elk antlers.”

Bornhoft was transported to an area hospital, where was hospitalized in the intensive care unit but was in stable condition.

BEAR STEALS FOOD FROM CAR, LEAVES BEHIND HAIR, MUDDY TRACKS

Two days before the incident, Colorado Parks and Wildfire shared on Twitter that a young bull elk was spotted at the golf course “having a hard time getting around” because it had a can on its front left leg.

Officials also shared a video warning why it was important to keep a distance from the animals that on average have “700 pounds of pure muscle.”

“You don’t want this coming at you,” the agency said.

Other witnesses to the Saturday incident said the bull was charging at other golf carts. Wildlife officials said that elk are in mating season this time of the year, which makes bulls aggressive.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

“Elk love to go onto that golf course for the green grass and there’s a lot of people who love to go and watch them and we’ve got to all kind of find a way to co-exist,” Jason Clay with Colorado Parks and Wildlife told CBS4. “These are very powerful animals and an incident like this could really end up killing someone.”

In major discovery, 59 ancient coffins, closed for more than 2,600 years, revealed in Egypt

Officials in Egypt have revealed 59 ancient coffins that were discovered south of Cairo.

The coffins were excavated at the ancient pyramid site of Saqqara.

At a news conference, Egypt’s Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khalid el-Anany said at least 59 sealed sarcophagi, with mummies inside most of them, were found. The coffins had been buried in three wells more than 2,600 years ago.

13 COFFINS, CLOSED FOR 2,500-YEARS, DISCOVERED IN EGYPT

Initially, 13 coffins were found, although archaeologists subsequently excavated others. The coffins are in a good state of preservation and maintain their original colors, according to Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in a translated Facebook post on Saturday.

Ancient coffins are displayed at the Saqqara archaeological site, 19 miles south of Cairo, Egypt on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020.
(AP Photo/Mahmoud Khaled)

The coffins are thought to contain the remains of priests, ancient state officials, and other prominent people.

“The reveal is not finished yet; we have found layers of coffins which will be announced later,” said Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in the Facebook post.

STATUES OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN GODDESSES AND PHARAOH RAMSES II DISCOVERED

“I consider this is the beginning of a big discovery,” el-Anany said. He spoke at a news conference at the famed Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara where the coffins were found. The sarcophagi have been displayed and one of them was opened before reporters to show the mummy inside.

Khalid el-Anany, Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister, right, and Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the country’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, left, stand over a sarcophagus at the Saqqara archaeological site, 19 miles south of Cairo, Egypt on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020.
(AP Photo/Mahmoud Khaled)

The coffins will be transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

Dozens of statues were also discovered during the excavation.

3,600-YEAR-OLD TEENAGE MUMMY DISCOVERED IN EGYPT

An archaeology worker opens a sarcophagus at the Saqqara archaeological site, 30 kilometers 19 miles south of Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020, in the presence of journalists and officials.
(AP Photo/Mahmoud Khaled)

Egypt continues to reveal new aspects of its rich history. Statues of ancient Egyptian goddesses and Pharaoh Ramses II, for example, were recently uncovered near Mit Raineh, about 18 miles south of Cairo.

Earlier this year, a 3,600-year-old teenage mummy was discovered in Luxor, as well as tombs of a number of high priests.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Last year, an ancient fortress built by Ramses II was discovered in Beheira Governorate, northwest of Cairo, according to Egypt Today.

Fox News’ Chris Ciaccia and the Associated Press contributed to this article.

NASA’s new space toilet on its way to the International Space Station

Talk about “to boldly go.”

A new space toilet is making its way to the crew of the International Space Station aboard a Cygnus spacecraft. “Its features improve on current space toilet operations and help NASA prepare for future missions, including those to the Moon and Mars,” explained NASA, in a statement. “The Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) demonstrates a compact toilet and the Urine Transfer System that further automates waste management and storage.”

NASA added that the smaller footprint of the UWMS “supports a possible increase in the number of crew members aboard the space station, as well as planning for future exploration missions.”

SPACEX MAKES HISTORY, LAUNCHES NASA ASTRONAUTS INTO SPACE FROM US SOIL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2011

Cygnus is loaded with nearly 8,000 pounds of research, crew supplies and hardware, including the toilet. The uncrewed Northrop Grumman spacecraft launched Thursday night from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on one of the company’s Antares rockets. The spacecraft, named the SS Kalpana Chawla, after the NASA astronaut who died in the Columbia disaster, is scheduled to arrive at the orbiting space lab on Monday.

Northrup Grumman’s Antares rocket lifts off the launch pad at the NASA Wallops test flight facility, Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, in Wallops Island, Va. The rocket will deliver supplies to the International Space Station.
(Thom Baur/Northrup Grumman via AP)

“Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA will use the space station’s robotic arm to capture Cygnus, while Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos monitors telemetry during rendezvous, capture, and installation on the Unity module’s Earth-facing port,” said NASA, in the statement.

Another UWMS will be installed in NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the crewed Artemis II test flight expected to launch in 2023. The 10-day mission will take four astronauts beyond the moon and back.

NASA ASTRONAUTS DESCRIBE THEIR HISTORIC SPACEX RIDE TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

The UWMS
(NASA)

Cygnus will leave the space station in mid-December, undertaking a key experiment as the mission approaches its conclusion. “Following departure, the Saffire-V experiment will be conducted prior to Cygnus deorbit and disposing of several tons of trash during a fiery re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere approximately two weeks later,” NASA said in a statement.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Spacecraft Fire Safety Experiments (Saffire) are designed to investigate major flame growth and material flammability limits in space. “The experiments are ignited in a Cygnus cargo vehicle after it has completed its primary International Space Station supply mission, departed the station, and before its planned destructive reentry to Earth,” the space agency explains, on its website.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers

Search underway for murder hornets nest in Washington state

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) – Agricultural officials in Washington state said Friday they are trying to find and destroy a nest of Asian giant hornets – also known as murder hornets – amid concerns they could kill honey bees crucial for pollinating raspberry and blueberry crops.

Evidence of six of the hornets was found over the last week near the town of Blaine in Whatcom County, the Washington state Department of Agriculture told reporters.

The number of hornets found – nearly double the previous number discovered in the state – would indicate a nest has been established in the area, the agency said. One of the hornets was trapped alive, a first for the agency, spokeswoman Karla Salp said.

“We believe we are dealing with a nest,” said Sven-Erik Spichiger, a department entomologist. “We hope to locate the nest in a couple of weeks and eradicate it.”

‘MURDER HORNET’ TRAPPED FOR FIRST TIME IN WASHINGTON STATE, EXPERTS SAY

The Asian giant hornet – the world’s largest at 2 inches (5 centimeters) – can decimate entire hives of honeybees and deliver painful stings to humans. Farmers in the northwestern U.S. depend on those honey bees to pollinate many crops.

In this Sept. 30, 2020, photo provided by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, a researcher holds a live Asian giant hornet with a tracking device affixed to it near Blaine, Wash. Agricultural officials in Washington state said Friday, Oct. 2, 2020 they are trying to find and destroy a nest of Asian giant hornets believed to be near the small town amid concerns the hornets could kill honey bees crucial for pollinating raspberry and blueberry crops. (Karla Salp/Washington State Department of Agriculture via AP)

The invasive insect found in China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam and other Asian countries was first documented in Washington state late last year. Officials have said it’s not known how it arrived. Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia are the only places the hornets have been found in North America.

There have been reports from Asia of the hornets stinging people so often they have died.

Despite their name, the hornets kill at most a few dozen people a year in Asia, and experts say it is probably far less. Hornets, wasps and bees typically found in the United States kill an average of 62 people a year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said.

In this Sept. 30, 2020, photo provided by the Washington State Department of Agriculture, a researcher works to attach a tracking device to a live Asian giant hornet near Blaine, Wash. Agricultural officials in Washington state said Friday, Oct 2, 2020 they are trying to find and destroy a nest of Asian giant hornets believed to be near the small town amid concerns the hornets could kill honey bees crucial for pollinating raspberry and blueberry crops. (Karla Salp/Washington State Department of Agriculture via AP)

The real threat from the hornets is their devastating attacks on honeybee hives, and the time of year when they attack those hives is nearing, Spichiger said. He called it the “slaughter phase.”

A state scientist managed to trap one live Asian giant hornet near Blaine in recent days and officials tried to glue a radio tag to it so they could follow the hornet back to its nest, Spichiger said.

But the glue did not dry fast enough, the radio tag fell off and the hornet ultimately could not fly, Spichiger said. Scientists hope to capture another live hornet and try again.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

People living in the Blaine area have been reporting sightings of the hornets to agricultural officials.

There is also evidence that the giant hornets are attacking native wasps and hornets, Spichiger said.

Fifteen of the hornets have been found since they were first seen in the state in 2019, the Agriculture Department said.

Washington State emergency teams use SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet

Emergency teams in Washington State have been harnessing SpaceX’s Starlink internet technology to provide connectivity in areas devastated by wildfires.

“Happy to have the support of @SpaceX’s Starlink internet as emergency responders look to help residents rebuild the town of Malden, WA that was overcome by wildfires earlier this month,” tweeted Washington Emergency Management on Monday.

DEVASTATING WILDFIRE ‘ANATOMY’ EXPLAINED

A service station that was destroyed by a wildfire is shown Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in Malden, Wash.
(AP Photo/Jed Conklin)

“Glad SpaceX could help! We are prioritizing emergency responders & locations with no Internet connectivity at all,” tweeted SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, in response.

The satellite-based Starlink system delivers high-speed broadband internet “to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable,” according to SpaceX. The service is initially focused on the northern U.S. and Canada, but will expand to provide near-global coverage of the populated world by 2021, SpaceX says.

“Four terminals were installed in Bridgeport, Omak, Skamania, and Malden,” a spokesperson for the Washington Emergency Management Division told Fox News, via email. “All four performed incredibly well – and have been recovered. They’re no longer being used at this time.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News has reached out to SpaceX with a request for comment on this story.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers

Get set for harvest moon: NASA’s top tips for skywatchers

Stargazers are in for a treat on Thursday when the harvest moon lights up the sky.

“The next full moon will be on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 1, 2020, appearing “opposite” the Sun (in Earth-based longitude) at 5:05 p.m. EDT,” explains NASA, on its website. “The moon will appear full for about three days around this time, from Wednesday morning through Saturday morning.”

According to Old Farmer’s Almanac, the harvest moon is the full moon closest to the beginning of fall or the autumnal equinox.

THE MOON IS ‘RUSTING’ AND SCIENTISTS ARE STUNNED

“During the harvest season farmers sometimes need to work late into the night by the light of the moon,” explains NASA on its website. “The full moon rises an average of 50 minutes later each night, but for the few nights around the Harvest Moon, the moon seems to rise at nearly the same time: just 25 to 30 minutes later across the northern USA, and only 10 to 20 minutes later farther north in Canada and Europe.”

A passenger plane, with a full Harvest moon seen behind, makes its final landing approach towards Heathrow Airport in London, Britain, October 5, 2017 – file photo. REUTERS/Toby Melville
(REUTERS/Toby Melville)

October is also a “blue moon” month, according to the space agency, with the second full moon, or “blue moon” occurring on Oct. 31. “In recent years, people have been using the name Blue moon for the second of two full moons in a single calendar month,” said NASA. “An older definition of Blue moon is that it’s the third of four full moons in a single season.”

Last year, the harvest moon fell on Friday the 13th of September. The full moon was the first to occur on Friday the 13th for almost 20 years.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Last month’s full moon, which occurred on Sept. 2, was the full corn moon.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers

Fall colors in Midwest spotted from space as autumn arrives

The changing leaves as autumn arrives were able to be seen in spectacular photos from space in portions of the Midwest.

The Autumn Equinox came on Sept. 22, marking the first official day of fall.

A period of chilly weather near the end of September allows vibrant colors to be picked up on the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite the on NOAA-20 satellite.

2020 US FALL FOLIAGE PREDICTION MAP SHOWS WHERE, WHEN LEAVES ARE EXPECTED TO CHANGE

The image from Sept. 22 shows leaves changing in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Leaves can be seen changing in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan on Sept. 22, 2020.
(NASA/NOAA-20)

Areas around Lake Superior could be seen with pops of color.

The most vibrant colors were seen in areas surrounding Lake Superior.
(NASA/NOAA-20)

The region is rich with aspen, birch, maple, basswood, and other deciduous hardwood trees, according to NASA.

The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office in Duluth, Minn. said Sunday that colors are near peak across much of the region.

TOP 13 FALL SCENIC VIEWS: WHERE TO STAY TO SEE FALL COLORS

According to the U.S. Forest Service, certain species of trees produce certain colors.

Oaks generally turn red, brown, or russet; aspen and yellow-poplar turn golden.

Maples differ by species, as red maple turns brilliant scarlet; sugar maple, orange-red; and black maple, yellow.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, certain species of trees produce certain colors.
(iStock)

“Some leaves of some species, such as the elms simply shrivel up and fall, exhibiting little color other than drab brown,” the agency notes.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE WEATHER COVERAGE FROM FOX NEWS

There are also three factors that influence autumn leaf color: leaf pigments, length of night, and weather.

There are three factors that influence autumn leaf color: leaf pigments, length of night, and weather.
(iStock)

“The timing of color changes and the onset of falling leaves is primarily regulated by the calendar as nights become longer,” the Forest Service notes. “None of the other environmental influences – such as temperature, rainfall, food supply – are as unvarying as the steadily increasing length of night during autumn.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

Dragonflies with morning dew stuck to their wings captured in viral images

A wildlife photographer has taken incredible images of dragonflies with their wings glistening from the morning dew.

Andrew Fusek Peters took the images of the emerald damselfly and a female black darter dragonfly on Sept. 29, British news agency SWNS reports. Fusek Peters was able to snap the photos at the Long Mynd nature reserve in Shropshire.

“There was something really special about this last insect of summer. They are like engines of the sun and need sunlight to fly,” the 54-year-old photographer said. “I believed the damselfly is the last one on the whole of Long Mynd nature reserve. In the season earlier in September and August there are hundreds up there.”

Spectacular images show one of the last damselflies of summer covered in dew as it clings to a reed at dawn. (Credit: SWNS)

FLORIDA TO RELEASE GENETICALLY MODIFIED MOSQUITOES, DETRACTORS BLAST ‘JURASSIC PARK’ EXPERIMENT

Fusek Peters said the insects need to wait for the sun to warm their wings up so they can fly, which gave him the perfect opportunity to capture the photos.

Wildlife photographer Andrew Fusek Peters captured the stunning emerald damselfly at Long Mynd nature reserve, Shrops. He spent hours searching for the insects and waiting for the sun to rise high enough.

“It is just gorgeous. I hadn’t found any covered in dew at all this year,” he added. “I waited for the sun to rise over the trees and got really excited. I think this is the last gasp of summer. It shows there is beauty in nature at any time of the year.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Science

Footer

Public File Info